by Brandon Chen
“I’ll deal with them,” Malyssa assured her subordinates, licking her lips as she eyed her three opponents hungrily. “Search the rest of Etaon for any survivors and kill them all. Cleanse this forsaken fortress of all life.” Her executive command sent her minions scattering as they left their leader to battle Senna, Kura, and Lena.
Malyssa reached for the rapier at her side, gripping its hilt tightly. She whipped the weapon out into the air, grinning sadistically, and dragged her tongue across the glistening blade, remembering its metallic taste. Soon, it would taste of delicious blood. “Who’s first?”
Terias listened the sounds of clanging blades, pressing his head back to the wall. His heart raced and he could feel tears coming. They didn’t stand a chance here — they were all going to die, weren’t they? Even if they did manage to defeat Malyssa, the other vampires would return and slaughter them. He reached up and grasped at his breastplate where his heart was, feeling its rapid palpitations.
Fear dominated him and prevented him from going to his comrades’ aid. I’ll just end up like the rest of the corpses on the ground. He bit his lower lip, remembering how Lena had dauntlessly charged into the foyer. How can she be so brave in the face of definite death?
The knight brought his gauntlet upward and slammed it into his cheek, sending a twinge of pain into his face.
Terias shook his head and forced himself to his feet, grasping the handle of his sword. It was certainly okay to be afraid, but it was not okay to be a coward. Not if he was to be a knight. “Wake up, Terias!” he mumbled as he pulled his silver weapon from its sheath with a scraping hiss. “If we’re all going to meet Death anyway, then we might as well be fighting when it happens.”
Kura ripped her short swords at Malyssa, scowling as the vampire parried the blows with graceful ease. “You damned abomination,” Kura snarled, her eyes flashing with rage. “You’ll pay for the atrocities that you’ve committed!” She stamped the sole of her foot on the ground, and a small blade protruded from the tip of her boot.
Malyssa blinked as the assassin kicked upwards, slamming the blade into the vampire’s forearm. She winced at the explosion of agony that sliced into her flesh. It was soon replaced with a burning sensation that felt as if her entire arm had been lit aflame. “Silver,” she seethed, staggering back.
Adjusting her grip on her rapier, Malyssa quickly jabbed outward in three quick successive blows. The blade flashed forward with unimaginable speed, the air shimmering around its fluent movement.
Kura’s eyes widened as three holes appeared in her chest and stomach. The vampire’s attacks had been so fast that she hadn’t been able to react. An agonizing gasp escaped Kura’s lips before she fell backwards, slumping against the wall of the foyer, blood pouring from the fatal wounds. Her lips quivered as her body was embraced by bitter cold.
“Damn you!” Senna yelled, rending the air with his massive sword. But his blow was far too slow to strike someone as agile as Malyssa. The woman easily ducked underneath the attack and was about to strike the knight’s chest plate, sure that her rapier could puncture the metal.
But Malyssa had not forgotten Lena, knowing that the riflewoman was still taking aim. The bullet exploded from the barrel of the engineer’s gun, spiraling as it bolted towards the vampire. Malyssa smirked, grabbing Senna and thrusting the unsuspecting warrior in the path of the projectile. There was a heavy thud as the bullet smashed into Senna’s back, causing him to lurch forward in pain.
Malyssa leaned forward and licked some of the blood that trickled from Senna’s lips. “Delicious. Let me try some more.” She tilted her head to the side and sank her teeth into the knight’s neck, sucking the warrior’s body dry in an instant.
“Gah…!” Senna gasped, his eyes widening. His face paled as he felt himself weakening. It was as if his very soul was being sucked out along with his blood. He shivered, the hairs on his body straightening as a deadly cold took hold in his body. At first, he could hear his heart pounding rapidly, for he was terrified of the unknown fate that was to come. But as his vision began to blacken, his heartbeat calmed … slowing until he could count individual beats. Then the darkness swallowed him with his final breath.
Malyssa grinned, wiping some blood from her lips. The stout knight collapsed at her feet, unmoving. She tapped the metal armor of the corpse, smirking. “To think you had the audacity to—” Suddenly a silver sword ripped upward, dismembering her left arm completely. Her eyes bulged as she stared at the hemorrhaging stub where her arm had been a moment ago. Trembling, she turned to see Terias, standing over his fallen mentor, sword in hand.
