~Sanguine Lord~
We were cresting a hill when there was a bright burst of light several yards away. Upon glancing that way, I saw a gang of Gnolls were accosting several Dwarves. Both sides had taken casualties and it looked as though that flashbang was a last ditch effort judging by the cackling shaman. According to Asha during our watch, one could identify a shaman because it then raised its staff and released a Flames of Decay hex.
Hexes were debilitating spells that are bound to a talisman. Upon destruction of the talisman, the spell is then released and can be directed by the caster. Nasty stuff. What was surprising was the fact that the Gnolls were using their former competition, the hillock manticores, as mounts.
I shouted, “We need to hurry. You four, you will drag the Dwarves that cannot move to safety, but do not approach that fire while it is still burning. Asha, you will help me take care of the Gnolls. Focus on any dwarves in immediate danger then get the manticores. I’ll get the shaman.” Without waiting for confirmation, I blasted forward.
The closest Dwarf to me was a female dwarf that had just taken a blow to the head. Thankfully, the shaman dismissed the flames as it was consuming their food and loot.
I arrived in the nick of time. The Gnoll that wasn’t rolling around grabbing its crotch had raised its spear, reading to impale the Dwarf. However, it didn’t expect me to leap over the prone Dwarf and deliver a sternum cracking kick to its chest. It tumbled a couple of feet away and I glanced at the Dwarf with a grin. I didn’t see any immediate damage besides however bad the blow to her skull was, I asked, “You alright? My friends will pull you to safety. Sit tight. Asha and I will take care of these Gnolls.” I gave her a nod and turned back to the Gnoll who stood gasping and hacking. It was clenching its likely cracked ribs and glaring at me. It snarled at me and prepared to charge me. I leaned slightly to look past it at the shaman who was staring me down.
The shaman said something to his remaining manticore riders and they turned to focus on Asha who was currently dancing around the Gnolls, using her blade to paint the area with Gnoll blood. Thankfully, it was a shaman and not a witch doctor. The matriarchs of Gnoll clans were way more dangerous. Their curses were formidable. Asha made it clear that if we spot one, we run.
The Gnoll took exception to me ignoring it and it charged. I grinned and stood firm. I braced myself, but otherwise didn’t act. The spear made contact with my chest and the grin of triumph flickered to shocked confusion as the weapon shattered against the armor I had only summoned over my chest. I then shifted to blood and flowed behind it. I landed on its back, my Sanguis Sectam fully manifested. My clawed gauntlets wrapped around its neck and I clawed out its throat. I kicked off its back and dissolved into blood. I flew towards the shaman and reformed after about four feet. It’s a shame that doesn’t last longer.
The shaman was about five feet from me. Its manticore was a beast. It had a gruesome scar running down its right eye, the socket completely scarred over. Its malice filled left eye glowered at me with a fiery orange iris. I met its gaze and it looked away. It took a half step back and snarled in fear. In broken Verum the shaman asked, “You look like Man-flesh. Have ears of Stick-flesh. Reek of something new. Not Man-flesh, not Stick-flesh. Smell dangerous. Render scared, what are you?”
“Something that I’ll explain to those Dwarves. You won’t live, so I won’t waste breath explaining twice.”
“My magic strong. Many hex, powerful hex. Maybe kill Danger. Will kill Danger friends.” He said, gripping his staff tighter.
“Perhaps, but that only matters if you can cast faster than I can rip out your heart.” We glared at each other for several heartbeats, neither moving, neither taking their gaze from each other. As fast as it could, it ripped a bone amulet from its neck and tried to shatter it in his powerful jaws.
Unfortunately for it, the second his muscles twitched, I leapt at it. I shifted to blood to carry me through the barrage of spikes his manticore Render launched at me. I reformed in the air, a few inches away as it raised the amulet to his jaw, I formed a crude spear form with my gauntlets and pierced his bare chest and as I promised, I ripped out his still beating heart. With my other hand, I wrenched the amulet from his grasp, just in case.
The shaman gaped at me in horror before his eyes rolled and he slumped off of Render. The manticore roared at me and swiped at the air with its claws and whipped with its tail without sending spikes towards me. It was a threat display, nothing more. With a burst of my aura, the manticore hissed in terror and fled, the shaman being dragged by his foot that was tangled in the leather straps that it was using as reins.
I gazed around and saw that the Gnolls were slaughtered by Asha along with the remaining manticores. I gave Asha a thumbs up and called out, “Nice work Asha.”
She grinned and replied, “You let the big one get away?”
I shrugged, “It was more important to end the battle. A fight with a manticore that big would have put the Dwarves at more risk.”
