“EVERYONE RETREAT! The city is going to self-destruct!” Aldrin mentally commanded the Horde, flying over the burning city in his swarm of bats.
Dark shadows of various sizes bolted to and fro in a mad dash to evacuate the city. He counted on Adeline to make it out of the city before the explosion. He watched from above as he circled the city, watching the massive Horde clamber over each other in a mad rush to leave. They came and did what they wanted and now, with the city on the brink of destruction, their time had come to an end. An end that Aldrin needed to see.
With that, he flew away from the city towards the pull of his two Servants, Pierre and Jared. Flying as fast as he possibly could over the barren plains. Off in the distance, he could see the burning village the Horde first struck. Briefly he thought about checking for survivors, but he knew that the Horde had already left none. A bellowing roar echoed out of the city as Ki’Saed, the largest of the Death Gorgers, disengaged from the Tanyth, the golden skinned Elf. Each of them retreating in different directions.
Aldrin tried to reach out to Ki’Saed only to be met by a mental block.
NOTICE!
Your connection to the Horde has been cut off due to the victorious Conquest!
Rewards will be received once the city has been destroyed.
Well done Young Vampire!
Aldrin couldn’t help but feel slightly bad about destroying the city that was supposedly the World’s leading potion supplier. Thinking back on it, the Queendom of Dremetica probably had more secrets that were bound to be exposed now. A catalyst that will more than likely plunge the world into an all out war. Yet a niggling feeling still tickled the back of Aldrin’s mind that there was more going on than just with this city.
He raced across the countryside, feeling the pull start to vibrate as he got closer. He filed that tidbit for later as something to examine. Coming to an understanding now, he really had to take a deep dive into himself to figure out how being a Vampire worked and what it meant. He had also hoped that the Forbidden Continent really held the clues and hopefully other Vampires to what exactly he is supposed to do.
Soon he was a good distance away from the still visible burning torch of a city. The pull tugged him into a small underbrush of a patch of trees that began to dot the landscape the further he got. Reforming a few feet away so as not to scare anybody in case other survivors had found a haven with them. Just to be sure, he used his predator vision to pick out five heartbeats, two of which belong to his companions. As for the other three, one was slow and relaxed, the second one was erratic as it jumped at every sound from what Aldrin could tell, and the third was strong and enticing. The heartbeats of the newcomers sang to Aldrin to help ease them to sleep as his thirst battled against his newfound willpower.
As he got closer, he recognized Evie and the two others she was with as the ones he rescued from the twisted lab of the Puppeteer of Flesh. That alone made his need to slake his thirst die down. Pierre was the first to notice, nudging Jared toward Aldrin when he entered the outskirts of where the light from the fire swatted away the darkness.
“You made it!” Jared said, standing to meet Aldrin halfway.
Aldrin smiled at the joy that oozed off of Jared, “Barely, after running from my sister.”
Jared winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t think she would get there that fast,” he rubbed the back of his neck.
“In a way, you both saved me.” Aldrin patted Jared’s shoulder, making his way to the rest of the group and settling down in between Evie and Pierre as they made space for him.
“Did you get the alert about Lor-Vold?” Pierre chimed in once Jared sat back down.
“I did.” Aldrin answered.
“Kind of fucked up honestly. . .people’s livelihoods just gone. . .” Jared muttered as he stoked the fire.
For a minute, no one said anything as they each stared into the fire. Aldrin turned his gaze towards the burning city on the horizon that lit up the sky as if dawn was approaching.
Warning!
Lor-Vold will self-destruct in:
One minute
Jared sucked his teeth as Pierre whistled. Evie and the others said nothing as they stared off into space. Aldrin stood to get a better view, watching the timer countdown to its destruction. Soon everyone joined him at the last moments of the city as it began to collapse in on itself, forming a black ball of void. They watched in anticipation of what their eyesight could gleam, but none saw it clearer than Aldrin. The ball of void grew to encompass the entire city, then shrunk in on itself, leaving nothing but a crater to remind everyone of what it once was. No piercing screech assailed the sky, no rumbling thunder shook the very earth they stood on, nothing but the eerie song of silence.
