by Brandon Chen
Yuri waded into the pool, the chilling water biting at his skin. The very thought of entering water after his terrifying experience in the Lake of Eternity made him feel uneasy. But he disregarded his hesitancy and continued onward, feeling the chilly water engulf him as he dove beneath the surface. This cold was nothing compared to the freezing Lake of Eternity.
The boy emerged from the pool several seconds later, brushing some of his dark hair from his glistening eyes. In his hand, he held the glowing stone. Stepping out of the water, Yuri went to Violet. He gently took her hand and placed the tiny rock in her palm. Despite its small size, it radiated like a miniature sun, beaming its light all over the two adventurers. “This is a memento,” Yuri said, closing her fingers around the rock, “so that you will forever remember this moment.”
Darkness reigned over the cave as the stone’s glow was sealed by Violet’s hand, tiny trickles of light streaming through the gaps between her fingers. Yuri felt something in his chest, an unfamiliar warmth that comforted his shivering body. He felt himself drawn forward to Violet like a magnet and he gently pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.
The princess was surprised at first, but she did not resist. She dropped the stone on the ground, where it radiated its light throughout the grotto once more. She was completely enthralled by the kiss, her arms wrapped around Yuri’s neck.
Yuri curled his arms around the princess’s waist, pulling her close. Violet pulled away for a moment, her lips inches away from his. “I don’t need a memento to remember this,” she whispered.
Yuri grinned. “Neither do I.”
The Trickster
It took Senna’s party several days to reach Etaon. The Frozarian guides managed to steer the party clear of most dangers, but they still encountered a group of undead as well as a frost troll. Luckily for them, the native warriors knew exactly how to deal with most of Lichholme’s creatures. They’d defeated all their enemies with no casualties.
One of the guides told Senna of an infection that had once swept across Lichholme, eradicating the entire human population and transforming many of them into the undead. The disease was created by a powerful necromancer, who used the plague to kill humans and extract their souls so that he could gain power. The pestilence had traveled to all corners of Lichholme within months, wiping out millions.
Senna saw plenty of uninhabited villages on his journey to Etaon. It was clear that, at one point in time, Lichholme had hosted various human civilizations. It was shocking to think that a disease could kill and warp countless people, turning them into zombies. He realized that Escalon’s mainland was now in a similar situation, threatened by the werewolf infection. If Faelen did succeed it wouldn’t take long before Escalon became just like Lichholme, infested with monstrosities.
“There it is!” Terias exclaimed, pointing into the distance.
Senna followed Terias’s gaze and indeed saw Etaon, a fortress of massive proportion. A wall of steel surrounded the stronghold, equipped with spikes that were sprinkled over the top. Gnome sentries patrolled the walls, already spotting the group of approaching strangers. The metal bastion was shaped like a pyramid, with various entrances and windows.
The knight raised an eyebrow when he saw that cannons were mounted on top of Etaon’s walls. He’d heard that the gnomes were the best inventors and engineers in all of Terrador, and that cannons were their most recent creations, able to unleash hell on distant enemies with explosive power.
“Do we even have to warn these gnomes?” Kura grumbled as they rode towards the fortress. “They seem like they’re ready for a war. This place looks impenetrable.”
“To humans,” a Frozarian said. “But vampires have their ways of accomplishing the impossible, and they could easily infiltrate Etaon as it is now. The gnomes must bolster their defenses if they are to stand a chance against Malyssa’s bloodsucking creatures.”
The group of messengers reached the gates of Etaon within the hour, relieved when the doors swung open. A tiny gnome strolled into the opening, standing in the path of the reindeer. He was only three feet tall, and wore orange-tinted goggles that shielded his eyes from view. His face was smeared with soot, as if he’d just cleaned a chimney, and he wielded a rifle that seemed far too large for him.
“What is a group of humans and Frozarians doing at Etaon?” the gnome asked in a high-pitched, squeaky voice.
Senna saw that there were at least a dozen other gnomes behind the leader, all armed with rifles. The gnomes wore unsympathetic expressions; they were fully prepared to open fire on the strangers. The knight glanced at his apprentice, Terias, who was trembling. You still haven’t learned to control your fear, have you?
