Elpis

by Aaron McGowan

  “Don’t look so stunned,” Jujor said in a low voice. “That’s just an elven boy hired to run the stand. Febraz is in the tent, where it’s nice and dark.”

  “He can’t go out in the light?” Terico asked.

  “Not so loud,” Jujor said. “Febraz’s kind aren’t looked at too warmly, you can imagine. Bad for business for people to know what he is... But to answer your question—no, he can go out in the light. He just doesn’t like it, and would rather keep his identity a secret as much as he can. The longer it’s a secret, the longer he can stay at one city, selling his wares.”

  “I see,” Terico said. He walked up to the elven boy and glanced over the Nexi stones on the table. “Which one are we looking for?” he asked Jujor.

  “It won’t be out here, obviously,” Jujor said. “We’ll have to talk with Febraz personally.”

  “You know Febraz?” the boy running the stand asked.

  “Yes, he’s an old friend of mine,” Jujor said. “Can we go see him?”

  The boy looked down nervously. “I don’t think so...”

  Jujor turned to the tent and yelled, “Oy! Febraz!”

  “Is that you, Jujor?” called out a voice from inside. “Please, I invite you to come in.”

  Terico was hesitant to follow Jujor into the tent, but he took a couple deep breaths and reassured himself that this would all be worth it in the end.

  As expected, it was dark inside the tent, lit by a single candle atop a small round table. There were three wooden chairs, the first of which was occupied by Febraz. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and pale skin as white as ash. Febraz looked to be in his twenties, but may have been much older.

  “I see you’ve aged well,” Jujor said.

  “And I see you haven’t,” Febraz responded. He grinned, exposing two long vampiric fangs. The man had long black hair and light yellow eyes that almost seemed to glow in the dark. He wore all black and held a few wrinkled sheets of brown paper in his hands.

  Jujor laughed and sat down across from Febraz, leaving Terico to take the seat between the two.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Febraz said. “It’s been too long.”

  “I kept meaning to send a letter,” Jujor said. “Perhaps invite you for a drink. There’s this great pub in... oh, never mind.” Apparently he forgot for a moment that it had burned down with the rest of the village.

  “You and your ridiculous drinks,” Febraz said, his voice deep and smooth. “I have no taste for them, you know.”

  “Of course,” Jujor said. “But it’s the act of drinking together that matters, not the drink itself.”

  “Hm, well, I’ll have to keep that in mind,” Febraz said with his eyes half-closed. “Now how can I assist you, Jujor?”

  “We’re in the market for some soul catchers,” Jujor said. “Think you can help an old friend out?”

  “For a price, perhaps,” Febraz said. “Whatever do you need soul catchers for?”

  Jujor motioned a hand toward Terico. “Well, Terico and I will be heading underground soon, and will likely have a lot of forsaken to deal with. A couple soul catchers would help us fight them off as we go looking for something.”

  “You should know better than to go stirring up trouble with the forsaken,” Febraz said. He placed an elbow on his table and rested the side of his head against his palm. “Now, what was it I saved your life from again? Ah, yes. The forsaken. Of course.”

  “This time will be different,” Jujor said. “I’ll have Terico leading the way, and we’ll both have soul catchers. That is, if you lend them to us for a bit.”

  Terico spoke up, looking toward Febraz. “So you saved Jujor’s life?”

  Febraz gave a weary nod. “Yes, I happened to be in the mine that day Jujor’s crew dug their way to a hive of forsaken. It was just on a whim, but I decided to save old Jujor’s life.”

  “I wasn’t old then,” Jujor muttered. “And I’ve helped you plenty of times in return.”

  “Yes, yes,” Febraz said, waving a hand up and down quickly. “But of the two of us, I’m the hero.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Jujor said. “Terico and I will be accomplishing big things in the near future. You’ll be hearing heroic stories about us soon enough, if we can get a hold of some soul catchers.”

  “Very well,” Febraz said. “I rather doubt you can afford to buy two soul catchers, so I’ll have to think of some way you can pay me back for lending them out to you.” He leaned to the side and pointed at Jujor’s pack. “I imagine you have plenty of liquor in that bag of yours. Pull one out and have a drink.”

