Arwen slept dreamlessly and awoke feeling rather pleasant. The bed had been thin, but an absolute luxury compared to outdoor sleeping. Once all awake and fed, they immediately bid their farewells to the busy Ava and departed for the journey to Alaru.

“It is a two-day trip again,” Cai informed them, mostly for Arwen’s sake. “So, it’ll be rough sleeping tonight.”

Arwen exhaled deeply. “There are no other travel shelters to rest at? Tell me I’m not the only one tired of this already…”

“Unfortunately not. And, trust me, none of us are happy about it either.”

Deep joy.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Arwen’s ravaged legs were now screaming in agony at their misuse in the past two days and were not taking kindly to continued use today. The beauty of Lliwio Plains was largely lost upon the never-ending expanse of now shin-high grass while each lolling hill to their left looked eerily similar to the other. About halfway through the journey, however, the grass thinned and lowered until it was ankle height and replaced by a darker green hue. It marked good progress, Cai had commented on one of their brief rests, since Continent Garden was what separated Lliwio and Coed’s Forest, where their destination lay wherein.

If the imposing beauty of Loel’s Wrath impressed the Princess, it was Continent Garden’s sublime plant life that offered her insight into an environment thought to be only achievable to Arwen through fairy tale dreams. Giant trees with twisted, almost warped, trunks stretched upwards, culminating in giant plates of leaves filled with colourful birds. Deep green vines complete with hanging yellow-coloured fruits connected each tree, weaving a cloth of interconnectivity between each giant structure. On the glistening grass, various bushes grown in the shape of arches dotted the expanse. Some had flowering plants which were bursting with vibrant colour, complimenting the sunflowers concentrated outside the dark shade cast by the mega-trees. The sun behind them reflected off of the moist plant life, casting a sparkling glare which added to the picturesque dream-like quality of the environment.

“You’d think someone had cultivated all of those plants,” Gwyn commented to the starstruck Princess. “In fact, many old superstitions among the nearby towns and villages claimed some sort of giant used to wander the place, taking care of its beloved plants so that the humans it hated could gaze upon its beauty.”

“I had no such inkling that Continent Garden was so… stunning.” Arwen said. “I have seen paintings and read about it in books, but to see this with my own eyes…”

“It’s paradise…” Eryk was equally amazed.

“If you want a fun-fact,” Gwyn added. “Those trees aren’t technically trees, but giant vines. The ‘trunks’ you see are two vines weaving a spiral upwards towards its ‘branches’.”

“Let’s stop and eat while we are here,” Cai suggested. “It’s about lunch time anyways.”

Dried fruit and plain nuts did not rather appeal to Arwen, but she had no complaints about the scenery. She now understood her father’s desire to protect Cyfoeth at all costs, for the industrial-focused Helvetia would likely see free estate among the natural beauty. What she could not understand was his desire to sully that goal by insisting on this useless treaty with the dying Keep. Her mind turned dark at that thought, so she quickly banished all notion of politics. The water was rationed carefully and food… edible, but there was always the view.

-cut-

Arwen scowled deeply inside her sleeping bag. It was the cold and uneven terrain beneath her that stole her sleep by the Veins, two nights ago, but now it was the conditions of Continent Garden that was sapping at her ability to get comfortable. The Garden turned rather feral at night. The moist air that had been so refreshing during their walk now clung heavy to her skin, making her feel clammy when combined with the sweat she was profusely expunging from her body. Unlike by the Veins, the Garden grew incredibly humid at night and refused to cool one bit. Thankfully, they had settled on a patch of soft grass, which made her arrangements feel infinitely more comfortable, but it also made them prone to any critters that may be wondering around the place. That was why, despite the other’s sleeping atop their unfurled bags instead of within, Arwen remained stubbornly inside. She’d rather be hot than wake up with some unknown insect in her mouth or on her face.

She sighed and rolled over, trying to stretch as much as possible in the narrow cocoon. I hope no dreams will haunt me tonight, she thought. It was the last thing she remembered before, surprisingly, nodding off.

