Satisfied with how their musings had turned out, I stopped following them and turned back, taking flight and gliding along the treetops with practiced ease. Even though I couldn’t feel any real cold, tonight’s breeze managed to chill me to the bone. The reason was simple: they were right. Something was going down, but I had no idea what, and I didn’t like it at all. From the way he treated me earlier, I was almost sure this was our farewell and that he was getting rid of me. But how?
Chapter Two
A slender figure stepped out from absolute darkness as the massive door slammed shut behind the four warriors as they departed the auditorium. She hadn’t been able to see their faces, hidden as they were by the cowls each wore and the odd angle she had from her hiding spot.
With a grace not of this world, the slender figure walked towards the King and threw back the hood that covered most of her head and face. Long, pointy ears and a pretty face appeared in the dimly lit throne room as she shook her head to loosen her mane of hair, tucked up under the hood. Long white hair flowed down the woman's back as it unfurled.
Her face was as expressionless as the cold tile on which she stood. Finally, she bowed deeply towards the Vampire King, revealing a deep cleavage that the lecherous fool enjoyed. He licked his lips as she stood there, her eyes carefully avoiding his gaze.
“King Lefrand. I assume everything is on schedule and to go as planned?” the Elven woman asked.
“Why yes it is, my dear. Now, how about you come closer so I can have a nibble of your delicious skin?” Lefrand replied, smacking his lips impatiently.
Elven blood was raw power for Vampires and a forbidden aphrodisiac only reserved for the highest of the elite. None were allowed to keep them anymore. None, that is, except for the King and his sycophantic band of old fools.
The Elven woman stepped back, narrowly evading the vampire King's grasp as he swiped his claw through the air where her breasts had swayed. Angered and annoyed by her evasion, Lefrand lingered in the pose for a long moment as his Queens hissed at the temerity of such behavior.
“Shouldn’t we stick to the topic, my King?” the Elf asked, her face as passive as moments before. Lefrand waved her off and sauntered back to his throne, deliberately taking his time. He sat down between his two Queens and groped at their breasts before staring down at the Elven woman.
“You know what to do, right? Take a thousand men with you and dispose of the rebels for me. You won’t need that many, but it’s better to be on the safe side with Raziel and his ilk. After all, they’re quite formidable opponents.”
“Yes, my King. It will be as you command,” the Elven woman replied with more confidence than she must have felt. She stood there for another three seconds, waiting for additional instructions or another command, but they never came. With another low bow, she turned and disappeared into the shadows.
“Oh, and Sylvana,” the King drawled, “Will you be so kind as to bring me his head when everything is said and done?” A smirk turned up one corner of his mouth. “I’ll reward you with something special, something you’ll definitely like.”
She stopped where she stood, her fists and teeth clenched. “My King,” she seethed, “did I not ask you to keep my name to yourself?” She hissed, unable to contain herself. Exposing an Elves’ true name to others, especially those who knew how to perform blood magic, left them vulnerable to compulsion and a host of other sorceries. Sure, they had to be close by to perform said curses, but it was still something she wanted to keep a secret.
“Oops. It must have slipped out, my dear,” he laughed. “Please forgive this old man, won't you? I’ve become quite senile after all,” he added. This quip was accompanied by a chorus of laughter. Enraged, Sylvana slipped into the shadows and disappeared from their sight. She would get even with him one day, just not today.
As she once again breached the darkness of night, ice-cold raindrops fell the clouds to soothe her skin, washing away all the anger she had burned with moments before. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sylvana cupped her hands together and filled them with cool rain, splashing her face. The meeting could have gone better, but it could also have gone so much worse. People died or were permitted continued breath at Lefrand’s whim.
