"Really? You can heal others so easily?"
She shrugged.
"Not really. Raising the dead is impossible, but repairing any damage that you two can basically do yourself is child's-play. Just look at what a couple of drops from Tierney's blood did to Gamayun."
"So very true. But now comes the next issue, or rather question. What the hell do we do next?"
Chapter Eighteen
In the end, we decided on the most logical course of action, and took the bodies of the Serpents' previous bosses and set them up on Bran's main square. The village wasn't as large, but it was bustling with the smugglers and their freight of choice. Dozens of armed men and women rushed to surround us, but when they laid their eyes on the dead, the will to fight evaporated rather quickly.
A large, broad-shouldered man walked half-way up to me carrying two dual axes. They were as long as my arms, with the blades being roughly twenty inches long and looked very sharp. I reckoned they had seen a lot of blood ever since they were crafted, but I could be wrong and they were all for show.
"Who are you?" the man asked when the crowd's chatter and outcries died out. He seemed sure of himself standing there at the square, surrounded by so many people. I couldn't help but look around to take it all in. Over twenty houses and buildings that looked like storage facilities littered the right side of the square with ordinary homes and facilities littering the left part. A bakery, a small church, a pub, and an inn sat at the dead center along with tables and some other things I couldn't make out from their window displays.
The worn wood and brick gave it an old, worn-down look, even though quite a few of them looked like they had just been built. I turned back to the man and let the thoughts slip from my mind.
"It doesn't matter who I am, but only what I am. If you thought that your previous leaders were monsters, then you have no idea," I replied. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as I started rising inch by inch and finally sat down on a throne of pure darkness.
"Are you the Vampyre lord from the west?" he asked after studying me for a moment longer. His voice wavered slightly at the word Vampyre and took a step back. I shrugged as if it was the most ordinary thing to do given the situation.
"Indeed I am, and these are my mates," I added by nodding at Tierney and Freya. His eyes went even wider when he understood who Tierney was.
"The Dragoness? Hah, I finally understand what is going on here. You are here to take over the operation?"
I shrugged again. At least he was somewhat bright.
"That depends on everyone present. Say, who is the next highest-ranking man or woman in the Serpents?" I asked while creating two more thrones for Tierney and Freya. Both women took their places to either side of me, and I couldn't help but notice Tierney smirk.
"I'm in charge of Bran. There are four more villages in the near vicinity that have an assigned leader. What's more, they're on their way here. When we couldn't get a hold of our-- leaders, I dispatched messengers."
"Good, good. That saves me the time from hunting them down. Now, tell me about Rasnov stronghold. We still got some time to kill before they get here."
"What about it?" he asked suspiciously. "You want to know who owns the place?"
I nodded.
"And their numbers. Everything that you know."
"Hmm," he started and looked up at the sky as if searching for the answers among the stars. "No one really owns the place. From time to time, there have been lords who took over, but it took them too many resources to keep it running and safe. It's been empty for the last five years, give or take."
"Very well, then. What about Bran castle? What can you tell me about it in general?"
"Bran? Nothing. We weren't allowed to go up there. The place is haunted, our leaders said. No matter how many went there, they were never seen again. And then sometimes during the night, the hill was known to start shaking for whatever reason."
"And that's all you know?"
He nodded hurriedly.
"By my name! I would never lie to you about Bram! This is my hometown!"
"Very well. But now we have a problem. I thought about telling everyone their new orders at the same time, but it seems that I have more important things to do," I proclaimed. "Listen up, as I'm only going to say it once. Everyone who isn't a villager from these five villages is to pack up and move into the stronghold of Rasnov. Bring weapons, tools, horses, carts, food, and clothing. The Serpents will gather there by tomorrow night. I have seen all of your faces and remembered them well. It won't be hard to sniff you out with my Werewolves."
"We don't have a choice in this matter?" the large man standing before us asked.
"No. If anyone wants to run, you kill them. If anyone tries to hurt the villagers or pretends to be one, they die. If anyone causes trouble, they die. Send messengers to all the outposts. They are to be abandoned, and any signs of the Serpents are to be removed. If it's not possible, burn all the outposts down. The serpents are no more."
The crowd gasped collectively as I finished. Still, no one but the large man dared to speak, as if entranced by our mere presence.
"Lord, what is to become of us?" he asked, unsure of what to expect. What little bravado there had been at the start, was all gone now as sweat dripped down his brow and chin.
"You'll become part of my own organization, or rather, you will be sworn into the 'Dragoness' people. She will be your new boss."
"That's an outrage!" a spectator called from the crowd. I couldn't see him, but I could find him nonetheless. I wanted to play with him a little but decided to cut any resistance off in the root.
"Come forward, trash. Step forward, or I'll rip you to shreds!" I ordered. The group of men surrounding the culprit looked uncomfortable at each other, not knowing what to do. Seeing they wouldn't budge, he became even bolder.
"Hah! You can't stare us into something we don't want!" he added, but still remained hidden among his friends. That's when I had enough of him. Hiding behind others was something I'd never tolerate.
