Over the mountains, the sun rose, the bright curve of it stabbing the land in shades of gold. With his heart threatening to leap from his chest, Darian turned to flee. But the undead wolves had other plans.
They charged at him, the one on the far left falling to the ground as it and Zan tore into each other. The first to reach him bit down on his leg, its rotten teeth piercing deep. Darian hacked at it with his sword, but his fear of the sun consumed his mind. Another streak spread across the grass, the edge touching Darian’s arm.
The flesh on his arm burned away in the light, sizzling and swelling with blisters. He cried out in pain as he fell backwards, the undead monster still clamped to his leg. An arrow struck its head, but it bounced off the exposed bone. It was dragging him back, the sun dangerously close. But as he watched, the sun touching the monster writhed in solid shadow and its bite loosened. The sun is making them weaker. Finding a moment of clarity, Darian hacked at the beast with [Determined Strike] and then gripped its face delivering [Shocking Grasp] each time it came off cooldown.
The two of them stayed like that, locked together until eventually the beast’s HP ran out and it crumbled to dust. Zan had killed one, but he was bleeding from a deep wound on his neck. The third lay dead in the cave mouth, the place where its head used to be sizzling from arcane fire. We made it. But as he sprang to his feet, the sun fully emerged from the mountains.
It covered his legs first, searing away his flesh. Luckily, Darian’s fear won out over the pain, and he sprang to his feet, the cave mouth right ahead. As he advanced, the light touched his shoulder, then his back. But he ignored the burning and dove into the cave, rolling to the back just as the pain overwhelmed him.
He reached to his satchel for a potion, but his fingers were covered in bleeding blisters, his fingers not listening to his commands.
“By Argus,” Carver said, crouching by Darian’s side. “Here.” He brought the greater healing potion up to Darian’s mouth.
The cool liquid within took some of the pain away, but his body still screamed in agony. “Thank you,” he mumbled, watching as Zan collapsed outside.
“He’s been poisoned,” Fria said, her back to the wall. Blood ran freely from her wounded arm, a bow resting in her lap. “He needs help.”
Darian tried to move but Zan was fully consumed by the sun now. And no matter how hard he tried, the light burned at his strength until his eye lids fell and all became darkness.
***
----------------------------------------
Enemies Defeated
[Skeleton Lv. 1]
[Skeleton Lv. 2] x2
[Flesh Hound Lv. 6]
Class XP Gained: 27
Progress to Class Lv. 4 (61/75)
----------------------------------------
The notification stirred Darian awake. He groaned, his body stinging all over. Bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, Carver’s fur coat and Darian’s cloak laying by his feet. Zan was beside him, his neck wrapped in the same foul-smelling wrapping. Darian reached out to the wolf who jumped as he touched him. But then his tail began wagging and he gave Darian a lick across the cheek.
“Happy to see you’re okay.” He spotted Fria laid out not far down from him. She was asleep, her soft breathing the only sound within the cave. “Never thought this little hole in the ground would become so popular.” He rose, peering into the darkness outside. “Where is Carver?”
Darian and Zan limped their way outside, Zan taking a stop to refresh at the pond. He looked about but could see no signs of the young archer. He was about to call out when his stomach grumbled. But I’m really in no mood to go hunting. Zan perked up at the sound and then trotted off into the forest. He returned not long after with a rabbit in his jaws. He laid the dead animal at Darian’s feet and nudged it toward him with his nose.
“For me?” Darian said with a smile. He rubbed Zan between the ears, noting that his bandage had new stains down the middle. “But don’t hurt yourself for my sake. I’ll be fine.” He snatched up the rabbit and squatted in the bushes. When he was done draining it, he tossed the leftovers to Zan, the wolf greedily devouring them.
“Where is Carver?” a soft voice said as Darian returned to the cave.
Fria was sitting up, her bright red hair sitting like a mop atop her head. Her wounds had healed some, and her fresh bandages kept the smell of her blood muted.
“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I got up.” Darian sat across from the girl, her eyes trained on him.
They sat in silence for a while, Zan chewing on some bones outside. Then she leaned forward, her brows drawn down. “What are you?”
Something like a drop of ice ran down Darian’s spine and he sat up, shoulders tensing. “What do you mean?”
She studied his features, her eyes drawn to his mouth. “Carver said you’re an elf suffering from a curse, but my father made many friends in his travels. He told me all about fey, dwarves, and elves. And you are none of those things.” She cocked an eyebrow. “And I saw them.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Darian's heart thumped. “Saw what?”
“Your fangs.”
The world slowed. She saw them? Then he remembered when he carried her, how he leaned down ready to sink his fangs into her throat. He thought she was too delirious to remember, in too much pain to realize the danger she was in. Darian sat back, his whole body growing numb.
“So, what are you?” She asked again, but there was no malice in her voice. “I don’t know much about demons, but you’re certainly not one of those since you’ve already told a lie. And if you’re some kind of undead, you’re a rare one. I read all the books Father brought from the north, and not one mentioned something like you.”
“I’m just a person,” Darian managed to get out. “Same as everyone else.”
