Even though the haze hadn't fully lifted, Vlad knew he had to move and forced himself to back away, weaving in and out of the bloodstained stakes. He didn't know how much longer he would remain asleep, although secretly he wouldn't have minded if he woke up right this second. He could taste blood on his tongue and his mouth was sore, but he didn't dwell on it; instead keeping an eye on Aiden.
Words would be too painful, and they were entirely unnecessary now. All of the stakes were large, far too much so for him to use as a weapon; but this dream was unpredictable, so he mirrored Aiden's movements in an attempt to search out some sort of weapon.
The mist that began to creep in from behind the two, slow and languid, went completely unnoticed. Vlad bared his fangs again, despite the fact that they were bloody and the movement caused him a fair bit of pain. He tried to get close enough to lunge while taking him by surprise, but with the stakes it was difficult to maneuver.