It was an odd sensation for Artirius. It was not often he was bested and even more seldom was he delivered a blow that brought him to a prone state. He waned in and out of consciousness for what seemed hours though there was no way for him to know how much time had really passed. Waves of pain came and went in his head and he felt nauseous along with it. Finally his eyes flickered with life. He came awake with a groan of pain and discomfort.
He surveyed his surroundings. He was most definitely not in the tavern. The room was small and dimly lit. The walls were heavy stone as was the floor. Looking up, heavy wooden beams made up the ceiling. Artirius attempted to stand, but he met resistance. It appeared his arms had been tied to his chair. The rope that was used to tie him down was heavy, but with some effort he could free himself. As he tightened his massive muscles in preparation to make an escape attempt, a cool calm and relaxing male voice came from behind him.
“Nice to see that you are awake, Artirius.”
The barbarian blinked, “How do you know my name?”
The voice responded, “It might be a better question to ask you how you came to think that the great northern barbarian Artirius, traveling so close to home might not be noticed. You may have forgotten that in your youth, you had already built a reputation. Then you capped that off with the most bizarre move any of you people has ever made, you left. Finally…” the voice paused a moment, “you come at a time when things are moving in Norta Massa, and names are being whispered in certain places. What made you think you would not be expected?”
Artirius shook the comments off, “Where am I? What of my friend?”
The voice circled around to his side, though the man behind it was still obscured by shadows, “The dwarf is alive for now. And you, do you feel able?”
Confusion crossed Artirius’s mind. It did not make much sense for a kidnapper to wonder about his captive’s health. “I am well enough.”
“Your head is feeling all right then?”
“Yes, there is some pain but nothing that I cannot bear, nothing that would encumber me.”
The figure stepped close enough to see now. His face was pale and handsome. His features were chiseled perfectly. His eyes were a deep amber color which matched his well groomed beard and hair that was pulled back in a pony tail tied off with a bow. The clothing he wore was neat and looked rather dignified. There was a brown vest over his white shirt with brown pressed pants. His shoes were also brown, and well shined. As he leaned forward and smiled at Artirius his fangs revealed themselves, another vampire. The vampire’s voice remained the same cool tone as it did before, “That is good. My name is Alexi. I am a friend to you.”
Taken a bit by surprise all Artirius could ask was, “Why should I believe that?”
“Really you have little reason to believe me, but how about this for starters, you are still alive.” Artirius remained silent taking in the words Alexi had given him. The vampire continued on smiling wider now than before, “You need to consider this, you have no idea where your friend is and if you want the dwarf to live, then you will need my help. What is more, you have no idea the plight you are in. There are so many details you have not yet heard, and all the pieces are yet to be in place.”
Artirius was baffled by this turn of events. He was worried for Balic, and realized he really had no idea where to even begin searching. Also, if Alexi had information to offer it may be worthwhile. One thing still bothered him, why was the vampire helping him? “I suppose I can do nothing more than trust you, but I need to ask you something. Who are you exactly?”
Alexi smiled, “Direct and to the point. I appreciate that you do not like wasting time. Very well then, let us talk. I am sure though that you are not very comfortable in that chair there, so feel free to break your bonds at you leisure, and follow me to the dining hall,” he bowed, turned and opened the door. He exited through it.
Artirius was more and more curious. Why would his captor knowingly bind him insecurely? He flexed his great bulk and with a loud snap his bonds were no more. He stood and a wave of queasiness hit him. His head was still recovering from the blows he had taken and it briefly swirled the room. He shook off this feeling quickly. There was no time for him to be delayed by trite things. His barbarian stubbornness allowed him to subdue the discomfort. Though the underlining problem still existed, the outward effects were not felt.
He walked through the doorway and into a torch lit hallway, perhaps an hundred feet long. The same stone comprised this structure as had made up his room. Doors lined either side of the entire length of the hall, perhaps ten to each side. At the end there was a stone staircase that led to an upper level. Artirius’s footsteps echoed as he walked the length of the hall and up the stairs, which he found turned to the left and up another flight. In front of him was a steel gate from floor to ceiling. The door was left open. On the other side was a small space, perhaps twenty feet square. Off to his right side was a door as well as one straight ahead. The one in front of him was open, so he followed the path that was left before him.
