“Or she went willingly,” Decker calmly suggests. Having stripped off his armor, he uses a hand mirror to examine his body and search for injuries. “We know very little about this girl, so every option needs to be kept open. The only thing that is clear is that she isn’t connected to Clyde. If she was then we would have seen at least one familiar face in what I believe was an agent extraction.”
“Stephanie says it felt like something else, but is not sure what,” Nadia states after listening to the weakened calico. Cradling her servant in her lap, she gently runs a blood-soaked comb through the emaciated woman’s hair and tail. “I have to agree with her. Those Dawn Fangs who came up the stairs didn’t attack us. They looked around the room, which is why Stephanie was able to hit them with such a powerful ritual. Considering Lost is the only thing missing, it is safe to say that she was their target. Yet, it felt more like hunters seeking prey than friends coming to the rescue. What do you think, dear?”
Xavier stirs from his trance and rubs at his right cheek, which he has unwittingly scratched so much that it has a hole. Healing the minor injury, the nobleman casts a spell to create a small illusion of Nyte in the middle of the circle of chairs. He leans forward and points at buildings that are damaged, each one glowing to recreate the path that the invaders used. The route starts at the main entrance, which has been torn down, and ends at the castle with only a little fanning out around the moat. A few homes on the other side of the city are marked, the damage caused by the flying enemies attempting to draw guards away from the real battle. Getting to his feet, Xavier walks through the illusion and kneels next to the castle in order to highlight it in more detail. The entire structure shines with a dull green light, except for a single room on the lower level. He places a tiny bunny in the untouched kitchen and stares at the location in the hopes of discerning the strategy used to break into Nyte.
“I forgot that they put up silence barriers, so some must have slipped in before the initial attack,” Xavier whispers, creating a dome of blue over the castle. Pacing from one side of the detailed illusion to the other, he becomes increasingly agitated and goes back to scratching at his cheek. “Military strategy is not my area of expertise, but it looks like this was a perfect set up to retrieve a single person. Nothing too complicated. Blind your enemies then cause enough chaos to divide their forces and distract from your real goal. That is a plan Clyde has used many times in the past, but General Decker is right about it not feeling right. At the very least, Titus Winthrop would have been seen controlling the soldiers. This puts us back to the beginning, especially since we never determined what Lost wanted in the first place.”
“What if she was telling the truth?” Decker asks as he joins his maker. Following the glowing path, he stops at the destroyed gates and crouches to get a closer look. “Dawn Fangs always have different combinations of powers, so an army would be hard to predict. I won’t waste time listing all of the abilities that we saw, but it isn’t so farfetched to believe that they had someone who could capture Lost without a fight. She obviously isn’t a warrior, so you can defeat her using surprise and a single crippling blow. Now, my question requires that she truly believes Lord Tempest is her father. What if she has spread that rumor around during her search? That makes her a target for kidnapping.”
“It’s a tactic that we’ve used in the past against influential enemies,” Kai points out with a smirk. Folding his legs beneath him, the chubby vampire leans back to balance his chair on its back legs. “As I said, the kitchen showed no signs of a struggle. If they wanted to kill her then they would have done so on the spot, which means she is most likely alive. Although, none of this is telling us who these Dawn Fangs are. That was a pretty big army to have been gathering in secret unless they got together within the last few days. Judging by their appearance, all of them are no older than sixteen, which is strange.”
“Not if you know the truth!” a voice sings from the doorway. The vampires whirl around and bare their fangs at the sight of a wild-haired man walking with his head bowed low to the floor. “I am the great and cunning Archillious and I’ve been looking for this Lost. We have a history that she needs to make good on. I followed her rabbit here along with my own army of Utukku and see that you need some help. Nobody knows how to track this little girl better than me. Now that she’s with her army again, it will be even easier. All I ask in return is-”
Xavier darts forward to grab the stranger by the neck and lift him off the floor. “Who said we were interested in what you have? I refuse to let some mortal barge into my realm and begin giving orders. The utter arrogance of this intrusion is fueling my temper, which is already nearing its breaking point. Give me one reason why I should not tear you apart simply to make myself feel better.”
“Because he may have information that we need, my love,” Nadia whispers as she places Stephanie on the ground. Waving for Lou to walk behind her, the beautiful orc practically glides across the floor and places a gentle hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Thank you for offering your help, Mr. Archillious. You mentioned a few things that make no sense to us since we barely know Lost. She came here claiming to be the daughter of Lord Tempest and said she was raised by mortal gnomes near Vorgabog. Now, you say she is the leader of an army, which is the last thing we could have imagined. Another mystery is you. How is this child connected to a mortal man such as yourself?”
