Notes: This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I thought where it ended was the best place to stop. It's also very Valeria-centric.
It's a difficult trip to get to Thraben and by no means is it a short one. She knows that for every hour that passes, things will be getting worse for Sorin. She doesn't know his exact situation, and Liliana has been vague about the whole thing. If it isn't for the wary glances Jace keeps sending her, Valeria would assume that the reason for it is Liliana trying not to worry her more. She highly doubts that this is the case.
The Kruin Pass is thankfully lacking in threats when they go through it. The area pass it isn't as safe, and they're forced to take care of a small amount of vampires looking to pick a fight with them, specifically targeting Valeria. Jace and Liliana are quick to take care of it; their magic is made more for combat than her clerical sort, even Jace's illusions are more effective.
She watches as Jace uses his illusions to confuse the creatures and lead them straight to Liliana's specters, which make quick work of them. The two Planeswalkers work well together as a team and Valeria feels woefully outmatched when it comes to talent. Sure, she can heal wounds and do minor protection spells, but she's by no means a prodigy or anything more useful than any common mage.
"Not hurt, are you? Jace asks once the fight has ended in their favor. There's not a scratch on either him or Liliana.
"I'm fine," Valeria responds and wishes that she could do anything at all.
They make it to Thraben in record-breaking time.
It does help that none of them really sleep during the trip, and Liliana's spirits keep an eye out when they need it. Valeria's trust in her doesn't grow overly much, but she's forced to admit it's far better to have her on their side than against them. Maybe it's the nature of her magic that puts Valeria on edge. They're complete opposites, after all. Necromancy doesn't sit well with her, and it's always done more harm than good in her experience. However, Jace seems to trust the dark woman well enough, and Valeria has learned to trust him within the short amount of time she's known him. Sorin vouched for him.
She sits by their little camp and stares out at the city. It had once been walled, she remembers. That changed when Innistrad had fallen into chaos with Avacyn's disappearance. Those that live there have since attempted to be rebuild them after the incident, but it they haven't been fully recovered. She'd been there once with her parents, when they'd decided that their daughter should have the chance to see the seat of the church.
"You'll live here one day," her mother had told her gently as they walked down the streets that were quite different from their little villages in Stensia. "You'll become a wonderful cleric."
She'd been in a state of wonderment, feeling so secure there with the power of Avacyn buzzing in her veins.
"You're awfully quiet," Jace says, coming up to sit beside her and pulling her out of her memory. "You know how strong he is, I'm sure he's going to be fine."
"We don't know that for certain. Maybe when he'd been at full power he would have been," Valeria murmurs, resting her chin on her knees. She wants to keep going. They're so close. She can see the city in the distance.
"Even without the use of magic, he's stronger than pretty much everyone in there. He's a vampire, you should probably remember."
It's meant to be a comfort, but it only makes her feel more hollow.
She laughs bitterly. "Oh, you don't have to worry there. I don't think he'd let me forget it even if I wanted to. Him being a vampire is what's gotten him into this mess."
"Sorry," Jace apologized.
"It's fine. I do wonder what I've gotten myself into." She sighs and plucks a blade of grass, twirling it in between her fingers. "It is what it is."
Jace gives her a curious look and his eyes gleam slightly in a way that make her wonder if he's going to attempt to read her thoughts. "How much do you even know about him?"
"He's told me a little. The rest I heard through rumors, and I couldn't tell you if there's much truth to them." She tears the little green blade in two and drops the pieces. Wind carries them off. "I just know that he doesn't have a happy story, what with what happened to his lover."
"Oh, that," Jace replies. "I know about that one. Not sure he'll like me knowing. I didn't exactly...ask."
Valeria's eyes shift to Jace. "What do you mean?"
"I may have accidentally gotten a peak of that area of his mind." Jace has the right idea to look ashamed of the admittance. "I don't always trust him. He keeps his thoughts and motives to himself. I guess paranoia comes with age when you've lived as long as he has. Anyway, I tried to read him at one point after I first met him." He laughs a little. It's a small, nervous laugh, as if he's picturing all the possible ways he'd be murdered by Sorin. "He's not a telepath, but he's got his own mental talents, and keeps a wall up. Well, that wall broke enough that I got a glimpse. Just a little one. Just a mental image and a name. Elizabeth."
"Yeah, that's her." Valeria recalls, having met the woman in the flesh.
"She's partially why he's a vampire. You know that Edgar Markov, Sorin's grandfather, is the main reason, but from what I saw, her death helped fuel the spell that made the vampires of this plane." Jace stops and side-eyes her. "I probably shouldn't say any more."
