Rooftop vampaneze fight

As soon as Randel landed, cushioning the unconscious Ginette on his
shoulder, Larten attacked. He threw himself silently at the vampaneze,
scampering across the roof like an agile cat. He would have struck unseen,
if instinct hadn’t made Randel pause and look back.

The vampaneze’s eyes shot wide when he saw the vampire closing in on
him. He dropped the woman and dug out a knife much larger than Larten’s
feeble blade.

Larten’s momentum drove him into the vampaneze and the pair rolled
silently across the roof, stabbing wildly at one another. Both connected, but
neither was able to cut deeply or sever any major veins or arteries. Larten
had the advantage, having landed on top of Randel, but then the vampaneze
bit his neck and he had to pull away or risk his throat being torn open. The
slight gap gave Randel the space to ram his knee into Larten’s stomach and
the vampire fell back, winded.

Randel was on his feet before Larten hit the roof. He had no idea who
his foe was or why he’d been attacked, and like any natural warrior he
didn’t care. Rather than waste time asking questions, he threw himself at his
assailant and stabbed at his heart. He would rather live in ignorance than die
well-informed.

Larten blocked Randel’s thrust and instead of piercing his heart, the tip
of the knife ended up stuck in a tile. Larten jammed his own knife into the
vampaneze’s thigh. Randel hissed and jerked his leg free. The blade
snapped in half and Larten tossed the useless hilt away.

***

The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Palace of the Damned, Chapter 10