Finally, the part is finished! This was one of the longest parts I've ever written, on top of my university assignment, which meant I was busy far longer than I expected. This is one of those parts I've wanted to write for a long while now and I hope it lives up to the excitement I had while planning and eventually writing it. I hope you enjoy it
Luna
Firmly, Luna shook her head. It had taken her only a moment to come to a decision. His words had been horribly compelling and it scared her that a part of her actually considered his offer. But she was better than that. Walmir was a monster, a murderer and she could not trust him, even less than she could trust Asch and Curunir. “You will remain here”, she hissed. “Trapped like the beast you are”
For a second, Walmir’s mask crumbled and she could see a streak of mindless rage in his pale eyes. “Have it your way then!”, he snarled. “You will die regardless, be it in here once that mad elf tires of you or out there in the cold. Consider my offer void” His voice was trembling and he only barely managed to control himself. She knew, if not for Curunir’s trap around him, he’d have killed her already and the thought was nauseating. One way or the other, she would not give up on the one piece of protection she had against him. “What a shame”, the arch-vampire added. “But I will taste your blood before the end” A twisted grin flashed across his face, revealing his long, frighteningly sharp canine teeth.
Luna spun around, desperate not to let him see how scared she was of him. Just a few weeks ago, she had considered Asch the greatest monster imaginable, but this man, no, this beast, Walmir of Reeveshoff… even the god-dragon from her… from Pardona’s memories hadn’t been as single-mindedly monstrous. A brave heroine would have stood her ground, but Luna’s only goal right now was to escape, to reunite with Will and return home. And once there, she’d spend the rest of her life tending to the sheep and the fields and she’d bury that dream of seeing the world so deep that in time even she would forget about it.
The doors were right there, standing half-open, as if they wanted to invite her to flee. A biting cold crept inside, so much that even Luna felt it. If what Asch had told her was indeed true, then she was a night elf, half of one at least, which finally explained to her why she had been able to brave even the darkest winters of Tobria, but even her resistance had its limits. The cold made her shiver as she hurried towards the door, though it was not unbearable, not yet. She only had to get away from her and then she’d figure out the rest.
“That was a smart decision, girl”, a dreadfully familiar voice sounded from beyond the door just moments before she reached it. Deep and smooth, as enchanting as Walmir’s, but without the feral growl just beneath. She nonetheless recoiled in terror, now standing halfway between Walmir’s prison and the front door, as Curunir stepped through the opening. Despite the cold, he was still wearing his thin, dark silk, paired with a black and red cape that almost made him look like a nobleman.
“Had you tried to free him, I’d have to intervene”, the vampire told her, his voice calm and polite. His gaze was firmly resting on her and she had the odd impression that he was pleased by her decision. “I’d hate to make good on my earlier threat. But you chose wisely”, he complimented her. Her eyes widened. “I… chose?”, she asked. “Has this been a test? Some game for you? For how long have you been standing there?”
Curunir shook his head. “Not long”, he claimed. “But I heard you from a mile away and knew I had to hurry back, always ready to intervene. I had some faith in that brain of yours, however. I hope you understand that everything Walmir ever told you is a lie. He cannot be trusted and had you actually freed him, he would have killed you first”
“I would have made it quick”, Walmir hissed and the ice in his tone made her flinch. “In the end, that’s what you’ll beg of Pardona, once she’s done toying around with you” Curunir shot him a notable glare, before he shook his head. “I don’t think you should worry about the queen. Asch has taken an interest in you and she would never harm you without his consent”, he promised her. “But it seems you knew that already, else you would have tried to run”
“Enough about this, Curunir!”, the arch-vampire hissed. “Get her out of here before the runts arrive. Her scent is enough to drive me crazy, but them? I will not be blamed if she gets torn to shreds” Just as he spoke these words, Luna heard footsteps outside, several heavy boots marching through the fresh snow. Curunir glanced towards the door as a figure appeared in it, a pale, ragged man, nervously holding a straw hat in his trembling hands. “M’lord…”, he began, but Curunir cut him off with a wave of his hand. “One moment, Helwen”, he spoke. The man, a farmer if his attire was anything to go by, though by no means dressed for this winter, glanced at Luna and immediately, his eyes widened. Though his looks were common, by no means as ghastly as those of the arch-vampire, this expression reminded her of Walmir, filled with a mad, insatiable hunger. He even bared his teeth, but another stern gesture from Curunir regained his attention. “Wait outside”, the mage barked and the man immediately saluted. “Yes… yes of course, m’lord…”, he mumbled, before taking a few steps back, once again into the night, where Luna could not see him anymore. His gaze still lingered on her, however. “This would be prudent, yes”, Curunir confirmed. “Go upstairs, girl. Close the door and do not open it until me or Asch come and get you. It is for your own safety”
“That man… is he a vampire too?”, Luna asked and Walmir flashed her a mocking smile. “A lesser vampire, yes”, he confirmed. “Helwen Kerling… I remember his name as I remember all whom I turned. He was among the first, a foolish local who stayed outside for too long. Curunir brought him to me last summer, so that he may bolster our ranks. Ever since, he has been obedient and hard-working, but entirely without potential”
“He is looking better than last time”, Curunir brought up. “He’s no longer starving, but…” He glanced at Luna and for a second, she could see the feral beast he was trying to hide so well. “Our curse makes it hard to resist the scent of fresh blood, especially if the hunger grows. Once we starve, we are driven into a frenzy. Resisting it even a little takes exceptional strength of will and experience that comes only with age. The ones out there, they are newborn by our standards, the first of them having been turned half a year ago”
“I…”, Luna began, before another voice interrupted her. “She can choose”, the familiar, deep tone of Asch sounded through the hall and sure enough, there he stood, at the top of the stairs that led to the upper floors of the tower. He was clad in his full armour, including the heavy helmet, with his sword resting on one of his shoulders. The last time she had seen him like this, he had killed Alfred and Guthmund and just like back then, he was ready to kill. This time, however, in the presence of Walmir, Curunir and their lesser brethren just outside the gate, seeing him was almost reassuring. In his other hand, however, he held a large chalice, a crude, blood-stained thing made of stained tin, almost comically oversized even for someone as tall as Asch.