The shocked vampire stared at Terias with disbelief, her body quavering with rage. She knew that such an injury would not heal; he’d used a silver weapon to mutilate her. “You … filthy human!” she gasped, her rapier clattering to the ground as she stumbled back, holding her bleeding wound. “You’ll regret that!” She was screaming now.
Lena had reloaded her rifle, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at Senna’s corpse. Biting her lower lip, she brought the gun up and aimed at Malyssa. His death would not be in vain. This shot would put an end to this monster!
Terias expected to hear a gunshot go off behind him, but instead heard a thud. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a vampire standing over Lena’s unconscious body. Wait, no! His heart skipped a beat, realizing that he’d turned his attention away from Malyssa for a brief moment. But the woman was already upon him, striking him across the face with a powerful blow from her knee. The warrior flew across the room with frightening speed, his body crunching as he struck the wall on the far side of the foyer. His eyes rolled back as he fell forward, slamming to the floor.
With that, the room fell silent. The entire fortress was quiet, with only the sounds of scampering vampires echoing through the area. Malyssa winced at the excruciating pain exploding from her hemorrhaging wound. She needed to return to her camp immediately to get her injury treated. “Take these two as bloodbags,” she growled, nodding to Lena and Terias.
“Milady, your arm—” the vampire started.
“I know about my goddamned arm, you pathetic sycophant!” Malyssa barked angrily, storming out of the room. “Just get them and don’t bother me. I’m already in a terrible mood as it is.”
***
As soon as Malyssa returned to her camp, her wound was bandaged and tended to. The bleeding had stopped, but her surge of rancor hadn’t. She’d been clumsy and hadn’t seen that boy approaching from behind the large knight’s body after she’d sucked out his blood. Her ineptness was the cause of her lost arm.
The vampire sat on a surgical table, her head lowered. This injury was not worth the favor that she’d promised Junko. Irritated, she glanced up and found that the Bount had mystically appeared before her. “What do you want?” she grumbled, glaring at the cloaked man.
Junko looked at her dismembered arm. “It seems that your opponents were quite fearsome,” he said, little expression in his tone. “Did you accomplish your task?”
“Yes, I did,” Malyssa growled.
“You’re in a terrible mood.”
“One of the brats lopped off my damned arm.”
“I noticed,” Junko said, frowning. “I delayed Yuri and his friends so that they wouldn’t interfere with your incursion.”
“Yeah? Well, it turns out that some of them were already there,” Malyssa spat, her words catching Junko by surprise. “I took home two blood-bags—”
“You took hostages?” Junko shook his head. “I highly advise that you just execute them. You don’t know if Yuri’s group will come looking for them.”
“Do you think I’m afraid of a couple of fragile weaklings?” Malyssa snarled at Junko, clearly still grieving over her lost arm. She reached up and pressed her palm to one of her eyes, clenching her teeth. “The very fact that a human was the one to take off my arm disgusts me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to rest. Please, just get out of my sight.”
Jun
ko nodded in understanding. “I came to warn you that Yuri might try to assault your encampment of vampires in order to avenge those that he’s lost. When he sees Etaon destroyed, he’ll blame himself. Who knows what irrational behavior he’ll indulge in?”
“Your warning is acknowledged. Now leave.”
Junko snapped his fingers and a mist of black magic swirled around his ankles, curling up his body as he began to disappear. His eyes stayed on Malyssa’s stump of an arm. Only a silver blade could’ve caused such damage. The inhabitants of Etaon must’ve been prepared for Malyssa’s assault. When he’d entered the encampment, Junko noticed that the vampires had suffered crippling casualties during the assault on the gnomish fortress.
That meant that the attack had been foreseen and Yuri’s party had sent forth messengers to warn the gnomes of Etaon. But how was it possible that Yuri’s group knew of Malyssa’s plans?