“We hail from the Empire of Iradia, under the command of King Reimos. We’ve come to Etaon requesting aid. I believe that you are housing several engineers from our kingdom,” Kura said, dismounting her reindeer. She indicated the Frozarian warriors around her. “These kind Frozarians serve Lady Amara. They escorted us here.”
“Is that so?” the gnome said, lowering his rifle as he eyed the Iradian badge that glistened on Kura’s cloak. He held up his hand, and the other gnomes behind him also put away their weapons. “It is a relief to see another living being, anyone other than undead, vampires, and damned frost trolls for once. As for your Iradian engineers, most of them have perished. We only have one left, the only human left in Etaon.” He glanced over his shoulder, acknowledging a young woman that was carrying several rifles out of the fortress. She seemed to be having great difficulty and tripped, dropping all of the weapons. Flustered, the woman quickly scrambled to pick up the guns. “Her name is Lena. She’s my apprentice.” The gnome sighed, slightly embarrassed by the girl’s clumsy display.
“And your name?” Senna said, looking down at the gnome leader.
“Twinklehart.”
“Twinkle … hart,” Terias echoed, receiving a glare from his mentor. He raised his hands into the air, indicating that he meant no offense.
“Well, come in,” Twinklehart said, walking towards the entrance to Etaon’s fortress. “I feel uneasy whenever the gates are open. We will have to search you, though. It’s precaution; I’m sure you understand.”
Senna and his group were frisked and relieved of their weapons, and were then led into Etaon’s stronghold, where they gathered in a grand hall. They were served hot tea to warm their bones, a welcome treat after being in Lichholme’s unrelenting weather for several days. Twinklehart sat down in a tiny wooden chair while the humans and Frozarians stood. Beside him was Lena, who awkwardly stared at the group of strangers before her.
“Uh, why am I here?” Lena asked aloud.
“These humans are from Iradia,” Twinklehart explained. “They’ve come requesting the aid of the Iradian engineers that were here and since you’re the only one left—”
“Right,” Lena muttered, not wanting to hear anymore.
The young apprentice was in her late teens and had brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail. She reached up and rubbed her hazel eyes, clearly distraught over the mention of her deceased classmates. The engineer wore brown clothing that was caked in dirt, as were most of the other gnomish engineers. A utility belt was wrapped around her waist, equipped with a variety of knives, tools, and even a holstered pistol.
“We’ve also come with a warning. The rest of our group is still at Lady Amara’s fortress and will be arriving later. But we came earlier to inform you that it is essential that you bolster the defenses of Etaon immediately,” Kura said, dipping her head respectfully. “A vampire by the name of Malyssa intends to assault this fortress. She will target all of the inventors and engineers in Etaon.”
Twinklehart wrinkled his nose, frowning at the news. “And where did you hear this?”
Kura winced, not really sure how to explain where the source of the information came from. Even she wasn’t sure how Archerus had found out about Malyssa’s malicious plan. “We just know,” she said simply. “It w
ouldn’t hurt for you to maximize your defenses, would it?”
“Our defenses are always maximized,” Twinklehart said. “This is Lichholme. We try to be as prepared as possible. But we are merely a band of gnomes with only our gadgets and rifles to defend ourselves. Malyssa leads a settlement of vampires to the west of Etaon. The best we could do is gather materials that would help us combat vampires.”
“What do you need?”
“Lichholme doesn’t have any wolfsbane; the plant would be outstandingly useful. The hard part about killing vampires is that they tend to regenerate extremely quickly. Even if we manage to pump them full of lead, they could still survive. Sunlight would make the vampires weak and vulnerable to attack, but Malyssa would only strike at dark. When exposed to fire or silver, their healing abilities are vanquished and they can be killed. You can also decapitate a vampire to kill it, even if it hasn’t been weakened,” Twinklehart explained, folding his arms over his chest. “You’re positive that Malyssa plans to attack us?”
Kura was reluctant to say anything. She wasn’t positive; she was merely taking Archerus’s word that Yuri’s prediction was correct. “We’re positive,” Senna said suddenly, taking the Iradian warrior by surprise.