Artirius found himself in warmer halls now. To his right was a short hall that ended with several doors on either side. The hall to his left lead to a corner, which turned to the right. He again followed the path left open to him. As he rounded the corner the corridor was wider. This corridor was perhaps as long as the first he had found himself in. Centered on the middle of the right wall was a set of large double doors. These were closed. To the left another set of the same doors. Straight ahead was a smaller set of double doors. This set lay open before him. Being a good guest he continued to followed the path set before him.
Crossing the threshold he found himself in a grand dining hall. Centered in the room was a table set over an ornate rug. The table itself was fashioned elegantly. The legs were all carved by hand with intricate vines which had been inlayed with gold filigree. The top was surely equally beautiful, but the food that covered it did not leave a clear view. There were so many things. There were meats of all sorts with a variety of vegetables. There were also puddings and creams set over ice to keep them chilled. There was bread and cheese and it looked as if there were also several types of beers, wines and other beverages to satisfy one’s thirst. Though he was hungry, Artirius forced his gaze away from the table to view his surroundings.
The ceilings were vaulted, lined with great beams of wood which acted not only as support, but decoration. The walls were covered with tapestries made from the finest materials and embroidered with the finest threads. The details were amazingly intricate. The face of one man looked nearly real enough that if one had not noticed he was on a tapestry, they may have been inclined to start a conversation with him. On the wall to his right, a door was set in the corner. It was closed. At the left end of the hall a marble fireplace with an elaborately chiseled mantle was ablaze. Above the fireplace was mounted a great bear head, frozen in a ferocious roar. A small sofa sat in front the fireplace, with an arm chair to either side. It formed a nice informal entertainment space.
Alexi was sitting in one of the chairs. He smiled and nodded as Artirius entered the room. He turned to him and motioned to the table, “Though my palette is not as it once was I keep a fine stock of food for my living guests, please enjoy a meal before we speak. Keep your wits though, avoid too much heavy drink because we may not have time for you to recover from its effects.”
Artirius nodded and moved to the food. The thought occurred to him that the food could be drugged in some way, but he was confident it was not. After he ate his fill, for there was more than enough for an hundred of him, he sighed with some relief. It was good to be content. He moved to join Alexi by the fire and took the chair opposite him.
“You are full I presume?” Alexi asked his guest.
“Yes, very. Thank you.”
“O you are welcome. Now I do believe we need to share some words. There is not a great amount of time, but enough to explain a few things.”
Artirius nodded, “First though, I would like
to know more about you. Why did you detain me the way you did? If you knew I could escape my bonds why were they not tighter? More so if you say you are a friend, why did you tie me at all?”
Alexi smiled, “Well the answer is rather simple. I was unsure as to how long you would be unconscious. If I had any guests it needed to appear as though you were my captive. Your enemies, who believe me to be their ally, would need to be assured that you were detained. Without close examination they would have been satisfied. Now, that seems to answer the last question and the first I suppose. As for the second, in the event you needed to free yourself I wanted you to be able. As I said, I am your friend.”
Artirius looked sternly at the vampire. He was still very uneasy. Too many things made too little sense at the moment, he was not sure if it was the blows to the back of his head or being over full, but he felt as if his thoughts were lethargic, “Fine, fine. So you are a vampire who…by the way, how did you get me away from the others? All I remember is some warm ash, and some screams.”
Alexi’s demeanor changed slightly. He did not smile now and was a bit sterner, or was it sorrow, Artirius could not tell. The vampire looked at his guest, “I killed them,” the comment must have brought some shock to Artirius’s face because Alexi sighed and continued, “Perhaps I should simply start from the beginning. It would make things a bit clearer for you and hopefully alleviate the rest of your worries. I will keep my story brief though, as too many details will only hamper our time. The question is where to begin. I suppose it should be with my turning some three centuries ago. Then I was known as Johan.
“I was a cleric, a rather good one. I had a special task then. My role was to cleanse whatever evil my elders discovered. I was the best at what I did. Lesser things, such as possessions, were handled by the average clerics. I was given tasks that involved greater evils, vampires amongst them. For over two decades I was all over the north and parts even of the south. What is more, though, is that I was truly devoted. I loved my god with all my being, and what I was able to do in return gave me great joy. To be able to help in his work, it was just amazing to be granted my skill…” Alexi paused a moment
He continued with some pain, “The greatest downfall of all men is their arrogance. The most gifted are generally lucky. Their talent is enough to get them through their mistakes which are generally seldom but of greater magnitude than those of lesser beings. I did not realize until the day I was turned how arrogant I was. It is my own folly that puts me in this place now.