  Jujor sat up a little straighter and beamed. “You’re taking me up on that offer, after all.”

  Febraz reached underneath his table and pulled up a corked bottle filled with crimson liquid. “I have my own drink, thank you very much.” He pulled up a few ceramic mugs and pushed them so he and his guests each had one. The vampire picked up his bottle and pointed the end of it toward Terico. “Want some?”

  Terico gave a deep frown and shook his head side to side.

  Febraz laughed and started pouring some blood into his hand-painted glass, which was covered in poorly-colored patterns likely drawn by a child. Terico wondered if Febraz had any children, and what exactly a vampire family would entail if that was the case.

  While Jujor deliberated on what bottle of liquor to drink from, Terico watched the thin stream of blood pour from Febraz’s bottle and splash into his cup. Terico didn’t know where this blood came from or what species it had belonged to, but there was something a little strange about it all. Perhaps just the sight of someone pouring blood into a glass was bothering him, but there seemed to be something more troubling Terico. He stared at the blood, rising and falling along the inside of the mug as it dripped and sloshed into the vessel. It was very faint, but Terico noticed a slight residue left behind on the side of the glass. It would only last a moment, but the blood was briefly turning the inside surface of the ceramic mug from tan to a light gray.

  Some kind of chemical reaction? Terico thought. As Febraz lifted his glass toward his lips, the realization struck Terico. In an instant, Terico was on his feet and wrenching the glass away from Febraz’s mouth.

  Febraz gasped, and Terico spilled blood on his sleeve and onto the table.

  “What are you trying to do, boy?” Jujor asked.

  “Liquid Coffin,” Terico said. “This blood is poisoned.”

  “What?” Febraz asked. “I would have smelled something amiss if it were poisoned.”

  “It’s an ancient poison used to kill vampires,” Terico said. “An alchemical concoction that looks, smells, and tastes exactly like blood. It hasn’t been regularly used for hundreds of years because the main ingredient was a very rare plant, and simpler poisons were developed later on.”

  “I’ve encountered poisons before, but never this Liquid Coffin,” Febraz said. “How can you tell this isn’t blood, though?”

  “If you look closely, it reacts to the ceramic strangely,” Terico said. “I wouldn’t have noticed anything if it were poured into a glass cup, so you’re fortunate you used this mug.”

  Febraz eased himself back in his chair. “I do see it now. Yes, blood shouldn’t stick that much to the side, either. Very subtle...” He looked back up to Terico and smiled. “How did you notice that?”

  “My father was an alchemist, so I read several books on potions growing up.” Terico sat back down and placed his hands on his lap. “There was a chapter on poisons for vampires, though I never expected I’d actually need to use that knowledge one day.”

  “And you probably never thought you’d use it to save a vampire’s life, did you?” Febraz asked.

  “To be honest—no, I didn’t,” Terico said.

  Febraz turned to Jujor and nodded. “Good to see a boy with a head on his shoulders.”

  “I’m surprised, too,” Jujor said. “But I guess now I can say I’ve saved your life, Febraz. We’re finally even!”


  “Maybe,” Febraz said. “I wonder though... Why would this bottle be poisoned? It came from a friend of mine.”

  “You’re letting people here know you’re a vampire?” Jujor asked.

  “The general public doesn’t suspect a thing,” Febraz said. “But I do have a few friends I’ve come to trust over the years. This particular one has given me some rare blood from some of his adventures before. I have a feeling that he might have bought this bottle rather than obtained the blood himself.”

  “Ah, so the seller was just hoping to kill off some random vampires, wherever they may be,” Jujor said.

  “There is no way to be certain,” Febraz said. “The seller could have been fooled just as well. It’s interesting, just how many people can be deceived by one simple lie.”

  “And it leads all the way down to death,” Jujor said.

  The conversation paused a few moments, perhaps ending on a bit of a somber, more pensive note.

  Febraz snapped a finger. “I believe our young Terico here needs to strike a deal with me.”

