First of Nirakos

Year 1182 of Emancipation

Kane and Adrianna hadn’t stepped foot on Svaletan soil in over a century. It wasn’t that they couldn’t do so; when Falkar had given them their gifts, he had given them the ability to walk in the Arcane planes as well as upon the physical world. For most of that time, though, they had enjoyed the bounties of the Arcane world. They hunted mystical beasts, enjoyed the company of whoever caught their eye, and every few decades they would be sent out to deliver a message or kill some Defiler. There was always some simple-minded fool who pushed against the Arcane’s rule, and they always met the same gruesome fate. As far as they were concerned, this Belkai was no different, except insofar as they had to draw her out instead of simply hunting her down. Still, that was its own sort of fun. They had learned all that they could from Arcane sources and felt that they understood her enough to establish a plan. Delorax had given them an assignment, not a timeframe, and if the twins had any talents, it was in making their victims suffer far beyond the point of begging for death. Belamin had certainly learned that.

If anyone saw the purple haze that announced their arrival, they gave no sign. The twins were on a small hill looking over a humble town named Solstia, about a day and a half’s ride east of Narandir. Beyond the town was the southernmost road leading to the lower regions of the Tios Principality, which served as the main route between the east and west. Kane had spent plenty of time enjoying the pleasures on offer to the weary traveller, though Adrianna had always preferred to visit Lustria. There were hardier folk there, much more to her liking. That made sense, Kane supposed. It was rare that the same person caught both of their eyes.

“It’s quiet here,” Adrianna said, pulling Kane back to the present. “Peaceful.”

There was no wistfulness there, Kane knew. She had as much interest in peace as an ant had in metaphysics. To her, peace was simply the first stage of the hunt. At the height of the Palian Empire they had been in the Emperor’s Guard and even in those days they had built a reputation for brutality. When they aligned themselves with the Arcane, Falkar had simply given them the means to maximise their tendencies – and they lived up to those expectations.

“You’re sure this is the right town?” Kane asked. “This place means nothing.”

Adrianna turned her piercing blue eyes on him. “It is the perfect target. The more serene the town, the more brutal the message. This is only our opening blow, brother. Let the vatriloi have their fun here tonight.”

The vatriloi were a strange breed, long relegated to the pages of myth. Adrianna knew better. Some myths hid realities far more terrifying than the storyteller could imagine. A single vatrilos could destroy a village. A coven could eradicate a kingdom. Such feats, fortunately, were not what the twins had envisioned for the evening. Adrianna straightened her silver dress and began to head down the hill. “Come on, brother. We might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”

There was a marketplace on the outskirts of Solstia, and Adrianna made her way to a fruit cart. Svaleta was said to produce the finest crops on the continent, and she had rarely been disappointed. For all the pleasures of the Arcane, some things were best enjoyed with both feet on the earth.

“What’s good today?” Adrianna asked the stall owner. She was young, probably only twenty or so, and her brown hair hung halfway down her back.

“Take the kyptos,” she replied, and cocked her head. “That’s an unusual accent.”

“I’m from Wexburg,” Adrianna replied. She selected the orange citrus fruit that the girl had indicated and peeled it open. She tasted it and nodded in satisfaction. “This is delicious. How much?”

“Your first is free,” she said. “A half dozen for two silver after that.”

“My brother has our money,” Adrianna said, nodding towards Kane, who was wandering aimlessly. “What’s your name?”

“Shontelle.” She selected a green vegetable and tossed it to Adrianna. “Larinsi. It’s bitter, but it goes well with the right wine. The Buckler in town will select a good one for you.”

“The Buckler?”

Shontelle pointed down the main street and said, “Our tavern. It’s just up on the right. The drinks are good, and the company isn’t so bad this time of day.”

Adrianna liked her thinking, and nodded her thanks before making her way over to Kane.

“Making friends?” he asked, not hiding his mocking grin.

She showed him the vegetable. “It goes well with wine, she says. Give it a try?”

***

Shontelle frowned as the twins headed towards town. There was something off about that woman. Shontelle had met travellers from Wexburg, of course. They weren’t regular, but nor were they overly rare. Whatever her accent was, it wasn’t from Wexburg. It didn’t matter, but something had to help her pass the time. Her father and brother worked hard in the fields, while Shontelle did the selling. It was dull work, enough to drive her half mad. At least the other women had husbands to go home too. Her father kept her too busy and had no interest in even arranging a partner for her. So even that hope of amusement had eluded her. Another day in Solstia, she thought. Another day where nothing ever changed.