“Pardon me?”, Curunir asked, as Asch calmly walked down the stairs. “You heard me”, he replied, as he turned to Luna. “You have cooperated well so far”, he complimented her. “No doubt you were just trying to escape, but I cannot blame you for that. Perhaps now you believe me when I say there is no need to chain you. This tower is prison enough, at least until spring”
Luna grimaced at his words. “You’d be surprised how well I can deal with the cold”, she sighed, actually earning her a cold chuckle from beneath the helmet. “A pure-blooded shakagra could withstand these temperatures, yes, but you are your mother’s daughter also and she always hated the cold. You would never make it to the next city”, he explained. “But as I said, you have been remarkably well-behaved so far. The mother-queen will be pleased once she returns. Until then, I believe you have earned the right to stay, if you so decide”
“Stay for what?”, Luna asked, only just then realizing that he had mentioned her mother. “And you knew my…” Asch cut her off at once. “A ritual will take place tonight”, he explained. “The lesser leeches whom Walmir has been breeding for the last six months will arrive shortly. I can already hear some of them outside, waiting for their turn. Curunir will bleed them and I will capture their essence in a chalice, which I shall add to the mother-queen’s cauldron at the top of this tower”
While he spoke, the noise from outside the tower grew louder. By now, Luna heard dozens of voices, whispering with each other in the night and though she could not make out any words in particular, many sounded agitated. “How many vampires will be joining us tonight?”, she asked and Curunir shrugged. “We honestly don’t know”, he admitted. “Some who joined us last time might be able to resist Walmir’s call by now, or maybe they were killed. Others will join us for the first time, fresh victims of the curse. I’m expecting several dozen vampires at the least”
A cold shiver of fear ran down Luna’s spine. “Dozens of them…”, she mumbled. With wide eyes, she stared at Asch, who was walking up to her. “They cannot harm you”, he told her. “I will not allow it” He positioned himself between her and Walmir, his blade pointing at the ground, both hands resting on the hilt. “If you wish to stay, if you truly wish to learn what we are trying to do here, then stay and have no fear”
Something within his voice surprised her. There was honesty in his tone and she did not doubt him for a second. “Then show me”, she replied. This was a chance, perhaps. Though she knew a bit about Pardona’s past, she could not even guess what the queen’s plans were in the present. And surely, playing along with all of this might earn her Asch’s trust and getting him to lower his guard around her was perhaps her best chance at actually escaping from his clutches.
Though it was hard to tell with only the tiniest hint of his dark eyes visible through his helmet, Asch seemed pleased by her decision. He walked over to Curunir, handing him the chalice, before he assumed his position in front of her again. The vampire mage clapped snapped his fingers, just once. As if by itself, the heavy door that led outside began to move, slowly pushing itself open. Cold air filled the room, such an intense, biting chill that Luna instinctively wrapped the cloak tighter around her. Even then, she knew that the night elf hadn’t been lying. This was beyond even the harshest winter she had experienced in Tobria.
Dozens of eyes glared at her from beyond the door, bloodshot, tired and hungry. They slowly came closer, stepping into the bright light of the torches, some of them ragged and pitiful, pushed into the tower by others, who carried themselves with a hint of pride still. They were men and women, the ones she could clearly see all looked human, able-bodied but pallid and dishevelled. Some were clad in clothes way more suitable for the summer, others wore torn, blood-stained rags.
This time, the first to enter was a woman, though Luna would have almost mistaken her for a man due to her size and build. She was easily as tall as Asch and notably bulkier, her armour broad and heavy. Her helmet was tucked beneath her arm, revealing a shorn head and broad features, with a flat, crooked nose and a bulky jaw. As she entered, she saluted in front of the captured arch-vampire in the same fashion Luna had once seen a soldier salute to his commanding officer. “Dame Alfarna of Baernsteyn, reporting back”, the woman, a highborn knight apparently, exclaimed.
By her side walked an odd figure, a lanky, dirty man who showed severe signs of frostbite on his prominent nose and on the tips of his fingers. What caught Luna by surprise were the robes he wore, for as dirty and worn-down as they were, she recognized them as a Praiot’s attire. This man was a priest, or he had been at some point in his life. Her parents had taught her to meet such men with respect, but the hateful glare on his face threw her off. Somehow, she had her doubts that this was still a holy man.
“Alfarna, reliable as always”, Walmir hissed. “Who is this by your side?” He bared his teeth as the man approached him. “A Praiot?”, the vampire spoke and there was a strange mixture between anger and joy written on his face. “How ironic that you should share my fate. Tell me, what did you feel when you first awoke and realized that the sun god has turned his back on you so easily?”
