by Emma Glass
How? I snarled in my head. How does she know so much about me? There isn’t a vampire outside the village who should know anything about those risen monstrosities…
“So, given the high esteem they rewarded you, calling yourself ‘the Sorceress of Sifter’s Hollow’ is quite a stretch of the imagination…”
This had gone on long enough; I began to fear whatever else she might know if she kept talking. “Lady Craven, what is it that you want?”
“A partnership,” she cooed.
“What are you talking about?”
“You have a plan,” she smiled wickedly. “This little hiccup with the human means that you have to improvise more than you thought, but I know you have something in mind… and I want in.”
I studied her eyes. Nikki Craven was perfectly unreadable, and that made her dangerous. But it could make her an interesting ally, and it seems she’s already got me partly figured out…
But not entirely, I decided with a smirk.
“Let’s say you’re right. Let’s pretend that I’ve come to the castle with more ambitious motives. Let’s pretend I want to be more than just a caster, blown in off the distant winds. What could you stand possibly to gain?”
Her eyes lit up, like those of a stalking hunter. “War is coming, and I aim to build a stacked deck. My dearest Elliott hasn’t seen the value in having a powerful friend in an unsanctioned sorceress… let’s just say I think a little more outside the box.”
So the rumors are already spreading across the hold, then. I should alert my allies abroad at once. I wonder, ever so curiously, what my highborn friend will think of all these developments…
“And what would be the nature of this…”
“Partnership?” She helpfully finished.
“Yes,” I nodded. “This partnership…”
For once, Nikki seemed suddenly aware of our surroundings. “A discussion for a time of privacy, I think.” Her devilish eyes trained onto mine as she held out a hand. “Do we have a deal?”
This deranged vampire is clearly dangerous… but she is nothing in comparison to the trials I have endured. I’m one of the most powerful unregistered magicians in the entire hold, possibly the world. I’ve built a network of powerful friends across some of the other holds. With even the slightest preparation, I can punish her if she dares to cross me…
But something shook me down to my core.
She speaks of war, coming across the holds… Nikki Craven must know something. And whatever it is, I can’t very well ascend rank without knowing what it is…
I shook her hand.
“Lady Craven, I believe we have a deal.”
5
Elliott
As I’d suspected, the setting sun only lingered in the peaks long enough to watch us climb out from our improvised transport.
My gaze took in the village as my boots hit the dirt. Most of these buildings were the bunkhouses for the mining force, but others sat stocked with the afterhours services offered to the workers.
Of this small village, almost everyone toiled in the Dawning Mines. But they worked schedules that kept them here for years at a time; half the small town above was stocked with vampires and amenities to keep the workers happy, all of who were glad to have consistent customers.
The gambling hall was, naturally, the largest and most obvious building. But there were other ways to be entertained here; at a glance, I spotted restaurants, shops, and tradesmen in their huts. Two bars even competed for the nightly attention of the workforce. Combined, it all took what could have been a few downcast bunkhouses outside an unforgiving mine, and built them into a thriving and vibrant nighttime village.
Strong walls of log kept out the local wildlife, reinforced by a local spell-caster. With all the free magic in our world, creatures from beyond our wildest imaginations lurked in the darkest places. The miners needed constant protection, and there were some things out here that even a strong wall wouldn’t stop.
“Home, sweet home,” Pavric chuckled after he saw how I took in my environment. “Well, at least hopefully it stays that way…”
“What’s that?” I turned.
“Oh. Better for them to explain.”
The welcoming party greeted us as the guards took their positions at my side. Several old miners and their apprentices wiped themselves clean and stepped forward to bow.
One elderly vampire in particular appeared to be in charge here. Old, raggedy, and afflicted with quite the unforgettable moustache, he stepped forward to greet me. “Lord Craven! Allow me to welcome you to the Dawning Mines. Did you enjoy the ride down the mountains?”
“Indeed. I apparently picked the right time of day to come. The views are spectacular.”
He grinned pleasantly. “Good day for it, too. Been raining something fierce the past few weeks. You’d have been disappointed.”
“You should learn that I’m never disappointed when things get accomplished,” I warned him irritably. “Which, incidentally enough, brings me to why I am here…”
“Straight to the point, huh? Your mother was always like that, too.” The miner replied wryly before turning to the others. “You heard the man. Assemble the guild in the meeting hall…”
I confidently followed them inside with my guards at the flank, utterly unprepared for what I was about to hear. What was happening here in the Dawning Mines cast a much larger shadow than any mere worker’s strike…
Pavric and the elder stood steadfast to the side as the hall filled with the mining crew.
They looked exhausted and frightened.
That can’t be simply because I’m here, I silently reasoned. What could be going on here, then, that terrifies grizzled workers as strong as these ones?
The Elder waved towards me, long before the workforce had fully amassed. The others must be in the mines still. Good. Let them continue the work while I get to the bottom of this…
“It is my pleasure to introduce Elliott Craven, vampire lord of Stonehold! He’s come from across the sea to listen to our concerns.”