  “What do you have in mind?” Jujor asked. “You should give us the stones for free, for saving your life.”

  “Terico, I have two soul catchers,” Febraz said, “but they cost a fortune. I think you would be capable of helping me out with a little something, so if you make a pact with me, I will gladly give you the Nexi stones you seek.”

  “A pact?” Terico asked.

  “You will be marked,” Febraz said. “It means you will be required to assist me with a single task, or forfeit your life. It won’t be anything too much for you to handle, I imagine. But I’ve been hoping to find someone who can help out my d—” Febraz paused a moment. “Who can help me out. All you have to do is hold out you arm, and I will use a Nexi stone to create the mark of the pact.”

  Terico didn’t like the idea of being required to fulfill any kind of task a vampire would have in mind for him. Though Jujor was friendly with Febraz, Terico really didn’t know much about this man. For all Terico knew, being marked would make him Febraz’s slave for life. Or perhaps the task Febraz would give him would put Terico’s life unnecessarily at risk. What sorts of things would a vampire want him to do, anyways?

  In the end, it didn’t matter, Terico decided. If he needed the soul catchers, and this was the only way to get them—then he would likely do whatever it was Jujor asked. If it would bring Terico one step closer to killing Delkol, then he would do it.

  He pulled his sleeve back and raised his arm toward Febraz.

  “Do you realize what you’re doing?” Jujor asked. “This isn’t going to be a ‘go to the store and pick me up some flour’ kind of favor.”

  “I understand,” Terico said, keeping his eyes on Febraz. “I will do whatever this man asks of me.”

  “Good, we have a deal then.” The vampire slipped out a pallid white Nexi stone from his pocket. It glowed dimly in the candlelight, and looked about as pale and sickly as Febraz’s skin.

  Febraz placed the stone on Terico’s left wrist. Within seconds, the rock dissipated into a misty white cloud. The sparkling flakes descended into Terico’s skin, forming a black, intricate pattern. It looked like half of a spider’s web with four arrows emerging from the top, reaching into Terico’s palm and pointing toward his fingers.

  “I will call on you when I need your assistance,” Febraz said. He placed two light indigo Nexi stones on the table and grinned. “Have fun dealing with the forsaken, Terico. And be sure to keep an eye on Jujor for me, will you? I can never tell what that man’s up to.”

  “I’m right here, you know,” Jujor said.

  “Trying to hide things from you is a worthless endeavor,” Febraz said. “But the more I let the boy know, the more even the playing field will be.”

  Jujor stood up and nodded. “We’ll have to try having a drink together again some day.”

  “Indeed,” Febraz said. He turned to Terico and winked. “Be sure to keep a good hand on your sword’s hilt at all times, Terico. You never know when you’ll need to draw your blade.”

  Terico wasn’t sure how to respond. He was now relying on a cryptic, blood-sucking vampire and a dodgy old man who continually grew a little more questionable to trust.

  He wondered just how far down this path he would have to walk in order to obtain his revenge.

  3

  Depths of the Forsaken

  Once back in Edellerston, it didn’t take long for Terico to lead Jujor to one of the cave entrances in the rocky hills just north of the burnt village. The sight of the town’s remains was just as harrowing as it had been when the fires first died out, but it also strengthened Terico’s resolve to not back down. It was a clear visual reminder of what he was fighting for, and why he was seeking out the Elpis.

  Jujor had a red Nexi stone, which he caused to light the way down the cavern pathway. Terico led the way, however, and for the first hour most of the journey was fairly familiar to him. There were a number of stalactite formations that he used to go by when remembering which way to turn in order to keep heading downward.

  From time to time Terico came across monsters, and Jujor left it to him each time to deal with them. At one point there were a few rock-hoppers, which Terico tied up with a series of vines from his green Nexi. Later, a light yellow wisp tried possessing Jujor, but Terico managed to douse the ghostly light with the blue Nexi stone. He soaked Jujor as well in the process, much to the old man’s umbrage.

