Author's Note: There were a lot of things I wanted to do with the original FtLoV that, in my stupid youth, never did. So I've decided to do them here. Most of those, you should notice pretty quickly.
One
The regal figure of Safiria, gentle hands behind her back; hidden behind her long, flowing tresses of hair, slowly led the blonde haired Guardian into the main foyer of her castle, an elegant table and two very beautifully upholstered chairs gracing the center of the room, around a roaring fire. Safiria spoke the moment she was certain they were away from prying ears.
"I shall be honest with you, Guardian. These last few weeks have worn heavily upon me. When you are fighting a foe who can only come out once every lunar cycle; it's rather easy. However, when that 'once every lunar cycle' happens to be every day due to the magics of the forest... well... it becomes tiring in the least. I have not had any sleep in three weeks; and with all of my warriors in the field, I have no one to allow me the chance to sleep." Turning on her heel, she stopped before a grand staircase, which spiraled up to an upper hall. "Which is where you come in, my dear Guardian. I need someone to watch over me as I sleep... figuratively, of course. There is only one way into the castle; through the front door you so casually found."
"Of course, m'lady." Maria responded with a curt bow. "Should you need anything, I shall be here." Safiria gave a curt, regal laugh, cupping a gentle hand to Maria's cheek.
"My... so eager to please... I hope your enthusiasm lasts the night, sweet Guardian." Maria returned her smile with a slightly awkward one of her own.
"I appreciate the sentiment, your highness, but I've got a boyfriend." Safiria started towards the stairs with an almost predatory grin.
"Do you now?" With a downward tic of her head, she ascended. "Good night, Maria Despair."
"Maria is fine, m'lady."
"Only if you call me Safiria."
"Very well... Safiria." As Safiria climbed the stairs, Maria thought she heard her laugh something to herself... shaking it off, Maria started towards the door, where she left her sword. She pushed the great oak door open with one hand, peering out cautiously. She didn't want any unwanted surprises to pop up at her. Convinced Darkovia was as dead as when she entered earlier this morning, she nodded, picked up and sheathed her sword, then walked back inside. It wouldn't be long before she met her first issue.
"Who are you?" A stern male voice called as she returned to the foyer, the figure carrying a long, thin blade in it's hands.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." The blade rose to an aggressive stance as the figure, a pale-faced man with red eyes and sharp teeth exited the shadows and advanced.
"I'll ask again. Who are you; and what are you doing in our Mistress' Castle?"
"My name is Maria De-"
"I care little for your name, whelp."
"Well, in my defense, you DID ask me who I was..." Maria muttered, a smart-ass grin caressing her lips.
"You know what I mean! What are you doing in my Mistress' Castle?"
"Apparently, doing your job for you." Maria answered, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"Where is Queen Safiria?"
"Asleep in her chambers." Maria answered quickly, not really liking how this young vampire's attitude turned out.
"And what brings you here... lunch..." Maria's grip tightened on her sword handle, ready for this vampire to strike.
"I come as a representative of the Guardian Order, here to help Queen Safiria in her struggle against the Werewolves..."
"You're lying." He droned, raising his blade to a threatening position. Maria's soft blue eyes hardened at him.
"Oh, because you know me better then I know myself, right?" The man's eyes narrowed at this show of defiance.
"Your armor says you're a Guardian, sure... but your smell..." He sniffed deeply to emphasis his point. "Your smell is of a newborn babe... unprepared for Darkovia." Maria supressed the urge to be offended by this, drawing on her training to let the insult roll off.
"You're cute. If you'll excuse me, Queen Safiria is depending on me to keep her alive while she sleeps." She tried to step around the vampire, but his blade stretched out to her throat stopped her. "You better point that in a safe direction, young man, or you're going to regret it." The young Vampire's face didn't change.
"Oh? How adorable." He droned, removing the sword from her throat, holding it in an offensive manner. "You're nothing to me. You hear me...? No-" Maria could only take so much of the verbal abuse before responding. With a powerful downward strike, she knocked the blade from his hand, the steel edge clattering as it slid away.