The fallen priest shot him a sharp glare, before he took a few steps forwards, past the knight and towards the glowing circle. Walmir’s eyes widened briefly as the old man extended one hand, easily reaching across the glowing boundary. “Your lady knight told me a thing or two about what you’re doing here”, he hissed. “As you can see, Praios has betrayed me long ago” He reached for his rags, pointing at a sizeable hole within them and through it, Luna could see a gruesome burn scar on his abdomen. “Blackfurs massacred my congregation”, he snarled. Tied me above their fire. They laughed at my screams and the sun… the sun just kept shining” He spat out. “You’re heretics, each of you, but after Praios betrayed me, well, so am I and proudly so!”, he declared. “For I am Patras Hullhome and I spit on Praios and all who put their faith into him!”
“I wanted you to turn him, mylord”, the knight, Alfarna, explained. “But alas, the cold was too much. Would have killed him had I not turned him” The arch-vampire shot her a wide smile. “And that would have been a shame”, he growled, as he grabbed the fallen priest’s hand. “You are most welcome here, my brother in faith!”
The priest showed the hint of a thin smirk, the first time his expression softened slightly. “Let the faithful despair”, the arch-vampire growled. “For the gods will turn their back on them as they have turned their backs on us!” To Luna’s surprise, Walmir actually let go of the priest and the old man stumbled back, next to the knight, as more and more vampires entered the tower behind them.
Next to enter was the man whom she had briefly seen a few minutes ago. Still nervously clinging to his straw hat, his gaze briefly fell onto Luna, only for him to flinch once Asch got his attention. “M… M’lords”, he mumbled, before he went down onto one knee. A few of the others did the same, but most of the vampires remained standing, defiantly glaring at Walmir, Curunir and Asch. “We have arrived, your humble servants...”
“So many…”, she mumbled, as she silently counted them in her head. About twenty vampires had already entered the entrance hall of the tower and more tried to push past them from outside. How many of them were there? Thirty, maybe even forty? And according to Curunir, those still weren’t all of them. “If any of them tries to attack you, I will separate their head from their shoulders”, Asch promised and by now, she knew that his words were never empty.
“Indeed you have!”, Walmir of Reeveshoff intoned and despite his predicament, his voice was commanding now, the deep tone of a born leader. “Fewer than I thought have answered the call. Perhaps it means your numbers are finally dwindling. Come now, do not tarry! I have little patience for your misguided gestures of respect, little leeches. Do not waste my time and do not waste yours either, for most of you will be dead before summer”
He must have spoken these words before, as most of the vampires barely reacted to his harsh tone. A few seemed scared, however, with one, an older woman with brown, greasy curls, looking downright devastated. “I do not see Fredo among you”, Walmir continued. “How unusual for him to miss these meetings. I quite hope that nothing happened to him”
“I see a few fresh faces”, Curunir interjected. “Perhaps recently awoken, confused and scared. But by now, even the most dense among you should have figured out what had happened, what you are. Why the cold no longer affects you, why you need neither sleep nor rest, why you feel no hunger aside from a terrible craving. The old stories are still being told in these lands, so I have no doubt you at least suspect what happened to you. You have been chosen by the Thirteenth God and turned into a vampire”
The reactions around him proved his words true, for only a few of the present vampires seemed even shaken by his revelation. Most either already knew or did not care, though Luna could not imagine anyone remaining calm after having such a horrible fate bestowed to them. The older woman she had spotted moments ago buried her head within her hands and sobbed quietly, while a few others looked downright alarmed, but most remained unmoved.
“For the last few weeks, you have been feeding”, Curunir continued. “With the blood you consumed, you have drained your victims of their sikaryan, their life energy. Most of them should have perished before you managed to drain them completely, thus sparing them from your fate. Their souls have passed on to Boron’s Halls. Some, I wager, haven’t been as fortunate. Perhaps by choice, perhaps by accident, you have turned them into fellow vampires, though most of them won’t survive their first week”
By now, even more vampires had entered the tower through the open gate. The fact that it remained open even now was proof enough that Asch had not lied to her. The tower truly had to be far away from the next village. “Walmir will call you here once a month and you will obey, you will come here filled with sikaryan. Those of you who haven’t been able to feed enough will slowly lose their wits. The hunger drives them mad”, Curunir continued. “And trust me, if you seek death, then there are prettier ways to do that, even in your situation. Once you are here, however, you will be bled and we will gather your sikaryan”
“Why?”, Luna whispered and though she thought herself quiet, several of the vampires looked directly as her, baring their teeth with hunger. They would have likely attacked her right there and then if not for Asch, who was still standing between them. To her surprise, the night elf actually replied, his voice sounding calm and quiet from beneath the helmet. “Sikaryan is life itself”, he whispered. “For months, my queen has gathered this life energy in her cauldron. What, I ask of you, would require so much life? What manner of being could be strong enough to hold so much power?”
