Legends of Windemere: 03 - Allure of the Gypsies

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Vampires retain the urges and . . . abilities of the living.”

  “Are you coming on to me?”

  Kalam eyes her carefully before answering. “I am just making a point. Keep it in mind if you are ever invited to my personal quarters.”

  “So, what would a powerful vampire like you do to a delicate, flexible girl like me?” Sari asks, stretching her left leg above her head.

  Kalam is about to reply when the gypsy lets go of her leg, spins with a whirl of her skirts, and grabs a corked vial of pink liquid. Sari expertly hurls the mysterious liquid at the seated necrocaster. Her breathing stumbles as the vial shatters against an invisible shield and releases a room shaking explosion. White smoke fills the area as the pink liquid reacts to the carbon in the air. Sari rushes ahead of the billowing smoke, scrambling to reach the hole that leads back to the dungeon. She doesn’t get very far before two ebony hands lance out of the smoke and race toward her. The gypsy leaps onto a table in order to dodge one of the hands, but she isn’t quick enough to avoid the hand that passes through the table like a ghost. It rockets Sari into the air and slams her against the ashy ceiling. She is starting to fall when the other hand violently smacks her to the ground at Kalam’s feet.

  “What made you think that I would be distracted by such an obvious trick?” the necrocaster hisses, his pride obviously hurt. “The stretching of your leg was a nice touch, but you would have had to do much more than that to catch me off-guard. Now, you are in pain and my ceiling has a dent in it. I hope you have learned your lesson.”

  “Count your days, monster,” Sari growls, a sadistic grin on her face. “I swear on my clan that I will strike you down some day.”

  “That’s what I want to see,” Kalam says, reveling in her suffering. “The fire flaring in your eyes and the hateful venom dripping from your tongue are simply beautiful. A girl like you is such a delight. I will feel great pride when I hear your spirit shatter. I hope that you turn out to be as challenging as you claim to be.”

  “I hope you don’t plan on letting me near any knives,” Sari warns him, staggering to her feet.

  “Maybe I will grant you a night in my personal quarters before you are too broken to enjoy the experience,” continues the necrocaster, ignoring Sari’s threat. “Though, that is something to be decided by your actions and my whims. It is time you were brought back to your cell. Your new friend might be worried about your absence.”

  “I’ll take your other foot if you hurt Mira!” Sari exclaims with a sudden burst of energy. She tries to take a step toward Kalam, but the room begins to spin and she topples backwards.

  Kalam’s bones creak as he stands. “I have not harmed a hair on her head. Take the girl away, my dear.”

  Sari can feel slender arms tuck under her own arms and hoist her to her feet. The gypsy takes a deep breath and pushes herself away from whoever picked her up. A few wobbly steps are all Sari can muster before she grabs the back of a crude chair for support. With the rush of adrenaline gone from her body, Sari feels a dull pain running through her body. Her vision blurs at the edges while she makes another feeble attempt to stand on her own. The gypsy swats at the helpful hands until a strong fist connects with her stomach. Sari makes a final gasp for air and spits out a few drops of blood as she falls forward. This time she is gently caught and lifted onto Trinity’s shoulders.

  “I didn’t think she would be this heavy,” the chaos elf grunts.

  “She isn’t, my dear, you are just tired from your travels,” Kalam states. He approaches Trinity and places a corked, bulb-shaped bottle of red liquid into her free hand. “Please, take this healing potion and give it to the girl. It should have enough power to help her regain consciousness.”

  “I understand,” Trinity says.

  “I hope so. Oh, and please don’t give her the key this time. I know it was you who slipped it to her while she was asleep,” the fireskin announces.

  “If I had left the key in her cell then how would I have locked it?” Trinity inquires.

  Kalam thinks for a bit before answering the chaos elf. “You locked the door and tossed the key back in.”

  “Then, why did it take so long for her to use the key? It has been hours since I locked Sari up and she was unconscious when I did so. If I had simply tossed the key into the cell then the other girl would have grabbed the key and escaped as soon as I walked away,” Trinity defiantly argues, her eyes locked with the vampire’s gaze. “Another scenario is that Sari could have woken up to find the key and waited for her new friend to go to sleep before escaping. It would be easier for her to get away if she was alone, but I doubt that is what happened. Sari doesn’t seem the type to save her own skin and leave others behind.”