I looked around, taking in the battlefield. I grimaced at the two flash-decayed dwarves and muttered a quick fire spell, igniting the corpses. A gruff older Dwarf approached me angrily, “Now I appreciate ya’ saving our asses, but we don’t burn our dead, we return them to the ancestors in stone!”
I smiled sadly. In his anger he had spoken Dwarvish. Asha taught me an advanced form of Soulspeak that can translate incoming languages along with lessons on Dwarvish customs. I gave him the Dwarvish salute of grief, two fist pounds to the heart then touching the knuckles of both hands together in a bow. I then replied, “I apologize and offer my condolences. This shaman used a hex called the Flames of Decay. Not only does it cause its victims to rapidly decay, but it also festers a very nasty and contagious disease. It is best to burn the corpses, your Bishop will understand.”
My proper etiquette took him by surprise and was a bucket of water on his rage. “Ah, well thank ya’ stranger. I also apologize, fer one, it isn’t right to assume that a… human would know of our ways.” He phrased the word human as a question, unsure if that was what I was. “Though, it does appear you do have some knowledge of Dwarvish customs, you are right, we cannot risk a disease. I know Gnoll shamans have some evil tricks in their basket, even if I don’t know ‘em all.” He raised his fist, his arm brought up in a right angle as if about to fist pump. I smiled and copied his gesture, hooking my arm in his and clapping his back with my offhand just as he did mine. It was a traditional Dwarf greeting meant to show you had honor by not stabbing the other in the back.
“I greet you as the Sanguine Lord Victor Gale of Earth.” I said.
“I greet you as Belvin Magrem of Mithra’Vheen. Eh? Earth? Is that the name of that odd city over yonder?” He asked, puzzled.
“No, it is the name of the world that fused together with Veru. The city over there, or rather what’s left of it, is called Nashville. It was located inside Tennessee, a state within the country called the United States of America, a federation of states under a democracy.” I replied.
“Ah, so that’s the name of the world.” He furrowed his bushy brow, “That doesn’t make any kind of sense. Are you messing with me lad? The Bishop said that this world had no mana before it got all tangled up with ours and that humans were the only civilization on the planet. Yet here you are with intimate knowledge of Dwarvish culture, magic, and who knows what else.” He raised his hands in exasperation.
I laughed, “It’s pretty complicated. I’m not sure you would believe me, Belvin. As for my Dwarvish knowledge, my friend Asha is a native to Veru. Come, let me introduce you to my companions. They do not speak any Veru language and will be using Soul Speak. Asha and taught them some basic cantrips.”
The Dwarves and my group gathered together. Several were glaring in grief at the smoldering remains of their fallen, but had heard my explanation to Belvin. I gestured to each person as I announced their names, “I greet you as the Sanguine Lord Victor Gale. This is Asha Qi, Maya, Eliza, her brother James, and Carl. In American culture, they tend not to announce their full names to people they just met so I do not know them.”
Using Soul Speak, Belvin announced, “I greet you as Belvin Malgrem. This is Mira Stonetooth, Govra Mallow, Domna Bogg, Trevna Depthseeker, Kevka Nomtu, Chikro Wyrmbane, and Rue Cragspike. I thank you all for saving us. We were not prepared to face a group that large, let alone a shaman. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that they would be out like a kicked hornets nest after this.” He gestured to the world around us.
“Indeed, that shaman was a powerful spellcaster. It is not easy to cast that hex.” I said.
The Dwarf I had saved, Rue, snorted, “Didn’t stop ya from ripping out his heart before he could utter a single chant.”
I shrugged, “Best way to battle a spellcaster is to kill him before he can cast a spell. You told us you were from Mithra’Vheen. I assume you were scouting the situation?”
Belven nodded, “Aye, mostly we were ta’ check out that city of yer’s. Neshvale ya called it?”
“Nashville.” I corrected.
He sounded it out, “Noshville, righto. Anyhow, we were to see if your people needed help or determine if you were dangerous.” He glanced around at the dead Gnolls and said, “Ta’ us, I mean. No magic and no other races means we couldn’t predict how you would have reacted to a bunch of Dwarves on yer front lawn.”
Eliza spoke, “We definitely need help. We have a group of people holed up in a warehouse, but the rest of the people in the city are pretty scattered and scared. We didn’t have monsters on Earth and now that Midgard is introducing monsters and magic, not to mention making our critical technology and weapons useless, it’s a madhouse down there.”
Rue sounded worried, with a touch of disappointment in her voice, “What do you mean useless?”
Maya responded, “With mana infusing everything, our fuel and the ammunition for our weapons are extremely volatile and much more powerful than before. Activating our vehicles or firing our guns cause them to explode.”
