In the Blood

The two Vampires implement their plan to gain Aurei's assistance, while the Necromancer's Guild's airships arrive at Northmarch

8.

In the Blood

 

 

Darkness had just fallen and the Queen’s park was empty as almost everyone was at the wedding banquet.   Standing in the shadows close to a concealing shrub, Alleania waited nervously, and a moment later there was a dull blue flash of light.

Near the iron gate leading into the garden stood Chal, who glanced around for an instant to make certain no-one had seen his arrival.   He wrapped his cloak around him and rushed over to where Alleania waited and they briefly embraced and kissed.

“All is well?”  She asked as they stood there for a moment.

“Yes, they are ahead of schedule; so far they have gone undetected due to a thunderstorm over the coastlands.   Is all ready here?”

“Yes, I have a surprise for you, but let us find somewhere less conspicuous.”

Chal nodded and a moment later two large bats flew up to the top of the palace roof and reformed into the two Drow.

“What have you found to surprise me?”   He asked his mate.

“Last night when I was hunting, I found a drunken wizard and fed upon him.   He had a pendant that he gave to me in return for not killing him.   It is a pendant of telepathy.”

Chal looked at the red gem she wore around her neck.

“Does it function?”

“Oh yes, quite well.   I have scanned the mind of Aurei all evening and was pleased with where her thoughts were leading.   She fears for her loved ones in the battle against the Guild.    She desires for a way to keep them safe, even at her own sacrifice."   

"St. Kinnis, I learned, is here and spoke to her words of prophesy.  I used that to plant in her mind - with the pendant- thoughts of an urgent need to end the curse of Soric."   

"I think I have an idea how we can utilize her, and at the same time make our presence known to her without compromising her vows of a Paladin.”

 

Chal seemed very pleased, “Well, then, we had better set this plan into motion quickly.   Have you secured entrance into the palace?”

“I was mistaken for Zeatt late last night when I stood outside a servant’s entrance and knocked.    The night steward didn’t even ask my name, he just assumed I was Zeatt and told me to come in.”

 

“Didn’t your attire make him wonder?”   Chal asked, amused.

“I had my cloak wrapped around me, so he never saw what I wore.   At any rate, we now can access the palace.”

 

“Very well done, my Love.   Let us get going.”

She nodded and they again took the form of bats and flew around the upper stories of the building until they found an open window, then flew inside to put their plan into motion.

 

 

 

***

 

 

The celebration continued deep into the evening.

Following the dancing there came the traditional flinging of the bride’s flower garland crown to the unmarried maidens assembled.  

 

Aurei was still in her fey mood and really didn’t want to participate, but Krys and Brandi dragged her into the midst of the 15 girls.   

Alis turned her back to them, removed the bride’s crown from her head and with a count to three, she flung it up high over her head.   Aurei didn’t even flinch for it, but the other girls jumped up into the air around her as if the flower crown was made of pure gold.  

Krys and Brandi clawed at the crown with their hands over their heads, causing it to flip and bounce, until, to the great amusement of everyone, it landed squarely on Aurei’s head as she just stood still.  

Those assembled roared with laughter and all the men teased Eleazar about the omen of the event.   Aurei responded responsibly so as to not darken the mood of the festivities, and then told the wedding couple that she was going to take the prize back to her room so it wouldn’t get lost or ruined during the party.  

 

Eleazar seemed ready to escort her, but Aeric and the other men were enjoying games of dexterity and balance with cups from the dinner, so she smiled somewhat sadly, yet reassuringly, and told him to stay.

“I’ll be right back.” She said to him with a squeeze of his hand.   As she left the feasting hall, she looked back at everyone enjoying themselves and a huge wave of melancholy came over her.   Though she didn’t know why, the thought came to her that she might not see any of them again.

“Crazy.” She whispered to herself, forcing her feet into motion as she left.

 

As the banquet was in the palace, she didn’t even have to leave the building, but hurried across the empty courtyard into the other wing of the large royal residence.   Several servants nodded to her as she passed, yet the sense of impending trouble stayed with her, putting her on edge.  

 

Up the stairs she went, on guard, but the hallway was empty and she entered her room warily.   It was empty.   She put the garland crown on the dresser in the room and was turning to leave when she suddenly noticed the pile of armor stacked neatly in the corner of the room.

 

They had all brought their armor with them from Westmark, though no-one had asked them too.   Oddly, all of them had felt compelled to do so, though they hadn’t really discussed how odd that was on the trip to King’s Reach.   Now it seemed very weird to Aurei and she paused and looked at her own armor for a long moment.

She was supposed to put it on, right now.

 

Aurei blinked in surprise at the thought that seemed to just pop up in her head.   She was in the middle of the palace in King’s Reach, late in the evening, preparing to go back to her best friend’s wedding banquet.   There certainly was no danger here, with probably a thousand guards all around and as many servants only a yell away. 

