With silent determination, Kaelem and Vex forced open the cages, freeing the villagers. Those who still had strength left after being drained by the vampires helped the more unfortunate back to the surface. The pale and weak villagers clung to each other, grateful to have finally escaped the nightmare.

Once they reached the outskirts of the village, Vex said her goodbyes to a young boy who had grown attached to her. Kneeling beside him and handing him a handful of silver, she said “Take care of them for us.”

Kaelem knew their victory had come at a steep cost, but for now their survival meant they could bring closure to the villagers who had also suffered.

Unknown to Kaelem and Vex, a whole day had passed. The sun was setting in the sky, dipping below the horizon. That’s when Kaelem thought to ask, “So how does it work? Will you have to stay out of the sun now?”

Vex continued walking along the path beside him, her gaze fixed to the ground. After a moment of contemplation she replied “The transformation isn’t complete yet, but I should be able to enchant something to protect myself from the daylight.”

Kaelem counted his blessings that Vex had an affinity for light magic, though he recalled some of Selkor’s first teachings that your affinity could change depending on your circumstances.

“It’s the feeding I’m not looking forward to…” she said gloomy, vampires sustained themselves on the blood of living beings.

“I’d offer you mine, but I don’t think I’d suit fangs.” Kaelem replied, trying to lighten the mood as they had at least a day’s travel ahead of them. But Vex, caught up in the reality of her situation, couldn’t muster a response.

An awkward silence hung over them for the rest of the journey, during which Vex had completed the initial stage of her transformation, finally succumbing to her hunger. She fed on a rabbit they had caught together, insisting it was enough, but Kaelem could tell otherwise. It wasn’t enough to satiate the hunger that drove her now.

They made it back to Lordstone around midmorning, neither of them feeling particularly talkative as they grieved in silence. Without Rod and Annara chatting away, it felt awkward and uncomfortable. They made their way to the mercenary guild to report the completion of the mission and the status of the party.

They entered the guild hall together, it was filled with its usual vibrant energy as mercenaries clustered around tables, sharing their stories or planning their next job. Kaelem and Vex approached the reception desk with heavy steps, their somber expressions cutting through the atmosphere.

The guild’s receptionist, Fenn sat at the front desk, her amber hair tied up in a ponytail as she watched them approach. Noting the distinct lack of their giant leader Olrik caused her expression to shift as she took in their grim demeanor. “Did you complete the mission?” she asked, her voice softer than usual as if she was preparing herself for what they were about to say.

Kaelem nodded his head. “Mornfell is vampire free.” He took a shaky breath, trying to compose himself as his words caught in his throat. “Rod, Annara, and Olrik - they didn’t make it.”

A hush fell over the surrounding tables as the other parties caught wind of the news. Rod and Annara were well known and respected in the guild, but Olrik was revered. He had taken a lot of mercenaries under his wing, training them to survive the dangers of the world. Fenn’s gaze softened, she offered a small nod as she acknowledged their sacrifice. “I will have their names added to the wall,” she said pointing at a large stone wall that commemorated those who had fallen. “Their families will be informed and their shares of the reward will go to them as compensation.”

Numbness settled over Kaelem, he turned to look at the memorial. Now that he was looking at it, he noticed there had been a sudden influx of new names that had been added recently, his friends would soon be among them.

“I’ll see you later, Kae.” Vex said in barely a whisper as they left the guild hall, slipping away to find some solitude as she wanted to process her new state of being.

Kaelem watched her go before heading towards the blacksmith’s forge where he had bought the blade staff, dreading the conversation ahead, but he felt it was the right thing to do. He owed that much to Olrik and Branor.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

As he entered the shop he was hit with the heat coming from the forge in the back, Branor was working on a longsword, his enormous arms steady as he hammered away. He looked up at Kaelem and smiled as he saw him approach, his expression fading as he read the look on Kaelem’s face.

“Branor…” Kaelem started, struggling again to find the right words. “Olrik, he didn’t make it. I’m so sorry. He fought to protect everyone, right until the end.”

