Haldred Chronicles: Alyssa (22 page)

Am I cured? 
Is it over?

“No my dear.”
said a deep rasping voice.  “It is not over.”

She stood up
sharply, looking around for the source of the voice.

“Who's there?”
she called.

“Oh no-one.”
replied the voice mockingly, “just an old friend.”

The voice did
have a ring of familiarity about it, but Alyssa was finding it hard to place.

“Do I know you?”

“Oh I think so.”
it replied again, seeming to come from everywhere at once.  “You refer to me as
Vlad.”

“Ah.” Alyssa
looked about trying to see a cloud of annoying mouthy nothingness.  “Where are
you?”

“Oh of course,
where are my manners?”

Out of the
darkness materialized not a cloud of nothingness, but instead, an armoured
figure.  A knight, of a sort.

The metal armour
he wore was ornate and ancient looking, a dull gold sheen glimmering where the
light bounced off the sharp contours of its vambraces and pointed pauldrons. 
Worked into the metal were dozens of tiny pointed symbols, ragged and alien to
her eyes, and hung by the warrior's side were a thin sword sheath and dagger
set cast in black leather.  The armour was all encompassing, the helm fashioned
into what looked like the fanged maw of some carnivorous beast.  A grill was set
into the maw, covering the warriors face.  Only the eyes were visible through a
thin slit just beneath the upper jaw.  Two dark, authoritative looking eyes;
dull red.  They seemed very familiar.

“I can see the
cogs turning in your brain as you search your memories.” the figure rasped. 
“In fact, I can read them.  Let me save you the bother.”

“You referred to
me as Vlad when you were unable to pronounce my true name.” he continued. 
“That was intentional.  After all, the vampiric tongue is ancient beyond most
human years and takes even seasoned vampires decades to learn.  But I must
confess, I could have given you my name translated into your own language. 
That was rude of me.”

The figure
reached up and undid his helmet clasp, lifting it off his head to cradle under
one arm.  The voice had sounded old, but the face from which it came was not. 
Young, almost her own age, but pale and refined.  The age was behind the eyes,
not on the face.

More
importantly, the face was very, very familiar.

Alyssa's features
paled for the first time in a year and half, as she recognised the face she had
not seen in exactly that length of time.  Ever since she had seen that same
face disintegrate at the end of a bearkin long sword.

“Hello my dear.”
said Igor Regorash with an accompanying smile.  “It's so good to see you
again.”

* * * * *

“She's alive.”
Victoria confirmed.  She had listened at Alyssa's chest and whilst the girl's
heartbeat was weak, it was there.  Likewise, her answer confirmed another
thing.  Alyssa was human again, not vampire.  Vampires didn't have a
heartbeat.  Even now, Victoria could see from the light of the lantern, colour
returning to the girl's features.  The uncomfortable feeling Victoria felt when
around Alyssa had also gone.  There was no pressure or feeling of revulsion as
she knelt by the girl.

Alyssa's canine
teeth, or at least what remained of them, were ruined and her face splattered
with blood.  Fortunately, Victoria's experience with her pistol had insured
that she fired just far enough away that the girl hadn't got any powder burns. 
The blood was from the teeth as they shattered.  James was looking on.  His
face was relieved, but concerned.  He had awoken rapidly, and whilst weak, he
now crouched nearby, looking on his unconscious beloved.

“She'll be ok
James, alright?” Victoria put her hand on the boys shoulder.  “We'll be able to
get a healer to fix things.”

He was still
trembling, though whether by lack of blood or by shock at his lover's
predicament, Victoria couldn't tell.  He nodded none the less.

That's when
Victoria heard them.  The thunder of many feet.

Here we go

“Alright you
two.” she said as she stood.  “Keep behind me and shield Alyssa.  Remember the
plan.  We need to delay them for as long as possible.”

* * * * *

“How?” Alyssa
breathed.

Igor's smile
remained.  “Why my dear, it's simple.”

“I knew my
killers were on their way.  Come to end my little party, to ensure my
destruction.  Well, I couldn't have that, so I had my more trusted lieutenants
perform a little ritual.  Nothing fancy.  Simply something that, upon the
destruction of my mortal body, would transfer my spirit to my most recent
convert
.”

He nodded toward
her.  “You being that convert.  After which, I hitched a ride on your soul and
took on the persona of Vlad, so as to never raise your suspicions.”

“Sadly,” his
face turned irate.  “you have rather a strong-willed soul.  You see, you were
supposed to give in to me and allow me complete control over your actions. 
Eventually, wearing your soul down, I would gain full unopposed control over
your body and confine your soul to nothing but a weak memory.  You resisted me,
indeed, you even mocked me.  I'd applaud you if it weren't so inconvenient to
me.”

“But now,” he
waggled an armoured finger, a smirk now on his face.  “Now you've given me a
wonderful, wonderful opportunity to correct all that!”

He let his
helmet clatter to the floor, before reaching to his sword belt.  He slowly drew
a long, thin blade with a resounding sound of steel on steel as the blade
slipped easily past the sheath's ornate clasp.

Alyssa's eyes
widened as she took a step back.

“You see,” he
continued.  “by performing the ritual of
Unracos
, you've unwittingly
given me direct access to your soul.  If I destroy your soul, I take possession
of your body.  It's beautifully simple.”

He started to
walk toward her, slowly and deliberately.

“Now be a good
girl,” he held his blade at the ready.  “and hold still.”