She shouldn’t have tempted fate.

The smiling face returned. His green eyes, once filled with life, were now dead and barren. The smile was fake, displaying rotten teeth crawling with worms and flies. One of Bran’s ears were hanging off, attached only to his head by a thin piece of skin. His once luscious hair was now burnt and singed, with odd tufts sticking out, accentuating the bald patches of dead skin which adorned his skull. The dead Bran fixed his eyes on Arwen, who was stood frozen. Unable to move. Unable to look away. Forced to face the countenance of a man she knew those short years ago.

“I had you in my mind when I died,” Bran told her. “Did you know that, Ari? I might have even screamed your name.”

Arwen wanted to speak, but she was mute in this dream. Her skin was drenched in sweat. A maggot crawled from between Bran’s teeth and begun slithering its way down his cheek. “You moved on so fast from my death. Did you even care? I doubt so, but no matter.”

In a flash, he leaned in deeply until his eyes were mere inches from hers. Arwen felt something crawl up her arm, but couldn’t move or do anything about the horrible feeling. In her peripheral vision, a caterpillar adorned her shoulder. It pulsated in an alien rhythm while making its way towards her neck. She wanted to pull away, to scream for help, but nothing worked. She was utterly helpless. “I look forward to the day you join me here. Will you scream my name as you die? I do hope so, but I eagerly anticipate the pain you’ll feel for abandoning me. The horror you’ll feel as I remind you that even death won’t end your suffering.”

His mouth opened, revealing a mass of unidentifiable… things, slithering and sloshing around behind his teeth. His breath felt hot on her face, but she couldn’t smell it, thankfully. “Would you like that, Ari?”

Arwen woke with a start, sending a butterfly that had found refuge on her cheek skittering into the sky. The early instances of sunlight sent a sharp pain into her eyes, compounding the throbbing headache that pounding inside her head. She was so covered in sweat that her uniform clung to her skin, sending shivers up her body. A small moan escaped her lips and Owen was beside her in an instant, offering her one of his waterskins. “Sit up and drink,” he commanded with an annoyed frown. “You shouldn’t have tried to sleep inside the bag."

“I was worried about bugs,” Arwen’s voice came out hoarse and scratchy. Her throat burned with the effort of speaking. She accepted the waterskin and drank deeply. “Thanks…”

“Cai’s going to be pissed,” Owen warned. “That water is supposed to be rationed, and he seems to have a stick up his ass about preserving resources.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Arwen croaked.

Owen’s visage softened. “Bad dream? You woke with quite a start.”

Arwen’s mind was still all over the place. Pain combined with fatigue made for a potent mix. “Uh… yeah.”

“I get those on occasions. Scary stuff,” Owen shrugged casually. “I’ll leave you to it. We’ll probably leave after you eat.”

The last one up, yet again. Arwen began to stiffly extricate herself from the sleeping bag. Her legs were as sore as she had ever felt, and she genuinely worried they would not support her weight.

-cut-

“Almost at Alaru now.” Cai declared, sending a surge of motivation into the rest of the group.

Arwen felt an unexpected amount of relief. She was still in a lot of pain, and finally arriving at their destination after another full day of walking was almost excruciatingly anticipated. She was at the stage where her legs occasionally gave out, causing her knee to snap forward into a stumble. She recovered with an embarrassed mien and said nothing, for none of the boys ever displayed any form of fatigue or pain. Even the vampire, who she figured would be at least similar to her, was apparently well-travelled and accustomed to poor conditions.

Continent Garden had ended very soon after departing from their overnight resting spot, closing off into the dense Coed’s Forest. Giant trees rose to great heights, casting the road in a perpetual semi-darkness broken only by the dappled light that shone through the maze of leaves above. Dead leaves covered almost every surface, only occasionally disrupted by the rough texture of moss which adorned dead trunks, toppled trees, and rocks. It made for very poor sightseeing, so the group were a lot livelier with chatter than yesterday.

