Tusdar angrily brought his bow into position, ran in front of Aidan to shield him, took aim and released an arrow that hit one of the archers through its skull. The skeleton flew back and shrieked with annoyance as it smashed into the stony ground, clawing at its head desperately. The other archer scurried off to alert the others.
As Aidan looked over his arm, he heard the stones shift, and he felt Tusdar drag him inside and close the entrance behind them.
“Now, let’s have a look at that wounded arm, shall we?” said Tusdar. He reached up the wall and felt around for a lamp. Suddenly finding what he was looking for, he turned it clockwise and there was a strange bubbling sound. The fluids inside it mixed together, and the pitch-black darkness in the tunnel was suddenly lit with the colour of moonlight.
“Thank you, but…,” began Aidan as Tusdar removed the armour from his arm to reveal the wound.
“By the gods! We made it into the castle, I can hardly believe it. You mean, how did I know the secret entrance and how to use it? How do you think I managed to steal so many valuables from Greenhaven? By not knowing how to sneak in here and find my way through?” asked Tusdar with a cheeky smile. “I can handle lighting the way forward for us. These lights are everywhere in these tunnels. Now brace yourself as best as you can—this is going to sting a little. Okay, I lied, this is going to sting a lot.”
Aidan bit his lip and clenched his eyes shut. Tusdar snapped the head of the arrow off and eased the other end out of the bleeding wound. He quickly tied the torn clothes into a bandage, and Aidan grunted loudly as it was pulled tight.
“It is only a flesh wound and hasn't touched your bones, Aidan. It will be tender, but you will be fine. Now, where are we headed from here?”
Aidan's lips hardened as he stared into the darkness, “To the royal chambers.”
Tusdar's eyes widened as he took a step backwards, “You’re wounded, there are only two of us here, and you want to lead us right to the queen bee in the centre of the hive. Have you gone mad?”
Aidan got up on his feet, drew out his sword with his other arm and pointed forward into the waiting darkness. “Mad? Damn right I’m mad! Great victories are not achieved only at times of favourable odds and safety, Tusdar. When all seems lost, only the few who attempt the impossible can have a hope of achieving it. We have the element of surprise on our side, and there are secrets of these passages which I’ve found over many years of exploration."
Tusdar nodded warily, gripped his bow and breathed deeply as he imagined the horrors that might lie ahead of them. One heavy breath escaped him. "We’ll likely die here today, so why not? Let's pay the queen of the underworld a visit."
“That's the spirit! It will take us some time to reach her bedchambers from here,” replied Aidan. “Let’s go.”
Kassina gazed into the darkness surrounding Greenhaven and turned to the archer furiously.
“Where did you spot them? Show me!” she demanded.
The archer pointed to the now-deserted grounds beside the turret.
“And you let them get away?” she growled, as her nails slowly extended to razor-sharp claws. With a smooth motion, Kassina swiped through the skeleton’s neck and sent its skull flying into the air. The archer’s body disintegrated into white dust. She addressed the Dark Army with a voice that echoed throughout every inch of the city.
“Such incompetence will never go unpunished. Let that be a lesson to you all—if you fail me once, you don’t survive to fail me again, and I will send you back to Shindar to rot in the underworld! Keep an eye out for any intruders. Now get back to work! I am not to be disturbed unless you bring me news of our unwanted guests."
“Did you hear that?” laughed Aidan, as they climbed higher into the painfully narrow walls that led deeper into the turret. “Opportunities like this are rare, Tusdar. We made it inside the walls and they have no idea where we are!”
“I can hardly believe it myself, but getting in is one thing... Getting back out will be another story entirely. So, how do you know where we are exactly?"
Aidan pointed at a shiny and foreign object on the wall. As they closed in on the markings, they could clearly see an inscription before them.
Tusdar ran his fingers over the inscriptions, staring at them intently. “What does that say? I can't read any of the lettering."