***
Violet knew that she should’ve left with Yuri, to rush to Etaon to make sure that everyone else was okay. After an hour of crying her eyes out, she’d returned to her senses somewhat. Her sorrow no longer blinded her, and she realized the mistake that she’d made. Yuri was the reason that she had been able to embark on this quest in the first place, and just like that she’d quit on him. There was nothing she could do about her parents’ demise. Sitting around and crying would solve nothing.
The princess sat on the ledge of a windowsill, gazing out over the snowy land outside of Lady Amara’s fortress. She squeezed her parents’ bloody necklaces in her hand, brushing her cheeks where dried tears stained her skin. Knowing that the fate of so many depends on what happens over the next few weeks … I can’t stay here. I just can’t. The pleading words that she’d said to Yuri on that night in Reidan echoed in her mind. Time was precious and every second counted, even the ones that she spent sitting here at this windowsill staring at nothing.
Violet bit her lower lip and dropped the necklaces into the snow, where they struck the ground. To her surprise, the jewelry burst into black mist as soon as it touched the snow, vanishing instantly. The princess gawked at the dark magic that drifted into the air, her mouth gaping. They weren’t real?
Junko had fabricated those necklaces, using his magic to hurt her, to waste time. That was his plan all along.
Grinding her teeth, her sorrow was now replaced by anger. Violet stepped back into the room where Noah had rested, standing in silence. She needed to get to Etaon.
Violet immediately took off into a sprint, racing throughout the fortress. She spent the next couple of hours asking Frozarians if they could lead her to Etaon. But none of them were willing, especially without any mounts. Lady Amara had taken the last of the reindeer. None of the Iradian warriors wanted to leave the fortress, either. They seemed content with the idea of leaving Lichholme when Archerus returned to fetch them.
Wearing a thick cloak of warm fur, Violet stormed out of the fortress. She stared in the direction that she’d seen Yuri leave. The tracks that the werewolves and reindeer had left were covered up by the snow falling from the darkened skies. Violet swallowed nervously. Sheathed at her side was a short sword that one of the Iradian soldiers had given her. She knew the general direction of Etaon, though it would still take a miracle for her to get there.
Nevertheless, she knew that she had to go. The distraught princess was about to take a step forward when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
“Milady, what do you think you’re doing?” a voice said.
Violet whirled around, surprised to find the druid, Moriaki, standing there. “The Druid of the North? W-What are you doing in Lichholme? I thought that—” She stopped speaking. She knew of the accord that Zylon had created with Faelen from the details that Yuri had told her.
“Zylon and the Iradian forces can hold off Faelen and his werewolves without me,” Moriaki said, folding his arms. “I was flying around when I sensed some of Junko’s magic coming from this area. I didn’t know that you were part of Yuri’s party,” he said with a raised eyebrow. For a moment, Violet thought the druid would scold her for leaving Reidan without permission. But he smiled instead. “I am glad to see that you are still well, princess. Where are the others?”
“They’ve gone onward to Etaon.”
Moriaki glanced at Lady Amara’s fortress, watching the Frozarian warriors that were eying him curiously from the stronghold’s entrance. “You’ve made allies with the Frozarians? Interesting choice. You’ll have to fill me in,” he said, his body morphing into that of a massive bird, the size of a fully-grown tiger. Layers of red and orange feathers blazed upon the exotic creature, making it look as if the falcon were aflame. The druid indicated his back with a gentle nod. “Get on. We’ll fly to Etaon.”
***
Yuri could smell the thick miasma of blood from a mile away, so he wasn’t surprised when he walked into Etaon and found that all of the gnomes had been massacred. There was a twisting knot in his stomach as he walked into the gnomish fortress, stepping over many corpses. He feared the moment where he would recognize one.
Archerus patted Noah’s back as the boy vomited, nauseous at the sight of the vampires’ victims. The bloodless cadavers of the gnomes were covered in bite marks, their bodies mangled and mutilated, and some were eviscerated.
Lady Amara and her Frozarian comrade also seemed repulsed with the bloodbath as they moved through the bloodstained hallways of Etaon’s fortress. “The soldiers of Etaon were wielding silver weapons, and there are torches everywhere,” the Frost Mistress said observantly. “It seems they were prepared for the vampires.”
