I took the hint and left. Running down the steps as fast as I could I saw my lord Gregor get pushed back. He and the few remaining swordsmen with him withdrew into the keep itself. I couldn’t get passed the Black Cloaks filling the courtyard so I ran through one of the side passages, barring it behind be after shutting it.

I ran to the main hall to find my lord Gregor sitting at the table panting as four warriors barricaded the door. A slow methodic crack told me they were already trying to breach it.

He looked up and saw me, “Ah, Lord Fredrick.” Even now, my pride swelled to hear him call me that, “I fear our fort has fallen. I don’t know the fates of our brothers and it won’t be long before they breach that door.”

The swordsmen finished the barricade and sat trying to catch their breaths.

I came and sat next to him, “I saw them, my lord. Lord Brick was still holding the front wall, Lord Riggins was making them pay in blood for every inch they took, and Lord Vonspire..” I trailed off trying to find the right words.

My lord Gregor cut in, “Drank and revealed his true self. I heard it.”

“My lord… how?” I asked.

He sighed, “This is a secret that only we knights, and the secluded people of Hearthrock share. But I suppose under the circumstances there is no harm in telling the truth in this company.” He glanced at the men he knew would be dead by morning, “Lord Vonspire is, in fact, a full fledged vampire. After centuries of living he had a sort of midlife crisis, if he has a midlife to begin with.” He smiled.

“He came to the founder of our Order and begged for admittance. He was honest and truthful and showed genuine regret for what he was. He dedicated himself to our Lady and was, in turn, accepted into the Order. I know many think very poorly of vampires, and rightly so, but Lord Vonspire is one of the best people I have ever known. He never forced his feeding on anyone, nor did he enthrall. He simply asked and many from his town offered. He was a good man and I truly hope he survives this.”

Another boom echoes through the hall. It wouldn’t be long, now.

A thought crossed my mind, “My lord. What about the cellar? We can use it as a choke point and they would lose the advantage of numbers.”

My lord Gregor nodded slowly, “That could work. And if need be, we can use the secret tunnel to escape and maybe regroup.”

Another boom and the door cracked. Everyone jumped to their feet and Lord Gregor rushed to usher us all to the cellar. We gathered in the main room of the cellar and listened. I had barred the door to the narrow steps and joined them as they prayed to our Lady.

Then the booming rang from the door. It didn’t take long for them to find it. This was it. Two knights and four swordsmen against an army. We outmatched them, but they far outnumbered us.

The door blew out and fell off the steps to the floor. Several Black Cloaks rushed down the steps and due to some bad roll of the dice of luck, one of them tripped and fired his loaded crossbow. The bolt struck the Black Cloak in front of him who then fell from the top of the steps, landing on the floor in a heap. This garnered a chuckle from our men before they rushed to clash with them.

The fight immediately because hectic. Lord Gregor was cutting down Black Cloaks but we were already losing our fighters. A familiar figure appeared in the doorway. The scrawny figure of a man in black leather armor with a boot length black cloak.

Xard spread his hands wide as he descended slowly with his two bodyguards behind him, “My Lord Gregor! Chapter master of Fort Prosper and Protector of Faunburg! Hero of blah blah blah!” He stopped to laugh, “As if any of those silly titles mean anything now.”

He stopped midway down the steps and the fighting died down. Two Black Cloaks remained at the base of the steps but it was now only Lord Gregor and I.

“Titles. They won’t save you, Gregor. They won’t protect your precious ‘Lady’ from disappearing into obscurity like the rest of her kind. There is only one, now, worthy of our worship and adoration. Our stupendous king Draxis!”

Lord Gregor kept an even but powerful tone, “Your King Draxis is worth no more than the detritus I dump from my chamber pot after a long night of heavy drinking!”

We both laughed aloud as Xard nearly frothed with rage, “I told you that you would regret your decision, Gregor! I told you! Now the debt for your insolence must be paid and I have come to collect!”

He produced a rapier from under his cloak and continued down the steps. A boom shook the room and dust fell from the ceiling.

“You see? Even now we are tearing down your fort. It will be nothing but a pile of rubble come sunrise.” An evil grin played across his face.

“They’re going to tear it down with you in it?!” I shouted.

He gave me a exasperated look, “No, you ignorant moron. I won’t be here long enough for that. You two will be dead and I will be up there overseeing it.”

“Then come, you coward. Face me like the man you wish you were!” Lord Gregor snarled.

Xard gestured and his bodyguards leapt from the stairs to starting coming towards me. He and the other two Black Cloaks charged Lord Gregor.

These were Xard's personal guards, Zoran and Blox. One had a sword and the other wielded as sword and a mace.

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I dodged low to the left as one swung down on me. I angled my sword towards the man and thrust my blade deep into his gut. I twisted and pulled the blade out but not before the other one got a hit on me. His sword bounced off my pauldron but he recovered quickly, striking my sword with his.

I tried the same move, this time to my right, but he saw it coming, spinning around my thrust and swinging down hard on my back with a mace in his other hand. I felt the heavy weapon smash down on the armor plate on my back. The metal dented inwards, cracking a few ribs.

I fell to the ground but rolled in time to deflect a downward thrust from his sword. It wasn’t good enough, though. I yelled in pain as the blade that was bound for my heart stabbed into my shoulder instead, just between my chest plate and my pauldron, pinning me to the ground. I tried to wiggle free but every movement sent fire through my body.

The Black Cloak tried kicking my sword from my hand. I gritted my teeth, rolled my feet up under his gut and pushed with all I could muster. He fell back, pulling his sword out in the process. It really hurt.

He came back and I blocked and parried the next few strikes but I was losing blood and strength. Another boom shook the room and this time a few pieces of the ceiling began to tumble down.

