Okay disclaimer: I don't own warhammer games workshop does and unless they give it to me for my birthday it will remain so.
Baron Otto von Hetzau sat anxiously on his chair on its raised dais. The Grand master of the Knights of the Bloodied Lance stood to his right a trusted if somewhat withdrawn advisor, leaned in "Baron the Stranger is in the hall." The Baron marveled at his advisors keen hearing and soon sure enough he heard the footfalls of armoured feet on the stone floor outside the door.
The doors swung wide open, and in walked four state swordsmen of the barons personal guard and a stranger in plate armour of blood red and swathed in a cloak of blackest silk. Instantly the stranger approached the dais and bowed. The stranger then straightened and removed his helm to reveal an angular face with skin the palour of snow and eyes the colour of blood all such features were lost on the baron as the stranger smiled and revealed two large fangs. Otto hissed and sat straighter in his high backed chair "Vampire……" and yet no one moved to intervene not a single blade was drawn the four guards had simply collapsed. "What have you done to my men?" Otto hissed at the vampire. The creature laughed "They are merely sleeping…. My lord." It chuckled at the address "I am Sir Wallach of Blood Keep, at least I was before it was destroyed." At this Otto's Advisor stepped forward "It rises again my lord." Kneeling before the vampire the knight raised his head the last vestiges of the disguising magic evaporating, "Yes I have noticed well done Caleb." Caleb rose, his fangs protruding in a horrific smile and turned "What do we do with the Baron?" Wallach thought for a second "Perhaps the trial?" Caleb laughed "do you think he'd last?" Wallach's face split into a grin "maybe." He then turned to Otto "Well…Do you wish to protect your people to gain immortality and strength that which you couldn't possibly have dreamed of?" Otto thought to consider such a thing is heresy! He told himself but to consort with them like this he was already condemned "I accept." The words left his mouth with the finality of a Judges gavel. Then a gauntlet of red slapped him across the mouth "A duel, if you are worthy you will live and receive immortality lose and you die." Otto nodded and drew his blade. Wallach didn't waste time and in a single motion drew and swung his blade. Otto barely parried but the force of the blow threw him to the right and Wallach followed through with another side blow. Otto continued to parry forceful blow after forceful blow before eventually he twisted to the side and went on the attack swinging hard at Wallach's midriff the vampire parried easily a smile starting to show and again Otto swung each time coming close to vital body parts. Soon Wallach spun and drove his elbow into Otto's face and dropped Otto to the ground. Otto stared into the vampires' eyes and raised his head to reveal his neck a show of defeat but at the same time that he wanted to face death with honour. Wallach's laugh rang like a cold bell through the audience chamber "Well done Otto well done indeed." And with that the vampire bowed and with a flick of his sword hand sliced his fore arm and placed the wound near Otto's mouth "drink the water of Immortality." Otto leaned forward and drank the vampire's blood, he drank deeply before he suddenly became tired and fell into the embrace of unconsciousness.
"Caleb have him taken to his rooms he will re awaken soon then we must prepare are your knights ready?" Caleb nodded "Yes lord right away." And with the strength of a vampire he lifted and carried Otto to his chambers. After he left Wallach moved to Otto's chair and sat just as the guards started to come to their senses. "Gentlemen spread the word Count Wallach is now taking command but I assure you the baron is still your commander." The swordsmen fled the room not wishing to anger the vampire now sitting at their lords' chair.
Otto awoke and as he opened his eyes he was amazed he could hear servants whispering in a room on the other side of the keep, he could see the individual grains in the wood of the door and he could smell the blood of everyone in a mile radius. He stood and found he could no longer feel the aches from his old battle wounds he felt…… perfect. He quickly strode through the door and was greeted by Caleb "Hello Otto." Otto nodded "Where is Sir Wallach?" he asked Caleb pointed down the corridor "In the audience chamber." And together they walked quickly to the audience chamber.
Wallach lounged on the raised chair and waited for his two vassals to enter the room. The door flew open and Otto and Caleb strode in, "Ahh hello gentlemen good of you to join me." The two lesser vampires bowed, "Now Otto come with me." Otto nodded "Yes my lord." They walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the fortified town "Now Otto show me what this town has." Otto nodded "well maybe thirty townsfolk and their dwellings and over there is the graveyard and near the gates is the pit we buried that wolf pack in." Wallach seemed to think for a while "How many rest in the graveyard?" Otto thought for a second "Well it's been the towns' graveyard for several centuries." Wallach smiled "Step back for a second Otto." Otto obeyed without question. Wallach stood straight arms outstretched with clenched fists and the very ground began to tremble and soon skeletons and zombies began to rise from the graveyard their moans echoing down the streets the worst was yet to come as the wolves rose their howls ringing in the night sky. "Now we have a strong force." Wallach walked back into the chamber and Otto followed.
"Otto I want my warriors distributed between the important outlying villages, Caleb I also want a unit of your knights in each village got it and I will give each village one of my necromancers so their garrisons will be much stronger. Now I bid you sleep." And with that Wallach and Caleb left Otto stayed so that he could meet with an emissary who had just arrived.
A dwarf and his four guards walked in flanked by black robed skeletons though no bones showed so the dwarves did not know what these strange warriors were. The lead dwarf stepped up to Otto and bowed "Baron Otto I come seeking accommodation for two nights my caravan of goods is following this road." Otto sat silently for a moment then smiled revealing his fangs, the dwarf backed up drawing his axe "demon stay away." The dwarven guards followed his example but were met by the skeleton guards who removed their robes and drew blades and shields. Ottos' smile broadened "Well Mr. Dwarf it appears you are no longer welcome…… Kill them." And the skeletons attacked they were slow and clumsy but their shocking appearance gave them an edge and soon two dwarves were dead and bleeding from gashes that ran from shoulder to hip. The lead dwarf charged at Otto but was too slow and before he could react Otto was behind him and had sunk his fangs into his neck, Otto drained the dwarf in mere seconds and turned to see one dwarf make it out of the door the last of the skeletons lay on the ground. Otto hissed at the mistake but it was too late the dwarf was on a pony in the courtyard and was already galloping for the gates.
Well this is where I'll leave it for now.... please rate and review, and then I'll put up chapter 2 and we shall answer a few questions like:
Where did the Dwarf go?
What will Wallach do to Otto for his failure?
and Is Caleb gay?
all will be revealed in chapter 2.