"He used her as a cautionary tale and said that I shouldn't fall in love with him." His words still sting. "I wondered exactly why that was."
"And do you love him?"
Isn't that the question of the bloody century?
"No, not love." She shakes her head, frowning, trying to form the right words. "That's a bit too strong a word for it. I care about him. Sometimes I wonder why. His words are cruel when he wants them to be, and by all rights with what he is I should be terrified by him."
"But you aren't."
"I'm not. Wary, yes, but scared, no. Mostly I want to know what he's like beneath this supposedly heartless mask. The little glimpses I get sometimes just make me more curious." Valeria laughs again. "Ah, I really am naive. Twenty-years old and I haven't grown up at all."
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to see the good in someone." Is it just her, or does Jace look at Liliana when he says that? "I can't blame you for wanting to know more about him. I think he does care about you in his own strange way. He tries to push you away for your own protection, or so he thinks."
"What about you and Liliana? It's obvious that you two have some history." Jace has gotten her curiosity.
Jace clears his throat. "Well, that's a bit complicated. We were together for a little bit in the past, but things turned sour, and Liliana has her own way of doing things. I don't always agree with them, but I like to think that she has the potential to be a decent person. I've seen some of it."
"It's hard for me to trust her."
"Me, too."
Just over the horizon, they can see the sun trying to shine through the typical Innistradi clouds.
"Come on," Jace says, "Let's get Liliana and start moving."
"Agreed."
The city is uncharacteristically silent; no one on the streets, no movement in houses, nothing. That's the first thing Valeria notices. The few that do pass them as they walk skitter past them quickly, not making any eye contact. There's something odd going on, Valeria concludes. She doesn't realize how odd it is until they've circled around again outside by the walls, more notably a particular wall.
The Bloodless Wall had made her uncomfortable when she'd first seen it and now is no different. Sure, she doesn't have a love for most vampires -certainly not after the experiences she's had- but the idea of leaving the creatures chained to the wall left to die a slow and painful death by starvation feels cruel, even for them. Isn't it better to give them a quick, merciful death even if they wouldn't grant her the same? She's probably the only person in that world that thinks that way. Certainly isn't the first time.
"I don't like this," Jace murmurs, not speaking of the wall, but the unsettling silence. He walks beside her, his expression shadowed by his hood. "Everyone is spooked."
Valeria looks up at him. "Any reason why that you can read? Or is it just because of the...situation."
"Mostly it seems to be just because of how dangerous the land has become. It isn't just the darkness fighting against humans, but humans against humans. That's gotten everyone rightfully scared," Jace answers. "No one wants to get caught in the crossfire."
That's a good enough reason. These poor people never asked for this.
"Is there any sign of Sorin?" There isn't anything she can do about the skittish humans that dart into their homes, sending them suspicious glances.
"Yes," Liliana replies, sauntering up to them, coming up out of nowhere after scouting the area. Beside her, is a spirit, bent to her magic. "We're getting closer."
They follow the wall and the spirit further down, passing a few more people that slink by quickly, putting space between them. The longer it takes, the more Valeria starts to wonder if they're being led on a wild goose chase. It doesn't seem like that they're getting any closer to finding hi-
As soon as the thoughts leave her, she stops dead in her tracks, the other two following suit as they see what she does.
It's hard to tell if he's still alive from where they stand, but there he is, chained to the wall. The only thing keeping him upright are the thick chains manacled around his wrists as he slumps forward, hair obscuring most of his face. He's been stripped of everything above his waist, leaving him with just his trousers and boots. His skin is pale and ghastly looking even for his normal color, coated in places by blood, some old and some still fresh looking. He's been there for some time, days even, and Valeria knows well enough how short a time it takes for a vampire to starve.
Somewhere in the background she can hear Jace shout a warning to her, but it's fuzzy to her ears, as all her focus is singular in it's direction as she runs towards Sorin.
Out of breath, she comes to a staggering stop in front of him. He doesn't look much better up close, and with a shaking hand she reaches up and traces a finger over his cold cheek. His skin beneath it is dry as a bone with the effects dehydration. She can't even check if he's breathing since even when he's conscious he gives no breath unless he does so intentionally.
"Valeria," Jace's voice filters through her daze, "he's still alive."
"Is he?" Her own voice sounds odd to her ears. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, just unconscious."
"He's right." Liliana joins them, taking in the unpleasant sight with feigned indifference. "There's still life in him. If there wasn't, I'd know."
So says the death mage, Valeria thinks as she reluctantly lowers her hand. She hopes that they're right. She presses it to his chest and feels the light, thready beat of his heart.
