Tower of Ancients

by Jaeger Mitchells

  “The moment they felt you arrive.”

  I sighed and jumped off Bas to land next to Grestal.

  “Sorry I haven’t looked you up after the battle. Things have just been—.”

  “Hectic? No worries, Lord Raziel. I would never even begin thinking about feeling sorry for myself. You’re our pillar after all.”

  “Heh, you smooth talker. Alright, we’ll have a drink later, I promise.”

  I moved from the palisade towards the tower, observing what everyone was doing, but then I stopped and looked back. Grestal looked at me strangely. He turned around when I spotted him and scurried off toward a group of his direct subordinates, the soldiers I remembered from Newfolk. I‘d have to look deeper into it as the way he looked at me wasn’t something normal.

  I turned back around and looked over the square. It was an understatement to say how proud I was. They had done an amazing job again over the last two days in repairing the palisade. They even reinforced it to three logs deep. The walkways were wider and sturdier which allowed for more soldiers to stand atop without a fear for anything breaking.

  The tower’s first floor was as impressive as the outside. A makeshift kitchen and eating area had been made from felled logs, vines, clay, and stone. Someone had even added their artistic touch to it, drawing out a chuckle deep from inside my stomach.

  “Do you like what we’ve done with the place?” Carla asked from behind the counter.

  “I do. It’s quite artistic and practical at the same time.”

  “That’s what we’re all about, my Lord. Practicality!”

  “And who’s up for cooking duty?”

  “Me and my daughters, my Lord. We’re happy to do it as long as we got something to work with.” Sure, being the blacksmith’s wife and mother of over a dozen kids, she needed to be able to cook, but a dozen and hundreds, or even thousands, wasn’t the same thing.

  I nodded appreciatively.

  “Once everything has settled down a bit, I’ll make sure to reward you and your family. Without you, Harlan, and the kids, I don’t know what we would have done. Your inventions and craftsmanship really helped us out.”

  “Thank you for the opportunity to serve, Lord Raziel. Anything I can do for you?”

  “In fact, yes. Give me two jugs of something to drink. I need to go and visit the sisters downstairs.”

  Carla produced two large mugs and filled them with a brew that smelled quite sweet. I had no idea what it was, but I knew they’d like it. Which woman doesn’t like sweet things? I picked the mugs up and made my way down the stairs.

  “Took you long enough,” Sylvana said as I entered the library. “We’ve been waiting for—you. What’s that? Something to drink?”

  I nodded.

  “A special stash.”

  She got up and hugged me hurriedly before taking the mugs from my hands.

  “For us?”

  “Yeah, for you and Helena. I guess you’ve been busy deciphering all these books?” I asked, nodding at the table stacked with over fifteen tomes. She shrugged.

  “We got nothing better to do as there’s enough labor force to do the heavy lifting. Besides, no one can read this stuff but us, and wouldn’t you rather see us here or up there where all those men can peek up our skirts?”

  “With your legs wrapped around me,” I smirked. Helena sighed and shook her head. “So, what have you found out?” I asked, taking a seat next to the younger sister. Sylvana frowned but didn’t say anything.

  “We’ve spent the first day cataloging everything, then we started reading up on anything that might give us a clue, or clues regarding the tower,” Helena said as she took a sip of the drink. Her eyebrows rose slightly in appreciation. “What is this? No, never mind. Anyway, the one thing we managed to find out is that it wasn’t built by the Elves. Someone else built it for the sole purpose of being a place to imprison strong creatures.”

  “And who exactly built it?”

  “We have no clue,” Sylvana replied. “We’re still trying to figure that part out.”

  A sudden ruckus broke out on the floor above. I turned to see what was going on when Sentinel and a soldier stumbled down the stairs.

  “What’s going on, Sentinel?” I asked as I got up and walked up to the two men. “Did something happen?”

  “Yes, my Lord. There’s a messenger from Vampire Lady Sarga.”

