71: 71 Battle blood (2) (AVOT)

71 Battle blood (2) (AVOT)

Rhain darted with a gust-like swiftness, sidestepping arrows that sought him, his eyes scanning for the assailants. When he located one, he slammed the attacker's head into a tree, using the man's body as a shield against another incoming arrow.1

The moment the arrow pierced the hunter's chest, Rhain released him, and darted again, evading yet another arrow and the unmistakable sound of gunshots. They were erratic, and hard to pinpoint, but Rhain's strategy was clear - always stay on the move and pick off his attackers one by one.

Rounding a building corner, Rhain's claws found the throat of another assailant, tearing off as much as he could before leaving him to bleed out. But the next engagement was tougher. Two hunters advanced, their training evident as they moved almost as swiftly as him.

Even in the face of their combined might, Rhain was a tempest. When the first hunter thrust a dagger, Rhain deflected with ease, gripping the man's wrist so tightly that the blade dropped. In a flash, his extended claws sliced the hunter's throat. The man gasped, his blood pooling beneath him.

But the second hunter was resilient. Dual daggers danced in his hands, each strike aiming to end Rhain. Yet, Rhain's inhuman agility and reflexes made him a tough opponent. In a feat of precision, Rhain snatched a dagger from the air, barely avoiding cutting himself. With both a dagger and his deadly claws, the odds were now tipped in his favor.

In mere moments, Rhain had closed in on the remaining hunter, his claws sinking deep into the man's chest, silencing him forever.

Still, victory was bitter. Rhain's strength waned. He craved nourishment, but the tainted blood of these hunters was not an option. With each passing moment, his foes' advantage grew while his body weakened. 

Suddenly, a dagger tore into Rhain, making him grit his teeth in pain. Extracting the silver blade from his side, he could feel the damage done; the wound wasn't mending as it should. Following closely was the distinct sound of a gunshot, underscoring the severity of his situation. He was outnumbered and rapidly weakening.

Recognizing the odds, Rhain's instinct was to escape. He sprinted, dodging bullets and arrows that whizzed by. But his attackers were relentless, pursuing him with an intent to finish what they started.

The moonlit night betrayed the silhouettes of his pursuers: shadowy figures in black that leapt across rooftops, scaling walls with an uncanny swiftness. They swiftly closed in, blocking his path, their speed suggesting they were no ordinary hunters. A thought gnawed at him: could Slaine be among them?

Cornered, Rhain steeled himself for the impending fight. The hunters circled him, blades at the ready, eyes narrowed with anticipation. But Rhain, even in his wounded state, wasn't easy to defeat. 

Without hesitation, the hunters lunged at him from all sides, their strikes synchronized in an attempt to overwhelm him and he moved with a deadly elegance, every motion a seamless blend of offense and defense. Each time a dagger lashed out, Rhain deftly dodged or parried, his counterattacks swift and lethal.

However, the odds were stacked against him. The hunters were numerous, and their strikes were relentless. Rhain couldn't evade every blow, and soon, silver daggers found their mark. His resilience was tested as he felt the searing pain of their attacks.

A dagger sliced across his forearm, leaving a deep gash that oozed crimson. Rhain hissed in pain but didn't falter. He retaliated with renewed determination, disarming one of his attackers and sending him sprawling.

Another hunter managed to land a hit, with the dagger piercing Rhain's side. The pain told him it was a silver dagger again, causing a wound that wouldn't easily heal. He twisted away from the assailant, using his supernatural strength to throw them off balance before rendering them unconscious.

Now he could really use his telekinesis, but he knew already he needed to be well fed for that. 

The relentless battle forged on, with Rhain's body becoming a canvas of raw, brutal artistry as it bore deep incisions and stark crimson strokes. Each painful etch marked his fierce determination, yet even his vampiric strength began reaching its end. 

Amidst the relentless assault from the hunters, his supple movements began to falter, the pain singing louder with each heartbeat, calling attention to his myriad of injuries that painted him and the ground in shades of red.

The hunters closed in like wolves, their piercing eyes filled with a predatory hunger as they brandished their silver daggers, ready to deliver the final blows. 

Rhain's vibrant world began to warp, the sharp outlines blurring as a symphony of pain orchestrated in his body. With a roar of desperation, he tapped into the last vestiges of his strength, a dying star bursting forth in a blinding flurry of offense, a whirlpool of rage and anguish spiraling outward in a final act of defiance.

Yet even titans fall. An arrow came flying from the shadows, striking into Rhain's shoulder. The world tilted dangerously as his muscles turned traitor, no longer heeding his desperate calls to fight. 

Daisy. He imagined her face, afraid to never see her again. He had to get to her. He did not want to die. Not yet! 

He reached out, swaying, a towering oak in the throes of a storm, refusing to fall, his spirit still blazing defiantly as he thought of Daisy, but the arrow in his shoulder did something to him. Poison? 

N0! Desperation gnawed at him, but his body was no longer his to control. 

Then came the decisive blow, a hunter thrusting a blade into Rhain's abdomen. And then as if beckoning the end, two hunters gathered around him, sinking something into his flesh. 

Darkness veiled his vision, swaddling him in its quiet grasp, the cold ground whispered secrets of rest and oblivion into his ear, stealing away the pain, the fight, and finally, his consciousness, leaving the silent witness of the moon to bathe his fallen form in a gentle, mournful glow.

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