Loyalty

by Charles E Yallowitz

  Putting his swords down, Titus is about to inspect the suspicious gift when he notices that the door is still ajar. He only makes it one step closer before it is flung open and Stephanie saunters inside to take a seat on the floor. A sheer dress sticks to her body and her tail stretches to curl around her own neck like a furry necklace. She waves to a shadowy figure in the hallway, which turns out to be Decker in his dented armor. Nodding to his friends, the dwarf closes the door and remains standing at attention with his hands behind his back. He does his best to ignore the fiery glares he gets from the two men, his orders only to protect Stephanie and make sure the Vengeance Hounds have not been turned into Dawn Fangs. Seeing that the ritualist is hungrily eyeing Bob, Decker clears his throat and takes a step closer to get her attention.

  “What’s all the racket?” Luther asks as he comes out of his bedroom. The forest tracker stretches his arms and yawns wide enough to expose his fangs. “Sorry if I interrupted. The trip from Chastity’s tavern to here was kind of rough on my injuries. Feels like I’ve been hanging from a dungeon and tortured for days, but that’s to be expected. Those new holy spells are a nightmare. Do we have anything to eat?”

  “We came with gifts,” Stephanie replies, a clawed hand gesturing to the crate. She darts forward to intercept Luther and sniffs at his neck before settling onto the couch. “Nothing strange about you. Then again, I don’t know what I’m looking for. I assume the traces of Chastity on your skin means you indulged in her. Don’t look away, Mr. Grathan, since we all have those types of urges. Now, I’ve been sent here to ask you a few questions. Decker is my bodyguard since this could get messy.”

  “For the last time, they aren’t Dawn Fangs and have no intention of starting a fight,” the dwarf mutters, his patience running thin. Seeing a flicker of anger in Titus’s eyes, he drops his hand to his axe and shifts into a more comfortable stance. “Whatever you think you know, it’s not the whole truth. I did tell Lord Tempest about Chastity because he wanted to talk to a Dawn Fang. She was the best choice since she became one willingly and is less aggressive than Clyde and Mab. I saw no way for him to get Gregorio here either. While I’ve not seen her, I’ve been told that she’s being treated like an honored guest. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Except for the torture and imprisonment, but I sense that at least one of you know about that already,” the calico gleefully interjects. Leaping across the room, she lands on Decker’s shoulders and caresses his cheek. “Don’t get angry or look surprised. In Kai’s defense, he’s a sadist and she wasn’t playing nice with him. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about the one we have. Do any of you know where Clyde and Mab have gone? All of my spells are showing the council, which isn’t good. Have they turned on Nyte or been captured?”

  Titus snaps off the top of a bottle and pours the blood into his mouth before aiming one of his swords at the ritualist. “We’ve heard enough from both of you. The answer to all of your questions is to go jump into the Chaos Void and kiss a demon’s crotch. Nobody tortures one of my friends and then expects to be greeted warmly. Leave and tell Lord Tempest that we’re going to be returning to the castle for some answers. He best have them considering everything the Vengeance Hounds have done on his behalf. If he’s silent then Clyde will be the least of his problems.”

  “Yeah, we’ll run horses through the entire castle,” Bob declares with a mad grin. He ducks to avoid Luther’s smack and jumps to perch on a shelf above the door. “What I mean is that we don’t have to stay here. All three of us have lost friends to this war, which we could have easily walked away from. Like Titus said, Xavier owes us an explanation if he wants us to stay on the frontlines.”

  “As if we’ll let you waltz through the front door without my-” Stephanie begins to say before she is shaken off her seat.

  “They’re allowed to return to the castle,” Decker insists while pulling a scroll out of his pocket. Showing it to his companion, he watches her grab it and tear it to pieces. “Our orders were to find out if you three were Dawn Fangs and knew where Clyde has gone. There is concern that the council has him, but we understand why you would keep his and Mab’s location a secret. Although, it’s equally likely that you wouldn’t know since they weren’t in the Scrumptious Siren when Lou arrived for Chastity. Personally, Mistress Talon, I think these three are neither friend nor enemy right now. The castle is open to the Vengeance Hounds, but you will have restricted access instead of free reign. At least until Lord Tempest gets to meet with you.”

