Haldred Chronicles: Alyssa

by JG Cully

  “It's ok,” Katy said “We'll find a way”

  That determination was in the girl's voice again.

  I am very lucky to have them on my side. I just hope we do find a way.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Ten:

  Toward A Conclusion

  * * * * *

  The Council of Peace Investigation Department building was a hive of activity that morning; awash with further Darnhun mercenaries as well as investigators taken off low-priority cases. All seconded for this monumental hunt. The hunt for the vampire. Horna Gladwell had decreed any sightings, however obscure, were to be reported in immediately and investigated fully. The archive doors had been flung wide open to aid in this huge endeavour. Horna had pulled in every favour he had amongst the city's elite. Leaving Victoria still with the same question she had had last night.

  Why? Why was this such high priority?

  Horna seemed almost desperate to find Alyssa. Something else was going on and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

  Fortunately for her and Malak, Horna was so busy hunting the vampire he didn't notice the two of them slipping out from the gaggle of investigators and Darnhun troopers. They headed for Horna's Sanctum.

  Victoria entered, startling little Glynis from her desk.

  “Oh, Victoria.” said the Elf, looking even more nervous than usual. “I didn't expect you.”

  “I'm sure.” said Victoria. She smiled, but only slightly.

  Begin by putting the suspect, at ease.

  “We're very busy, what with this vampire hunt.”

  “Yes,” agreed Glynis, her voice childlike as always, half smiling in return. “odd business. The boss is really hyped up about it.”

  “Indeed.” said Victoria. She wandered closer to Glynis's desk. “Not sure why though.”

  Glynis frowned, looking little confused.

  “Well, sure a vampire,” she shrugged. “Clear and present danger to peace. Very important.”

  “Well” Victoria rather pointedly tapping her chin in a thoughtful kind of way. “True, but he seems very...”

  She looked directly at Glynis. Or indeed, she looked into Glynis might be a better way to describe it.

  “...eager.” she finished with, her tone changing.

  Glynis's eyes flickered.

  Got you.

  “Well.” said, Glynis, pushing her chair back a little. “He's the Overseer. Has to take these things seriously.”

  “True.” Victoria was now standing directly in front of the table. Looming over Glynis. She leaned forward clasping her hands behind her back, eyes fixed on little Glynis who was now doing a rather good impression of a frightened rabbit.

  “Why is he so eager Glynis?” Victoria asked rather pointedly. “You don't happen to know, do you?”

  “Ah...no.” the Elf replied immediately, without looking Victoria in the eye and with one of her hands rather rapidly doing something to the underside of the table.

  “Well I'd believe you Glynis.” said Victoria, looking from Glynis's head to her arm and back again. “If you weren't frantically calling the guard with that little device under the table. No doubt wondering why old Garlow is taking so long.”

  Glynis froze, her eyes flicking from Victoria to table and back again. The elf gulped.

  “You see...” Victoria moved to one side, sliding herself onto the table to sit before leaning even closer to Glynis and doing a wonderful job of invading the elfin woman’s personal space.

  “...Garlow is currently regaling Malak with many, many long-winded tales of his time with the Legions. So he won't be bothering us for...”

  She looked down on the elf, her eyes burrowing into the elf's painfully scared expression.

  “...oh let's just go with a long time.”

  Glynis, effectively backed into a corner, looked like she was about to cry. Victoria was feeling exceedingly cruel, considering if anyone were watching it would look distinctly like she was bullying a fifteen year old girl. Thing is, she was also feeling exceedingly vindicated in her actions.

  “Now.” said Victoria next, reaching over and politely (but firmly) taking Glynis's arm, moving it from the over-used button from under the desk and placing it on the desk itself. She patted the hand.

  “Why don't you tell me everything.”

  Glynis, subdued, did indeed tell Victoria everything.

  Everything.

  * * * * *

  Preparations for the night were mostly done by Katy and James, due to Alyssa's inability to leave the house without exploding. Katy slipped into her parents' house to reassure them. Both the Militia and the Council of Peace had visited earlier in the day and her parents were rightfully worried. With the expertise expected of a teenager she concocted a convincing lie about 'getting frightened' and 'staying at a friend's', adding 'it won't happen again'. She then made sure to acquire her father's library key (without telling him of course) and adding that she was on the late shift tonight so wouldn't be home till late. She didn't leave her parents with any time to query further.

  James, meantime, went out to work as usual despite his late night awakening. He had a very nervous day at work understandably, but fortunately his shyer-than-usual demeanour was not noticed.

  Alyssa decided that whilst she didn't need to sleep, it seemed like a good idea considering both her friends were out and occupying yourself in someone else's house for eight hours was difficult.

  The first thing she saw when she awoke later that night was James looking down on her

  “Morning” he said.

  She smiled up at him. “Evening I hope you mean.”

  He nodded with a smile. Katy was standing nearby. She held up the library keys.

