03- The Apostles of Doom

by J. Langland

  Hilda was about to ask another question when a dog nearby started barking loudly. She looked over to where the noise was coming from. It was near a bend in the road that the line of refugees had just turned. The dog was barking loudly into the woods.

  Even as she watched, the dog took off into the woods.

  “Tiber!” A boy about ten years old shouted before launching himself after the dog.

  “Rogier!” A woman, presumably the boy’s mother, shouted and started moving after her boy, only to be restrained by her husband.

  “It’s not safe off the road,” the man told his wife. “I am not going to lose both you and the boy!”

  Hilda hurried towards the place where the boy had disappeared into the woods. “Don’t worry, I will get him.”

  “It’s not safe for an unarmed woman to head off into the forest at this hour—not with the Unlife advancing,” the first alfar worried.

  “I’ll go with her!” Jacob said, and started off.

  ~

  “That is one fast dog,” Hilda said to herself as she pursued the boy and dog into the forest. Fortunately, the undergrowth was not that bad, so there was nothing impeding her. It was pitch-black under the trees, but her Holy Sight was fine in the dark, as well as allowing her to see the animus of both the boy and the dog. Also, the dog was still barking.

  She could hear Jacob hurrying after her, about to catch up.

  “Sister!” he called behind her. “This is not wise; you should have allowed me to fetch the boy.”

  Hilda waved her hand above her shoulder. “Trust me, Jacob, I’m fine. This is not my first forest sortie in the middle of the night in woods infested with Unlife!” Admittedly, the last time she had actually done this exact thing, she had ended up dead; however, she was much better now.

  Even as Jacob reached her, the dog suddenly stopped barking with a loud yelp.

  “Tiber!” the boy shouted from about ten feet ahead of them as he entered a clearing.

  “That was not a good yelp,” Jacob said gesturing with his sword.

  “No, it was not,” Hilda said.

  Jacob put his arm up in an effort to restrain Hilda from going forward, so that he could go first.

  Such a sweet boy, Hilda thought to herself as she brushed his arm aside and headed for the clearing.

  “Rogier?” Hilda called. “Come back here, come to me.”

  At this point the boy was in the clearing, standing still and staring at something that Hilda could not see against the black backdrop of the trees beyond the boy. That was not good. She adjusted her Holy Sight. Yep, aura hiding, air temperature vampire. Hilda shook her head and then grinned determinedly.

  She hurried into the clearing and up to the boy, Jacob coming up quickly behind her. In the clearing under the night sky, she could now clearly see the vampire. He had been shielding his mana, but this close, she could sense it. She wondered if he could sense her own. She had been purposefully shielding herself from the battle priests.

  She put her hands on the boy’s shoulders. She noted the dog was still alive, at the boy’s side. The dog was staring at the vampire intently, but silently. The vampire said nothing as she pulled the boy back and behind her. As Jacob came up to her, she said softly, “Take the boy, keep him safe. Let me handle this.”

  “Sister?” Jacob asked, puzzled.

  Hilda shoved the boy at him.

  “So... Sister? A Sister of Tiernon, I take it?” the vampire said in a deep and resonant voice.

  “Something like that,” Hilda said with a grim smile.

  “So you are going to handle this?” the vampire asked, making a motion with his hands.

  Hilda sighed, recognizing the motion. It was not a spell, but rather a gesture for his associates to close ranks and surround them. She twisted her fingers and muttered a short chant under her breath. After the small ritual, she could sense the five other vampires in the clearing. Correction: four other vampires and a dhampyr.

  The first vampire chuckled. “I am so glad the three of you could join us for dinner!”

  Hilda briefly closed her eyes to fully engage the ritual she had just performed. She needed to ensure there were no other Unlife nearby. There were none. She opened her eyes and smiled at the vampire.

  “Although to be honest, you appear to be big enough to be a complete meal for all of us by yourself,” the vampire said.

  “Disparaging a woman’s weight is not becoming of you. I thought vampires were supposed to be more charming than that?” Hilda said. She was, of course, not upset; she knew very well how large-boned she was. She was buying time with conversation while she secretly worked on the semantic gestures of her warding with her hands behind her back.