"You need to keep better hold of your weapon." She answered coyly, taking a seat on the couch after sheathing her weapon.
"You insolent little whelp!" Pouncing, the Vampire tried to bite into her neck, Maria managing to catch him by the shoulder and side, pushing against him. He was strong, about as strong, if not a little bit moreso then Maria. He was slowly gaining ground on her, but the Guardian fought valiantly back, trying to push him off her.
"Get... off... me..." She growled, finding her strength to get the upper hand. "Damned... little piece... of crap!"
"Maximillion! Get off her!" A sharp, barking tone came from the top of the stairs, the young vampire instantly throwing himself off of Maria. "I should have known it was you, Maximillion. You're nothing but trouble, you know that? I come down for an extra pillow, and I have to put up with you." Maria managed to see who was barking at the top of the stairs. It was Safiria, dressed in a very attractive red night gown, her long black hair framing her perfect face neatly.
"But, My Queen..."
"Don't 'My Queen' me, Maximillion, Maria is a guest, and you will treat her as such for the duration of her stay in my castle is that understood?" The male vampire growled as he recovered his sword, sheathed it at his side, and bowed.
"Yes... My Queen..." He seemed less then thrilled at this, but he had his orders. "I... came to deliver a message. There is a werewolf assassin moving between the trees, m'lady. I believe the castle is his destination."
"Good. Let him come." Safiria answered as she retrieved a pillow from a small door, a laundry cabinet, Maria guessed. "Return to the battlefield with your brethren."
"But... My Queen...!"
"Guardian Despair is here. She will not allow any werewolves to do me harm. If he is to meet his end, he must believe that we are unawares of his plan. Let him come." She repeated as she moved back towards her bedroom. "Rejoin your brethren, Maximillion. Allow Guardian Despair to do her job." Maximillion sighed and bowed.
"Yes, My Queen." With a snobbish scoff, the Vampire named Maximillion left through one of the rear doors and returned to the field.
"I apologize about Maximillion's forwardness, Guardian. He can be loyal to a fault." Tucking the pillow under her arms, she seemed to drop that regal look to her, and took on a younger, more familiar visage... like a little girl having a sleep over. "Please, Guardian. Make yourself at home." Maria nodded and bowed once more as the Vampire Queen retreated back into her room.
Maria spent the next hour or two sitting on Safiria's couch, looking over a book that was lying on the table. She had gotten about five chapters in when she heard something from the front door. Finally... something to do. Standing, she went to the door, hand on sword, and opened it and immediately sidestepped. A good thing she did, too, because from the door came a flying mass of anger, claws and fur as a werewolf would have pounced on her. Sliding face-first on the cold stone of the castle, the Werewolf managed to pick itself up.
"Clever little vampire, aren't you?"
"Open your eyes, fuzzball. I'm not a Vampire." Relocating it's jaw with a hand, the werewolf stared at Maria, then seemed to grin.
"I noticed that... which begs the question, why are you here?"
"Nah!" Maria chided, her hand now wrapped around her sword's handle, ready to be drawn at a second's notice. "You first."
"I'm not here for you." He growled, turning towards the stairs. Maria closed the gap between herself and the werewolf, kicking him in the rear, knocking him over.
"Don't ignore me, doggy." Bracing itself on a claw, the werewolf growled, it's head twisting to look at the Guardian, who instantly regretted pissing it off. Releasing a roar, the werewolf made a swipe at Maria, which the Guardian only barely managed to stumble back away from. As she fell, her hand removed her sword from it's sheath, the blade jarred from her hand as her rear made contact with the cobblestone floor. Sliding under a table out of reach, Maria swore to herself. This situation just got a lot harder.
"What's wrong, little girl? Not so tough without your precious sword, are you?" Maria managed to get back on her feet fairly quickly, looking about for something. She stood straight up and put on an air of confidence, hopefully it was enough to throw the werewolf off.
