Blood Lust

by Garrett Robinson

  The house was utterly silent. She felt the pulse of the evil magic within, seeping up through the floor from the chamber below, where the Shades had performed their rituals. It pulsed through her body, far more powerful thanks to her magic. She breathed deeply, relishing the feeling of the power.

  For a moment she considered: should she seize the strength of the cauldron? Could she even do so? No one knew what it would do to a wizard.

  Best not to risk it. Not yet.

  Silent as a cat, she crept from room to room, ready to reach for her magic in an instant. But the house seemed empty. Frowning, Kaita sped to the stairs leading up. She climbed them, impatience making her incautious—her footfalls were now audible. But if the boy was upstairs, he would not be able to escape her anyway, even if he did hear her.

  He was not upstairs. She searched every room, even under the beds, as though this were a child’s game of catch the imp. After searching under the last bed, Kaita straightened. She looked towards the stairs leading down, her eyes narrowing.

  There seemed no possibility the boy knew of the basement. Dellek would never have permitted him to learn of it. Yet it was the only place left.

  She returned downstairs and opened the secret door. Ignoring the torch, she leaped down the steps two at a time, soon reaching the underground chamber. There she paused for a long moment, letting her eyes adjust to the thin shafts of light that came through the floorboards above.

  The chamber was empty.

  Kaita gave a low, outraged cry. He had heard her. She did not know how, but he must have, and he slipped out of the house when she was searching for him. Or mayhap he had climbed out a window. Either way, he was not here.

  She tried to calm herself with long, slow, shaking breaths. The boy did not matter. He was insignificant. Less than nothing. Revenge would have been sweet, but it was nothing compared to her mission. She would let it go. Mag and I were all that mattered, in the end.

  Whirling, she climbed the stairs and left the house.

  Pantu waited a very, very long time, likely longer than he needed to, until he was sure she was gone.

  When her footsteps had long since faded away, and the creak of the house’s front door was a near memory, he emerged. He pushed open the door of the cabinet and uncurled himself from the cramped space within.

  He stood now in the underground chamber. The massive cauldron sat before him, and sunlight glinted through the floorboards high above.

  Still shaking with fear and drenched with sweat, he nevertheless looked behind him at the cabinet with a little smile. He might not be a fast runner, and certainly he was no fighter. And as he had learned just that morning, he was awful at trailing a mark without being spotted. But hiding? Yes, Pantu was very good at hiding. It was, mayhap, the only thing he was good at. Certainly his father would have said it was the only thing he was good for, dark take the man.

  Pantu still did not know how the day had gone so wrong. But now the Shades were dead, and the only one left—Kaita—seemed to be hunting him.

  I wonder, these many years later, if he thought of going into town and finding Mag and me and telling us what had transpired. We would have helped him, of course, the poor fool. But whether he wanted to or not, he did not do it.

  Instead, he went to one of the other cabinets—one of the high, locked ones on the other side of the room. From a nook in the wall he pulled a key.

  The Shades had not known that Pantu knew about the key. Indeed, they did not know he knew about this chamber. Pantu was a poor one for stealth, but he was an expert at being ignored. He had discovered long ago that he could go almost anywhere, so long as he did not try to hide it, and everyone around him would simply ignore his presence. In truth, it was what he had tried that morning with Mag and me. Only Mag’s heightened sense of danger had discovered him and led to all the rest of the day’s madness.

  And so, lurking in the background and keeping to the shadows, Pantu had learned much of the Shades’ doings. He had seen the ritual they performed with the cauldron of black liquid. And he thought he knew what they were doing.

  The key turned easily in the cabinet’s lock. He opened it to reveal a small pile of black, almost translucent crystals. These were magestones. Simply owning them was one of the highest crimes listed by the King’s law. Using them was even worse. Eaten by a wizard, they granted a terrible power—but, too, they ate away at the mind, creating a hunger that overpowered all reason.

  Magestones had given Xain the power to save my life in the Greatrocks. Magestones had driven him mad to the point that he almost killed me.