His ominous words sent a shiver down her spine, even more than the dozens of vampires who had gathered here. “A… god?”, she asked and though she could not see his face, she could imagine his smirk. “Close enough”, he replied. “The mother-queen has assured me he is not quite the god his followers believe him to be, but a mortal, the most powerful human mage to have ever lived. He was born as Tharsonius of Bethana, but his followers called him Borbarad and they worshipped him like a god”
“Borbarad…”, Luna mumbled. She had never heard this name before, but Asch seemed confident enough about him. A strong mage, but still a human. She had expected worse. “In his new body, he will belong to the mother-queen and through her to the Golden God”, Asch continued. “The most powerful agent to join our ranks since the days of Bosparan” He glanced over his shoulder, noticing her expression, to which he slightly tilted his head. “You seem unimpressed, but consider this. At the height of his power, Borbarad went up against Rohal the Mage Emperor and his entire army. Few survived this clash and neither Borbarad nor Rohal were among them. Now think about what he could achieve with the mother-queen’s blessing”
“Now, may the first step forth!”, Curunir finished his speech. “Are there any volunteers this time?” He glanced at Walmir and the arch-vampire rose from his feet. Luna had met him hunched over, crouching or kneeling, so it was startling to see him at his full height, a head above even the tallest human she had ever seen. He was a menacing sight, his pale, empty eyes darting across the gathered vampires, his clenched fists trembling with barely controlled strength. Even now, in his prison, he was the most fearsome of them all and Luna felt a surge of relief knowing that she had not unleashes this monster upon the world once more.
“This one”, Walmir growled, pointing at the farmer who had been the first to enter the tower. The man flinched as Walmir’s gaze fell upon him, but a nervous smile forced its way upon his face as well. “He has fed well” The farmer gulped. “I… I was about to volunteer, m’lord!”, he claimed, his shrill voice echoing from the walls around him. “Helwen Kerling, m’lord, at your service!”
He took a step forward, but with so many vampires around him, Luna was not certain if he did so out of his own free will or if one of the others had pushed him. They were all glaring at him now, vicious and spiteful and hungry. “You have fed well?”, Curunir asked and Helwen gave him a hasty nod. “Yes, I have”, he confirmed. “My, uh… my neighbour, from the next farm over. Always thought himself better than me just because the cattle plague didn’t kill half his cows. Thought his daughter was too good for my son, well… I made him regret that when I tore her throat out right before his eyes”
Just a second ago, the man had seemed almost pitiful, but those words had been spoken with such malice that Luna couldn’t help but shiver. The mild expression on Curunir’s face faded in an instant. “You killed your own neighbour?”, he asked and Helwen gave him another nod. “And his family, m’lord. His fat cow of a wife, his daughter and all three of his sons and I made him watch. I… I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time now”
“Do not bore me with your pointless cruelty, Helwen. I have lived for over a century and I have seen men and monsters do things so unspeakable you could not even imagine them with your narrow mind”, Curunir spoke, his voice sharp and stern now. “It is always tempting to take revenge on those who belittled you in the past, but make no mistake. You have always been and you still are the smallest fish surrounded by sharks”
Helwen’s smile slowly faded, replaced by the pitiful expression she had seen before. “I… I did what you asked of me. I fed well!”, he protested and as if to prove his point, he presented his bare arm. “And I offer my blood, m’lord!” With an expression ranging somewhere between distaste and anger, Curunir grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him forward, close to the glowing circle that kept Walmir entrapped. Helwen’s eyes widened for a second, to the mage’s brief amusement. Wordlessly, Curunir moved one sharp fingernail over Helwen’s forearm, opening it almost from wrist to elbow.
Blood poured freely from the wound, as Curunir held the chalice beneath it, just for a second, catching only the first few drops and letting the rest stain the ground. He let go of Helwen, who immediately staggered back into the gathered vampires, clutching his arm in visible pain. “That…”, he gasped. “That was unnecessary!” Curunir did not even look at him, instead he focussed on the few drops of blood in the chalice. “Consider it a lesson in cruelty”, he remarked. “After tonight, you will head west, away from your village. You will feed on travellers and vagrants and you will not risk our operations ever again”
The other vampire glared at him, but only for a moment before all defiance left him again. Luna noticed that the long, deep cut on Helwen’s forearm was gone already, the flesh having grown together in a matter of seconds without even leaving a scar. “Now, is there anyone willing to…”, Curunir continued, before he paused. His eyes narrowed as he shot a deep, dark glare across the gathered vampires. “Who brought the human?”, he hissed.
“I am surprised you haven’t noticed him already. Perhaps hiding in the sewers for decades has dulled your senses?”, Walmir chuckled. Unlike Curunir, who seemed genuinely concerned, the arch-vampire was outwardly calm. Luna noticed that the trembling in his hands had grown worse, however, and he bared his teeth as he spoke. “The huntress has brought him, if I am not mistaken”, he added. “Come forth, Nadarie. What have you brought me?”
The ranks of the vampires parted, revealing a young woman who dragged a body with her. She was lean and graceful, carrying herself with more confidence than the other vampires. Her damp, blonde hair was tied into a bun, with a few loose strands of hair framing a pale face with a small, round nose and bright, green eyes. “Tribute, my lord”, she replied, as she pushed the body forward.
It was a man, as Luna realized, with short, dark hair, his face stained with blood from a half-heartedly treated cut on his forehead. He groaned as he slammed onto the ground, briefly opening his eyes, too weak to even lift his head. “This human fought against Elbaran in Baliho and nearly killed him”, the woman, Nadarie, explained. “I was impressed, so I took him with me. Figured you might wish to turn him”
“You could have done that yourself”, Curunir brought up, but Walmir cut him off at once, a twisted grin on his face, his sharp teeth at full display. “It’s been a while since I last had a taste of fresh blood. I rarely have praise for my unwanted spawn, but this was well-done, Nadarie”, the arch-vampire growled. He gave the huntress a nod, who replied with a grim smirk. She knelt down next to the half-conscious man, yanking his head upwards and giving him a violent slap. “Look up, you scum”, she hissed. “I heard you praying while we travelled. To Rondra. To Peraine… to Firun” She made the last of these gods, the Lord of the Hunt and patron god of Tobria, sound like a curse. “Look up!”, she barked and weakly, the man opened his swollen eyes. Immediately, a look of pure horror appeared on his face as he saw Walmir, who was crouching down just inches away from him, as close as the protective circle would allow him. “This is your god now”, Nadarie added.