 

But the thought came to her again, very, very strong.   She was to quickly put on the Drow armor that had belonged to her deceased aunt and then go to the King’s chapel on the same floor of the palace and pray.

Was it from Yesh?   Perhaps this was part of what St. Kinnis had referred to in his words to her.   She hesitated for a moment, feeling foolish to consider such a thing, but again the feeling came over her and it had with it a sense of urgency.  

With a sigh, Aurei went over to the pile of armor and picked up the Elven chainmail under suit.    Fifteen minutes later she was fully adorned in the Drow plate armor and had Egregie and her Drow long sword both strapped around her waist, along with the belt of giant strength.   She had put the Ring of Nitthum on one of her toes, underneath her armor, as Eleazar had once suggested, to keep the precious ring safe in case a destructive spell was cast upon her.  

The Autocaster Ring she had just been given by the Queen she wore on another toe on the other foot for the same reason.  

“Crazy...” she again murmured, donning her helmet.  

She opened the door and walked down the empty hallway to a small, but beautiful chapel built for the royal family and guests staying in the palace.  

 

The chapel was empty, but lit up dimly by ornate glow sticks set into the walls to mimic, very effectively, candlelight.   Reverently, Aurei walked down the aisle to the kneeling benches at the front.   She knelt down, thankful for the extreme craftsmanship of the Drow armor that enabled her to move so freely in the suit of lightweight adamantium plates.  

Looking up at the blood red cross of pain -the symbol of the church of Yesh, Aurei closed her eyes and prayed.

 

“Lord, why am I doing this?   What is the purpose?   What do you want me to do?”  She had no idea why the thoughts going through her head were there, but she could not deny them.  

She needed to go alone against Soric Potollis. 

Alone.  

Probably the most insane thing she could possibly do, for Sir Alvis had told them that some demonic force possessed the man and that his powers were far beyond all of their abilities to stop him.   Yet she felt like she had to go up against him alone.   

 

Aurei knew that she hadn’t any chance to destroy the master of the Necromancer’s Guild, even with the magic she used.   She knew without a doubt he would kill her… or worse.   But the thought of her friends, and especially Eleazar falling in battle with the fiend was too much for her to bear.  

 

Yesh had sacrificed himself to the very same man, centuries ago, to show the faithful the consequences of evil on others, as well as his mastery over death.   “Follow me, though the sword may pierce and the club may crush, for behold, I lead the way to everlasting life and only through me will your soul find eternity.”    The words of The Merciful One came to her strong and clear in the chapel.    Follow me, even unto death.    Could she do that, to save her friends?  

Did God want to sacrifice her for their lives?   Was the first encounter she had went through with the Death Knight aboard his airship just a hint at her true purpose?    But how would he use her to destroy Soric Potollis?  She didn’t have a Light of Yesh this time?

 

She stared at the cross for a long, long moment and just when she began to feel that she was completely insane for acting so odd, suddenly a tidal wave of images splashed into her head, causing her to cry out in alarm and jerk her head back from the onslaught of the images.

 

They came to her all at once, so it took her a few minutes to sort them out.   It was as if someone’s full life collection of memories had been suddenly and completely implanted within her brain.  

She saw the events of her birth, from the perspective of her birth mother, dying, terrified, and desperately trying to give birth before she died, in the back of an out-of-control carriage, while her sister, who Aurei recognized to be her Aunt Zeatt, desperately tried to save her and deliver the child.  

She felt her mother die and seemingly a moment later to come to life again with a Drow man standing over her.   She felt the cold unlife of vampirism and the supernatural pull to blood and obedience to him that had made her undead.   

 

For a moment she was united with the memories and knew it all as if she were her.    She saw her love for the Vampire Lord which came slowly, grudgingly, but then grew strong --and which was returned just as strong.

 

She saw her life as one of the lesser Vampires, dominated by the great power of the Necromancer’s Guild.   She felt 74 years of subservience to the harsh masters of the Guild and saw her lord, Chal, rise slowly in the ranks until he arrived as one of the three lieutenants of Morbis Noctunus.

 

She heard her discussion with Chal about their hatred of the control of the Guild and their desire to return to the Underdark.

She felt her excitement to learn that not only had her sister and niece survived the raid, but that their daughter lived and thrived among humans in the northlands.  

Aurei heard Chal tell her of Soric’s invasion plan and their decision to act.   She saw her journey to Westmark and her many hours of watching her from afar, both proud and disgusted at her status as a Paladin.  

She felt her fear of her, yet her longing to meet her, and her excited report to Chal that their daughter lived and perhaps could be used to further their plans to destroy Soric.  