  “Do you have some feelings for my new servant? What exactly happened between you two in the wilderness?” Kalam asks curiously.

  “We fought several times,” answers Trinity, looking down at the gypsy. “After a while, one develops a feeling of respect and understanding toward a continuous enemy.”

  “Is that how you feel toward Nyx?”

  “I hate that half-elf with every inch of my aura.”

  Kalam laughs intently loud enough for it to echo throughout his lair. “You are an interesting woman. Still, I stand by my theory. A chaos elf would consider it amusing to give that girl the key and watch what happens.”

  “You’re fishing in a poisonous lake, Kalam,” Trinity contends with a cold, challenging stare. “I would have to face the wrath of you and my master if I were to sabotage this plan. My master may not like you, but he would still consider such actions as treason. The penalty for my treason is more horrific than you could ever imagine. The prank would not be worth the consequences. Chaos elves may be pranksters, but we are not fools.”

  Kalam carefully considers her words and shrugs in defeat. “Very well, my dear, I will believe you. This means that we might have had some mysterious intervention.”

  “Do you mean the gods?” Trinity asks, shifting Sari to her other shoulder.

  “I doubt that they had a direct hand in this. It could simply have been a helpful pixie who snuck in without my knowledge,” Kalam replies, disgust in his voice. “Those pesky creatures are everywhere in this forest and they could have been drawn to the gypsy. Creatures that thrive off happiness and frivolity tend to attract each other. Now, I must retire for the evening. Good night, my dear queen.” He sinks through the floor, leaving a thick, blue mist in the air.

  “Sleep definitely sounds good. Guess I have to deal with you first, girl,” Trinity grumbles while she trudges through the lab toward the dungeon. “You’re becoming a real pain in my backside.”

  *****

  Sari is about to open her eyes when something suddenly clamps over them. The gypsy struggles weakly against the cobalt-skinned hand. She lashes out with her foot, which strikes Trinity in the knee. A high-pitched grunt echoes throughout the dungeon as Trinity lets her hand drop from Sari’s face. The chaos elf rubs at her knee while Sari struggles to her feet. Sari is about to yell at Trinity, but her vision locks onto a scene of bone, blood, and gore. Her throat struggles to swallow a gulp of air as she stares at the entrail-splattered walls of her cell.

  “I was hoping that you would stay asleep until I cleaned this up,” Trinity quietly admits. She is about to lean against the cell bars until she remembers that they are covered in a thick layer of blood.

  “You bitch!” Sari shrieks.

  Trinity tries to say something before Sari’s hands clench around her throat. A few pricks of pain make the chaos elf wince as her skin is punctured by Sari’s nails. The gypsy’s sobbing and wailing fills the dungeon with a feeling of sorrow while the two women struggle with each other. Trinity shudders when she gets pushed against the cell bars and feels something cover the back of her neck. The edges of her vision begin to blur and a knot of rage forms in her gut as Sari’s rage-fueled grip tightens. Out of instinct, a sudden blast of light erupts from Trinity’s forehead gem. Sa
ri squeaks in surprise and releases Trinity’s throat in order to rub her eyes. The gypsy blindly stumbles out of the cell until she trips on her own skirt and crashes to the ground.

  “I hate you,” Sari sobs, her face covered in dirt and a foul-smelling, blue liquid that feels like ice.

  “Don’t make any more noise or move,” Trinity urgently hisses.

  “Why? Is my crying making you feel guilty?” Sari defiantly asks.

  “Shut up, Sari,” Trinity whispers, slowly pulling a thin stiletto out of her boot.

  Sari takes a deep breath and screams, “Leave me alone!”