  But Pantu knew none of this. He knew only that the Shades burned the magestones in a fire under the cauldron—and he thought he knew why. The Shades had been secretive about their motives, of course, but Pantu had made several guesses, helped by the papers the Shades left strewn about their shelves and desks. Pantu had never learned to read, but the papers also bore many sketches of vampires.

  A vampire plagued Lan Shui. The Shades were performing a ritual that had something to do with it. It stood to reason, in his mind, that they were trying to drive it off, using some magic that was beyond the King’s law.

  Therefore, Pantu now drew five magestones from the cabinet. The Shades had only ever used two at a time, added to the fire once every two days. But Pantu was tired of that. He was tired of hearing about attack after attack, townsfolk and those beyond the walls slaughtered in the night. Entire families devoured by a beast that no one had lived to speak of.

  Five stones. Five stones would drive it away for certain.

  Taking the stones in his hand, he crept beneath the cauldron. The fire still burned there, black as night, its flames somehow draining light from the room, rather than bestowing it. Pantu cast the stones into the fire. It swelled, licking at the bottom of the cauldron.

  The evil energy in the house swelled. Pantu clutched at his chest, feeling for a moment that he could not breathe. The feeling passed, and he backed away from the cauldron on hands and knees, shaking.

  There. That sensation would spread, now. The vampire, frightening as it was, could not withstand such a ward.

  Or so Pantu thought. But then, he had never seen what the Shades had put into the cauldron that they heated with their darkfire.

  His work done, Pantu left the underground chamber as fast as he could.

  IN A DEJECTED FRAME OF mind, Mag and I returned to our inn and went to our room. With Mag’s help, I bandaged the cut on my arm. It was not so deep as I had feared, though it still stung when we put a healing poultice on it. Once we were finished, we changed out of our bloody clothes and into fresh ones. Mag threw herself on her back atop her bed, while I sat in our one chair, in the corner of the room.

  “A vampire,” I said. “Now I understand the fear in the eyes of these people.”

  “And Yue’s words make sense,” said Mag. “Do you remember? When we first arrived, she told us to inform her before we left. I imagine no one has been able to leave or reach Lan Shui since the vampire arrived. We only managed it because we came from the Greatrocks, into which the creature will not tread.”

  “And why would it?” I said. “It has plenty of food here.”

  “We must help these people,” said Mag. “Though I have never fought a vampire before.”

  I cocked my head as I regarded her. “I am glad to hear you say so. I feared you might wish to pursue the weremage.”

  Mag scoffed. “The weremage is well beyond our reach, and we have little hope of finding out where until we can get our hands on that boy. But even if I knew she was just over the next horizon, I would not abandon these people to the slaughter. Do you think me heartless?”

  “I do not, and I am glad to be proven right,” I said. “Very well. Like you, I have never hunted a vampire before. But we may have to pursue it regardless, even without information. Time is not on our side. Yue has made it clear that she wants us gone.”

  “Have you heard tales of them?”

&
nbsp; I snapped my fingers, for her words had given me an idea. “I have not. Yet there is one here who knows far more tales than I do. That old singer, Dryleaf. He said we should poke around the town and tell him what we found. I have a feeling this is what he meant.”

  Mag’s mouth twisted. “I wish he had spoken plainly to us, rather than leading us on with such games. But mayhap he had his reasons. Let us find him, then, and ask.”

  Together we went down to the common room and found the barman. I feared he might not wish to tell us where Dryleaf’s room was, but he offered no resistance whatsoever. It seemed it was not uncommon for the townsfolk to seek the old man’s wisdom.

  Dryleaf had a room on the first floor, towards the back of the inn and just next to the door leading to the privy. The smell was rather awful, but mayhap he did not mind. Or mayhap he appreciated the ability to relieve himself at a moment’s notice—often a requirement for older folk, as I can now tell you from long experience.

  He appeared soon after our two brief knocks, and when he opened the door he stood there for a moment blinking over our shoulders, pulling his blue robes closer about himself.

