Eternal Sanctuary

by Sela Croft

  My circumstances were bleak at best. I was in the enemy camp, possessed by the king who wished me dead. Even that would be too easy, as I was convinced that my last few hours wouldn’t be pleasant. I’d gained a lot of strength recently but had no reason to think that I was a match for the king.

  Any thought of engaging with Alban was wiped out of my mind the instant that three huge guards heaved me from the ground and dragged me into the palace. I’d been vulnerable before, but not like this. It seemed as though I’d stepped directly into hell, and I hadn’t felt more alone…ever.

  Chapter 15 – Draven

  It had taken days to set up the defensive, and the project hadn’t been completed a moment too soon. Guardian scouts reported spotting royals approaching, so my army had ridden to battle. My troops had been positioned in a gauntlet formation some distance from the castle city.

  The wires that were invisible to the royal soldiers would take them down. Then my army could conquer, based on sheer numbers. I’d called any available forces to the battle line. Once the enemy was down, there would be an opportunity to put them out of commission for good.

  Even though I’d expected it, the sight of the royals marching toward us was frightening. The behemoths were taller by far than my soldiers, and weighed as much as baby elephants. Their necks were as thick as tree trunks, making it difficult to decapitate them.

  Behind the cover of trees and scrubs, my army prepared for the fight. My eyes were glued to the hillsides, as what I witnessed was more horrific than I’d imagined. I had no idea how many royals there were. The creatures moved in large groups, appearing to be a large mass.

  At a distance, the royals looked like a black scourge, flowing from one hill to the next. Dressed in solid black, the huge figures flooded the land, reminding me of swarms of locusts intent on stripping the area of all life. It was my goal to prevent them from reaching the castle city.

  The vampire mutants moved closer, and my men were ready. With a great thud, the first line of royals caught their ankles in the wires and hit the ground, shaking it like an earthquake. My forces descended upon them, then went in for the kill. Blood of the enemy spilled onto the dirt, and heads rolled.

  It was two or three to one, but my soldiers managed the decapitations. I worked with Quin to loosen the head of one massive creature, then another. But the royals continued to move forward, not falling over their own dead, but crawling over them instead.

  It was a mass of destruction, making it difficult to separate out the enemy soldiers. My men moved in teams, seeking one royal soldier after the other. Motivated by the chance to conquer, I ravaged as many of the monsters as I could, combining strength with one or more of my comrades.

  With horror, I realized that there were too many of the beasts. The more we killed, the more there were. It seemed like a nonstop flow of royals were drowning the hillsides. I could see no end to their numbers and feared that my guardians suffered too many casualties.

  The bloody mess went on for hours. My men were exerting themselves to the breaking point, yet the royals were like automatons. They plodded forth, grabbing my men at any opportunity, to wield their swords of death.

  The heap of bodies along the tripwires served as a barrier, but it wasn’t enough. The tall soldiers stepped on the headless vampires and walked across their own dead to get to us. If we couldn’t overcome by numbers alone, then all was lost. Retreat was not an alternative, because the monsters would follow. I couldn’t allow them to get close to the city.

  With blood dripping from my armor, I surveyed the battlefield. It was a scene of death, yet the royals just kept coming. I couldn’t give in but had no idea how to turn the tide in our favor. I gripped my sword, ready to take another head, when I saw troops approaching from the rear.

  That couldn’t be, since the royals had come from the mountains in the opposite direction. I turned, only to realize that it was the Dark Fighters descending upon us. If we were attacked from the rear as well, all hope was lost. I waved to my closest comrades to make them aware of the shift in circumstances.

  Before we could retaliate, a horse with a red-orange coat flew in. I looked up to see Silvain riding the magic stallion. “Hold your orders,” the dark leader said. “We’ve come to fight with you, not against you.”

  There was no opportunity for debate. If the enemy leader claimed to be on our side, I had to take him at his word. Monster vampires pushed forward, and there was no time to waste. “Fight with us, then, to stop this plague.”

  The mutant monsters pushed forward, oblivious to their casualties. The royal soldiers didn’t seem to feel the loss, or fear for their own safety. They moved toward us like the heartless creatures they were.

  The Dark Fighters dived into the fray, fighting strong. The soldiers were fresh, so gave backup to my men who had grown weary from the raging battle. Then Silvain dismounted and began to fight. As I fought, he was difficult to track. He’d vanish from sight, only to reappear in front of a royal.

  I attacked any royal who was near enough to kill, yet kept an eye on Silvain. He worked strategically, seeming to know which of the enemy soldiers was a lieutenant. He went straight for the kill of the senior officers, which disoriented the soldiers who were following their commander.

  Alban must have been breeding his monsters for centuries, because there seemed to be an infinite number of them. The fighting didn’t abate, yet I surmised it was going to take more than the fighters uniting with my army. Even with the reinforcements, our numbers were insufficient.

  The battle was a discouraging sight, with guardians and fighters falling, along with the creatures fighting fearlessly for the king. I dreaded to think what the end might be, but refused to consider allowing the enemy to get past us.

