AN: Want to give a shout out to Moshe30350 at Deviantart who did a commission piece for the story. Go check it out if you like, and I'm humbled that the story has such interest.
"Tell me this, does Commandant Psellus still live?"
Leinas couldn't help but have her face twist into a sneer of contempt at both the question and the 'man' asking it. It the dark, with her face hidden in her helm and as far away as she was, it would be unnoticeable. Yet, to the being before her, she was sure it was as plain as the day he hid from.
Captain Nox Ogygios. He was dressed more richly that a garrison captain could have ever hoped to afford, at least an honest one that is. His armour was plate, though he wore no helmet and chainmail covered the joints where greater mobility was needed. The armour itself was a deep red, dark like drying blood, but lacquered so it gave off a glossy shine. It reminded Leinas of a pool of blood, and she very much so believed that was the intended effect it was meant to cause.
He wore a dark cloak of an indistinguishable colour, more cape than travelling duster that covered his shoulders and buttoned at the collar. The hilt of either a rapier or fencing sabre sticking out from within at the hip. His face and features were pale, refined, noble even with defined cheekbones unblemished by even a hint of stubble. His hair on the other hand seemed to have gone prematurely white, as stark as fresh fallen powder, yet lacking the wispy thinness that usually accompanied such a colour. It was thick, long, but not overly so and well-kept. His eyes though, if nothing else his eyes would put alarm into even the most docile of dullards. They seemed normal enough, until you truly looked into them.
They were the eyes of a predator, of a thing that hunted man in the dead of night. The eyes of a thing that delineated the world into two distinct categories. Things it could eat, and things it couldn't. And as their eyes locked, it gave Leinas the distinct impression of an apex predator taking stock of its next meal. Like how a wolf sees a lone sheep separated from the flock.
A memory came to Leinas then, about how vampires could hypnotize and mesmerize their prey by locking eyes with them and so Leinas instead fixated her gaze at the 'mans' collar. She wanted to curse out the vampire in front of her. Call it every vile obscenity she knew for the death and suffering it had brought. For how it had sent its minions for her in her sleep. How she wanted to say this game was pointless and get on with the killing, but Leinas held her tongue.
The forces arrayed against her outnumbered her at least four to one, and she saw none of the lesser vampires among their number, though she did not doubt that they were here. In a shadow just out of sight, high above in the night sky, or peering out of a darkened doorway. Waiting for their opportunity to strike. The purpose of their absence? Perhaps Nox was not aware how much she knew? Perhaps he wanted to test and see if she was a fool and welcome him in believing him to be her saviour? Or perhaps he merely found enjoyment in banter where both parties knew the outcome and that one was clearly lying. Regardless, she would play along with such a game. She only needed to last until the sun came up and then they could ride hard to the closest garrison. So Leinas played along.
"Alas, Commandant Psellus was slain and most foul magics were used to make it seem as though he was still among the living," said Leinas.
"Truly?" asked Nox, feigning shock and putting his hand to his breast in an overly dramatic fashion. "That is a most terrible fate! I spoke with him only last morning and he seemed well enough, if only suffering a weakness of constitution. Please, I bid you unbar the gates so we can aid in searching for the perpetrator of this crime. So soon has this occurred, I am sure that we can find clues as to their whereabouts."
"We already have the culprit in custody, though there were conspirators among the garrison. As such, I find it regrettable, but necessary to refuse your offer of aid until reinforcements can arrive from outside the mine and we can more thoroughly vet the remainder of the garrison. I pray you understand the need for such caution."
"These men are loyal to me without a doubt, of that you have my word."
Thralls generally are, thought Leinas bitterly.
"Be that as it may, and I do not doubt your words, I must kindly refuse. If you wish to aid us, you may do so by ensuring that our perimeter is secure."
"I can assure you Ser Rockbruise, there is absolutely no chance of anyone getting in or out of here without my express consent," said Nox. "Yet I feel I must also insist on gaining entry. I see blood on the ground, which means you crossed blades with the guards here, who were conspirators no doubt of course," added Nox in a mollifying tone. "However, you do not match the description I have heard of you, and the inn in which you were staying at caught fire and is burning as we speak. Some brave souls of mine managed to drag bodies from the inferno, but recovered only Imperial Constables bereft of their armour. Your horses lay slain as well, as though some tried to escape and were instead chased down before they could reach safety. Even the messenger birds were found in their cages dead," said Nox tossing one of the pigeons down that Leinas had sent as a cry for help. A sick pit formed in her stomach at the sight. Nobody would know what happened here if they fell. "Now, I am sure that it was once more the conspirators making a move against you, but with you not matching the description I am familiar with, and the threat of imposters wearing armour that is not theirs, you can see the position that leaves me in, do you not?"
The bastard had a smirk on his face the moment he tossed the messenger bird down and it filled Leinas with the compulsion to remove it with the point of her spear. The horses and men she had left behind to hide with the bitten constables as insurance were dead, help was not coming, and if any of the cohort with him were not thralls, he had just established the very plausible possibility that Leinas and her cohort were in fact imposters who had just killed their Commandant. He had outplayed her and he knew it. To refuse to allow them entry would be seen as a hostile act, one that only the guilty would partake in.
Ironic that the lifting of her curse could be the keystone to sealing her demise. Then again, if she was still cursed, she would have fled immediately, rather than attempt what she had done now.