“He is glaring at me”, the arch-vampire stated. “You brought me a lively one, huntress. I wonder, is he tribute or apology?” Though spoken calmly and with a pleased smile, Luna could see anger written all over his face and Nadarie noticed it as well, for she flinched at his words. “What would I need to apologize for, mylord?”, she asked.
Immediately, the smile on Walmir’s face faded, the mask of affability cracked, as his pleased expression grew into one of rage, with his ophidian teeth bared into a bestial snarl. His terrifying gaze pierced through Nadarie and all confidence seemed to have left the huntress, who immediately dropped to her knees. Two pale, ghostly lights flared up within the blank white orbs that were his eyes, cold and haunting. Just looking at them twisted something within Luna’s guts, hard and painful. Though she tried her best, she could not contain a gasp of pain, as her shaky legs nearly gave in beneath her. And despite her aching gut and the growing headache that began to pound between her ears, she knew instinctively that it would be much worse if Walmir were to look directly at her, that this was but a fragment of the sheer terror the arch-vampire could conjure up.
She staggered forwards, against Asch. Briefly, the night elf glanced over his shoulder and right at her, as she clung against the cold, dark steel that covered his back. It was strangely coarse to the touch, not at all like the smooth, polished plates of steel she had seen on the knights that had occasionally passed by her parents’ farm. Though her fingers dug against the overlapping plates, she found no opening, as if they had been fused together. For a second, she felt his dark gaze through the small opening in his helmet, before his head turned away again. “This is enough, Walmir”, he spoke sharply.
The arch-vampire blinked once and the light within his eyes was gone. A wave of relief overcame Luna, though her breathing remained heavy for a little while longer. Walmir looked at her, a vile smirk flashing over his face, before his rage returned and he glared at the huntress again. “Worry not”, Asch mumbled. “Uncomfortable as it might be, he cannot harm you with his gaze. It takes a feylamia, an elven vampire, to drain an elf of their sikaryan, but they are rarest type of vampire and so unruly that the mother-queen has no use for them. Even then, your father’s blood might protect you from the Golden God’s grasp”
His words were barely reassuring and Luna still felt a chill of fear running down her spine as she glanced at the arch-vampire. Walmir was trembling in rage now, his glare still hitting Nadarie, who was cowering in front of the circle. Unlike Luna, she did not seem to be in pain, nor did any of the other vampires even react to Walmir’s horrifying gaze. “The child”, the arch-vampire hissed. “Did you think I would not notice it, hidden behind the others? Did you think me that dull?”
He hissed at the lesser vampires and dozens of them hurried to make way, their ranks parting as they fled to the corners of the room. A small figure remained there, trembling in fear. Luna’s eyes widened in horror as she realized that this was a human boy, barely ten summers old. He was blonde and pale, his eyes red from crying, though his body was twitching strangely as he looked around, his gaze falling onto Luna again and again, shy at first, but soon with a horrible hunger within them. “Please…”, the boy gasped, though those words were followed by a savage growl. “I want to go home. Where is mommy?”
“You have turned a child?”, Curunir spat and to his credit, he seemed genuinely appalled. “Have you gone mad, Nadarie?” His voice was booming with anger, echoing from the walls around them. The huntress flinched at his sharp words and even though Curunir was by no means as terrifying as the sheer presence of Walmir of Reeveshoff, she seemed to fear them both equally. “Please forgive me, Lord Curunir”, she mumbled, unable to meet his gaze. The vampire mage glared at her, his fingers twitching in rage. “What were you thinking?”, he barked.
“I…”, the huntress began. “I was prowling through the eastern Meadows when I found him in the woods, by chance. He must have gotten lost and the wolves had found him first. It was the scent of blood that drew me there” Now, she looked up again, a pleading look in her eyes. “He was still alive when I found him, but horribly mauled. Was I supposed to just let him die?”
“You were supposed to kill him”, Curunir corrected her. “That would have been kinder. A vampire child is an abomination” Walmir gave him a nod. “It is rare for us to agree on something, but yes, you are quite right”, the arch-vampire confirmed. “Vampire children cannot grow up. Immortality holds a great appeal, but imagine it spent in the body of a child. He’d grow mad in a decade, unless, of course, his urges kill him first. He will never learn to control the hunger, instead he will kill and feed and indulge himself until someone puts him down. By then, he’ll have alerted the entire realm to our presence”
Luna had expected many things, but not the genuine distraught that flashed across Nadarie’s face in this moment. “I… mylords, I beg of you…!”, she began, but Curunir cut her off. “Silence!”, he barked. “You are in no position to beg, Nadarie, except for your own life” He glared at the boy, who still stood at the open gate, trembling in fear, with tears streaming down his reddened cheeks. “I want to go home…”, the boy sobbed. “Mommy, I’m scared!”