Sylvana climbed up the tallest tree she could find and hid in its thick branches, embracing the darkness. She hated the feeling that, with every vile deed, she was becoming more and more like one of those damn bloodsuckers, but she couldn’t help it. The scene still burned in her memory as he mocked her, calling her by her first name. How dare he? Her name was sacred, and no mere mortal- or in this case, Vampire- had the right to sully it with their lips. She would get back at him, but how? She didn't know yet, but she would, one way or the other.
Three hours passed quickly as she sat hidden in the tree, fuming, cursing, and trying to parse a way out of this mess. Why did she have to do this? There was no need to slaughter an entire settlement just to deal with one treasonous Warband. How would she justify the killing of over five thousand Humans? The old, the young, men, women, and children.
She stared at the scars she’d been ‘gifted’. Dozens of white lines graced her stomach and chest, another hundred her back. For centuries she’d been the pawn and play-toy of the King, a gift from her father and mother to the wicked creature called Lefrand, so they could buy their own freedom. If they were still alive, she would have killed them herself. At least he’d done as much for her after they tried to raid one of his convoys. The idiots.
Rage filled her anew, but just as quickly, died without a trace. Slowly, she traced the worst scar of all below her navel, reminded of the child that had been ripped from her womb and killed in front of her—to remind bother sisters of their place.
She dropped from the tree and knelt in the mud as her body spasmed and mind clenched shut, weeping like a child. Her unborn hadn't wronged anyone. Why did it have to die alongside the only man she’d ever loved? The wounds were still fresh, even after a hundred years of pain. His face. She couldn't recall it anymore. What had he looked like? Hadn't he been blond? Tall and muscular? No, that was someone else, right?
She slumped to the ground, bitterly tasting her own tears in the cold. She wanted this life to end. Yes, maybe she should let Raziel kill her at the ambush site so she could finally depart this wretched world.
One thing she couldn’t quite understand, however. Why was the King after Raziel? From what she knew, he was the strongest amongst all Lefrand’s Warlords. How was she supposed to kill him? The man- no, the Vampire- was more monster than man and from what she remembered, he was slightly better than Lefrand. Or had that been in the past? Her mind wasn’t working to a satisfactory degree tonight so she stopped thinking about it.
Sylvana stood and looked for the moon, usually so bright and round. Such a delightful image. But tonight, clouds kept the night as dark as her thoughts. An owl hooted, announcing its presence. Sylvana looked up, her gaze distant. A hollow expression ghosted across her beautiful face to be quickly replaced with a sly smile. Yes, she had a flash of insight and inspiration. Enlightenment. She knew how to end this mess without having to die, but only if she had enough time to set it up. The night was still young, but time did fly. The clouds parted, the moon in tune with the clarity of her thought, and its pale light finally shone down.
Sylvana stripped out of the few clothes with which she wrapped her body and lay there in the moonlight. A ray found its way through the thicket of trees, marking her as if she were his. Her pale skin even paler under the dull glow.
Both hands ran up her body and enveloped her breasts, squeezing down gently. Her nipples hardened as she bit down on her lower lip and squeezed again. A faint aura enveloped her body, embracing it in an invisible layer of magic that reflected every drop of rain. She let go of her breasts and started tracing intricate lines along her whole body while staring up at the moon.
“What a blessing. Isn’t this what life should be?” she whispered, “a Moon Elf and her lover, the
moon. Is there anything better?”
Chapter Three
Time flew as I made my way through the forest, half-flying, and half-gliding over the treetops and in between the trees of the Dark Forest. The occasional owl or rodent was the only living creature that might have noticed me winging through the darkness. Everything was asleep, and that’s exactly how I liked it. I relished the silence and the freedom of being left alone by the world. Not that anyone could have recognized me at my current speed, but still, it was something I appreciated in life.
Thoughts of her flashed through my mind as the topmost thin branches cracked beneath my feet, breaking off and dropping into the cold mud. Rain wasn’t something I normally disliked, but my leathers started to smell if I didn’t take care of them. The damp was even worse on the armor that I liked to keep shiny and gleaming, so tonight it was very unwelcome.