  “You shall not get our blood without a fight,” Jacob bravely told the vampire. Hilda could sense his fear, and thus his bravery.

  “Really?” The vampire looked at Jacob.

  “Do not meet his eyes!” Hilda ordered. “Neither of you!”

  “Ah,” the vampire sighed, turning his attention back to Hilda. “So you have some experience with vampires?”

  “On Nysegard? Who does not?” Hilda asked.

  “Those who gain experience with our kind typically do not have repeat encounters,” the vampire said.

  “Well, in that case, I probably should make the best of this learning activity, if it is to be my last,” Hilda told the vampire, her fingers twisting in the gestures of her warding. “Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” she asked conversationally. Jacob was staring at her as if she was nuts.

  “I am Vladimir Bistent,” the vampire leader said with a nod of his head.

  “Really?” Hilda asked incredulously. “That must be an assumed name!”

  “Why do you say that?” The vampire glared at her angrily, his eyes now glowing red.

  “Do you have any idea how many vampires I’ve met named Vladimir?” Hilda asked. “I mean, I would get it if all the dhampyrs,”—she used her head to point in the direction of the dhampyr, which caused Vladimir to blink in surprise that she knew it was there—“were named that, because maybe it was a popular baby name among vampires.” She made a tisking noise. “But you cannot expect me to believe that vampires only bite and turn people named Vladimir. It strains credulity.” She shook her head in mock exasperation, her gestures almost complete.

  “Enough. I think it is time for dinner!” Vladimir started to advance, even as Hilda raised her arms over her head, spinning her body around in a circle and shouting the words of her warding in joy.

  A glowing circle of light suddenly appeared around them all; the six vampires, Hilda, Rogier, Jacob and Tiber. The vampire blinked in shock and surprise, noticing the luminescent dome now arching overhead and providing late twilight-level illumination. By the sounds behind her, Hilda knew his compatriots were also turning to examine the wards.

  The vampire stopped advancing, and a broad grin spread over his face as he examined the wards. He threw back his head and laughed heartily.

  Hilda simply stood there, observing the vampire laughing, already working on her next move. She finally glanced at Jacob and then down at the boy, smiling at them both. “You may need to avert your eyes before too long; it may get a little gory,” she told them softly, trusting the vampire’s own laughter to drown out her words.

  The vampire finally lowered his head dramatically to stare at her. “So, the Sister is really a priestess?”

  Hilda tilted her head and closed her left eye tightly in an eh facial gesture. “Something… like that.”

  “Well, I fear that whatever you are, you are not a very good one. Your teachers must be so disappointed. The wards are supposed to go between you and us.” The vampire shook his head, enjoying the situation.

  Hilda gave him an expression of bemused wonder. “Now why would I want that?”

  The vampire stopped laughing and tilted his head to stare at her, even as she gave him a bright grin and waggled her eyebrows in amusement.

  “
To protect you?” he finally said as if she were daft.

  “Oh?” Hilda asked, pretending to be surprised. “My bad!” She stepped forward, advancing on the vampire. “So you want to drink my blood, do you?” She was now within arm’s length of the vampire.

  The vampire tilted his head in puzzlement at her, but said nothing. He was clearly trying to understand her game.

  “Very well, then.” Hilda raised her right arm and pulled back the padding of her leather bracer with her left hand. She then held up her left arm to show the vampire her empty left hand. Once she saw that he had noted it, she made a flicking gesture with her wrist, and a small dagger appeared in her hand. Before he could react, she used the blade to slice her wrist. Blood quickly began welling.

  Hilda offered her right wrist to the vampire. “Be my guest.”

  The vampire squinted his eyes, perplexed by her matter-of-fact expression and bizarre actions.

  Hilda noticed his nostrils flaring; the scent of blood would tempt him. She simply needed to stand there. “Go on…” she said, smiling at him. “I don’t bite.” She chuckled softly, moving her wrist closer to him. She noted that the other vampires were moving closer. That is very helpful of them, she thought to herself.

