69 — A clash of worlds

They had broken out of the woods and were now crouched in the bushes, just outside the palace. Thanks to the excellent tracking skills of the bear shifters, they were able to navigate the woods, be treated to a very nice meal of roast meat and be protected from wild animals by the fairies. The trip had done alot more than Lily had expected. It had created some sort of bond between the kingdoms and there was no doubt that after this war, there would be a lot of strong allies to be called on.
Despite the tense situation where they found themselves, Lily was feeling awfully good. It was a refreshing feeling, very different from all the adrenaline she usually felt before a match and she was finding it a good break. It didn't matter that Nicolas was even there, she didn't care. All that mattered was the euphoric feeling she was feeling.
"One of my fairies just came back with info," the fairy king announced, drawing Lily's attention to the now crouching fairy that had appeared out of nowhere.
The fairy stood and spouted out some gibberish that even if Lily could understand, she would still have problem keeping up given the fast rate the fairy talked in fairy language or whatever it was they spoke in.
Lily knew she was not the only confused one because all the kayaan soldiers and Nicolas had a confused look on their faces as well. The bear shifters had been sent to scout the palace, disarming guards since they were the one with the hunting skills that could pass unnoticed.
The fairy king nodded and replied shortly to the other fairies and all the rest fairies disappeared in a gentle breeze.
"The fairy just told me that the mating will soon happen, probably in the next five minutes so, we know what to do. I have sent the other fairies to... Work some magic. The evil king won't know what hit him." the fairy king explained with a smirk and Lily nodded in understanding, brushing past Nicolas to get to her soldiers.
"Soldiers, it's time! We are going to March in and stop the vampire king!" She shouted and the soldiers banged their staffs on the ground with a short cry. Lily nodded.
"So, make your people proud, March in there and save the wolves!" She yelled and with a final war cry, they charged into the palace.
****
The fairy king had been right. His people were already working their charms, creating shields and armor for them when the war began. Lily appreciated the magic when the arrow sent her way disintegrated into dust before it hit her.
Nodding go her soldiers who were keeping up their good work, slashing and fighting with the vampire guards. They'd stormed the place and had attacked before they vampire men could understand what was happening. Unfortunately, that meant the vampire king was nowhere in sight and by gods, his army was a large one.
Ripping her knife out of a vampire's chest, she quickly latched onto another, dimly aware of her soldiers still fighting and the fairies doing their jobs. This war was so far going well, she hoped.
The priestess was no where to be seen as well, the bear shifters were guarding the premises, anyone who tried to escape was killed by them. Some incoming vampires emerged out of nowhere and gave nasty snarls.
Lily rolled her eyes, did a back flip and threw her knife, sinking it into her opponents eye and watching it disintegrate.
More vampires poured into the fight and Lily wondered where they came from. Where were the wolves? We're they hiding like cowards or doing something?
From afar, she spotted Nicolas and a vampire fighting but it was clear Nicolas was clearly loosing because he was unarmed and— lily face palmed, whipping out her staff and taking the vampire's feet from under it. She ended the fight with her sword, sinking it into it's chest.
She began to run towards Nicolas, even though she knew she shouldn't. She had no idea why she still wanted to save him, even though he had betrayed her, had lied to her.
Holding out her staff, she aimed at the unsuspecting vampire and threw it. With a lightness she was not aware she even possessed before, she jumped over a barrelling vampire, landing on her feet in time for her staff to hit the vampire square in the head, making it collapse.
Angrily, she slashed at the restraints on Nicolas's wrists. He gave her a short nod and she grunted.
"Better not betray me this time, else I will kill you, Nicolas," she spat, grabbing a vampire's sword and thrusting it at him. He nodded but before he could say something, lily was launching herself at another vampire.
She was trusting him, the same way the priestess was trusting her to win this war. She hoped she didn't disappoint.
She was fighting more and more vampires and they were still pouring in like a river. She was starting to get annoyed, not even the least bit tired but annoyed. Where were they coming from? And why were the bear shifters stopping them? And where the hell was the priestess?
She looked up in time to see an arrow go through a fairy and it fell. Her eyes widened. She looked around, saw some of the soldiers injured but not excessively so. They were still fighting.
She looked back at where the vampires were pouring from and saw no other than the person she'd been looking for since this battle began. King Eric was dressed in an all steel armour and was holding a wickedly long sword in his hands with a smirk dancing on his lips.
"Come on, commander," he jeered, motioning for her to come and get him.
