The path of carnage led to a once-quaint little garden. Neat patches of cushion pinks, lady’s slippers, kingcups, scarlet pimpernels, and trollflowers were tucked between bushes of roses and rhododendrons, and divided by narrow gravel paths. The whole ensemble would have been the epitome of tranquil beauty, were it not for the chaos of battle mercilessly trampling on it.
Cut and broken stems were scattered around, bleeding colorful petals all over the ground. The gravel was dug up and strewn in all directions, mixing into a black-and-white mush with some remnant kernels of hail under the bushes. Craters defaced the walkways, stemming likely from small explosions or bouts of inhuman strength. Chopped branches and foliage lay everywhere, their maimed stumps crowned here and there with strips of cloth or steaming splatters of black, smoking blood. At the very center of the garden where a fine sundial was once erected, three figures stood motionless, eyeing each other.
Neli’s right arm hung weakly alongside her body, her left hand clutching the injured and smoking shoulder, but her fingers never let go of the whip-sword. The breath left her lips in forced hisses, small, almost invisible, puffs of dark vapor rising from the corners of her mouth. The nicks and scratches all over her body and the deep gash on her ribs had slowly stopped bleeding, yet the old Marzbanati knew it was hardly a reason for joy. What was worse, her mind was beginning to slip, her thoughts starting to mix with the ones of those damn monsters. She could feel their hunger and pain, they were now hers too. Even the sense of that one all-mighty being that controlled the kin-vapirs started to seep in like a lullaby that entranced and summoned her.
She didn’t have much time.
A couple of meters away, the two fiends ogled her, their teeth bared in an unnaturally toothy grin. They knew their poison would soon take effect and make the dangerous one just like them. There was glee written all over their twisted faces but also fear - their mangled bodies were throbbing, darkness-oozing proof of how dangerous the snake-sword was. Until the transformation was completed, they had to keep a safe distance. And just when that woman was a step away from turning, they were going to harvest her life force and bring it to their mistress.
A series of loud snaps and rustling feet startled the three. Lifting her gaze, Neli moaned a desperate curse. Those fools!
In a blur of dancing silver flames and snow-like sparks, a young Binshi shaman wedged herself between the monsters. In her hands, two altar lights flew in circles around their silver chains before landing on their stunned targets with the deadliness of war flails. Alas, even though enhanced by the hex, the improvised weapons couldn’t finish the creatures in one go.
Screeching and spewing tar-like blood, the kin-vapirs stumbled to the side. The Binshi girl charged again at the right-most one, foolishly leaving herself open for an attack on the left, which didn’t remain unnoticed by the creature’s companion. Just as it was about to prance, its way was barred by a young man brandishing a golden stave. Swinging and stabbing in a flowing motion, the youth pushed the second monster further away. And each time the stave connected, howls and black miasma rose from the creature.
Through blurring eyes, Neli marveled at the two young warriors who were successfully subduing the kin-vapirs. Her body swayed and she propped a knee on the ground, struggling to fight off the fatigue and the curse. Suddenly, two gentle hands supported her back.
“Now is not the time to give up, Lady Abrahmandar.”
“Li’l… bird…?” Neli slurred, her tongue sluggish and unresponsive. “Why'd you… come back? I’s too dangerous.”
“You've lost some blood, but it isn’t life-threatening.” Lorelei pretended not to hear her question while checking the old Marzbanait’s injuries. “Rish will take care of the curse and you’ll be as good as new.”
“Rish…?” Neli blinked and frowned. “No, Rasha…”
“It’s a long story. Now try and stay still.”
While Lorelei was tearing up some of Neli’s already tattered garments to use as bandages, Rish pushed her kin-vapir to a nearby tree. She succeeded in looping one end of the silver chains of the altar lamps around the neck of the monster while the other found a low-hanging branch. Giving them a mighty pull, she lifted the vapir into the air and began chanting anew. Flailing and shrieking, the creature was soon wrapped in a tight cocoon of glowing silver strands, making it look like a grotesque pine cone.