"I do see the situation it leaves you in, and your concerns are well founded," said Leinas, keeping her voice level and disgust from her face as the way the creature smiled at her.
"So you will let us in to break bread and share a drink, so we may put this most serious matter to rest?" asked Nox.
"Of course, let us share a cup now and let it be know that there are no misgivings between loyal servants of our Emperor Jircniv," said Leinas, raising her canteen and taking a drought, before tossing it down to Nox, uncorked with the mouth facing him.
As he caught it, holy water spilled forth, bubbling and boiling as it touched his face. Steam rising into the night air as the water hissed and spat, an inhuman growl coming from Nox, eyes blazing red in the dark of the night as his savaged face drew into a snarl, revealing a maw of sharp teeth befitting any predator. The carefully camouflaged mask the creature wore to move among his prey slipping away as his cursed fleshed bubbled and spit from the holy water.
Strength of the Warrior, Refined Focus, Ability Boost,murmured Leinas mentally as she drew back the spear that Titus had blessed, like a javelin, loosing it with her martial arts boosted strength straight towards Nox.
The vampire drew his rapier in a movement nearly to fast to follow and batted the spear to the side, where it instead impaled one of his thralls, pinning the man to the ground. If it bothered Nox at all, he gave no sign.
"But I've yet to meet a vampire loyal to our Emperor," spat Leinas making a gesture that saw arrows and spells streak up from behind the wall and into the ranks of the turned garrison. A fire spell impacted, immolated several thralls and terrible screams, the kinds of which haunt you years later in the dead of night split the air as they burned to death. If the heat or screams bothered Nox, he gave no indication.
"Kill them!" snarled Nox viciously, his thralls rushing past him and their fallen comrades, hacking at the gate with axes and forcing Leinas off the wall, lest she risk the crossbow bolts whistling by her. Wooden beams also started to slam into the gate with rhythmic thuds, as they tried to break the gate down.
Leinas and her cohort had piled near everything they could on such short notice against the gate. Carts, barrels, statues, potted plants, and even the bodies of the slain guards. It wasn't proper reinforcement of piled dirt and a trench that one would do in times of a siege, but it was better than nothing.
One of the thralls tried to climb over the wall, the head of his spear poking over first and his face just coming into view when an arrow found a way into his helmet through the eye slit and the man fell back down on the other side of the wall. More started coming though, and though Elwin, the half-elf worker, and anyone with a bow let loose arrow after arrow with uncanny accuracy, the sheer weight of numbers was beginning to see some land on the interior of the courtyard, even if dead when, or shortly after they landed. Copper coloured tiles falling and shattering as they were dislodged by the near constant stream of bodies trying to climb over the wall.
The thudding axes were starting to send splinters inwards from the gate, the dull glint on the axe heads beginning to poke through the thick boards of the gate. The constant thudding of the handheld rams were having less success though, the added weight of all they had piled up against the gate doing its job, though every impact shook the doors on their hinges.
Leinas kept stealing glances into the night sky between barking orders and directing her limited forces, waiting for the lesser vampires to descend on them from on high. She imagined though, that they most likely would come at them from the rear cliff face of the villa. It's what she would do, have the larger and more pressing threat of thralls make a head on assault and once the battle was joined, hit the rear line with the vampires. As such she had the back doors and windows of the house barricaded, as well as detailing a pair of mercenaries to watch for assault from that avenue. It wouldn't keep them out, but she hoped at least that their forced entry behind would give them a few moments warning. Though, they might also simply go over the villa and fall upon her forces using the second storey balcony as an elevated firing platform.
Leinas saw another thrall hop the wall, further from the main gate, but before he could recover his footing from the drop, Titus was upon him and a quick slash from the veteran's sabre saw the thrall fall to never rise again. There was a stony look on Titus' face as he did so, and Leinas understood the look. It was the look of a man doing something he had wished to never have to do so again, yet was grimly doing what needed to be done.
Leinas also saw the Furt girl floating about, quite literally using her fly spell. Watched her charge a spell and raise up high enough to hurl it into the press of bodies on the other side of the gate. This time it was a lightning spell. The bolt of energy striking out in a blinding, retina searing flash and with a thundering boom it impacted the unseen victims. Their screams adding to all the others, before being drowned out. The Furt girl then ducking down low enough to avoid the crossbow bolts that came her way.
The intensity of the assault was somewhat jarring. Leinas was used to pitched battles, but the way the thralls threw themselves over the walls was bordering on suicidal. Already dozens had died, and so far as Leinas could tell she hadn't lost any of her own yet. The single, or handful of thralls that managed to make it over the walls in small groups were quickly dispatched by her more experienced and better equipped force, and more died simply trying to make it over top. The gate still held, and when the time came they could make an orderly withdrawal into the manor itself. Barricaded inside, they would hopefully have a repeat of this massacre, or else be able to make it until morning.
Scanning over her forces, Leinas spied Zimira standing off to the side, spear held disdainfully to the side, while chainmail too large for her frame hung like a metal sheet from her. She was alert, watching the battle take place, yet not taking part. Instead playing the part of an interested, yet detached observer.
"Zimira!" called Leinas as she made her way over to the magenta-haired spellcaster who regarded her with dark amethyst coloured eyes. "Use your spells and aid in the defence!"