"Alright, then. Let's do it like this. Everyone who doesn't want to join the Dragoness is to step to the left, while anyone who does want to do so, step to the right. The idiot of a man proudly stepped left followed by a large group of others. I counted them as they walked, most of them in tattered robes or shirt and pants. They totaled up to half of the present Serpents.
"My lord?" the large man asked, still standing in the middle. He hadn't moved for some reason to either side. Was he afraid to insult me and thus remained at the center?
"Choose a side and stand with them."
It wasn't a surprise when he hurriedly walked off to the right.
"Good. Now, all of you who do not wish to join, I have good news for you," I said with a smirk. I stood and walked up to them, stopping about ten feet from the nearest man. "All of you will have an excruciating death."
"Huh? What do you mean?" the troublemaker asked. When I didn't reply, he got bold. "Kill him! Run!"
I cut them off quickly by summoning a wall of shadow to herd them in, then pushed them all back toward the center from all sides. Men started to fall over each other, trampling the ones next to them. But the wall never stopped, it moved on ever so slowly. I could see it in their eyes, fear, and desperation. Dracul writhed inside, enjoying it every much as I did.
The sound of breaking limbs and skulls, cries of the dying and the squashing of meat and popping of intestines filled the town square. I lifted my hands ceremonially as if calling for the wave of death to rise from below. Soon their feet started disappearing into the dark void, followed by their bodies. Their cries and wails died out pretty quickly, only leaving an awestruck group of ex-Serpents behind. No one spoke, no one breathed. It was a sight to behold.
"Really? Did you have to kill off so many?" Tierney protested. I shrugged.
"All I want is loyal people, not those who change their minds whenever they feel like it. And besides, these people now know what awaits them,
as well as all others who dare to stir up trouble," I replied as I walked back to my seat.
"What about the slaves? What about those who are scheduled to be sold or whatever was planned for them?" Freya asked. She was annoyed by all of this, and I knew she wanted to get it over with already. Only a bit longer, my dear, I thought.
"Free every single one of them," I ordered. "The slaves are to be given money and food for the road ahead, to wherever they're going. If they want to stay here, they can do so to help the village grow."
"Yes, Lord," the big man replied. His face was as pale as the moon. He wore an expression that said in what fucking nightmare did I manage to land.
"What's your name?" I asked nodding at the man.
"Petrov, my Lord."
"Very well, Petrov. If you do a good job, you might even be assigned to lead this group of miscreants. Now move it! We'll be back in a day!"
"Oh, and don't forget to stay away from the populace. We smell a single dead man, woman or child, all of you die," Tierney snapped before she stood and floated up past me. Freya followed her, with me going up last.
"See you soon, Petrov," I said one last time with a grin. He shuddered before the two axes fell from his hands and he broke down, falling to his knees.
Gamayun sat on the edge of the roof with her feet dangling over the rooftop. She hummed a song I was unfamiliar with, but I found it quite entertaining. She looked up at us as we landed, flashing us a broad smile.
"Thank you, my savior’’’ the woman said as I landed. "Though I don't think it's quite that easy, no?"
I shrugged, a mischievous smile on my face.
"Nothing is ever free, except in this case. You are part of the package, so I might as well treat you as such."
She frowned and looked at me, questioningly.
"What do you mean with part of the package?"
"Freya, is there a way for you to convey all the necessary info, so I don't have to explain everything?"
"Sure. Give me a drop of your blood," she said and helped Gamayun stand. "But why don't we go sit somewhere comfortable first. We got a day to kill anyway."
I sighed but took her up on the offer. Someone might accidentally fall off the roof and hurt themselves.
"Come," I said and put my arm around the bird-woman, then jumped down the roof, landing perfectly. Gamayun didn't seem fazed for some reason, maybe because she was used to flying, but it sure gave her a bonus point. "You know your way around here?"
She nodded.
"Do you want to go to the throne room?" she asked.
"Yes. If there's still one left."
"Oh, there sure is. It's packed with food and drink. Not that you need any, but miss Freya and I can eat as we talk."
It started grating on my nerves, the slowness of it all. I wanted to have it done and over with, not prolong it constantly. Who knew if the Captain would strike Zharevo while I was out enjoying myself?
"Sure, but make it fast. There are many things to take still take care of."
It took us but a minute to reach what looked like a throne room. Surely, there was a throne and a large table at the center that was surrounded by ten lavish chairs, but that was about it for furniture. A large chandelier hung right above the table with twelve burning candles, along with twenty lit torches all along the wall. Had someone put them on earlier before our fight, or did they burn for long periods at a time?
"What's with the light?" I asked curiously as I stepped up to a torch to inspect it. Leaning in closer, I noticed a small crystal sitting at the foot of the torch. It wasn't much larger than my thumb, but it was there, and it glowed.
"So, you've noticed one of my inventions, I see," she smiled. "That's ordinary crystal imbued with the power of fire. They can last up to a year if handled properly."
"Oh? That's your own doing?" Tierney asked. "Quite the invention, Gamayun."
"Why thank you, my lady. I like to think so. After all, I've been living here for a long time by myself."
"And no one raided you in all this time?"
She shook her head. The orange hair danced around her playfully as she moved.
