Master CrimLibe has awnsered the call for Hunters as she was resting at her family estate. Unlike the other hunters yesterday, she did not partake in the revelry of drink and feasting. She didn’t consider yesterday’s work worthy of any celebration. All they did was lose a handful of misguided fools and overwhelmed some brute of a fishman, hardly a battle worthy of a swordswoman like herself. Hopefully this new hunt would provide a better challenge.
From what Libe gathered they would be hunting vampires. She knew a little of the beasts, though admittedly most of what she knew just came from tales. Their weakness for garlic, silver weapons, holy water, sunlight, holy symbols, running water, stakes in the heart, and decapitation. And Libe was fairly certain just about any creature could be killed by the last two. Still it paid to be prepared. So before she left for the hunt she visited another home near her family estate. It was the private home of the La’Spada family blacksmith, the very same one who crafted her blade. She came with a simple request.
”I am going to hunt vampires. I need you to silver my weapons.”
“Silver? Lass I hope you know that makes for a poor blade. You’re be better off swinging a broom at a vampire.”
Unlike the rest of the family servants, the family smith spoke candidly with the La’Spada family. It was his unique permission. Still Libe brushed off his concerns as she presented the daggers she usually had hidden in her sleeves. She left her sword sheathed on her back.
”If I had to I could slay a man with a spoon. But I will be facing vampires, which are creatures who are vastly different than your average man. Thus I need a weapon vastly different. I only need my daggers silvered. My sword, in my hands, is fine as is.”
The gruff smith chuckled but did as requested. He coated Libe’s daggers with silver, doing his best to ensure that the coating didn’t dull their cutting edge. Before she left he also presented her something else that may help her: a silver flask. Apparently it contained holy water from the temple. From the smell however Libe could tell it was alcohol.
“Aye. Holy Spirit!”
Libe met up with the other hunters and traveled to the location of their lair. It seemed unassuming at first, but Libe knew better than to underestimate her enemy. Like the fish monster, vampires were thinking creatures. Even if they had the element of surprise now, the vampires would quickly learn and adapt. Libe needed to do the same. When the door was kicked down Libe charged in and attacked. Seven enemies as far as she could see, not including one that was quickly dispatched by the marauder. Most had swords but a few had pitchforks. Even if they were farmer tools, they were still dangerous and long.
Libe charged at one of the vampires armed with a sword. It was more of a machete really, perhaps a falchion if one was generous about sword descriptions. One thing was for certain, they were designed for a chilling motion, which would make their techniques easier for Libe to counter. Sure enough her opponent opened with an overhead chop at Libe, taking a step back expecting her to run into the blade. Slightly better than novice in technique but not enough to defeat Libe. She simply ducked off to the side and let the vampire’s swing overshoot, causing him to open himself to Libe’s slash.
In one swift motion she drew her sword from her sheath and brought the blade across the man shoulder, going from his neck down to his hip. Unlike yesterday when she fought the smaller fishman, Libe didn’t make the mistake of underestimating her opponent’s toughness. She put her full body into this slice and ensures that her blade first cleaved through the vampire’s shoulder before she sliced the rest of her blade through his body. The only thing Libe had to avoid then was the shower of blood.
”So they bleed. Just like… Us.”
Libe had no time to contemplate what she just did as the other vampires began their attack. Bursting out from a room behind her was another, much larger and burlier vampire. His eyes glowed in the darkness, and he wielded two wood cutting axes in his hands with ease. Libe was certain that even if he wasn’t a vampire, his sheer strength would’ve allowed him to do this. Libe simply swiped the blood off her blade and deftly avoided a pitchfork as it was thrusted at her, as well as an axe swing as it whiffed through the air over her head. As both attacks missed Libe sundered the shaft of the pitchfork with a slash of her sword. After destroying the weapon Libe quickly pulled a dagger from her sleeve and stabbed the large vampire in a knee, causing him great pain as making him lose his footing. All Libe had to do then was sweep the foot and cause him to tumble to the ground.
With those two temporary neutralized Libe took a step back and looked at her opponents. Still more enemies to deal with, and likely more hidden within this complex. Libe could let herself be slowed down by mere fodder. Chances are there was a leader here, someone who was a cut above the regular vampires. Slaying my him would surely cement Libe’s skills as a swordswoman. But for now she needed to deal with his underlings first. Their leader will come in due time.