Rue brightened, her voice raising in pitch with excitement, “Guns? What are guns?”
I interrupted, “We will have plenty of conversations when we are safe in the city. That manticore, although it was safest to let it flee, will likely head back to its home. The rest of the Gnolls will likely be heading this way to see what happened to their people. We should be gone before they show up. How far is Mithra’Vheen from here?”
“From here, a bit less than a day if we forgo sleep.”
I nodded, “Then let’s hurry. I know you are all tired, but their manticores can reach us if we rest too much.” Thus, we made a hasty march to Mithra’Vheen. Belvin’s guess was spot on as several hours later, the looming stone city lay before us. Several guards and a few bulky humanoid golems stood guard before the immense gates.
One of the gate guards raised his hand towards the group and spoke in Dwarvish, “Back already Belvin? Who’s that you’ve got with ya?”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Yeah, ran into a bit of trouble with a shaman led gang of Gnolls. We’ve lost two of ours. Thankfully, these blokes stumbled across our sorry asses and helped us out.”
The guard shook his head, “Damn, that’s a story you’ll have to tell over drinks. We’ll raise some Hel in honor of the fallen. Where’s their remains?”
Belvin grimaced, “We had to burn ‘em. Shaman cast a nasty hex that made their remains too dangerous to bring back. We’ve gathered their ashes, though.”
“Their families won’t be too pleased with that.”
“Too right, at least you don’t have to be the one to tell ‘em. But enough of that, I’ll bring these folks to the Bishop and Duke, they’ll want to hear from the humans.”
The guard looked at me, “He a human too?”
I shook my head, “No, I am from Earth, but I am not a human.”
The guard was shocked, “That wasn’t even Soul Speak, that was True Speak. You’re yanking my beard, you cannot be from this other world.”
“It’s complicated, I’ll explain to the Duke.”
The guard shrugged, “Belvin vouches for ya, it’s his head if you act up.”
Belvin rolled his eyes, “Cheers, well hurry and open the gate, I need a bloody bath and a cold one.” The guard chuckled and motioned for the gate to open. Blue runes lit up along the frame of the enormous gate, then two large golems placed their hands on the gate, the outline of their hands glowed blue and they pulled. As if their hands were suctioned to the gate, it followed their movement and opened.
Our group followed Belvin along a large avenue that led to a spacious plaza with the famous Amethyst Cathedral as its focus. I had seen it once as Lucien and it's still as magnificent as back then. At least now I’m not skulking around like a vagabond. As we walked through the city, with Maya and the others gawking like tourists, much to the amusement of the Veru natives. Dwarves stared and muttered at us. They were scared, not so much of us, but of the situation and we were just another aspect of the strange events Midgard found itself in.
Eventually, we found ourselves inside the glittering temple. Cushioned stone pews were packed tight, allowing a couple thousand worshippers to attend service. There were roughly ninety thousand residents of Mithra’Vheen, but the main temple rotated services for the ten divines. There were several smaller chapels dotted throughout the city as well. We were led to the raised floor where the Bishop preached. The old Dwarf was there citing scripture to several scared worshippers.
It didn’t take long for everyone’s attention to fall on us as they realized there were strangers within their city. Humans weren’t too strange a sight in Mithra’Vheen, in fact we had seen a few Verum humans as we walked the streets. However, one look at the group’s clothing was enough to tell we were not natives, with the exception of my robes.
The Bishop finished the passage he was reading before acknowledging us, “Ah, Belvin, you have returned much sooner than expected.” He turned his attention to the audience, “Brothers and sisters, I will turn you over to the skilled reading of Brother Agnar, I must see to our friends here. Belvin, come with me, the Duke is eagerly awaiting your return.”
The Bishop led us up a couple flights of stairs, the glittering purple walls reflecting arcane orbs of light. Maya said, “This is incredible. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
The Bishop cocked a brow at her, not understanding. I chuckled and using I said, “Maya, you forgot to cast Soul Speak.”
Her face flushing a bit she quickly cast the spell and repeated her statement. The Bishop smiled warmly and nodded, “This temple is a blessing and is the pride of our order. Ornock himself grew the crystal that formed the temple, a miracle I wish I could have seen. Alas, it was many millennia before my time.” He led us to a large sitting room that was more like a very ornate conference room.
A large crystal table was in the center with plush chairs surrounding it. There were enough chairs for all of us with some to spare. I sat to the left of the main chair where the Duke would sit. The Bishop took his proper place on the right. A bushy brow was raised towards me, “You appear to know of some Dwarvish customs.”
I nodded, “It’s a long story, but I was originally from Veru before… coming to Earth.”