“One that burns in the sun? One who has fangs in his mouth?” She huffed as she leaned back. “And I saw you there, in the forest over my father’s body.”
“I didn’t do that to him.” Darian set his jaw, determined to defend himself.
“I know you didn’t. But I saw that look in your eyes. Like a starving bear.” She brought her knees close to her chest, her hands cupping together for warmth. “But you carried me all the way here, protected me when you had no reason to. And for that, I offer my thanks.”
Darian’s body relaxed, his mind calming. “I only did what I felt was right.”
She smiled, brushing hair away from her freckled cheeks. “Still, I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you. But I’m not as dense as Carver. Honestly, most people aren’t. So, lying about whatever you are won’t cut it from here on out.” She leaned forward, something frantic in her eyes. “So I’ll ask again, what are you?”
Darian didn’t know what to say. But he was already tired of lying and pretending, of sneaking away to find a meal. So he decided to tell the truth. “I’m a vampire.” Saying it lifted an immense weight from Darian’s shoulders, and tension he’d been carrying in his chest since his first night faded away. But Fria just stared at him.
“A what?”
Guess she hasn’t heard of one either. “I’m something like a half undead. I don’t breathe and I need fresh blood to survive. The sun burns my skin, but I can see in the dark. I do have fangs, but no claws or anything.”
“Huh,” she said. “Never heard of anyone like that. But your need to drink blood would probably get you labeled a monster by the Church of Argus.”
“A monster?”
She nodded. “The church is the real power in Lonelen. They decide what’s a monster and what’s not. Orcs, goblins, some types of fey. They’re all deemed monsters by the church.” She shook her head. “But I’m not like them, don’t worry. And while Carver can be a bit of an Argus fanatic, I doubt he would label you a monster.”
“But what happens if the church labels something a monster?” Darian asked, nervously fidgeting with his hands.
“Monsters are legal to hunt and exterminate.” Her words carried bitterness, but not for the monsters. “Adventurers and Justicars would have a right to kill you, even if you ended up being harmless.” She glared into the distance, an old memory playing in her mind. “My father had a friend who was half demon. But being half human didn’t stop the Justicars from hanging him.”
Darian let his eyes drift to the floor. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s just the way things are around here.” She nudged him with her boot. “But you probably won’t be safe if you stay in Lonelen. I don’t know where you’re from, but you’d have better luck in a place like Vizzera or the Fey Lands. I’d feel bad if my savior ended up getting killed by some Justicars just because of what he eats.”
“Thank you,” Darian said and meaning it. “But I don’t know where those places are.”
She rested her head on the cave wall. “If Father were still here, he’d be more help.” She reached up and wiped away a tear. “Sorry,” she said with a sniffle.
“It’s fine,” Darian said. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
“But I have to be strong, at least until I get home.” She forced a weak smile. “I’m sure Carver will want to search for the others, but we’ll need to be headed home before winter hits. The pass will freeze over if we take too long.”
“What about your mission here?” While part of Darian hated to admit it, he could use help destroying the Nether Gates. If they left, it would be up to him alone and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough.
“Abandoned if the survivors are smart. Without Father to guide us, the Justicars will have no direction. They’re used to cities of steel and stone, not roughing it in the forest.” She sighed. “But they’re fanatical in their devotion to the fallen God. If any of them live, I’m sure they’ll want to press on.”
“Fallen god?”
She nodded. “Argus, lord of the sun and all that. He died fighting the Demon God Axelon some years ago.”
Darian hadn’t been sure if the gods mentioned up to this point were real or more like concepts. While he believed in God in his old life, he wasn’t exactly what some would could call religious. “So the Gods here, they fight each other?”
“Sometimes,” She replied. “There was a big battle that happened when I was real little. That’s when Argus and Talmier died. Now the only God of humanity left is Ofnia, but I’ve heard from Father’s old adventuring buddies that no one’s seen her in years.”
Darian let the information tumble around in his head. “But the church still has that much power?”
“Father said people need it to keep from panicking. I just think they’re all a little soft in the head.” She glanced outside. “But enough talking. We should start searching for Carver, provided the coward hasn’t left us.”
Darian wanted to ask her what she meant, but he decided to leave it for now. “Stay here and rest, I’ll go out and look for him.” He tapped next to is eye. “Vampiric night vision.” God that came out way goofier than I intended.
But she laughed. “Fine, have it your way.” She relaxed, her legs stretched out.
He stood there a moment looking at her. He could tell she was doing her best to hold it together, but she seemed on the edge of breaking into tears. But there wasn't anything he could do to help, and so he walked into the night, pausing as he reached the pond. Now, where did he go? There was a bit of excitement in his steps. I’m going to tell him the truth of what I am. He felt such a rush of relief when he told Fria, he almost couldn’t wait to tell someone else.
There was a rustling from the other end of the pond and Carver emerged. His face was sweat smeared, but he smiled when he saw Darian.
“I was just heading out to look for you,” Darian said with a wave. “I have something I need to tell you.”
But then the bushes behind Carver shifted and a man with a mace and shield emerged, the symbol of a golden sun on his metal breastplate. “I found one,” Carver huffed. “One of the Justicars has returned to us.”