  Then an amazing sight made me pause, sword in hand, with my mouth gaping. One minute, Silvain was a fighter dressed in his black uniform. The next, he morphed into something else entirely. I watched it happen, marveling at the ability to change into animal form.

  But Silvain didn’t turn into any common animal. He transformed into a scaled creature from the depths of depravity. He was twelve feet tall, with multiple arms and clawed feet. He had razor-sharp blades for wings, and the metal gleamed in the moonlight.

  I remembered that Alban’s monsters feared demons, and that was surely what Silvain’s new form was. And he wasn’t just any demon. He’d become a dreaded creature, one that must have risen from the center of the earth.

  He growled, showing double rows of spiked teeth. The sound was louder than the noise of battle, alerting all that he’d arrived on the scene. The demon puffed its chest, appearing to be the size of my castle fortress. He reached down and lifted a royal in one hand then bit off his head.

  The new form was not only frightening but deadly. He flapped his wings, then roared at the royals, who’d stopped mid-step. He reached for two more of the monster soldiers, holding one in each hand. The rest of the Royal Army didn’t linger to see if he’d killed their comrades.

  The royals turned and ran. I hadn’t thought they could run that fast, considering their weight. But fear of a demon from the dark side had been enough to make them flea. My men halted their actions and watched the enemy move away with haste.

  In a black mass, the royals moved over the hills, only this time in the other direction. The Dark Fighters regrouped behind Silvain, while my men moved back to allow any remaining monsters to retreat. It was a heartwarming sight indeed.

  When the Royal Army was far enough away, Silvain turned back into his vampire form. He approached me, and I waited to convey my gratitude.

  “I’m in the fortunate position of gaining more power recently,” Silvain said.

  “Yes, I was informed of what happened, so I understand your reasons for loathing the king and your renewed zest for wiping out his army.”

  “I’m pleased that the witch followed instructions for once,” Silvain said. “I’d hoped that she’d revealed Alban’s sordid past.”


  It occurred to me that I hadn’t spoken to the dark leader before.

  “When I confronted Alban with his long-held secret, I’d only thought to make him a target,” Silvain said. “It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d gain any insight into this war. But I must tell you that I realized beyond any doubt that Alban is the true evil behind it all.”

  “That is one thing we have in common—other than being related, it seems. My hatred for Alban equals yours.”

  Silvain looked thoughtful. “But don’t assume that I like you any better than I did. Uniting against a more potent evil is prudent, and it was smart to give you the advantage today. My primary goal is to get rid of the king. If aiding you is required, then so be it.”

  “I am of the same mind,” I said. “You are not held to any brotherly obligation. But I am grateful that you arrived when you did. And I will forever remember the royals fleeing in fear from an imaginary demon.”

  “Yes, that did the trick,” Silvain said with a smile. “I’m inclined to try it again when the opportunity arises.”

  With recent victory to boost my spirits, I couldn’t wait to return to the castle to tell Mirela. I’d left her behind, after informing her of our strategy. Now I could report that the royals had been chased off, running back to their barracks on the mountain. And tell her of Silvain’s support, a new shift of circumstances.

  Chapter 16 – Mirela

  The royal palace was carved out of black, slimy material. The guards dragged me inside, and the dark, damp interior engulfed me. There were defensive slits in the walls for the soldiers to see out, but no windows. Not even the moonlight shone through to brighten the atmosphere.

  Sconces on the walls were the only light, and I wondered if they were lit, as it was difficult to see. Visibility was so poor that I couldn’t track the path to my destination, so would be lost if I tried to get out by retracing the steps.

  The walls looked moist from water that must have melted from the ice that covered the mountaintop. There were small puddles along the stone hall, and a leaky roof dripped water on the floor, some drops hitting my head. The interior was not only bleak but cold.

  I hadn’t come prepared for such temperatures, since I hadn’t anticipated my arrival there at all. It was likely that I’d freeze to death before the king had finished with me. Other than guards, there wasn’t much sign of life. I shuddered at the sight of my captors, their massive forms towering over me.

  The impact of being in the royal palace hit me. As the shock of the incident began to wear off, I realized the position I was in. Vampire or not, I was a woman alone against monsters, who answered to the biggest monster of all. Alban strode ahead of his guards, directing them where to take me.

  Not much of it meant anything, since I hadn’t had a tour of the place. It occurred to me that Selene had visited the palace on numerous occasions, making me wonder how she endured it. But then, she’d been a guest—sometimes she’d even been invited—but I was the king’s prisoner.

  My heightened perceptions told me much more about the place than I could see. A feeling seeped into my body, so I took note of it. The palace was imbued with fear. But whose fear was it? The guards were stoic but not trembling at Alban’s commands.

  The presence I sensed was of another type, and after a few minutes, I recognized it as human. That was reasonable, as surely the king had a sizable staff. A palace that large would require maintenance and daily attention. Although, by the looks of it, not much care had been taken with its upkeep.

  What struck me more than my own situation was the condition of the humans who lurked the hallways like ghosts. At first, I thought they were dead, but that was not the case. A few may have wished for death to escape their lot in life, but the people I perceived were very much alive.