"Can you take him down?" she asks. She takes a step back to give Jace and Liliana room to do so. "I can't stand to see him like this."
Jace answers by summoning a small creature that Valeria can't identify. Without having to be told, it flits up to the chains and in a few short seconds, unlocks them and disappears. Without the chains to hold him up, Sorin falls forward and Jace has to be quick to awkwardly catch him. On his back, she can see various deep lacerations etched into his skin.
Valeria sits down on the ground, legs folded, so that Jace can lower Sorin and cushion his head on her lap. It's better than for it to be there than on the dirt.
"Come on," Valeria whispers, brushing his hair out of his eyes, "wake up. You made a promise to me and I expect you to keep it."
"Why am I not surprised that even on my death bed you'd be here to hold that over me."
She didn't expect to actually get a response.
"Oh, thank Avacyn," Valeria breathes in astonishment. She could kiss him then and there, the bastard. "You gave me a hell of a scare."
Sorin chuckles and it dissolves into a cough.
"You shouldn't be here," he says once the coughing subsides. He hasn't tried to sit up or even move yet.
"Would you have rather I just let you die?" She can't believe they're having this conversation now.
Sorin sighs brittlely. "...I never said that."
"We can all argue this later, I'd rather not be here when the Cathars decide to pay a visit," Liliana says with a roll of her eyes.
"Liliana Vess," Sorin's gaze is sharp as daggers, "I couldn't move if I wanted to."
Valeria blinks. "You two know each other?"
"We've had the pleasure of crossing paths once or twice," Liliana shrugs, unaffected by Sorin's stare. "I'm a frequenter of this plane. And, again, I say that we can argue later."
"Unless you would care to donate blood, I'm not going to be moving anywhere." Sorin proves this point when he tries to sit up with a pained grimace and his arms give up weakly. "I haven't had any in days so I'm afraid that I'm at my limit."
"He's right," Jace chimes in, looking around them for any signs of life. "A day or two more he wouldn't be here. He's gone too long without feeding."
"And he's right here," Sorin rasps shortly, "and can speak up for himself."
"Then, here," Valeria pulls up the sleeve on her blouse, "drink."
"I'm not drinking from you." Sorin shoves her arm away from him. It doesn't do much good.
Valeria glares. "Well, I didn't come all the way here for you die now."
"I didn't ask you to come. In fact, I told you to stay home."
"You were gone for days! I didn't know if you were dead or alive!" Valeria's voice is rising in volume. "And what if you had died, hm? I wouldn't have ever known."
"Valeria..." Sorin starts with a frown and is starting to look uncomfortable.
"No, don't say anything. I'm not going to hear it."
"You know what, we'll discuss this later," he relents. He takes her arm and stares at the thin blue veins running up her wrist, and adds, "I'm not going to bite you."
"I'm not saying that you need to bite me, just drink from me. Just enough to get some strength back." She pulls a small knife from under her corset and makes a small incision across the top of her arm, just enough that it bleeds. "Just a little."
Vampires need far more than what she can give him, and after going so long he'll need more than one person to feed from, but it's be better than having none at all. Judging by the way Sorin's eyes hyper-focus on the blood, he knows that as well.
"Just a little," he repeats dazedly, lifting her arm to his lips.
He holds true and only sucks at the blood that raises from the cut, keeping his fangs to himself, although by the way he trembles, it's taking a considerable amount of his self-control not to bite her. Valeria strokes his hair as her eyes grow heavy from what blood she loses and she forgets for a moment that they have an audience. It's only after he lets go of her with a gasp does she remember and blush.
"How do you feel?" she asks.
"Better," Sorin says. He sits up and shifts to look at her. He looks more alive after having fed, even just the small amount that he's had has made a difference. "Thank-you."
Valeria smiles shyly. "You're welcome."
It takes some effort, but Sorin manages to stand up, still not up to full strength. He looks down at his attire, or rather the lack-thereof. "I need my things."
"Can't you do without them?" Liliana huffs.
"No, I can't," Sorin says flatly, bracing a hand on the wall with a grimace. "Besides, I need more blood and I have an intended target."
Valeria doesn't want to think about it too much, nor does she envy the target in question. A part of her wants to talk Sorin out of shedding more blood, but curiously there's another part of her that relishes the idea of Sorin ripping apart those who've hurt him. And she want to help him. It's this part of her that doesn't protest when he begins his staggering walk in a determined direction, cold fury masking any pain he might have been feeling.
This isn't going to be pretty, and Valeria notices that neither Jace or Liliana are brave enough to attempt to dissuade him on his mission.