"As a matter of fact... I... I don't need it." She answered, tossing her hair out of her face. "It's a handicap, really. Give you a bit of the edge." The werewolf let out a hallow laugh, getting back to his feet.
"I like you, girl. You've got spunk. Your arrogance is misplaced... but I like it nonetheless."
"There's a difference between arrogance and confidence..." Maria spoke once again, trying to hide her shaking hand. Yea... neither of which I've got...
"Do you know how I'm going to kill you, girl? Here's a hint. I'm going to tear that pretty blonde head of yours from your shoulders... and I'm going to eat it. Then, I'm going to pry your armor from your body... then I'm going to defile your body, then finally... I'll eat you."
"That's rather amusing, you know. It's very hard to kill someone when you're dead." She tried to keep the Werewolf talking, her eyes scanning the creature for some kind of weakness. He wore a tattered leather harness, several daggers holstered in the little slots. When he was human, he was probably some kind of rogue, or thief, but like this? He was no different then the other Werewolves. His body was pockmarked by several stab wounds and gashes, all old. Signs of battle, no doubt. He probably came off the field after having fought with, or more realistically, killed more then one Vampire. A long gash gored out one of his eyes, the creature only having use of one eye. Bingo. A slight grin crossed Maria's lips. There's your Achilles. "Well, big ugly? Are you going to stand there, growling and spreading fleas and ticks... or are you going to attack?" One enraged roar told her he planned to do the latter.
Maria side-stepped out of the way of the Werewolf's massive claw, he left hand lashing out and grappling onto his arm. With his momentum and the combined strength of the Guardian, Maria hoisted herself onto the creature's back. "Get off of me!" The Werewolf hissed, trying to claw at her and pry her off.
"Nope. I like it up here." She responded, one hand wrapped around his neck as the other scraped and clawed for one of the daggers on his person. Finding purchase, she unsheathed it and tossed it into her right hand, then drove it into his one good eye.
Howling like mad, the furry ball of hate thrashed about for several seconds, crying and wailing about it's second lost eye. "They say it's only funny until someone looses an eye! I find it becomes hilarious again when they loose both!" Blinded, the Werewolf could do nothing to fight against Maria, the Guardian hopping off it's back and casually walking towards the china cabinet where her sword had slid. Slowing getting to her hands and knees, she fished the blade out from under it, noting that underside of the cabinet could use a good dusting. Blowing the cobwebs and dust from the tempered steel, Maria twirled it in her hand as the Werewolf thrashing continued, swiping and clawing at the air. "Heh..." Maria gave a simple chuckle, readying the blade. "Mad bro?" With a great thrust, her blade sunk deep into the wolf's chest, piercing it's heart. With one last howl, blood oozed freely from the wound, Maria twisting the blade and pulling out, the fanged point of the sword ripping more flesh as it was removed. Hands clasping over the wound, the creature stumbled to it's knees and fell over in a growing pool of crimson. With a sigh, Maria sheathed the blade.
Cre~eak. Padahadah. Cre~eak. Padahadah. The blonde-haired Guardian began opening and closing cabinets in the Vampire Queen's kitchen, searching for something. "Ah! There you are." She smiled as she found a white cloth lying atop several other multi-colored cloths. Reaching into another cabinet, she took out a large pewter goblet, Safiria's name engraved on the side, and started for the foyer. Once there, she stripped the gauntlets from her hands and began to hum a cute little tune, singing something in Labryannan.
"Kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo..." She began, dropping to her hands and knees, sopping up the blood on the floor with the rag, occasionally squeezing the rag out in the goblet. She'd heard that Werewolf blood was one way a Vampire can regain their strength, so she planned on offering it to Safiria when she awoke. "Me wo toji tashikameru..." She continued singing happily, her tone a cheery little on. She didn't quite knew what it was, but her mother had told her it was a Labryannan love song, or some kind of friendship song. She wasn't sure. Maybe both.