  “We're good to go.” she said with a smile, an almost part way mischievous glint in her eye. James looked between the two of them.

  “Alright.” he said. “Let's go.”

  * * * * *

  “This isn't one of your best ideas.” said Malak

  “I know.” replied Victoria.

  In fact it could be considered a very stupid, and indeed dangerous plan that could not only get both of them killed but also potentially end the lives of two civilians or one civilian and one vampire. Depending on how tonight went.

  The rest of the day had been busy. Busy setting up the plan and hoping that it worked. The preparations had involved a rather interesting conversation with another department, including an assurance from them that Victoria hoped could be taken as definite. It was now late evening and she and Malak were prepared, keeping watch over the Great Library from a nearby side street.

  It was a vast towering structure of pale sandstone, ancient compared to most of the city's buildings. Two huge towers flanked its main entrance, reaching into the sky. They were of an ornate eastern appearance, with fat, rounded tops. The front door they guarded was a huge affair in and of itself, made of solid oak wood and studded with iron spikes that would not have looked out of place on a castle. It was barred and locked, and looked practically impregnable to the average eye. Within the library was housed a vast repository of knowledge on parchment, leather and even stone.

  It wasn't the front door they were watching though. It was the staff door at the back that they were keeping an eye on, a much simpler door with none of the aggressive nature of the front. Victoria had remembered the earlier conversation Alyssa had had with Katy.

  My dad works at the library Katy had said. Odds were they would be utilising the back door to do their little investigation.

  He says there's lots of books about magic and magical creatures down in the basement.

  True, she was gambling on Katy and Alyssa heading to the library the next night and not wasting time, keen to see if the stories were true and the library could indeed help Alyssa to become human again. On a personal level, Victoria hoped so. On a professional level, she didn't really care either way; as long as the bigger plan she had sent in motion was successful

  Of course there
was the other question. The one Gretna had rather forcefully inserted into her head.

  Does Malak like me?

  Victoria shook her head as if the motion itself would dispel the childish and currently unwelcome thought.

  I am a Council of Peace investigator! Not a bloody school yard youngster with a crush! And neither is Malak. We're adults and we have a job to do! One that requires all our concentration. So it can wait.

  'Till we're done, then we'll find out.

  Victoria blinked.

  That bloody dwarf and her big bloody mouth.

  They kept their watch, and waited.

  * * * * *

  The three of them slipped through the darkened streets, cloaked and each incredibly nervous.

  They had headed out late, later than perhaps they should have, but none of them wanted to run the risk of anyone still being at the Great Library at a late hour. Now, through the snow covered streets, they moved with purpose and speed. It didn't take them long. Indeed, the speed took Alyssa off guard. She looked up at the towering structure.

  “This it?” she whispered to Katy

  The girl nodded. Hugging the far wall, they slipped across the street and down a side alley. Round the side of the vast structure, was a single small door down a flight of steps. Katy brought out a key and unlocked the door after they descended. She looked at Alyssa and smiled.

  “Ok,” she said. “Here we go.”

  * * * * *

  “Here we go” said Victoria, nudging her dozing colleague. “Our customers have just arrived.”

  The girls had just entered, coming in via the staff entrance just as expected. Later than anticipated, but none the less, they had chosen tonight. They were not alone.

  Three of them?

  Victoria wondered who the newcomer was. Another friend perhaps? It might not matter but...

  Malak checked his crossbow before casting Victoria a look.

  “I've said it once, and I'll say it again. This is not a good plan.”

  Victoria met his eyes, and shrugged.

  “You only live once.”

  He chuckled. “Just be careful alright?”

  She looked back at him. She pursed her lips, not sure what to do. For the briefest of moments, the two of them held each other's gaze. Then they both looked away at more or less the same time, catching themselves. Victoria settled for slapping him on the arm.

  “Don't worry about me.” she said, doing her best to bring the situation back to normal. “Just make sure you're quick.”

  Gods I'm such a bloody coward. At least he is as well.

  “Alright,” he said. “Good luck.”

  He ducked back down the side street and dashed into the night, on to his role in the mission. Victoria meantime, made for the staff entrance.

  * * * * *

  Alyssa was glad Katy was leading them, because she had no idea where they were going. James had given the lantern to Katy to light the way.

  “I know this place.” Katy explained, expertly casting the lantern light around. “All the different passageways and corridors.”

  Alyssa would have had a lot more faith in what Katy had just said, if seconds later the girl hadn't smacked her head off one of the smaller wooden support beams that seemed to be placed almost at random in this part of the library’s basement halls.

  “Ouch!” she yelled rather loudly, then suddenly clamping a hand over her mouth.

  They all froze.

  Really do hope no one is actually here.

  Fortunately, no guards burst from the doors on either side of the corridor and after a heart stopping few seconds, they continued on. After somewhat more careful guiding by Katy through the gloomy corridors, they at last came to an ornate looking iron door, with a keyhole set at its very centre and various angular symbols worked into the door’s body. Alyssa frowned at the odd looking entrance but Katy seemed unsurprised as she fumbled with the keys.

