The Hybrid Fateful Sorrow

The Strigoi

The pain in his skewered eyes didn't stop, just that it was coated with terror. The fear of dying made everything go numb. An eternal pain and struggle would be better, or is it?

Amadeus walks closer to the mercenary that he penetrated with a metal fork. Holding an armed and readied crossbow.

Seeing the sharp needle-like tip of the metal marking at his neck. Pleading would do no good from what he witnessed. Afraid to pull out the metal that stuck on his eye and through the wood wall. He silently whimpers his life away.

A sharp thud! Followed by the mercenary's ugly gasp. The metal bolt pierced his neck clean. While the blood surges from his mouth and the pain continues throughout.

His horrified eyes seeing Amadeus walks away to put an end to the other incapacitated mercenaries. Leaving him as he slowly chokes to death from his own blood.

'You won.'

“You won! You fought them alone! But you won!” one of the commoners said, as he withdrew along with the others, from their hiding place.

Somehow they didn't fear him instead they cheered on his name.

“Ex-knight! Ex-knight! Ex-knight.”

Upon hearing that, Amelia and Elise, reveal themselves with a calm look seeing Amadeus is fine. That calm gaze quickly replaced into disgust from witnessing the outcome.

“Ex-knight, ” a low tone of Elise.

“Are you okay, Amadeus?” Amelia asked.

Amadeus slightly nodded his bloodied head to Amelia, while he made a low and short smile at Elise.

——

The quiet grieving house of the Longrider family was soon replaced with a ruckus. By the dead and ghouled body of Jewel who rose from the bed. Her plum-like veins and aged frail skin, standing on the bed with bloody hands.

Easily made everyone restless and alarmed. Hoch disbelieving eyes as he reclined on the wall with a severed arm.

“Why, my love? What happened to you?” Hoch slowly asked, gazing at his beloved wife.

“Pa! Get away from there!” Rollo yelled.

With every plop of blood on the floor, the tension rises. Gripping each of their arms against the living deceased body of Jewel.

Rollo Longrider, a bastard son of Vass, a Grisian warrior who perished in the Dulenveil war. Vass was the descendant of Hoch and Jewel, the bloodline of the warrior.

Clutching on his greatsword as he ready himself and this time without hesitation.

'Everything is gray, Rollo! No one is right and nothing is fair! You decide what's fair and right to you!' He thought as he tried to remind himself.

The frightened and confused Jewel as she backs to the corner. With her watchful eye, as she searches for the cause. The pungent smell of the godsbane. 

“I don't feel good Hoch, I don't feel so good!” Jewel said while she swayed her head from side to side.

“How can I help? What can I do for you, my love!? Let me help you!” Hoch said as he swung his hands along with the severed one. 

The Strigoi Jewel successfully finds the causes of her waking up abruptly. A hint of a violet hue emitting on the silver dagger.

It was the silver dagger that Munzen was clasping. The Strigoi hissed at Munzen before she quickly sprung. With her frontal claws pouncing at Munzen's head.

“She's coming at me! Help!” Munzen yelled.

Rollo anticipated her movement. Heaving his greatsword from the ground. Grunting as he slices toward his front and above.

“I won't let you harm anyone else! Ma!” Rollo let out as he swung his blade.

A hard creaking sound as the greatsword cuts the floorboard, before slicing up the ghouled arms of Jewel. It was slow and tiny tarnished blood that spewed out from her severed arms. Squealing from Rollo's attack as she backs away.

“Stop hurting her!” Hoch let out.

“It's not her anymore! It almost got me!” Munzen replied.

Hoch clutch and collected her severed hands only for it to slowly turn into a tainted black smog and to nothing.

“What is she doing now?” Fahrer said as he slowly backed away to get a sword from the rack.

“Stop my brother, don't,” Hoch said as he tied his severed arm to stop the bleeding.

“She's dead, brother! This is not her, Jewel won't hurt anyone. This being that is controlling her is disgraceful. We have to stop this!” Fahrer said equipped with a sword.

The Strigoi Jewel returns to her corner with her deep and heavy breathing. Her body tries to morph as she convulses in the process. Altering her sored and flayed skin as it envelopes into darkness.

“I don't know what she is doing, but it doesn't look good, ” Rollo said as he switched his greatsword from side to inside.

He slowly moves to Jewel with his greatsword resting on his shoulder.

Readying a cleaving stance.

“I'm ending this pa!” Rollo said as he got close.

