Lunar Legacy: Rise Of The Beastlord

The orb exploded like a grenade in the midst of the clearing, sending debris and smoke flying everywhere. Triss and I scrambled to our feet, coughing from the acrid fumes.

I could feel the heat of the blast on my back as I pulled Triss up and pushed her behind me. That's when I saw one of the men raise his rifle and take aim.

Time seemed to slow as he squeezed the trigger. I didn't think, I just reacted.

I lunged before I even registered my own movements, twisting between her and the shot. My back screamed as the long dagger-like bullet struck me mid-bolt.

The hot and searing bullet ripped through my spine as I grunted in pain, staggering back.

My vision blurred. I could see Triss's eyes... wide, terrified... and in that moment, everything receded except her.

A sizzling ember spread across my back, the shot burning through my skin. I grunted, jaw clenched.

"Triss, stay down!" I snarled, but her hand gripped my arm.

My fingers fought past the flames to dig into the wound. I found the tip of the bullet lodged in my spine... brown oak, etched with flecks of a glowing green substance.

A vicious combination: one part deadly, one part magical corrosive.

I pulled it out. The pain exploded across every nerve. "Shit..."

"W-what...?" she whispered, voice cracking. "But you said stakes didn't affect you..."

"It doesn't... " I managed to rasp. "But this... it's mystified. I'm vulnerable to it."

That's right, I do have a weakness afterall. It's funny how magic made everything in life a lot more complicated. We royal vamps couldn't be hurt or killed by stakes. But the mages couldn't have that.

They conceived a powerful spell to create something that could atleast cause us pain... Mystified stakes.

And Spectra decided to incorporate them into bullets for easier application... should in case any of us royals decide to go rogue.

The mystified stakes couldn't exactly kill us... but they hurt like hell.

The agents knew that I would dodge the bullet easily if they fired at me, so they aimed for Triss instead,knowing I would take the bullet for her.

The men were already advancing, launching forward with intent as they prepared to fire more bullets at me.

"We have to go now." I insisted, grabbing Triss's hand and pulling her toward the woods. I could smell my burning tissue behind me. But there was not a moment to hesitate. The men had already hopped into their chopper to chase after us.

Triss didn't resist as I pulled her along, she ran with me. We sprinted under the trees, heartbeats in perfect sync.

I wove us expertly through the thick underbrush... every step measured, every dodge precise. Overhead, the helicopter hovered behind us like a monstrous bird of prey, its side-gunners leaning out to rain down fire.

Crack–crack–crack.

Bullets spat from above... but the trees were our shields. They pinged off bark and shattered leaves overhead.

"Keep moving!" I shouted, voice cracking with pain as my wound refused to close up.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention. Mystified stakes don't just cause a lot of pain... they also inflict wounds that take longer to heal. Plus, every minute the wound stays unhealed, the pain only gets worse.

"Are you okay?" Triss gasped, seeing my dire condition.

"Just keep up." I gritted.

We darted between trunks. I swung my free arm in rhythm, keeping her close. We jumped over fallen logs, ducked under low branches, slid through mossy banks. The bullet wound burned hotter with every heartbeat.

The helicopter followed, circling. Gunners alternated windows, trying to predict our path.

I grabbed her arm, yanked us to the left—into a steep rise.

"Climb!" I hissed, boosting her up first. I followed, balance shaky but precise.

She paused mid-leap, concern etched in her voice. "Ronald... your back. It's not healing."

I managed a smile. "Don't worry about me, I'm totally fine. The bullet didn't poison me or anything. I'll heal in no time."

Triss wasn't convinced. "But..."

"I'm fine, Triss." I cut in sharply. "It's just a little pain."

She nodded with a defeated smile and scrambled up; I brought us to the crest of the hill. From there, I could see the chopper sweeping around... like a vulture circling it's prey.

A blast rang out behind me. Triss.

She looked really scared.

"We're too exposed up here!" she cried.

I glanced back. She was right.

"Follow me," I said, grabbing her hand again.

We plunged down the far slope, straight into dense bamboo trees. Thick stalks blocked the airspace. In seconds, the helicopter was obscured. I just hoped its targeting systems suffered too.