  “Ok, here we go.” She said again.

  She inserted a large golden key into the door's oversized and expensive looking lock. She turned it, and there was a click. Katy then turned the key again, this time in the opposite direction. The whole apparatus clicked again, louder this time, then seemed to shudder inwardly. There were sounds of clockwork working inside it.

  Slowly, the huge door opened inward with a hiss, and a puff of steam emerged from the hinges. Alyssa could quite honestly say that she had never seen anything so odd in her whole life; steam escaping from a door was not an everyday occurrence.

  “Ok,” said Katy, still displaying no signs of surprise at all. “Come on in to...the vault!”

  The small group wandered in, Katy setting about lighting a variety of small lanterns hanging from the walls. Whilst Alyssa didn't need the light, she agreed that three sets of eyes looking for the cure would work better than one, even if that meant that light was a requirement. Slowly, the room started to light up and Alyssa beheld the repository of knowledge.

  Her heart sank. The room was nowhere near as large or as extensively packed with books as she had expected.

  “This won't take long.” she sighed, feeling more than a little disappointed.

  “Give us a chance.” said Katy. “There's actually a lot here.”

  With not a great amount of confidence in that statement, the group started the search.

  * * * * *

  Victoria chanced a look through the open door and then ducked back.

  She had slipped in and had rather quickly figured where the youngsters were headed. The yell of 'ouch' had been a real help and following the lantern had been easy. She'd almost tripped over a discarded box of books, and nearly banged her head off a couple of wooden support pillars but other than that nothing had hindered her in following them down here. All three of the youngsters were in the vault like room now; searching through the bookcases. She had to admit, the room was a lot smaller than she had expected. Were they really going to find what was needed? Victoria doubted it but, all being well, that might not matter by the end of the night, if her rather insane plan worked.

  Too late to back out now.

  She leaned against the wall down from the door, and waited in the shadows, listening to the rustling of paper and the occasional muttering.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Eleven:

  The Unexpected

  * * * * *

  With each discarded parchment, Alyssa's heart sank further. This was not what she had expected.

  She had expected a vast library, one that would take hours, or even multiple visits, to go through; one that would maybe, just maybe, yield what she needed. Yield a cure, or a ritual or something. Instead, she had a room no bigger than her ground floor back home; a few hundred books that they would search through in just a few hours, if that. It almost laughed in the face of the hope that Katy had ignited in her heart. She dare not tell Katy her concerns. The little girl thought she was helping.

  Well, let's not spoil it.

  She pulled out another book from the shelf she was looking at. It had no title on the spine and its pages seemed fresher than many she had already checked through. She flicked through it but quickly found it was in fact an ancient ritual book from the Far East. For growing potatoes quickly.

  Great. Why is this even here?

  She hung her head. How many more disappointments would she endure tonight? For once she wished Vlad was available. He just might have been some use here. Then again he'd probably not be pleased with her aspirations for turning back into a human. Maybe him being in the box at the moment was a good thing.

  “Found something.” said James from behind a stack of books.

  Alyssa glanced over. James was looking over a very aged looking book; a huge leather bound one, dusty and practically ready to fall apart. Despite its appearance, she wasn't confident. He'd uttered those same words several times already tonight. She gave him the benefit of the doubt yet again.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “A ri
tual” he said.

  Ah. Another one. Wonder if this one will tell us how to make grass greener.

  “Ritual to remove the vampire’s blessing on the unworthy.” he intoned, seeming to be reading from the book.

  Alyssa frowned.

  Ok.

  She wandered over and he let her look at the page he was on. It was in a barely legible script, obviously a very old book. Various symbols were dotted about the ageing page but true enough, at the top, were those very words.

  “Should they that are given the blessing be found wanting.” she read from the book with difficultly, the common tongue barely readable on the ancient pages. “and the punishment of True Death be found to be too harsh, the Master may taketh from them the blessing of our people.”

  Now I'm getting interested.

  James let her take the book from him and she read with renewed vigour. Katy joined them.

  “To do so, the Master must find for himself a virgin of either sex. By force or by trickery, they must make the accursed drink of the virgin's blood. Then, the accursed teeth must be shattered, broken apart into many pieces. In such a way, the blessing of the vampire is taken from the unholy and they shall revert to their human self.”

  Alyssa blinked.

  No it can't be that simple!

  She had been reading aloud the whole time and met the gazes of her two friends. James was the first to speak.

  “So what it's saying is, drink the blood of a virgin, then shatter the teeth...and that's it?”

  “According to this,” said Alyssa. “Yes.”

  “I don't know.” she added, looking over the verses again.

  “What have you got to lose?” said Katy.

  “My teeth are what allow me to take blood, to sustain myself. Without them...”

  She shuddered.

  Was this it? Was this the real thing? Was this the end?