“I assure you that my story is filled with anguish and joy, so I’m only too happy to share once I can breathe comfortably,” the grinning man replies. Lowered to the floor, he fixes his jacket and steals Decker’s chair to proudly stand upon. “Sixteen years ago, I was a traveling jester who dabbled in the killing arts. Not for money, but there were times I became bored and decided to spice up a lazy town. One day, I came upon two gnomes in the marketplace of Vorgabog with a baby that was obviously not theirs. My plan was to carve them up in an alley and take the child for a reason to be determined later. Instead, the savage Archillious was placed under a spell by the girl, who is Lost if you haven’t figured that out, and made to want nothing more than to protect her. I lived in a clearing and watched over her along with other guardians that she charmed over the years. We were her loyal Utukku and we knew nothing more than protecting our dear Lost. Well, that and the occasional raid to get supplies with a few murders thrown in to keep my skills sharp. Sadly, the blissful life was not to last. She turned fifteen and cut us loose before leaving to search for her father. It was as if our hearts were removed and crushed into the dirt. Some of us decided it was better to die than go on living, but I knew there had to be another way.”
“You want to be turned into a servant again?” Decker asks as he approaches the stranger.
The scowling man calmly steps off the chair and looms over the dwarf, who refuses to back down. “The phenomenal Archillious is still telling his story, footstool. Where was I? Ah yes, I decided to lead my fellow Utukku in search of our wayward master. Not to become servants again, but to simply be near her again and keep her safe. That is what gave our lives purpose and she cruelly took that from us. At the very least, we want to know why she did what she did. Here is where someone gets curious and asks about the army that came for her. That’s a very good question, mummified girl on the floor. Over the years, Lost attracted other Dawn Fangs who were born instead of made. Considering her powers, I think she was unwittingly calling out to them and they ended up staying with the Utukku. In fact, many of them brought their own guardians even if they lacked psychic powers. Honestly, there isn’t much self-control in most of these kids, but there was one named Eighty who was probably leading the army in search of their founder. I would say that’s who attacked you since it wasn’t my people and your enemies are still chasing their own tails. How are you having trouble with such a band of incompetents? Be thankful the amazing Archillious is coming to you first instead of going to them because I always turn the tide of battle in my favor.”
“Never thought I would meet someon
e more pompous than Clyde,” Xavier mutters, his voice gradually softening. Hearing voices outside, he waves his hand to make the wall transparent and finds that there is a mob of dingy mortals standing in the courtyard. “I find that the smell makes me want to vomit, so I will be brief. The story you’re telling me is ridiculous, but that fits with what we have seen of this girl. I have the most amount of trouble believing that she is the leader of an army. Unless her behavior was an act.”
“Easily distracted, kind of hyper, and oddly child-like?”
“That describes her perfectly.”
“Yeah, that’s my old master.”
“And she controls an army of Dawn Fangs?”
Archillious clears his throat and roughly pushes Decker out of his way, the smile on his face never faltering. Kai is on his heels as he walks towards Xavier and Nadia, but the man merely kiss’s the elegant orc on the hand before continuing to the door. It takes him a minute to find the invisible doorknob, the temptation to kick the entrance open enough to make his leg repeatedly rise and twitch. Sticking his head into the hallway, Archillious shouts orders at the other Utukku and watches them march out of the castle. He whistles as one of his people tries to take a silver goblet and jerks his thumb to get the woman to put the valuable piece back on the cart. Returning to the vampires, he gracefully goes down on his knees in front of Xavier and lowers his head to the floor. The bow continues until he hears someone cough and assumes he has permission to stand once more.
“Consider that an act of good faith,” Archillious politely states. Taking out a vial of blood, he offers it to his hosts and shrugs when they make no move to accept. “Claiming Lost controls anything is difficult. She goes with the flow and wanders off whenever something catches her attention. Being the first womb-born, she has a lot of respect and admiration from the others. It’s like an older sibling in a family where the parents have been brutally murdered and turned into steaks. The other kids look at her as a mother and leader while she doesn’t understand her importance. Same thing in regards to her and the Utukku, who aren’t exactly mortal. Having been under a Dawn Fang’s thrall for so long, my soldiers and I have developed strength beyond our natural limits. Again, that doesn’t matter to her because she tossed us aside just as easily as she did to her fellow vampires. Judging by all your scowls, I don’t think any of you care about that either.”
“No, but your story has intrigued me,” Xavier admits, his expression turning to a smile. He reaches out to take the vial of blood from the yellow-eyed man, but he hands it to Kai instead of drinking it. “If we bring Lost back to Nyte then that army comes with her. That would be an imposing force to use against Clyde. One that we may be able to enhance if she attracts more womb-born. I wouldn’t want to use them for too long, but a single strike on Nytefall could work as long as one of them can find that damnable place. What do you want in return for your services in tracking this girl down?”
Archillious claps his hands and cracks his knuckles, his impish grin managing to grow even larger. “We want Lost. Not to keep or kill, but there is business we have with our master. She made us a promise and we want her to make good on it. Our lives will remain in darkness until we are made whole. The great Archillious swore on his own soul that he would bring his people to victory. What kind of man would I be to not do everything within my power to make our dreams a reality? By the way, I can guarantee that at least half of my men are willing to be viewed as expendable. I won’t let them know which half just in case they do have second thoughts. You know how it works being in charge of weaker beings.”
“Spit it out, mortal,” Decker angrily growls.