"Not yet," said Zimira simply, yet sounding annoyed. Seeming unbothered by the screams and sounds of battle around her. More sounding like an annoyed parent refusing a child pestering for sweets.
"What do you mean not yet? The battle is joined," said Leinas, exasperation in her voice.
"I mean, not yet. It would be a waste of my mana at this juncture, so I say again. Not. Yet," answered Zimira primly.
"As you will, but remember you fall with us," growled Leinas, leaving the necromancer to continue observing the battle. Then as fortunes are quick to do in battle, they turned.
There was a deafening explosion that saw wooden beam, masonry, and the piled debris from the gate and surround wall fly inwards as a spell simply removed it as an obstacle. Pieces of debris clattered off of Leinas' armour, while a larger piece of stone clattered off of her helmet and left her dazed for a moment.
Carrying torches, and illuminated by the burning remains of the gate, the garrison turned thralls rushed through the breach, heedless of their number who were felled by arrows or spell, and then it was steel against steel.
Leinas saw one of her own who had been knocked off of his feet by the blast set upon by a group of thralls, their spears perforating the man while he laid sprawled on the ground. Another mercenary fell back as a crossbow bolt sprouted from his chest and Leinas had to bat another away with her spear, before running her weapon through a thrall charging at her. The man seemed confused as he died, as if he couldn't understand how a spear had come to enter his chest and he died shortly after Leinas kicked him off of her weapon.
"LINE! FORM LINE!" barked Leinas, forming her ragtag group into something of a fighting formation. Slowly giving ground as they began retreating towards the main manse.
The paving stones started to become slick with blood, from Leinas' own group, but mostly from the thralls assailing them. The sounds of steel on steel or wood and the screams of pain that accompanied them was almost deafening, and the smell of sweat, blood, and iron nearly overpowering. Mixed with the smell of smoke, burnt ozone from the lightning magic, and that ever lingering sickly sweet smell of cast spells. There was another smell, still magical, but thick and cloying like phlegm closing off your throat. The kind that develops when one is sickly and near death. Though it was unfamiliar, Leinas knew immediately what it was. Vampire magic.
"Behind us!" came a cry, and Leinas risked a glance, immediately wishing she hadn't. The vampires had joined the fray.
They were a motley lot, some wearing armour, others not. Some using conventional armour and weapons, others using their fangs and claws. They wore the clothes of mine foremen, garrison officers, a tavern maid, a lady of the night, bards, and bureaucrats. Yet, one and all they were the same. Red eyes with slits like reptiles which glowed like hot coals, and distended maws full of pearly white fangs meant for ripping flesh and tearing limbs. Pale flesh the like of wish had never seen the sun before unnaturally bright in the dim light of the night. Shining almost like white sea shells left on the beach when the tide recedes.
They had come from behind like Leinas had surmised they would, but the forces, and barricades she had put in their way seemed to have neither slowed them, or given Leinas advanced warning. They tore into her back line, after ripping her mercenaries with bows or crossbows off the upper balcony with brutal efficiency.
The Furt girl, Arche, fired a spell at one, setting it ablaze and shrieking off into the sky as the magical flames refused to subside, or be subdued. The vampire now a flaming comet streaking through the night sky. Then Arche herself was set upon by a duo of vampires who plucked the mage out of the air and forced her to the ground, maws open.
Yet, before they could finish off the teen, Valens, his plate covered in gore from the melee was upon them. Halberd swung with such force that it had to be with the assistance of a martial art, cleaved through both vampires as though they were as ephemeral as smoke. The head of the weapon burying itself in its own self-made crater within the paving stones. Whatever blessings or anti-vampire substances the weapon had been doused with and yet remained after the melee that the halves of the vampires smoke and burn, counteracting their abominable healing abilities.
A third vampire tried to take advantage of the stuck weapon by striking at Valens with a weapon of its own, but instead was neatly bisected by Hekkeran and his dual swords and finished off by Roderdyck using holy magics. The workers having come to the aid of their own, formed around their youngest members, now fighting back to back defending against both thralls and vampires. The vampires that ever now whirled around the battlefield, attacking any exposed or distracted member of Leinas' troop they could find.
One rather unfortunate vampire mistook Titus for a simple legionary, and not fearing his steel made to tear out his throat. Realizing too late as Titus' sabre burned white hot that it had made a mistake, and the crackling boom of the holy smite Titus unleashed burning the vampire to ash.
Yet, even with nearly have the vampires dead, and nearly slipping over the blood of the slain thralls as their numbers waned, Leinas' stomach dropped. Through the shattered gate, she saw Nox standing with his arms crossed, while from behind him marched another troupe of garrison soldiers. Thralls or not, it didn't matter. At least forty strong and fresh to the fight, if their numbers didn't overwhelm them, then the vampires would finish them when their strength failed them. That was when Leinas noticed that Zimira was standing beside her.
She stuck the butt of her spear into the ground, staring defiantly ahead, as though she was challenging Nox. Low, muttered words escaping from her lips that Leinas both couldn't, and mind almost refused to understand the meaning of.
Purple and black eldritch energies gathered around her as her eyes closed in concentration and Leinas struck down a thrall that made to impale the necromancer. She gave no sign she even noticed the attempt on her life, as her entire being was focused within the spell she was casting. With rising volume and pitch that reached a crescendo, the spell ended with a word that echoed and pulsed outwards, given physical strength that seemed to punch Leinas in the diaphragm and send loose debris tumbling across the courtyard. For a heartbeat nothing happened, then the ground began to move.
