The cure for vampirism

Chapter 2

Before we continued to explore the place, Naomi sniffed the air. She made a mouth.
"Undead. They're next door. Almost a dozen of them," she said.
"Draugr?" I asked.
"Skeletons. Not a big challenge." Naomi shrugged.

Twenty stairs divided us from an iron door, which was decorated with ancient punctation marks and scuffed andornments. Anonymus readied his staff, the glow of his body showed his cloak. I grabbed Curvy, my sword. Curvy was the 'official' name of my Sowrd of Lightning Bolts. And due to its effectiveness some bandits already tried to take it from me. Little did they know of my heritage, that's for sure. My attackers were dead in no time.

I snapped back to reality when my younger sister climbed the stairs. I followed her as fast as I could, Anonymus coming as the last one again. When we reached the door, Naomi looked at me, waiting for my signal. From the distance I could already hear the sound of bones grinding to each other. That was a sound only skeletons couls make: no flesh, no blood, no joints, no tendons, no cartilages; only bones were left of the former humans. I shivered at thought that maybe someday I would be one of these horrible creatures.

Forcing these thoughts away, I gave a small nod and my sister opened the door. With a loud BANG! All enemies appeared in no time, and I could barely crouch down to avoid a swing. Rolling on the ground, I managed to parry another attack. Fast as a snake, my hand lunged forward and I got the skeleton's shin bone. With a forceful pull I broke it. After the enemy lost his balance, I snicked Curvy across his chest and the skeleton's eyes turned dark. And they will stay dark for eternity.

Without thinking I jumped backwards, just before an arrow hit the wall. Another skeleton batted his axe at me, while the one with the bow readied a new arrow. I slashed wildly at the axe-wielder, cutting him, then went head over heels, standing up to face the skeleton with the bow. Immediately I grasped his bow, while kicking his pelvic. I scored a hit and the skeleton fell in pieces to the ground.

As I looked around, I noticed the rest of undead also lay in portions on the floor. Thankfully neither Naomi nor Anonymus was wounded. To my biggest surprise my lungs weren't screaming for air. That was a good sign.

Nobody said a thing. I hoped we hadn't been too loud, because on the right side of this long tetragonal room was a gangway. I signed with my chin towards it, and Naomi checked the air. She then placed two forefingers at her mouth and imitated vampire fangs. After that she showed two fingers. That meant two vampires were in the next room.

I put Curvy back to his sheath and grabbed my bow. We sneaked slowly and silently towards the gangway. I dared to peek inside, estimating the surroundings.

The room was an oval. A gigantic oval. The ceiling was high above me.
If I had to divide it, I would split it into three floors. Because there were three heights.

I decided to check the third floor first. As I looked up, I noticed the first vampire. It was a male with dark hair. He was on the left side of this room, leaning against a banister. He was in fornt of a closed door. It had the same shape and colour as the one that divided us from the skeletons.

One vampire on the third floor, one vampire missing. My gaze followed the trail from the third floor to the second.
The second floor was rather a stage, than a real floor. It curved from the left side to the right, embracing the first floor. The stage started on the right side. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when I noticed the second vampire standing with his back to me. No, it wasn't his back, it was her back. The vampire's hair was braided. Definetely a woman.

The first floor was a little clearing, gras grew beneath the chest that was in the left ankle. Two chairs were on the sides of the chest, and a wardrobe was behind it. I really hoped the vampire lady didn't notice me.

I turned back to my companions. Puting a finger in front of my lips, I indicated them to follow me to the door where we came in. Even when we were there, I was whispering.
"There's a female vampire standing in the door, and a male is up. He could reach the ceiling by raising his hands. The room is gigantic. Naomi," I looked at my sister, "you will handle the female in the door, as you're the only one who couldn't reach the male from below. Anonymus and I will get him."