A voice rang out from among them.
“Took him bloody well long enough!”
“Who said that?” The Elder fiercely snapped. “Was it you, Cadic? I’ll have your throat! How dare you speak that way in front of your lord!”
Slipping myself into a furious calm, I tried to wait out the disruption with eyes closed and my arms crossed. When it was clear that nothing of the sort was happening, I stomped a boot to the floor and snapped alert for them.
“Silence! All of you!”
The guild didn’t dare to test me, and the room fell into stunned silence. The royal guards at my back fanned defensively around me, but I paid no heed to them.
With a sympathizing voice that relinquished none of my anger, I defiantly conceded the point. “You’re right. I have taken too long to come here, and you have my apologies. But know I wouldn’t ignore this… not unless there was something else taking my attention.”
I sighed, relaxing my posture.
“But you have it now.”
The guildhall stood silent. For all the worries and fretting of my high chancellor, these workers all of a sudden seemed very reluctant to speak, now that I had crossed the distance between their humble village and my throne room.
Someone asked: “Lord Craven, is it true?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is what true?”
“That there’s a human in your castle.”
The entire assembly broke into murmurs, and I groaned. Every eye in the place was on me; I slid my hardened gaze across the packed chamber.
“Yes,” I finally responded. “A human is here.”
Murmurs rose from the crowd. It was not the first time I’d needed to embrace this conversation, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. I couldn’t help but be annoyed, wondering to myself: how many more times are enough?
But I saw an opening, and continued. “There is a human girl in Stonehold Castle. She is in grave danger, and I
must attend to her shortly. I left her side to come here, to speak to all of you.”
That got their attention.
“So, when I have such delicate matters on my mind, you might understand my vast annoyance at being called here over a worker’s strike, more so when none of you seem willing to–”
“My Lord, you have it wrong.”
I turned to confront the voice; it was Pavric.
“Then explain it to me, because my patience is being tested.” My arms folded over my chest. “The chancellor tells me that our chrysm production dwindles. He tells me that none of you will allow outsiders anywhere near the Dawning Mines.” With mounting anger, I slightly tilted my head. “So, somebody please enlighten me… what the hell is going on out here?”
The others remained silent. Pavric looked like he regretted drawing my attention, and for damn good reason.
“There is a beast,” the elder spoke up.
“A beast?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Yes, my Lord. Something terrible haunts us. It has appeared in the mines, slaughtering some of our finest workers from the thickest shadows. The darkness below conceals the creature, and it comes for us when we dig.”
“You have magical barriers in place.”
“For the outside, yes. But the beast came from inside the mountains. It came during a routine excavation… it was already here in the mines.”
I was intrigued. “Tell me more.”
The elder solemnly averted his troubled gaze. “None of us have seen it and lived, Lord Craven. We can only hear the hideous noises, both when it hunts and when it… eats.”
I tilted my head. It’s not unheard of for an apex predator to appear in the untamed wilds, but… from beneath the ground?
“How long has it been here?”
“A few weeks,” Pavric explained. “At first, we didn’t realize it was anything out of the ordinary. The creature slowly began picking us off, never more than one of us at a time. But success seems to have made the beast bolder. It strikes far more often now, without mercy or warning. We cannot mine for more than a few hours, day or night, before it comes for us.”
“How many have died?”
The elder sighed. “This is all who are left.”
I glanced around the room in total disbelief. “The Dawning Mines are the largest subterranean operation in the entire hold… possibly the world. There should be just shy of a hundred vampires on these premises alone!” I closed the distance to the elder, looking him dead in the eyes. “Are you telling me that this creature has taken over half of your people?”
He blinked his gaze away. “Yes.”
My disbelief evaporated, leaving only stunned silence in its wake. I walked away and put a palm against a support beam. “Fifty vampires… dead?”
“More,” he sullenly clarified. “Sadly, my Lord, we can never reclaim the bodies to confirm. It’s likely at least several of the missing miners are deserters, seeing their opportunity to escape the work. But for the most part, I’m of the inclination that the rampant beast has killed possibly sixty or seventy vampires altogether.”
“That’s unprecedented,” I muttered.
“It is. It’s also a tragedy and a disaster. We just can’t safely continue operations with something like that lurking in the dark.”
“No,” I agreed. “Nor could I expect you to. But the world has grown reliant on the vast chrysm stores buried in these mines. The harvest cannot be allowed to stop.”
“Of course not,” the elder replied. “But Lord Craven, what would you have us do? It thins our numbers ever more by the day. It’s only a matter of time before it comes for the village. After another two weeks of this, I fear there will be nobody in the hold to mine these caverns for you.”
“Simple. Fetch me the best weapons you have, and prepare to make up for the production losses. In the meantime, I need every available detail you have on this creature.”
“You intend to drive it away?”
