Chapter 28   Hunting

The horses galloped swiftly through the dense the forest bustling with a rumbling noise as their hoves chashed over leaves, twigs, rocks and dampened soil. The Holy Germanic Empire soldiers, commanded by Edmund Wigheard, advanced into the dimness of the woodlands in the Harz region to hunt one of the most terrible and evil beings ever existed: a vampire. The more they went into the dense folliage, the darkest it was, making the hunting much more difficult.

            Leila’s white silhouette could be spotted in the distance. Her black hair flailed as she dashed with great skill and swiftness across the woods. She skipped with graceful and acrobatic movements the huge trees, rocks and everything along her way. The men on horses followed her; the soldiers eyes fixated on every move Leila made scampering into the forest in the outskirts of the Cuthberht Mansion.

            All of a sudden, the vampiress disappeared. Edmund and her men lost her track in a clear meadow in the middle of the woodlands. The soldiers and their captain formed a semi-circle mounted on their stallions. Surrounded by huge pine trees, oaks, willows and birches the placed themselves side to side, closing any possible gap that coild make a weak point for an attack. They scanned thorough the area, alert… very alert. Edmund put his index finger on his lips telling the soldiers to remain silent. Only the labored respiration of both men and beasts could be heard.

            Some twigs broke on the forest floor, behind the bushes to the left. Edmund ordered two of the soldiers to investigate. When the men neared the bushes, the plants shook violently. The warriors unsheathed their swords ready to strike. Only a hare cameo ut of the bushes. The Little animal lokked at the soldiers frightened. The men released a deep breath in relief when the little animal ran to hide in a rabbit’s burrow under a birch tree.

The two soldiers returned to formation waiting on tenterhooks at a signal… any movement or noise that could be heard. Leila must be near. Thankfully nature became their best ally. Even the breeze stopped, quieting the zephyr’s howling. A few dry leaves fell swirling from an oak tree and floated gracefully in front of one of the soldiers face. No wind at all, it resulted strange for the man who looked op to the almost lean branches. Before he could react, Leila jumped down like a fiery beast on the soldier, pummeling down the man in great assault. Both rolled over the moistened and cold ground. Leila and the soldier fought intensely for a few seconds inder the startling gaze of the squad. But the woman resulted more strong. Giving a single blow, Leila sliced off the soldier’s neck. The blood gushed bubbling out of the deep wounds. Leila buried her fangs in the man’s open flesh feeding on his blood while he convulsed in agony.

            Everything happened in a fragment of seconds before the rest of the squad could react. The advanced to strike, but Leila’s reflexes were quicker. Aware of the threat, the vampiress stood on her feet, leaving the poor man lying on the floor bleading to death. Leila growled like a raged wild cat and moved forward. Her eyes were bright hatred garnets; long and sharp white fangs protruded from her mouth dripping the blood she drank out of the already dead soldier on the floor.

            The men moved forward trying to close the crcle around Leila, but she moved too fast. The hellish creature made a summersault and bounced avove the soldiers’ heads. She landed elegantly behind the group of warriors. Standing straight up, the woman snarled, curling her lips up to show the menace in her lethal fangs. Edmund spotted again the dark-reddish stain on Leila’s wedding dress. The crimson blemish had grown bigger, telling him that Leila’s wound was severe.

            Leila hesitated, still craving for the blood that was pouring on the leafy floor. It was obvious that she needed to feed more because she had lost herself a lot of blood. The blood she wanted was being absorved by the soil and that infuriated her. The group of soldiers in front of her made impossible any opportunity of keep feeding. Leila writhed in pain and placed a hand over her injured side. More hideous and black blood gushed out of her wound spilling beneath her fingers.

            Leila turned around and fled. She ran with great speed and supernatural agility once again through the woods. The horsemen chased her.  Edmund leaded the group. “The monster is badly injured. She won’t get that far!” gripped the horse’s reins tight and kicked the stallion’s sides to rush after the evil woman. The animal reacted and galloped swiftly amongst the huge tree trunks in the woods. In front of them, Leila ran as fast as before.

            “Disperse and round up! Close any possible gap! All eyes on her!” Edmund ordered. Immediately the soldiers broke out and and chased the woman in an open hunt after the demon dressed in a wedding dress.