“Then we’ll have to gather all of the silver that we’ve got and use it to forge bullets. In addition, we’ll want to set up torches all over fortress … not just these tiny candles,” Twinklehart murmured, indicating to the dozens of candles and lanterns that illuminated the room. “Defeating vampires will be a difficult task indeed.”
“We have expertise in murdering the vampires,” one of the Frozarians said, bowing. His colleagues followed his example. “The Frozarians have been at war with them for decades, ever since they started kidnapping our youths to turn them into blood-bags.”
“What are blood-bags?” Terias asked Senna.
“Live beings that are enslaved by the vampires. They exist merely to have their blood harvested daily,” Senna whispered to his apprentice. It was horrible, what the vampires did to blood-bags. They abused, tortured, and worked the slaves until they wished that they were dead. But the vampires constantly supervised them, making sure that whenever their blood was spilt, it was into a goblet to be drunk.
Twinklehart nodded to Kura. “I will strike a deal with you then. If you’re certain your prediction is correct, and Malyssa’s forces will attack, then you will stay here and help us combat the vampires. If you do so, we will help you with your current quest to the best of our ability.”
Kura opened her mouth to protest, knowing that they were short on time. They couldn’t just stay here in Etaon since there was no telling when Malyssa would strike. It could be days, weeks, or months from now! But Senna spoke up once again, silencing the assassin. “That sounds perfect. Thank you,” the knight said with a bold smile. He ignored the hostile glare from Kura. “We’ll get started on helping to prepare Etaon for the vampire attack immediately.”
***
Ever since their exclusive adventure, Yuri and Violet had been quite open about their relationship. Archerus, who had scolded the two for hours for leaving the ice citadel, seemed to be the only one who wasn’t surprised about their sudden bond. Yuri and Violet spent most hours of each day together, exploring the area around Lady Amara’s fortress. The more time they spent with each other, the stronger Yuri’s feelings for Violet became. He’d never felt this way about someone before. Initially, he’d merely had a crush on the princess because of her beauty. He’d never gotten the chance to really meet her until he was invited to have dinner with the royal family. But with every minute that he spent with Violet, Yuri felt that he was learning more about the type of person that she was, and he knew that he was falling deeply in love.
A week had passed since Yuri had kissed the princess. He knew that soon it would be time for them to depart for Etaon. Most of the Iradian knights had recovered from the Lake of Eternity’s freezing waters. They were mostly waiting for Noah to regenerate the rest of his magical energy. But it seemed that he was also ready to leave the stronghold, eager to get out of his bed.
Yuri and Violet stood at the foot of the magician’s bed. They had visited him daily. “Archerus said that we should leave today at noon,” Yuri said to Noah. “Are you going to be okay with that?”
Noah nodded quickly. “Oh, please. I need to get out of this accursed bed. I’ve already finished a hundred books since the beginning of my recovery,” he said, indicating the stacks of massive tomes that were piled beside his bed.
Yuri winced. Is it even possible to read that fast?
“At least you’re feeling better,” Violet said with a smile. “You used a lot of magic. I imagine that most magicians wouldn’t be able to cast half the number of spells that you did against those undead.”
“Oh, my father would be furious with me if he knew what I did.” Noah laughed. “He always tells me to conserve my energy and not to use massive amounts of magic at once. You see, if I cast small spells, my body has time to regenerate the energy that I’ve just burned. But using magic all at once, like creating massive walls or stampedes of fabricated animals … then I’d just drain myself and pass out — which I did.”
“Well, you saved the day.” Violet grinned.
“I suppose.”
Yuri frowned, feeling an odd sensation quivering throughout his body. It was the same feeling that he’d had when he’d walked through the glacier’s canyon or when he’d first stepped foot in Horux’s forest. No, it was more comparable to the dream that he’d had when he’d encountered Malyios in the foggy graveyard. It was that feeling that he was being watched … except this time, he could sense murderous intent. Outside.
