Twilightfall

by Viktor Zólyomi

  Then she turns away and starts to walk, but I call after her.

  `Wait!'

  She stops, and turns back.

  `Do you have a minute?' I ask.

  She nods.

  `I must say, I was impressed. You fight very well. Unarmed, no less. Truly amazing.' I tell her.

  `You were good, too.'

  `Ah, but I had these!' I tell her, as I draw my swords and swing them around, then sheathe them. `To fight unarmed is much more challenging. Of course it has the advantage that one cannot be disarmed like that.'

  `I should go.'

  `Wait. I'd like to tell you about something first. It won't take long.'

  `Go on then.'

  `I had a friend of mine. A close friend. He died two years ago. Just the day after I last saw him. It's strange how simple decisions can change lives, you know. He may be alive even today, had I made a different decision. We were in a tavern, and I was to leave. Then, a merchant came and wanted to hire me. His offer was a blatant insult, so I flatly refused, and left as I was supposed to. Had I accepted that cheap offer, I would have stayed for the night. I would have then been there the other morning, when the Enforcers attacked my friend. I could have helped him...

  Let me give you something! My friend, before he died, gave me an item. I was to give it back to him, but he died before I could. He said, that should he die, I should pass it on to the first man I deem worthy. Someone who can fight like he could, or better. To this day I have not met a man whom I felt was worthy. Today, I will reiterate his words, and I will give it to the first person I deem worthy. I shall give this to you now, if you accept...'

  I take Ildardque's ring out of my pouch and hand it to her.

  `Take it, please! It is not from me, but from my friend. Accept it!'

  She hesitates for a while, but then she reaches for it and examines it in her hand. It is a signet ring bearing the same magical rune that Ildardque bore on his forehead. She pulls the ring on one of her fingers. It's far too wide, but the ring suddenly contracts itself, and now it fits her finger perfectly.

  `It is magical, isn't it?' she asks.

  `Yes. Though I do not know what it does. I never tried it on. But I do know it offers some kind of protection.'

  `Thank you.'

  `Don't thank me, thank... Well, you can't thank him any more. Well, just put it to good use. He would like it that way.'

  `Richard... Who was this friend of yours?'

  `He was a good man, who did some horrible things that he deemed necessary in a world where no-one cares. The Enforcers killed him for it. But in the end, he was still a good man.'

  `I knew someone like that. He died, too, though it wasn't the Enforcers who killed him. I'm sorry for your loss.' she says with a sad face, and then she turns and walks away.

  She told me to forget. But I know I'll never forget. I cannot. I know I'll never tell anyone about her, but I'll never forget her.

  I wish I'd see her again some day. For now, all I can do is just watch as she walks away and slowly vanishes from view, taking my heart with her.

  Yes, she takes my heart with her, and she'll never give it back to me. But then again, how could she? She, who was the lover of the man who ended the reign of the Supreme Council. The lover of Jason Vogan...

  In a world where no-one cares

  Somewhere in Mor'peri, present day (4 days and 1 hour before Twilightfall)

  I slowly pull my head back and enjoy the taste of the last drops of blood in my mouth. I release my victim and let him fall to the ground. Some unfortunate, lonesome troll. I wonder what he was doing around here, so close to Coldrock. No matter.

  I crouch beside him and examine him. He will survive, if vampirism doesn't kill him. Trolls are tough to kill. I grab his neck and forcefully twist it. The bone snaps, and it is over. He's dead.

  I still enjoy the hunt, even after all this time. I still enjoy every second of tracing my victims, of taking their blood. But this... This I no longer enjoy.

  There used to be an appeal in it. In defeating powerful beasts, fighting them to the bitter end, to death. But I'm not enjoying this any more. Only the hunt. I kill whom I must to survive and I don't hesitate, but I don't take any pleasure in it any more. I only killed him to ensure he wouldn't become a vampire like me. It leaves me indifferent. Empty.