NOTICE!
Lor-Vold has been destroyed!
“That’s it?” Jared whispered in shock.
“That’s it.” Pierre confirmed, just as shocked.
“For a world of magic. . . I expected something more,” Pierre quietly added.
Aldrin sighed, letting his shoulders sag, then looked at Evie, who was already looking at him. “I suppose we will have time to talk now, right?”
“As long as you want my Vyncari,” she bowed again, making the other two strangers look at her, then at Aldrin in bewilderment.
Aldrin held up his hand. “Please don’t bow. I don’t even know what it means to be what I am still, but I am learning and hoping to find the answers across the Filligarian Sea on the-”
“Forbidden Continent. I know and I will accompany you. I have given my services to you,” Evie finished for him.
“Allow me to introduce two of those you rescued,” she gestured at the humans standing next to her.
“This is Eddock Gilsbane,” she pointed at the one with a strong heartbeat. He was a powerfully built man that had graying brown hair and a rough look to him.
“And this is his brother, Cannor Gilsbane,” she gestured at the smaller, twitchy one that held the same graying hair as his brother.
“They are going to travel with us until we get to Folos,” she finished.
Aldrin nodded in greeting to them, but each of them never took their eyes off of him, like a prey would a predator. It irked Aldrin as that would be something he would hope to fix, as he wasn’t going to eat them.
“I’m assuming they know, judging from the way they keep looking at me,” Aldrin attempted to joke.
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“They do and with assurances from me, will not be a problem now or in the future, my Vyncari,” Evie said, folding her arms, showing off her runic Giant tattoos.
“Well glad that’s settled, because it’s been an eventful day and I’m tired!” Jared interrupted.
“I’ll take the first watch then,” Aldrin volunteered, which garnered no complaints except from Cannor, who didn’t trust a fiendish bloodsucking demon to watch over him.
Nevertheless, after a stern talking from Evie, Cannor relented and went to sleep as best he could. Eddock dozed off without a problem, much to the dismay of his brother, who tossed and turned the rest of the time Aldrin kept watch. Jared awoke first to relieve him, pointing in the direction deeper within them to where he stashed the carriage and horses. Thankful for the quick thinking, he clapped Jared on the shoulder and trudged to the carriage and clamoring in to get some much needed rest. He knew he didn’t need to rest or if his body would even allow him anymore, but like Jared had pointed out earlier, the events of the night took a mental toll on him.
“The Legions await you,
Your Kin awaits you,
Conquests await you,
Come to us,
Awake thee Sire of Sires,”
Aldrin jolted awake in the moving carriage. He peeked out the curtained window, only to be met with the rude brightness of the sun. Letting out a hiss, he heard a scuffle behind him, whipping around with his fangs and talons ready to rip into the intruder of his domain. Instantly he relaxed as Eddock briefly nodded to him and Cannor was hyperventilating in the corner, pushing himself as far back as he could go.
“Sorry about that,” Aldrin waved them off, making Cannor pass out. Eddock briefly looked at Cannor, then rolled his eyes and went back to resting.
“Is he always that twitchy?” Aldrin asked.
“Been that way his whole life,” Eddock gruffly replied.
Aldrin looked between the two, wondering if he would have had the same relationship with his own brother. There was a knock and soon the slit of where the driver's seat was opened, allowing Pierre to see in.
“You’re up. Good. We might have a slight problem.” Pierre said.
“What’s the problem?”
“Refugees.”
“Oh.”
Aldrin braced himself to face the sun again and pushed aside the curtain to glance out the window to see them passing groups of battered refugees. He grimaced, as the only place these people could have come from was Lor-Vold. A pang of guilt rummaged through Aldrin before being stamped down by the Vampire within him.
He wondered if any of the walking refugees would be brave enough to try to take the carriage and if they would, would he need to expose his true nature. Even if he could, he was weaker than most, with the sun still up. However, it was just going to have to be a chance he was willing to take and to put his trust in the people he was currently traveling with.
Closing the curtain again, “Has anyone tried anything?” Aldrin called to Pierre.