"I scared them shitless a couple of times. Their leaders were tough, but they never tried anything until tonight. But that's when-- that guy appeared along with the Ogre. He put some curse on me, forcing me to follow all of his orders."
I frowned, annoyed by the prospect. But if Nosferatu hadn't done so, she might have hidden from us, and we might have missed her in the end.
"You're safe now. Anyway, come. I want you to know my story and what I'm here for. Freya, can you do the honors?"
She walked up to me and slashed her nails across my palm, pressed her index finger against the blood, and started chanting something. Gamayun didn't look hesitantly in the slightest, as she must have been used to seeing magic, I reckoned.
Pressing her finger against the woman's forehead, a shockwave sent most of the chairs tumbling along with a couple of crates and barrels. I barely caught myself and Tierney from falling over, or it might have become quite embarrassing. Gamayun screamed for three whole seconds as her pupils dilated and became white, but everything stopped suddenly as she dropped on the chair behind her.
"What the-- hell was that? I've never felt something quite as strong and exhilarating as that, lady Freya," she asked.
"A spell only-- strong supers can use. Anyway, now that you know the story, I want you to give our Lord here a reply," she said nodding at me.
"Do I have a choice?" Gamayun asked, trying to steady her breathing. I couldn't help but notice her ample chest move with each breath she took. Tierney noticed me staring, pinching me viciously. I turned to her with my right eyebrow raised.
"Something amiss, my love?" I asked.
She looked back at me, her gaze flat as ever.
"No, nothing. I was just looking at Gamayun's fine chest and thought you might want a glimpse."
"Oh? Beside two women with breasts larger than mine, I doubt he'd want to look. But I'm flattered you think so, Lady Tierney."
I sighed waving Tierney off, annoyed by her banter.
"So? What is it going to be? You join us and lead a dangerous, yet luxurious and exciting life or you go back to-- wherever it is you want to go and spend eternity by yourself."
"You make it sound as if solitude is bad, my Lord. But yes, I admit I'm not one of those who deal so well with solitude. In any case, I agree. There are many things I need to prepare for the trip, so can you give me a couple of days?" she asked excitedly. It must have been the prospect of danger and luxury that reeled her in. I doubted she was one of those who enjoyed beating themselves with a whip to pay for their sins.
"We're not going anywhere, Gamayun. My people will be moving here, to Bran and Rasnov castle. You'll be staying with us at Bran castle, and will even get to pick a part of the castle to share with a Cardinal and his family. They're into enchanting and the like as well," I said. She didn't seem to be as happy anymore after discovering her solitude was going to be impeded on by a Cardinal's family.
"And how about you give me a small room just for me? I don't need--"
"No. Choose a smaller workshop for yourself and leave the bigger for the family. You can have your solitude if you wish so."
She nodded again and bowed slightly.
"Well then, my Lord. How about I get started rearranging my new home?"
Chapter Nineteen
"So there's no way to get our hands on a map of this place?" I asked, annoyed by the lack of direction. The catacombs beneath Bran castle were a gigantic maze from what I could see, and I had no love lost for trying to find my way around.
"Not really, but we can use those slaves if you wish," Tierney proposed. "The Serpent's men I mean."
"No, I don't want to. I have a better idea. I'll destroy everything!"
"No, my lord!" Freya snapped. "Do you want the castle to drop atop of us and bury our bodies?"
"You wouldn't even feel it, goddess," I replied a
nd looked back at the five-way fork in the maze.
"I'm not-- fully immortal. True, time isn't my enemy, but being buried by thousands of tons of stone could trap me here," Freya said.
"Oh? Now that's interesting. If you're ever a bad girl, I'll know what to do with you," I joked. Freya hissed and slapped me.
"Not funny!"
I frowned.
"I didn't mean for it to be funny!" I growled. She bared her teeth and turned around, leaving the maze and the catacombs. I sighed and turned to Tierney looked at me as if I had finally lost it, but decided to remain quiet.
"So, what way do we go?" she asked, eyeing the center one.
"All of them," I replied and placed my hand on the ground. Numerous tendrils of darkness rose from the ground and shot out into the maze ahead. I could feel them, the walls and the ceiling, stopping or twisting into faraway narrow corridors that seemed to go on end. The left one was a dead end, as well as the right and second from the right, so I dissolved the shadows and reinforced the two remaining entrances: the second from left and the middle one.
"Anything?" Tierney asked curiously as she sat down next to me on the cold, hard ground. I looked up at her and shook my head.
"I'm still exploring two entrances. Hold on," I replied and looked back at the ground and the shadows that streamed from my hand into the darkness ahead. Traps in both entrances.
"The hell? My shadows got attacked by crystals of light," I hissed. "I can't form any new shadows down there. Seems we'll have to check them out the old-fashioned way. You up for a walk?"
She smirked, nodding her head. It was a precious moment when I could see her real smile. In a previous life, it could have moved me, but not here, not like this. Now, all that mattered was power, and to obtain it, I needed to do everything I had to. After all, if I couldn't protect what was dear to me, I didn't deserve their smiles and love.
Lord of Shadows book 2: Bloodlines Page 14