Yuri bolted to the window and his eyes widened. Standing in the snow was a cloaked figure … Junko. The Bount stood there, staring right at Yuri, as if he’d been waiting for the boy to go to the window. A dozen Frozarian guards lay on the ground, their bodies buried in the bloodstained snow.
Enraged, Yuri gritted his teeth, his turquoise eyes changing red as animus surged through him. He leapt outward and smashed through the ice window. Slamming into the ground before the calm Bount, Yuri rose to his full height, now in his werewolf form. “Junko!” he boomed.
“It is nice to see you again,” Junko sneered, his tone mocking. He gave a sarcastic curtsy with the corners of his cloak. “I am surprised to find that you are still alive.”
“I don’t plan to die anytime soon,” Yuri said, flexing his claws before his face. “Back in Horux, it was you who released Faelen, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was me,” Junko admitted, raising his hands into the air. “The mystery has been solved! Looks like I—” He swiftly ducked as Yuri ferociously rent the air, trying to rip the Bount to shreds. The cloaked man staggered backward, raising his eyebrows with amusement at werewolf’s enraged countenance. “Oh my, now that’s quite the look.”
Yuri was beyond angry, every part of his body wanted to lunge at Junko and eviscerate the bastard. Pouncing outward, he swiped his claws rapidly at the agile Bount, but his efforts were futile. “You caused the deaths of thousands!” he roared, snapping his jaws where Junko’s head was, hoping to clamp his fangs into his opponent’s throat.
But Junko was highly experienced. He read Yuri’s moves with ease, maintaining a calm expression as he dodged Yuri’s attacks. Grinning, he stepped forward and slammed his palm into Yuri’s shoulder. Dark energy pulsated through his forearm to his palm and detonated against the werewolf’s body.
Yuri was launched backwards, his body rolling through the snow. He grasped his stinging shoulder, smoldering smoke rising from his body. Surprisingly enough, Junko’s attack didn’t hurt much.
The Bount shrugged. “Sorry, I’m not exactly meant for direct combat! But don’t worry. I’ll have a match for you soon enough,” he said, smiling wickedly. “Anyway, I’m not here for you.” He glanced up at the window, meeting the shocked gaze of Violet — his little sister. “I’m here for her.”
But the Bount had already vanished in a wisp of black smoke. The mist appeared at the windowsill before Violet and the princess staggered backward, her eyes wide. She clenched her jaw, watching as her brother’s body began to emerge from the darkness, stepping towards her.
Junko … he was one of the main reasons Violet had come on this journey. Now that she was facing him in reality, she couldn’t just quiver in fear uselessly. She needed to do something.
“Noah!” Violet shouted, her expression hardening as she glared at her brother.
Noah grunted as he extended his hand to the princess, conjuring a golden rapier in the air just above her head. During one of her visits, she’d mentioned that she had trained for several years using a rapier. But that was training. Noah could only hope that she was ready for a real fight.
Gripping the handle of the weapon, Violet jabbed the sword towards Junko with ferocious speed. The Bount, having just appeared at the window, had not expected such an abrupt attack. He’d expected her to be unarmed; suddenly seeing a weapon driving for his face was a surprise. Using his inhuman reactions, he tilted his head to the side as the blade sliced his cheek slightly. Blood oozed from the cut and Junko stumbled to the side, his purple eyes flashing with malice. “My, my. It looks like you’ve learned a few tricks. You’re better than mother and father,” he said, reaching into his cloak. He pulled out two golden necklaces that belonged to the king and queen of Horux and dropped them at Violet’s feet. “They fell without a fight.”
Violet stared at the bloodstained jewelry with disbelief, her lips trembling. “You … killed them?” she choked out. Her attention snapped upwards and she saw that Junko’s hand was lashing out for her throat.
“I assassinated them. That’s what I’m good at!” Junko cackled, his gaze reflecting his madness. “And you’re next!” His eyes flickered to the side as he spotted a mystical hammer swinging at his chest. The Bount quickly skipped to the side to avoid to blow, spotting Noah. The magician had rolled out of bed and had forged himself a weapon. “Creation magic? So, you’re the son of the legendary immortal, Zylon. I heard rumors that he had a brat.”