* *
* * *

There were an
awful lot of them.  Unfortunately the room they were in was just about big
enough for all of them.  They'd swept in very fast indeed, taking positions
along the length of the rooms far wall.  All facing toward her.  Faster than
Victoria had expected.  She'd been banking on the maze like corridors delaying
them a bit but the Darnhun were more bloodhound-like than she'd anticipated.

Victoria raised
her hands, having holstered her pistol.  It seemed the best option considering
the number of crossbows currently being pointed at her.  Horna Gladwell stared
at her wearing a crooked grin, standing in the middle of the line of warriors.

“I must
congratulate you Victoria.” he said, taking a peek past her.  “You've found our
vampire.”

His expression
darkened.

“A pity you have
been found in her company, if not her employ.”

You smug
bastard.

He stepped
forward to stand at the front of the line of Darnhun crossbows, regarding her.

“How'd you track
us?” she asked.  It was blatantly playing for time but Horna liked the sound of
his own voice; potentially it could buy them a lot more time.

Time for
Malak to hurry the hell up.

“It took us a
little time, granted.” he said, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking
from the heel to the balls of his feet.  “But I am not without my own skills in
investigation.”

“I had already
suspected something odd when you did not return from your pursuit.” he started
to pace in front of her.  “Then, in a follow up investigation I discovered you
had returned to the tavern.  Apparently you'd taken a chill during your hunt
for the vampire.  According to our contact anyway”

He turned for
dramatic effect.  “A young barmaid of the tavern in question.  You had
discovered the vampire but not captured it.  An odd thing indeed.  Considering
you did not volunteer this information, naturally I assumed something else was
going on and had one of the Darnhun follow you.  They make effective scouts by
the way.  They then summoned us here when you arrived and, here we are.  At the
end of the story.”

So far, so
good
thought Victoria.  Visiting Gretna and getting one of the barmaids to help with
this particular part of the plan had paid off.

“Which Darnhun?”
Victoria hazarded.

Horna chuckled,
nodding to one of the crossbow wielding Darnhun.  He gave a cheery wave, before
returning to his ready-to-fire stance.

“Yes.” said
Horna.  “Hard to tell one from another isn't it?”

Yeah, but
thanks for confirming that he's here and not off following Malak.

“Now.” he said
next.  “I think we've wasted enough time.  If you would kindly step out of the
way.”

He removed a
flintlock pistol from his cloak and aimed it at Victoria.

“Right now.” he
added.

Victoria,
keeping her hands raised, moved to one side so that Horna could look at
Alyssa's body.  The girl lay cradled in Katy's arms, James holding one of her
hands.  They were both looking, with utter terror, toward Horna.

Poor kids.

Horna frowned.

“And why is she
in that state?” he asked, his expression demanding an explanation.

Victoria
summoned her courage, as well as her silvered tongue.

Play for more
time.

“Well” she
began.  “Seems these kids found something out about vampires.”

Horna's frown
did not lift and he kept his pistol aimed at Victoria.

“Continue.” he
rather pointedly ordered.

Victoria was no
stranger to having guns, crossbows, bows or indeed a whole armament of weapons
pointed at her so this was not an entirely new experience.  It was slightly
worrying though, as he was awfully close and the pistol was pointed right at
her face.

“They discovered
something from the books,” she said, nodding over at the stacks of book cases. 
“...something that could change a vampire back to their human form.”

“Continue.” he
said again, his eyes narrowing.

“It would be
easier,” she said tentatively. “if I could just show you.  It's in one of the
books.  Over there.  If you'll permit me?”

Horna smiled
that crooked smile again.  “Nice try my dear.” he said.

He used his
other hand to signal to one of the Darnhun.  Covered by his fellows, the
soldier moved over to where Horna was, weapon up and aimed at the terrified
youngsters at the centre of the room.

“Which bookcase
and which book?  I will permit you to point without the need to shoot you.”

“Yet.” he added
with relish

Victoria pointed
over to one of the bookcases.

“Red book.  Top
left.” she said.

Horna looked
over his shoulder and nodded.  The soldier trotted over to the book case and
looked about.

“Top left.”
Victoria said helpfully.  “Red cover.”

He started
looking.  Horna glanced over but kept his pistol trained on her.  The Darnhun
searched for a few seconds but presently turned around, shaking his head.  Horna
looked back at Victoria but she feigned ignorance.

He nodded to one
of the other soldiers and indicated the same bookcase.

Two Darnhun now
searched.  Both Darnhun rapidly gave the same signal after a few moments. 
Horna stared back at Victoria again.  He pulled the hammer back on his pistol.

“Victoria, this
is no time for games.”

* * * * *

Alyssa quickly
realised she was playing a very deadly game, with a very deadly opponent.  She
backed away, keeping her distance as Regorash advanced.  His rather confident
advance.

“I trusted you.”
she breathed, feeling her heart quicken.  Quicken for the first time in a long
time but quickening for all the wrong reasons, fear being top of the list.

“Yes, you did.”
he grinned.  “That was very stupid, but look at you now, all grown up.  Just a
bit too late.”

Suddenly, he
lunged forward with his sword.  An alarmingly sudden burst of speed.  Alyssa,
on instinct, stepped to one side.  The blade just missed her by a hair's
breadth.

Darn it
she thought.
 I'm
slower!

“But no less
skilled.” he said.  “I can see you'll be a bit of an exercise at least.”

She backed away
again.  Both of them illuminated by the odd lights above them, and the
blackness they walked on seemingly infinite in all directions.