  “We can’t leave when we just got here.”

  “Pushing this any further would cause a fight.”

  “Lady Nadia will not be pleased.”

  “She will be even more annoyed if we let things escalate.”

  “Fine, but you tell her that I was against this.”

  “Very well. Sorry about the intrusion, Winthrop and friends.”

  The three men watch as Decker carries Stephanie out of the room, the door momentarily getting stuck on Bob’s dangling leg. Before anyone can speak, Luther holds up his hand and rushes back to his room. He returns a minute later and waves for the window to be closed before lighting a bag of herbs on fire. Sweet-scented smoke pours from the fist-sized bundle and drifts to a corner of the ceiling. A circle of crimson runes that resemble various configurations of fangs appears and a pair of tufted ears sprout from the center. Luther guides Titus to stand below the scrying spell and climbs the towering warrior, who remains as still as possible. Taking a small packet out of his boot, the forest tracker spits into the powder and rubs it together to create a paste that he smears over the symbols. Dropping to the floor, he grabs the crate of blood bottles and casually throws them out the open window.

  “Time is up, old friends. What is our decision?” Luther asks, his words hanging in the air like invisible daggers.

  14

  Mab stops beneath the curved entrance to Nyte and pulls the ratty night cloak further over her face. Stepping aside to let a wagon full of unconscious fresh meals through, she cannot shake the feeling that the city is quieter than it should be. All of the sounds are familiar, but her keen senses pick up a stiffness to every citizens’ step. Conversations cover nothing more than casual topics instead of the Duragian attack and the fear-fueled scenarios people would imagine after such an event. Getting a brief glimpse of the castle, she can barely make out flames against the wall and catches the scent of burning flesh when the wind shifts in her direction. Changing from the cloak to her jacket, Mab does a quick count of the guards in case the situation is worse than she or Clyde imagined. None of the armored vampires move as she enters the city, but there is an immediate wave of tension that hits her like an avalanche. Sniffing at the air and scanning the rooftops, the burglar continues walking and fights the urge to grow her claws. Thinking she needs an escape route, her eyes pick out a handful of alleys that have clear entrances and are within sprinting distance.

  A series of echoing booms forces Mab to stop and she looks to the sky where glowing orbs are arcing towards her. She takes a moment to gauge their direction before rushing forward and diving to the side, the solid spells embedding themselves in the street. Instead of exploding, the strange globes emit rapid bursts of light that erase all of the surrounding shadows, including her own. Citizens scream and run into the buildings, none of them realizing that the orbs are devoid of holy magic. As the locals abandon the street, armored guards rush from around every corner and archers leap out of the alleys to land on the rooftops. The vampire warriors aim their weapons at Mab, who starts to carefully put her hands over her head. The idea of killing those who might be following someone’s misguided orders turns her stomach, but the insistent voices in her head scream to see blood. They are silenced by a loud thud that shakes Nyte, the heavy gates having slammed into place to prevent a retreat.

  Falling to her knees, the Dawn Fang lets the soldiers get closer and watches as the front line lowers their weapons. Pushing up on her toes, Mab rushes into the wa
rriors and uses them for cover from the archers. She aims for legs and arms to cripple her enemies while arrows rain down on the tightly packed vampires. Thinking that the projectiles are poisoned, she slams into an orc and lifts him over her head as if the large man is a shield. Her muscles strain as she hurls the screeching swordsman at a group of archers, the flailing body knocking all of the smaller guards down. Knowing that staying still for too long can get her captured or killed, Mab depends on her speed and reflexes to fluidly move around the street. While lacking Clyde’s brute strength, she is still able to send people flying with her kicks and repeatedly tries to dive into one of her enemies’ shadows. Every attempt is met with failure when the orbs embedded in the cobblestones release a pulse to erase her escape. Frustration begins to settle into her mind, which results in her becoming less cautious and delivering wounds that are nearly fatal. Heads are nearly lopped off and hearts are left dangling out of chests, the brutality causing the soldiers to begin a cautious retreat.