  The deeper into the cave they went, the more Terico wondered about the city as described in Jujor’s old book. Jujor said it was a mystery why it was built so long ago, and why it was eventually abandoned centuries ago. Terico couldn’t think of a good reason for Emoser Helena to be built so far below the earth. What would the people have lived off of? They certainly couldn’t have grown crops without sunlight. Perhaps the Elpis stone played a part in the city’s existence.

  Jujor dimmed his red Nexi a bit to keep from straining himself, since it took a little effort to keep the light going. Terico offered to take it, but Jujor wanted him ready for any monsters that would jump out at them.

  At one junction Terico had to move aside a pile of large fallen rocks in order to continue down the path he and Jujor were taking. Terico had never been this far down the caves before, but Jujor felt they still had quite a ways to go before reaching Emoser Helena.

  What may have been another hour passed—it was difficult to tell without the sun—and Terico started to feel a little drowsy. They had been walking down a thin, rock-floored path for so long, that traversing the jagged path had almost become a subconscious action. Terico had tried starting conversation with Jujor a couple more times earlier, but the old man was still avoiding any real answers about his life. Terico was curious to know more about the Elpis too though, so he decided to start there.

  “So, why do you think the Elpis stone is down here?” he asked.

  “It’s likely just a fragment,” Jujor said. “And I can’t be certain why it’s in an underground city. There are all kinds of theories. To keep monsters away. To provide light for the citizens. To create food for everyone down there. To create a protective barrier against outsiders. To hold up the earth around the city. Of course, all this brings up the question of why people would have a city down here in the first place. My guess is that the original intention of the city was to act as a place to keep the Elpis fragment hidden.”

  “How did the Elpis stone break apart?” Terico asked. “And when was it found in the first place?

  “Most of the legends say the Elpis was the stone that the God of Hope used to create all the Nexi stones,” Jujor said. “All the Nexi were buried deep in the earth so people would learn to work hard for their rewards, and to rely on divine powers in their daily lives. Don’t know if any of that’s true, but that’s the general sentiment of the ancient stories.

  “But where the Elpis was found and who found it is very unclear. When it was in the hands of a benevolent ruler, th
e people in the land lived without suffering or fear—the world was a paradise, if you will. But when a cruel, self-serving ruler used the Elpis, the entire continent fell into ruin. In some sources, it is said that the Elpis could be used to kill hundreds of people in a single instant.

  “Eventually a man—some say the first king of Fiefs—managed to obtain the Elpis and break it into pieces. It’s been hundreds of years since anyone has used an Elpis, because the fragments have been hidden away... far, far away from one another.”

  “How did the king break the Elpis?” Terico asked.

  “Again, the stories vary,” Jujor said. “Some say he and a council of thirty-one alchemists managed to concoct a liquid that would break the stone apart into a hundred pieces once dipped in it. Others say a powerful elf, eigni, human, and vampire each sacrificed his or her life, enacting an ancient spell powerful enough to break the Elpis into four pieces. And one interesting tale describes the king summoning the ghost of a giant narwhal, which stabbed the stone into two halves with its tusk.”

  Terico didn’t know what to think of any of these stories. He had heard many tales reminiscent of these ones as a child, and growing up he felt they were mainly just meant to entertain or help explain things about the world. But who knew? Perhaps some of these things did happen. The Nexi opened up the possibility for many astounding things, especially when rare, powerful stones were used.

  His mind mostly on the Elpis, Terico continued to lead the way down the cavern trail with a wide variety of expectations settling in his thoughts. Eventually he wondered what would happen when he did obtain the Elpis fragment, assuming it was still down there.

  And what if Jujor is the one who gets his hands on the Elpis? Terico thought. Would the old man try to use its power? Was it possible that Jujor was coming down here for the sake of getting the Elpis for himself? He was an old man, and needed someone to help him fend off the monsters and forsaken in order to get to the stone. How long had Jujor known about the likelihood of the Elpis fragment being down below Edellerston? Was that the real reason Jujor moved to the village? And did he stick around in the pub in order to hear the tales of all the travelers passing through, in hopes of learning something more about the Elpis, or about the caves?