The air was cold and quiet.
There was no wind, no rain, and no thunder.
The only sounds were those being made from the siege below, but even those had faded into silence.
Everything had stopped, as if time itself was frozen.
Even though it was for a couple of minutes, every single person on the battlefield had turned around to stare at the bubble of mana.
No one knew what was going on within, what the outcome would be, but everyone could tell the battle was fierce.
The small explosions were the only proof needed to tell.
…..
Alas, finally, the bubble began to disappear.
It was slowly withering away, peeling apart into fragments as it flew away, disappearing into the sky until nothing remained.
Nothing left except Rael, the priestess, and Jenk's dead body.
In the span of the next three seconds, what took place was a massacre.
At first, everyone was shocked, humans and vampires alike.
Second, the humans began to cheer.
Third, the vampires grew furious.
And what happened next, had changed the tides of the siege.
The vampires, like feral beasts, lost all composure, leaping and charging head on into the humans, mauling them like animals.
They were ravenous, seeking revenge.
Every vampire, no matter their age or experiences, knew who Jenk was to all of them, and they lost their minds.
All had looked up to him, some went so far as to revere him as if he were a god, and it drove them to crazed states.
The effect it had on Cassiel and Albus, however, was indifferent.
They began to lose it simultaneously, both slaughtering countless humans left and right, leaving endless bodies in their wake, bodies that were so torn apart, they had become unrecognizable.
…..
The siege had continued for another hour.
The humans were losing, no longer able to keep up with the frenzied vampires.
Rael was still recovering from his battle with Jenk, as Zuriel had stood next to him, still watching over the battlefield, never moving so much as an inch.
Cassiel and Albus had met on the battlefield, working their way through the army of knights, cleaning up mostly by themselves, allowing the exhausted to rest.
"Rael, it's time we take our leave, I'm sure you've seen what I've seen." Zuriel announces, glancing at Rael with a look of disappointment.
"I came here... to avenge Falvi, my son... leaving now would just be-"
"I said, it's time we take our leave. You can avenge your son's death next time, beloved Rael." Zuriel orders, cutting off Rael as she begins to walk off towards two horses left behind.
"...I suppose... I will avenge my son another time..." Rael pants, standing up, still not fully recovered.
"Then, let us be on our w-" Rael, yet again, gets cut off.
This time however, is from a spear of blood that hurls straight past his head, grazing him slightly, leaving a mark on his cheek.
"RAEL! YOU BASTARD!"
It was both Cassiel and Albus, charging up from behind.
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Cassiel screams out, swinging his sword straight towards Rael's neck.
Moments before reaching him, however, Cassiel would get swiped away by Rael's hammer, breaking his arm from impact, as he then crashes into the ground causing dirt to fly up everywhere.
"I will draw blood if it's the last thing I do." Albus says, appearing behind Rael as he swings his sword up, aimed straight for his right arm's shoulder joint.
Rael reacts so quickly it throws Albus completely off balance.
In the span of half a second, Rael turned his entire body, dodging Albus' blade as the back of his fist connected with his head, leaving Albus to be sent flying into the ground, a similar fate to Cassiel moments before.
"Was this seriously your attempt at revenge?" Rael mocks, scoffing as he continues to walk off.
"D-Don't you dare leave... you bastard...!" Cassiel manages to scrape out, yelling like his life depended on it.
"If I don't, there won't be another chance to have a battle like this ever again, stupid boy."
Rael responds, not even giving the time of day to turn around and look at either of them as he gets on his horse.
"I'm ready, Zuriel." Rael says, riding off into the fields before reaching a forest alongside Zuriel, headed back to their continent, Seraphim.
…..
As Rael trotted off, a half victory in his hands, Cassiel soon fell unconscious, unable to scream anymore.
Albus had crawled his way over to Cassiel, putting his own body on top of Cassiel to cover him from any danger that may come their way, showing commitment to his loyalty as he fell unconscious as well, no longer able to stay awake.
…..
…..
The siege went on for another half hour, with the vampires dominating.
Around four hundred vampires had died during the siege, leaving only less than a hundred humans that had run off to save their own skin.
With almost every vampire returning to recover behind their city walls, a few numbering near only twenty had stayed out in the field, turning over human and vampire bodies alike to check for signs of life.
Everything that was confirmed dead, were then eaten by those few until they could eat no more.
When that time came, they'd draw the blood from the bodies, storing them in pouches that wouldn't spill a drop.
Finally, there was one vampire that had made her way up to where both Cassiel and Albus were last spotted, it was Elysia.
…..
"Ca- ahem... my king..?" Elysia questions hesitantly as she walks forward
"A-Albus too..?" Elysia gets flustered seeing their position, before recomposing herself to help Albus up, propping him on a nearby chunk of debris, before quickly returning her attention to Cassiel.
Running over, Elysia quickly kneels beside Cassiel, checking his pulse.
"My king... you're still alive..." Elysia sighs, relieved.
"Let's get you two back to the city... there's gonna be a lot to do." Elysia says, putting Cassiel over one shoulder, and Albus over the other.