“You… child!”, Curunir addressed him directly and his voice briefly lost a bit of its sharpness. Indeed, for a second there was almost a hint of warmth within it, though it did not quite reach his eyes. “What is your name?” The boy gave him a brief, shy glance, but immediately looked away in fear as the vampire mage towered above him. “P… Peldor”, he mumbled. “I’m Peldor Foxton”
“And your mommy?”, Curunir asked. “Where is she?” For a second, the boy’s eyes widened. He looked up straight at Luna and a feral growl left his throat, loud enough for Asch to tense up. Over a dozen vampires did the same, glaring at Luna with hunger in their eyes, but she remained firm. Asch would not allow it. “Dead”, Nadarie interjected. “He was unconscious after I turned him, so I followed his trail, found his parents’ cottage. I dropped him off at their doorstep in the middle of the night and kept watch as they found him, as they tended to his bedside for two days and nights” Her voice was oozing bitterness now and there was a spiteful look in her green eyes. “And I watched as he awoke, out of his mind with hunger”, she added. “He tore them apart like a rabid beast”
A brief, dry chuckle left Walmir’s throat, but Curunir remained entirely unimpressed. “At least they cannot follow us”, he mumbled. “Still, this was inexcusably reckless. I warned you before not to try anything like this. Even with all your new powers, you cannot force what the gods so cruelly denied you” This earned him a brief, angry glare from Nadarie. “Do not speak of matters you understand nothing about, mage”, she hissed. “I kept him safe and well-fed. We travelled for a week with this human and Peldor didn’t even try to attack him once”
“He will”, Curunir spoke, before he glanced at the boy. “You… Peldor” The boy flinched, but gave him a hesitant nod, as the mage reached into his pocket. “When you and your parents prayed, which god did you pray to?” It was a seemingly innocent question, spoken in a calm, warm tone, but Luna knew the old stories just as well as anyone from the Meadows would. That which a vampire believed in during their first life could harm them during their second. Praios, the sun, for Walmir, Hesinde, magic, for Curunir. He didn’t even have to ask, for there was only one possible answer for a child so young.
“We… we prayed to many gods”, Peldor stuttered. “But I prayed to Travia and to Peraine” Curunir gave him an approving nod. “Of course”, he spoke. “Family… a common weakness among newborn and a miserable one at that. To never again feel the warm presence of your loved ones, to feel nowhere at home” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chain. Even from afar, Luna could see the symbols on them. This object was blessed by Hesinde and several of the present vampires, Nadarie included, winced as they saw it. “This will be a mercy”, the mage mumbled, before he placed one finger on the trembling boy’s forehead. “Paralysis”
A brief flash of blue light emerged from his fingertips and the vampire child froze in place. Slowly, carefully, Curunir walked around the boy, slowly tightening the blessed chain in his hands. “Do not weep, Peldor”, he spoke, with a hint of softness to his voice. “If there is mercy in this world and beyond, you will see your parents again”
“N… No! Wait, please!”, the huntress exclaimed, her voice suddenly shrill with fear. “Please, don’t! He’s…” She paused as Curunir glanced over his shoulder right at her, the chain still in his hands. “Just a child?”, the growled. “He was. He could have died as one, had you not intervened in his fate. Now, he is a vampire, but one too dangerous for our little masquerade. Sure, he might be well-behaved as long as you keep him fed, but the moment he feels the hunger, he’ll turn into a monster. It would be best to spare him this fate” Nadarie had sunken to her knees and to Luna’s surprise, she was actually sobbing. “I beg of you, don’t harm him”, she pleaded, but Curunir’s expression remained stony. “I’m afraid this is not an option”
“Wait…”, the voice of Walmir of Reveeshoff echoed through the room, a cold, hollow tone. Luna frowned as she heard his voice, not originating from his mouth, but from somewhere within her head, forcing its way through her mind and those of everybody around him. Even Asch tensed up for a second, the tip of his sword trembling as he pointed it towards Walmir.
“Do you have anything to add, Walmir?”, Curunir growled, pressing one hand against his head. Luna noticed that as uncomfortable as this single word had been for her, the vampires seemed to be in actual pain. Suddenly, she could understand Curunir’s desire to be free of his influence far better. If their roles were reversed, perhaps she too would work with Pardona to break her chains.
“Nadarie has served us well in the past, hasn’t she?”, the arch-vampire spoke and his voice was actually sweet now. “It pains me to see her like this, so… crushed over something so insignificant” Curunir narrowed his eyes. “You believe this matter insignificant, Walmir?”, he hissed. “A vampire child threatens our secrecy. It is only a matter of time until he causes a bloodbath. How long do you think it would take our enemies to catch up to us then?”
“Ah, secrecy…”, Walmir replied. He had crouched closer by now, as close to the glowing barrier that marked his prison as possible. “I have reason to believe that the time for secrecy is over. The hunters are on our trail already”, he explained. “Fredo is missing and he has never before missed one of our meetings. The same goes for Ulgraine”
“Elbaran is dead as well”, Nadarie revealed. “There were others in Baliho who knew what he was. I believe they got him” Her words sent visible concern across Curunir’s face. “So soon…”, he mumbled and Walmir gave him a nod. “I believe we can esuffer this… vampire child a little while longer, can’t we?”, the arch-vampire stated. “No, I believe securing the loyalty of our dear huntress is more important at this stage”
As he spoke, he turned to Asch, who had lowered his sword again. The night elf was quiet, contemplating his words. “The cauldron is almost full”, he spoke. “After today, we need one more meeting to conclude the mother-queen’s ritual. We can’t have anyone closing in on us now” Walmir gave him a firm nod. “I agree”, he spoke. “Much as I hate your queen for what she’s doing here, my fate is tied to her success now. I wouldn’t want to meet a pitiful end at the hand of vampire hunters. The child is a manageable risk compared to them”
“And the leech can help us how?”, Asch asked. Walmir turned from him to the huntress, who had stopped crying by now. Instead, she was carefully mustering him and the night elf, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Nadarie is a brilliant huntress”, he explained. “They believe they can hunt us down? That we allow ourselves to be found and put down like trapped cattle?” He bared his teeth, almost unhinging his jaw in a way that reminded Luna of a snake ready to dig its fangs into its prey. He rose from his crouched position to his impressive height and undoubtedly he had to be the tallest human she had ever seen.