  What sort of intimidation would cause them to hide? It didn’t bode well for what was in store for me. The humans cowered from their master, and my guess was that they served him out of fear for their lives. They had no admiration or loyalty for their king.

  Shivering—with fright as much as cold—I was escorted to an empty room and tossed on the floor. The guards didn’t bother to bind me, since it was obvious that I had no means of escape. The stone beneath me felt like a block of ice, plus it was damp.

  Behind me was a stone arch with an iron gate, no doubt the entrance to a prison. The floor was shiny from the endless wetness. And on each side were firepits with a few flames flickering. Standing by a fire would be welcomed, but I felt no warmth from the burning logs.

  The ceiling was high overhead, completing the image of a huge, cavernous space. There was no comfort to be had. I marveled that anyone lived in the place, even the evil king. It would seem he didn’t have a need for coziness, because his palace was as cold and uninviting as I could image.

  A few clay pots were strewn about, many broken. And there were wooden buckets with slats missing. It was all quite depressing. I supposed the only advantage was that I was able to view what surrounded me. The faint light from the fires illuminated the horror I’d stepped into and cast shadows, making its haunted appearance complete.

  I looked up at Alban. I’d imagined many times what he looked like. But the descriptions I’d heard failed to capture his true essence. Staring into his red eyes sent terror through me. He had stark white hair that haloed his head like electrified cotton.

  The king’s pallor was deathly in a very shocking way. He was alive, because he moved and breathed—yet he appeared to have stepped from a grave. His skin was as thin as parchment, stretched over protruding bones. His body was like a rail that might snap in two, yet his harsh expression said otherwise.

  My voice seemed to have left me, because as much as I wished to, I was unable to rail against him. Frozen to the spot, I stared, waiting for some clue of what he intended. If he only wished to kill me, he could have ordered the guards to do so upon my arrival.

  I guessed that he preferred to prolong my agony, now that he had me in his grasp. I expected him to say something, but instead a rasp of air was expelled from his lungs. It surprised me, then I realized that it was a laugh. Humor played no part in it; the king’s response had been a hiss of satisfaction.

  His yellowed fangs distended, making me cringe, as I feared he might bite my vein and drain me of blood. His hands extended toward me, and I was mesmerized by his long, bony fingers. One narrow finger pointed at me, and I squirmed.

  “You are mine now,” Alban said. “And you will wish for death long before it comes for you.”

  I gaped at the horrific visage and trembled at the sound of his voice.

  The king stepped closer, his dirty robe dragging on the ground. He studied me, making my skin crawl. “I really don’t see it. There’s nothing special about you.”

  I wasn’t about to converse with this monster.

  “Draven has been so enamored with you,” he said. “It’s just an example of his poor taste. Good-looking vampires abound. He could have picked one that wasn’t so much trouble.”

  It made no difference what Alban thought of me. His insults carried no weight.

  “The prophecy…” The king spat at me. “We’ll see what value it has now. I’ll never understand why my son ruined his life for that fairy tale. He refused to believe the folly of it.”

  Alban walked over the stone, as though relishing some victory. Then he stopped to glower at me, leaning close enough that I smelled his stench. “Without you, we’ll see how well Draven fares. He could have had it all; he was in line for succession.”

  Evil flickered behind the king’s eyes. “But he threw it all away…for you. It was a fatal error. And I will make him pay for it.”

  Horror consumed me at the thought of Draven discovering where I was. He would do something rash, I was sure of it. And I couldn’t see how he could save me without suffering a similar fate.

  “I made a plea to the dark gods and asked them to help me,” Alban said. “I put forth a convincing argument that they should bri
ng you to me. After all, I support death, which they thrive on.”

  Images of the dark gods who had appeared before me came to mind. That explained their sudden interest in me. But they hadn’t scooped me up to deliver me here.

  I had no confidence that the dark ones wouldn’t decide to appear. If they were on Alban’s side, they might come to watch and enjoy his torture of me. They might even help make sure my last minutes alive produced my greatest suffering.

  There was no way to know, as my next hours were uncertain. I prayed it was as Draven had claimed, that the gods didn’t interfere with the pattern of life or force outcomes of their liking. It was enough to face Alban without adding any godly support of his deeds.

  “The gods owe me,” Alban said, “but they haven’t seen fit to play their part. I will show them that I don’t need them. They will see that I can handle things on my own and will admire me for my skill in ripping destiny apart—starting with doing away with you.”

  I had no doubt that the king meant every word. His arrogance was astounding.

  “You are a butterfly in a jar,” the king said. “I will keep you for my entertainment, until you expire. I’ll make sure that you remember your last hours with me, far into eternity. I demand recompense for the upheaval you have caused, for taking my son, and threatening to take my kingdom.”

  At last, I could no longer hold my tongue, and was about to protest. But Alban disappeared, then a bat hovered in the air before me. I already knew that he could transform into animals, as that had been how he’d tricked me.

  It was my assumption that bats did not attack or suck blood. Despite such vampire tales, they preferred to get their teaspoon-sized meals from other animals. Insects or pollen were more to their liking. Yet this was no ordinary bat.