Last in the order of the superimposed thoughts was the report by scrying device from Chal that the armada of undead ships; a huge invasion force of powerful undead that were now almost upon King’s Reach!  She recoiled in horror at the thought, but her mind was still spinning with the multitude of memories that had been placed into her mind.  

 

She staggered to her feet as her head swam while it tried to quickly process the enormous amount of knowledge that she had gained in a moment’s time.   She had to warn everyone at the banquet about the impending attack!  

 

Glancing about, she saw to one side of the altar, a small alcove where the ropes to the chapel bells hung.    If she rang them, everyone would know something was wrong.  

Then maybe they would be watching around when the airships arrived.  

Without further thought, Aurei went over and pulled on the ropes, causing the bells to chime loudly for nearly ten seconds.

But then a thought came into her head to stop ringing the bells and to come and meet with them.  

 

She knew by now of course that the thoughts came to her through the magic of the pendant and she knew perfectly well what they wanted from her and who exactly they were.

 

Aurei turned and with a long, grim sigh, walked out of the chapel, before the servants could arrive to see who had rang the bells.

 

They waited for her wrapped in cloaks at the other end of the hallway, with the nearly full spring moon shining behind them through a window.   She didn’t pause but coolly walked up to them.  

 

“Hello, Aurei.” Alleania greeted her cautiously, though her red eyes glowed brightly upon seeing her.

Aurei glanced at both of them, “Hello mother, hello father.”

“Hello, my child,” Chal replied, “My but you are a beautiful young woman.   You know what we ask of you, do you not?”

Aurei nodded, “I do, but let me make something clear.”

 

Suddenly her hand shot out and clamped on the neck of her father, picking him up by the neck and slamming him up against the wall.  

Before Chal could react, Aurei had Egregie’s edge against his neck, its yellow flames burning him as she effortlessly held him with her magically enhanced strength.   Her eyes burned like hot coals as she spoke.

 

“I know who you are and what you are, and make no mistake that I will kill both of you if you try to double-cross me or sacrifice me to Soric.   Know also that if you do double-cross me, and I do die because of it that there are most definitely others that will pursue you to the very gates of Hell to destroy you to avenge me.   I feel no bonds of kinship to either one of you; however, I will ally myself to both of you in order to destroy the Guild and Soric.   Have I made myself clear?”

She relaxed the hold on Chal, who looked more than a little terrified at the calm, firm confidence of his daughter who held the holy sword less than an inch from his neck.  

 

“We understand.” He said, trembling, “We mean you no harm; we know of your might and want to end Soric’s reign of evil.   We both wish to return to the Underdark; we will leave your friends alone, this I swear to you.”

 

Aurei snorted, “Your oath means nothing to me, Chal.   I have lost dear friends to undead such as you.   You both will just go on killing in the Underdark; that is the way of all Vampires.    But I will help you fight Soric, though we all will most likely be destroyed in the effort.”

 

She released him and he dropped down nimbly on his feet, holding his throat.   Aurei turned to Alleania, “How many have you killed here while spying on me?”

“You have my memories now, Aurei; you know I have bitten three people here, but killed none of them, not even the wizard from whom I took the ring.” 

“They will not turn into Vampires unless they die before they are healed by a Cleric.   It is the same in the Underdark; there are many terrible things down there; many are bitten by Vampires and know what to do to be healed.   Do not think we are ruthless killers.”

“I hope that you are telling me the truth, Alleania.   I am not going with you out of some misguided family loyalty, I am going to hopefully end the danger to the lives of my friends and probably die in the attempt.”

 

“Not if we work together, Aurei.” Chal spoke up, “We have a common enemy; let us utilize our strengths to end this.   He is alone in his castle, with very few of his minions.   He won’t expect this, for it will seem too foolhardy.   Yes, he is powerful, but so is the Holy sword you wield.   We can do it if we work together!”  

Chal paused and looked alarmed, “Listen!   Can you hear that?   It is the sound of horns of the palace guards warning of the arrival of the armada!   Quickly, child, we must go now and strike Soric.   His lieutenants have links to him; they will know when he falls and their courage will fade.   This is the way to save your friends, hurry, please!”

 

Aurei did not trust them at all, but she nodded, “It is a long arrow shot, but let us try.”

 

“Both of you stand next to me; I will teleport us to Soric’s castle.   Be prepared, for we will have to strike him quickly and savagely, while he is still surprised.   Are you ready, Aurei?”   Her father asked, and she was too sick at heart at hearing the sounds of alarm sounding in King’s Reach to answer with anything but a nod.  

Moments later, the Vampire Lord began chanting his spell and the three vanished.

 

At the top of the stairs at the other end of the hall, a young pair of eyes stared in fear and wonder, then turned and ran back down the stairs.