The vampire below glared at Master Kres, and tapped into the supernatural energy granted to vampires by their latest meal. His eyes which had dulled back to their normal blue again took on the cloudy grey color that was typical of a Twitch-fueled Augustan. Cassius's motions blurred as he sped towards Kres, who dodged but was caught off guard by this second wind. Now off balance, the Master of Crichton was felled by the outcast for the first time.
Adela's seat rocked as she flew out of it and to the edge of the spectators' box. She leaned on the railing hoping that Cassius could continue this onslaught. Her father remained firm and stoic the only exception was an eyebrow raised a mere fraction. An indication that he too was surprised at the turn of events.
Kres lay on his back, Cassius's fingers aiming to pierce his heart. His attack was deflected, and he followed up with a strike to the Lord's face. Everyone in the stands gasped, unable to fathom the thought that their king could be found in such a compromising position. Cassius pulled his hand back, blood running over his nails, and Kres cried out in pain and anger. Adela's eyes grew wide with hope and awe, but all faith faded the moment the ex-Augustan was propelled by Kres's boot. The Lord of Crichton quickly climbed to his feet, his eyes now red from the Twitch he was producing as he tapped into his own human blood stores.
He watched carefully as Cassius stood hunched as if straining to squeeze out every last bit of energy left in him. Kres touched one hand to the gash in his face and pulled it back, a sharp sting and throbbing pain resonating from it on contact. He gently tucked a couple of greasy locks back into the golden ringlet that held his black hair in a ponytail. "Your life is over he hissed."
Cassius smiled. He had managed to embarrass Kres and make him appear weak, even if it was only for a moment. He had shamed Kres in front of his subjects by maiming his face, though it had already begun to heal. He knew this time it would be the end of him, Kres would use the full power and speed of his Twitch. Cassius shifted his eyes to where Adela stood gripping the rail.
Adela felt as though the un-beating heart in her chest thumped, but again doubt filled her mind like a slow creeping poison. She loved Cassius and yet she felt as though she was watching a stranger, how could someone have such conflicting feelings. Perhaps these were the complications of an eternal love affair that only a vampire could suffer. After all, to be with and love a person for hundreds of years was surely a complex thing. Adela's thoughts were cut short as panic gripped her. Kres lunged forward with a burst of speed, though he didn't use the full power of his Twitch, it was faster than Cassius could have ever hoped to react to. In one swift movement, the King of Crichton had her love's throat in his grasp crushing the windpipe. She was certain he'd prefer to savor that moment but lost his composure in anger, something an Augustan would never do.
A collective gasp sounded from the audience as black vapor started to leak from Cassius's body, and Kres hesitated. Warmth radiated from the undead body in his cold clutch, and Adela could tell by his reaction that something was wrong. She chanced a glance at her father, who still looked very much unamused, though by the way his eyes were fixed she knew he too had never seen this happen before. Was this some sort of vampiric power she had never heard of, or witchcraft? Kres was determined that no one found out as he plunged his hand into Cassius's chest.
The smoke churned then leaped from its host's body, appearing to pour forth from the pores in his skin. Kres let Cassius's body drop as the smoke climbed up his arm swirling around his body before exploding outwards and dissipating altogether. Everyone looked at the spectacle, confused waiting to see if there was more, tension hanging heavy in the air. At last, Kres moved to hold his fist up for all to see. His eyes were still blood-red as he held up the heart of Cassius Augusta. A chorus of cheers erupted from the audience in the stands. The blood feud was over. Master Kres had won and was still lord of Crichton. It ended as everyone knew it would, except for Adela. When she received the letter from Cassius that he planned to challenge Kres for his throne the only thing she could hold onto was hope. Now he was gone. She had lost him again and being a vampire meant she would have to live with this loss forever. It pained her greatly and yet... She looked to her father who could have prevented this whole thing from happening but he was already leaving the private booth. Aquilo wasted little time, important things always looming ahead. She swore that all this was to him was an irritation to his busy schedule, rather than the public execution of an old family member. Cassius had been a member of the Augustan house for centuries. Probably. If she was being honest with herself she wasn't sure how long He'd been turned. Either way, it was apparent that her father didn't care. Even as he laid face down in the dirt with his heart torn out. She forced herself not to look as servants wasted little time filing in to burn the body.
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