“Of course you can't read it; neither can I. We are not centuries old, even though I feel that old at times. What you see before you is the language of the ancients. It doesn't matter, though: I do remember which inscription relates to which section of the city. These walls hold many secrets, and the inscriptions are enchanted with magic. Watch this.”
Aidan raised his hand and touched a series of the shining inscriptions in what seemed to Tusdar like a random order. They heard soft words within the whisper of an angelic voice that hummed through the walls. The engravings pulsated for a moment, then magically moved to a section of the wall, changed shape, and settled on a rough square of stones. They approached the wall and Aidan pointed to the right of the glowing square, where he grabbed Tusdar’s hand and ran it down the wall. He felt a round section which was smoother than the rest and vibrated under his touch. In the center of it was a horizontal cut, in the shape of a wave.
“Push the top half of the circle,” said Aidan.
Tusdar pressed the stone gently, sending waves of light pulsating into the stones. The square of stones slowly started to disappear in front of their eyes, revealing a barely lit bedroom before them.
The spent bodies of blood-drained victims could be seen lying lifelessly beside a four-poster bed drenched with fresh blood. Kassina was running her hands through Derian's hair, purring as she buried his face deep between her thighs. A twitching woman lay in the bed beside them, Kassina's fangs buried deep into her wrist. Kassina opened her jaws to release the woman's arm, and spoke with blood dripping from her chin. "Enough, I want you to dig deep inside her while her heart still beats! Now, my pet! Enjoy the feeling when she dies and grips you from the inside."
Derian climbed on top of the dying woman and forced his way inside her, grunting as he increased his pace. Her faint cries were useless against her captors. Kassina laughed as she sank her fangs into the woman's neck.
Derian tensed as death's grip tightened on her body and caused her to twitch uncontrollably. Kassina yanked him out of her and snapped, "Not yet! Save that moment only for me."
She threw him to the bed and harshly straddled him, wriggling herself around like a snake poised to strike. His grey hands with their sharp claws reached high on her naked back and tore rents in her skin with pleasure. Kassina’s dark moan filled the room as she pushed down harder on Derian, taking him as deep as he could go.
Aidan and Tusdar stared as her skin resealed itself almost immediately after it was cut open. Kassina and Derian continued in their passionate embrace, and she suddenly turned to look behind her as if she was looking straight at them through the wall.
“I can't believe that we are watching this. Can she see us?” asked Tusdar, before watching her turn her attention back to her lover.
“Of course she can’t see us,” Aidan whispered, as he stared at the lust-fuelled sight in front of their eyes. “The gods smile upon us today for this opportunity. Imagine a one-way mirror, if you will. They cannot see or hear us, but we can walk or shoot through it. We only get one shot before we give away our position, so we need to make it count. Now, I know this will be hard, but you must try to concentrate."
Derian sat up to embrace Kassina tightly and they remained in that position, seemingly lost in the heat of passion, her body tensing with every thrust. Her moans of pleasure and serpentine hisses filled the room and sent chills down the spines of Aidan and Tusdar. Aidan reached into his bag and pulled out a long silver arrow that bore glowing blue markings.
“Use this and shoot them straight through the heart,” said Aidan. “It is the only way we can kill them, as an arrow won’t cause a wide enough wound to cut
their heads off. I would do it myself, but I can't hold a bow. We can take them both at the same time if we are incredibly lucky—or skilled, for that matter. The arrow was gifted to me by a healer and is made to tear through the toughest of stones and keep flying. It will not stop until it is drained of magic.”
Tusdar took the arrow in his shaking hands and placed it into his bow. Aidan mumbled words into the arrow that activated the magic within. It burst into blue flames that were surprisingly cool to the touch, lighting up their faces in the eerie blue light. Beads of sweat dripped through his vision as his heavy breathing attempted to settle his nerves. His heart pounding through his chest made his aim waver uncontrollably.
“Come on, Tusdar... try to relax, and take a deep breath. Then, gently breathe out to guide the arrow home."