  The victory is short-lived when Mab realizes that the thinning crowd means she is now exposed to the archers. Arrows bounce off the stones as she runs in random directions and tries to think of a plan. Passing over one of the orbs, she feels an uncomfortable pull on her body and flashes a wicked smirk as she circles back. She drives her claws into the solidified spell and yanks it from the stone, which releases a wave of sweltering heat. Without a second thought, Mab hurls it at a squad of archers and ducks as the globe explodes in a blast of light. She watches the blinded soldiers stumble around, but they recover within seconds. Deciding that it is better than nothing, the burglar races through the street to throw the rest of the orbs and try to eliminate the shadow-cancelling light. It is not until a few minutes have passed that she realizes the spells are regenerating, so she throws a final globe before concentrating on avoiding the endless barrages of arrows.

  A sharp whistle causes Mab to roll her eyes and turn to face her newest problem, which is a vampiric ogre in platemail. Leading the guards down the street, the creature raises two clubs over its head and slams them into the ground. Even from a distance, its bellowing roar reveals its horrific breath, which makes the burglar a little light-headed and queasy. Instead of backing away, Mab waves for the ogre to move faster while gracefully knocking incoming arrows out of the air. She cringes at the way they cut her hands and legs, but focuses on healing the wounds before her enemies can see that she is getting hurt. The display is enough to give pause to the injured soldiers while the rest follow their new leader to what they assume will be an easy victory. Once the horned vampire gets within reach of the Dawn Fang, the archers stop their attacks and take seats on the eaves. Filled with pride and confidence, the guards begin shouting bets about how long it will take for the ogre to rip the slender woman to shreds.

  Clawed hands behind her back, Mab casually sidesteps the first blow and flips away from the second. She whistles her favorite song while avoiding the lumbering vampire’s attacks, which leave crumbling dents in the street. At the sight of the insulting display, the archers stand and prepare to fire, but they stop when the ogre rushes a building and flips it over. Facing the smiling burglar, the armored creature pushes blood into its legs and increases its speed. The enhancement is still not enough to equal Mab’s power, the burglar slowing down enough to play with her new toy. Needing to draw her enemy closer, she begins blocking the clubs with kicks that crack the enchanted wood. When the ogre throws back its arms and tries to smash her between his weapons, she darts forward and uses her claws to make a neat, bleeding gash up his well-protected torso. Tearing the broken armor from the warrior’s shuddering body, Mab stays close and ignores the bone-crunching blows that hit her in the side. Jamming her hands into the larger vampire’s wound, she leaps into his body and disappears into the shadows while the orbs desperately go off in vain. The other guards stare in horror as the ogre appears to implode, his innards getting pulled into the void before the rest of him.

  “This is so disgusting,” Mab complains as she drifts through the darkness. Covered in blood and guts, she gets as much of the ichor off as possible and casts it away to distract the nearby monsters. “The stench means sneaking around the castle is out unless I can get to a place where this won’t be noticed. The dungeon sounds about right and maybe I can find some water to wash up. Really wish I had a change of clothes or something to clean up with. To any of you who understand Tradespeak, we’re going to make some rules about me keeping a few necessities in here. At least until I can find a way to grab things from afar, which is definitely high on the priority list. Here we go. Just need to find a vacant cell and . . . why are there bright colors in this one?”