  “Yes?” he said at last. His voice was bright, but weary, and I wondered if we had woken him. “Who is it, and how can I help you?”

  “Good day, Dryleaf,” I said. “It is Albern. We spoke yesterday. My friend and I are the visitors from the Greatrocks?”

  “Ah, yes, of course,” he said, wrinkles deepening in a wide smile. “How can I help you both?”

  “That is rather a long conversation,” said Mag. “Mayhap we could take you to the common room and buy you a meal?”

  “I do not pay for my food here, but of course I will accompany you,” said Dryleaf. “A moment.”

  He turned back to his room, but I held the door open. “Can I help at all?”

  “Oh, sky no,” he said. “I have it all arranged, you see. Can find everything by touch. But bless your path for offering. No, go sit, and I will see you shortly. Or at least, we will speak shortly.” He gave a little chuckle at his own joke.

  Mag and I went to the common room and sat. Neither of us was hungry, but we both ordered ale, and Mag even managed not to turn her nose up at it when the barman was looking. Soon Dryleaf emerged from the back of the inn. I called to him, and he used his stick to poke his way over to us. I helped him into a seat.

  “How has your morning been?” he said, once he had settled himself.

  “I will not say ‘good,’ but certainly eventful,” said Mag. “We found some in this town who were up to evil deeds.”

  “Ah,” said Dryleaf carefully, folding one hand over the other. “I may have heard something of them. And what did you do when you found them?”

  “We fought,” I said. “They lost. They will do no more harm.”

  Dryleaf’s face went somewhat paler. “I … please tell me, friends. There was a boy—”

  “Pantu,” said Mag, cutting him off gently. “He is fine. Frightened, I am sure, but unharmed.”

  Dryleaf gave a deep sigh of relief. “Thank the sky. He is not a bad child at heart, but he has often landed himself in trouble. He is a poor judge when it comes to choosing companions.”

  I leaned in closer. “We learned something else today, Dryleaf. When you and I spoke yesterday, why did you not speak of the vampire? Why has no one spoken about the vampire?”

  Dryleaf shrugged. “I told you as much yesterday: you two are strangers here, and these are uncertain times. I said nothing, for I thought you might be one of those ruffians, aiming to see how much I knew about your doings here in town. I did not think so, for you did not sound the sort—but I could not be sure. As for the rest of the townsfolk, can you blame them? You are strangers from beyond the walls. Seeing a town weak and afraid, some might try to take advantage of the situation. You would not be the first highway robbers to think they could leave Lan Shui with more gold than they brought.”

  “Well, that is not our aim,” I said. “We seek a weremage who attacked our home in Northwood.”

  Mag cocked her head at me, and I frowned at her. Only after a moment did I notice what she had: I had called Northwood our home without thinking of it. A flush crept into my cheeks, and I turned back to Dryleaf.

  “She attacked Northwood and killed many who are dear to us,” Mag said, covering for my sudden, awkward silence. “We followed her trail here. We have not found her, but we think those we fought today were her companions.”

  “Hm,” said Dryleaf. “That may be. They have not been here long. Indeed, many in Lan Shui did not notice their arrival at all. I always keep a sharp ear out for the town’s news, and I only heard vague rumors of their presence—most of those through Pantu. But the town has been very different since they arrived.”

  “Different?” I said. “Different how?”

  “Well, for one thing, the trouble with the vampire only began after they arrived,” said Dryleaf, pursing his lips. “I have tried to point this out to some in the town, including Yue, but they ascribed it to coincidence.”

  I frowned, suddenly doubtful. “I … cannot say that I blame them. I have never fought a vampire, and I know little about them. But they cannot be controlled by any human, that much is certain.”

  “That is as may be,” said Dryleaf. “But still it makes me uneasy.”

  “I am not overly interested in the vampire’s arrival in Lan Shui,” said Mag. “I am more interested in how we can kill it.”

  Dryleaf was taken aback. “Kill it?”