“They have lived in comfort for so long, believing us to be mere myths. Even those who know of our existence have deluded themselves into thinking that we hide from them”, Walmir continued and his voice was ringing through the room now. The gathered vampires, three dozen of them at least, looked at him not with the same contempt they had for each other, but with actual respect, Curunir being the sole exception. “I say it is about time we remind them. We have never been prey! We chose to live in the shadows, but this has never been born out of weakness. We stalk those beneath us, we hunt them for our pleasure, we feast on them to still our hunger. Let us remind them why their kind once feared the shadows!”
As he spoke, Nadarie knelt down in front of him, right next to the injured human whom she had tossed down like a sack of potatoes. “What would you have me do, mylord?”, she asked. “Anything, as long as you only spare Peldor!” Walmir gave her a mild nod, before sending a glare towards Curunir, who still held onto the Travia-blessed chain. “I believe this can be arranged”, he promised. Curunir briefly glanced at Asch, who gave him a nod. Only then did the mage lower the chain again. “He will remain locked up until this has been dealt with”, he growled and Luna could see how angry he was at their decision.
“So be it”, the arch-vampire declared. “Nadarie, you will take the hunt to them, to those pathetic men who believe they can hunt our kind. Find the ones who killed Fredo and the ones who killed Elbaran. Find out what happened to Ulgraine and if she has been slain, then put an end to her killers as well. Can you do this for me, my trusty huntress?” She did not even hesitate. “Leave it to me, mylord!”, she proclaimed. “I will kill them for you. Doesn’t matter where, doesn’t matter how many”
“Of course, you don’t have to go alone”, Walmir added. “Is there any among this pitiful host you’d trust to aid you?” Nadarie glanced across the gathered vampires and Luna could see the disdain on her face. Her arrogance had returned quickly now that the child was out of danger for the time being, not that she could blame her. Most of the other vampires seemed more pitiful than dangerous. The knight, Alfarna, was the exception, as was Curunir, but the rest had been ordinary people. Farmers, craftsmen, perhaps one or two soldiers who still wore the ragged colours of their former lords. A fallen priest was among them now, as was a child. By and large, Luna felt pity for them, but she could not fault Nadarie for feeling above them, for the huntress carried herself with a confidence that few of the other vampires shared, the confidence of a being fully at ease with what she had become.
“Only one”, she stated after a moment of contemplation. “The rest would only slow me down. Gruugraz shall accompany me” Luna immediately noticed a shift in Curunir’s expression and the mage actually needed a moment to compose himself as an odd figure stepped forth from the ranks of the vampires. It was smaller than the others, not larger than a child, but only a fool would have mistaken this creature for a human, young or otherwise. Red fur covered a large skull with long, pointy ears, thicker and longer than those of an elf and with curved tips. Its features were bulbous, with a round, stubby nose and a wide jaw filled with short, but razor-sharp teeth. Luna knew they were rare in other parts of Aventuria, but the borderland between Meadows and Tobria, where she lived, had seen its fair share of goblin raids for her to recognize one when she saw one. He was a tribal goblin for certain, one of those whom humans had learned to be wary of, clad in crude leather and adorned with white paint atop his red fur.
“Seriously?”, Walmir exclaimed. “Now, who among you has sullied their teeth on this… vermin?” Curunir sighed, before he took a step forward. “I think I remember this goblin”, he admitted. “Gruugraz and his tribe have smuggled me across the border through paths only their kind knows. I… haven’t been able to feed well during the journey, so I fed on him while his kin was distracted. Though I must admit, I did not know that we were able to turn goblins, I thought I had killed him”
“I remember…”, the goblin growled as he glared at Curunir. “Curuun… traitor!” His speech was barely more than a set of growls pressed out of a throat way more familiar with the shouts, snarls and shrieks that seemed to make up a lot of the goblin language. Luna had heard them a few times, small raiding parties in the nightly woods, scouting her parents’ farm, only to be discouraged by the torches and spears her father and his farmhands had amassed. This one, Gruugraz, was more fluent in Garethi than she had expected him to be, but he still carried a heavy accent with him and each word was accompanied by a hungry snarl. “Mother trusted you. You killed mother too?” Curunir shook his head. “And I would have made sure you’d never rise had I known about this…”, the mage spoke. “How… unexpectedly fascinating”
The goblin shot him another glare, before he moved towards the glowing circle. “I Gruugraz!”, he exclaimed. “Hunter. Tracker” He glanced at Nadarie almost as if he wanted to challenge her. “Best in tribe”, he claimed. The huntress stifled a haughty smirk. “His nose is quite something, I must admit”, she stated. “I found him out on my last hunt. Nearly put an arrow through him before I realized what he was. Of course, he had it figured out already, for he had picked up my scent a full mile before I reached him”
“Your scent… hollow”, Gruugraz explained. “Human stink. Elves stink worse” With these words, he shot a brief glare towards Luna and Asch. “But we… are touched by
Nacka Rachti. Our scent… the same. Empty. Wrong” He took a deep breath and bared his teeth in displeasure. “I will find them”, he promised. “The humans that hunt” He walked up next to the huntress and though they made for an odd pair, Luna could see the same expression in their eyes, a killing instinct she would have expected to find in a wild beast's gaze.