I grabbed Triss, pulling us down, using the trees and bushes to cover our tracks.

Above us, the helicopter circled, but no shots followed. Its sensors must've lost our trail.

I stayed low, chest heaving. Triss's grip tightened on my sleeve.

We emerged on the other side.. wading out on muddy grass.

I paused, dragging air into my lungs. "Bloody hell."

The road had been cut short... by a broad stream.

Triss slowed beside me, chest heaving. "Oh, fuck... how convenient." she groaned.

I turned my gaze to her. "We have to keep moving."

Triss stared back at me. "But how?"

I let out a sigh. She was right. The stream in front of us was wide... fifteen, maybe twenty feet across, and moving fast. There were no stepping stones, no branches to balance on, and no time to look for another way around.

There was only one way across.

I glanced at the water, then back at her. "We have no choice."

Triss's eyes widened as she instantly caught on. "No... no, no no."

She shook her head violently, stepping back slowly. "Ronald... we're not seriously jumping that, are we?"

I forced a smile. "Yes, Triss. Yes, we are."

Triss blinked at me like I'd just suggested we leap into a volcano. "Are you mad? That's, like... Olympic long-jump levels of far! I can't do that!"

Above us, the low whirring of rotor blades began to swell again. The chopper was circling close.

I didn't have time to argue.

"Okay, change of plan," I muttered, stepping in front of her.

"What do you mean... Ronald, what are you... No, no no..."

Triss cried as I scooped her into my arms in one smooth motion... and bolted forward, legs bracing.

"Ronald! Don't you dare—!"

WHOOSH.

Her sentence was cut short as I leapt, covering over twelve feet in one go.

"Ahhh! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!!!!"

Triss's scream pierced the air as we soared over the stream, wind whipping past, her arms clutching my neck in sheer panic.

THUD.

We landed hard on the other side, my boots digging into the dirt, knees bent to absorb the impact.

She gasped, trembling in my hands like a baby "You... absolute... maniac!"

I smirked, still holding her. "You scream louder than a banshee."

She shoved herself off my chest and staggered down. "I hate you."

I grinned. "Sure you do. Come on, let's keep moving."

"I swear, if you ever do that again, I will stake you myself." Triss hissed.

I shrugged, grabbing her by the arm. "You say that like it's a new threat."

She smacked my shoulder as I started sprinting again, weaving us deeper into the thickets. Behind us, the helicopter stalled above the stream.. but it didn't fire. The trees on this side were different... thicker, denser, tangled like a living canopy. A perfect shield.

I took the opportunity.

"We're changing direction," I said to Triss, scanning the terrain. "We'll go west. They'll expect us to keep south... they'll follow the waterline."

Triss nodded but her steps were heavy, her shoulders drooping. "I... I don't think I can keep running. I'm exhausted."

I stopped mid-stride. Her face was pale, sweat matting her hair. That energy blast from the night before, the sprint, the fear... it had finally taken its toll.

Without hesitation, I stopped.

"Hop on," I said, turning my back toward her.

She blinked. "What?"

"You're not collapsing on me. Come on." I urged.

Triss shook her head. "Um... y'know what. It's fine. I can walk—"

"You just said you couldn't." I protested

She sighed. "Ronald, you're hurt. I—"

"We don't have time for this." I interupted.

And without waiting for further protest, I leaned down and hooked her onto my back like a sack of apples... except this sack kept muttering curses under her breath.

"Wow. You're surprisingly heavy," I teased, adjusting my grip on her thighs.

"I hope you fall." She giggled.

"Fair enough." I chuckled. "Hold on tight."

Then I was off again, feet pounding against the damp forest floor as I headed west, dodging low branches and vaulting over roots like a wolf.

The sounds of the helicopter grew faint behind us, swallowed by the thick foliage and terrain as we outpaced them.

Finally, after nearly a full hour of evasion and course changes, the forest thinned. The trees broke apart. Sunlight poured through the gaps.

And then coming into view was... a road.

A quiet, two-lane stretch of asphalt, winding through the woods like a thread of civilization.