"Come and fight me," he said and Lily found no grounds to disagree.
With an angry snarl, she ran towards him, staff in her hand.
****
Nicholas was having some difficulty keeping up with slaying the blood thirsty vampire soldiers. His shoulder was aching, his wrist was burning and he found that he was tired.
The angry vampire soldiers he'd dueled with had spat on his face, cursed him, called him a traitor and all the curse words known to human knowledge. The insults hadn't done much damage to him, it had only made him aware that he was fighting unremorseful creatures looking for a quick meal and it'd quickened their death because he felt no mercy for any one of them. Infact, he despised them.
They deserved to die. They all deserved to die, even him himself and he would make sure they all died by his sword.
His sword skills had always been good enough but now, he was surprised that the only bruise he had was the scratches the restraint had left in his wrist and a small cut from one of the vampires. Had he grown stronger, he thought as his sword came down to slash another vampire, dislodging its head from the neck. Or was it that he was now better in swordsmanship?
A vampire thrust from behind him and a fairy blocked the strike. Nicholas swivelled around, split the vampire's head into two with one clean swipe and continued to battle.
He looked around and saw Lily in an experienced and tiring battle with someone dressed in an amour that he now recognized was designed mainly to repel metal.
He knew this because it had been one of his ideas for battle. He wondered what vampire was wearing it. Lily would not get one jab in, he realized, watching as the person raised a gloved fist and brought it down on her face, sending her flying few feet away from her attacker.
Nicolas felt his stomach drop when Lily's attacker's face came into view and he saw it was his father. He knew right then that if he didn't intervene, Lily would be killed.
Desperate to end his battle with the inexperienced vampire, he slashed at the vampire but was surprised when the vampire side stepped him and parried his strike. Cursing loudly, he realized he had go finish his business with this impertinent vampire first.
****
Lily felt dizzy but she got to her feet in time to block the vampire king's strike with her staff. The man was experienced, she would give him that credit.
She had no idea how long they'd been fighting but she was getting tired and she was shocked because she never grew tired in a battle.
Angrily, she twirled her staff in a defensive way, meant to distract her opponent and struck out, managing to catch the man in his knee. He only swiped out his sword, her move was lost in him.
Quickly, she ducked, whipping out her knife and attempting to stab his legs only to be surprised when the metal missed. What the hell?
If her knife wouldn't work, she had to resort to other methods. She took an offensive stance and charged at him, this time attacking him and pushing the man into defense. She was trying her best to be fast and swift with her moves but he was meeting her move for move, even daring to keep a degrading smirk on his face.
With a calculated swipe, he knocked her staff out of her hand and brought his hilt down on her head. Dear goddess, Lily thought, fighting the pain she felt in the center of her head, it hurt bad.
With her form now sprawled from the kick he gave her in her midsection, the king ventured to kick her again until she saw stars and could barely breath.
Another kick sent her tumbling like a barrel, Lily coughed up blood. She wasn't even able to get up or defend herself. The fatigue of earlier was catching up to her, making her feel like she swallowed a bag of stones. She was loosing.
At that moment, she saw some launch their self at the king, knicking both if them to the ground.
Nicolas got to his feet quickly, armed with nothing but a long, narrow but strong stick. Where he'd seen it, he didn't remember but he knew it would do the trick.
His father gave him a hateful look and picked up is own sword.
"Now you'll die, boy," the king spat, lunging at Nicolas who sidestepped the attack. The king recovered fast and brought his own sword on Nicolas who barely escaped this time.
They dueled for some while with the king almost winning and Nicolas barely holding up. His nose was bleeding, his sword arm was slashed as well and he was loosing blood. Lily knew she had to help him.
As she got to her feet shakily, using her staff for support, she saw the priestess emerge out if nowhere at the entrance of the now turned battle field.
The priestess didn't see it but Lily did. Lily saw the vampire drop behind her and saw the sword glint before it was embedded through the priestess who's eyes widened in shock. Lily stared in horror as the vampire removed the siwrd and sank it back again. The priestess turned, knife in hand, slashed at the vampire's throat before taking the body down with her as she fell to the ground, unmoving.
Lily knew the priestess was dead with no need for confirmation.
Angrily, she launched at the king was now drawing his sword to stab his son.
As she kept him in a headlock, the man wriggled and flailed around and to silence him, she grabbed his own sword and brought the hilt down in his head with enough force gk crack his skull had she so pleased.
As she stood up, breathing heavily and gasping her air, she knew that as long as the king was incapacitated, the war would be won.