Kassina’s moaning increased in pitch with the quickening rhythm of her body. Tusdar followed Aidan’s advice, and re-steadied the bow beside his cheek. The blue flames licked at the image of the two vampires as they made love.
Tusdar pursed his lips and his voice broke as he stared intently at his target. “They’re moving too much, I can't... I can't do this."
“Take your time and shoot when you are ready. You have to do this—for all of us, for Marithia. You can stop this war today,” replied Aidan.
As Derian and Kassina were reaching their climax, Tusdar exhaled, growled and fell backwards as he released the arrow. It whirred through the wall at blistering speed.
Chapter 10: Darkness Respects No Boundaries
“Hope and faith can be the greatest of all motivators. However, they are also the most difficult of securities to provide. It was not long ago that Arman held me in his arms, and in them I felt safe and secure.
Now it falls upon me to provide my bosom to instil that same security in my people. I only hope that I do not fail them.”
(Queen Andrielle of Veldrenn)
The farm was sickeningly quiet, with not a sound of life to be heard, not even the sound of crickets. The metallic stain of blood was thick in the air, filling Vartan's nostrils and making him sick to his stomach. On the horizon, Greenhaven continued to burn brightly into the dark sky, like a lighthouse for flying travellers.
He gripped his still-sheathed sword, and took carefully placed steps towards his family porch. As he neared the family rocking chair, the smell of blood grew stronger and more pungent.
He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, “Persentiscam lucem et veritatem.” The spell took effect and reptilian eyes flickered open, darting from side to side and turning his vision of night into day. The large pool of blood on the chair was suddenly clear in his vision, snaking its way under the door in thick clots and streaks.
“Father!” exclaimed Vartan as he drew his sword and kicked the door in with furious intent.
Inside, the farmhouse was almost completely darkened, with the exception of small red embers still glowing in the fireplace.
His voice strained as he yelled frantically, “Father, mother—where are you?”
Running through the house, he followed the trail of blood drops up the narrow stairwell. He stopped in his tracks on the stairs as he spotted the crudely placed writing along the wall.
“Now who’s the pathetic one, little boy? You couldn’t even save your family. With lots of love, Kassina,” read Vartan. The writing felt wet to the touch, and as he brought his fingers to his nose, he confirmed what she had used to write the message.
“No!” he screamed as he ran to the slightly ajar door of his parents’ bedroom, pressing his back against the wall beside the door. Peering around the corner with the tip of his sword pointing his way forward, he braced for the inevitable. There was a light breeze that blew through the opening, and a strange creaking sound came from within. The stench overwhelmed him as the door gently opened to his touch.
At the sight of what awaited him within, Vartan dropped to his knees. Two corpses hung by their necks, suspended from the ceiling on a pair of nooses; the creaking was of ropes that strained as the bodies swung in the wind from the open windows. Both had been flayed. Judging by the vicious damage to their arms and the scratch marks on the walls, they were very likely to have been alive when they were skinned.
The putrid stench overwhelmed Vartan’s senses, and he vomited all over the floor. He put his head in his hands and collapsed.
“Damn you, Kassina, you bitch!” he sobbed. “As I live and breathe… your life will end by my hand!”
The distant sound of thunder filled the air and flashes of lightning erupted under the dark canopy of clouds. The majestic sight of dragons in full formation was marred only by the heavy crates of weapons grasped in their claws. The rain washed over their scales, the light reflecting off their watery forms with every flash. Karven and Nymira led the dragons in their flight, and they carried Vartan with the remainder of the treasure.
“Vartan! Vartan!” cried Nymira’s voice.
He jerked up as he woke and smashed his head hard into Nymira’s belly. He rubbed his head in pain from the collision.
“My goodness, Vartan, what's wrong?” she asked.
“No! I was too late, I should have saved them!” he growled. “Mother… father… that fanged whore, Kassina! What I wouldn’t do to that disgusting creature to rid the world of her.”
