The Road to Magic (Book 1 of the Way of the Demon Series) (29 page)

‘And who do I have to bump off for such a sum? The Lord of Darkness? A
risen
necromancer? A bony dragon? What’s hiding behind such a general phrase as “unclassified Undead”?’

‘That, my lord, you had better ask at the castle. Although, according to the rumours, it’s a vampire.’ And seeing the bewilderment on Oleg’s face (vampires were included in the “Classification” and although battles with them were dangerous, they were not menacing enough to offer two and a half thousand gold pieces), he added. ‘A Supreme Vampire.’

That explained everything. Supreme Vampires, unlike ordinary vampires, were immune to the sun’s rays. While silver weapons were able to cause them painful wounds, they were on the whole not fatal as they were for other Undead, including normal vampires. They required only a short nap at sunrise and at sunset, which made sticking an aspen stake into them much more difficult. What’s more, they were able to take on the form of fog and put themselves into their own portraits or precious stones for a short time. They could, of course, do the same things which normal vampires could do like: influence the consciousness of people and some animals; fly; transform into a rat, wolf, cat or bat; possess great speed and strength.

All but immune to physical actions, Supremes were dangerous opponents even for a magician. Engaging with one in battle was one of the various forms of suicide available to a Hunter. In fact it was for this reason that they were not included in the “Classification of the Unclean.” To be more precise, they had been included, but in the section “For Magicians Only”. For all other readers there was a short description of their combat techniques, distinguishing features and some useful advice. The main piece of advice was a note written in bold:
“Under no circumstances whatsoever – except in cases of absolute dire need – is it recommended to engage these creatures in battle.
“

Even though he remembered this, Oleg still thought over the possibility of capturing it. He didn’t consider himself an ordinary Hunter and he wanted to try out his powers in a serious and dangerous matter. However, his arm was still hurting, and caution got the upper hand.

‘And so, my lord? Will you come to the castle?’

‘I don’t have anything else to do,’ Oleg muttered, trying with all his might to overcome the howls of his own greed. ‘Is the room ready? I’m leaving tomorrow. I need to get some rest, so please let me sleep late.’

‘It’s ready, my lord.’ The inn-keeper was a poor actor; he was clearly disappointed.

‘Strange,’ Oleg thought as he went out. ‘Why is he so insistent? It’s highly unlikely he knows anything about my capacities, and for an ordinary hunter a contest with a Supreme Vampire is certain death.’

The journey had worn him out, and a full stomach and beer were not conducive to prolonged reasoning, so Oleg went upstairs to his room. Once there he locked the door and transformed himself, as usual.

For some time Oleg had gotten into the habit of partly or fully transforming into his demon form. When he went to bed, he tried to transform completely, if it was possible. What was the reason? Recently his human body seemed weak to him, ungainly and vulnerable. He was fully aware of the dangers of such thoughts and sometimes deliberately maintained a fully human image for a long time, but – the next werewolf appeared, with whom it was too dangerous to fight if he remained human; or if he fell asleep in an inn as a human, he would wake up from bed bug bites; or if at night he couldn’t see the road very well… What could be more tempting than an easy solution to practically any problem?

Whatever it was, once he’d taken a look at the bed made up for him by the inn-keeper, Oleg demonized himself, preferring the risk of an unalterable transformation to the danger of being drunk dry by the army of bed bugs in the ancient mattress.

In the morning Oleg was woken up by a resolute knock at the door. It was already quite late, the sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing. ‘Who’s there?’ he growled. ‘I told you not to wake me!’

‘Please forgive me, my lord,’ the inn keeper’s voice was trembling. ‘There is a messenger here for you from Duchess Bel.’

Oleg cursed mentally. The trembling in the inn-keeper’s voice, a big chap who had given the impression of being anything but a coward, could only mean one thing. Without noticing it, he had mixed a solid dose of infrasound into his voice. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and Oleg really didn’t like it. He preferred to give people a fright only when he needed to and not just when he was in a bad mood. Anyway, what’s done is done.

‘I’m coming,’ Oleg called, changing his image to human.

He washed and dressed quickly, then went downstairs. A young man who looked about eighteen was waiting for him. He was wearing an extremely lavish page’s uniform. As soon as he noticed Oleg, he quickly rushed over and gave a humble bow.

‘Good morning, lir. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Andjei Dazhan, personal page to her Grace the Duchess Katina Bel. I am here on her behalf. Her Grace has invited you for breakfast.’

Oleg smiled. He had slept well, his arm hurt much less, and his mood picked up.

‘I thank you for such a kind invitation. I would be glad to pay my respects to her Grace. However, allow me to inquire, is there not perchance some mistake? I do not have the honour of being acquainted with the Duchess. Perhaps you are confusing me with someone else?’

‘You are lir Arioch, who came to the Empire from the Free Baronies one month ago and who registered your Hunter’s certificate in Witches’ Span?’

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Then, in that case, there is no mistake.’

‘Nonetheless, I still am not quite clear as to what I have done to earn such an invitation. And how could her Grace know that I was staying here?’ At this question the inn-keeper bustled into the kitchen.

‘Unfortunately, her Grace is not in the habit of sharing her plans with me. Perhaps, it would be better for you to ask her about this in person?’

‘Good idea.’ Oleg smiled broadly. ‘After you.’

A lavish carriage stood by the door of the inn. It seemed as though the Duchess was very rich and took care to show it. Luxury reigned inside the carriage, too. Throwing himself into the soft, velvet-clad seat, Oleg relaxed. The rhythmic rocking induced sleepiness, and he was just about to doze off when the carriage stopped.

