Maternal Instinct

Eioldth and Siris come to the aid of those battling the undead on the Necromancer's Guild airship.

56.

Maternal Instinct

 

 

“They’re in trouble!”   Eioldth announced to the pacing Orc lady as she peered into her crystal ball.  

“Yesh help them!”   Siris cried; one hand on her belly where her pregnancy had yet to show.

“Come on”, The Queen rose quickly and beckoned to her.   They had sat anxiously, after Eioldth had suggested that they arm themselves ‘just in case’.   Now it was time.

“How can we ever get to them in time?”  Siris asked, hurrying to the Queen, who was unrolling a piece of parchment.

“Teleportation spell - I had several scrolls on the Autumn Maid and thankfully I thought to retrieve this one last night.”

“Yes, but don’t you have to have knowledge of where you are teleporting?   You’ve never been on the Necromancer’s ship.”

Eioldth smiled, “No, but I have been on the Autumn Maid which hovers next to it.   Do you have your bow?”

“Yes, but I have only two arrows of undead slaying left.”

“Better than nothing.   Come stand next to me, we don’t have much time.”

The Orc lady obeyed and a moment later Eioldth was chanting the spell.   There was a blinking sensation and suddenly they were standing on the enclosed bridge of the Autumn Maid.   Everyone in the room shouted in surprise.

“Come on, follow me, they are in dire need!”   The Queen commanded, and immediately Vinth, Thorm and Neal got to their feet, followed by several members of the crew.

“They are fighting about seven or eight Vampires in the hold of the ship.”   She informed as she hurried out and raced across the deck, jumping across onto the deck of the huge Necromancer’s craft.  

“The King ordered us to stay on the Autumn Maid.”  Neal explained, feeling some shame for not being with the others fighting the Vampires.

“Kings do that; they give a lot of commands, and they lead brave men into battle to die, then they write songs about them, while their widows mourn.   Paladins are the worst.   There are many songs about their bravery, but find just one about a wise wizard that used his intelligence instead of brawn.    Sadly, we don’t have time for any plan.    Let Siris and me go first, we know what we’re facing.   Avoid their gaze, if you can.”

With no further words, the Queen led them through one of the doors going down into the lower decks.

 

***

 

In the hold of the ship, Eleazar was moving quickly, though he was still blind from the burst of light.   He knew Rori had used her wand, and reasoned that Haroldris’ hypnotism might be at least paused while the Vampire Lord was stunned by the effects of the light.   So using his memory of where the undead fiend had been standing in relationship to him, he turned and swung Valere in his direction, praying to Yesh that Aurei was not in the way of his blade.

His sword found the mark, cutting into the vampire, who yelped in pain at the blow. 

Through the after-image of the blinding light, Aurei saw a hint of her adversary and heard Eleazar’s blow fall upon him.   But then she saw him no more.   Waving her sword in the area he was in, she was greatly relieved to find he had vanished - hopefully back to his coffin.

“You got him!” She whispered to Eleazar as she tried to blink away the blind spot in the center of her vision.

“Yesh, forgive me!”  She heard the King exclaim, his hypnotism having been broken by the dissolving of the vampire.

“Come on!”  Eleazar ordered, and the King and Aurei hurried behind him.   The two Vampires that Zeatt had earlier turned were now climbing out of their coffins.

 

Rori was being wrestled to the ground by a Vampire, who was biting her shoulder as they rushed to help.   The King arrived first, his great sword flashing out and sending the head of the vampire sailing across the room for an instant before his form dissipated into a mist. 

Another Vampire was standing over Lute, drinking his blood.   Eleazar carefully aimed a blow at the creature, taking the top half of his head off, which caused it to immediately turn to mist.

Aurei rushed the Vampire that was feeding off a bite wound on Zeatt’s chin.   Her swords cris-crossed and the vampire disappeared in a mist.  

One of the Vampires coming from his coffin stopped and scooped up the necklace of the Vampire lady, and immediately threw one of the yellow globes at the King, just as Aurei yelled out a warning.   The globe burst, showering Haroldris in fire.   Eleazar lunged at the Vampire, his great sword raised, but the creature was faster with another one of the globes and an instant later the fireball burst upon him -- and instantly dissipated to the surprise of both of them.  

The half-Drow’s sword cut deep into the undead fiend’s chest as he threw another globe at Eleazar.  This time the ball of fire roared over him, covering the Elf in yellow flames.  

Aurei screamed in fury as she saw him stagger back in the flames.   She leapt on the vampire, her swords thrust before her.  Her blades impaled the Vampire, slamming him to the ground where he disappeared in a puff of misty smoke.

