by Toni Cox
“I do not like this,” Archer said.
“Let us proceed with caution. There are Vampyres in the city; we just need to find them.”
On foot, they made their way through the forsaken streets. Arrows, broken weapons, baskets, clothes, and all manner of things littered the narrow passages between the houses. Broken windows and splintered doors adorned every home. The smell of death hung over the streets and the whitewashed walls of the houses were splattered in blood where the rain had not been able to wash it away.
Jaik knew the city well. Each street formed a semi-circle around the citadel, which was built into the cliff face. He knew there to be twenty-three rows of streets, each connected to the next semi-circle by a series of passageways. The distance from the outer wall to the citadel measured roughly half a mile as the crow flies, but the way through the streets was considerably longer.
Their progress was slower than he would have liked, but he was taking no chances. In the maze of the streets, they could easily fall prey to an ambush. Yet, as they went deeper and deeper into the city, they encountered no resistance. On occasion, they would come upon a slain Vampyre, crows already picking at its rancid flesh. The signs of struggle were everywhere.
“Jaik, listen,” Munnar suddenly whispered.
They all stopped and strained their ears. Without the sound of their footfalls, they could now hear sounds, not far away. They were now only two streets down from the citadel, the residence of Lord Tallson and his family. Silently they moved along the next passageway and into the last street before the citadel. The sounds were louder now. Keeping close to the walls, they crept along, following the noise.
“There,” Archer said, pointing towards what looked like a trading store.
The store was positioned directly opposite the entrance to the citadel. The building was large and it was dark inside, so Jaik was unable to tell how many Vampyres occupied it. From where they stood, they were only able to see the eight Vampyres who stood guard by the citadel’s gate, as well as the four Vampyres pacing back and forth in front of the store. It was clear from the sounds coming from the building that more Vampyres were inside.
Jaik and his men were well hidden behind a low wall, but if they were to attack the Vampyres, they would have to step out into the open. They would lose the element of surprise. He frantically thought about the passages that led into this street, but could not think of another approach. Without knowing the exact number of Vampyres in the building, it would be foolish to attempt an attack. They needed to find another way.
Suddenly there was the soft sound of wings and Jaik had only a moment to react and to raise his arm, before the hawk landed on his gloved fist. The bird cocked its head and looked at him with dark eyes.
“It is carrying a message,” Archer pointed to the tiny scroll fastened to the raptor’s leg.
Carefully Jaik undid the string that held the scroll. Once the paper was loose, the bird took to the air again and was soon out of sight. Quickly Jaik unrolled the small piece of paper and read. He smiled.
“The Mother favours us this day,” he said. “Lord Tallson and the rest of the city have taken refuge within the citadel. They took heavy losses during the fighting and only half his Guard remains. They are out of arrows and most of their warriors are injured.”
Archer frowned at him. “That does not sound like the Mother favours us.”
“Aye, but Lord Tallson also said there are only about thirty Vampyres left. They are all within that building. They appear to be out of arrows too and are not accompanied by Werewolves. We are almost evenly matched. Aari, go back and fetch Herrod,” he ordered. “Once they join us, we attack.”
Jaik took the time to study the layout of the street and its buildings while they waited for Herrod and his men to arrive. This street was wider than almost all the rest of the streets of the city. It was the main trading street, lined with shops, stalls, and warehouses. On a normal day, the street would be bustling with people, flitting from stall to stall, going about their business. The entrance to the citadel was always open. Visitors were always welcome, and he had never seen the gates closed, nor ever noticed that they were made, not out of wood, but stone. It looked almost like quartz, but he could not be sure. Sunlight sparkled off the doors as if it were studded with diamonds.
The street was cobbled with stones, smooth from millennia of feet passing over them. Last night’s heavy storm had left them slippery and half of the path was still covered in water. But, even as he watched, the water slowly drained away, flowing down channels along the side of the road and then down into the ground. He knew from previous visits that Tarron Heights had an extensive underground drainage system that managed, not only the rainwater, but also their waste. He wished he knew more about it, considering for a moment that it might be used as an escape route for the people of Tarron Heights. Then, he dismissed the idea. If it were possible for the people to leave the citadel by any other means than the main gate, surely they would have made use of that option by now.
As afternoon turned to evening, the street became dark. The Vampyres did not light any lanterns, nor did Jaik see any light from the citadel. The moons were hidden behind a thin cloud cover and it was starting to drizzle again. He did not mind fighting in the dark, nor the rain. Herrod and his men had arrived and it was time to make their move. He gave the signal; they all knew what to do.
Silently, Jaik and Archer crossed the street about two hundred strides from the trading store. There were no stalls on this side of the street; only the high wall that surrounded the citadel. The wall was too high to jump on to, but Archer shot an arrow with a hook and rope attached to it over the wall, hoping it would catch on something on the other side. It struck something, making a dull clanging sound and they both cringed, hoping the Vampyres had not heard. After a moment, they yanked on the rope until it was taut and then quickly climbed the wall.