“Earth, is that the name of the world that fused with Veru?”
Asha replied, “It is indeed. I will go into detail when the Duke arrives. Tell me, is it still Duke Evermore?”
His eyes widened, “No lass, Duke Evermore was nearly five hundred years ago when I was barely out of diapers. It is currently Duke Amelia Armstrong.”
James asked, “Wouldn’t that be Duchess Armstrong or is Amelia a male name for Dwarves?”
I shook my head in the negative, answering for the Bishop, “Dwarves don’t have gendered titles. Just one title for the position.”
“Yes, it is the Soul Speak translating into Duke, as it is the best term that gets across what the title means. It is a level of political power equivalent to the human noble title of Duke.”
James gave a thumbs up and I gasped in horror, “James! Don’t do that, a thumbs up is one of the deadliest insults you can do in Dwarvish culture.” James’s face went sheet white and he started fumbling an apology to the Bishop who looked on in amused puzzlement.
Asha sighed, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, “She’s kidding James. Veru doesn’t even use the thumbs up gesture, it’s no different to pointing up. They’re equivalent gesture is like this.” She made an “L” shape with my thumb, index, and middle finger with my palm facing out. “Just make sure not to point your palm inward. As it looks similar to the Dwarven rune for ‘death’ and can be seen as a death threat. Kind of like running your index across your neck.”
James glared with red cheeks at me while I chuckled mischievously. We made pleasant conversation about Dwarf culture along with critical faux pas to avoid, such as tugging or insulting a Dwarf’s beard. Tugging a beard is a flirtatious act though yanking it hard is a quick way to get in a fist fight. On the other hand, insulting a Dwarf in nearly any other way can be seen as friendly banter, but insulting their beard is a grave insult.
Finally, the Duke arrived. Opened the crystalline doors and was a rather pretty woman. She had a regal and stern countenance but had the hint of laugh lines at the corners of her eyes. Her plump lips were slightly tilted in a permanent smile, but she clearly had the powerful mask of a city leader on at the moment. She wore metal armor over a mithril thread battle dress. Her auburn hair was long but done up in a tight braid. She gazed at our group before her eyes settled on me.
I stood and crossed my arms across my chest and made a slight bow, little more than the tilting of the head. “I greet you as Victor Gale, the Sanguine Lord.” This showed that I respect her position, but that I view my personal power above hers. The fact I was standing instead of kneeling showed that my position was at least equal to hers. This caused her to cock a brow at me in a surprisingly melodic voice she stated, “I greet you as Amelia Armstrong, Duke of Mithra'Vheen. I was under the assumption that our guests were foreign to Veru, yet here is one who is well versed in the courtly etiquette.”
I smiled and replied, “We are, for the most part. Asha is from Veru and has been diligent in the customs and expectations for one of my station. The others and I are native to Earth.”
She sat, thus allowing me to return to my seat. “I see, I was also told that only humans existed on this Earth. Yet looking at you, you seem to have some Elvara blood in you. Based on what you told me, I could understand that; Asha was it dear? That Asha could be half-Elvara, yet you...” she trailed off.
I nodded, “Indeed. Asha and I are not human. We are what is known here as Vampires. Vampir Noblesse to be specific.”
She glanced towards the Bishop and he nodded, the fatherly warmth vanishing as the glare of a seasoned veteran focused on me. The Bishop then asked, “Can you please explain why there are hints of necromantic power in your aura? Are Vampires some form of undead or necromancer?”
I sighed; I should have known they would have sensed the faint traces of the undead power within me. “Yes and no, it's complicated. We are not like liches or zombies. We are not the dead given life; we are…” I glanced at Asha, “Life given death? We are something in between life and undeath. If I were fully undead, then I would not be able to survive in this holy place, yes?”
The Duke nodded, “Which is why you are not being destroyed and your ashes scattered in the wind. However, necromancers, protective enchantments, and powerful undead could protect you from the passive effects of consecration.”
The others in my group, with the exception of Asha, were getting nervous as the tension in the air grew. I drew the Dwarven rune for “honor” over my heart and said, “I swear that neither I nor my people mean you or yours any harm in any way so long as no harm comes to us. I swear that I am not a necromancer, nor am I part of the Legion. Should falsehood be uttered, so shall my cultivation be shattered, and my honor be wilted to ash.” This was the most serious oath in Dwarven culture. My mana tightened around my core like a noose taut, ready to strangle and break my cultivation should I break my oath.
Both the city leaders let out sighs of relief as the tightness in their posture released. The Duke said, “Thank you for that. Please, tell us more of what being a Vampire entails, are there more of you?”