  I could feel two pairs of eyes stare daggers at my back. We really didn’t need this right now, I thought as I let out a deep sigh.

  “Sure. Where is he?”

  “Up top inside the palisade. He’s being guarded by Dimas personally.”

  “Alright. Let’s—why is this soldier here?”

  “My Lord! I was tasked with bringing you this message before sir Sentinel followed me down!”

  So he was trying to garner favor, huh? I disliked that kind of shit about at an eight on a scale from one to ten. An interesting idea crept up into the back of my mind. He might be of use and just the perfect candidate for now.

  “Sentinel, why don’t you go up top? This soldier and I will be right behind you.”

  The man looked at me strangely as if trying to figure out why I was up to. Well, he never would no matter how long he thought.

  “My Lord?” he questioned. I just nodded happily as I turned to the sisters.

  “No matter what you hear, don’t come out.”

  A couple of minutes later, I raced up top and walked out onto the square. A deathly pale man stood there, only clad in black leather pants, a shirt, and a cowl. He turned to face me and nodded slightly.

  “Lady Sarga sends her regards!” he yelled from afar as if I couldn’t hear him just fine.

  “Oh? Did she regret not coming over to my side?”

  “She did, my Lord. She did. That’s why I’m here! She’s controlling me from afar and wants to talk to you in private.”

  “Now that’s quite interesting. I just wonder why she didn’t do so when your army parked right at the forest’s edge.”

  “That’s not for me to know, Lord Raziel. Now, do you want to talk to the Lady or not? She was quite insistent on me coming here.”

  “And you are?”

  “Her second in command.”

  “I see. Alright, come over here. Tell me what she wants.”

  “Thank you, my Lord,” he replied and bowed slightly. The man slowly walked up to me and bowed again before speaking. “Lady Sarga was forced to participate in the attack. She never wanted to do any of it, you need to trust her.”

  “And how was she forced, pray tell me?” I hissed as anger rose up from deep within. The Sarga I knew wouldn’t care about anyone or anything in the world and do what she wanted to.

  “When we were stationed at the border, she—there are things she better tell you herself. It’s just that I feel uncomfortable giving you any details without her approval.”

  I narrowed my eyes on the sleazy bastard. He was trying to smooth talk me without giving me anything. Well, that wasn’t going to work.

  “When will she take over?”

  “Right now, Lord Raziel. I’m talking to her as we speak.”

  I sat down on the flight of stairs leading up to the entrance of the tower as his voice turned a pitch higher.

  “So you’ve decided to forgive me after all, huh?” he asked almost sounding like her. It was Sarga speaking through him, I was sure of it. What a weird kind of magic.

  “No, I haven’t. I just wanted to know why you’re asking for me. I thought we said everything we had to say during the battle. Other than that, all I’ve got to say it’s time to come home.”

  The man walked up closer to me and bowed slightly. It looked weird and I felt awkward, but I couldn’t help it. I knew she liked that kind of posing.

  “What about I whisper you something you’d never thought I’d say?”

  My right eyebrow rose slightly.

  “Sure, tell me.”

  The man walked the last few steps up to
me and leaned in.

  “See you soon.”

  His bony arms shot out and closed around me as the man started twitching and turning red. His grip became extremely tight and the more I struggled, the worse it got.

  “Help him!” Dimas roared as he lunged toward us, but it was already too late. An incredibly hot flame shot out from his chest and engulfed me. The clothes on my body disintegrated as my skin started melting and fusing together with his. The stench was unbearable from this close. My throat gave way and I found myself lose my voice. No matter how much I screamed, no sound came from my throat. It was already gone.

  The wicked grin stayed there on his face all the while as we were dying. It was as if he didn’t feel any pain. The flaming inferno grew even wilder and hotter, yet he still didn’t show any emotion. The regeneration had no way to keep up with the damage, so I knew what was to come. Panic finally set in as the bastard let out a final screeching laugh before his body exploded.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  The waiting grated on Lefrand’s nerves as he strode through the throne room. He was beyond nervous, hoping to finally get rid of that scourge called Raziel. Never in over a thousand years of being a Vampire had he felt as shitty as at that moment. Losing almost ten thousand soldiers and most of the Dragoons was a blow he couldn’t afford at the moment.