“Not yet but Jared has noted a few began to try to keep pace with us as we rolled by,” Pierre informed.
“Surely they would be no match for a Vyncari of your stature? To think one has achieved to walk during the daylight. How far your kind has evolved.” Evie joined, slightly beaming at the praise she had given.
“Technically, I am the first,” Aldrin conveyed.
Evie’s thick blonde eyebrows bunched together, “The first to walk among the day? That is even better!”
“No. I am the First of Vampires,” Aldrin corrected.
Evie’s mouth hung open at the revelation. “How? Vampires have been around for thousands of years, and nobody has seemed to find their origin. Only speculation about how they are made.”
“How were you made?” she asked once she collected her thoughts.
“A sacrificial ritual of my adventuring party and a host of demon witches.”
“So you were not born but made still?” Evie asked.
“Yes.”
“My clan will want to meet you then,” Evie pondered as she began to mutter thoughts to herself.
Leaving Evie to deal with her thoughts, Aldrin focused back on Pierre. “They’ll probably wait to attack us once we are far enough from stragglers, but also far enough from another pocket of refugees,” Pierre said.
“Hopefully it will happen during the night so I can be of some use,” Aldrin chuckled to himself.
“Some of us would like to level up! Thank you!” Jared chimed in.
“I guess I’m the emergency back-up plan then?” Aldrin joked.
“Yes.” Jared firmly said.
Pierre shrugged his shoulders and closed the slit, letting the bumpiness of the carriage ring through the cabin. Aldrin’s alerts blinked in the corner of his vision, signaling a mounting of messages he had to go through. Finding now the perfect time to look through them all, he began his mental trek.
COMPLETED QUEST:
Rouse the Horde!
As a member of the Undead Race, and a powerful one at that, this Zombie Horde wishes for your aid in freeing their kin.
Reward: 3 Skill Points
Secret Objective I Completed: You have killed two birds with one stone! By rooting out part of the city’s corruption with its deals with Slavers and by unearthing their secret tunnel, you have given fresh bodies to further bolster their ranks!
Reward: Bonus EXP
Secret Objective II Completed: Finding and helping the captive Vampires has given the Horde a boost to their morale, igniting their fury even further!
Reward: Bonus EXP
Siege of Lor-Vold: Claim victory over the city of Lor-Vold to deal a crushing blow in the race to dominate Grenora. Reward: 4 Skill Points
NOTICE:
6 Levels gained in Race and Class
3 Levels gained in Profession
Total Skill Points Earned from Levels and Quests: 64
“Time for the fun stuff,” Aldrin grinned when he looked at the accumulated Skill Points he had at his disposal now. He would wait until night to feel the full effect of the changes within him. That left him to go over his current Quests he needed to see.
ONGOING QUEST
Return of the Night(Tier 6): Stumbling blindly through your first steps into Vampirism, you have done well and now with the clues all pointing towards the Forbidden Continent your purpose shall be revealed along with the rest of the Progenitors. Reach Level 30 in Race and Class before venturing there.
Reward: Tier 3 Skills and Class
Quest: Vampire Magics: Find a trainer for your specialization as a Vampire!
Reward: Level 5 Skill Unlock
Find a cure for vampirism: You have awoken to a new stage of your life, well un-life to be exact. However, you have hope to rid yourself of a disease you fight so hard to eradicate. Reward: ???
Update: Embrace Vampirism: With the finality of no cure and with the acceptance that came with it. You have achieved a balance with your inner beast. However, that does not mean to let your guard down as the beast lurks beneath still.
Vow of Vengeance: You have sworn justice for those affected by mad experimentation! Right the wrongs so that they may find peace, young Vampire!
Current Target: Puppeteer of Flesh
Reward: ???
Find your Kin: You have been given hints that you may not be the only one of your kind that controls their nature! Seek them out and you will gain what you desire the most!
Reward: ???
Fate of Grenora: You are among the 11 other Progenitors that now stir their banners for war to battle for the ownership of Grenora. Will you win through Conquest, Diplomacy, or Trade?
Reward: Grenora
Realizing that some of the Quests were out of his grasp now, he at least had a better understanding of where he was headed for the time being.