After sopping up most of the blood, she stood up, having finished her song, and looked over the body. The cobblestone was still dyed a brilliant crimson and the body was still sprawled out on the stone. "Ugh... clean-up's gonna be a bitch..." Putting her hand on her hips, she huffed. "Whelp... no point in delaying any farther..." Grabbing the werewolf corpse by it's massive claws, she started dragging it out to the heavy doors. Dropping it only long enough to open the oak doors, she drug the body down the stairs onto the bridge overlooking to moat. The crocigators down there look hungry. Throwing the top-heavy creature over the edge, she paused as it hung on the railing, the torso ready to fall and the legs still hanging on the bridge. He was heavy, at least a good four hundred pounds... how the HELL do these things carry so much weight around? Pausing for a breath, Maria looked over the creature.
"Fat bastard." She threw one final insult at it as she heaved it over the edge one last time, the massive corpse falling down into the water below. "Dinner time, you lovely little boys you!" Dusting her hands off, she walked casually back into the castle to finish clean up. Thankfully, a mop and bucket wasn't too far from hand.
To make a long, otherwise boring story short, Maria had finally managed to clean up the last of the blood and toss the bloody water over the same bridge as the body. She figured the crocs would like that. Before too long, it had been six hours. Maria was just about finishing up the last of the blood when she heard footsteps from the stairs. "Well well well..." Came the sweet voice of a rested Safiria. "It would appear as though my trust in you was not misplaced. Here you remain, and I still live." Picking up the goblet, Maria handed it to the Queen as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Present for you. It's Werewolf blood hope that's alright." Safiria looked shocked at this revelation.
"Werewolf blood? My dear Guardian, Werewolf blood is a delicacy to my kind... where ever did you get Werewolf blood." Maria simply smiled.
"Off the floor. Werewolves bleed like stuck picks when you pierce their hearts." A smile played across Safiria's lips as she raised the goblet to them and sipped.
"Mmm... still warm, too." Lowering the goblet, she licked a loose drop of blood from her cheek and laughed. "My, you are full of surprises, aren't you?"
"I like keeping people on their toes. Easier then keeping them on their backs, but typically leads to it." Safiria's smile morphed into something different, her usual sweetness had a hint of twisted glee to it.
"I would bet... say... Guardian Despair... would you be adverse to ending this little war once and for all?"
"Adverse? No, of course not. Why, what did you have in mind?"
"It's no lie or secret that a single Werewolf is more then a match for three of my soldiers... the Werewolves would boast such openly. I know of a way to end this war, but until today did not have anyone that I could both trust with the task... and was confident had the skills to complete it alone. Then you arrived on my doorstep." Maria listened intently to the Vampire Queen. "The Werewolves have a problem with how the forest has been divied up between they and ourselves, and wish full control over the forest. You will challenge the Werewolf King to a Trial of Possession. Being Honor-Bound he will accept."
"What do I have to do?"
"He will send his best warrior forward. All you must do is defeat him. Defeat the warrior he sends at you, and it will secure Vampire dominance over Darkovia for generations... until either he decides to challenge it or until another takes the throne from him."
"That's it? Well, that's rather easy."
"Do not get complacent. The warrior he will send for this task will likely be a Wolven version of yourself... powerful, fast... resourceful. Do not underestimate him."
"Underestimate? Surly you jest. That guy almost made mincemeat out of me. If it wasn't for the fact he only had one eye, he WOULD have killed me."
"Yes, but you are very resourceful. I have faith in you." I'm glad you do, your highness, but I don't. She didn't vocalize this thought, simply settling to nod. "I am almost loathe to have you depart my company so soon but... perhaps if you live at the conclusion of your task, I shall reward you for services rendered."
"Alright, you've convinced me. Do me a favor though?"
"If it is within my power to complete, I shall."
"If I get killed over there... tell Captain Krieger that he sucks and he's an ass for sending me on this mission. Also tell Wolfblitzer I love him."
"Such tear-filled good-byes need not happen." She dismissed rather quickly.
"Maybe for you..." She mused, but shook her head. "Not the point. Where is the Werewolves' Den?"