Everyone that had fallen, thrall, mercenary, worker, or constable began to stir. The groans started low, but grew in volume and intensity as the dead stood back up. Armour rent, bones shattered, flesh torn, and limbs severed they stood back up. Staring with blank or ruined eyes, they stood branding their instruments of war. Whether they were with weapons they had just been using in life, or else the exposed bones from their ruined limbs.
The reinforcing garrison soldiers paused, taken aback and horrified to see the bodies of their dead fellows standing back up and facing them. One had the presence of mind to fire a crossbow bolt at the risen dead, and it struck the corpse, penetrating its hauberk with a meaty thunk. Though beyond staggering from the impact of the bolt, the zombie gave no sign it was bothered by the wound.
With a shouted command, amplified by magic that seemed to make the ground shake and rock the manor to its foundations, the reanimated dead fell upon Nox's forces, vampire or thrall. Wordless and expressionless, save the low groans they continuously emitted. The ones with ruined lungs giving off an airy, gasping sound.
They fought without concern for protection, and with barely any of the skill in life they had possessed, but with savage strength and lack of fear nonetheless. Suffering wounds so terrible that it defied the mind that they would remain standing. Impaling themselves further upon spears to reach their quarry. Dead hands grasping for exposed flesh to grip and tear, or else bring closer to bite or slash. Hardened as Leinas thought she was to the horrors of combat, it made her stomach turn to watch it unfold.
To their credit, the thralled garrison troops formed a shield wall, locking their wooden shields together and presenting a thorny reception of spearheads that the newly arisen dead impaled themselves upon. Even being thralls, their terror was evident, but they fought in a coordinated manner, trying to use the ruined gate and wall to stem the numbers of the dead assailing them. They weren't soldier's of the Legion though, bolstered as they were by fell magic, they only needed a little push to break.
Not wishing to part with her adamantite spear, Leinas picked up a fallen spear from the ground and reared back to throw it like a Javelin.
Ability boost, strength of the warrior, arm of the adonis.
The martial arts energized Leinas' body, feeling her muscles swell and body pulse with power, time seemed to slow as Leinas hurled the spear with all her might. The weapon made a crack like thunder as it hurtled through the air, a cone forming around it seemingly from nothing, before impacting the shield wall of the thralls and shattering the centre of it. Sending bodies flying and tearing opening a gaping wound in their line. One quickly exploited by the dead as both the line of the garrison troops and their morale shattered. It became a slaughter and brutal hand to hand fighting. The grunts and shouts of men fighting, now turning to screams of pain and terror.
Leinas felt a pang of remorse at seeing one of the corpses, the young Evaristus who had joined them in the fight, fall a second time as an axe split his helm and head underneath. The face of the deceased Evaristus buried the in the neck of a screaming, and bleeding thrall. Leinas watched in morbid fascination as every thrall that fell would soon rise, reanimated as a groaning, shambling undead.
Zimira's face was taut with effort, beading with sweat as she strained against the demands of the spell. Teeth gritting against the strain, and muscles trembling ever so slightly, as though she was the Sky Father holding back the heavens. So this is what Zimira had meant when she had said 'not yet'. She had wanted a critical mass of corpses to use and was preserving her mana to maintain the spell, and also control them, Leinas realized with a start. To control this many corpses all at once and direct them was a large undertaking, and a very draining one. Without the use of prepared rituals, artifacts, or focusing items, to maintain control would require constant expenditure of mana, and a high degree of focus. Was that what her trump card was? Had she the ability to raise all the dead in the mine and town beyond? Had she threatened Nox to let the rotting corpses of all those who had died of accident, disease, or age run rampant and make it impossible to ignore? Leinas fully believed that to be the case, watching was she now knew to be a very powerful necromancer at work.
The thralls were in full retreat now, those still standing to fight quickly overwhelmed by the press of dead flesh falling upon them. The remaining vampires circling warily the two groups that the survivor's of Leinas' party had formed. One being the worker group that her half-brother and the Furt mage were a part of, and the other being Leinas and what remained of her cohort. A few more hours and the sun would rise, and yet even with their new undead legion, Leinas just couldn't sake the feeling of dread. Even as another lesser vampire fell to a combination of spells and arrows, the dread only rose higher.
Nox Ogygios, the vampire that all of this trouble stemmed from, had yet to make a move. Even as his thralls fled, and his gets fell, he only stood and watched. His red eyes glowing like coals in the darkened night. Even as the undead approached him, he made no move to defend himself or flee. Soon obscured by the wall of corpses. Then the world turned red.
More than a dozen bisected corpses flew in all directions, and in movements too fast to follow a dozen more were obliterated into scraps of meat and metal. Nox stood, pausing for a moment in the centre of the carnage, and ornate duelling sabre held in a duelling stance as more undead mindlessly made their way towards him.
Blood from those slain a second time by Nox flowed towards him, before coalescing into rotating rings that lashed out like thrown blades. They ripped into more of the undead, and in just a few moments Nox had eradicated over half of their number. The sickly sweet, corrupted smell of vampire magic becoming thick and heavy in the air. Nox needed to die, and he needed to die now. If he reached any of Leinas' cohorts he'd cut them down in moments. He'd cut her down in moments too if she fought him unsupported. They needed to attack him all at once, and Leinas was the only one among them strong enough to stand toe to toe with him, even if only for a moment.
