Chapter Thirty-Seven: Vampires
De'Arnise Estate, Athkatla, 27th Tarsakh, 1370 DR
Nalia was up well into the night. Anomen had taken his leave about two hours ago, and was now sleeping contentedly in one of the guest bedrooms. Even from here, Nalia could here his snores, and there was something comforting in their rolling melody. It had been a long time since she had heard the knight snore.
Not since their adventures with Kathryn which seemed so far away even if it was only a year ago… Nalia sat, looking through her windows, up at the stars, and sighed. Everything had changed everything. So much had been lost. So many lives, so many friends… Anomen was consumed by duty; Keldorn was old and wished to retire. Imoen was losing her exuberance.
Jaheira… Jaheira had already left her company, travelling into the Forest of Tethir, to take the oaths to become Grand Druid, and Nalia was upset that she was viewing that move in terms of political advantage. But then, that was what she had become- a political creature, designed to exist on the cunning manipulations of society.
Taking a sip of Tethyrian mulled red, slightly warm and delicately spiced, Nalia wished she could go back to the simple life she had had with Kathryn. Travelling, spending the nights under the stars, before a campfire, with the thrill of the chase, with the danger of small skirmishes, where a failure did not mean the loss of an entire nation…
But had it ever been like that?
No, of course it hadn't… but the fact remained that the Bhaalspawn had ascended, meant that the lynchpin holding each of them together had faded, leaving them all with an endless void of loss. Nalia had tried to replace that void with the burdens and responsibilities of ruling, and it had worked… too well.
Now, she couldn't act without thinking of her people, without thinking of Amn, and for a split second, she wished she could have been vapid, unconcerned, and content with taking Roenall's hand in marriage.
But her father hadn't brought her up to be a weak woman who dallied with me for the scraps of power… he had arranged for her to be trained as a mage, by an old witch from Rasheman. He had tutored her in the arts of government, politics, economy, history, and military tactics… anything that would give her an edge in the real world.
Until she was eighteen, Gerald de'Arnise was willing to indulge her strength of will, her independence… but then, Aunt Delcia had come to stay at the keep, and everything had changed… everything.
Delcia was her mother's sister, and nothing like the kind woman Emma had been. No, Delcia was an iron-hard woman, who had taken advantage of Gerald's absence to beat Nalia, in an effort to tame her and turn her into a 'proper' woman. And when her father returned to the keep, he was so exhausted that he didn't have the energy to find out why Nalia was so quiet… why she spent hours in her room, sobbing.
He had asked Delcia to look after her, and it was her Aunt who had proposed the marriage to Isaea Roenall, a marriage that Nalia had bitterly opposed. She had protested, cried, screamed, but at the end of the day, she had been betrothed, with the say-so of her father. And with that authority given, Nalia had resigned herself to defeat.
Until the trolls had attacked…
She took another sip of wine.
She still remembered the pale face of her father, and the broken spine, and the gaping eyes. The smell was worse, from where Tor'Gal had started to chew into his stomach, releasing the acid within… seeing her father like that, his spirit gone completely, his kindness removed, his soul cast into the realms of death… it had pushed Nalia over the edge… and who had been there for her?
Kathryn, the Bhaalspawn, who had held her, and told her that it would all be okay… that everything happened for a reason… that Gerald would be resting in the arms of his god forever, safe and at peace.
Without Kathryn, Nalia doubted she would have remained sane.
And now, when she needed her friend close to her, she wasn't there… what was she meant to do? Could she declare war against the Council, and bring further war to Amn? Could she actually bring herself to do it, to tell the fighters loyal to her that they would have to bleed yet more, just to get the Council to take notice?
No… she couldn't.
Nalia stood, and was about to remove the amulets, rings and her magical items, when she noticed something that made her skin prickle… Anomen's snoring had stopped. Swallowing heavily, she whispered a simple spell… detect evil…
The white light shivered in her palms, and then winked out. Nalia closed her eyes, and then a pain erupted within her skull, as she sensed the hatred, and evil present within her estate… the feeling was the same as something she had sensed back on her lands, in the hole… with Velissa.
