Gauntlet Rite of Ascension (42 page)

He watched as the Vessel fought his Beast and won.

He watched as the Vessel trained and grew as a hunter.

He watched as the Vessel fought his own sister and helped her win.

The Hunter watched from the shadows as the Vessel battled the false Leader and won, only to be denied the rightful end of the hunt by the Enemies spawns.

He watched as the hunt continued and he defeated the false Leader’s soldiers, ending in the false Leader’s death.

The hunter sensed as the Vessel emptied himself of all doubt and filled his core with undeniable will having come face to face with the Enemy.

Finally, he thought, it is time. The vessel is prepared and the final hunt is on.

Chapter 38

The Lord finally turned her stare towards me and I felt the pull of its fathomless eyes as it tried to drag me into them. A detached part of me knew my body wasn’t going anywhere, but I still felt as though I was being sucked into the dark abyss. My Beast rose up and tried to fight it, but I might as well have tried to stop an aircraft carrier with one tug boat.

I stopped trying to force myself from being pulled down but instead reached within myself and grabbed the white hot rod of fury that was burning at the core of my being. I took it in my hands and thrust it at the darkness. I felt satisfaction as it sank home and a feeling of pain and anguish hit me as I realized I was once again standing in the Hall facing the vampire.

She recoiled from my psychic answer to her assault and I watched as she narrowed her eyes at me and peeled her lips back from her teeth. Her mouth dropped lower than possible, reminding me of a snake unhinging its jaw in preparation of a much larger meal.

She hissed at me and the sound grated on me on multiple levels. I began to see the true nature of the Lord, the source of her strength. Surrounding her was a dark black cloud of wrongness. Icy cold radiated off it and I knew it was not of this existence.

At the same time, I felt the Hunter flow into me. A power filled my limbs that was the opposite of the Lords. This was the spirit of the Hunt, the pure exercise of life’s struggle for survival, while the Other was the inevitable surrender to death. Its presence settled into the empty areas I had created to allow my will to dominate my actions. As it filled me I gained a clarity I never knew existed.

The Hall snapped into unbelievable detail and I saw it as it was, as it is and as it would be. The lord was still there, but surrounding it and permeating its entire body like a shroud was a darkness that was absolute in its purity. I knew without realizing how that this was not normal for vampires. What infused this lord was what gave it the ability to control other vampires and how it became a lord in the first place.

It was an ancient evil, something that existed in the farthest reaches of the dark expanses of the universe. It sought out vessels that were prepared for it and tried to spread its essence through pain and anguish.

I also knew that what had filled me was this thing’s most hated enemy. I was consumed with the power of the Beast at such a pure level that I ceased to think of myself as myself.

I was the Beast unleashed, the Hunter unchained. It was time to once again make this thing afraid.

With no warning it rushed me. Without hesitation I answered its advance with my own. I joined in a battle that had been ongoing throughout the eons. My part as crucial in the outcome of this clash of titans as the power I had to use.

We slammed into each other and I felt the bones in my chest and ribs break only to instantly heal. The lord’s power was unimaginable as it landed blow after blow on me. I countered its attack and every hit shattered my arms only to have them reknit in a fraction of a second.

I was pushed back and without thinking, I planted my clawed foot and allowed the lord to land a devastating blow to my back as I dipped low and slammed into its stomach with my shoulder. Before it could react I bent down and jumped. The power I used slammed the vampire into the ceiling and a part of me was amazed as we ripped through the roof and up through the floor of the arena.

We flew apart as the devastating destruction of our trip through one level of the Den forced us to separate. I landed in a heap of dirt, wood and stone. I stood up and watched the lord rise from her pile of rubble. She had a two by four sticking out of her shoulder and she absently pulled it out, black ichor flowed to the site and her skin took on the perfect unwrinkled appearance again.

I knew there was still a battle raging around us but I ignored it, knowing where the real threat lay.

She flowed towards me and I had to grab her wrists as she tried to clamp them over my throat. Even with the power of the Hunter I had a hard time keeping her away and she slowly started to gain ground.

I kicked out and flipped over, bringing my feet up to her stomach, I pushed her off of me and she went sailing through the air and into the arena’s rock wall. For the third time that night a section of it crumbled. The rock exploded as she flew from the falling debris right at me.

She once again started pummeling me with her fists and I struggled to keep up. Her blows came faster and stronger and I had to let my conscious thinking fade away as I let the instincts of the Beast guide me. I trusted in the Hunter and quit trying to react, instead I just reacted.

Her attack became a blur of movement as I somehow knew that many had stopped to watch us, even the vampires. Her dark energy began to lick and pull at me, its vast frozen power tried to pull the power from me like some cosmic leech, intent on absorbing the sun’s fury, only to move on to the next one.

I felt something deep inside click as a memory flowed to me.

I was outside throwing the football with my dad, Susan was with us and we were running patterns, pretending we were in the Superbowl. I felt the warmth of the day and the smell of the clean autumn air. My mom brought us lunch and we sat on the grass and ate sandwiches, contentment and love filled me as I looked at my family, the memory as powerful now as on that long ago day.

The memory flowed through me and I took that love and added it to the Hunter, without knowing why, I channeled that love into a white-hot ball and felt it settle in my claws. I absently watched as a light began to glow from my hands and my claws ignited into flames. I noted the pain as my hands burnt, but it was faint, on the edge of my awareness.

