Loyalty

by Charles E Yallowitz

  *****

  Gregorio sits on the castle wall as the surviving guards gather in the courtyard, their ears still ringing with the council’s screams. With a snap of his fingers, the gnome erases the flaming pillars he created to give Clyde some privacy. The smoke billows across the ground, but is pushed away when a blast of air erupts from the keep. Cracks appear on the large dome and run down the sides as someone inside delivers splintering blows to the structure. A crimson haze squirms out of the damage on the roof an instant before Clyde bursts through the solid stone. He rises high enough for everyone to see him, his body framed by the red mist that continues to seep from his pores. Coming down with a powerful stomp of his foot, the Dawn Fang shatters the keep and uses the impact to launch himself to the wall. Landing next to Gregorio, he lets out a relaxing breath that reminds the gnome of a dragon after it has gone on a rampage. Clyde takes a seat on the turret and waits for the red mist to stop, but a wave of vertigo washes over him the instant the effect has worn off. Nearly toppling into the courtyard, he grabs the stone with enough force to drive his fingers in up to the second knuckle.

  “I think I’m going to call this Lord’s Rage,” Clyde whispers in a gravelly voice. He watches as his maker summons a glowing book and opens it to a page with his name on it, the newfound power appearing in red ink. “You can catalogue Dawn Fang abilities. Very useful for the future, old fang. Bet you’re dying to know what happened in there. Well, your last present to me has been destroyed, but that might be for the best. Thinking back to the time I blacked out in the desert, the strain the sword put on my body must have been what triggered the Lord’s Rage. I must not have been ready for it back then and it wasn’t much better this time. Took all of my concentration to avoid bringing the entire city down and still enjoy myself. Might unleash this a few more times and see if I can get a good handle of the power it creates. For all I know, I was holding back too, which means I’m even stronger than I realize.”

  “I wouldn’t be so carefree about the situation,” Gregorio mentions, closing his book. Staring at the smoking ruins of the keep, he cannot suppress the shudder in his bones. “This Lord’s Rage is a powerful weapon, but it is obvious that it comes with a price. You are severely weakened and might be susceptible to falling to your own bloodlust. I can smell your blood in the air and you look pale, which means it works similar to the gauntlet. Using it too much may run the risk of you becoming a true monster. People will have more than enough reasons to hate the Dawn Fangs once we’re revealed, so let’s not add to our problems.”

  “Considering our own kind aren’t accepting us, I hate to see what the mortals will do,” the other vampire casually states. Staring at his hand, he can already see the color returning to give the skin a pink hue. “I learned that Xavier has captured Chastity and Mab. He’s also the one who manipulated the Duragians. That bastard has been playing me since I came back. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew something happened to me before I got out of the ground. I’m heading to Nyte to wring some answers out of my old friends. There are still some pieces of the puzzle that are missing for me.”

  “I will follow you to the border, but that is as far as I go.”

  “You aren’t much of a fighter anyway.”

  “Exactly, but I feel I will be needed back here.”

  “Why?”

  Following Gregorio’s gaze, Clyde turns around and finds that all of the vampires have fallen to one knee. It takes him a moment to realize they are bowing to him, the widespread admiration making him uncomfortable. Those who survived the initial battle continue to walk into the complex and join the mob that refuses to move. Emerging from their hiding places, servants and prisoners flow from inside Miez Castle to fill the rear ranks of the crowd. Standing atop the turret, Clyde raises his hands to see what will happen and nearly jumps back when everyone stands. Vacant stares rise to face him, the defeated vampires having no other thought than to follow a creature that they fear and respect.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Clyde whispers to Gregorio. He scowls at how the gnome starts to clap and the crowd joins him a few seconds later. “No! Stop that! Look, I already have a gang and there are things I need to do. How about everyone stays here to clean up the mess and I’ll come back to figure things out? Uh, invite friends if you need people to help. Gregorio here will return to oversee everything. I’ve . . . Yeah . . . We’ll talk later.”

  “It really isn’t that complicated,” the gnome mentions before Clyde abruptly leaps off the wall. He watches the Dawn Fang retreat into the abandoned city with enough speed to make him smirk. “I think you just realized what is happening. Only one more step to take before the inevitable occurs. Hope we’re all ready for the real war, especially you, savior.”

  “I can still hear you, old fang!”

  16

  Sitting on a branch among a murder of crows, Luther stays in his raven form and stares at the barred window. Lacking hands, he moves his beak to cast a complicated spell that creates a translucent phantom of his true form. The illusion appears in the hallway between Chastity and Mab’s cells, its senses connected to his own even from so far away. The image shimmers until he finishes the casting and synchs his aura with the shifting wards around the castle. He is still unsure of how long he can maintain the surveillance, but takes some comfort from the fact that an invisible Bob is standing guard at the dungeon entrance. Luther nearly loses the connection as soon as a blood-curdling scream slices through the air, the noise cut off with a gurgle. Slowly turning toward Mab’s cell, he is horrified to see that twenty dead priests have been put in the small room with her. The Dawn Fang is curled in a ball and scratching at her head, her claws leaving deep gashes that reveal her skull. Her throat has been slit to prevent any further shrieks of horror and he notices that her severed ears are clenched in her mouth. The wound on Mab’s neck abruptly heals and she is about to unleash another scream when a jet of pink mist flies across the hallway. With a gentle hiss, the enchanting fog hits the suffering vampire in the face and drifts up her nose.