  The next two minutes are nothing more than chaotic blurs of motion and noise to the gypsy. She can feel Trinity pick her up by the arm and hurl her back into the cell. A slick warmth touches her cheek and palms as she hits the back wall. Sari hears a furious growl from outside the cell, but she is too dizzy to make out anything more than Trinity and the vague silhouette of a four-legged beast. A plume of flame rolls from the beast’s mouth and engulfs the cell across from Sari’s. The sound of a young woman screaming in pain cuts through the sound of battle and continues until gurgling into silence.

  “Stupid hellhound! Don’t you know that you shouldn’t eat the servants? Now, I have to put you down,” Trinity complains, her breathing becoming labored.

  The chaos elf flips backwards, her booted foot striking the hellhound. The beast reels onto its back legs, which gives Trinity the opening she needs. Her stiletto flies through the air and explodes with ice magic as soon as it pierces the hellhound’s barrel chest. A pathetic whimpering can be heard coming out of the block of ice until Trinity pushes it over. The ice and the frozen hellhound shatter against the ground. Trinity turns to Sari’s cell and quickly blocks an open-handed slap from the gypsy.

  “That isn’t how you should thank someone for saving your life,” the chaos elf snaps, roughly shoving Sari away.

  “You killed Mira and caused me to bleed,” Sari cries. She wipes at her cheek with the back of her hand and shows the streaks of dirty blood to Trinity.

  “That isn’t your blood,” Trinity points out, running a hand through her black hair out of frustration. “You hit the bloody wall, which is still damp and sticky because of the humidity down here. It will be another hour or two before the blood dries. I guess I should move you to another cell. I think there was an empty one near the stairs.”

  “Just kill me already!” shouts the gypsy. A torrent of icy water rushes from Trinity’s hand and soaks Sari. The girl shakes the water from her arms and begins wringing out her hair as the chaos elf stretches her arms into the air.

  “That should clean you up a bit and calm you down enough for me to say that we have no intention of killing you,” Trinity claims, her voice subtly edged with irritation. “So, stop asking me to kill you, get a hold of yourself, and get some form of a backbone in order to survive this ordeal.”

  “Why keep me alive when your friends had no problem killing Mira?” Sari weakly asks, her fatigue beginning to overtake her.

  Trinity nervously bites her lower lip. “None of us killed Mira. I hate to say this, but you were the one who killed her.”

  “I never touched her,” Sari snaps, her tired face distorted by anger and pain.

  “You didn’t have to touch her to kill her. When you escaped from your cell, you left the door open and unlocked,” Trinity explains in a slow, clear voice. “That hellhound wandered into the cell and made a meal out of the girl. It would appear that Kalam never trained it to ignore people in an open, unlocked cell.”

  Sari sinks to her knees in shock and despair. “It’s my fault.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You didn’t know that the hellhound would kill her,” Trinity says, trying to console the girl as best as she can. “Besides, Mira was described to me as someone who wanted to die. I don’t think you should have pity for those who have given up on life. It is a waste of energy and tears.”

  “There was no reason for her to die even if she had given up on living,” Sari argues through gasping breaths.

  “I will never understand people like you,” Trinity admits with an exasperated sigh. “Would you cry for the monsters that you kill when they try to eat you? They haven’t given up on life like your friend, but they are still killed in order for you to survive.”

  “That’s entirely different,” Sari whispers, a wave of dizziness washing over her.

  Trinity gives her a condescending sneer. “Of course it is, dear.”

  “Why are you wasting time talking to me?” the gypsy asks, staring at Trinity’s feet.

  “Maybe I miss your company,” Trinity answers, watching Sari’s eyes repeatedly close and snap open. “To be honest, I have some level of respect for you. Only one other person has been able to hold her own against me and that was only in terms of magic. You gave me the best chase of my life and I don’t think I will be able to hunt your equal ever again.”

  “Who was the other person? Is she your friend?” Sari asks with a new sense of curiosity.

  “I would rather boil my tongue in acid than call her a friend,” Trinity growls. Her face briefly twists into a mask of anger and disgust, which causes Sari to step away.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” the gypsy nervously whispers.

  “We both need sleep,” Trinity says with a yawn. “You start your servant duties tomorrow while I have a fool and a paranoid vampire to tolerate.”