  The North was being invaded by some icy bastards he never had any issues with up until now, while the south was threatened by the inbred races that made the swamps their hope. It was only a matter of time until they started moving as well. Raziel needed to die so he could focus on the other two fronts.

  Sarga wasn’t the type of person to keep him waiting, he knew as much. It made him even more desperate having to depend on someone he disliked. What’s more, who was she to keep him waiting? He was the Vampire King! Yeah, a Vampire King who lost two of his top Lords to a third one who escaped. Maybe it was time to rid himself of a fourth one, depending on how they performed and if they decided to play by his rules or not.

  Lefrand’s eyes focused on a single spot as he kept tracing around the room; the door. He made sure it was wide open so he could see anyone approach from a hundred feet. Finally, a hooded figure dropped off the ledge and landed at the far end of the corridor. They wore a black cowl that covered most of their body, but he was sure it was Sarga. Finally he would have the news!

  Sarga stopped a couple of feet shy from the King and took the cowl off, revealing a smug look on her face. High pitched laughter erupted Lefrand’s throat as he saw her standing there all satisfied with herself. He already knew what she was going to tell him but still wanted to hear it from her.

  “Sarga, my dear, please tell me everything! I can’t wait to hear how the last moments of his life looked like!”

  He stormed up to her and caressed her cheek with his long, sharp nails. She smiled back innocently and almost childlike. She was frozen in her mid-thirties, yet she had this manner of an act when she was around him.

  “It’s done, my King,” she whispered weakly. “I’ve seen it through my second-in-command’s own eyes. He sacrificed himself for your glory, my King.”

  “Oh, Sarga, you have no idea what you just did to me! You’ve made love to me through mere words, made me experience life’s greatest pleasure imaginable!”

  “Thank you, my King. The look on his face when his body melted and then finally exploded was priceless. If only you could have seen it for yourself. I think you’d be very pleased.”

  “At least those five-hundred sacrifices we made for your spell didn’t go to waste,” he said and pushed her away, then walked over to sit on his throne, letting out a deep sigh. “I feel empty now having lost him. Is that strange?”

  “It might be. It was you who created him, after all. And is he the occasion for you watching the stars tonight?”

  “He is. I knew I’d be too impatient waiting on your news despite the link between him and be being broken, so I had them retract the roof for today.”

  Lefrand looked up at the sky as a grin crept up to his face. No, he couldn’t smile when one of the stars was mocking him. He narrowed his eyes on it remembering very well the star hadn’t been there last night. The longer he looked at it the brighter it became.

  “Is something wrong, my King?” Sarga asked as she looked up at the star laced sky, trying to figure out what he was looking at. She wanted to get this over with and go do what was next on her mind. Having used such a spell took a toll on her body so she didn’t want to linger any longer than necessary, risking death.

  “Yes, there is! What the hell is it with that bright piece of shit? It keeps mocking me as if wanting to deliver a message!”

  “What star, my King? I don’t see anything out of order in the constellations.”

  Lefrand hissed at her as he turned toward his inner sanctum. Maybe it was his mind playing games on him or he was becoming even more paranoid.

  “Join me.”

  Sarga sighed inwardly as he pushed the door open and left her standing. She hurried to catch up with him or risk being on the receiving end of a tantrum. He turned to face her right when she caught up and grabbed her right breast with one hand while sliding his left between her legs. She froze. He was never this bad and shouldn’t be now especially since she delivered on killing Raziel.

  “My King?”

  “What? You think me old and ugly?”

  “I-I never said anything like it. It’s just that I’ve used up a lot of power and am feeling tired and am in horrendous pain.”