“I have to agree with my fang-born child,” Xavier interjects, his hand going up to stop the dwarf from attacking. He walks around Archillious like a cat with defenseless prey, the mortal never showing a speck of fear. “You truly are an unusual man. Wild, arrogant, and possibly too stupid to know when he is in the presence of true predators. Yet, maybe that is the point of all this. I believe I know what Lost promised you. Just say it, so that the words will ring out into the world and you will never be able to take them back. Tell me what you desire.”
“I like a man who is as smart as I am,” Archillious hisses while licking his lips. Rolling up his sleeve, he reveals a pair of X’s tattooed on his wrist. “Lost promised to turn us into vampires when she came of age. Isn’t that a promise worth keeping?”
7
“Did we get her back?”
“Yes, and bunny too.”
“Thirty of us died.”
“They wanted to since it was for our leader.”
“Shhh, she’s starting to wake up.”
“Why is she asleep?”
“Because Eighty had to bonk her.”
Groaning and smacking her lips, Lost sits up in a comfortable bed that is being carried through the forest by four spectral knights. A Dawn Fang child squeals in delight from atop one of the posts and has the phantoms stop by clicking his tongue against his fangs. Instead of having his creations gently place the bed on the ground, he erases them and lets the wooden frame shatter on impact. Clutching her bunny to her chest, Lost remains on the mattress as it absorbs the mud and begins to sag in the middle. It takes her a moment to recognize her old friends, who are standing in a downpour that she is protected from by a dwarf wearing a heavy jacket. Putting the rabbit on her head, the silver-haired Dawn Fang gets to her feet and is immediately met with cheers. She relaxes a little when she notices that all the vampires are barefoot. Even with the lack of socks, Lost feels surrounded and her crimson eyes search for an escape route that will lead her back to Nyte. Thoughts of her father race through her mind and cause her to begin gnawing on her lower lip.
Sensing her unease, the crowd tries to get closer and give her a large huge like they used to do when they were younger. A sharp whistle stops the surge of bodies and one side of the mob splits to let Eighty through. Wearing a suit of flexible bark and moss, the handsome vampire tries to fix his blue tresses, which have been made flat by the pounding rain. His plant-like body drinks the water enough to keep his skin dry, but it is not until he steps into the warm circle that he is able to recreate his spiky hairstyle. Taking Lost by the hand, he sits her down and grows roots from his feet to suck the moisture from the ruined mattress. Waving for the others to move away and relax, he throws several balls of sunlight to the edges of the small army to create an impenetrable dome of heat and light. The boy blushes when he realizes he forgot to offer food, so he averts his gaze until he has found a carrot in his pocket for his beloved leader.
“We’re so happy to have you back,” Eighty says, earning nods from the crowd. He sheds a tear when Lost throws the carrot away, the vegetable bursting when it strikes the dome. “I’m so sorry that I forgot your preferences, but we didn’t have time to go shopping. All we wanted was to find you and make our army whole again. The message you left us said that you were done playing hide and seek, but then you disappeared. Was it a trick or a signal that it was finally time for us to march?”
“Where are we going?” Lost asks while accepting a bowl of cold soup. One taste is enough to turn her stomach, so she controls a nearby halfling to eat it on her behalf. “I would never say we were done playing hide and seek. That’s my favorite game, so I was obviously trying to throw you off my trail . . . or is it trial? I always got those two mixed up when reading my scrolls. Either way, the Sockless Army must now go into hiding and I will search for you when I’m ready. That’s how the game works. Just wait for a few years because I found my father and want to spend time with him.”
“But you promised us a war when the first generation became sixteen,” the boy insists with one of his fangs bared. Shedding his bark suit and top layer of skin, he grabs clothes from under the dry mattress. “You said that we were big enough to be an army and march. There are weak and savage vampires out there who could be threats to us. We need to strike them before they attack first. Even some humans are a danger th
at we have to handle if we want to make a city to call our own. It’s what you said for years. Do you no longer believe in what you taught us? Were you wrong and the world isn’t a dangerous place?”
Remembering her words from what feels like a lifetime ago, the anxious girl has her bunny stand on her head and roar for silence. “I know what I said, but maybe I was wrong. Not entirely, but I did find good vampires and mortals. My father isn’t a bad person and most of the people around here are nice. He even has this huge Dawn Fang, which is what we’re called, with horns that are great for bows and giant toenails that I can paint whenever I want. Best of all, Lou is too big to wear socks. What were we talking about again? Oh, the plan to kill our enemies. It isn’t that I don’t want to do it, but I’m bored playing General. Now, I’m Princess Lost of Nyte and you took me away before I could get fitted for my first dress. Take me back to my kingdom at once.”
“You promised us a war,” Eighty replies with a pout. Hearing angry muttering from the crowd, he holds up his hands and keeps his eyes on Lost in case she tries to escape. “Most of us aren’t even sure what a war entails, so we need a leader. You’re the only natural vampire who went to school with mortals and learned their ways. It was for a month, but how complicated can such tasty creatures be? The rest of us lived on the streets and stayed in the shadows with the Utukku. We don’t know where our protectors went either. After our first march took us in a circle, we found that the warriors had torn down the holy King of the Clearing shack and disappeared. Please lead us, General Princess Lost.”
Lost (War of Nytefall Book 2) Page 12