  Empty? No, that's an exaggeration. But surely, this lack of excitement is shocking. That I no longer enjoy defeating them. That all I still enjoy, is hunting for blood. Or is it perhaps the other way around? That the strange thing is that feeding still brings me enjoyment? I guess it's the need for blood that drives me on to still hunt them, and that gives me a thrill. Perhaps... Or perhaps it's about something else. I do not really know. Either way, I don't enjoy killing powerful creatures any more.

  It wasn't always like this. I still remember the times when I enjoyed every second of it. The first strike, the fierce and bloody battle, the rewarding crimson fluid, and finally, the death blow. It all felt so rewarding, so pleasing.

  Now, each time I kill something, it reminds me of him. Of Jason. Of how he's no longer with me. Of how he died. Of how he longed to die. Of how he... Of how he would have deserved a better life...

  And of how I misjudged him...

  I still remember that day in Kh'Tal. In Kurt Aurach's castle. Less than two days before he died...

  *

  He was outside in the rain, and I was watching him from the balcony. I watched as he practiced move after move, executing every one of them with flawless precision. I admired him. Kurt Aurach had just told me moments earlier that Jason would face a difficult decision in Hell. Yes, he told me all about it. If Jason defeated Th'Mesh, and he rejected his power, he would die with Th'Mesh. But Aurach also said, that there was barely any chance that Jason could reject it. That in the end, Jason would likely take his father's throne, and become a ruler in Hell.

  I remember how excited I was. I was thrilled, that Jason would become so powerful. I was thrilled to become his greatest hunter, to make him proud. I thought that when he realizes that he could not resist the power, he'd take it, under his own terms. I thought he would bend it to his will, and use it to find a new meaning in life with all that power. I would have helped him. I would have aided him. I would have hunted down his enemies for him. I was so thrilled of it at the time.

  But in the end, he resisted the power. He resisted it, and then he died. I should have anticipated this all along. As I watched him practice in the rain that morning, I couldn't help but be astounded by his resolve. The resolve to go from a weak wizard apprentice to such a skilled swordsman, and then go as far as he did, kill dozens of his half-demon siblings on his quest to kill Jenathar and Th'Mesh. I felt through just how strong his will must have been. I should have assumed all along that he would succeed in resisting the temptation of his father's demonic power.

  Perhaps I even knew. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part that he would fail, because I knew that if he were to succeed, he would die. I remember, that when he finished practicing, I jumped down from the balcony, and walked to him, being fully aware of all that he would soon face.

  He headed for the castle right after sheathing his sword, but he stopped when he saw me approaching. He waited for me. I slowed down as I got close to him, and stopped an arm's reach away. I smiled at him, and reached with my hand towards his face. I smoothed some of his wet hair aside and caressed the side of his face.

  `You will prevail, Jase! I know you will!' I told him.

  `You haven't changed your mind, have you?' he asked.

  `About what?'

  `About coming with me.'

  `Of course not. Why should I? I want to help you, like you helped me so long ago.'

  `This is not your fight, Flora.' he said, shaking his head.

  `That's true. It's not my fight. It's our fight.' I told him, and I slowly pushed my head close to his, and slightly kissed him.

  As I pulled back, I saw genuine concern in his
eyes.

  `Don't worry about me, Jase.' I told him. `I won't let them take me easy. I will not let you down.'

  `If you're sure that's what you want...' he said, slowly.

  `Yes... I want to be there when you prevail. I know you'll prevail! You have resolve like no-one I've ever known.'

  `It takes more than resolve to fight a Demon Lord. There's no telling how strong Th'Mesh truly is.'

  `I guess. But that will just make this hunt all the more exciting!' I told him, smiling. In response, he looked at me and asked:

  `What do you enjoy so much about this? The... hunt, as you call it? You seem to live for it now.'

  `I can't explain that, Jase. It's a feeling, something I feel inside whenever I prevail over a powerful creature that could have just as well killed me. It is... truly rewarding.'

  `I fear you may be disappointed this time around, Flora. There will be nothing rewarding in destroying Th'Mesh. Nothing at all...'