  “Yes,” I said. “We are pursuing the weremage, as we said, but we cannot with clear hearts leave Lan Shui in danger. We will help get rid of the vampire before we leave.”

  The old man sighed, his shoulders drooping. I was surprised—I thought he would be happy to hear that we were going to help. But he seemed to have been overcome by some old sadness, something he had been able to forget but had suddenly been reminded of again. He overcame it quickly, though, seeming to marshal himself even as we watched.

  “Well, I am grateful for your help, as I am sure many in the town are—or would be, if they knew of your aim. As for the vampire, I will tell you what I know. It has struck near the village, but so far it has not come within the walls. They prefer to attack victims who are alone and unaided.”

  “Well, your words explain the abandoned farms we saw outside the town,” I said.

  “Just so,” said Dryleaf. “The vampire seems to be watching Lan Shui. It was after the second attack—three weeks ago now—that we became certain of what we were facing. When we did, Yue sent a messenger to the Mystics in Bertram to request their help. But that messenger was discovered a few days later in the wilderness. Her body had been torn apart and drained of blood. We sent another, but he met the same fate. No one would go a third time—or rather, Yue would not send them.”

  “But that seems almost intelligent,” said Mag. “I thought that vampires were like animals.”

  Dryleaf shook his head. “In some ways, yes, but not entirely. They have no society or culture, the way that satyrs do, and they never work together. They are solitary hunters. No one is sure where they come from, since they do not seem to breed, or at least there have been no sightings of vampire young. But in any case, they are possessed of incredible cunning, and they will study the actions of their prey with a single-minded obsession. The vampire could easily have seen the messenger and known they were going to get help.”

  Mag frowned. “That is ill news. I wonder how it keeps watch. It would be difficult to watch all the roads leading away from Lan Shui to other, larger towns and cities nearby.”

  “To us, it does seem incredible,” said Dryleaf. “But vampires are possessed of astounding speed and agility, and they can see in the dark. Sunlight, on the other hand, is poisonous to them, and they hide from it. But the messengers stood no chance when the vampire stalked them in the night.”

  “Well, it will not find me such easy prey,” said Mag. Then, glancing at me, she smiled. “An
d I shall ensure it does not eat Albern, either. Now, how do we find it, and how do we kill it?”

  “The second question is more easily answered,” said Dryleaf. “Wood is poisonous to a vampire. Stab it with a steel blade, and it will only become enraged and kill you faster. But pierce it through with wood, and it will die as if it had drunk pure nightshade oil. A stab in the heart is best, for that will kill it instantly. You can also cut off the head, or burn them, though that is much harder to accomplish.”

  “Easy enough,” said Mag.

  “The much harder prospect is how to find them,” said Dryleaf. “The best advice I can give is what I have already told you: they avoid civilization, and sunlight burns them. Therefore they are forced to lurk near lairs where they can ensure no sunlight will reach them. That usually means caves, and Lan Shui lies at the very feet of the Greatrocks. Though I think you are more likely to find this beast somewhere in the western spur that lies between us and Bertram.”

  “That was my thought,” I put in. “If this creature has found and stopped two messengers, we will not find it to the east.”

  “You will find a home northwest of Lan Shui, on the lower slopes of the spur,” said Dryleaf. “It was attacked six days ago, and everyone who dwelled there was killed. The barman should be able to point it out to you upon a map.”

  “Then our path is clear,” said Mag. “We head west, search the spur, find the vampire, and kill it.” She clapped her hands and stood.

  “I only hope it is as easy as you make it sound,” said Dryleaf, a cloud of doubt passing across his expression.

  “We will set out at once,” I said, rising to my feet. “If we hurry, we should be able to get there in plenty of time to stalk it to its lair and set a trap.”

  “One more ale for the dusty road,” said Mag, turning and making for the bar. Dryleaf chuckled as her footsteps retreated.

  “She is a fighter, that one,” he said.

  “Indeed. Sometimes I think she is too much of one.” I sighed.