“If what you’re telling me is true, then this insolent beast has killed half the workforce on my chrysm mines. There is no ‘driving it away.’ It’s tasted blood and developed a lust for massacre.” Filled with wrathful ferocity, I vehemently stared down the elder guildsman. “It’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. This creature threatens to upset the world’s balance in ways anarchists could only dream of. Given the danger, there’s only one proper choice left before me…”
“And what is that, my Lord?”
I could feel my expression darkening. “I must descend below the surface and destroy it.”
6
Elliott
Beneath the earth, day and night meant nothing.
My guards came armed for combat, but there was a difference between fighting other vampires and fending off a magical creature.
Luckily, the miners were proactive enough to start stockpiling any available combat gear once they confirmed the beast’s presence. There was no telling what I’d face down below, but one look at their sword selection told me that the mystery creature held all the advantages.
But beggars can’t be choosers; the weapons on hand were still more fitted to the task than what my guards had arrived with in camp. I wasted no time in securing them better weaponry. With my approval, they checked the weights and dexterity of various axes and swords axes before settling on whatever felt most comfortable.
Meanwhile, I suited myself in the best-fitting armor the miners could dig up for me. I’d arrived without a weapon; from their disappointing load, considering the close quarters of possibly fighting in a mine, I chose a bladed quarterstaff.
Pavric and the elder greeted us as we left the improvised barracks in the back of the village. In the intervening time, the sun was but a memory. Darkness had long since descended, and the stars were out to paint the sky in their twinkling glory.
“My Lord, are you certain it’s wise to go now?” The elder spoke in a hushed tone. “Why not take the night and send for reinforcements?”
“You said it yourself: the creature could come out from the mines at any moment. After all these centuries of continuous mining, it certainly didn’t live there before.” I gave Pavric an appraising look as we walked towards the digging transport. “What else do you know of the beast?”
“The elder could tell you more,” he noted with a glum look. “Personally, I’ve no experience with the creature myself.”
I paused. “You told me you’re a master miner. I was under the impression that you had to work in the mines with the others to hold the title.”
The elder barked loudly. “Hah! Did he now?” He cut me a dour glance. “The title was inherited.”
“Inherited?” My eyes narrowed on Pavric. “Do not make a mockery of tradition in my presence. How many years did you spend working below, in the mines?”
My guide was sheepish. “Lord Craven, my role was always a lot more… administrative.”
I scoffed. “Typical. Just typical.”
I turned to the elder. “Fine. If you know more, then tell me more. How do I lure the beast? What do I need to do to face it?”
“It responds to vampires,” he observed coolly. “It never takes more than a few hours to attack when it senses one, so baiting isn’t necessary.”
“I don’t expect to wait very long, then.”
“Why’s that?”
“My physiology. A vampire lord is much more than an inherited title,” I cast a meaningful glance in Pavric’s direction, and he cowered. “My blood is more magically attuned than standard vampires. If the creature senses through magical intuition, then my presence should be a beacon in the dark.”
The elder merely nodded. “I suppose I’m not terribly surprised, then. Perhaps it is best for you to descend tonight after all. If you stayed in the village until dawn, you might draw the creature out to slaughter half the village in their sleep.”
Pavric visibly paled.
Puttering with smoky exhaust out the top vents, the freight elevator
groaned as it slowly lowered my troop into the mines.
“Lord Craven, why not use the digger?” Pavric was the only miner’s guild member to volunteer for the mission; the look on his face betrayed that he’d come to regret that. “We could have driven down there in safety with a quick exit…”
My eyes narrowed. “How often is that piece of equipment used in operations?”
“It’s the first thing we send out.”
“That’s why,” I replied coolly. “Not only does the machine rob me of the element of surprise, but the creature can hear that machine’s footprint from half an hour out. Perhaps it’s gotten sloppy, and we might get the jump on it. Besides…”
Taking a step forward, I scrutinized our ride down. Compared to this ramshackle husk, I was the epitome of youth. With little more than a ceiling and a floor, the elevator was a shuddering, metallic skeleton of a thing, and came from a time long before widespread chrysm use.
“My Lord?”
I snapped back to reality and turned to Pavric. “This beast, whatever it is, has encroached on our mines. It is the intruder, not us. I refuse to face it at the entrance like a sniveling, begging child – no, I will face it in the heart of its lair.”
For a moment, I saw something flash across his eyes. It was either respect or mockery.
“You’re nothing like what I thought you’d be, Lord Craven. I think I disagree with the elder. You make quite a different vampire lord from the one who came before.”
“Power casts a strong shadow. As time passes, that power interweaves with those who wield it well. They become inseparable, and their shadows become one; their might cloaks all in their reach. But power can never last. When the time comes for it to change hands, all else is meaningless until the new steps out from the shadow of the old.”
Pavric was curiously thoughtful.
“That’s what you intend to do?”
The elevator lurched to a stop; the basic rails groaned apart, and the shining mine of glowing, blood red chrysm ore awaited us.