"A good bit to the east-north-east. All you must do is follow the signs." With a curt nod, she checked herself, making sure her armor was still on, and inhaled one last time.
"Well... off I go then. Wish me luck."
"You are of the kind that ill needs luck, Guardian Despair. Happy Hunting."
Maria walked out of the castle and found the road leading slightly to the north. 'Follow the signs' was about as accurate a set of instructions as Maria's ever had. As she progressed through the forest, small, hastily constructed wooden signs lined the forest floor, all bearing words of 'Danger!' and 'Warning!' and 'Caution: Deathclaws Ahead!'. After passing one sign (one which bore a striking resemblance to a Werewolf doing a Mexican Hat Dance around a dude's heart) she started to really question what the blue-monkey hell she was doing out here. Unfortunately, it was at this time where she would be robbed of her opportunity to escape.
From the trees came four large, furry Werewolves, all snarling and looking generally pissed. They formed a very close circle around her, barring her escape. "This one smells like Vampire!" One hissed.
"Vampire mixed in with Lycan!" Another chimed, giving her a great sniff.
"Vampire stench, and Lycan blood..."
"Impossible..."
"One at a time, furfags..." Maria spoke, trying to make sense of this. "I have come from the Vampire Queen's castle, with a challenge for your King."
"PAH!" One Werewolf barked, leaning down to stare at her. "What could you possibly have to 'challenge' our king with? Your tiny little fists and toothpick?"
"I have been sent to issue the Trial of Possession on Darkovia." The four wolves retreated at the mention. "You know of it then?"
"If this is true... we cannot speak to you of the matter... we are... obliged to bring you to our Alpha..." The word 'obliged' left his mouth, almost as if the very taste of it was vile. "...Only he may speak to you of this matter... follow us, and do not stray, meat. You're being watched."
The pack of wolves did just that, watched Maria like hawks as they lead her through the forest, the trees becoming thicker and darker with each step. Soon, it was easy to spot, even to Maria's inexperienced eyes, that she was walking through Werewolf territory, she could see their eyes glaring at her from trees and shrubberies alike, watching, waiting. A few moments of walking and Maria found herself before a cave, the entrance of which shaped like a wolf's head roaring. "Tacky..." Maria mused as she rolled her blue eyes in disgust at the tacky, over-used cave entrance. One of the wolves who escorted her shoved her towards the cave mouth.
"Issue your challenge, little one and be gone. I grow impatient to feast upon you."
"Ya know... last one'a you who threatened to eat me wound up blind, dead, and crocigator food." She shrugged a little as she walked towards the cave mouth. "Just uh... just you know. FYI." She entered the cave, the stench of rotting meat overpowering her. Werewolves were definitely a lot less civil or hospitable then Vampires were. She'd put up with Maximillion any day over these fleabags.
"So. My scouts tell my you've come to issue a challenge, little human." Came a gruff voice from within the cave. A torch lit, illuminating the inside, allowing Maria to see a rather large, mangy werewolf sitting upon a bone throne, a bone of some kind in his teeth.
"That would be correct. My name is Maria Despair, and Queen Safiria of the Vampires has issued a Trial of Possession to you. Your best against her best. Winner controls Darkovia. One round to the-" She swallowed. "To the death." The wolf erupted into a torrent of gut-busting laughter at this, discarding the bone to his side.
"And who does the little Vampire bitch have that could stand up to even one of my warriors? Vampires are weak... frail creatures. Unfit for this forest's glorious bounty."
"I have been... selected."
"Selected?" The werewolf laughed again. "Volunteered, more like it."
"Not the first time today..."
"Hmm..." The wolf growled, getting off the throne and walking towards her, his claws scraping against the stone. "I see... fire in your eyes, little girl. Arrogance perhaps... but a certain ingenuity unlike other Vampires..."
"I'm not a vampire."
"I can smell this..." He continued. He closed his eyes, almost as if he was contemplating accepting. "You will wait here. I shall send one of my scouts to collect the Vampire Queen for your... death knell."
