Chapter 33: Heartbeats

Inside the town, hundreds of undead had dug their way out of the ground and covered the entire town. They eagerly attacked houses and chased down people.

Leon swallowed hard as he saw the scene before him.

"This is terrible," he muttered.

"The town’s guard and your family’s knights should be on their way already," Snow said.

"It might not be enough. We have to help how we can. Save as many people as you can and take down as many undead as you can," he said, looking at her for her confirmation.

"Alright, but I am running low on blood. I might have to resort to using mine, but being a vampire, that will weaken me a lot," she explained.

Leon did not hesitate after she said that. He formed a blade of ice and without thought stabbed it into his arm. Blood gushed out, and she immediately controlled his blood to form it into a staff.

She smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you," she said, and he dashed into the town.

Leon watched the wound heal, and when it was done, he looked into the town, took a deep breath, and rushed in.

’I have a feeling that this will not be the worst of this.’

He moved in fast through town, using wind to go faster. He spotted three undead charging at some kids that had balled up into one corner. They were crying and shaking, scared for their lives.

"Look over here, you bone freaks!" Leon yelled. He moved his wand in a clean motion, and a ball of flame formed, twisting like a vortex. He planted his foot hard into the ground and launched the attack. It ripped through the air and slammed into the head of the undead. An explosion followed behind, the blast shattering the undead and damaging the other undead.

Leon closed the gap fast and then attacked the one closest to him. He cast Water Bullet, the spell ripping through the skull and killing it. The last one rushed in for an attack. It swung its rusted blade, Leon ducked under it while going for the leg with a sweep. He sent the undead down to the ground and then, at point blank, he blasted it in the face with a fireball.

He got up and looked behind him, seeing the kids still in the corner scared. They were easily his age mates, all ten years old or around that age.

"Hey, get up and run, find some place to hide," Leon said.

The oldest amongst them, a girl with jet-black hair and a sharp gaze, looked at him and then she spoke.

"You look our age," she muttered.

Leon looked at her. "Take them and leave, it’s not safe." His gaze was stern. She nodded and helped the others get up. They moved fast and scurried out of here.

While he was looking back at them, Leon was not paying attention to his front. An undead with a spear and shield located him. It pulled its arm back and threw the spear. It spun through the air like a vortex.

Leon reacted at the last moment. He leaned to the side and tried to catch it. His hand wrapped around it, and he managed to move most of his body out of the way, but the spear still dug into his shoulder a few inches deep.

"Arghh, shit," he cursed and pulled the spear out in anger. He looked at the undead. It was running at him now. Leon rolled the spear like a pro in one hand, tossed his wand into the air, and charged at the undead as well. He spun the spear around and drove the spear hard. The undead blocked with the shield, but the spear went through and stabbed right into the neck of the undead.

Leon caught the wand as it came down and blasted the head of the undead with a fireball, killing it.

"Phew, that was a lot," he muttered and walked out into the Main Street, where he saw a ton of undead rushing his way fast, more than twenty up the street.

"They just keep coming. Tch," he clicked his tongue in anger.

[.....]

Snow moved fast through the undead. She used the blood staff with mastery. Each swing landed clean on the head of an undead and shattered it.

She looked up and saw an undead struggling against a woman. A man rushed up from behind to attack, only for another undead to rush at him and stab the man through the back. The man struggled to stay alive.

Snow charged in. The undead saw her coming and attacked with a slash. She went under, spun around, and swung for its legs. They shattered, and the undead collapsed to the ground. She got up, raised her staff, the tip turned sharp, and she stabbed into the head of the undead, killing it. She then split her spear into half and shot one half into the head of the undead that was fighting the woman.

She looked at the woman, who was still shaken up, and spoke. "Help him get some help."

The woman snapped out of her daze. She rushed over and grabbed the man, putting his hand around her shoulder and helping him move.

Snow watched him go and was about to move when suddenly she heard a resounding heartbeat. It was so loud, yet she was the only one that heard it. It froze her where she stood.

She felt a feeling she had never felt before. A mix of dizziness and lack of control. She staggered a bit and forced herself to keep standing.

Badum

The heartbeat hit again, and this time she collapsed to her knees. She struggled to fight it.

"What’s happening?" she groaned and tried to get up. The heartbeat hit again, and she collapsed again. She felt like something was trying to break out, and it was forcing its way out.

She kept fighting it hard, but it was winning against her.

"Are you alright, Snow?" Leon’s voice came.