by R. A. Miller
You must take the amulet north to a place called Alun Doom.
I do not know how far it lies, only that it is more than a weeks travel.
Once you arrive in Alun Doom you must find The Black Book, the Gaelach book of dark magic.
This dangerous tome holds the secrets of the amulets as well as how to restore magic to the world.
You will require the help of others braver than I to accomplish your quest. Your first companion I have already chosen. A young man named Lothar. He is a vampyre like you.
You will find him most days at the Temple of Alec just west of Hillside Glenn. As you know from your studies, Alec was savior to all, no matter the race.
Lothar knows more about the amulet than I and word has been sent to him of your impending arrival.
Be careful, my dear Cora. The world does not know vampyres still exist nor are they ready for such a revelation.
The journey to Alun Doom will be fraught with peril but I have faith in you my child.
Be well and may the Gods keep you safe.
Your friend,
Father Jessop Atriedes
Cora could not control her tears any longer. Clenching the letter in her left hand and the box containing the amulet in her right, she allowed the tears to flow freely now. The tears ran down her cheeks, splashing onto the wood of the box and her legs.
Father Jessop's words echoed in her mind, and for a while all she could think about was her mentor. But most of all, she wanted to know who was responsible for his death. She didn’t know who the dark haired woman was or why she attacked the Father. She knew that the dark haired woman was a vampyre from her strength and the fangs.
Cora had known she wasn’t the only one still alive but hadn’t seen another in more than forty years. Then there were the two thieves. They were clearly after the amulet, which she now possessed. They said something about a boss, probably where the one called Thomas ran. With so many looking for the amulet she would need help. Her first step had to be finding this Lothar. Hillside Glenn was a good two full days travel from where she was.
She wiped away the wet from her face and eyes, put the letter in her pocket, and removed the amulet from the box. She studied for a moment, the brilliant green swirling inside the gemstone. For a split second Cora thought she saw a dragon inside the swirling color. Shaking the thought away she put the silver chain over her head and tucked the amulet under her shirt. She left the wooden box tucked behind some tall grass under the tree and made for Hillside Glenn.
CHAPTER 2
Borimar Fulldark paced the rendezvous point like a mountain lion stalking its prey. The dwarf kicked a large stone at his feet as he let out a hard sigh. The sun was almost gone below the horizon. His empty hands clenched and unclenched, as if begging for his twin axes.
The two thieves he had hired to retrieve the amulet were late. It was turning into L'vrel all over again. That job went south from the get go. He lost the Staff of Livistria when the thief he paid to retrieve it made off with it. This job was not going to end the same way, not if they wanted to keep their legs.
A scream behind him caused the dwarf to look around. He turned, the village in view, and saw Thomas, the younger of the two thieves, running at a sprint and screaming for his life. When the thief reached his dwarf employer he collapsed to his knees gasping for air. A look of pure terror occupied his usual smiling face. The thief grabbed at Borimar’s clothing.
“Protect me, sir dwarf. Don't...let her...eat me!”
“What in blazes are ye goin' on about?” the dwarf asked.
“Back there,” the terrified thief pointed to the village, “In the church…James...is dead.”
The dwarf considered this for a moment. He thought it might be a ruse to allow his brother escape with the amulet. The look on Thomas' face told him that it wasn't. He helped the trembling thief to his feet and looked up into his tear-rimmed eyes.
“Now slow down there, Thomas. What happened in the church?”
The scared thief took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and then began to talk.
“We was breaking into the church...you know...the one you told us that gem was in...and we found the priest's office...when we heard a noise,” Thomas took another deep breath before continuing.
“A woman came into the room...a dark haired woman…dressed in black. She was asking about the amulet...but we told her we ain’t got it. Then she grabbed James…and…and…”
The dwarf was curious. It sounded like someone had beaten them to the gem. He pressed the thief for more.
“Right, then what did ye do?”
“She killed him,” Thomas said, “She ripped him in half...she had blood...running down her chin and her hands. I ran...”
Thomas wrung his hands together, tears running down his cheeks. The dwarf put his hand on the young man's wrist, he was too short to reach his shoulder, and nodded.
“Ye safe now boy. Go on.”
“We never...” the thief trailed off, lost in thought. He shook off the distraction and continued. “We never found no amulet.”
At this the thief began crying and fell back to his knees. The dwarf considered Thomas' story but did not believe him. He asked Thomas to repeat himself.
“Ye say she ripped a grown man in half like he were a turkey leg?” the disbelief showing in his tone.
“Don't believe me,” the young man blurted, “But I know what I saw. My brother is dead...and that crazy woman killed him! My brother is dead. And for what? Some damn necklace?”
“Whoa, there, Thomas, me boy,” the dwarf tried to calm the boy down, “This woman, what did she look like again?”
“She was human...tall for a girl. She had long black hair and wore thin black robes...kind of like a priest. And...” the young thief trailed off again.
“What is it lad?”
Thomas inhaled and looked the dwarf in the eyes. His bottom lip quivered as he spoke.
“She...there was something strange...about her mouth. When she smiled the corners of her lips went up a bit higher than a usual smile and...”