"Workers! To me!" commanded Leinas as Nox continued to butcher their undead force. Hekkeran nodded, and like an armoured circle Leinas' two groups merged, spells and projectiles keeping the circling lesser vampires at bay.
"Strengthen me with every enhancement spell you have, we must strike at Nox all at once. We must fight as one, or fall divided," said Leinas, unable to stop herself from stealing a glace towards Nox cutting a bloody path towards them through their undead horde.
"Lesser strength."
"Lesser dexterity."
"Protection from evil."
"Lesser stamina."
"Heart of the lion."
"Lesser speed."
The blessings and magic coursed through Leinas, making her feel like her body was vibrating, ready to explode from the power it was being given. She felt half like a god, that she could do anything and nothing could stop her. Readying her spear, she met Nox as he finished off the last of their undead legion.
"Heavy Fortress," breathed Leinas, absorbing the impact of Nox's blow, the paving stones cracking under her armoured feet as she did so. Even with all the blessings and buffs, it still hurt. A lot.
"Ability boost, might of the warrior, dull pain, limit breaker," grunted Leinas, blood dribbling from her nose as she traded blows with Nox too fast for the eye to follow. Every exchange numbing her arms from the impact so she could no longer feel her grip upon the spear. Nox's sabre a silver blur that whenever it found its way past Leinas' spear cut through her enchanted armour like it butter. Each of her blows turned away with an easy arrogance of a master duellist.
In the swirling maelstrom of blades, Leinas was almost dealt a debilitating blow several times, only for her Nox to instead twist out of the way of an arrow, or else block a spell from the workers, or Leinas' retainers.
Nox grunted as one of Elwin's arrows buried itself in a tiny gap of his armour by the armpit, before blocking a blow from Titus' sabre. The weapon letting out a thunderclap and flash of light as it struck the vampire's blade, and staggering the creature from the power of the smite.
"Piercing blow," growled Leinas, the head of her spear glowing bright yellow as she sought to impale Nox and take advantage of his distraction.
She lunged forwards, only for Nox's dark cloak to flare out like wings and him to take flight backwards and out of reach of Leinas' attack.
Leinas took the momentary reprieve to breathe, chest heaving and sweat coming down her face in rivulets. Muscles quivering from exertion and bleeding from several shallow cuts that had penetrated her adamantite armour as though it were made of cotton. Leinas realized that she had lost her helmet sometime during the exchange of blows.
A ringing was sounding in her ears, low, but insistent, and her left hand felt like it was vibrating subtly. Probably from the exertion. The edges of her vision were darkened and she felt nauseous, the results of pushing her body too hard, yet if she relented for even a moment in her fight, she would fall.
The screeching and squeaking of bats drew her attention skyward and she saw Nox unleashing his household. They came from the darkness of his cloak, as though the material was a portal to another realm, and for all she knew of vampire lore, it very likely could be. Leinas braced for the assault of bats, but before they reached her, a fireball impacted the group, turning them to ash. The heat washed over Leinas, feeling as they she was being thrust into a blacksmith's forge.
A dark flicker through the flames made Leinas raise her spear reflexively, and Nox burst through it, sabre swinging. Leinas met it with her spear, and once again it groaned as though it pain, before the weapon simply broke in half, and Nox's sabre continued onwards.
Leinas tried to leap back out of the way, but the tip still cut a bloody trail from Leinas' collar to her hip, the pain fiery and hot, nearly making her mind go blank to anything else. Leinas tripped over a corpse and fell heavily to the ground, air leaving her lungs as she impacted the paving stones.
She saw Nox's sabre ready to descend, But Elwin stopped the blow, the pair of long daggers in his hands meeting the blade, the quiver on his back empty of arrows. Titus was at his side in an instant, swinging his own sabre and Valens as well, his halberd swinging towards the elder vampire.
The beast meeting all of their blows, drawing blood at his leisure from each in turn with the barest flick of his wrist. A moment later and they were gone from view, the ringing in her ears having grown in intensity, and the vibrating on her hand turning into a low, keening wail.
Struggling to her knees, Leinas realized they were going to die. Even working as a group they were no match for the creature. Resolving herself to her fate, Leinas closed her eyes, waiting for the end. A solid thunk in front of her made her open them again.
A spear was in front of her, sticking into the ground head first, and glowing with a serene, white light. It was masterfully crafted, free from any blemish or smudge, while the long leaf bladed head was inscribed with runes the kind of which she had never seen before. The shaft was mother-of-pearl white that looked to be entirely metal and ended in a savage looking butt-spike.
A streamer of the purest white silk seemed to wave gently in a breeze only it could feel, right below a golden crossguard. It was a great treasure, on par with the five treasures of the Re-Estize Kingdom if Leinas had to guess. She also imagined that she was going mad, looking to the night sky for answers, but seeing nothing forthcoming. A cry of pain brought her back to reality and she saw Valens falling out of the press of fighters attacking Nox, clutching at his shoulder.
Struggling to her feet, and deciding she had nothing to lose, Leinas reached out a trembling hand and grasped the spear. The moment her fingers touched the weapon, it was like she was struck by lightning magic and she felt as though she had just had a full nights sleep and had done nothing but laze about all week. The pain of her wounds disappearing in an instant as she took the spear from the ground. Finding that for all of its sturdy construction and length, it weighed no more than a willow wand.