“Whatever gives you the idea that they have been killed? Did you have another vision?” asked Karven.
Vartan quietened his voice and asked gently, hopefully, “You mean to suggest that they might still be alive?”
Nymira's voice filled the night sky. “As your training progresses and your experience grows, your visions will come to you with greater purpose. Unfortunately, not even we can place the time a vision has taken place. It may have occurred in the past, the present, or the future. There are also alternate fates as you choose a direction at a crossroads, and any of those paths can be envisioned. If your parents truly are in danger, then there is no guarantee that we can save them in time to change that possible fate. Then again, you may simply have had a nightmare and it may not be a vision at all."
“Are you serious? How do you ever make sense of it all?” asked Vartan, rubbing his hands through his hair.
“I understand your frustrations,” replied Karven. “Really, I do. Visions are something that even we struggle to master, but it does get easier with time.”
“We must head to the farm and make sure that my parents are okay!” pleaded Vartan. “After all, they are of dragon's blood. Nymira, I beg of you—please take me home, and we can regroup back at Veldrenn.”
“As you wish, Vartan, but you should remember that we are far from your home. You’d better prepare yourself as best you can for what we may find there.” Nymira broke formation to head in the direction of Greenhaven.
“Thank you for your understanding, Nymira. We must at least try to save them if they are still alive, or I’d never be able to forgive myself,” replied Vartan.
“I truly understand, and I will do what I can to protect you in your journey, no matter what we face,” she said.
Vartan breathed deeply and tried his best to calm his wrecked nerves. He thought back to the farm, of happier times before the war… before life became so horribly complicated. He suddenly realised that his pack had fallen over in Nymira’s claws and the trader’s bag had almost fallen out.
"I had better clean this up," he mumbled. Carefully, he opened the bag to look for the artefacts from the trader in She’Ma’Ryn. He fumbled inside and retrieved the first shiny artefact, twisting it around in front if his face It looked like a metallic golden egg, which was generously covered in various jewels. It was obvious to the eye that it could be opened in the middle.
Laughing to himself, he tried to force it open. No matter how hard Vartan worked to prise it open, it remained firmly shut.
I suppose this one is not for me, he thought.
Vartan reluctantly returned the egg back to the bag and resumed his exploration of the artefacts. The se
cond one he retrieved was attached to a long and shiny silver chain. At the end of the chain was a woman’s face, naturally formed in what looked like half a pearl set in a golden star. It was covered with strange engraved markings Vartan did not recognize. What amazed Vartan the most was that it appeared to emit its own light as it sparkled and lit up Nymira’s belly like a starry night.
What a fascinating piece of jewellery. I should probably wear this so I don’t lose it, thought Vartan.
As he reached for the clip, it let off a slight hiss as it opened.
My goodness, that is strange, he thought as he shrugged it off and clipped the necklace onto his neck. The chain let out a watery sound, and he felt its weight fall heavily on the back of his neck. Vartan tried to open the necklace again, but no matter where he searched on the clip, it felt solid and he could not find an opening.
“Great. Now look what I’ve gone and done. Who knows who this was intended for,” he sighed. He rested his arms on his knees.
Oh please, don’t get so upset over it, replied a woman’s voice in his mind. I’m sure we can get along just fine.
Vartan almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden loud voice.
“Nymira, are you playing games with me?” said Vartan. “This is hardly the time. Don’t be so loud, we don’t want the whole world to hear us!”
“Vartan, I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven’t said a word,” she replied.
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. Just what I need—another voice in my head, thought Vartan.
He raised the necklace to his face and found an odd surprise. The face in the star now looked like it had human skin and features. The woman’s image stared at him oddly and raised an eyebrow.
No, I’m not kidding you, she said. Her voice sounded like a blend of human and animal tones. You seriously use that word in conversation? ‘Kidding?’ Vartan is your name? Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Keturah… I'm obviously not from around here, and I certainly do not come here often. But it appears that you and I are bonded together. Well, at least until the time of your death.
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