“It occurred to me that I’ve only ever seen you eat human food.” Gwyn observed towards the vampire. “Do you not need blood as part of your diet?”

Eryk, as usual, answered in his polite and detailed manner. “Contrarily to what some will tell you, no, vampires do not need to drink any blood. In fact, blood is hardly a worthwhile substitute for food. Even blood-crazed vampires will eventually have to eat, no matter how strong or hale their bodies are. Drinking blood only serves to empower vampires.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“So, what makes a vampire feed on blood, then?” Cai asked. An innocent question, if his tone wasn’t so accusatory.

“Power,” Eryk shrugged. “It’s a strong temptation by itself. To feel invincible, to feel… better. There is a level of craving that all vampires experience, but most are able to manage with relative ease. Most vampires will, uh, lose their heads, we’ll call it, if in very close proximity to any blood, however.”

Cai’s next words were heated. “So, they do it for kicks, huh? They kill and maim humans just to feel strong?”

“Humans do things for power all the time,” Eryk snapped back uncharacteristically. “Humans are just as capable of vile acts as vampires.”

“Yeah,” Cai scoffed. “The issue is you have too good a tool to abuse.”

“Please,” Eryk suddenly shifted and tried appealed to the indignant knight. “Do not let a few bad apples sully the entire tree. Most vampires are happy to live in symbiosis with humans and do not ever cause concern.”

“But you are not one of them, are you?” Arwen decided to join in. “You have a Helvetian name,” her next words were spoken in Iekean, “you are from Helvetia, yes?”

The vampire’s reddening cheeks signalled his guilt. “I am,” he admitted. “But I beg you, please do not press for details. My past in Helvetia was troubled and I do not wish to dwell on such a dark time in my life.”

Arwen switched back to Deinian. “Who is to say you are not a spy, then?”

“Princess,” Gwyn intervened. “King Blayney himself appointed Eryk to our group, didn’t he? That’s enough for me to trust him, personally.”

“My loyalty extends only to Cyfoeth. I have no love for Helvetia, I assure you.” Eryk added for good measure.

“Like it or not, we’re stuck with him.” Owen provided his own input. “I personally hold no love for vampires, but there’s no point in arguing with him.”

“Damn right,” Gwyn agreed. “Well said.”

Arwen almost used the Light Gem on Eryk, then and there, but she held off. The vampire was not off of the hook in her eyes, though.

-cut-

“Welcome to Alaru,” a tall and well-proportioned man of quite old age greeted the group upon arrival. “I am glad your travel went as expected, for otherwise I would have been waiting a long time.”

“Greetings,” Gwyn took charge whilst Arwen stood behind, feeling as though she’d collapse at any moment. Her expression must have looked similar to a tired dog. “I’m guessing you’ve been expecting us?”

The man bowed slightly. His movements were reminiscent of the King’s personal butlers in the castle, both fluid and highly disciplined in perfect unison. His black shoulder length hair swayed with the bow, draping slightly over his black suit and white undershirt. “Of course, good soldiers. My name is Wynn Yarwood. I am the aide to the Mayor of Alaru town, and it is my greatest honour to receive you. My deepest apologies for the mayor’s absence, for he is currently busy. Now, may I ask the names of your fine young companions?”

“I am Princess Arwen Blayney.” Arwen greeted.

Wynn nodded respectfully. “A pleasure, your Teyrn.”

The boys then each introduced themselves. When Eryk gave his name, Wynn’s eyes gently appraised the young vampire. “Ah, a fine-looking vampire. I do admit to being rather relieved to see you, good Eryk. One of our own vampires recently went mad and has since gone missing. Perhaps, after your primary matter is resolved, you may aid us finding her?”

“Uhh…” Eryk appeared at a loss. “That really depends on what the Princess says.”

“I’m pretty sure we’re not allowed to,” Arwen emphasised her point with a shake of her head. “Once our concern for Alaru has been resolved, I think we have to return to the Kingdom fairly quickly.”