***

The fruit seller had told the truth about the larinsi. The barkeep at the tavern crushed it into their drinks, and it burned down their throats, enough so that Adrianna gasped.

“We should have come sooner,” she laughed, and Kane grinned. It was always amusing to visit a town like this, knowing what was in store for it. To watch the locals go about their lives oblivious that it would all end that day. There was nothing more invigorating.

“It will be hours before the sun goes down,” Adrianna noted.

“Delorax knows our plan. The vatrilos don’t need pitch dark, just freedom from the sun.”

Adrianna nodded in understanding. “How long?”

“An hour. Maybe two at most.”

“It’s almost a shame. I could have had some fun here.”

“Another time,” Kane promised. He didn’t enjoy delegating the work anymore than Adrianna, but it was essential for arousing Belkai’s attention. Such was the process, and it was one that he was looking forward to.

***

All that morning there had been no sign of thunderstorms, nor any change in the sunny weather. So it took Shontelle completely by surprise when the sky went black soon after midday. Storms could be quite intense in this part of Svaleta, all the more so when they came so suddenly and without warning.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“We should pack all this up,” one of the other women called out. “This will be a big one.”

“Where’d it come from?” Shontelle asked, but no one could answer. Admittedly, it wasn’t the strangest thing that they had ever seen. It only took a few minutes to cover up her cart, and she hurried to get it back home and under cover. Her brother met her part way.

“Where have you been?” He had a panicked look in his eyes and kept looking around as if he were searching for someone – or some thing.

“At the market. Like always.” Shontelle frowned. “What is going on?”

“We have to move, fast,” he said quietly, and took hold of the cart. He began to run, and Shontelle stayed close behind.

“What is going on?”

“There was something in the fields,” he said. “Father is already at home.”

“What was in the field?” When he didn’t answer, Shontelle repeated louder, “Kiran! What was in the field?”

Kiran shushed her, looking around to see if anyone had heard. “I don’t know. It was almost human, but not quite.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Vatrilos.”

Shontelle stopped in her tracks. Vatriloi, blood drinkers of legend. Vampires, most called them now. The legends said that they were six feet tall, pale skinned, with red eyes that could see through walls. She didn’t know the truth, but if her powerfully built brother was scared, then she knew that they were in real danger.

It took only another minute for them to reach the house and they darted inside, leaving the cart on the road.

“Shontelle!” her father called. “Thank the gods.”

“What did you see, Father?” she asked as he embraced her.

He glanced at his son before answering. “Vatriloi, Shontelle. The demons have come for Solstia.”

“I thought they were a legend.”

Her father was about to answer when they heard a trumpet blast. Emergency, Shontelle recognised. She looked at her brother, who was of age to respond when the trumpet summoned. He was already reaching for his sword.

“Don’t go,” Shontelle said, but he shook his head.

“It is my duty. The town needs me.” He turned his eyes to their father. “Both of you need to stay here. Whatever happens, I will find you when this is over.”

***

Back on their hill, Adriana smiled as the town militia quickly assembled and began moving towards the fields. They were too late. She could see the first of the vampires already inside the village, slipping into a house to carry out their orders. The rest, she knew, were circling the fields, ready to ambush the militia before they could put up any sort of defence. Kane had left to attend to other matters, but Adrianna had insisted on watching. If she wasn’t meant to involve herself in the action yet, she would at least enjoy the fruits of her planning. Besides, she didn’t trust the vatriloi warden to deliver her message. She had chosen that fruit seller, Shontelle, to deliver it. They would herd her out of the town – Adrianna had already marked her. She would take care of the rest.

***

Like the rest of the militia, Kiran hadn’t had time to put on his armour before responding to the trumpet call. He and his father hadn’t been the first to see the creatures, and the rumours had spread like a forest fire before any rational decisions could be made. So the militia was now moving through the fields looking for signs of whatever had been spotted. Kiran was in the middle of the group, which was strung out in a line of twenty men just a few feet apart from each other. It was hardly a military formation, and as they moved though waist-high grass, it sealed their fate.

The first sign of danger came from the right. Kiran heard a crash, and when he turned there was one less man in the line. The old stories said that the vatriloi could turn invisible. Were they right there, ready to strike without ever being seen? There was another crash, another man gone. The man closest to Kiran spun around, raised his sword, and then flipped onto his back out of sight. Kiran dashed over as something moved in the tall grass.

His turn was next. As he came to his fallen comrade, something slammed into his chest and knocked him off his feet. As he fell, he slashed his sword around and felt it cut through something hard. He hit the ground and rolled, coming up to a squat to face his attacker.