  “I’ll compensate you with more power, don't worry about that, my dear,” he replied as the grin on his face turned evil. She was sure that the two of them didn’t have the same reward in mind. At least not tonight. “Come, my Queens are waiting for me.”

  He let go and moved down the corridor, his fingers still twitching. She closed her eyes for a second and breathed in and out before following him into his lair. The Queens sat on the bed as they entered. It was a luxurious thing crafted by the greatest minds the kingdom had to offer, being easily ten by ten to accommodate whomever Lefrand wanted.

  He nodded toward the bed as their eyes met. She dropped what little covered her body and slowly followed his orders, knowing he could kill her at any moment if she didn’t follow up with his stupid games.

  Sarga’s back was filled with intricate tattoos that portrayed a large battle and an immoral act between herself and Raziel. Lefrand licked his lips in anticipation as he looked his Queens over, nodding. They were already naked so there was no need for them to do anything but assist their King and his guest of honor.

  She climbed on the bed and positioned herself to the side. Lefrand didn’t seem to like what she did and ordered her closer. She crawled up to him on all fours, trying to look willing while wanting to throw up on the inside. His fangs suddenly sank into her neck, ripping a piece of skin and flesh off with a growl.

  “Fuck!” she cursed, activating a trap spell on pure instinct. It cast a booming spell that both blinded and disoriented anyone who wasn’t looking away. It tapped directly into her life force, but she didn’t care. If she stayed there she was going to be raped and killed that very night now that she lost her use.

  Lefrand started hissing as he rolled across the bed and fell over onto the cold, stone floor. Seeing an opportunity, Sarga bit down on Fraya’s neck and sucked for three whole seconds. She started healing immediately, even feeling part of her power return. Leaping off the bed, she grabbed her dress, put it on, and turned back to see where Lefrand was. Instead, Draiana recovered first and charged her. Sarga produced a dagger from her dress and stabbed it in the Queens’ throat, cutting it wide open before ripping the head clean off.

  “Draiana!” Fraya cried, witnessing her partners’ death. The three of them had been together for over six centuries so the bond that had formed was much stronger than anything ordinary Humans or Vampires could fathom. Lefrand let out a bloodcurdling scream as he darted up, but Sarga wasn’t there anymore.
With a speed that even astonished herself, she ran for her life and right towards her Coven.

  The one thing she drilled into her people was to travel light and always be at the ready. That was the sole reason they might survive the night because they were already waiting for her far outside the city. Two thousand of her people were already packed and ready to go, she could feel as much from her mental link with them.

  Just as she passed the city walls, the bells started bonging. It was a familiar sound she ever only heard three times in her life and every time it meant one thing: mobilize the entire city guard of over ten thousand trained Vampires.

  Luckily, she would be too far gone by the time they even figured where she went. There was only one thing she could do now and there was only one chance for her to stay alive. She needed to find Raziel and heal him. He wasn’t dead, she knew as much already. The explosion was far from strong enough to kill such a strong Vampire Lord, so maybe, just maybe if she offered to bind herself to him, he would be willing to spare her. After all, she’d taken the joke a little bit too far.

  “Bah, what a fucking twist, huh?” Sarga whispered as she jumped from tree to tree, the wind playing with the hem of her dress and a lock of her hair. Maybe Lefrand wouldn’t even send them too far out since he had more pressing matters to take care of. Why did he want to get rid of her, though? She was sure that he hadn’t caught up on her half-truth. Was it because she was Raziel’s and he wanted to finish anything that had to do with him off once and for all? The bastard. All he got for it was the death of a mate.

  She bit her tongue, angry at herself for doing what she did hours ago. There were so many ways she could have handled it, yet she chose the worst one. What’s worse, what excuse would she use to beg Raziel? No, she wasn’t so sure anymore right now. What if he died after all? She could try to revive him, but he would have lost most of what he was before death.

  “Shit! I really fucked up this time!” she cursed. “Mahue! Where are you?”

  “My Lady, we’re about three miles ahead of you. Do you want us to wait?”