Wynn took the Princess’s refusal in absolute stride and thankfully did not try to press the issue. “Tragic news, but I humbly accept your decision and reiterate my thanks to King Blayney for sending us help.”

“What’s been happening?” Cai asked.

Wynn’s eyes widened slightly, polluting his otherwise serene expression. “My, my! Where are my manners? Forgive me, we will speak of this matter once you are all rested. I forget you must be absolutely exhausted. Let us settle you in for tonight, and we shall reconvene tomorrow to discuss our problem. Now, if you would please follow me?”

After Wynn’s insistence of carrying Owen’s sleeping bags for him, they begun to follow the mayor’s aide through the stone brick walls of Alaru’s outer perimeter where stone-faced guards stood atop with bows in hand, scanning the dark recesses of the surrounding forest. The gate had been opened for them in advance, though it was immediately closed behind them as they entered. “Alaru has seen success as Cyfoeth’s finest hunting village,” Wynn explained as they walked past picturesque wooden homes sat atop cobbled foundations. The smell of meat filled the entrance street as its inhabitants’ cooked dinner on open fires, one outside for each of their homes. Racks of dried, cured, and salted meats of varying sizes and shapes sat in rows between each home where workers were currently gathering and moving them down the street. “Our warriors hunt around Coed’s Forest by day and return to process the gatherings in the evening, where most will be cured and salted for delivery to Cyfoeth. A good portion of our bounty is also distributed to local merchants who will sell the meat to our population at cheap prices,” he shot the group a smirk, “which is something you are free to take advantage of while you are here. Truly, Alaru is the hub of fresh, cheap food.”

They were next led to a large building. It was taller than the others and featured windows blazing orange with firelight. Wynn gestured towards it with an outstretched hand. “This is where you will be staying for the duration of your stay at Alaru. I hope you find Teilo Inn to your liking, for it is the best we offer at Alaru for traders. It also has an escape tunnel underneath it which runs to a point in Coed outside of the town, in case of Helvetian attacks. It is a tad busy as we are currently holding many soldiers from the Kingdom, and our townsfolk like to frequent the eatery in the evenings, but there should be plenty of space. Just tell the owner who you are and give her my name, she will then show you to your rooms. I trust this is satisfactory?”

No one raised an objection, eliciting a nod from the polite aide. “Good. In that case, I will give you your time to rest and bid you farewell for now. Tomorrow, I will meet you at the inn’s dining hall with the mayor, whereupon we can discuss the ongoings of the town.”

“That seems acceptable.” Cai replied.

“Very well, until tomorrow then.”

The group watched Wynn’s retreat. The man was faultlessly mannered and appeared popular with Alaru’s residents, if their smiles and waves signalled anything. “He seems nice,” Cai yawned. “Sometimes, we have to deal with right stuck-up pricks when staying at towns. Ffin was the worst for that before it got taken over.”

No one had anything to say about that, so they just entered the inn. A cacophony of conversing voices filled their ears at once, accompanying the blast of warmth that enveloped them as they entered. The inn was dimly lit, but its homely aesthetic was indicative of a quiet cottage posted in the middle of a wintery plain. Paintings adorned the planked wooden walls, featuring a sparkling lake, a copse of trees around a small clearing in a forest, and a stunning depiction of Leol’s Wrath towering over the gravelly Tristwch Road. To their left, a small woman stood behind a waist high desk. “How may I help?” she asked them.

“Wynn sent us,” Gwyn said as way of greeting. “We require a room to stay for tonight.”

“Five of you, huh?” the innkeeper peered at the group and either failed to identify Arwen as the Princess of Cyfoeth or simply did not care. Arwen felt her heart sink when the innkeeper simply glossed over her. “I don’t have enough space to house you all separately, sorry about that. I assume you have no qualms sharing one of our large rooms?”

Arwen inwardly groaned. She quite fancied a room to herself, having been stuck with the boys for so many days in a row. “That’s absolutely fine,” Gwyn, on the other hand, was enthusiastic.