“I was tasked with a hunting a very old vampire, his name was Karloff. At the time he was twelve hundred years old. There was information that put him in a town which I hoped would be the ideal ambush point. I brought five others with me, good clerics. The problem was the information was planned for my ears. The informant, if I had even wasted a second to read the truth behind his words, was a mule for the vampire.” Alexi paused a moment and noted Artirius’s confusion, “Pardon me, a mule in vampire terminology, is an intelligent creature, a human, orc, dwarf, even in some cases a troll that they control through fear. In some cases they do not even need that. There are some that willingly give themselves to service either through the hope of one day being turned or just out of blind devotion.
“Now back to my story. I can spare the elaborate details but the 5 clerics died. I was able to corner Karloff . I would have been able to kill him then. My strength in faith was great enough, my power as a cleric surpassed him, but my arrogance turned me. I had left one of his children, his minion, still alive. As I began to strike, this mutt of a vampire, not even a year old, bit my neck from behind. My spell fell on him and obliterated his existence. I was too weak to do more. Once the disease enters you, you are all but helpless. Only a powerful healer or the rarest of plants can cleanse you. I, of course, had not brought the plant, again arrogance and foolishness. The inconvenience of acquiring the plant looks so small now.
“At any rate, Karloff was amused. He let me live. Knowing that forever I would be weaker than he, for I was younger. He had said, ‘I will love knowing that every day for the rest of your existence you will be faced with being what you hate. You are now the very thing you hunted so fervently. And you will never have the strength to kill me. Enjoy this gift.’ And he walked away with that delightful laugh he so smugly grants those he sees as lesser than he, which is nearly everyone.” Alexi was quiet a moment. After the pause he continued, “So here I am now. I dropped Bulzad as my name and adopted Alexi, something less holy. I have been this abomination ever since.”
Artirius was now only more interested. He understood some pieces of the puzzle but needed a few more to figure this vampire out. He did not know much of vampire lore but of the few things he did know, one was that they were evil. He decided to probe a little further, “I must ask you a little more. From what little I know of your kind, I had come to believe all vampires to be evil. You though, you seem to be...”
Alexi finished the sentence, “A contradiction, yes I know,” Alexi thought a moment then nodded to himself, “You say you know very little about vampires then,” Artirius acknowledged as much, “It makes sense. Vampires went into deep hiding around the time I was turned. There was actually very little contact with your people, barbarians that is, and vampires in those times to begin with. After around three centuries the vampires have slowly swelled their ranks, waiting for the right time to reveal themselves. The hunt for their kind,” Alexi winked a brief smile more to himself then to Artirius, “my kind, that is, waned so greatly most priests do not even know how to deal with us properly anymore.”
Alexi paused a moment in thought, finally looking into Artirius’s eyes, “Then I think I have a solution. With the killing of the five at the tavern, it would be prudent for me to make an appearance. They will be looking for you and if I am there and claim ignorance of the whole affair, they needn’t look here for answers. It will also give me time to confirm a few more details before I tell you what I know of the situation at hand. I may be gone a few hours so…” he paused a moment and looked at Artirius, “do you know how to read?”
Artirius smiled, “Actually yes. Tres,” he began to speak the elven wizard’s name then thought it best not to reveal too much to the stranger, “A friend taught me. I know the script of humans, dwarves, and elves, though I cannot speak very fluently in the latter two. I never spent much time speaking them.”
Alexi smiled, “So I am blessed with meeting a contradiction like myself, a barbarian scholar,” the comment forced a chuckle out of them both, “Well that is good.” Alexi stood and went to the fireplace. Placing his hand on a particular stone and sliding out another revealed a small hollow. Inside was an object wrapped in a heavy red cloth. Alexi retrieved the object and closed the opening. Returning with the wrapped object he handed it to Artirius. “Please, unwrap it.”
Artirius looked at him inquisitively and then at the red cloth in his hands. The object, whatever it was, felt rather heavy for its size. Timidly, Artirius pulled away the cloth revealing a heavy grey box.
Alexi nodded his head in the direction of the box, “Please keep the box closed until I leave. You see, the material that composes that box is a combination of very heavy dense metals. I am sure you are at least aware of the fact that all things holy harm my kind. Inside you will find several parchments used to teach young clerics about various things, one amongst them vampires. It is only the most basic details, but they will suffice. When you are done with them, please reseal the box and wrap it again so I may return it to its place. In this manner I can attend to my affairs and you can be educated.”
