Not too far away, Victor Frankenstein heard the noise raised by the vampire's pursuit. He shifted his gaze to see what had caused the unnatural sounds, before casting aside his stalking of the undead mystery to see something more concrete. Reflexively, he drew a repeating revolver, a state of the art weapon for its time, which he had loaded with bullets with hollowed points filled with a synthetic and powerful acid the doctor himself had concocted. When he saw the fiendish creature rise up to the sky carrying a derelict, he recognized it as a vampire from past encounters. He had also learned enough to realize that it took an extreme situation to cause a vampire to take this hellion form. Assuming that it was somehow connected to Dracula's as of yet undiscovered purpose, Victor raised his gun and fired upon the creature. The first bullet missed the flying monster, exploding in a burst of acid. He didn't get the chance to fire another round.
Shrieking one of the heka, the ancient words of power now lost to the ages, Rafik Mrad turned his mystical abilities towards causing the gun being fired upon his key to crumble. The man wielding the gun, a European with skin and hair as light as that of the fool who freed Rafik, turned to face the shouting man, apparently aware of how the mystic's words had destroyed his device. Rafik stared balefully at the man.
"You will not destroy my key!" Rafik roared at the invader, the strength of his voice enough to shake less jaded men.
"And I will not allow you to interfere with my work!" Victor shouted, tossing aside the ruined weapon.
The stranger growled at Victor. Victor's response to the man's malice was to brandish another, more heavily modified, revolver but this he aimed at Rafik. The professor withdrew a gnarled knife, a speechless gesture that stated that he would not back down from an insect such as the European.
The European fired the first shot with his strange gun. A shriek of heka tore across the wind in response as the Egyptian leapt out of the way. As Victor's bullet crashed against the streets with a small explosion, he was assaulted by a desert wind that emerged from nowhere. Despite the flesh and cloth that was being shredded by the razored gust, Victor managed to fire another shot at his foe. The exploding bullet missed its target again, but Rafik was caught in the blast. When the mystic howled with pain, the wind ceased its attack. Victor lined up a third shot to finish the undead and take the corpse for research, but Rafik shouted another heka and vomited forth a crimson serpent on to the scientist.
The snake lunged for the doctor, but Victor's reflexes were too fast for the beast, and he crushed the animal in his fist before it could sink its fangs in. Using the split second opportunity he had, Rafik howled out another word of power to conjure a knife into his hand, throwing it at Victor with practiced precision. Victor hissed when he caught the phantasmal blade with his shoulder. His cold demeanor began melting the heat of battle, and his eyes were hateful as he fired another shot at the creature he had been studying. The bullet found its target, and exploded into Rafik's chest. The professor howled at the pain, but soon enough, he called upon his dark magic to send a bolt of fire from his chest into his attacker.
Victor struggled to put the flames out, and Rafik smirked cruelly as he prepared to extinguish another life. He began to speak a heka, but when a heavy, dead hand wrapped itself around his throat, he couldn't finish the incantation. The creature that had grabbed him lifted the professor up by his neck, turning Rafik around to face the abomination. A dead face laced with stitches and scars was the first Rafik saw of Frankenstein's monster. For a moment, Rafik was mesmerized by the creation. Never before had he seen such a fine imitation of life, not since he made himself immortal. It was almost beautiful in its unnatural way.
However, Rafik did not have much time to admire the perversion that was the monster named Adam. His knife flashed, and in a moment, he had severed the muscle of the monster's arm, causing the abomination to drop Rafik with ghastly moan. Rafik scrambled to get out of the monster's reach, but stayed just close enough to study it. Frankenstein's creation swung for the professor with his remaining arm, but in his pained state, Adam could not attack faster than Rafik could dodge. Danger was imminent for Rafik, but still he continued to avoid the monster's strikes while obsessively peering at the creature, trying to understand what strange magic brought it to life. Rafik's eyes ceased to blink in his urge to learn forbidden secrets, staring forward as though nothing else in the world mattered more.
"Adam, halt!" Victor shouted after watching the brawl for a few minutes, noticing the professor's interest. The monster ceased trying to crush the mystic, but he didn't let his guard down. Rafik looked towards Victor for a moment before turning back towards the monster.
"You command this abomination?" Rafik asked without looking towards Victor, his eyes still fixed on Adam.
"Yes, I am the master of this freak of nature. Why, I created the infernal thing in pursuit of the secrets of life and death," Victor said, his cold demeanor slowly returning. Adam scowled at the derision he was receiving as though he were not there, but he had grown used to it.