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Without losing a minute, Rish ran off to join Castor, who had staked his opponent with the golden stave and was now struggling to keep the vapir securely pinned near a rose bush. In a couple of minutes, a second cocoon was rolling on the ground.
Heaving in relief, the two youths shakily approached Lorelei and Neli, their faces - a mixture of exhaustion, pride, and worry. As they came closer, their expressions turned grimmer.
“You were incredible!” Lorelei welcomed them beaming, but their earnest demeanor put a lid on her happiness. “What’s wrong?”
“You didn’t listen. Again! Step away from her, Lorelei.” Rish’s order was dry and cold. Next to her, Castor fixated Neli and golden sparks gleamed in the depths of his eyes.
“She’s injured.”
“And infected.”
“I know.”
“Then you shouldn't have touched her carelessly.” The shaman rolled her eyes. “The curse might infect you too.”
“It already has.” Castor interrupted them with a heavy voice. “I can see the curse seeping into the Duchess' skin.”
“Star-hounds bite me!” moaned Rish and hurriedly pulled Lorelei to the side. “Why didn’t you wait for me as discussed?”
“But I feel fine.” Lorelei smiled apologetically.
“No, you don’t!”
“Actually…” Castor hesitated and squinted further, a bloody tear rolling down from the cornerof his left eye. “Somehow… the miasma entering the Duchess’ body is… disappearing?!”
“What!” Rish’s eyes rounded and her gaze wandered between the youth and her friend. “How…?”
A pained moan brought everyone back to reality. Neli, bent in two, the smoke rising from her wound becoming thicker and more pungent. Tar-like tears began streaming down her cheeks.
“Damn, damn, damn!” Rish released Lorelei. “Both of you, stay back. And I really mean it this time!”
Gently helping the old Marzbanati to the ground, Rish bit the tip of her right thumb until she drew blood. Soon after, Neli’s face and left shoulder were covered in scarlet markings. Kneeling beside her, the young shaman began chanting.
“Mir-Mama, uslisha mna! Dvesh dushesh razdelesh. Dush-mimish ostalish, zol-dushish izlichish, kush-vapira progonish.”
The blood markings began glowing in silver gold, but in the next moment, their light turned black-purple. Neli arched her back and screamed, her fingers clawing and digging deep into the soft, moist soil. Wisp after wisp of dark miasma began streaming out from her body and accumulating in the air right above her. Like a churning storm cloud, the curse twisted and wriggled, trying to escape the invisible net that was binding it.
‘No, not just that. It… is looking. Searching,’ thought Lorelei, observing the whole procedure like in a trance.
At that very moment, the glowing sigils on Neli’s body flickered.
“Chortek te zemat!” screamed Rish and lurched forth to stand in the cloud’s way. Her reaction was a split-second too late.
Time slowed. Lorelei could see the panic in her friend’s eyes as the shaman looked helplessly over her shoulder. She could also feel Castor’s hand digging in her shoulder and hear his muffled words
“Incoming! To the ground!”
But Lorelei ignored the warning. Instead, she took a step forward with open arms, welcoming the black smoke.
“No!”
Two throats tore in a desperate bellow.
The curse slammed into Lorelei’s chest and streamed under her skin. It’s freezing touch made her shiver. But it only lasted for a moment. In a blink, a brilliant light akin to liquid gold streamed through her veins, devouring and extinguishing the darkness without a trace.
Blinking a couple of times, Lorelei patted her chest and coughed. A tiny gray puff flew out of her mouth and dissolved into nothingness.
“Oh, Gods! That was intense,” she remarked hoarsely and giggled.
“L-Lorelei…”
“Duchess?”
She looked around and saw the petrified Rish and Castor, gaping at her like a pair of fish.
Everything be damned. She was tired of hiding and worrying. Come what it may, she didn’t care anymore.
“Let’s see,” she smiled apologetically, ”I believe I owe you an explanation.”