  *

  Those last things he told me, proved to be very true. I replied to him that nothing would compare to the thrill of destroying a Demon Lord, but in the end, he was right. Destroying Th'Mesh was not rewarding at all. For either of us...

  I never really knew what he truly wanted. Was it nothing more then revenge, as he himself said? Or was it more? Sometimes I think he wanted to rid the world of Th'Mesh forever, that this was his goal in life. But was it?

  He knew he'd die and yet he fought on. Sometimes, I think he wanted to die. He longed for this ending. His last dying words as he died in my arms, spoke volumes. Don't mourn me, dearest Flora. I am free now. I am free. That's what he told me. And then, he died... Perhaps his only goal in life was neither revenge, nor ridding the world of Th'Mesh, but to free himself of the demon's taint. I do not really know. I just know that I only ever saw him smile once. Just once. It was not when he killed Jenathar. It was not when he killed Th'Mesh. No. It was when the demonic essence left his body, and he was left to die.

  I remember how I longed to see him smile. But not like this... Not like this...

  Whatever his goal in life was, I think he really longed to die, somewhere deep inside. Sometimes I think back to the first time we fought together in Ess'yer, against Gaxev. Jase took a spear in his gut to save me. Sometimes I wonder why he did it, and lately, I'm inclined to think that he did it because he just didn't care whether he lived or died. That he saved me because he wanted to die. It sounds so absurd, but sometimes I think that's why he did it.

  I wish I could ask him, but I can't. It's too late for that now. He's gone...

  Yes, he's gone. But I will forever keep him in my memory. I will always remember him, as the man he was. And what kind of a man was he? I remember what this mercenary whom I met a few days ago said about his friend. He was a good man, who did some horrible things that he deemed necessary in a world where no-one cares, he said. That rings so true of Jase...

  Back in Ess'yer... Those worthless fools, the masses... They all blame Jase for what is happening now. So typical of them...

  At first, they praised his name. The agents of Meliorath must have learned of what Jason did in Re'Cas. I'm quite sure they did, for shortly after the destruction of Th'Mesh, word of how Jason gave his life while he killed the members of the Council spread across all Ess'yer, as well as word of how this deed has brought the chance for the people of Ess'yer to be free once more.

  The name of Jason Vogan became synonymous with that of a martyr and a hero, and this just had to be at the order of the Dragon Queen. All just so those fools would stand up against the Enforcers and anyone else who would try to retain the order that has stood for a thousand years. Soon, all Hell broke loose. Ess'yer was plunged into chaos, as old tensions arose once more. There was no-one to stop it but the dragons, and they didn't want it to stop. No, they wanted war to tear the land apart. War certainly did tear the land apart. I am actually surprised that Meliorath has not yet attacked Ess'yer. So much blood has been spilled, so much damage has been done by now, that the people of Ess'yer would barely be able to put up any resistance.

  As time passed, the people of Ess'yer more and more looked at Jason not as the bringer of freedom, but as the one who plunged Ess'yer into utter chaos. They longed for the stability and peace that the Council used to provide. They seem to have forgotten the tyrannical dealings of the Council. It seems the past thousand years were not reminder enough.

  It is quaint, how an assassin, slayer of thousands, can so easily become a hero, and how a hero can so easily become a despised villain in the eyes of the masses...

  The masses...

  How I despise them. Now I can understand what caused the Time of Retribution, and how shameful an age it was. I may not respect the Dragon Queen or her goals, but really, I can't feel sorry for the people of Ess'yer any more...

  As for how I lived through this year of war? I spent much of the past year just aimlessly roaming the lands of Ess'yer, trying to find my place. I ran into battles every now and then. I fought, I survived, I moved on. I mourned Jason day and night, and every time I ever killed, it reminded me of him. Of how he died. Of how he would have deserved a better life...

  Of how I perhaps disappointed him. I can't help but think that he was disappointed with the way I embraced my vampiric nature, the way I spent so much time hunting powerful creatures just for the sake of the hunt. I don't know if he really was disappointed with me, or it's just a sense of guilt I have that I misjudged him in the last few days of his life. I wish I could somehow make a change, if I could just do something that would make him proud...