Once more energized, Leinas took a fighting stance and rushed Nox, taking Elwin's spot as the vampire simply kicked him away. Nox seemed surprised, and blocked Leinas' thrust with his sabre, only for a thunderclap and flash of light to issue forth the moment their blades crossed.
Now it was Nox's sabre that howled as if in pain, a fragment of the blade ripped free from the impact and Nox himself staggering from the blow. Leinas followed up her assault with a quick thrust that Nox was just a fraction too slow to move away from.
It was weak too, at the end of her reach and only the top of her spear managing to touch his lacquered red plate. Yet, the tip penetrated the plate as though it were cotton, another thunderclap and flash of light sounding that made Nox let out a beastly, inhuman howl. Blue flames burning bright from the small wound in the breastplate that no amount of blood that flowed to him could quench.
With a snarl, the blood that flowed to Nox turned to spears of red instead, lashing out at Leinas with frightening speed. Bracing against it with her spear, the weapon glowed a magnificient white and any blade of blood that tried to pass by it turned to steam instead. Burned away by holy magic.
With speed that was beyond herself, Leinas threw herself at Nox, every blow accompanied by a thunderclap of holy magic that chipped and tore at Nox's weapon and armour. Every cut sprouting blue flames that burned and sizzled vampiric flesh, refusing to gutter out and die.
A final thrust met Nox's sabre and with a shrieking howl, the blade broke and Leinas impaled the vampire through the heart with the holy weapon.
"Just. Fucking. Die," panted Leinas as she forced the spear in deeper, feeling the pain and fatigue returning, vision turning to black as Nox was consumed by holy flame.
"Lady Shalltear...forgive...me," said Nox in all but a whisper as blue fire consumed him and Leinas' world turned to dark.
Leinas opened her eyes, feeling weightless, looking towards the night sky, but she felt no pain, only fatigue. No, not weightless, she was being held in someone's arms.
"Hey sleepyhead, now's not the time to take a nap," said an all too familiar voice and Leinas looked more to her right, and saw that the one holding her was Arclight, a coy smile on his face. Dressed in his drab robes, he seemed entirely unconcerned with the carnage around them.
"Ser Arclight?" asked Leinas, confused.
"In the flesh, more or less," said the 'man' holding her.
"Is everyone else alright?" asked Leinas.
"Not...everyone," said Arclight looking at the near mountain of corpses around them. "But everyone you know, I'd say yes," said Arclight nodding his head to the worker party and Leinas' own friends. Friends. That was the first word that popped into her head when she thought of Titus and Elwin, and it surprised her, but it was a pleasant one. She also felt immense relief to know that they still yet drew breath.
"May I stand now?" asked Leinas.
"I don't know, I kinda like holding you. I could get used to it," said Arclight playfully, and Leinas' face heated up at the scandal of it.
"Set me down, please," said Leinas, keeping her voice level.
"As the lady wishes," said Arclight, allowing Leinas to find her footing. "How do you like the spear by the way? I made it about as strong as I thought you could handle and gave it a tonne of enchantments to help in your fight."
"You...made this weapon?" asked Leinas, marvelling at the treasure in her hands.
"Of course. When you get stronger I can make better ones, but magical weapons require reciprocity at a certain point. You have to be able to handle their power, or they can actually start literally tearing you apart. Good thing you were wearing that ring I gave you, the second you started getting into a serious fight it let me know."
"So...you were observing our battle?" asked Leinas.
"Yeah, I was keeping an eye on you. Gave you the spear when you needed it too."
"I see. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but why didn't you aid us when the battle was joined? We lost many people in the fighting, and death for us was many times a hairsbreadth away, not that I am disparaging the help you did give," added Leinas quickly.
"Oh, that's simple, I," said Arclight, before faltering. Confusion on his face, before closing his eyes as if in pain, and rubbing at the bridge of his nose.
"Why...why didn't I help? I should have, but...you needed to grow...but people died, because I didn't. Why didn't I...I just...watched. I should have..." mumbled Arclight, gripping at his head as if in pain, before suddenly, and violently striking the nearby wall with his head, smashing stone and sending fragments flying. Leinas jumped back at the action, subconsciously readying her spear for a fight.
Arclight stood still for a few moments after that, holding his head, before the tension seemed to leave his face and he released his head.
"I should have helped, I'm sorry, but in my true form...my thoughts aren't always my own. I try to be aware of it and act appropriately, but it isn't always so obvious," admitted Arclight, sounding embarrassed. "It's like there's two people in my head, layered over top of the other. Me, and the other me. Both giving me suggestions and advice."
"What was the other one's reasoning?" asked Leinas.
"That you needed to fight this battle on your own. That you needed the experience and to grow stronger to face what is to come and if I fought it for you, you will remain helpless."
"Threats stronger than Nox?" asked Leinas.
"Much stronger," answered Arclight.
"Well, as enjoyable as this evening has been, I will be taking my leave now, as you said I could if I do remember correctly," said Zimira. The necromancer having doffed her borrowed hauberk and was dressed in her travelling clothes once more, a small pack on her shoulders and dagger on her hip. Yet, as she stood there, her eyes widened in fright and she took a step back, gaze fixated on Arclight.