The innkeeper nodded. “Follow me.”

They were led up a flight of stairs and into a narrow hallway that was almost eerily silent compared to the downstairs interior. A room marked ‘29’ in black paint was their destination. The innkeeper fished out a metal ring filled with jingling keys and, displaying some sort of precognitive abilities, immediately fished out the right key from her keyring. She handed it to Cai, who was the closest stood to her. “Try the lock for me, would you?”

The knight complied, and the door swung open. “Excellent,” the woman said dispassionately. “Dinner has already started, but will go on for a few more hours, so don’t feel pressured to rush down. Enjoy your stay.” Without another word, the innkeeper left them and began to trod downstairs.

“What fantastic treatment I receive as the Princess,” Arwen muttered sarcastically. “It was as if she did not know who I am.”

“Perhaps so,” Gwyn suggested. “You’re in uniform and are accompanied by four young soldiers instead of King Blayney’s royal guard.”

Arwen sighed. “Let’s just go in.”

With their bags lifelessly dumped onto the floor and beds chosen, Arwen lay atop hers and found the softness of the mattress and its accompanying feather pillow rather pleasant. She was sorely tempted to fall asleep, but the grumbling in her stomach motivated her to pursue food.

And that was how she ended up in the dining hall, filled with rambunctious soldiers who were enjoying the company of Alaru’s young women yet still found time to try and flirt with her in spite of her presence among three men. The fourth man, Cai, had abandoned the table to sit at the barstool where a smiling young girl quickly found his company. Her giggles were ear-piercingly loud among the white noise of voices as she spoke to the smiling knight. Her hand caressed his arm playfully, her other toying with her hair constantly. Arwen was quite unhappy at the sight- it was rather sickening how obviously this random girl’s affection to the knight was on display.

A man about Arwen’s age decided to make an approach, but the Princess warded him off with a nasty glare. After her loudly telling the previous two to piss off, the uninvited approaches had dwindled significantly. However, not even her sullen looks could deter a young flaxen haired girl who took an interest in Eryk. “Vampires are a rare pleasure in Alaru,” she said as a way of greeting to him. She had to speak somewhat loudly for her throaty voice to be heard over the din of noise. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Eryk Johan,” the vampire replied, polite as ever. “What is yours?”

“Ella. How old are you?”

Arwen shot this Ella a disgusted look. “Are you actually trying to flirt with him? He’s a vampire, you know.”

The girl seemed confused. “So?”

Arwen stared, uncomprehending. Ella, clearly noticing the thick tension, decided to make her escape. “It was nice meeting you, Eryk,” she seductively ran a hand down his shoulder in an act that made the Princess want to throw up. “Farewell.”

Gwyn scoffed jokingly once the girl had disappeared. “Gods, Arwen, you’re acting like some sort of viper. I can’t believe you’d do our vampire friend dirty like that!”

“He was about to score,” Owen added, though not sounding particularly invested.

The Sentinel’s joking tone only served to infuriate the Princess even further. “This place is vile,” she hissed. “These people are hooking up like they’re rabbits.”

Owen’s fingers thrummed on the table as he shot her an odd look. “People get into relationships all the time.”

“Not like this,” Arwen shook her head. “Not by approaching random strangers and acting like you want to jump into their bed. It should be natural, progressive. I’m not the only one to think this, surely?”

Gwyn laughed. “You sound so old-fashioned right now. You’re not truly sixteen, are you?”

Was this truly the way of the young men and women out there? Arwen felt like a child who had just learnt that their fairy tale stories weren’t, in fact, real. She opened her mouth to spit a retort, but Eryk held up his hands placatingly before she could speak. “Peace, peace. I was not interested, anyways.”

“What’s the big deal, though?” Gwyn asked. “It’s not like Eryk here would take a girl he had just met to his quarters shared by four others,” a slight pause. “… I hope.”

Arwen waved the man off. “No, no, it’s nothing. I just hope this food arrives soon.”

She was absolutely starved, and wanted to get out of this depravity as soon as possible…