After removing the broach she wore, Aria realised the girl was a teenager. What they’d seen wasn’t her full strength. She was years from her prime. The person they’d gotten used to seeing was presumably what she’d look like in several years.
“Well…” Susannah had put the broach back on, and she glanced at Roger for approval. The racoon shrugged and nodded his assent. “Basically, it’s because of Roger. He’s my best friend, but due to certain… circumstances, he decided to leave our clans and see the world. Since he’s squishy and would probably last about five minutes before getting stabbed if he was on his own, I decided to tag along.” She grinned. “It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, which is why I don’t have a sword with me or anything else that can channel my Words for too long without exploding. It’s why I use a bow. Sure, the arrows break down, but that won’t matter if they hit my target first. Oh, and my fishing rod is a special one I got from some elves we helped out. It won’t last forever, but it heals itself, so as long as I don’t overuse it, it’ll be fine. Anyway, the duke heard about some monster hunting we did, and you know what happened next.”
“Good grief.” Aria covered her face with her hands. Eric – that jerk – seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, judging from his pathetic attempts to stifle his laughter. Had he forgotten that huntresses often killed werewolves? Then again, Susannah had mentioned that her grandfather was a werewolf, and there had been nothing but affection in her voice whenever she mentioned him. “And your Words?”
“Hmm… if a Word is related to destruction, the odds are good that I can use it. However, my control is still a work in progress. Any Word I use tends to be way too powerful. If I use anything except basic Words…”
Aria shuddered. She’d seen what Susannah could do with a basic Word like [Pierce]. The thought of her using something stronger like [Obliterate] was terrifying. “But you’re a huntress. How are you okay with our group? Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you’re not trying to murder us all, but still…”
“This might sound weird since my clan does hunt down pretty much everyone in this group except Miles and Blue Scales, plus my grandfather’s favourite approach to problems is eating them, but we’re not all as bad as the stories say. Sure, most of my family can get a bit overzealous, and we might have wiped out entire clans of monsters before, but some of us are more discerning.” Susannah grinned. “You’re good people. Sure, you’re weird, but so are Roger and I. I won’t lie. There are people in my clan who probably would kill Jonathan and Eric simply because of what they are, but there are just as many who’d ignore them because they haven’t done anything wrong. Me? Unless I see you guys munching on kids or something, you don’t have anything to worry about although I would like to know who has been tagging along with Jonathan. Ancient vampire spirits aren’t common, and some of them can be quite nasty.”
The Blood Emperor appeared. Aria sighed. She should have known the vampire would do something like that. Despite his claims to the contrary, he did have a tendency toward the theatrical.
“Greetings.” The Blood Emperor did more than fill the cabin thanks to his height and frame. He also filled it with his sheer presence. If they hadn’t covered the cabin in magic to ensure privacy, there would have been chaos on deck. “You are kin to my mother, albeit centuries removed.”
“An ancient vampire whose mother was a huntress?” Susannah laughed. “Oh, this is too good. You must be the Blood Emperor.” She caught the surprise on their faces, and she smirked. “My clan keeps great records, and your mother was one of our very best. I’m a big fan of hers, actually, although the clan was never happy about her choice of husband. Most of us, well, we kind of don’t talk about her or mention her. I had to dig through our archives. Of course, nobody had the guts to say anything to her face back then, at least, that was the impression I got.”
“Indeed. I remember her pummelling quite a few of her relatives when she brought me back with her.”
“Well, say what you like about their relationship, but she must have loved your father. From what I could glean from the records, she went on a rampage after he got assassinated. She supposedly singlehandedly wiped out everyone involved. If that isn’t love, what is?” She tilted her head to one side. “Were you planning on bringing yourself back to life?”
Aria stiffened. Was this going to be a problem?
The Blood Emperor smirked back. “And if I was?”
“Honestly? Assuming you don’t go insane, it might be good if you did. The number of missions involving rogue vampires and people from the Blood Alliance has been steadily increasing for centuries. Having a central authority – one who actually respects humans – to crack down on bad behaviour might be better than the current mess.”
“Can you keep this quiet?” Jonathan asked. “It would be bad if anyone else found out.”
Susannah and Roger nodded. “Sure. Heck, Roger and I want in.”
“Really?” the Blood Emperor asked. “Do you have any idea how dangerous this will be?”
“Of course, I do. But since Roger and I are basically fugitives from our clans, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble when we get back. But suppose we helped complete an epic, world-changing quest? We could always claim that’s why we left since huntresses are known to have a knack for being where they’re needed most. My clan wouldn’t be happy, but they’d accept it. Results do matter. My grandfather might not be pleased either, but he’ll get over it too.” She looked about furtively. “And Roger and I will have to go back at some point, if only to straighten things out. I’m confident I can take anyone they send after me in a fight, especially with Roger to back me up, but I’d rather not be looking over my shoulder my whole life. Sure, they might send my sister after me – she’s no slouch – but I can probably talk her down.” She and Roger gave the team a thumb’s up. “So, basically, Roger and I are in until we win or end up dead.”
“Well,” the Blood Emperor said. “We’ll be happy to have you.”