Artirius inquired, “Will I be disturbed here?”
“You will not. Anyone who would have need for my audience will be dealt with away from here. You will be secure here. Do I have your trust?”
Artirius realized it did not really matter in the bigger scheme of things if he trusted his host. He was really completely at his mercy. Alexi could surely see him into the arms of his attackers
, and everything he had done seemed to be in Artirius’s favor. At this point, unless Alexi was simply playing a disgusting game with him he really had no reason not to trust him, “Yes, you have it.”
“Very good,” Alexi bowed, “Now I will be off,” and he turned and strolled to the door. As he exited he sealed the room and no more could be heard of him.
Artirius sat in his chair a moment. Now that he was alone, he was realizing an odd sensation. He missed Balic. “I will find you,” he said to himself, then opened the box. Inside was a stack of thick parchment. It was very weathered, as if it were made when Alexi, or at the time Bulzad, had been in training. Artirius began to peruse the intricate crimson script:
An Introduction to Things Undead:
Overview for Holy Novices
Written by: Athgar, Paladin First of Maldor
…
Artirius skipped over some formal introductions and other lead-ins. After flipping over several pages he found a sub section that would be helpful.
Introduction to Vampires
Compiled below are some basic facts that explain vampires from their disease and creation to their effects and how to deal with them. It is important to note that this is but a brief overview of vampires. There are many more advanced tomes available on this subject.
To begin, it is important to understand how vampires are created. The origin of the first vampire is little more than legend and folk tales which we will not dabble in here. For our purpose we will therefore focus on the only method of contraction that exists today, the bite.
Once a vampire bites a victim they will contract the disease (with very few exceptions), and unless the victim is either cured or killed during the infection phase, they will turn. The reason the bite causes a person to become a vampire is because of the vampire’s saliva, which carries a disease that, inevitably turns the victim into a vampire. As the saliva enters the victim immediate symptoms will occur. Most will find themselves weakened to a state of near paralysis. Shortly following the initial infection the victim will feel feverish, but to the touch of another they will feel cold. Within a day the victim will no longer be able to hold food. Anything that is consumed is immediately regurgitated. By the second day the victim will begin to feel great amounts of pain and will begin to bleed from all of their orifices. Though it varies some from individual to individual, most of the victims finally succumb to the disease by the end of the third day after contraction. When the last of their blood leaves their body, they turn.
At the point of turning a few things occur to the newly created vampire. These changes coincide as the last blood leaves the victim. The vampire’s body stiffens, their canines lengthen, and all of their teeth harden. If their ears do not have slight points at the tops they grow. Their complexion becomes smooth and nearly white; flaws that once may have existed are no longer visible. Their eyes turn to a dark red, nearing on black. Lastly, the fingernails (and toenails if the victim has them) harden and turn black. These changes are not gradual, but rather instantaneous. For a short time after this transformation, the vampire is actually completely dead. This is one of the few prone moments in a vampire’s existence. After this brief ‘slumber’ the newly formed vampire rises and hunts for their first prey.
Aside from the outward physical changes a few other things of interest occur. First, the vampire is now immensely stronger and faster than he or she was previously. At the initial turning they are roughly three times stronger and roughly two times faster than they were in their living form, though it seems larger, more naturally powerful races do not receive as great a benefit as smaller. For example, an ogre when turned is only marginally stronger, where as a gnome gains the strength to lift a horse over their heads. One way or another, these traits only improve as the vampire ages, some have been known to crush anvils and run faster than an archer’s arrow.
They also gain the ability to influence the minds of other sentient races. Those of great wills will notice the influence and may resist it, but others will fall prey and become like slaves that are only able to do as they are commanded. Keeping holygold around can protect one from this altogether, but, as it is so rare, this is a difficult precaution. A well placed seal protecting a person from the undead placed on them by a priest is the most advisable choice, but it will need fortified from time to time.
Luckily there is one safe haven for all. Vampires cannot enter any ground considered holy and cannot enter any residence, unless one who lives there invites them in. A home is a sanctuary for the one who lives there, and regardless of whom they worship their home is ‘holy’ to them and, as such, repels a vampire. It is also possible to un-invite a vampire once one realizes what they are, but it can only be done after the vampire leaves the home.