  “Get some sleep, dear, and everything will be better in the morning,” Chastity whispers from her cell. Wearing dirty rags, the hostess is beginning to look emaciated and the wounds on her arms remain open without bleeding. “They’re trying to see if Dawn Fangs can starve to death and how easily we can heal with only the blood created by our own hearts. Feels like I’m only slightly better at it than a mortal, but it could be worse. Something happened with Mab when she was taken to see Nadia. It was only for about thirty minutes, but they put those bodies in and Stephanie injected her with something. She started talking about those voices again and then she went berserk. I’m surprised she hasn’t broken out of there, but the two of us might be too weak to use our full strength. How are things with you today, Mr. Grathan?”

  “We’re basically under house arrest since they don’t know if we were part of the escape plan or not,” Luther replies while kneeling near Mab. His ghostly hand reaches out to touch her face, but her eyes briefly open and stare at him in terror. “It’s okay. I’m here to check on you and report back to Titus. He’s maintaining illusions of us, which are only working because nobody seems to think he’s capable of that. Still, I doubt he can keep it going for very long. Bob is at the entrance making sure I don’t get caught, so I might vanish without warning. We’re sorry this is happening.”

  “Thanks, but it’s not your fault,” Chastity says with a smile. Hopping up to her window, she clings to the bars and searches for where her friend’s real body is hiding. “A raven among crows sounds so poetic to me. Mab will agree that you three shouldn’t risk too much. Clyde will arrive eventually and that’s when all of us will have to act. If he knows about our situation then I doubt he will be coming for answers. Haven’t seen him lose his temper in a long time and it was a fascinating sight even when he was like you.”

  The forest tracker passes through the cell door and stays in the shadows, his tongue picking up an approaching tas
te. “I won’t be like me for much longer. Once the Vengeance Hounds meet up with Clyde, we’re going to ask for some blood. Even if we end up having to learn about our powers in the midst of battle, none of us want to remain here. Lord Tempest . . . Xavier is not acting like himself. That or we’re finally seeing his true face. I can’t spy on him for long because of Nadia and Stephanie, but I’ve snuck a few peeks over the last two days. He is sure that the Dawn Fangs are a danger and speaks as if he should have known better than to trust Clyde in the first place. He definitely has more secrets that need to come to light.”

  “Sad that he turned on us so quickly.”

  “To be fair, we were never members of his inner circle.”

  “Guess you’re right. We showed more independence than people like Kai and Stephanie.”

  “And Decker.”

  “That one is surprising and hurts me the most.”

  Luther leans back to have his head go through the wall, his face barely poking out of the stone. He watches a large shadow briefly appear on the floor outside the other cell, but the owner walks away instead of coming down the stairs. It suddenly dawns on him that his plan with Bob is destined to fail since his friend would have no way to warn him of trouble without revealing their presence. Even worse, he realizes that his invisible friend has no way of watching his body from inside the castle. The illusion freezes as his raven form flies around the tree and catches a moth to make it look like he is a real bird. Shuddering at the taste of something other than blood, he is thankful when the fluttering meal is snatched from his beak by a ravenous crow. Knowing that he is dangerously exposed on both fronts, Luther slips into the wall to hide his illusion and only keeps has head visible. The forest tracker frowns as Chastity skips over and playfully flicks her finger through his nose.

  “You guys aren’t thinking straight since even I could see the flaw in your plan,” the Dawn Fang teases. Hearing Mab begin to stir, she hurries to the bars and prepares another charm spell in case her fellow prisoner has an episode. “Seems vampires are like mortals when it comes to our emotions. We never entirely shed the fear of being replaced, which I felt whenever new taverns and brothels appeared in my territory. Ridiculous comparison, I know, but we tend to forget that we still have a little mortal left in us even after hundreds of years. Nobles like Xavier and Nadia try to deny this, which is silly.”

  “Especially when they have no problem demonstrating their love for each other,” Luther says, his attention more on Mab. Out of concern, he reaches into his pocket for a blood bag and nearly offers the translucent treat. “Sorry about that. Forgot I wasn’t really here. Does it feel like you have more emotions as a Dawn Fang? I’ve noticed that Mab is happier and not as cold as she was before. All this time, I thought it was because Clyde was back, but now I think it could be the transformation. Must be hard for you to tell since you’ve always been the most emotional and mortal vampire I’ve ever known. That is meant with the utmost respect, Ms. Sullivan.”

  “Then, I shall take it as a compliment,” she replies with a bow. Hearing a growl come from Mab, she hurls a ball of pheromone mist and scowls at how it has very little effect. “I can’t hit a person with my charms too often in a short period of time. She’s groggy, which means the next shot might make her yawn at best. We need to do something or she might kill herself before Clyde gets here.”

