Titans Ch. 06.5

Super late and super short update this time, and it will be my last one for a while. Not long after I submitted the last chapter I came down with some serious health problems; I'll be alright, but we're looking at a timescale of months before I'm better and the medication is making it hard to focus on writing.

That said, it would have been a serious dick-move to leave this story on a cliffhanger, so I've struggled through just enough to get past that point. After this mini-chapter, consider Titans to be on hiatus until July. Sorry everyone, I wish it could be otherwise. For the last time in a while...

Are you sitting comfortably?

*****

Daine was heaving great, body-wracking sobs over the body of Borren while Thrak stood solemn guard. Talia stood firmly beside Elizabeth, and the pair of them and Alex were all staring at the chestnut-skinned young woman who had just stood up from being dead. Alex backed slowly away, keeping his gun trained on the vampire.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, allowing the major to take the lead.

"What are you asking?" she nervously shifted her grip on the shortsword, keeping it low and by her side.

"Elizabeth, do I take the shot?" He clarified calmly.

"I'd really prefer if he didn't, Lizzy," Vanessa dropped the broken arrow shaft she had plucked from her chest, it clattered on the stone floor and she spread her open palms to show she was unarmed, "Not sure how much my opinion counts for right now, but just throwing that out there."

"Ness..." Elizabeth stepped forwards, and then faltered, "Is it really you?"

"As if anyone with a choice would choose to live my shitty life," she rolled her blood-red eyes, "Yes it's me. You caught me in the middle of the traditional, twice-weekly Ravenholm family argument."

The vampiric woman glanced down at the piles of dust that were all that remained of her family.

"Guess I don't have to put up with those anymore whether you kill me or not, so thanks for that."

"Why is that thing still alive?" Daine snarled through gritted teeth, furiously glaring up over his partner's body.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss, master dwarf. I've lost many a friend to the bloodlust of my family over the years," she looked down, and Alex thought he could just make out a drop of color in the corner of her eyes, like a bloody tear.

Vanessa reached up and wiped at her eyes, smearing thin red liquid over the back of her hand. She drew a deep breath - the first they had seen her take - and clenched her fists, looking up with a steely expression.

"Kill me, or leave me as the undead Countess of a dead county. Whatever you do, make it quick."

Alex looked over to Elizabeth again, but the major had her eyes locked on her childhood friend. She ignored him, instead turning to Thrak.

"Thrak, Gelb. Anything I should know about vampires before making this decision?"

Gelb's face contorted into a squashed raisin as he focused on something, while the orc merely frowned thoughtfully before launching into an encyclopedia entry.

"Vampires don't need to kill to feed; there have even been a few reported cases of them maintaining donors for the duration of their natural lives. Transmission of the blood-curse occurs when contaminated blood enters a living host, usually during specific rituals or particularly messy and violent feedings."

"Gelb?" the major peered over his shoulder at the little gnome.

"Mostly correct," he nodded sagely, "But what's important is that she's being genuine."

"She's still a monster," Daine hefted his axe, growling, "Jus' say the word."

"Corporal Daine; I hope we're not going to have a problem with you disobeying orders if this goes the way I think it will," Alex said, low and slow.

The dwarf huffed and clenched his gnarled fists; grumbling something that sounded like a dwarfish swearword. The damp trails of tears still lined his face, matting the hair of his beard. Elizabeth watched him slump, then closed her eyes with a sigh.

"Vanessa," she pointed to the vampire with her sword, "Can I trust you?"

"You have a magical, lie-detecting gnome; how could I possibly lie to you?" Vanessa shrugged.

"Not what I asked," the major shook her head.

Vanessa took a step forward, and Alex stepped back in step with her. She frowned at his caution, but nonetheless nodded to Elizabeth.

"I promised I'd be your friend until I died, Liz. That time has come and gone, but you're still my oldest and dearest companion. You can trust me."

"Gelb?" Alex asked, keeping the young woman in his sights.

"Don't care," Elizabeth interrupted, "She's coming with us."

"This is going to cause you no end of trouble you know," she stepped forward again as Alex finally lowered his gun.

"I know Ness," Elizabeth sheathed her sword, tears in her eyes, "Just like you always used to. Come here."

Cautiously at first, the vampire stepped forwards, still nervously eyeing Alex. When he made now move to stop her, she sped up to cross the intervening space and wrap her friend in a hug. Taller and slenderer than Elizabeth, and wearing a black dress rather than armor, she was still able to pick the redhead up and twirl her around before planting her back on her feet.

"I've missed you," they both said at once.

Talia sheathed her rapier, then jumped at the clatter of Daine's axe falling to the floor as the dwarf stormed out. Alex looked to Thrak, who gave him a sad shrug. Vanessa put Elizabeth down, scanning the room with an odd look on her face.

"Do you all trust me?" she asked, staring at each of them in turn; except for Alex who she glossed over.

"Until you give us reason not to," Thrak rumbled.

Elizabeth simply nodded, and Talia copied her friend's reaction. The vampire took a deep breath, the tips of her fingers beginning to dissolve into shadow.

"I'll be right back," she collapsed to the floor and slipped under the doorway in a shadowy form, following Daine.

Alex clipped his rifle to his chest again, and pulled his glove back on.

"Everyone okay?" he asked the room.

"As much as could be expected," Thrak sighed, hanging his mace from his belt and loosening the straps around his shoulders so that Gelb could jump down.

The pair of them knelt beside Borren's body as the rest of the group drew closer.

"Is there anything you can do?" Talia asked softly.

Gelb shook his head, closing the dead dwarf's eyes with wrinkled fingers.

"He's gone."

Alex and Elizabeth stood to attention, both giving solemn salutes to their fallen comrade. A small, beeping alarm in Alex's helmet warned him of someone sneaking up behind; he turned to see Vanessa back in the room. She caught Elizabeth's attention with a polite cough.

"Daine wants the body buried beneath the stone in this room, do you think we can do that?" the vampire asked.

The door swung open, Daine also returning. His shoulders slumped and fists clenching and unclenching at nothing.

"We can do that," Elizabeth said softly.

Daine nodded, picking up his axe again. He tapped it thoughtfully on the flagstones for a few moments.

"Here'll do," he said huskily, jamming the axe-head into a gap between the stones, "Help me ge' this stone out."

Between them Alex, Thrak and Daine managed to haul up the stone to reveal the compact dirt underneath. Digging through that was harder, but the dwarf was relentless and furious in his work. When they had finally created a space large enough for Borren, he was lowered in and set to rest. Daine grabbed a handful of vampire dust and scattered it around.

"Sleep 'neath stone, wi' those ye died fightin' to keep ye company," he growled as fresh tears began to flow.

Alone, Daine buried his companion as everyone else looked on from a distance. When the slab had been put back into place he murmured something that sounded like a dwarvish prayer, then turned to leave without another word.

"Let's get out of this accursed place," Vanessa startled everyone by breaking the silence, "I've seen enough of this damned room to last me both lifetimes."