Brandor’s face darkened as he set down his tools, his eyes searching Kaelem as if he was looking for comfort.

“He was always headstrong,” he murmured, the grief setting in. “Always the first to charge in if it meant he was helping someone else. Thanks for coming to tell me.”

Branor’s eyes grew distant as he stared through Kaelem, lost in his own thoughts. “At least he went down a hero, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Kaelem placed a hand on Branor’s oversized shoulder, offering a small resolute nod. Branor nodded back as they both acknowledged the loss and honored Olrik’s memory.

Exhaustion started to set in as Kaelem returned to the inn, his body ached for a moment’s rest. But as he entered, he saw Selkor sitting at the bar, nursing a drink and looking unusually disheveled. The inn was quiet, sparsely populated before the lunchtime rush. The bartender seemed wary, occasionally casting a glance at the odd figure who had clearly seen better days.

Selkor’s robes were battleworn, torn and charred; a fresh bruise darkened his cheek. His usual eccentric demeanor was replaced with an edge of alertness that Kaelem hadn’t seen before.

Sensing his apprentice’s presence, Selkor looked up with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He beckoned for Kaelem to join him at the bar, they had some catching up to do.

“Rough trip?” Kaelem asked, keeping his tone light.

Selkor chuckled darkly, his finger tracing the rim of his tankard. “You could say that. I went to see an old friend, hoping he had insight on Eryndor.” He paused, a flicker of pain across his face. “It turns out, Eryndor has been busy reforging friendships and buying loyalty.”

Kaelem took the stool beside him, trying to understand. “What happened?”

“I was betrayed,” Selkor said simply, as if it were a minor inconvenience. “I barely escaped, a few broken ribs and bruises, but I’ll live.” His gaze sharpened as he studied Kaelem with a newfound intensity. “Ah- and I see you’ve grown since I last saw you.”

Selkor nodded at Kaelem’s forearm, now without the bracer Selkor had given him.

Kaelem glanced down as he flexed his fingers, recalling the power that he had now made his own. “I… embraced the dark power. I spoke to her- I still do. She calls herself a guardian of my bloodline.”

Selkor’s expression changed to one of curiosity, though his weariness was also apparent. “Curious. A guardian of your bloodline?” he muttered to himself.

A comfortable silence settled over them, broken only by the low hum of voices in the inn. Finally, Selkor took a deep breath and looked Kaelem in the eye. “How did you find the book?”

“Interesting, the world of magic is so vast. But I’ve learned just as much with mercenaries-” Kaelem broke off, he had forgotten for a moment that Olrik was no longer here.

Selkor observed his apprentice, there was a story there but it felt raw. He gave Kaelem a moment before continuing the conversation. “What you’ve learned so far was merely preparation, a crash course to make sure you weren’t out of your depth. But to truly master your abilities, you will need to start at the academy.”

“Eldritch Academy?” Kaelem recalled Selkor’s initial plan for him to attend a school, but he had thought that plan had been changed due to Eryndor. “But would they take someone like me?”

Selkor smiled, a spark of his old self returning to the surface. “They would be fools not to, sitting here now I can already sense you have potential that rivals most final year students. However it won’t be easy, it will test every part of you. And not everyone is fortunate enough to graduate.”

Kaelem squared his shoulders, excitement and resolve anchoring in his gaze. “I have no intention of stopping here.”

Selkor chuckled, patting him on the back. “Excellent, the headmaster is an old acquaintance. I’m sure we can convince her, she was also very vocal against Eryndor. I can think of no place other than at my side that would be safer for you to grow.”

Kaelem nodded, realizing that at the age of sixteen, he was about to experience school for the first time.

With Selkor’s reassurance, Kaelem climbed the stairs to his room, despite it being midday he was still exhausted. He had a lot of sleep to catch up on before they went to the academy. The road ahead would be rough, but Kaelem wasn’t alone. He had the guardian spirit and the memories of Olrik, Rod, and Annara with him. Their legacy added to his resolve, a reason to grow stronger. He was ready for whatever the future had in store for him.