They both nodded. We sneaked back to the gangway. My plan worked: While the female was screeching as Naomi stabbed her in the belly, Anonymus let a fireball hit the male, and I shot an arrow at the same enemy. In less than a minute both 'suckers' were dead.

After that, I skipped to the chest. Naomi appeared a half heartbeat later. Anonymus sat down on a chair.
"C'mon, open it!" Naomi said impatiently. I gazed at the lock. I immediately noticed the string that was binded to it. My eyes widened when Naomi regardlessly opened the chest. With a squeak I jumped at her and pushed her just in time out of the giant mace's way, which was now towering out of the wooden chest.

My sister hissed under me, but I didn't let go. I grabbed her shoulders and pressed her to the ground.
"Idiot! You could've killed us! Did you really forget everything that was taught you about caution?!" I hissed at her, barely managing to keep my voice low. Naomi growled at. When I saw her buckteeth I simply slapped her.
I had never hit her before. Neither by training, nor accidentally, nor as punishment. Never.
Her eyes went round like the moon a second after I touched her. I glared at her for several seconds, then let go. Stood and ignored her. I went to the chest, and carefully opened it. I heard Naomi get to her feet behind me. Even though she was hot-headed, I knew she wouldn't hurt me. She sat next to me and watched as I packed the loot from the chest on the floor.

Four potions, fifteen gold, a ruined book and an iron dagger.
Anonymus appeared at my side. He held his backpack to me.
"It's empty," he explained. "Pack the loot, and we'll share when we got out of here."
Naomi stared at him, raising a brow as she spoke, "You want to take that book too? It's nothing worth!"
"It is," Anonymus said, annoyed.
"Yeah, two coins worth! And anyway, how many merchants do you know who buy scraps like that?"
"Oh, stop it! We'll take it. Two coins are still better than nothing!" I said. Naomi rolled her eyes.
"Whatever."

After that, I looked at the female vampire's corpse. Anonymus helped me to harvest some vampire dust. We found a scroll, four gold and another dagger by her. Stuffing them into the backpack, we went upstairs to loot the other vampire. Naomi was alread there. When she saw us she pointed at the door.
"It's locked."
"Did the male have the key?" Anonymus asked.
"Nope. But he had a bunch of gold! Fifty-two." She threw a purse at him and my friend stuffed it in his backpack too.
"That's wonderful, but we won't make use of it if we don't get out of here!" I said. With two jumps I was standing in front of the chest again. I looked inside, lighting a magelight in my hand so I could see better. Empty.
I checked the wardrobe. A miner's clothes, a troll skull, and simple clothes. I grabbed the simple clothing and investigated its pockets. Ha! Found it! A bronze key.

With quick steps I went back to the door. Placed the key into the keyhole and turned it.

Suddenly a mace appeared, flying straight at me.
Time seemed to slow down as it happened. My reflexes told me to defend myself, but all I could do was raise my arms in front of my chest and head.
I heard myself scream as pain shot through my whole body. My arm was broken, I knew it. I had heard the bone snap. As the enemy wanted to attack again, Naomi and Anonymus grabbed me under my pits and pulled me back. I didn't realise what was going on in front of me.

The pain was unbearable. My left hand clutched my lower arm. Blood was pouring out of it. A lot of blood.
I didn't know what to do. I heard screeches and howls and the sound of metal striking flesh.
I could smell the foul scent of rotten meat and congealed blood.
I knew the others were in trouble, but I couldn't stand up, because my legs felt like jelly. I couldn't feel anything else than the pain in my arm. The unbearable pain in my good arm.

When I heard a loud hiss, then a growl, I thought, It's over. We're all dead.
But then everything went silent. Nobody came to kill me. I could only hear my own shaky breaths. And I saw a pool of blood below myself.

The last thing I saw as Anonymus, who was blood-covered. Staring right at my bleeding arm. His fangs hanging out of his mouth. Him jumping to me and grabbing my wounded limb.

Then everything went dark.