The last trait of note regarding vampires is their effect on nature. Animals will shy away and many lesser plants simply die off. Their undead nature causes great unrest in the natural world and, as such, things from nature will not associate with a vampire. You will not see them with pets and no beast will carry them. Some have hidden away in heavy coffins and were hauled on carts by beasts of burden for various reasons, though because they travel so quickly and never tire they generally run. The largest benefit is that they can travel during the day if needed.
During the infection stage there is a rare plant known as the ‘holygold flower’ which grows in small amounts only at the summit of the highest mountains. The other method of cure is divine healing. Novices should not attempt to use their powers to cure the disease however, as an inexperienced healer can inadvertently hasten the turning process. An experienced individual can safely draw the taint out of the victim’s body and utterly destroy the disease. Again, it is stressed that inexperienced healers not attempt to cleanse a victim of a vampire’s bite.
Outside of the infection stage, there is no cure or remedy for a vampire. Only a deity can return a turned vampire to their original state.
With the creation and limited range of cures for a vampire discussed above, it is now time to discuss the important topic of disposing of a vampire. Firstly, they are unable to handle anything holy. Spells that would aid the living will cause them great pain and suffering. Holy water and other holy instruments will burn them to ashes if they come in contact and if damaged enough through holy means the vampire will cease to be. Secondly, magically enchanted weapons are able to harm them, though not in nearly as great a manner as holy implements. Lastly, implements of silver act to them like magically enchanted weapons.
Unless one is wielding a holy weapon, then other attacks will only be able to incapacitate a vampire. In this prone state the simplest way to dispose of the vampire is to burn them with fire. A wooden stake in the heart is also viable. Why the heart is still a working organ has not been determined but, it continues pumping dead blood through the vampire’s body. Disrupting this flow may be what kills the creature, but regardless, a stake in the heart will dispose of the vampire.
If moving water is available, a vampire can be submerged in it. The water will not allow the vampire to recover from their prone state or it will put them into a prone state if they are not already in one and will slowly erode their body unless they are otherwise removed. As they are undead, water treats them as it does all dead things and works to break them apart. This is the same reason for their great weakness to the sun. They can stand only briefly in the light of day until they become paralyzed in place. Left long enough they will become engulfed in flames, fueled by their own undead flesh.
These are the only known ways to destroy a vampire. If the vampire is not destroyed while prone, they will recover on their own. The speed with which they recover varies on the injury and age of the vampire, the older of course recovering faster.
Artirius stopped reading at this point. The text that was left was meant for the clerics of the time. It involved various chants and wards which could protect them and others from evil. All in all it was useless to Artirius, who knew nothing of the holy a
rts. He pondered the section he had read though. It appeared that the creatures he was dealing with would be very burdensome to deal with. It also made him cautious of Alexi, for he had no way to tell just how powerful he was, and could not tell if the vampire was truly trying to help. He returned the papers to their box, and closed the lid. Lastly he wrapped everything neatly up.
What seemed like only a few moments passed before Artirius heard noises at the door. He stood and faced it as it opened. He was relieved that only Alexi stood before him.
“Were you worried my barbarian friend?”
Artirius smiled as he responded “No.”
“Well that is as it should be,” Alexi closed the door and moved to join Artirius by the fire, “I hope that what you read was as fruitful as my little trip.”
Artirius nodded, “Yes actually, though some holes are left in my understanding. The author did not lie when he wrote it was only a ‘brief overview’.”
“Athagar’s delivery can be rather dry and boring but he is rather informative. Well I have not been able to read those texts for some time,” Alexi paused as Artirius offered another confused look, “Pardon, the texts are holy. I cannot touch them or read them without great pain, and if I did either for very long it could end me,” satisfied Artirius understood Alexi continued, “Now as I recollect, the writing details protection from, curing, and disposing of a vampire, correct?”
Artirius nodded adding, “It also mentions the effects of the transformation as well as the signs a vampire leaves.”
Alexi nodded, “Good. To be honest, for the time that is mostly what you need to understand. The only other thing is the minion and master relationship.”
Artirius nodded.
“For simplicity’s sake, a master is the creator of a minion. The vampire that turns you is your master and you are his or her minion. If a minion turns a being, the minion becomes a master of what he or she has turned, but the master of the one who did the turning is also the newly turned vampire’s master. The system works very much like the military so to speak with rank and file.