Aria sighed. What was that saying again? In for a copper coin, in for a gold one? Something like that. “Well… welcome aboard. Hopefully, this is something we won’t regret. Hopefully, we’ll all be laughing about this in Jonathan’s castle a few years from now.”
The scholar sighed wistfully. “Hopefully.”
Aria took a deep breath. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way. Jonathan, we need to talk about what you and the dwarf king discussed.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” Aria rubbed her temples again. “In addition to the spirit of the Blood Emperor, you now have the spirits of a dwarf High King and some of his elites hanging around too. This… this complicates things.”
“In fairness,” Jonathan said. “It’s not like I’ll have to bring him with me on every mission. I can hide the lantern at my friend’s shop until we need it.”
“Even so, we’re going to have to visit the dwarves at some point, and who knows how that will go.” Aria sighed heavily. The dwarves were a fractious bunch, and they’d been fighting amongst themselves for centuries. As happy as some of them would be to finally have a High King again, whoever wasn’t picked would probably respond in typical dwarf fashion: by declaring a grudge and sounding the call to arms. “We need to be very careful about how we handle his request.”
“I know.” Jonathan’s brows furrowed. “I have corresponded with some dwarves over the years when doing my research. At the very least, I can write to them and try to subtly inquire about the situation amongst the dwarves. I’m sure we can also take a few missions near their territory. If we were there at the Union’s behest or under the orders of a baron or duke, I think they’d be reluctant to try anything.”
“Until we can be sure, you need to keep the king concealed. If he has to do a bit of wandering around as a ghost, then fine. But he cannot be traced back to us.” Aria bit her lip. “And the crown. You have to conceal it. Nobody has seen it since Mordrath fell, but every dwarf knows what it looks like. If th
ey know you have it…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it secret.”
“Good.” Aria leaned back. “Now, there’s still a lot to talk about, but I think we can probably leave it until we’ve all had a bit of rest. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” they all replied.
* * *
“I can scarcely believe it,” the duke whispered reverently as he lifted the sword up in his hands. “I had hoped against all reason that you could retrieve it, but to finally lay my hands on it…” He bowed deeply, a shocking display of respect and gratitude. “You have my thanks – and the thanks of all my House. Truly, you have more than earned your reputations. You will be paid in full for your efforts, and I will add a bonus as well.” He looked at Jonathan. “You may rest assured, Lord Bloodhaven that despite your circumstances, you will have my support should you ever require it.” He shook his head in wonder and cradled the sword. “This… this will change a great many things for my House.”
“We are honoured to have been of service.” Jonathan paused. “We did find some other things…”
“Keep them,” the duke said firmly. “Our agreement was clear about that. Anything else you found there is yours.” He sighed. “Still, there were many casualties amongst the groups I sent in. Too many of them failed to retreat when it would have been prudent.”
“It was no easy task,” Jonathan said. “Some casualties were inevitable.”
“Indeed. But rest assured that I have no intention of sending anyone there again.” The duke’s gaze was still filled with delight at his triumph. “I am staying well away from it, and I would advise you to do the same. Let it stay as it has been. The dwarves were right to abandon it.”
“Yes, they were.” Jonathan grimaced. “But we should warn you. There were signs that a ritual was taking place. The evil within Mordrath may soon stir again.”
“I see.” The duke nodded. “I will have it watched from afar then. We cannot allow the evil within it to spread any further than that accursed place.”
They continued to talk after that, but it was merely pleasantries. The duke soon took his leave, and when he was gone, Jonathan and the others all relaxed.
“Well,” Jonathan said. “That went… well, I suppose. I mean… none of us are dead, and we all have our limbs attached.”
Eric raised one eyebrow. “I would like to point that I had one of my arms ripped off, and Eileen got absolutely mangled.”
In fairness, your arm grew back, and I regenerated. Eileen made a content sound as Aria scratched her back.
“The pay was certainly generous.” From what Aria could tell, the duke had doubled their already impressive payment.
“The sword will garner him immense power and prestige. The last vampire to wield such a weapon was the Blood Emperor, so I imagine he will take full advantage of the comparison.” Jonathan chuckled. “His enemies and rivals will be at a loss.”
“I thought as much.” Aria leaned back on the couch. “But I think we need to take a break. We could all use a rest after what we’ve been through.” She glanced at Susannah. “Jonathan and Miles have a place to stay. What about you and Roger?” The raccoon was devouring the fruit that had been set aside if anyone wanted something to eat.
“We’re staying at a guild-owned property. Not too many places are fond of raccoons, even ones as awesome as Roger. Although…”
“We’ve got a place,” Aria said. Their improved circumstances had allowed them to purchase property in the city. Susannah was wearing her broach again, but now that Aria knew, she couldn’t help but worry about the teenager. “It wouldn’t feel right leaving you and Roger on your own.”
“I can take care of myself just fine,” Susannah said. “But we’d be happy to hang around. And, yes, if I have any ‘womanly’ issues, I’ll come to you. It’s not like Roger can help.”
“Fair enough. Jonathan, will you be going back to Martin’s shop?”