Why couldn't I just disappear? Why did I have to become an immortal? These were just some of the questions that kept interrupting my train of thoughts whenever I came back to the town of Newfolk to see her.
Memories flashed before my eyes, taking me back to my childhood. Distracted, I smashed face-first into the trunk of a tree. I cursed and hung there by a couple of branches, motionless, as I relived my horrible past. What a time to get distracted.
As a young man, not even out of my teens, I was bigger and stronger than most men. Unfortunately for me, this brought me to the attention of the nobility and I was taken from my family. My parents were only poor farmers; they could never have stood up for me, and truth be told, I didn’t blame them.
For two long years, I’d been a slave for an old baroness who abused me both physically and mentally. When that wretched hag died from a mysterious accident, life cast me down to an even worse hell. King Lefrand acquired me with the rest of the surviving slaves. My scars ran deeper than the eye could ever see, much deeper than I liked to admit to myself.
More torture and pain followed over a long period of time—though at least it was pain with a purpose: learning how to use the sword and shield, bow and arrow, close combat and melee combat, training stamina and my physique. We drilled these over and over until we dropped from fatigue, injury, or death. All these I did with the same group of young men and women. Most of them died during the harsh training or due to a lack of food. In the end, we became the food.
I shook my head, forcing down the vile memories that weighed me down every now and again, but always after seeing the King. One day. One day I’d be free from everything. What was the old saying? Be careful what you wish for? Freedom was a dangerous thing to wish for in this life, it could come in various ways. I may get what I wanted, and sooner rather than later. What would she do without me if I failed?
Still, things would have to change for the better. Yes, after this mission, which was still as bizarre as anything I could think of, I’d go through with it. I would finally kill the King and rid this world of that scourge, once and for all, or die trying. I wouldn’t even do it to seize the crown myself—to be honest, I didn’t want it. Lefrand was a vicious and malevolent creature, pure evil and sadism incarnate. As long as he lived, hundreds of thousands would cower in fear. That’s why I would take my whole Coven with me and hide them until everything was taken care of.
Consumed by thoughts of revenge, I soon arrived at the small settlement. A total of around 5,000 humans lived there with a handful of guards to keep them safe. Not that anyone would pillage such a weak community—it wasn’t worth the effort. Even the King ignored it, not levying the taxes usually taken from all the other towns, cities, and smaller communities all around his lands. Worse, it was located in the heart of Vampire territory. The people had named it Newfolk once they surpassed the milestone of 3,000 settlers. No, settlers wasn’t the right term; they were cattle, dinner on the hoof for the Vampire Lords and Ladies.
My coven was heavily invested in helping these miserable souls, going so far each year as to recruit new forces so that there did not appear to be an overflow of able-bodied men and women. Everyone knew that I was the unofficial Lord and, in turn, knew who I was.
Not bothering with stealth, I strode right through the main gate. The guards were vigilant and at their stations, their armor was polished and their weapons stood at the ready. Good, that’s what I liked to see.
The men saluted me as I passed and then quickly returned to their vigilance, staring into the inky darkness. One thing I noticed, though, was that there was a strange aura surrounding them this night. I scowled, then dismissed it from my mind, not thinking it too important. Still, I stopped inside the gate for a moment and turned around, checking the wall. It wasn’t a barrier that could stop a Vampire or the gigantic beasts that roamed the lands, but it would stop other humans and forest creatures.
Both gates had watchtowers on either side with more towers placed at sixty-foot intervals. Trained and seasoned archers manned them at all times, two per tower. The towers had arrow slits on the second level and crenellations along the top, behind which the archers could fire from cover.
The outer face of the wall had been coated with a slime that protected the twelve-foot logs from flames. For all intents and purposes, it was fire-proof unless Elder Magic was used.
The city guard counted barely fifty trained swords and spears, both men and women. Archers, of whom there were another fifty, took shifts guarding the settlement and rounded out the force. All were treated alike. The only officer present who both commanded and drilled everyone was the mayor himself.