“Yet this still happened?” Archerus murmured, shaking his head. He watched as Yuri stormed deeper into the stronghold. “Yuri, wait. Let’s slow down—”
Yuri blocked out Archerus’s words as he continued forward; he’d recognized a familiar scent. The boy halted at an open entrance that led into a large foyer, where dozens of vampire bodies lay sprawled on the ground. Stepping over their corpses, he saw a massive silver door on the ground that had been ripped cleanly off its hinges. He froze, his eyes widening as he stared at the sight before him. The entire foyer was filled with dead humans, gnomes, Frozarians, and vampires.
Senna was lying with his face pressed against the floor, the blood sapped from his body. There were dozens of heavy dents and rips in his plated metal, and a gigantic cavity in the back of his armor.
Yuri trembled as he hovered over the knight’s unmoving body. He remembered when he’d first met Senna in the tavern in the Lower District, and the dozens of disagreements that they’d had. But even though they had their differences, it was impossible for Yuri to say that Senna wasn’t a great and honorable soldier.
Senna had always seemed like such a triumphant warrior, able to aptly handle stressful situations with ease. He was like one of the heroes that Yuri had read about as a child. Everyone in Horux knew of the great knight. But to think that he would be felled like this.
This … can’t be happening. Yuri dropped to his knees, feeling for Senna’s nonexistent pulse. He closed his eyes, grief overtaking him. Grotesque memories of his mother and brother’s bodies in their apartment flashed through his mind. Again, I’m too late.
“Yuri…,” a gentle voice croaked.
Yuri turned and saw Kura, slumped back against the wall of the foyer. There were three punctures in her flesh, but it looked like the bleeding had stopped. The assassin’s skin was blanched of color, and she was clearly weak. Nevertheless, she extended a quivering hand to Yuri.
The boy rushed to Kura’s side, holding onto her cold hand. “We have a survivor!” he shouted, a hint of hope in his voice. “Someone, please—”
“We couldn’t … hold them off,” Kura whispered, chuckling softly to herself. “To think... that we ever thought we stood a chance against monsters like them. Malyssa, she’s truly a formidable adversary.”
Yuri gritted his teeth at the mention of the vampire. I’ll make Malyssa pay for this!
&n
bsp; Kura coughed, sputtering some blood onto her lap. “They’re still … alive. You can still save them.” Her eyes were barely open, it was clear that she was fighting to stay conscious. “Malyssa … she took Terias and—”
“Stop,” Yuri whispered, his eyes twinkling with moistness. “Conserve your energy.”
“Save them,” Kura said, as a tear made its way down her cheek. “In the end, I couldn’t protect anyone. But maybe you can.” She squeezed Yuri’s hand with her last bit of energy. “Promise … me.” The life faded from her eyes before she could receive a response and the fallen warrior’s head slumped forward.
Yuri bit his lower lip. He released Kura’s limp hand and stood up, exhaling shakily. I promise. He turned away from the assassin’s body, only to find himself gazing upon the sea of bodies that blanketed the foyer’s floor.
Archerus stood at the entrance of the room, watching his pain-stricken friend. He reached up and squeezed his chest, breathing heavily. The sight of Senna’s body was an excruciating blow; the two knights had known each other for decades.
Noah left the room to retch once more, unable to stand the sight of so much carnage.
Lady Amara also looked away, distraught at the sight of her slain kin. “This is brutal.”
“What did Kura tell you before she….” Archerus trailed off.
“She told me that Malyssa took Terias. She said them, so there might be other survivors that were also taken captive. I’m going after them.”
“Yuri—” Archerus began.
“Look, we need to save him before—”
“Yuri!” Archerus raised his voice to a shout, breaking the silence. “It’s over. Without the gnomish engineers, there’s no way that we can fashion an antidote to cure the werewolves. We need to turn back and return to Reidan, and we’ll make another plan to deal with Faelen’s beasts.”
“We haven’t failed yet!” Yuri insisted.
“We have. Look around you, everyone is dead!” Archerus barked harshly, storming towards his friend. “Without the engineers of Etaon, there is no quest. I understand that you want to try to save Terias, but there’s no way to successfully do that! Malyssa will kill us all.”