It was five foot, with pale skin and bloodshot eyes. He caught a glimpse of leathery wingtips rising above its back as it stood tall and opened its mouth in a gruesome smile. Two fangs extended from its upper jaw, and Kiran’s blood ran cold. He could see where his sword had slashed its chest, but it didn’t look like he’d done any damage.

“Gods protect me,” he whispered, but it was too late as the monster leapt forward and sank its fangs into his throat.

***

Shontelle heard the screams before she could see what was out there. She recognised one of the militiamen as he ran down the road, holding his severed arm as he screamed in terror. Something big flashed through the sky and took hold of him, flying him out of sight.

“Yulen preserve us,” Shontelle whispered, and turned to her father. “Kiran-”

He nodded, his eyes filled with grief. First he had outlived his wife, and now this. “Kiran is most likely gone.”

“We have to wait for him.”

“No!” Her father grabbed her by her shoulders. “If the militia are running, then they failed. We have to escape.”

“If they are vatriloi, they can track us.”

“If they are vatriloi, then steel is useless against them. Unless you have a weapon forged from the heart of the earth? No? Then we leave. This house is suicide.”

As if to punctuate his statement, their neighbour appeared at the window, smacking the glass and yelling,

“Let me in! They’re coming!”

Shontelle was already moving before her father could stop her.

“Bria!” She held out a hand to help the woman through, but she disappeared, pulled out of view by something of immense strength. Shontelle stepped back, eyes fixed on the window as a new figure appeared. The five-foot creature stepped through the window and snarled, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth dominated by the pair of fangs that were dripping with crimson.

“Shontelle! Run!” Her father screamed, breaking her out of her reverie. She spun, following her father out of the door and into the street. Behind her, she heard a snarl as the vampire gave chase.

It was chaos outside. Bria lay sprawled across the street, a vampire kneeling over her with its fangs embedded in her throat. A child ran past them, only to be caught by a winged vatrilos, which carried him out of view.

“Don’t stop moving!”

Shontelle stayed close to her father as he made his way down a narrow alley. Ahead of them, someone was thrown through a window in a shower of glass. As he fell to the ground, a vampire jumped out of the window and landed on top of him, not looking up as it began to feed. Shontelle grabbed her father’s arm and pulled him down a different path, her eyes wide with panic.

***

Adrianna felt her bloodlust rising as she watched the vampires tear through the village. The militia had been pitiful, their weapons and training irrelevant against a force born of Falkar’s own forges. They had been human once. Such bondage had been reserved for the most defiant Palians, who Adrianna and Kane had captured and handed over to the Arcane to be devolved into these beasts, vicious but completely devoid of any true intelligence. It never occurred to her that Delorax saw the twins in the same light – useful but disposable.

She watched as Shontelle reached the edge of the village and called over a single vampire whom she had held in reserve.

“Take the man. Make it slow.”

***

“Keep moving, Father!” Shontelle gasped, her legs weak from fear. “Don’t stop-”

The vampire came out of nowhere. It knocked her to the ground, then seized her father by the throat. Their eyes met, and her father wilted at the sight of the fury and hate in the monster’s eyes. Shontelle tried to rise to her feet, but one wing sprang out and knocked her to the ground with a broken nose.

“Please, no. Yulen save us.”

The vampire’s voice came as a hoarse whisper, as if the very effort to speak was painful. “Yulen is dead.”

It released her father’s throat and held him up by his hair. It took one last glance at Shontelle, then sank its fangs deep.

So much for slowly, Adrianna thought as she came up behind Shontelle. “That was merciful, would you believe?”

Shontelle spun around at the familiar voice, confusion written across her face. Adrianna knelt next to her and held a sword across her knees as she spoke.

“Listen close. Your life is preserved, but only for a purpose. I have a message for you to deliver.” She smiled as Shontelle’s lips moved in a silent prayer. “You pray to Yulen?”

Shontelle nodded, unable to speak. Adrianna laughed.

“Yulen is dead, fruit seller.”

Shontelle managed to gasp, “Impossible.”

“Not all.” Adrianna’s eyes were bright as she spoke. “I put a blade through her face myself.”

She laughed again at the fear on Shontelle’s face. “You have your life for one purpose, Shontelle. You will travel to Narandir and speak to its lord. You will deliver a message for me.”

Shontelle glanced over at the vampire as it dropped her father’s corpse to the ground.

“That’s right, child,” Adrianna said softly. “This is your only chance to live. Now listen close, and take this message to Narandir.”