I had him on the back foot and was about to deliver a finishing blow when a bolt buried itself in my side just under my upraised arm. I winced and looked to see Xard holding a small one handed crossbow. A wicked smile laid across his face but he was staring at Lord Gregor, not me.

I heard my lord yell, “No! You spineless worm!”

“Don’t lose your head, Gregor.” He replied with a tone dripping in arrogance.

His arrogance failed him, though. His taunt was meant to unhinge Lord Gregor but instead it reminded him to keep a level head. I saw the renewed determination on my lords face as he doubled his efforts.

The Black Cloak I was fighting took advantage of my now heavily wounded state. He had nicked me a few more times in the fight and I was now bleeding from several places. I glanced to see Lord Gregor cut down the last of Black Cloaks fighting him. The growing concern on Xard’s face made me smile, despite my current situation.

My glance was a queue for the one I was fighting to advance again. He twisted his arm and spun his sword in different directions, pushing me back as I tried to defend myself.

There was another boom and stones began to fall from the ceiling in larger quantities. I was in the doorway of one of the storage rooms when a small stone bounced off my helmet, causing me to flinch. The small distraction was all the Black Cloak needed to smash his mace into my chest, denting my cuirass into my ribs. As I reeled back from the blow, he ran his sword up under my cuirass into my gut. I was in shock and a large amount of pain when several large stones fell from the ceiling and smashed the wielder of the sword, burying him under a mound of rubble. I fell back into the storage room as the door became a wall of loose stone.

I heard another yell from Lord Gregor, only muffled this time. I struggled to stand as I went to the cave-in and tried what I could to get through it. I moved a few stones before the pain became too much for me. I managed a small hole so I leaned against it and peered in. All I could do was watch as Lord Gregor and Xard fought.

He had a bolt in his shoulder just under his pauldron and several new scars in his silver armor. Xard didn’t look much better as he bled from several cuts.

Lord Gregor was exhausted. He swung and Xard rolled around it to jab at him once more with his rapier. It didn’t go in very far, but the tip did pierce his shoulder, drawing more blood.

Lord Gregor fell to one knee, struggling to keep hold of his sword. I wanted to shout out to encourage him, but I had become too weak.

Xard stood there panting, trying to speak between breaths, “So… it looks as though… your finally finished…” he held his rapier up, ready to stab down on Lord Gregor, “I promise…. This will hurt..”

Lord Gregor calmed his breathing, took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, looking somewhat revitalized. I had only seen him use this trick once before. He called it his “second wind”.

He spun his sword up, knocking the rapier aside, and punched Xard in the gut. He raged and tried to stab Lord Gregor who caught the blade under his arm and gripped the hilt. Xard couldn’t pull the blade out nor did he have the strength to move it in any other direction.

He looked at Lord Gregor with frustration, “How?!”

It was all he got out before Lord Gregor used his other gauntleted fist to start punching Xard in the face, over and over. Blood was streaming down his broken face and he finally let go of the rapier to stumble back, dazed and unsteady.

“You,” he spat blood and teeth, “Are a cur! A whoreson! A..”

Lord Gregor cut him off with a swing of his sword. Xard stared at him for a second before his head fell from his shoulders.

Another boom shook the room. Lord Gregor turned to face the statue of our Lady, completely exhausted, and fell to his knees. He dropped his sword and slumped slightly. I could hear the faint sounds of him murmuring a prayer. I thought this would be the last thing I saw when the whole room seemed to light up. Lord Gregor slowly looked up and his eyes went wide as our Lady descended from the statue.

In a voice that was as sweet as honey she spoke, “My dear Gregor. I hear you. You have served me well in your lifetime.”

Lord Gregor tried to bow but he winced in pain. Our Lady looked like she wanted to reach down and cradle him.

With sadness on her face and sorrow in her voice she continued, “Oh, Gregor. I wish I could heal you. There are too few who even know my name now. My power is waning… I am fading. I feel… tired. I came to you because with what strength I have left, I wish to save you. To preserve your life, and thus… preserve myself.” She closed her eyes.

A tear fell from her eye and landed in the palm of her outstretched hand, “This, my dear Gregor, will keep you alive until someone finds you. It will mend some of your hurt but it can not heal your more grievous wounds. It will wholly preserve you until you are released again.” She looked away from him as she stifled more tears, “I don’t know when that will be. Or if I will still be here when you return. Please, my child, remember me. Remember my name and perhaps I will never truly fade away.”

The tear fell from her hand onto Lord Gregors outstretched hand and quickly grew into large crystals. His expression went from shock to acceptance as they enveloped his entire body. As it reached his head she spoke once more.

“Fare well, my dear sweet Gregor. Remember me. Remember that I have always loved you. Fare well.” Then she faded away and the room grew dark again.

Lord Gregor was now encased in a large crystal structure.

After a few seconds, I remembered my pain. I looked down and saw that I now stood in a pool of my own blood. I didn’t know what to do. I had no potions or healing magic. I quickly unclasped my chest piece and let it fall to the ground. That hurt almost as much as my wounds did.

First, I broke the bolt under my arm. If I survive this, I'll pull the rest out later. Then I took a knight from my boot and started cutting bits of my gambeson to try and wrap and cover some of my cuts. I had nothing clean to work with and my hands began to shake. I removed my gloves and saw how pale I had become. I continued patching myself up and actually managed to stop most of the bleeding. I would live a little longer, at least.

I looked up and relief hit me as I saw the door to the secret passage. I stumbled to the door and opened it. Relief left me as quickly as it came when I looked and saw nothing but a caved in tunnel. I closed the door and slumped back against the wall. Dread began to cover me.