She jumped to her feet to run to Eleazar, but a Vampire jumped onto her shoulders.  Aurei rolled with the creature, pinning him under her.   His jaws snapped at her, but still enraged, she brought both swords down on the Vampire’s neck.  The undead thing disappeared as smoke. 

 

She glanced up in horror, searching for Eleazar.   He was standing, throwing his burning cloak from his back, as a Vampire carrying a rod slammed it down on his great sword.   The blow did no damage and the Half-Drow spun and swung the Holy Sword.   The blow cut the creature in two and it disappeared.  

The remaining Vampire suddenly changed its form to a bat and flew rapidly toward the door out of the hold.

“Stop it!   Don’t let it get away!” She called, but no one was near, it flew through the door, but bounced back as if it had run into something.   Suddenly a huge ghostly hand closed around it.  

Through the doorway came Queen Eioldth holding her hand with her magic ring in the exact pose the ghostly hand mimicked.   The Vampire in her grasp tried to free itself, and all at once the hand opened and the bat flew free.   But only for a second; for Siris let fly with an arrow that hit the bat in the chest.   It disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Aurei spun around, but finding no foes, rushed over to King Haroldris, who was seated on the ground, covered in soot, but smiling.

“Your Majesty?”  She asked.

“I’m alright, Aurei; look to our injured.”

There were plenty to attend to.   Near her, Zeatt was lifeless, her skin a grey color, as were her lips. 

“She’s near death!”  She yelled, and Aurei quickly rummaged through her backpack for one of the healing potions she had brought with her.  Two of the three were broken, but the third was intact and she popped open the bottle and then her Aunt’s mouth, pouring the fluid down her throat.   The fluid went into her, bringing a slight bit of color to her face and lips, though she still seemed very, very near death.  

Eleazar was kneeling beside Lute, who also looked extremely pale from blood loss.   He began chanting a spell and touching the Half-Ogre, a blue light covered Lute for an instant, and then faded.   The Half-Ogre seemed only slightly better.

“Lute’s in bad shape too.”  He told Siris, who stood there shaking in terror. 

“Pectros too!”  Rori announced, as she held the Captain of the Guard’s head in her lap.   His color was better than the others, but he seemed very frail.

“Free Alvis, Alis and Aeric.”  The King told some of the Autumn Maid’s crew who had joined the Queen’s rescue party.

“They should be free from control as all of their masters are dead.”

“Alis and Aeric can lay hands on our injured!”  Aurei said, but the King shook his head.

“Not for a while, Aurei.   They, like I, were controlled by the Vampires, however briefly, to attack us.   My Paladin powers are gone - for a while.   Their powers will be as well.”

“But it wasn’t their fault!”  She protested, looking heavenward, “Please, Lord, or our friends may die!”

But it was no use, and even though Alis and Aeric tried, no healing power flowed from them.   They stood off to one side feeling shamed and humbled.

“We need to get them back to Westmark immediately.”  The Queen told the party.  

“The Vampires aren’t dead, only weakened.   We need to open their coffins and finish them off.”   Sir Alvis reminded them.

“Take Zeatt, Pectros and Lute back to the Autumn Maid and hurry back to Westmark.   We’ll stay here and finish the grim deed.”

Gently they carried the three wounded friends up the stairs and past each floor of the subdeck, then over to the Autumn Maid.    Aurei and Eleazar carried Lute, for only their belt enhanced strength enabled them to carry his large form.  

Minutes later, they watched as the Airship hurried off with the roar of rushing winds.   Siris, Rori and Eioldth accompanied them to help, leaving The King, Alvis, Thorm, Neal, Vinth, Alis, Aeric and Eleazar to join Aurei in returning to the horrid hold to destroy the Vampires for all time.

 

Reviews

[Erin Winter]

"Alis an Aeric can lay hands on our injured!"
Alis and Aeric

[Eddie Davis]

Thank you for telling me about that mistake.

[Elina]

"...where she was yet to begin to show her pregnancy." This bit seemed a little wordy in the "was yet to begin to" area.
"...which caused it to immediately to turn to mist." The second "to" must have been added by accident.
"She jumped to her feet to run to Eleazar, but a Vampire jumped onto her shoulders, but she rolled with the creature, pinning him under her." I think this could be split into two sentences, ending the first with "sholders" and beginning the second with "However, she rolled..."

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina, I just corrected my errors. If these books ever see actual (paper) publication, I will certainly include a note of thanks to you included with the others who proofread for me.