"Intriguing," Rafik said with his most scholarly tone, "It would seem then we are both dedicated seekers of such knowledge that our fellows would rather suppress out of their own fear. I believe we have much to speak of, should you allow me the chance to speak to you in a more civilized manner."
Victor lowered his gun.
"It would seem so indeed."
Shrieking one of the heka, the ancient words of power now lost to the ages, Rafik Mrad turned his mystical abilities towards causing the gun being fired upon his key to crumble. The man wielding the gun, a European with skin and hair as light as that of the fool who freed Rafik, turned to face the shouting man, apparently aware of how the mystic's words had destroyed his device. Rafik stared balefully at the man.
"You will not destroy my key!" Rafik roared at the invader, the strength of his voice enough to shake less jaded men.
"And I will not allow you to interfere with my work!" Victor shouted, tossing aside the ruined weapon.
The stranger growled at Victor. Victor's response to the man's malice was to brandish another, more heavily modified, revolver but this he aimed at Rafik. The professor withdrew a gnarled knife, a speechless gesture that stated that he would not back down from an insect such as the European.
The European fired the first shot with his strange gun. A shriek of heka tore across the wind in response as the Egyptian leapt out of the way. As Victor's bullet crashed against the streets with a small explosion, he was assaulted by a desert wind that emerged from nowhere. Despite the flesh and cloth that was being shredded by the razored gust, Victor managed to fire another shot at his foe. The exploding bullet missed its target again, but Rafik was caught in the blast. When the mystic howled with pain, the wind ceased its attack. Victor lined up a third shot to finish the undead and take the corpse for research, but Rafik shouted another heka and vomited forth a crimson serpent on to the scientist.
The snake lunged for the doctor, but Victor's reflexes were too fast for the beast, and he crushed the animal in his fist before it could sink its fangs in. Using the split second opportunity he had, Rafik howled out another word of power to conjure a knife into his hand, throwing it at Victor with practiced precision. Victor hissed when he caught the phantasmal blade with his shoulder. His cold demeanor began melting the heat of battle, and his eyes were hateful as he fired another shot at the creature he had been studying. The bullet found its target, and exploded into Rafik's chest. The professor howled at the pain, but soon enough, he called upon his dark magic to send a bolt of fire from his chest into his attacker.
Victor struggled to put the flames out, and Rafik smirked cruelly as he prepared to extinguish another life. He began to speak a heka, but when a heavy, dead hand wrapped itself around his throat, he couldn't finish the incantation. The creature that had grabbed him lifted the professor up by his neck, turning Rafik around to face the abomination. A dead face laced with stitches and scars was the first Rafik saw of Frankenstein's monster. For a moment, Rafik was mesmerized by the creation. Never before had he seen such a fine imitation of life, not since he made himself immortal. It was almost beautiful in its unnatural way.
However, Rafik did not have much time to admire the perversion that was the monster named Adam. His knife flashed, and in a moment, he had severed the muscle of the monster's arm, causing the abomination to drop Rafik with ghastly moan. Rafik scrambled to get out of the monster's reach, but stayed just close enough to study it. Frankenstein's creation swung for the professor with his remaining arm, but in his pained state, Adam could not attack faster than Rafik could dodge. Danger was imminent for Rafik, but still he continued to avoid the monster's strikes while obsessively peering at the creature, trying to understand what strange magic brought it to life. Rafik's eyes ceased to blink in his urge to learn forbidden secrets, staring forward as though nothing else in the world mattered more.
"Adam, halt!" Victor shouted after watching the brawl for a few minutes, noticing the professor's interest. The monster ceased trying to crush the mystic, but he didn't let his guard down. Rafik looked towards Victor for a moment before turning back towards the monster.
"You command this abomination?" Rafik asked without looking towards Victor, his eyes still fixed on Adam.
"Yes, I am the master of this freak of nature. Why, I created the infernal thing in pursuit of the secrets of life and death," Victor said, his cold demeanor slowly returning. Adam scowled at the derision he was receiving as though he were not there, but he had grown used to it.
"Intriguing," Rafik said with his most scholarly tone, "It would seem then we are both dedicated seekers of such knowledge that our fellows would rather suppress out of their own fear. I believe we have much to speak of, should you allow me the chance to speak to you in a more civilized manner."
Victor lowered his gun.
"It would seem so indeed."