  Sari nods as she meekly steps out of the gore-filled cell. Trinity gently leads her toward the stairs before making an abrupt left. The cell is hidden in shadows except for a single shaft of light from the stairwell. Sari walks into the cell without hesitation and lies down on the stone bed. She notices a patch of blue and yellow spotted mushrooms growing in the corner where the shaft of light ends. Her empty stomach rumbles as Trinity locks the door and disappears into the gloom.

  “I’m so sorry, Mira,” Sari whimpers before she falls asleep.

  6

  “Your hometown looks very quaint, Luke,” Nyx mentions from the edge of the flower-covered hill that they had camped on.

  Reveling in the fresh breeze, she takes in the sight of the modest town sitting a mile away. Plumes of smoke billow from the only stone building in the town, which Nyx assumes is the local blacksmith. Unlike this large structure, the rest of the town is a collection of various types of wooden houses. The styles of buildings range from single story homes to a tavern with several offshoots that can be rented as single room apartments. Many of the smaller buildings have two square holes cut into their dark wood roofs. Nyx is curious about the holes and how they stop rain and snow from falling into the houses. The only consistent feature of the buildings is their fenced-off backyards.

  “It would have been nice to spend the night there instead of sleeping a mile up the hill,” Aedyn complains, his back sore from sleeping on the ground.

  “Come on, guys. Would you really want to give up sleeping on a flower-covered hilltop for a boring bed?” Luke asks with a crooked grin.

  “I can’t believe you actually asked us that,” Nyx says, turning away from Haven to finish packing.

  Nyx and Aedyn are slinging their backpacks over their shoulders before they notice Luke preparing a new fire. A warm crackling fills the air as Luke pulls out a small frying pan from his backpack. Aedyn is about to say something once the forest tracker begins cooking some narrow strips of bacon. Nyx can only shrug when the priest looks to her for an explanation. After a few minutes of quiet, Luke begins absent-mindedly whistling to himself.

  “You ask him,” Aedyn whispers.

  “You’ve known him longer,” Nyx contends.

  “Well, you call him your little brother,” counters the priest.

  Nyx scowls angrily at the priest. “It’s your job to . . . damn it. I got nothing.”

  “Do you two want some breakfast?” Luke asks, flicking the frying pan to flip the bacon. He finishes cooking the bacon and carefully places the frying pan on a
nearby rock. After some more rummaging through his backpack, Luke pulls out some dried fruit to snack on while the bacon cools.

  “We’re less than ten minutes away from the town. We could make it to your parents’ home in time for breakfast,” Nyx answers, her eye starting to twitch with annoyance. “If we get there early enough, we could even offer to help them with the cooking.”

  “I believe Nyx is trying to say that we should go into town and meet with your parents in time for breakfast,” Aedyn interjects, trying to be more diplomatic. “We will not cause a big disturbance in their day if we show up early. If we show up around noon then we will be disturbing their work day. Am I right?”

  Luke scratches his head thoughtfully while looking at the distant town. “I guess. It isn’t easy for my dad to stop in the middle of projects because of the heating and cooling process. Still, my mom can take a break from appraising and gem-setting without a problem. She works out of the kitchen after all. Now that I think about it, we should probably wait until evening. This way, my parents will be done with work and we won’t be disturbing them at all. I saw a wide river that we can hang around for the day. It was about two hours to the southeast from here. If we hurry then we can catch some early morning fish and have a good lunch.”

  “That was a glorious failure, Aedyn,” Nyx whispers.

  “At least, I did not make it sound like we were going exclusively for a free breakfast,” Aedyn snaps in frustration.

  “Stuff it, sun boy.”

  “Do not bring my religion into this.”

  “Hey, guys! I used up all of my water to put out the fire and clean the frying pan, so we should head to the river instead of going to Haven. I can’t travel without anything in my water skin. It could lead to trouble if we get lost,” Luke interrupts. Nyx and Aedyn stare at him as if they are trying to burn a hole through his back.

  “Let us not fight amongst ourselves,” the priest proposes.

  “Sure. Let’s just fight him,” Nyx says with a cruel grin.

  “That is not what I meant,” Aedyn states.