He was a young, charismatic man who’d been saved years ago in a raid far to the south at the border with the Beast-men. We decided to take him in and train the boy. He proved to be a good and capable officer who kept his troops on a tight leash, though not so tight that they suffocated. Since he refused to tell me his name when we captured him, I gave him one: Grestal. He was trained by me and my subordinates personally and excelled under our tutelage. With either the spear or the sword, he was second only to those who had trained him.
I let out a deep sigh and walked to the guardhouse. Two of the four men posted inside slept. I put a finger to my lips, to stop those still awake from waking them. I wasn’t a damned tyrant who couldn’t understand human needs. After all, I used to be one of them.
“Grestal?” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, my Lord,” one of the guards whispered back, “We haven’t seen him since he checked on us a couple of hours ago.”
I frowned, then cursed myself from being so dense. Something was wrong with me and I couldn’t get over it. Why was I so nervous and on edge? Was it the mission tomorrow?
“Yeah, he must be asleep,” I nodded and threw a small pouch of liquor to the man. He caught it and bowed deeply.
“My Lord, we thank you,” he whispered. The second man stood up as well and bowed. Alcohol wasn’t something they could ordinarily get their hands on, except for when we allowed it. And why not give them something to warm their bellies on this long, cold night?
“Don’t overdo it. Share with the others. I’ll bring more next time I come by.”
With that, I left the guardhouse and ducked into the shadows between two tall homes, all the while thinking about her. Was she asleep as well? Not that it mattered. All she had to do was be there when I came by, or at least I liked to say that to myself. She had more than enough to live comfortably, I made sure of it as did Grestal under my orders.
I moved through the wide street, hurrying towards the center of the settlement where a smaller home stood amidst its taller neighbors. A thin plume of smoke wafted lazily from the chimney, telling me she had gone to bed not long ago, else she wouldn’t have banked the coals.
Standing in the darkness in front of her window, I peeked through the cloudy glass, searching for and finding her form sprawled on the bed in a wan ray of moonlight, naked. Alara, the one person for whom I did what I did. One of the main reasons I hadn’t tried anything with Lefrand was because of her. There was no way I could protect m
y friends and my lover while waging war on the King and his people. Someone dear to me would end up dead.
I pushed the door slightly open. A hideous screeching noise grated on my nerves, so I pushed it wide open without worrying about being secretive. Alara would have heard it already, so it wasn’t like I had to worry about waking her up.
I closed the door behind me as gently as I could, however, once again playing the prowler. She loved it when I just appeared from nowhere, sending her heart thumping like crazy. Taking my time, I undressed and laid out my armor on the kitchen table, then lay next to her warm body. It was full of life, full of joy, and full of blood. The one thing I couldn’t have anymore, at least not in this life: a heart that beat to send blood flowing through my body, giving me life. I sighed. As long as she was around, I’d have more than enough of the precious liquid.
“How long are you staying?” she suddenly asked as I pressed my nose against her hair to smell her heady, almost divine scent.
Startled, I pulled back and waited for her to turn and face me.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked after a long moment of awkward silence. She smiled affectionately, greeting me with the warmest of smiles. The ray of moonlight that had managed to sneak its way past the window caressed her pale face. She looked like an Angel, the image engraved itself into my memory.
“Not too long. A minute or so? Not that it matters nearly as much as how long you’re staying.”
I released a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding and laid back on her pillow, looking back outside through the window. She took my breath away. I hated when it happened, but I couldn’t help it—something about her sweet innocence brought out the little boy in me.
“I have to leave in a few hours. Tomorrow we ride toward the United Triflids. The whole coven is coming along for this one,” I whispered, hating to have to leave her so quickly. Did she really need to know? No, but my desire to please her made me offer up everything she asked of me.
Tower of Ancients Page 2