“Rollo! She's changing! Be careful!” Bran yelled.

“Everyone just stops! Leave all of you!” Hoch yelled.

“It's not her anymore! She's a ghoul! A strigoi. Jewel is dead and this is something else!” Rollo said.

Looking back at Jewel, with her dematerializing skin and body. Rollo proceeded to hack sideways. 

Thudding on the wall was his greatsword missing to strike the now invisible body of Jewel.

Hearing the floorboard squeak at his back.  Slightly feeling a weight in the air as he turns around.

A rushing noise in the air, followed by a transparent body of a strigoi. Her newly grown longer bare claws as she strikes from the air. Clawing Rollo in the face before he could deflect her attacks by his greatsword. 

She almost hacked his entire head clean. While the strigoi slowly returns to her invisibility.

Bran and Munzen realize that the godsbane could be easily the reason. 

“It started from the dagger right? It meant to kill the beast, the disease, this could be it!” Bran said.

“You are right Bran. Jewel somehow was struck with the disease. I don't know how but she is attracted to the dagger!” Munzen said as she held the dagger tight.

'This is the perfect way to prove my accusation against him,' he thought.

Munzen nodded to Bran before she called out to wounded Rollo.

“Rollo! Use this! It's imbued with their weaknesses!” Munzen shouted as she threw the sheathed dagger to Rollo. 

Rollo banked his greatsword to the sidewall. Seizing the silver dagger from the air as he quickly releases it from the leather holder. Exposing the pungent smell closer to the Strigoi. Losing control, and her invisibility was put to a stop.

With the clawed face of Rollo. Yelling as he charges in, ignoring everything else. Holding in his right hand is the silver dagger.

The strigoi retreated back as she shrieked. Rollo continued to charge against her. Using his left arm to tackle her to the ground with her frail skin that was easily scraped from any sudden blow.

While Jewel ghouled body pins to the ground by Rollo's physique.

Rollo pummeled the dagger at the Strigoi's chest. Thwacking her flesh from every stab. Confusing and poisoning the Strigoi blood as soon as the godsbane reached the veins. 

Morphing her body uncontrollably.

“What's happening to me!” Jewel said with a deep tone.

“Forgive me, ma!” Rollo uttered as he raised the dagger high above his head.

Holding both with his hand was the silver dagger. Marking her heart as he strikes it down. 

Only to be pushed by Hoch as he attempted to save her wife! The silver dagger hurtled away from his clasp.

“Don't you dare hurt her more!” Hoch said as he raised his right hand.

He strikes a hard blow to Rollo's head.

“We took you in, you bastard!” Hoch yelled.

As he continues to strike Rollo's face, worsening his clawed wound.

Rollo didn't fight back while he got pummeled by Hoch's fist. Thumping his body after he covers his head.

Peeking from his hand he saw the strigoi standing at the back of Hoch. Positioning to attack Hoch while he's busy with him.

With all his strength, Rollo quickly pushed Hoch away from harm.

“What are you doing—”

The Strigoi didn't stop as she lunged her sharp and tough claws at Rollo's chest.

With great instinct, he managed to grab both of her arms. Growling madly as he reveals a small fang.

“You blood-sucking demon!” Rollo yelled.

As he grips both of her arms, breaking her forearm bone slowly.

Quickly followed by a hard thwack, piercing to the soft plum-like flesh. With her screeching wildly from the pain.

Munzen stabbed the strigoi at her back with the silver dagger. She pushed the silver dagger strong enough for half of it too went through her thin and old flesh.

Rollo quickly plucks the blade from her chest, pulling it leaving great damage. He quickly delivers the blade in her heart to finish her.

Dropping her body along with the blade to the ground, her body slowly turns to ashes. Only the silver dagger remains standing before it falls to the floor.

“We killed it!” With a heavy sigh, Munzen uttered.

“Thank you, Lady Munzen. I owe you my life, ” Rollo said panting from the struggle.

“You saved all of us Rollo!” Munzen replied as she sat on the floor.

Hoch's strength escapes him, as he looks to the ground feeling defeated, regretful, and sorrowful.

While his brother Fahrer stands frozen unable to move from the fright.

'And I call myself a Grisian warrior, I didn't do anything.'

Bran fell to rest on the floor, it was courageous enough for him to stay and didn't run away.

'Damn! We killed her. Lady Jewel the first disease. I didn't think it would become like this. But I didn't run! For the first time in my life, I remained!' 

'I might be able to do this! Help me God to vanquish the true evil!'