Confused, Leinas looked to Arclight and saw such a look of raw, unadulterated hatred on his face that it seemed almost physically palpable.
"Arclight," said Leinas slowly, reaching out and grabbing hold of him as he began striding to Zimira, Leinas' boots scraping on the paving stones as though she were trying to hold back the tides.
"Foul wretch! Defiler and witch! Playing with souls and profaning the sacred and divine with your dark arts. You deserve no mercy, no refuge, no pity, and no clemency for the suffering you put the souls of the deceased through," spat Arclight, hatred dripping from every word. "There is no reason good enough, nor need great enough to excuse the dark deeds you carry out!"
"Ser Rockbruise, what is this?" demanded Zimira, backing away from Arclight whose hands were twitching, as though waiting to lash out and grab hold of the necromancer.
"Arclight, hold!" demanded Leinas to no avail.
"Stay back! I warn you," said Zimira, dark energies gathering around her, before mouthing words that mortal ears had trouble comprehending and lashing out with a spell. Darkness rushed towards Leinas and Arclight, crushing out sound and light, before dissipating like smoke as it touched the enigmatic 'man' from another world.
Terror seemed to grab hold of Zimira as her spell did nothing, a moment before Arclight did, fingers wrapping around her neck and lifting her up. The necromancer beating feebly at his arm, unable to free herself.
"Ser Rockbruise, you promised! You promised me safety!" cried Zimira desperately in terror.
"Arclight! Hold!" cried Leinas.
"Look into my eyes as you die, and know that torment a thousand fold waits for you in the next life," proclaimed Arclight like he was reciting scripture.
"Please! Stop! Are these your thoughts or the others?" cried Leinas, putting her face in Arclight's. "Think, you said you needed to always be wary, to know when it was you and when it was the other! Is this the other or you?" demanded Leinas breathlessly. Well aware of Zimira's face well on its way to matching her magenta hair in colour.
"This is punishment for what she has done. All the lives she had destroyed, and the souls she has profaned!" snarled Arclight.
"But is it you deciding to do it?" demanded Leinas.
"It's..." began Arclight, fury faltering.
"I promised this woman safety. On my word of honour as a knight, and she fought with us upon that promise. I promised her safe passage."
"I made no such promise," said Arclight, but there was hesitation in his words, eyes closing once more as if in pain.
"But I did. You said you helped me, because there is good in me. So let me ask you, do you trust me to walk my own path of my own free will and extend that same trust to others?"
"It is not the same, she will not change," said Arclight, but without the conviction of earlier.
"I ask you to look, and tell me there is truly no hope," pleaded Leinas, shaking her head at Elwin and the others approaching, weapons drawn. They stood no chance against him, and she needed to reach the man within.
Arclight looked deep into Zimira's eyes, grip loosening, and the necromancer took a greedy breath of air.
"She will continue what she does if she leaves here. Without a shepherd, she will turn into a wolf again among mankind," said Arclight, though the fury was leaving his voice.
"Then...leave her in my care. I will shepherd her, as you shepherded me. You gave me a chance, undeserved, and I want to show that it wasn't a mistake. Give Zimira a chance. Surely, you see a shred of goodness in her, don't you?"
"It is...faint...but there," relented Arclight, releasing Zimira so she collapsed on the ground in a heap, coughing and holding her throat. "She is your responsibility. Look after her, and make sure she doesn't stray, or I will finish what I started," said Arclight in a tone that seemed alien to him.
Arclight looked at his hand, before closing his eyes and seeming as though he had a migraine again.
"My thoughts, aren't my own just yet. I...can't trust myself to be around here. There's too much dark magic, too much evil," said Arclight, shaking his head as though trying to shake some intruding presence free.
"I'm sorry Leinas, not exactly the knight in shining armour you expected, huh?" asked Arclight, smiling weakly, looking pale with sweat beading down his face. "If you need help, I'll come, but I can't be here right now, or I might, well," trailed off Arclight. His hand still twitching as though demanding to wrap around Zimira's throat again.
With a barely discernible pop, Arclight disappeared like he was never even there. Both the Worker's and Leinas' party standing in silence, before Leinas helped Zimira to her feet. The usual sass and flippancy of the necromancer gone, and in its place a woman shaking with fright and seeming very small.
"I...suppose I am your charge now, Lady Rockbruise," said Zimira, voice cracking. "I...must thank you for coming to my aid. In his eyes," said Zimira, trailing off, before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
"I promised you safety, upon my word of honour, and so I did my best to uphold it," said Leinas honestly.
"That man...is not human," said Zimira simply. Hiding her trembling hands in the sleeves of her long dress.
"So...not to spoil the mood or anything, but we did just help you against an entire garrison and a whole coven of vampires. Suffering injuries and loss of equipment in the process," began Hekkeran. "So much so, that I don't really think the sum agreed upon is quite sufficient to the effort involved," continued the worker.
"The contract is non-negotiable once signed, it is even above my power to do so," said Leinas bluntly.
"That was an elder vampire we fought. That wasn't in the contract."
"Be that as it may, the contract once signed is absolute."
"Under duress though," rebutted Hekkeran.
"It was a trying time and the Empire thanks you for your service," said Leinas simply.
"An elder vampire," emphasized Hekkeran. "And whatever that was just now. And then there's the necromancer, zombies, and I'm sure I could list off a whole host of other conditions not in the contract," countered the worker.