“Get on with it lad.” the dwarf hurried.
“Her teeth were...different. At the corners of her mouth, as plain as the beard on your face, I saw...fangs.”
The dwarf straightened up and laughed. He knew what the thief was going to say next. It wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to cheat him out of money with the threat of vampyres, a creature known to have been extinct over a hundred years now. It was a creature that the dwarf knew all too well to exist. Borimar had been on this world long enough to have met a few before they vanished. Though the common man only knew them from fairy tales. The thief was still crying but the dwarf continued laughing.
“Right, fangs. Ye had me goin' for a moment, lad. I should have guessed that ye and that brother of yers were trying to cheat me out of me prize.”
The boy's cries turned to terror as the dwarf kept talking.
“Aye, ye should be scared. I'm on to ye two now. Go on back and tell that brother of yers I'll be havin' me amulet now. Don't make me hunt him down for it.”
Thomas stood rigid facing the dwarf. He was not looking at the smaller dwarf, rather he was looking beyond him. The dwarf kicked him in the thigh but still he did not move. Borimar jumped up and grabbed Thomas by the collar bringing the thief face to face with his own bearded visage.
“What's the matter with ye? I said go get me what I paid ye for.”
The dwarf let go of the thief and caught a whiff of something in the air. He smelled blood. Slowly he turned and was startled by a tall, slender woman. It was the woman Thomas had described.
She indeed had long black hair and robes, and red eyes that matched the massive amount of blood on her hands and face. The mystery woman smiled at the dwarf. He thought he saw a point at the corner of her mouth on the right side, just in front of some small burns on her right cheek.
“Come now, Borimar. Can't you see that this poor...creature has been through eno
ugh today?”
“How do ye know me?” the dwarf asked. He didn't know what else to say.
“You would be surprised what I know, and how I know it.” the woman smiled.
“I can defend meself better than this boy.” Borimar nodded towards the terrified Thomas.
“Of that I have little doubt. But I'm not here to kill you, dwarf. In fact, I am here to offer you a deal.”
“I don't deal with crazy people,” the dwarf snarled.
“How cute. You’re trying to be tough for that little snack behind you."
The woman continued to smile, showing off her fangs as she talked.
“By deal, sir dwarf,” the woman corrected, “I mean that you have no choice. If you do not take my generous offer I will kill you before you can get that lovely ax from its holster. Trust me, you'll want to hear me out.”
Borimar considered her threat, saw the look of terror still on Thomas' face, and relaxed.
“What exactly are ye wanting from me?”
“Its simple really. You have been tracking this amulet that you had thought to be hidden in this church. I too, have been tracking the same amulet, but for different reasons. Of all the treasure hunters I have come across in my search for this item, none were as good as you. You were the first to track it this far. But alas, it is no longer here.”
“If the amulet isn't here, than what do ye want with me?”
“I want you to track it. You will continue to seek it out and when it is finally found, you are free to go. If you can't locate it in two weeks time, I move on and you become dinner.”
Thomas frantically crawled backwards, away from the dwarf and the woman, still trembling and making whimpering noises. Borimar never noticed; he only saw a blur as the woman moved around him and picked up Thomas by the shoulders.
Borimar watched in awe as the woman lifted the thief off of the ground and sank her teeth into his neck. The sound coming from the now dead thief sounded like ale being drank from a cup. Borimar hid his fear. He knew she could smell the fear he was feeling, but knew better than to show it. Not if he wanted to live through this.
“What are ye?” he asked. He was pretty sure he knew but did not want to believe it.
The woman dropped Thomas' limp body, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and smiled at the dwarf. Her fangs were now a shining crimson.
“Tell your friends, dwarf. My name is Tatiana. I wield control over the dead...” she paused, making sure she had Borimar's full attention. “And I am Vampyre.”
CHAPTER 3
Markus Farrell tapped his wedding ring on the empty glass in front of him. It had been three years since his beloved wife, Katelynn, had died. He had tried to move on in the last year but still found himself every afternoon sitting alone in the dining hall, thinking about the love of his life.
Every night Markus had the same meal prepared and was served Katelynn's favorite drink, red wine, in her favorite golden glass. Markus stared across the table where his wife would have been. He allowed himself a smile and took a swig of his wine. He never noticed the watchman enter.
“Your majesty,” the young man announced, “You have a visitor.”
This startled Markus but he made sure not to let it show. “You know the rules, Bill. I am not to be disturbed during dinner. Make them wait.”
“I am sorry, sire, but the gentleman is insistent.”
Markus finally looked up and for the first time noticed a palpable, almost child-like fear in the young watchman's eyes. The king promptly stood and gestured towards the door.
“Bill, look at me. Unless it’s the dwarf or the hunter, make them wait. Understand?”
Bill nodded and retreated out of the dining hall. Moments later the door opened and a man Markus had never seen before walked in. Bill was following close behind, a worried look dominated the young guard’s face.
“I thought I said I was not to be disturbed?” Markus said.
This man was a bit taller than the king with dark hair and even darker eyes that glinted red in the light. The man wore a long sleeve shirt, adorned with gold trimming, and trousers equally majestic that seemed to shout royalty.