“Before that, can you return my oath in kind and swear that nothing I say next leaves this room?”
The Bishop and Duke glanced at each other before nodding in unison. The Duke replied, “So long as the information you share does not pose a threat to my people or my city, I will not share the information with any outside of this room without your direct permission. If any falsehood be uttered, so shall my cultivation be shattered, and my honor be wilted to ash.”
The Bishop repeated the oath and I felt both of their mana bind the oath to their core. “Good. Being a Vampire is both a curse and a gift. I will be honest with you since I wish to have a strong relationship with Mithra’Vheen for the sake of my people. In my first life, I was a necromancer known as Lucien Maxwell.”
This caused both of them to gasp in horror and the Bishop to shoot to his feet. I raised a hand to calm them, “I am no longer him, nor a necromancer. In fact, as a Vampire, I cannot use the powers of death nor life. I meant what I said that Vampires are between life and undeath. We can use unattributed mana and most forms of mana, but holy, necromancy, and healing mana are unavailable to us. I cannot raise the dead, nor revive them. There are many legends and myths surrounding Vampires on Earth, some true, some exaggerated, and many false.”
“I am not sure I understand, how did the Necros Tyrant become this Vampire thing? Inquisitor Na’taal says she slew Maxwell centuries ago.” asked the Bishop.
Asha scoffed, “So that bitch lives?”
As if seeing her for the first time the Duke asked, “Ahem, didn’t Lucien Maxwell have a Succubus familiar called Asha?”
Asha grinned and waved coquettishly, “Hello. Not a succubus anymore, though.”
“My friend was soul bound to Lucien and what occurred to my soul reached over our bond to affect her. I am not entirely sure how it happened, but the artifact I created back then along with allowing my soul to reincarnate caused my soul to mutate, to become malleable. One of my previous lives was much more bloodthirsty than Maxwell and the mutable power within, once awakened by Asha upon our reunion, took on the predatory and cruel traits of the man known as Vlad Dracula. Thus, the first Vampire was created. He then spread his curse and raised an army of Vampires before being slain.”
The Bishop paled a touch, “You are being rather transparent with the evils of your previous lives. You are not painting a flattering picture of yourself.”
I chuckled, “Yes, but that is merely so you can see how a being such as I came to be. Each life is separate for the most part, Lucien as you know cared for nothing but his work. Even his most loyal servant and stalwart friend was no more than a tool to him.” I gestured to Asha before continuing, “His mountain of corpses was built so he could climb to his goals. Vlad was a monster, cruelties for the sake of itself. I am Victor, I was raised by a normal human woman, in a normal world, with normal morals. I refuse to let my past selves, or the power foisted on me shape me. I am no more bound by their actions than you are to your twentieth great-forebears.”
The Duke placed her elbows on the table and arched her fingers, “Words are well and good, but it is the hammer blows that shape iron. You tell us that you are not only one of the greatest evils of Veru, but of Earth as well. How are we to trust you?”
I leaned forward, “Three things. First, I request that Maya here,” I gestured to our artificer to be, “be introduced to an artificer so she can pick up some tricks. She will also share knowledge from Earth and act as an ambassador of sorts. Our technology was rendered worse than useless by the mana saturation, and we need someone with knowledge of both artificing and Earth technology for our people to survive. Second, the largest cause of fear is that of the unknown. I will teach you about Vampires and answer any questions I am able, even our weaknesses. Third, I will assist you in dealing with your Gnoll problem in exchange for your friendship with us.”
The Duke thought for a moment before nodding, “That is acceptable as a trial run. I believe there was an artificer on Belvin’s team, so that might be a good place to start on that front. However, I refuse to force any of my people to take you in. If there are none that wish to teach her, then that is that. I will also accept your other two offers. The Gnolls have gotten bad since they domesticated those manticores a few decades ago and this cataclysm has ruined much of our defensive infrastructure outside of the city. I do not even see any watchtowers let alone any of the forts we set up. I pray to the divines that those people are safe.”
“Then let’s get this show on the road, shall we? Maya, you four go with them and introduce yourselves to this artificer of theirs. I suspect it is that woman with the fancy crossbow. I saved her, so hopefully that will help. Afterwards, you all relax in the city while Asha and I discuss how to deal with our Gnoll problem.” They voiced their affirmation and the Duke knocked on the table to signal a servant to enter.
The Duke looked to the guard and gestured to the door, “Lead these Humans to Belvin and have him introduce Maya here to his artificer.”
The Dwarf saluted and bowed before beckoning them to follow. The group followed him out and the door was shut behind them. I stretched and said, “Alright, what info have you got on these Gnolls?”