“Yes. We did recover a few things that he might want to sell, and I know he’d enjoy the story.” Jonathan smiled. “He’s not fond of adventuring – too dangerous, he says – but he does like knowing what we do, provided he can stay clear of the fighting.”
“Good. We’ll keep in touch.”
Martin was characteristically blunt when they spoke. “You have a death wish, don’t you?”
Jonathan chuckled nervously. “Believe me. I know how it looks, but these sorts of things just keep happening. I don’t plan on getting into this much trouble.”
“I should hope not.” Martin eyed some of what he’d brought. “We can get an excellent price for everything. Anything provably out of Mordrath fetches a fine price since so few people ever manage to get anything out of there. The fact that the duke himself can vouch for their authenticity will quash any rumours of fakery. Will you be keeping the dwarf weapons? They’ll sell very well indeed, but…”
“Given how things are, we’ll be keeping some of them, but not all of them.”
“Okay. A war hammer is a much better weapon in some cases than a sword, and you’ve the strength to use it too. What was it like in there? I’ve heard countless tales of the dwarves of Mordrath and their skills, but I’d rather not go anywhere near the place. I enjoy living.”
There was a specific Word that Jonathan had been practicing at the behest of the Blood Emperor.
[Display Memory].
An image sprang to life over the table that showed what Jonathan had seen. It showed the splendour of Mordrath, the timeless glory that not even centuries of disrepair and flooding could dim, the glory that countless battles and disasters had not erased. For a long, long time, Martin was silent as his eyes drank in the images in front of him. He had never glimpsed the exotic locales that so many of his goods originated from, yet as he gazed upon the ancient kingdom, some of the bitterness that usually filled his expression vanished. He was like a boy again, reading about ancient wonders in dusty tomes for the very first time. Quietly, as though afraid he would break the spell, he spoke.
“Can you show me more?”
“Gladly, my friend. But be careful. The crabs may seem comical at first, but what they could do with their claws was not comical at all.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but let me fetch some blood. There’s nothing quite like talking about a successful venture over a hot mug of fresh blood.”
“I hope the next time I see a crab, it will be on a dinner plate.”
And that was how he spent the rest of his evening. It was pleasant – cosy even – with Miles and Martin, and even the reminders of how close he’d come to death in Mordrath could not take away the warmth of the company he kept.
Epilogue
“Why did your people make the spirit lanterns?” Jonathan asked.
The dwarf king stood before him, his spectral body somewhat hazy until the lantern in question began to emit a cold, white light. His body solidified, and his lips curved up into a small smile. “They were useful for mining, and the ability to channel the powers of various spirits came in handy in a number of other situations. The one you have was one of the last to be made. Unlike our earlier spirit lanterns, the ones we made later were rushed to completion with the crabs in mind. We used them to capture the souls of our people to prevent them being enslaved in death. There are mighty enchantments upon them that linger even to this day that make it impossible for the crabs to use them. Alas, we could not adapt those same enchantments to work on a larger scale. If we could have, the crabs would not have beaten us.”
“In any case,” the Blood Emperor said. “We are fortunate. With the knowledge the two of us possess, we can modify this spirit lantern. If it works, we’ll be able to scry for spirits that we have shards or samples of.”
Jonathan immediately grasped the implications. “You put shards of yourself into different objects. If you put some of yourself into the spirit lantern…”
“Exactly. It may take time, but we should be able to track down more of my artefacts, most of which
have been lost. If we can get a general clue as to their location, the lantern should be able to guide us to them once we get closer.” The ancient vampire chuckled, and Jonathan wondered at how odd his life had gotten. He was having a conference in the basement of his friend’s shop with a long-dead vampire emperor and an even longer-dead dwarf High King. “But we don’t have to stop there. Obviously, it would be foolish to risk the lantern unnecessarily – our dwarf friend here needs it – but if you throw in the right spirits, you’d have a tool suitable for any situation.”
Jonathan nodded thoughtfully. It was a comforting idea. Perhaps he should ask Eileen about it? She was the group’s summoner. “What do you think of the duke and his ambitions?”
“The duke belongs to one of the truly great Houses. He is also a shrewd man. He understands that outright domination through power is impossible unless you’re at the level I was at. However, the Blood Blade will still give him more than enough prestige and power to deter his House’s enemies. In the short term, he will have a great advantage, and I have no doubt he will take full advantage of any opportunities he gets. What concerns me is the pace of escalation. This was a big gamble for him, but the great Houses almost always prefer to move slowly and carefully unless something is afoot.”
“Could it be another war? We do have plenty of enemies.”
“He might simply see an opening,” Dalendin said. The dwarf king grinned. “I know a bit about vampire politics myself. If he sees any weaknesses in his opponents, he might be willing to take bigger risks, considering how rare such opportunities tend to be.”
“We should ask Eric and Susannah,” the Blood Emperor said. “If Alaric has stirred then we know war is coming. He has never been one to miss a good scrap. Likewise if war is at hand, it’s common practice to hire as many huntresses as possible. Roger might also have some contacts amongst the raccoons on this continent. They tend to stay out of our politics, but you never know. I’d rather not lose my empire before I can even get it back.”
Attempted Adventuring (The Attempted Vampirism Series Book 2) Page 26