  “I do not know your game,” the first vampire snarled softly.

  “What game? You can drink my blood, all of it. A meal for all of you, you said? All you have to do is swear not to harm my two wards,” Hilda said.

  “And why should we swear?” Vladimir asked, “when we can have all of you?”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” Hilda shook her head, frowning, as if scolding a small child.

  “Are you insane?” The vampire shook his head.

  “Perhaps, but are you not hungry?” Hilda’s wrist was about an inch from the vampire’s nose.

  “Very well.” The vampire slowly reached up and took her arm, guiding her wrist to his mouth. “I shall suck you dry!” His tongue slipped out to touch the blood; testing it, she was sure. She shook her head at his melodrama. Vampires did not seem to have much in the way of original dialogue.

  His eyes widened in surprise as he murmured, “Amazing. I have never tasted blood so sweet!”

  Hilda smiled and made a gesture towards the other vampires. “Gentlemen, and women, why not come near? There is plenty of me to go around.”

  The vampires came closer still; they were now surrounding her and Vladimir. She hoped Jacob would have the good sense to move the two of them away from her and the vampires. By this point Vladimir had latched his mouth onto her wrist and closed his eyes, savoring her blood. She felt a sharp pain as his fangs punctured her wrist.

  He was a messy eater, slopping blood all over. She noted that the other vampires, although not the dhampyr, who was further back, were sniffing. They could smell the very attractive blood. “Come, all of you!” Hilda called to them.

  She held up her other arm in the direction of two of the vampires, stretching to expose her wrist. One of the vampires moved in quickly and bit her wrist.

  “Unholiness!” the vampire muttered around his fangs in her wrist. The vampire next to that one came up behind her, going for her neck. She could sense the frustration of the other two vampires at having to wait. It was truly unfortunate that her armor was restricting their access. That made it much harder for her to get the other two vampires and the dhampyr. But that was what the wards were for; she just had to hope Jacob could defend himself and the boy.

  “Agh,” Hilda said as the vampire moving for her neck finally bit her, right in the jugular. This one would go quick.

  “Vladimir!” Hilda said commandingly. When he ignored her, she jerked her wrist, causing his eyes to open and lock on hers in anger.

  “I just wanted to tell you that my wards? They are where I wanted them to be. I needed to ensure that none of you escaped.” She smiled brightly as she removed her maskings, all of them. The clearing, already better lit by her wards, became much brighter as her full aura sprang to life.

  While having a vampire’s fangs lodged in the side of one’s neck from behind made speaking a bit more inconvenient, she could tilt her head a bit and easily pronounce what need to be said.

  “By the power of Tiernon, I offer you the Grace of Life! I absolve you of your sins! Your vile transgressions shall no longer curse you! The blood lust shall abate even as the Unlife flees your bodies! I gift unto you Tiernon’s Blessings of Mortal Life!” Hilda shouted and then fully opened her upstream links to allow her god’s mana to flood her being, her blood.

  The power and might of Tiernon, God of Light and Justice, flowed freely through her and her blood. The vampires shrieked and began struggling to dislodge their fangs, which were now firmly welded to her flesh. There would be no escape.

  Hilda’s aura flared incandescent, brighter than the morning Fierd—or Atun here in Nysegard, Hilda thought to herself. Suddenly she heard loud screams and squeals behind her. She blinked, suddenly hoping the vampires and dhampyr not stuck to her wouldn’t immolate. That would be very inconvenient.

  The struggling vampires jerked away from her and fell to the ground, writhing in agony, even as her aura returned to normal. Life returning after so long would likely be quite painful. They would be rolling like that for a bit. Time for the others.

  Hilda turned to find the two other vampires smoldering on the ground. The dhampyr was cowering against the wards, fierdburned but otherwise alive. She quickly cast an immobilization ritual on the dhampyr and turned to Jacob and the boy, who were huddling on the ground. She walked over to them, gesturing for them to rise. They did so shakily, staring at her in awe and wonder.