“Good”, the arch-vampire spoke. “Then I ask for neither of you to be bled today. Keep your strength, for you will need it. Instead, why don’t we take sikaryan from Nadarie’s... tribute?” He glanced down at the human, who seemed to have regained at least a little bit of his consciousness. Though still bleeding and dazed, he at least managed to meet Walmir’s horrifying gaze without any sign of obvious fear. “Ah, he is glaring again”, the vampire chuckled. “Yes, he will keep me fed for a while. You, human… tell me your name”
For a second, the man actually managed to give him a defiant glare in return. “I… am Dangig Skywood!”, he then spat. “And I am going to kill every last one of you rotten fucks!” He raised his head, if slightly, to glare at Walmir and then at Nadarie right next to him. The huntress seemed more amused by his threat than anything else, but Luna noticed his conviction. He seemed hardly able to even stand, but his will remained unbroken. Perhaps it was the fact that he was the first person in a similar situation as her own, the first aside from Walmir of course, that made Luna feel pity for him. Then, he spat at the vampire, a mixture of blood and saliva hitting Walmir’s black chestplate.
A brief, benevolent smirk flashed across Curunir’s face, but he was the only vampire with such a pleased reaction. Nadarie hissed at the human and Gruugraz bared his sharp fangs, while Alfarna, the knight, drew her her massive greatsword. “Shall I kill him for you, mylord?”, she asked. “Or maybe take that tongue of his, for he won’t need it anymore”
“Now now, Alfarna, that won’t be necessary...”, the arch-vampire sighed as he wiped his armour clean. “And you, cur… mind your manners!” He gave Nadarie a nod and the huntress grabbed the man’s arm, forcing it across the glowing circle that kept Walmir entrapped. Like the fallen priest before her, the huntress did not seem to be affected by it, nor did the captured human, but Walmir was still notably wary of getting too close to it. Instead, he waited until Nadarie held the man down within the circle before he grabbed him by the forearm. His sharp claws dug deep, bloody lines into his flesh and the man let out an agonized groan that quickly grew into a genuine scream.
Walmir glared down upon him and by the time he let go of him, his nails were stained with fresh blood. In clear, sickening delight, the arch-vampire opened his mouth, his fingers dangling above it. A tongue, too long and thin to be entirely human, darted forth from the maw, licking across the blood-stained fingers and a sigh of relief left Walmir’s throat. “It’s been far too long sine last I’ve tasted fresh blood, still filled to the brim with sikaryan”, he spoke, his voice barely more than a gurgle with all the blood that filled his mouth. A thin, red line ran down to his chin and his teeth, long and sharp as they were, were gleaming with crimson.
“I am going to take my time with you, Dangig Skywood, insolent little cur that you are”, he growled. “You will keep me fed for a whole month and trust me, before this is over you will renounce every god and beg me to turn you” His red smile widened. “Here, allow me to give you a taste of the weeks to come”, he mumbled, just as he closed his eyes. Luna knew what was about to happen even before he opened them again.
At once, Asch spun around, his arms spread wide, as he pulled her into a close hug, pressing her against the cold steel that covered his chest. “Close your eyes!”, he growled, but it was still too little. Even though Asch shielded her with his entire body, even though she pressed her eyes shut as hard as possible, she could feel it, the terrible power of Walmir’s gaze, the pallid light that broke forth from them finding even the tiniest crack, flooding the entire room without making it any brighter.
And the screams were deafening. Dangig Skywood, who had been defiant just until now, was shrieking at the top of his lungs in the sheer agony Walmir’s gaze was causing him. The force behind the arch-vampire’s eyes seemed different now, stronger, determined to cause as much pain as possible and even though Dangig was suffering the brunt of it, Luna could still feel it too, a thousand searing knives that carved through her skin, yet merely a fragment of Walmir’s power. She understood it now, what a monster he was, how dangerous he would be if left to his own devices, how devious he had been before, when he had tried to entice her to free him. Tears welled up in her closed eyes and she bit down onto her tongue, heavily, just to prevent herself from screaming.
“Remember, he cannot harm you”, Asch whispered into her ear and his voice was eerily calm above the agonized screams of Dangig. “It might hurt a little, but this gaze of his is harmless for elves. Brave it. Show me that my faith in you is not misplaced” As he continued, his voice grew colder. “Or do you want me to intervene?”, he asked. “I can put an end to this human’s suffering, at least for today. The leech had his fun”
“You’d do that?”, she managed to hiss through clenched teeth. In reply, a cold, calm chuckle left Asch’s throat. “Of course”, he told her. “You are a thousand times more important than he could ever be, so why should I value his wishes over yours? That being said, I’d rather not intervene, not for one little human. Instead, why don’t we consider this a test of sorts? I can step aside, if you so desire. If you can take the full brunt of Walmir’s gaze until the leech tires, I promise to answer a question of your choosing. Would that be motivation enough?”
[Ask Asch to intervene] [Ask Asch to step aside]