Vampires!
Nalia reached for her staff, and then uttered spells of protection, surrounding herself with magical wards and shields. Last time, she had taken her by surprise. This time, Velissa would face Nalia at her strongest.
The wizard de'Arnise slammed the door open, and walked into the hall of her estate… it was pitch black, and there was a strange smell. Nalia incanted a brief spell and numerous globes of blue light floated from her free hand, illuminating the darkness, allowing her to view the horror that had claimed her estate.
Zombies, skeletons… all lumbered towards her, a constant groaning leaving their rotted lips, their arms outstretched, seeking the warmth of mortal blood, of living blood, of fresh, red blood. Nalia glared at them, and snarled a spell.
Fire erupted in front of them, scattering them and touching them on fire. Months ago, she would have panicked, but Nalia had grown used to fighting, once again… in fact, she was sure that her power had increased after the constant fighting. She was a new weapon, forged anew in the fires of war.
Another gesture, and a brief power word- flames flew from the floor, surrounding her, burning any creature within her hall. There were many groans, as the undead creatures burned to ash, gripped and seized by the strength of her fire.
Nalia commanded the fires to die down, and then she turned to face the door to the guest room. She could here faint grunts, and the banging of two feet on the floor, and also, she could hear the giggling of two little children.
Kicking open the door, Nalia sent a bolt of pure white light soaring into the room, where it stayed, hovering in the air. The two children hissed. One of them rushed, faced contorted into something hideous and evil, towards Nalia. The other one- the girl –grabbed Anomen by the neck, and smiled contentedly as she stroked his skin.
Staring directly at the child vampire's eyes, Nalia flicked her finger, and the boy was sent reeling with a simple spell. He shrieked in fury, and leaped towards her, seeking to close the gap. Nalia however, had other ideas.
Thwack.
She struck him with her staff, full force, and the power of the magic within the illithium was released. He fell to the floor, faced bloody, eyes wide with fear and awe. "How… how… before, we defeated you easily… we… we… we stopped you…"
Nalia said simply. "I have been through death, vampire. I have seen what you cannot. I have stood before the Lord of Death, and I have escaped his judgement, something that you shall never do. It is time for you to die, so that the soul of the child may exist one again in peace. I drive the evil from you; I drive the creature from this body!"
And she touched the boy on the forehead, murmured a spell, and watched him fall, limp, to the ground. Slowly, ever so slowly, the body started to crumble into dust, and Nalia bowed her head… the soul of the child would be judged, but at least now he could die like all were meant to.
The abomination against life itself had been banished.
"Nasty lady killed my brother… now I will kill her friend!"
Nalia turned to face the girl, who was holding Anomen's neck, and moving her fingers, ready to break the bone, and end his life. The wizard de'Arnise saw the fear in the eyes of her friend. Before the child could do anything, Nalia held her hand up, palm thrust forward, and spoke a simple word.
The girl froze.
With all the strength she could muster, Nalia struck her with the staff, and sent her, stunned, to the floor. Hitting her again, Nalia heard the girl shriek, and her heart felt sorrow for a moment. But the girl would be free, once she was dead… she would be free, and she could die, like she was meant to.
Sighing, Nalia uttered a spell, placed her finger on the child's forehead, and watched as her body crumbled to dust. As the dust swirled in the breeze, Nalia could hear a tone of disbelief echo… how?
Anomen was looking at her in awe, and Nalia sighed.
She had increased in power, and now even those, her equals, were looking at her, awed… she shook her head, wondering why she felt so sad. Gesturing, she unleashed the bonds and gag that kept Anomen bound, and he stood.
"Come, Anomen… I know where the mistress of these two children will be."
For Nalia did know.
The darkness of Velissa, whose blood flowed within Nalia's veins, was calling to her, its seductive evil assaulting her soul and mind. Nalia knew where the vampire was. She was in the Government District… in the Council building… aiming to murder the rulers of Amn.
And Nalia smiled, for tonight, it would truly end.