  Perhaps one day, I will have such a chance. For now, I must think of my current situation. Think of the reason why I am in Mor'peri.

  This reptilian bastard has been chasing me for so long. Trying to take my amulet. The amulet that Jase gave me. Why does he want it? I do not know. But I will never give it to him. It is the only memento I have of Jase. I will never part with it. I will kill anyone who tries to take it from me! This overgrown lizard will soon learn that.

  He is elusive. He somehow always slips away, through some pathetic magical means. But I will get him soon. Coldrock is up ahead. There, in this pathetic orc village, there is a man who has the power to help me hunt down that bastard.

  The only thing that bothers me... is that getting him of all people to help, fills me with shame. But I can't be picky now. That lizard must die, and if I must get the help of that clown Zack Sands to do it, so be it. So be it...

  The chess player

  Coldrock, present day (3 days and 22 hours before Twilightfall)

  Finally I have arrived in Coldrock. The place looks more lively than last time. When Jase and I were here, the town appeared completely deserted. Now, there are orcs in the streets. Some of them look at me suspiciously, but then just turn back to whatever they've been doing. Others ignore me completely.

  As I walk through the streets of this village, I can't help but think back to when we came here with Jason. I was in a bad mood, and I was rude with him. It makes me feel ashamed... But I can't undo it, and I like to think that he was never offended by my rudeness that day.

  Shaking these thoughts out of my head, I step into the Beheaded Buddy tavern.

  The tavern is full of customers now, unlike when I arrived here a year ago, when everyone was down below in the so-called concert hall. I walk to the bartender.

  `You wanna drink, darlin'?' he asks, in a growling voice.

  `Is Zack Sands here?'

  `Well yeah, he is. What's it to ya?'

  `It's none of your business.' I tell him, as I place a smooth crown coin in front of him.

  `Alright, it's none o' my business.' he says, as he puts the coin away. `He's over there.'

  `Thanks.'

  I head in the direction in which he pointed. A while later I finally spot the man I'm looking for. He's sitting by a table in the far back of the tavern, well hidden from view. He is wearing black and nothing but black. His boots, his pants, his sleevel
ess shirt, his small beard, his long hair, are all jet black. The tattoos on his arms are the only thing that have a bit of color in them, but most of those are also black, with just some red and a bit of blue here and there. He's eating some kind of meat, and there is some black watery fluid in a cup next to his plate.

  As I approach his table, I remove the hood of my cloak. He notices me and looks up. As he recognizes me, he smiles widely.

  `Oh, will you look at who's there!' he exclaims. `Come, have a seat! It's great to see you again, Flora!'

  I sit down.

  `The pleasure's all yours.' I tell him.

  `Ah, are you still pissed off at me?'

  `What did you think, wizard?'

  `I'd have thought you don't hold a grudge like that. Especially considering that...'

  `Let's not talk about that day. I didn't come to chat about it.'

  `Ah, so you didn't come for a rematch?' he asks with a surprised smile. Funny guy...

  `No. I need to talk to you.'

  `Alright, go on.' he says, and he resumes eating. Asshole...

  `I need your help.'

  He suddenly starts coughing hard. He puts the knife and fork down and then drinks some of that... black water... Then he turns to me.

  `You were saying?'

  `I need your help.'

  `Uh-huh. With what, exactly?' he asks, nodding.

  `Are you finished?' I ask, glancing briefly at his plate.

  `Well, no, but do keep on talking. I'm all ears.' he says, and he resumes eating.

  I just hope he won't choke to death. At least not tonight...

  `I need you to help me out with killing someone. Someone who has been hunting me for over half a year, and has some kind of magical means of escape. He does not seem like a magician, but he is somehow able to teleport.'

  `I see.' he says, and then he burps. `Well, who is this fucker? Why's he chasing you?'

  `He wants my amulet. As for who he is, I do not know. Just that he's not human. He looks reptilian, but not quite like a half-dragon.'