My eyes quickly fail me as the door is slammed shut behind us, the shadows swallowing up any signs of life. Wordlessly the Viceroy and I raise our weapons and mutter a few words. Suddenly the tips of my wands begin to glow, and the Viceroy's staff begins to emit the same bright light. The ethereal glow illuminates the whole room, and I am shocked by how well-furnished it is. If it were not for the age and disrepair of the furniture and the tapestries that decorate the room, it would be very beautiful.
The rugs underneath my feet are old as well, and the chandeliers above us are rusty and littered with cobwebs. Quietly the Viceroy and I examine the room, using our weapons to light the dusty candles that sit on the tables and the candelabras that are fastened to the walls. When the room is sufficiently illuminated, I dim my wands, and my pupil does the same.
That's when we notice the bundle suspended from the largest of the chandeliers, dangling over a strange pile of metal on the floor below. The Viceroy gasps, and I realize that the bundle is a woman, tied by her hands and feet with ropes that two dwarfs are holding tightly. The dwarfs stand on their side of the metal pile, and I see them slowly raising the ropes above their heads. The woman begins to struggle, and the slackened ropes cause her to drop onto the pile of metal. As her back touches it, she screams, a bloodcurdling sound that causes the fortress to shake.
The pile of metal begins to smoke, and I know that her flesh is burning from the contact with the metal, the silver. I let go of the Viceroy's hand, and I trace a rune in the air with my twin wands. When I finish it, I use my wands to push it towards the woman, and it traces itself onto her neck where it makes contact. Her body begins to rise, until it is hovering a few inches over the pile of silver. Her screams stop, replaced by a quiet whimpering that reminds me of a wounded dog.
She is without clothing, and the cuts along her back are large and still slightly smoldering. As her blood drips from the wounds, they burn on the silver below her, sending wisps of smoke around her pale body. For a moment I can do nothing but stare. She is very beautiful, with hair the color of midnight that rests at her neck like the collar of a cape. Her eyes remind me of fine jade, and I can see the confusion in them as she studies me.
But I have no chance to observe her any longer as I catch a glimpse of Aydunth, scowling at me. The anger in his face gives me back my voice, and I turn to him.
"Aydunth, I understand that this woman is dangerous, but I would advise that you do not allow your guards to harm her for sport, for if she escapes her bonds she will show no mercy to them." I say, not daring to put away my wands. I glance over my shoulder, and I see that the rest of my party have their weapons drawn as well, their eyes burning with fury. Even young Viceroy is glowering at the dwarf, his hand clutching his staff, almost as if he means to drub him over the head with it. My heart warms with pride, and I turn to face the dwarf again. He has not moved from his place beside the prisoner, but his face is twisted into a malicious grin.
"Yes Milady, but you forget that this creature is not a woman. Nay, she is a beast, a demon. A demon shall not be treated too kindly here. It seems that you forget that it is no longer your place to speak. This is my fortress, and my treatment of this prize is none of your concern." He hisses, his expression darkening as he brandishes his axe towards us. A growl reverberates about the room, and it is a moment before I realize that it is coming from the prisoner.
If I had doubted her beauty before, I would have most certainly thought her stunning now. Her eyes burn with hatred, and her fangs are bared as she struggles in her bonds. Her growls are that of a caged animal, and her skin takes on a white glow. Yet she is still graceful in the midst of her rage, and I can only liken her appearance to that of a wrathful angel, beautiful and terrible in equal measure.
"I am no one's prize!" she growls, turning and trying in vain to reach Aydunth. "And you forget that I have possessed this fortress since before you crawled from the filth of your cave, fool! I am the one who decides who will be treated kindly here, you foul maggot!" Her voice is as soft as silk, and those few words have left me longing to hear her speak once more.
"Methinks the lady doth roasted you, Aydunth." Viceroy chuckles, smiling at the woman. But I can see that Aydunth is not pleased with her outburst.
"How dare you raise your voice to me, wench!" he booms. In anger he tries to strike her face, and I can see the fear in his eyes as he realizes what he has done. Without hesitation, she sinks her teeth into his forearm. He screams once, only once, before she drains him of his blood and releases his corpse, spitting his own blood into his fearful, dead eyes. I notice distantly that her cuts along her back are fully healed, and almost unseen if not for the faint red scars that show her suffering.
"Even his blood was foul." She hisses, turning to the other two dwarfs. They are huddled in the farthest corner, clutching their swords and uttering prayers of deliverance. Their wishes go unanswered and they cry out in horror as she strains at her bonds, which tear the chandelier from the ceiling with a loud crack. Thanks to my levitation rune, she has no fear of being wounded by the silver below, and she steps gracefully over to the cowering dwarfs. With her fangs she rips the ropes into ribbons, and then flings the rest aside.
The dwarfs whimper as she lifts them both to their feet, each of her hands clutching at their collars. They are silent as she swiftly crushes their windpipes, drinking the blood from each in turn until they are both pale and still, their eyes glazed and their hearts no longer beating. Then she drops the carcasses and turns to our party, a smear of blood still staining her lips and her fangs dripping with the dark liquid.
I open my mouth to speak, but she is faster. Hastily wiping the blood from her mouth, she makes a slight curtsy and begins.
"Greetings. I am the Lady of Life in Death, the Mother of the Night, the One Who Gives to the Sun's Children. I am the Queen of the Vampires, but you may call me Kanaya. I thank you for easing my suffering, Milady…?" her speech ends on a question, and she looks to me, expectant. I remove my cloak and drape it over her shoulders, wordlessly clothing her in the smooth silk. I fasten the cloak about her throat, and give her a small smile.
"Hello. I am the Lady Grimmoire, the Wielder of Both Light and Dark, the One Who Speaks the Tongues of the Gods. I am pleased to meet you, Milady Kanaya. You may call me Rose."