  “I’m so sorry for the theatrics,” Hilda said, shaking her head. “It was probably totally overkill on the pyrotechnics, but it comes with the territory, I fear.” She gave both of them a big embrace. “It’s all right, relax. I’m still the same Hilda who came in with you. I’m just doing the lightshow so we can see to clean this mess up.” She pulled back from them to smile into their tear-streaked faces.

  “Who are you, Your Holiness?” Jacob barely managed to ask.

  Hilda shook her head. “I’m exactly who I introduced myself as: Hilda of Rivenrock.” She shrugged. “I may have omitted my title, but what with the urgent need to get people to safety, I didn’t want to stand on formality.” She grinned and patted him on the cheek, and gave Rogier’s hair a warm tussle.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “You know what will help?” She reached into her belt pouch and pulled forth a small flask. “I think a small nip of this will calm your nerves.” She looked down at the boy. “And maybe an even smaller nip for the lad. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some cleanup work to do!” She stared at the smoldering vampires. “I wonder if there is anything left salvageable with these two? They aren’t dust, so there must be something left that I can cure.”

  “What… what did you do to them?” Rogier asked Hilda, who turned to see him pointing to Vladimir and the other two former vampires, still writhing on the ground.

  “They aren’t dust? You didn’t kill them?” Jacob asked, confused.

  “Kill them?” she asked in surprise. “No, anything but!” She shook her head. “Now, normally, that would be the thing to do, but we are on the brink of war! We need intelligence! Information!”

  Hilda grinned at them and moved to kneel next to the first smoldering vampire. “I cured them of their vampirism. It is much easier to deal with, and question, them as mortals rather than as vampires.”

  “Are you going to cure them?” Rogier asked, pointing to the smoldering vampires.

  “That’s the plan, however it’s rather tricky since they are halfway to charcoal. They are going to need to be healed, but I can’t really heal them until they are mortal. If I tried to heal them while they were Unlife, it would just wound them more.” She tilted her head. “Actually, that’s a great idea! I shall Harm them—it’s sort of like the reverse of healing. Normally, it’s frowned upon, but in this case, I think approp
riate,” she said. “That should heal an Unlife.”

  “What about him?” Jacob pointed to the crouched dhampyr, wrapped in the glowing strands of Hilda’s restraints.

  She frowned. “That is a bit trickier. I may need to think about him. Which is why he’s restrained.”

  Chapter 142

  Citadel of Light: Early Third Period

  “Whoo! I do not know about you guys, but I need a Bloody Tatiana!” Hilda said as she proceeded to mix herself one at the sidebar of the private dining room in which they had gathered to break their fast.

  “A little early in the morning for me, I fear,” Rasmeth said.

  Hilda looked over her shoulder at the apostle. “Nonsense! That’s what detox rituals are for!” She turned back to the pitcher in which she was mixing her beverage. “You have a nice relaxing drink with your meal and conversation, and then when it is time to go back to work, you just do a quick detox ritual.”

  “That really seems like cheating,” Teragdor said.

  Stevos chuckled. “That is exactly what I said when she told me! However, I fear I quickly succumbed to the wisdom of the mighty Saint Hilda’s words.”

  Hilda snorted and shook her head at the statement.

  “I personally think it is an excellent idea!” Timbly nodded, smiling. “I have to say, I have learned so much working with you folks. You really know how to afterlive!”

  Rasmeth shook his head. “I guess; I shall bow to the wisdom of my elders!”

  “Now, now! You go around talking about my age, and no Tatianas for you!” Hilda smiled broadly as she brought the pitcher over to the table.

  “That is a very large pitcher,” Stevos noted.

  “I know; I believe it is of orcan origin. I do have to say, orcs understand the importance of having enough to drink,” Hilda said.

  Teragdor simply grinned and rolled his eyes at the racial stereotyping.

  “I am sure Grob and his people would love to have toasted you, even as we shall,” Rasmeth said.

  “Very impressive work!” Stevos agreed as Hilda poured his drink. “I would never have thought to capture Unlife and then convert them for questioning.”