            Leila slowed down her pace. She was obviously tired and losing blood. Yet she ran faster than the horses. She kept scampered through the forest, darting straight up, turning her face just to locate the posicion of the soldiers that followed her closely. Finding the horsemen a few meters behind her, she turned unexpectedly to her left, penetrating into a more dense area of the woodlands. The hunters followed her.

            Vegetation was the worst enemy this time. The foliage grew thicker and tupid and it became more difficult to ride in the area. Branches were lower and huge rocks made terrible obstacles for the Germanic soldiers. The woman reappeared hoping and running from side to side, maneuvering to confuse the huntsmen. The stallion’s breathing became even more labored, making evident the fatigue in the beasts, product of the unstoppable chase that had extended for hundreds of miles in hostile grounds after Leila.

            Leila hurdled avobe a creek and crossed the shallow waters with a single leap. The woman landed straight up in the other side without major complications while the horses’s hooves irrupted in the tranquility of the waters with their brusque galloping. The crystal clear waters became turbid in the way the soldiers advanced into the stream. It turned to be a hindrance for the warriors. But Edmund was determined to kill this woman, even if they had to cross the ocen itself and chase her to the end of the world if it was necessary.

            Leila glowed an evil grin and rushed away. Finally they crossed the river and continued the hunting. The soldiers and the horses were exhausted but they couldn’t stop. They left the thickness of the forests and reached to another clear space. The men had come to the craggy hillsides of the Harrz mountain range. Leila was cornered; to her back, the dark stony slope formed a wall. She turned around to face the approaching soldiers ready to strike. Fear reflected in her countenance in the way the soldiers encircled her closing any possible escape gap.

            Leila walked backwards only to meet the cold and mointened stone barrier. Edmund neared. The vampiress seemed exhausted, apaled… the dark stain of blood in her dress had extended covering almost the totality of the white and ragged skirts of her dress. She panted and moaned in pain and weariness. Leila’s dark hair was unraveled and dampened in sweat, covering partially her face. Only the demonic red glare in her eyes and her long sharp fangs could be seen through.

             “This is your end, Leila von Dorcha. You have no way to escape. Today is your last day on Earth, you wrecked b*tch!” Edmund aimed his sword, mounting his stallion just a few feet apart from Leila. The soldiers flanked him, closing the gap.

             
 “I don’t think so!” Leila uttered in a broken deep voice. She looked up to the sky and smiled mischievously. Turning around, she jumped and climbed up the cliff. The hellish woman used her legs and hands mimicking the movements of a poisonous spider. The men stared at the vampires in awe and Leila kept scaling with tremendous agility.

            “Cedric! The arrows!” Edmund commanded and the soldier took out the bow and arrows. Inmediately the young warrior knocked, aimed and released! The first arrow stroke in Leila’s back. The dart sunk into her flesh making the woman writh and scream in pain. Incredibly, the vampiress recovered in an instant and kept climbing.

            Leila was a meter away from the cliff upper edge. Cedric reacted and shoot one… two… and three more projectiles. Four arrows were sinkink in Leila’s back. Four arrows were needed to stop her and the demonic creature plummeted on the grassy floor. With the fall the arrows that stuck out of the back pierced thtough her thorax coming out of her chest.

            Edmund and the soldiers dismounted their horses and eurrounder Leila’s motionless body. Blood gushed out of the vampiress’ mouth.

            “I told you thar today was your last day on Earth, you Satan’s spawn! And so it’ll be!” Edmund lifted his sword high in the air. Laila’s eyes opened wide frigtnened reflecting the shiny blade as it fell down. With a single strike it sliced though Leila’s neck, beheading the woman. The head rolled on the ground showing the same terror expression it bore the second after her death.

            “Dismember her and burn her rests! I must go to the Cuthberth’s mansion with my beloved.” Edmund mounted his horse rode away to meet Ardith.

            Leila’s dead!!! Wooohoooo! But what do you think will happen when Edmund finds out Ardith was bitten by Leila? How would he react? What do you think about this chapter?

Final chapters are about to come! Please vote and comment, it means a lot to me! Your opinion is very important for me!