"My you are so confident you're going to win." Maria mused, crossing her arms.
"And you should have any proof to the contrary?" The werewolf laughed as it sat back in it's chair once more. "You are weak and tiny..."
"I'm a Guardian of Battleon..."
"Weak. And tiny." He repeated. With a wave of his hand he summoned another werewolf. "Take the Guardian someplace to prepare. And have out strongest Warrior ready for the slaughter." with a salute and a grunt, the ordered wolf retreated towards an exit to the cave, while another hurried to whisk Maria away.
Time passed... probably about twenty or thirty minutes by Maria's best guess before another Wolf entered her little 'guest room' (more like a prison cell) to retrieve her. "Come on then, little human. It's time to meet the Creator." Lead out of the room, she eventually found herself in an arena of sorts, stone walls reminiscent of some ancient civilization forming a pit in which two combatants went in, but only one came out. A pulpit on the side to Maria's left held the Werewolf King, standing in all his regal glory, and one on the right held Safiria and a coterie of guards. Safiria watched with a tentative stare as the crowd (a heavy mix of werewolves and Vampires) cheered for their chosen side.
"Brothers! Enemies..." The Werewolf King started, holding his hands up. "It has finally come, where the Vampires have challenged us to a Trial of Possession... for Darkovia!" Another roar of cheers and growls from the Werewolf audience as Maria advanced into the arena. "The challenger from the Vampires... A human from the town of Battleon... Maria Despair." Jeers from the Werewolves, and silence from the Vampires (Save for Safiria, who was doing her best to show support with a light, gentle clap).
"Would it kill you to clap you ungrateful undead?!" Maria barked to the Vampires, who seemed to refuse to do so. "See if I bail your asses out of the fire again... provided I live."
"And your champion, brothers and sister! Jacob Black! The Flesh-Rend!"
" 'The Flesh-Rend'?!" Maria sputtered to herself. "Ah christ... you don't get a nickname unless you're a real badass..." From the side ajacent to Maria, a massive Werewolf leapt over the side of the arena, landing with both feet in the sand, massive claws gripping into the soft floor. Much to Maria's dismay, this particular Werewolf had two good eyes. "Well... there goes my contingency plan..." She huffed at this revelation. This was going to be a much tougher fight then she thought. 'Flesh-Rend' was an apt title, her opponent's claws reaching about seven inches in length. He dug his claws farther into the sand, his breathing heavy, almost grunting and snarling like a rabid animal. He was less human then the others, that much was for certain.
"The rules are simple. The first to die looses. I hope you have made your peace, little human."
"You better make your peace before my foot does it for you." She jeered back, heart pounding in her chest.
"Ready to die?" The massive Werewolf sneered to Maria, claws flexing in anticipation.
"Are you?"
"FIGHT!" Came the Werewolf King's order. The first action the werewolf took was to charge headlong and attempt to pin Maria to the ground. With a percise leap, the blonde guardian dodged the slow attack with ease, the Werewolf's snout crashing forcibly into the arena wall. Maria couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the wolf struggling to shake the dizzy feeling from his head.
"That one looked painful. Eat me, not the arena. Silly doggy." With another growl, the wolf made a more cautious, but still powerful advance on her, swiping at her wildly with a claw, the white-armored Guardian leaping back from the assault, feet sliding in the sand. "Jeez, you are an angry one." She continued, back peddling from the ball of fuzz, her back coming in contact with the arena wall.
"Right where I want you!" 'Flesh-Rend' belted, powering up for a powerful strike, he unleashed it, the lithe Guardian dropping to the sand, his seven-inch long claws shattering upon impact with the heavy stone wall. A howl rose from the wolf's muzzle, the Werewolf watchers glowering in disappointment. Maria caught Safiria smiling and clapping for her.