Once balancing on the narrow precipice, Jaik took a moment to look across the street. In the darkness, he could barely see the other eight men he had sent to climb the roofs of the buildings opposite. They were all up and stealthily moving along the rooftops towards the trading store. He nodded to Archer and they moved along the wall. Then they were in position. He heard an owl hoot to his left and he knew that the rest of his men had also made their way to their stations. It was time.
Suddenly, the deathly swish of arrows filled the air. Jaik and Archer had fired at the same time, taking out the four Vampyres guarding the storefront. His eight archers on the rooftop had loosened their arrows at precisely the same moment and the eight Vampyres that had been patrolling the citadel gate now lay dead and silent.
He heard a commotion from within the trading store, but it was too late. The rest of his men moved in from either side of the street and stormed the entrance to the store. Jaik and Archer abseiled from the wall, while the others climbed off the rooftop. Quickly they entered as well and now the silence of the night was broken by the sounds of swords clashing and Vampyres screaming.
All in all, there had been nineteen more Vampyres in the store. They had been at rest, not expecting an attack, their weapons resting against the wall. It was over within minutes, the Vampyres slain, lying in pools of their own blood.
“Jaik, look,” Archer said, pointing to the far wall.
Besides them, one of the Sentinels retched.
“There must be at least ten of them in here,” Jaik replied in horror.
“Looks like they drained them and then ate their hearts and livers first.” Glark observed, kneeling next to one of the dismembered Elves stacked in the corner.
“There is nothing we can do for them now,” Jaik said. “Let us free Lord Tallson. He will be able to give these poor souls the burials they deserve.”
Feeling nauseated, they made their way across the street. Jaik had seen victims of Vampyre attacks before, but to see them so meticulously dissected for their parts was unsettling to say the least. He wished he could erase the si
ght from his memory.
The thought that their entire country might fall victim to a similar fate frightened him. He wondered how his father was faring. Had the Vampyre army breached Greystone? He was glad he had been able to help here, but at the same time, he cursed the fact that he was not there to lend his strength to Grildor’s forces at the Gate. Suddenly, intense worry beset him. He had been gone for two days. For all he knew, Grildor could have already fallen.
“Lord Tallson,” he shouted up at the solid stone gate. “It is safe. You may open the gate.”
For a few minutes, nothing happened, but Jaik had the distinct feeling that they were being watched. Then, with a dull grating sound, the two halves of the heavy gate were dragged open. Lord Tallson, followed by what was left of his Guard, stepped through to greet them.
“Jaik.” Cinaed Tallson embraced him with relief, then remembered whom he was addressing. “My Lord, we cannot thank you enough for what you have done.”
“I am only sorry we could not have been here earlier.”
“Up until a few hours ago, there were about two hundred Vampyres at our gate,” Lord Tallson said. “Had you come earlier, you would have been outnumbered.”
“What happened here?”
“The Vampyres laid siege to our city a few Quarters back. Most of our Legion and Regiments and whomever else we could spare had already left for Greystone, so we locked all the gates and defended the city as best we could. It seemed a fairly simple thing to do. We had the Guard, most of the Night Watch and the Sentinels. We were about evenly matched and we held them off with very few casualties. Then, four nights ago, a small group of Vampyres arrived from the east. It was not long before they had set up some kind of device by one of our outer gates. The thing exploded with such force that it blew a sizeable whole into the wall and the city was breached. The Vampyres stormed us. My men fought bravely, but they were no match for the vile creatures and their hounds.”
“Aye, we know how difficult it is to fight them.”
“We retreated to the citadel, hoping that its thick walls would be able to withstand a blast such as they had used on the outer wall. The Vampyres surrounded the citadel for three days, firing burning arrows over the wall. We retaliated as best we could, but eventually ran out of ammunition. All we could do was wait it out.”
“So where did the rest of them go?” Jaik wanted to know.
“They left just before noon today, marching towards the dark forest. Only these thirty or so were left behind to guard the gate. I have too many sick and injured inside to have risked an attack. Then I saw you in the street and I knew our messenger had gotten through.”
“Do you have medicine to see to your injured?”
“Yes, now that we have access to the city again, we will be fine.”
“Cinaed,” Jaik said, using his first name, as they were not only allies, but also friends, “there are some of your men within that trading store that will require a burial. Send only your strongest in there to see to them, they have been badly mutilated. I am sorry, my friend.”
“Thank you, Jaik. We will rebuild the wall and secure the city as best we can. Has there been much fighting elsewhere?”
“We were riding for Greystone when we came across your messenger. We believed there to be an imminent attack. I do not know what has happened in the meantime, so we will not stay. Our horses had a few hours’ rest while we were in the city and they should be strong enough to carry on. We will follow the trail left by the retreating Vampyres. I have a feeling that, if they moved off towards the dark forest, then they were probably being recalled to the main fight.”
“Aye, we will give you what provisions we can. Please send my regards to your father. May the Mother ride with you.”
After some quick refreshments, some food for their horses and a brief farewell, Jaik led his men away from Tarron Heights. His anxiety was growing. Two days had passed since they had left. Two days in which the Vampyres could have killed everyone he loved. He knew it was madness to ride through the night yet again, but this time they were following the Vampyres’ trail and they seemed to be sticking to the main Trade Route for the time being. Even once they reached the edge of the dark forest, the Vampyres had not entered it, but had chosen to stick to the Trade Route. It seemed speed was more important to them now than stealth.