  Mab comes out beneath a cot that has been covered in a pink dust ruffle, which hides her from view. Squeezing into the narrow space between the bed and the floor, the burglar listens to nearby footsteps that abruptly stop. Rapid sniffing is followed by a gargled noise, the prisoner having picked up on the foul stench. Not wanting to be found, Mab remains completely still and tries to figure out how she can get to the door without being seen. Sticking her head back into the shadows, she sees that a swarm of serpentine beasts are devouring her trail of organs and creating a sea of teeth that she prefers not to deal with. She is about to slip out from under the cot when a flood of warm, perfumed water hits her from the side. Gasping and sputtering in surprise, she scrambles into the open and is about to attack when she sees Chastity holding a dripping basin in her hands. Mab remains poised to strike, the lingering temptation to hit her rival overriding her sense of urgency. She finally backs down when she notices that the other Dawn Fang’s dress is shredded and her hair has been roughly cut to shoulder length. The luxurious tresses are piled in a corner where a family of mice have already made a home.

  “Mind being my savior?” Chastity asks with a crooked smile. Pulling her remaining shoulder strap back into place, she takes a seat on a cushioned chair. “Kai wanted me to be comfortable while they asked me questions. Didn’t make the torture any better. Not that I cared until they went for my hair. Going to take a lot of carefully chosen blood and about a week of hiding to get all of that back. Probably too much to hope that you’re here specifically to save me, but I’d really like to go back to my business now.”

  “Yeah, that style looks really ugly on you,” Mab says, unable to stop herself from making a verbal jab. Taking off her jacket, she hands it to Chastity and turns away before she changes her mind. “Protect that with your life and I’ll get you out of here. I think. The plan was to talk to Xavier, but I get the sense that he isn’t in the mood. Although, it could be that Nadia is behind this or maybe even Kai is working alone. Nothing makes sense now that we discovered the Duragian and council alliance was a lie. Before you ask, Clyde is taking care of the nobles, so we’re not going to get any help from him.”

  “Oh, I’m fine with that,” the voluptuous vampire admits while sniffing at the jacket’s wide collar. Skipping over to the door, she hits it with her hip and sends it crashing into the far wall. “I only wanted to see if I could get more information from them while they pumped me. Not in a fun way either. I don’t see a reason to stay any longer if you’re going to cause trouble. Best for us Dawn Fangs to stick together.”

  “You could have escaped this whole time?”

  “Of course, but I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about me.”

  “Gods forbid, you’re seen as self-reliant.”

  “Like anybody will want to chain me up if they know I can break out without any effort.”

  “I’ve got to stop giving you openings to . . . Oh, that thought wouldn’t end well either.”

  “You really need to do something about your repression.”

  “Not the time, Chastity.”

  “Just remember that the next time you and Clyde have some alone time.”

  Blushing and growling, Mab shoves Chastity into the hallway, but they stop at the sight of the other prisoners. All of them are dead, their charred
corpses stuck to the bars, which still crackle with lightning. Scraps of clothing are on the floor, the singed edges smoldering as if ready to ignite again. Carefully making their way to the stairwell, they begin to notice the melting bodies of vermin and insects gathered around the cells. By the time the Dawn Fangs reach the door, they find themselves unnerved and anxious to escape the crushing atmosphere of death.

  *****

  Darting from shadow to shadow, Mab and Chastity find that every way out of the city has been blocked by guards. Peeking out a tower window, they can see that the streets are packed with warriors and every rooftop is manned by archers. Vampirized giants are stationed outside of Nyte, the enormous creatures nothing more than featureless silhouettes rising above the distant forests. Knowing that she would have to emerge in front of the deadly beasts, Mab forgets traveling through the shadows and leads her companion through the hallways. She swears that the place has changed since her last visit and repeatedly finds illusions designed to trick them into wandering in a circle. The few guards they encounter are charmed and sent away by Chastity’s pheromone mist, but the women can tell that everyone has been enchanted to gradually resist such powers. Unable to rest and risk discovery, the pair stay on the move and frantically search for any exit that is not heavily protected by warriors or magical traps. Hours pass with no success and they are about to try their luck with a frontal assault when two hands grab their faces and yank them into an empty guest room.