"That one... looked painful." Maria smiled, taking the moment the wolf was in pain to thrust her sword into it's chest. Another bay of pain as her sword missed it's mark. Blood soaked the sand as she removed the blood-gorged blade from his chest. "Aw, dammit. I missed. Gonna have to stick you again." She rolled away from a powerful punch with his broken hand, sand rising in a brilliant plume from the impact. Getting to her feet, Maria took a quick glance around the arena, the sand hiding no form of weapon or shield she could use. Dammit, she's going to regret not bringing her shield... if she lives, that is. Lumbering towards her, bleeding like a pig, 'Flesh-Rend' expanded to his full height, shooting daggers at her from his eyes. Maria's attention was momentarily not focused, the Werewolf taking the opportunity to backhand her with all his might, the armor-clad woman lifting off the ground, flying several feet back, and landing in the sand, face first.
"Uuuugh... owies..." She mused, the Werewolf watchers cheering. Even past all that, Maria could have sworn she heard Safiria gasp. Her unused hand gripped in the sand, grabbing a handful of granules, ready for her slightly overused if not completely unexpected plan. The Werewolf, heavy stepped he was, neared the Guardian, only to have Maria launch the handful of sand into his eyes. Raising one hand lightning quick, the Werewolf blocked his eyes from the underhanded assault.
"Ha! Useless little worm."
"Hey..." Maria smiled, grip tightening on her sword. "Dead wolf says what?"
"What?" The wolf asked, opening it's eyes to see Maria sink her blade once more into it's chest, this time, her strike flying true, piercing the wolf's black heart. Silence fell upon the arena as Jacob Black 'The Flesh-Rend' fell to the floor, a miserable pile of nothing, bleeding out. "You..." He wheezed, reaching for her. "You... cheated..."
"All's fair in love and war." Maria answered, stepping to him, straddling his neck with her legs and raising her sword up high. "Nothing personal." With a true strike, her blade sunk deep into the wolf's neck, killing him. With a few twists of her blade, the Werewolf's head popped off it's neck, rolling free in the sand. Sheathing her blade, the Guardian picked up the head and held it up, the skull the size of her body. "Hey, Safiria? Think this'll look nice in your parlor?" She called up to the relieved looking Vampire Queen.
"It'll look lovely!" She called back. Maria surveyed the assembled wolves, the Werewolf King looking ready to explode.
"KILL HER!" He bellowed, his words echoing in the treeless expanse. As if hell had decended to Lore, every single wolf in the stands began to leap into the arena, snarling and drooling.
"Whoa boy... double crossed, not good." She looked about, trying to find some out. Ducking her head and sprinting towards the wall under the Werewolf King's pulpit, she jumped over a leaping wolf, pushed off his back, landed on the shoulders of another, then leapt up to the pulpit, and in an eyelash's length, had her blade to the Werewolf King's neck. "We had a deal, fuzzball." She glowered, the king reaching both hands up. "I fought your Champion. I killed your champion. If you can't even follow your own damn traditions, maybe I should just secure Vampire supremacy the old fashioned way... with a wholesale slaughter of each and every one of your flea-bitten friends?"
"You can't." He answered crassly.
"I just killed your best fighter, and look..." She motioned to her face with her unused hand. "Didn't even break a sweat. Now, either you call off this little debacle, honor your deal, or I make a trophy out of you next." The Werewolf King studied Maria's face, to find some hint of her fibbing. Her stone visage offered no way to tell yay or nay if she meant it.
"Stand down." He spoke weakly. Maria inched her blade closer.
"Come, now! Where was that tone from earlier? They can't hear you."
"Stand down!" He bellowed, the wolves stopping mid climb. "Stand down, Creator-Damn you all! She's won... Darkovia belongs to the Vampires..." He seemed to mumble these words, but the important people heard them. The blade went back into it's sheath as Maria nodded.
"Good doggy. Now stay." She pointed at his chair, then leapt into the stands, walking around to the coterie of vampires. She smiled to a very happy, very relieved looking Safiria. "You guys can just head back... I gotta find a way to get that..." She pointed to the wolf's head. "...back in one piece... be around in like... an hour or so."