Something was happening at Greystone and he needed to get back there with haste. He had a bad feeling and the longer he thought about it, the more worried he became. Tired as he was, he kept seeing visions of Maia lying on the ground, bleeding. Midnight downed, riddled with arrows. His father dead and the armies decimated.
Like a madman, he drove his men and horses to even greater speed, yet deep down he knew he was already too late.
It was getting dark by the time they reached the outskirts of Shadow Hall. They had travelled most of the way through the forest, but the storm had been such that, even sheltered by the canopy of trees above, they had all been soaked through to the skin.
Rothea did not mind so much. She was wearing her leather uniform and armour, which was keeping her warm. Her prisoners, however, had been stripped of what armour they had been wearing and were huddled, cold and miserable, on their horses when they finally reached the city.
“Halt. Who goes there?” The Night Watch challenged her as she led her sorry group onto The Axis.
“It is I, Rothea Goodheart of the Regiment,” she replied. “I am here on orders of Princess Maia, delivering traitors to the dungeons.”
The Night Watch gathered what men they could spare and helped her escort the prisoners to the dungeons beneath the Hall of the Guardians. She felt no pity for the men as she ordered them into the damp cells. She had seen first hand what the Vampyres were capable of and, after hearing what they had planned, she was sickened to think that these men would condone such atrocities. She did not spare them another look once the last key was turned.
Her focus now was to get back to Maia. She had lost precious hours riding back to Shadow Hall and she would have to ride through the night just to reach Greystone. She had to hurry.
“Rothea.”
She turned to look who had spoken.
“Aaron, what are you doing here?”
“Word has spread that you rode in with prisoners. Is Maia all right?”
“I left her a few hours ago. She was all right then, but I fear they might have been riding into danger. I need to get back there with haste.”
Thunder cracked overhead and all other sound was drowned out for a moment.
“Let us get out of this weather so we can talk,” Aaron said. “I want to come with you.”
Aaron led the way back into the Hall of the Guardians. Some of the Night Watch was still inside, receiving their orders as to guarding the prisoners. They ignored them and went to stand in a quiet corner.
“Aaron, you cannot come with me. It is madness.”
“Just as mad as it is to ride to the Gate in this weather. The storm is gathering and it will get worse before it gets better.”
“I do not have the luxury of time. If I leave now, I might still be in time to help.”
“Rothea, even if the weather was good, it would take you at least six hours or more to reach it. Even that would only be possible with a fresh horse. I am just as anxious as you are but, in this weather, you might never reach Greystone at all. Rest yourself and your horse and we can ride together once the storm lets up.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. What he was saying made sense, but it did not change what she felt. After hearing what the Vampyres had planned, their armies could use every bit of help they could get. She wondered where Maia was now. Had she reached her father and had she updated him on everything they had learned? Last she knew, the armies were scattered all over Grildor. For them to be able to have any chance against the main force of the Vampyres, Grildor’s forces would have to come together.
“How many fighting men have you here at Shadow Hall?” she asked Aaron.
>
“I am not sure. Half the Night Watch and most of the Sentinels are still here, but they have been tasked to defend the city.”
“The city is not in danger any more,” she replied. “We have learned that the Vampyre’s main aim is to take out our armies and kill our Elementals.”
“Kill Maia, you mean?”
“Yes, they seem to be aware of what she is to us and the danger she can pose to them. When Shadow Hall was attacked, their motive had only been to kill Maia.”
“I see now why you want to leave immediately,” Aaron mused. “The need would outweigh the risks. How can I help?”
“Find whoever has been left in charge of the Night Watch and the Sentinels. Let us assemble as many as we can and only leave a small force to guard the city. I will talk to the Horse Masters. There are no more horses at the stables, but the brood mares are on the Grazing Grounds. We will need them if we are to reach Greystone before morning. Go now. Make haste. I will meet you back here within the hour.”
Rothea and Aaron rushed out of the door together. But while he turned right and towards the city, she headed through the Silver Forest and on over the rise to the Grazing Grounds. All around her, the storm raged; cold rain pelted her face, leaves and branches twirled through the air and lightning kept illuminating her surroundings, casting the trees into bizarre creations. She had seen many storms in her lifetime, just never during this time of year. She wondered if it was a bad omen.
Cold, hungry, and tired beyond words, she eventually arrived back at the Hall of the Guardians, almost fifty horses in tow. Five Horse Masters had agreed to accompany her. She was glad to see that Aaron had done his job. The remaining Night Watch and Sentinels were assembled and ready to march. Aaron was wearing an assortment of battle gear and armour, no doubt borrowed from the Armoury, but his sword hung from his belt and a crossbow was slung over his shoulder. He looked ready for battle. Wolf, tail wagging, was waiting patiently by Aaron’s feet. She was not sure if she was doing the right thing by allowing them to come along, but she doubted she would be able to stop them.