“I…I apologize sire. He pushed past me before I could detain him.”
Three more guards entered the room and moved in on the stranger. Markus was standing now and looking straight at Bill.
“Leave us. You two,” he pointed to the guards flanking the newcomer, “Wait outside. You,” he said to the final guard, “Stay. Close the doors behind you.”
The clean-shaven young man bowed slightly as he entered and made his way around the table towards Markus. The guard closed the door and stood in front of it, blocking anyone from getting out.
Markus thought about how this kept the man inside should things go wrong. Markus had never seen this stranger before and he wanted to take no chances. He didn't understand why he felt a twinge of threat from this man but he knew better to be cautious.
“Your Highness,” the stranger said with another polite bow, “My name is Bodon, and I am here on behalf of the one true queen, the lovely Dremora.”
“I am sorry, good sir. I confess I am not aware of a Queen Dremora. I was still under the impression that King Spencer ruled over Foxcrest.”
“You misunderstand me, sir. I am not from Foxcrest.”
“Then where are you from, friend?” Markus asked, “There is no other recognized monarchy on this side of the Honore Sea.”
“My Queen sends word from her castle in Elvintika. I bring a proposal from her majesty.”
Markus remembered learning the history of Elvintika in school and how the dead and barren "Ghostlands" that separated it from Raven's Hold were the result of a massive magical overload. It is also said that is how the world lost its magic.
To make a claim such as this Bodon must have serious nerve. Something was off and it made Markus wary. He gave the guard a look of trouble and the watchman turned to exit the room. Before he could, however, Bodon put up a hand and spoke more forcefully.
“There is no need for guards, Your Highness. It is a simple proposal. If you don't like what I have to say than you are more than welcome to call in your dogs.” Markus noted that Bodon seemed to spit that last word.
“Alright,” Markus said, waving his guard back, “Lets hear it.”
Bodon pulled out a chair, the queen’s chair, and sat down. Markus assumed the stranger did not know that he had chosen the queen's chair. The choice grated on Markus nonetheless.
“You are no doubt aware that the kingdom of Elvintika has been quiet for some time. It wasn't until recently that we had cause to announce ourselves to humans.”
“So, I take it to mean that you’re claiming to be an elf?” Markus concluded.
“Gods forbid.” Bodon seemed genuinely offended. “There are no more elves. No, we are something more than just an elf…or even human. We are an ancient race looking to get back onto the playing field, as it were.”
“So what are you?” Markus was losing patience with his guest.
“I think the name that you humans use in your stories is…vampyre. That is not the proper name, but if it makes this easier for you, we'll go with vampyre.”
Markus sat staring at this man, taking in his claims to being a vampyre, and said nothing. He had noticed that while the man spoke the guard had slipped out of the room and was most likely on his was back with guards. This conversation would be over soon.
“I know your little watchman left a few moments ago.”
Markus was surprised to hear it but remained calm and continued to show nothing. He would not let this guy get to him. Nobody intimidated the king of Raven's Hold.
“You see,” Bodon continued, “The proposal is simple. You step aside as Her Majesty takes over your kingdom and everyone lives…for now. Stand against us, and I can't stress this part enough…stand against us and everyone dies.”
Markus stood, knocking his chair back against the wall and looked on this person w
ith contempt. Bodon continued to sit with his hands placed palms down on the table, and smiling.
“How dare you come into my land, my castle, and threaten me. I don't know who you really are or who put you up to this but there is no such thing as vampyres anymore and I will never stand aside for anyone.”
Bill charged into the room just then with three of the largest guards Markus had. A look from his king told the watchman that he had done well. The three guards surrounded Bodon's chair and two of them grabbed him by his arms and hoisted him to his feet.
The stranger kept smiling and never resisted.
“If you need proof, Markus, than I shall give you proof.”
It happened so fast it was over before Markus knew what was happening. One second the guards were putting the stranger on his feet, the next second all three guards were lying dead on the floor with their throats ripped out.
Bodon was at the door holding Bill by the neck several inches off the ground with one very bloody hand. Bodon turned his head towards the king and smiled big.
“Now you see. We are not a joke. I am but a messenger amongst an army. You will surrender this land to us, or your entire kingdom will look like this room.”
Before Markus could react he heard the sound of bones snapping and Bill's body being dropped to the floor. A second later Bodon was standing beside Markus, sniffing him.
“I can smell the fear in you. I'll take that as a yes. We will be crossing the river at sundown, tomorrow.”
“You said if I cooperate everyone lives.” Markus reminded him.
“And they will, for now. We feed on blood. It’s only a matter of time before we get hungry and need to...ah...feed. Its called survival, survival of the fittest.”
The vampyre walked out of the dining hall, licking his fingers and laughing. Markus was terrified more than he had ever been in his life and he didn't know how to handle it. All his life vampyres were nothing but stories. No one, not even old lady Katheryn at ninety years old, had ever seen a vampyre.
What he saw tonight, right in front of him, was proof enough for him. These creatures of legend, at least one, were alive and very much the killers the stories said they were.