"The contract states that you will rise to any and all duties that come from aiding Imperial authorities, though the duties did turn out to be rather...extreme," admitted Leinas. "A bonus, would not be out of the question," allowed Leinas.
"Sizable, I do hope," said Hekkeran.
"Do not press your luck," warned Leinas, and the worker seemed satisfied with that.
Even with the battle over, Leinas and those still alive at the manor stood with weapons at the ready until the sun rose, waiting for yet more attacks. When none came, they made their way quickly to the stables, finding that their horses were not slain, though the bitten constables and mercenaries she had left to guard them were. The worker Roderdyck and Titus both stopped to say a prayer over the dead men as everyone else readied their horses. Leinas seeking out Valens as he readied his.
"Honoured sister," said Valens, bowing his head.
"You did well Valens, very well," said Leinas, catching the youth off guard.
"Oh, I, only did as I was trained," countered Valens.
"No, it was more than that. You have a natural talent for fighting, and your strength if greater than your years should bear it to be. You also fought without reservation against monsters while afraid, and defended your paramour without hesitation. You should be proud of that."
"Oh. Th-thank you, but I wasn't afraid," began Valens, falling silent as Leinas raised her hand.
"Of course you were. I was, and I do believe that this battle will stay with me for many nights to come. As I imagine it will you. Be not afraid to talk about it when you come to visit, either with me or Titus, though I believe Titus will have more experience in that matter."
Valens flinched as Leinas touched the bandaged cut on his cheek, a wound given at the tip of Nox's sabre.
"That will heal well brother, and be the subject of many a good story in the future, just try not to embellish it too much."
"Oh, thank you sister, I and I won't. Embellish that is," added Valens quickly.
"That is good. Also, I will write in my report how I invited you along in this foray so it isn't public record that you were here as a worker. Instead, you will have been handpicked by one of the Empire's Four Knights. A much better deed to be recorded, wouldn't you agree?"
"I...you honour me," said Valens bowing his head.
"I am glad. Now, go steal some kisses from that Furt girl, she keeps looking at you while we talk. Only kisses though, am I clear?" said Leinas, before smiling and leaving her half-brother to meet with the love struck teen.
Xxx
"As far as cages go, this one is gilded enough it seems," said Zimira, dismounting her horse and handing the reigns to a stable boy. Walking rather awkwardly since she was not used to riding so long in a saddle.
It had been slower coming back to Arwinter than leaving, they had stayed in an Imperial Fort for a week as they relayed the events that had happened at the mine, and a much larger detachment of legionnaires and mages was dispatched to restore order and hunt down any other traces of vampiric corruption.
Leinas' body still ached dully from the battle, but it was a minor concern at best. She was just truly grateful that they had all managed to make it out of that place alive, and was relieved to be home once more. Even if she had another guest under her roof now.
Syllia was waiting beside Simon, as dutiful as ever, but that facade cracking and falling away the moment Elwin came within reach. Cooing over every scrape the elf had suffered, and fussing over every bruise. Seemingly unable to be close enough to him, and from the looks of how she was biting her lip, they would get closer still once alone. It seemed Elwin's break was up, and Leinas had to stifle a chortle at the thought.
"It is wonderful to see you return to us safe and sound once more," said Simon bowing at the waist. "I have heard rumours of your trials and was most worried. I see you have brought back a souvenir," added the elderly butler, eyeing the spear that Leinas had wrapped in rags.
"Yes, it was much more troubling than I ever believed it could have been," admitted Leinas.
"Would a cup of tea and a bath suit you?" asked Simon.
"Yes, and then a very long sleep," added Leinas.
"Very good Madam," said Simon bowing his head. "And you Madam, how may I address you?" asked Simon, turning to Zimira.
"You may call me Madam Bahar, and I require a bath made ready for me," said Zimira primly.
"Of course. Hot, cold, or lukewarm?"
"Hot if you would."
"With or without scented oils?"
"With. Lecrun Berry if you have it."
"We do. Preference of soap? Perfume? Liquid or solid?"
"Liquid A'har de pomme, and a bar of Athenais' finest. An attendant while I bathe and a satin robe will also be required."
"Those will be made readily available. Cotton, satin, or fur to dry once you are done?"
"Cotton will suffice, and a glass of wine while I wait. I must see what vintages you carry, so far from home I must see that there is something respectable present."
"Of course," said Simon, snapping his fingers and having a maid guide Zimira to the villa.
"I brought you a present Simon," said Leinas laconically.
"I am most grateful for it Madam, I was getting rather bored without having anything around here in need of such maintenance as to require my constant attention. A temporary addition?" queried Simon.
"Permanent. For the moment, and a necromancer."
"Ah. I can only imagine the circumstances that would bring her to our humble abode. Need I be concerned at all?"
"I don't think so," said Leinas truthfully.
"Then I will treat her as any other honoured guest," said Simon bowing and turning to go.
"Simon," said Leinas after a moment's hesitation.
"Yes Madam?"
"I...truly do appreciate you. It sets my heart at ease to know you will be here when I return. I want you to know that."
The elderly butler merely smiled.
"And it sets my heart at ease to see you return every time you leave, Mademoiselle."
AN: Well that was a lot of fun, and really poured out of me compared to other chapters. As always, read and review and let me know what you think.