Everything slowed down and I noticed the pattern the lord was using in her attack, her speed so great as to hide the predictable flow of her movements. I anticipated her next blow and dipped around it, swiping my claws down her shoulder and separating her arm from her body. I then followed that up with a strike that plunged my hands into her chest and deep into her heart. I pushed the love I had down my arm and I saw pain register for the first time on her face. Her body started to radiate a slight glow as I burned her heart from the inside.

She let out another inhuman wail and I felt blood trickle down my ears as something ruptured.

A split second later she exploded in a mass of burning vampire bits.

I felt a deep satisfaction from the Hunter as its hunt ended with success. It transferred to me a fleeting sense of thanks as it flowed out of me. I felt my awareness weaken as I came back into myself. My hands were on fire as I looked down and saw them a mass of burnt tissue, my fingers looked like charred sausages. They started to itch as my Beast healed them and I turned them over flexing.

A cacophony of inhuman wails split the night as the vampires reacted to their master’s death. They started drifting off into the night, now that they were no longer under her control.

Many took chase and continued to fight them, hoping to take advantage now that their Lord was gone.

I felt the trauma of what I had just gone through and my vision blurred as I almost fainted. Strong hands caught me as I looked up into the smiling face of my sister.

“Easy, bro, don’t make me carry you home.” She teased.

“More like leave me to walk on my own.” I answered.

I stood on my own power and brought her into a long embrace. Eavan arrived, carrying a bundle of clothes.

“I see ye got into trouble as soon as my back was turned.” She said as I got dressed.

“A guy’s gotta have some fun.”

I took Susan by the hand and led her to the Hall where she saw dad. She started crying and sat next to him for a while, holding him.

I searched the bodies and found a set of keys in the sorcerer’s pocket. I took them over and unclasped the manacles from my dad’s wrists.

I gently picked him up and carried him through the Den and outside. I placed him on a wooden picnic table left over from the festival.

I walked off into the trees to gather wood.

I saw as the remaining members of the O’Sullivan clan (which was most of them) had followed me outside and went into the forest to help me. There were many others as well, those who supported my dad and who now owed their allegiance to me.

With so many helping, I soon stood looking at the big funeral pyre we had built. I stood with Susan on one side and Eavan on the other.

We looked at my dad’s body and each of us took a long moment of silence as we remembered him and all that he did for us.

I took Susan’s right hand with my left and willed my gauntlet to grow. It flowed over my hand and forearm as its sword grew to its full length. I turned to Susan.

“Your turn.” I said solemnly.

She looked at her left hand and I saw her forehead wrinkle in concentration. I was just about to give up on her when she let out a sigh of achievement and her own gauntlet matched mine. I noted that her sword was a foot longer and narrower.

I then caused mine to ignite and the surrounding area lit up from the light of its flame.

Once again, I waited for Susan and after some time, she too ignited her sword.

We leaned forward and each of us brought the flames to the dried wood, watching as it quickly caught fire and soon the pyre was fully alight, sending flames twenty feet into the air.

Everyone stood and watched, deep in their own memories, mourning my dad, or their own loved ones they had lost.

Hours later the fire had died to a pile of glowing embers. I sat with Susan and we had been talking about things we remembered about dad, something we didn’t do after we buried him the first time. Eavan sat leaning on me, listening to us, content to just be at my side. Katrina and Max sat together nearby; his helmet lay at his feet, bringing a smile to my face whenever I saw it. After some time, I felt the presence of Abaddon and Oengus behind me.

I knew what they wanted, kissed my sister on the cheek before getting up and squeezed Eavan’s hand before facing them.

“You know I hate to bring this to you right now, but we need to talk.” Abaddon said. “You are now Pack leader. You have many duties and responsibilities that need attending to, especially after what has transpired.”

“I am the Pack leader, you are bound to obey my will, so long as it doesn’t break Pack law, isn’t that right?” I asked.

“Yes, I just said that.” He answered a little impatiently.

I raised my voice so that everyone could hear me.

“As the rightful leader of the Pack, my first order of business is to step down and appoint you, Abaddon, leader in my stead.”

Oengus smile almost split his face and he laughed heartily, slapping Abaddon on the back.

“He’s got ye now!”

Abaddon grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

“What are you doing? You are the Pack leader.” He said.

“Don’t be ridiculous Abaddon. I am not ready to be Pack leader. I’m not even twenty years old for god sake.” I said. “The problem with the last appointee was that he was unable to standup to a real challenge and Vicktor took advantage of that. You’re the best fighter there is. Your skill with the blade is unmatched. You may be a little rough around the edges, but the Pack needs a strong leader right now, one who is also wise. That is you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” He said, flabbergasted.

“Say yes.” I answered.

His face shifted from one of uncertain apprehension to acceptance. He realized I was right, I wasn’t ready. One day I might be, but not now.

“I guess you should have this.” Abaddon said as he held his hand out.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Your father’s estate and all its holdings.” I looked down and saw he held a credit card.

“I have already transferred his account to you, per his request. Once your sister has gained member status, she too will inherit her share.” He explained.

I took the card off-handedly, amazed at the information.

“Your father left you a sizable sum of money and assets. You are now responsible for them.” He added.

“How much?” I asked, still in shock.

“Let’s just say you won’t have to worry about money again, ever.” He answered.

I smiled at him and turned to tell my sister the good news.