  “Who you talk to?” Lou asks as he lumbers into view. Peering into the cell, he rubs his eyes when he thinks he sees movement in the corner. “Lady Sylvan send food. Only for you. Test for healing boring and over. Other one need stay hungry. Too dangerous. You get more if let us know what she say.”

  Chastity smiles at the ogre while accepting a plate of moldy bread and blood that is partly coagulated. “Just like my maker used to give me, which is another reason I’m glad Clyde killed him slowly. Mab only screams and mumbles about the voices, but the great and wise Lady of Nyte already knew that. Perhaps I can be of more help if you told me what was done to put her in this state. Gathering information is one of my specialties, but I can’t do it without something to work with. Just a little hint, big boy, and I promise your masters won’t know. I’ll even make sure to only share what I learn with you, which means you can take all of the credit. Simply say you overheard Mab mutter whatever I report. Sounds like a good deal, right?”

  The bodyguard scratches his horns and is on the verge of speaking when his attention goes back to the corner. He opens the cell and catches Chastity by the head, his grip just tight enough to stop her from moving without causing her pain. Sniffing at the shadows, Lou abruptly slams his head against the stone until he makes a hole. He licks at the jagged opening, but tastes nothing more than dirt and mildew. With a kick, he knocks down more of the wall and walks into the other cell. He keeps his arm stretched back to make sure Chastity is not carried in with him, the fear of being accused of attempting a jailbreak making his nose twitch. Not finding anything suspicious, the ogre tosses his prisoner onto her cot and hurries to the other cell’s door. Lou rips the entrance off its hinges and forces it into the fresh opening, a smile of pride showing that he firmly believes this can stop the Dawn Fang.

  “No know what happened,” he states while returning to the hallway. Getting closer to Mab, he reaches in to curiously poke her in the side and shove her closer to one of the bodies. “Master asks question. This one talk about Lord Shallis. Said he angry and talking. Then Stephanie called to give drink. No know what drink do. Usually give to shamans for pain.”

  “Thank you and I promise to share whatever I hear,” Chastity says before taking a bite of bread. She waits until Lou leaves the dungeon before spitting the foul-tasting food out and scraping at her tongue with her nails. “That’s the problem with being able to eat again. You run into things you don’t like. Swallowing stuff like this is infinitely harder than drinking gross blood since this sits in your stomach. What do you make of this shaman drink?”

  “First, you’re amazing even when a prisoner,” Luther answers as he passes through the outer wall. He remains close to his escape path, his ears straining for signs of the ogre. “I guess it isn’t too hard to trick him. Not really sure what he was talking about. Shallis is gone and Mab isn’t a shaman.”

  “No, but she could have a shamanic ability.”

  “What do you . . . Those voices are the dead?”

  “Doesn’t make any sense for her, but we live in strange times.”

  “Should I tell Titus?”

  “Only that his sister is being tortured and it’s time for him to act.”

  Nodding his head, Luther returns to the hallway and takes a final look at Mab before heading for the stairs. Spotting a guard at the top, he moves through the wall and floats up to the ceiling. Leaving only his face exposed, the forest tracker sees through Bob’s invisibility and nearly shouts when his friend materializes next to the soldier. The Vengeance Hound is standing at attention with his lance over his shoulder, the distance between him and the swordsman no more than a few delicate inches. Silently dropping behind the two vampires, Luther is about to wave when the elf turns and smiles in his direction. Before he knows what is happening, Bob slams the guard into the wall with enough force to get the man’s head stuck in the stone. Leaving a half-full bottle of blood-infused alcohol at the unconscious soldier’s feet, the invisible vampire sprints down the hallway while the fake Luther vanishes from sight.

  *****

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Decker asks as he barges into the guest room.

  The solider is immediately grabbed by the shoulders and hurled against the far wall. He throws a wooden chair in Titus’s path and dives to the side as the furniture is kicked through the window. Coming up to his feet, Decker gets his hands up to block the punches that rain down on him and waits for an opening. Throwing a strike at the towering vampire’s stomach, he realizes too late that it is a trap. His fist hits flesh at the same time a kick catches him under the arm and lifts him onto the table. Ignoring
Bob and Luther’s half-hearted complaints about their ruined card game, the soldier catches the next punch and snaps the thick limb at the elbow. Allowing himself to be hurled into an empty closet, he waits for Titus to make another charge before flipping the heavy furniture onto his back. With a roar, he rushes forward to slam the large object into his old friend’s face. Splinters and debris go flying, but a blind kick to the chin knocks Decker against the ceiling, the thick stone getting dented from the impact. Falling towards the other vampire, he twists to deliver a head-butt, which is met with an identical attack. The echoing blows cause both men to land in opposite corners of the room, neither one able to remain standing for more than a few seconds.

  “Damn your head of granite, Kenneth,” Titus growls as he slumps against the wall. He tries to drag himself along, but collapses to his hands and knees. “None of us have left the room and you can’t prove otherwise. Not that it matters. Once I figure out a way to get to Mab and escape, I’m doing it. Bob and Luther are with me.”