“Masters and their minions are linked. They feel each other so to speak. They cannot communicate, but know exactly where the other is. If a master dies, then those directly below the master become masters themselves. The feeling when one’s master dies is, from what I have heard, painful. Vampires have told me that it is the only pain they have ever really felt.”
Artirius interrupted, “So what of your master, the one who turned you?”
Alexi nodded, “Again my oddity is revealed. If the vampire who gives someone the disease dies before the victim turns, the newly formed vampire actually has no master, even if the vampire that turned them had a master. This is because the link between master and minion does not actually form until the victim turns. Vampires without a master are often times very dangerous. Most are found and killed, but here and there you see some exceptions, like me.”
Alexi paused to see if Artirius had any more questions, seeing as he did not Alexi continued, “Now to better explain my existence. It is widely believed that all vampires are simply evil. It is not the case. We all know of the bite given to one’s neck, but few understand the workings after that. Vampire is actually a disease, as you read in those papers. You see the existing vampire bites and draws blood to feed. When they do so they also leave some of their saliva, which carries this plague. The average being, which for some reason must be humanoid, lasts only three days before the disease turns them. It of course varies from individual to individual. I myself managed to fight it for three weeks. If the proper cleansings are done as I mentioned before, one can cure the disease.
“If not than the victim is turned. It happens instantly when the time comes. Once you are unable to fight any longer, your bodily solidifies and you sprout fangs. Then the second most frightening part happens… you die. It is an awkward feeling at best. Your heart stops and you feel nothing else on the inside. You oddly retain feelings in the most sensitive parts of your body, perhaps a cruel joke played by the evil gods who created our kind.
Artirius interrupted, “What is the most frightening part, if not death?”
Alexi grimaced and sneered slightly, “You lose the warmth of your god. Because I am dead but pulled beyond the reach of holy light, I do not feel my god inside me.”
Artirius bowed his head in thought. Then looked up, “So you have yet to explain to me why you are not evil.”
Alexi sighed and continued, “When you are turned the now dead body becomes you. Remember that a soul is something that cannot be destroyed by death. Some rumor that when one is turned the soul is destroyed. That is not entirely correct. The soul remains the same. It is the individual who chooses at that point. Most good souls just walk out into the sun, and destroy themselves utterly. Some try to live and continue to be good but slowly over decades fall away. They watch as their mortal loved ones die, and they become an empty shell. Most other good vampires are hunted down and destroyed by the rest of their kind. The nature of this curse breaks nearly all. So to be honest, you will have heard of no good vampires, because they are all destroyed, either by themselves or by this world. As far as I know, I am the only vampire of my kind,” he looked into the fireplace a sad demeanor on his face.
Artirius looked at him with compassion, “It must be hard. Why did you never end your life? How have you lived without being killed?”
Alexi chuckled, “So many questions, we may never get to the events at hand. Answering the second question, by fitting in, and as for the first…” Alexi thought about what he said next. The words came out as though even he was skeptical of their validity, “My god would not permit it. I am a cleric, forced into this shell. So I live by what I believe is right and true. I do not have those powers anymore, but I use the ones I have now to serve the god I loved as a human and love still in this form.
Alexi looked at a barbarian who could not fully grasp what he was being told, though there was one last detail, “You see Artirius, the only way now I can hope to be cured is by a deity. I hope that through my actions I will be seen in good standing and perhaps cleansed. It would be nice to see my god, my forefathers, and be at peace. If I am to die a vampire, I go to the abyssal plane. I would spend the rest of eternity in horror and pain,” a tear rolled down his face, something that startled Artirius, “Now are there any other things I must clear up?”
Artirius looked at him, “If you are fitting in, as you said, how would that be favored by your god?”
Alexi smiled, “Luckily that leads us into the topic at hand, but first I need to ask you, do you trust me?”
Artirius let all the facts whirl about in his head. This was the second time that Alexi had asked him this question. Artirius thought over the recent events. No harm had come to him and he had been totally at the mercy of the vampire. The story Alexi had told him about his past would have been nearly too much to believe though the tear he shed seemed most convincing. If this vampire wanted to hurt him or learn some secret from him then he would have done so already. He did trust Alexi. “Though I have just met you, your actions thus far have been admirable and honorable. I have no reason not to trust you.”
Alexi smiled, “Good. To answer you simply, it allows me to kill them.”
Artirius was a little shocked. His expression must have shown it, because Alexi chuckled. “Now I believe I see what you mean.”
“Yes, barbarian, I continue the work I started as a cleric. I kill vampires, my own kind so to speak. I gain the confidence of a group, arrange a few deaths and move on. I only eliminate one or two a year, generally a significant master in order to create some chaos among their minions who fight over whatever territory was held. It is also why I find myself here, Artirius. You are lucky that I happened to be working here now. It seems that something major is happening in the vampire community.
Artirius had a growing interest. With the events that were unfolding before him, nothing seemed a coincidence. “I suppose it is t
ime we were both out in the open then. I am sure you know the name Galmatros.”
Alexi smiled and nodded, “Yes I do.”
Artirius thought a moment then turned his gaze to Alexi, “In a sign of trust I will tell you everything I know and all that has befallen me from the time I left the great city Alastriel,” as quickly but thoroughly as possible Artirius retold his adventure: his discovery of his lineage, traveling to Deep Hollow and the battles that followed, the trek through the woods, and the inevitable conclusion in the town of Valtenberg, (though he made up portions here and there to protect the secret passages he travelled on.) “And here I am Alexi. Galmatros is clawing at this world and I know I am a part of the puzzle. Atriel calls me to his home, and I must get there,” Artirius searched his mind for anything he might have left out. Noting nothing he continued, “Now, I have revealed everything to you. What have you to reveal to me?”
Alexi was grave, “I knew most of what you have just told me. Galmatros most definitely wants you out of the picture Artirius. He has gone as far as to persuade the vampires to his cause. They are meeting in this very city, the masters debating amongst themselves what they should do. Galmatros is not technically the creator of our kind, but dwells with him and is equally powerful. I planned on using this meeting to my advantage. Some carefully timed assassinations would look like nothing more than political maneuverings or warnings. Enough could spark an all out war. To my great pleasure, Karloff is even here. He does not view me a threat so he pays me no heed. If only he knew my intentions.
“Now the tricky part is your arrival. It has stirred everyone even more. They know you are in the city, they know that you travelled with the dwarf, and they want you. Whether they take up Galmatros’s call or not, offering you to him would only improve their favor. If it were not for that, they would have already killed your friend Balic.”
Artirius was interested now, “Where is he?”
“Calm yourself, I am getting to that. I will not lie to you and say your friend has had the most pleasant time, but he lives. Under this city there is a catacomb of sorts. It is being used as a prison, for food and torture. Your friend is there. He has endured much and revealed nothing.”
Artirius nodded, “Then how are we going to get him out, how are we going to get out of this town?”
Alexi smirked, “You are perceptive. You knew I would have a plan. Well, simply put, we go and get him, and return here. There is a passage in one of the cells you passed that leads out of the city to the north, put in place by the builder of this place several centuries ago. From there you are on your own.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Artirius noted.
“Well it will be, for the most part. You will play the part of my captive.”
“Won’t I be noticed?”
“Not if I cover your head and bind your arms behind your back. You are large but not the only large man taken into that hole.”
Artirius took it in, “As long as it is loose enough for me to escape when needed. Do you know where he is being held once we get inside?”
“Luckily, yes. We should be able to get to him without being noticed, and, if we are cautious, get him out. We will have to disable the guards in his room, and, when we leave, the guards at the main entrance. There should only be two in each place. Even though they are here in force and have some key humans under their influence, the vampires are keeping a low profile. We should be able to subdue them without notice, then get back here.”
“If this fails we both die, correct.”
Alexi looked Artirius right in the eyes, “Yes. If this fails we both die, but I believe it can be done Artirius. You have given me your trust, I will not fail you,” Alexi looked aside, “On a similar note your belongings are being kept there. When we free your friend you will be reunited with your hammer.”
Knowing he had little choice but to follow Alexi’s plan Artirius nodded and accepted what must be done, “When do we leave?”
Alexi seemed pleased, “A little before dawn. If we grab Balic then, as Vampires are heading to their shelters, it will disrupt any messengers and aid in your escape,” Alexi eyed Artirius, “It is still a few hours away, and you look tired. You rest. I will wake you when the time comes.”
Artirius acknowledged Alexi. He was tired, and he feared he would not get to sleep again for some time. He slumped down in the chair by the fire and fell asleep quickly.
Chapter 19