‘We have arrived. Please, lir.’ And the page flung open the door.

Duchess Bel turned out to be a lady of fifty whose face and figure had retained traces of her former beauty; she looked young for her years.

‘I welcome you to my castle, lir.’

‘And I am glad to be in the presence of your gracious Duchess. Forgive me, however, for I am somewhat perplexed. To what do I owe your invitation?’

The Duchess looked at him attentively.

‘To one most unfortunate circumstance. I desperately need your help. However, as I see it, there is no point in holding an important conversation on an empty stomach. Please come in and sit down.’

She did not have to ask Oleg a second time; all the more so since the smell coming from the dining room was so appetizing that there was no chance whatsoever of resistance.

Breakfast passed in silence. After forty minutes Oleg turned away from yet another course. The meal would have amply satisfied even the most exacting gourmet. Leaning back in his chair he fixed the Duchess with an attentive gaze indicating that he had eaten his fill and ready for an “important conversation.”

The woman, who had not eaten a crumb the whole time, gave a heavy sigh.

‘I’m all ears,’ Oleg prompted her gently.

‘I don’t even know where to begin. Did you see my notice, down there in the inn?’

‘Yes’, Oleg said, tensing up.

‘And what do you think of it?’

‘The sum you are offering is very attractive. However, I was told that by “unclassified Undead” you mean a Supreme Vampire. Is that right?’

‘Yes.’

‘In that case, you could offer ten thousand. But the dead have no need of money. Tell me something, do you have a grudge against all Hunters, or is it only me who has gained your enmity?’

‘Why do you think that I harbour enmity towards Hunters in general or towards you in particular?’

‘As I see it, your offer of killing a Supreme Vampire fully confirms my supposition. After all, that is a job for a warrior magician, not at all for a simple Hunter.’

‘You are
almost
correct. You are unaware of one very important circumstance. I offered two and a half thousand because that is precisely the sum I can raise now without serious damage to my affairs. And as for Hunters, well, in general, I am perfectly indifferent to your fate. I need to save my son! The only way to save a
chosen
is to free him from the Vampire which chose him before the next full moon! And the only method I know of for freeing someone from those beasts is to destroy them!’ She almost screeched those last words right into Oleg’s face. ‘And hence I need a Hunter,’ the Duchess, suddenly calm again, continued in a completely dignified voice.

‘Mm. Well, your Grace, I can, of course, sympathize with your feelings, but perhaps you would be so kind as to explain things with a few more details and a little less expressiveness?’

‘Certainly. Not far from this village there is an outpost of the Dark Empire. In the past, the armies of the Union of Light Forces didn’t bother to destroy it--it would have cost them a lot of time and energy--and they contented themselves with chasing the enemy out. Soon after the army withdrew, an Unclean built its lair there. Not all that long ago, new inhabitants settled there. The Black Tower became the residence of vampires.

‘I, of course, at once hired a band of experienced Hunters. For some time they fought the creatures in the village, and then made up their minds to stage a raid on the tower. Only two of them returned. They told us that they had managed to destroy the vampires, but that their sovereign was in fact a Supreme. When they confronted the beast, they realized they had nothing to combat it with, so they employed a battle manoeuvre named “hasty retreat”. Nevertheless, only three of them managed to leave the tower. Throwing themselves into the sunlight, they thought they were out of danger. This mistake cost them the life of one more of their band. Luckily, during the day and in the sunlight, a Supreme’s powers are severely limited, so the last two managed to escape.

‘The next night the Supreme Vampire took revenge for her foster children. Both the hunters who had survived were found completely drained of blood in their beds, and the seal of a vampire was found on my son. Evidently the beast had decided to have a backup plan, turning him into its own image. I have called a warrior-magician, but he will not be here until next month at the earliest. And there is only one week left until the full moon! It is still possible to save my son, but we need to hurry!’

‘You said that you have your own magician? Why doesn’t he deal with this?’

‘Yes, I have. Mead-Beard is a healer and an astrologer. He wanted to go himself, but a Supreme Vampire would take him in one bite. What’s more, in three days’ time the old man will turn three hundred and fifty, and he probably won’t even be able to send a simple fireball. But, applying his astrological methods, he foretold the arrival of a Hunter in our village who would stand a chance of conquering the she-vampire and returning my son to me.’

‘Which, by the way, is very possible. Thank you for the delicious breakfast and interesting tale. It was very enthralling. I hope you soon find this hunter,’ and Oleg got up, preparing to take his leave.

‘Sit down,’ the Duchess said, unruffled. ‘You have repugnant manners. Where did you learn them? I think it is quite clear that my magician was referring to none other than yourself. When the inn-keeper informed me that a Hunter was staying with him and gave your name, I took it upon myself to check your duty record through my channels. I have some small skill in mindspeak, so I heard of your victories almost first-hand. And in particular, that you succeeded in eliminating two fog-beasts, and these beasts, as is well known, are completely invulnerable to ordinary weapons, which means that you possess magic. Consequently, if anyone stands a chance of winning a battle with the Vampire, it is you. What is more, you do not shrink from battles with even the most dangerous adversaries if good money is offered. What I am offering is, I believe, perfectly sufficient. The only thing left to ascertain is why you do not wish to help me. To which family do you belong? Is there perhaps some family hostility between us?’

Oleg gave a burst of genuine laughter.

‘Well, that’s a good one! You do have a vivid imagination! No, there is no family hostility, and nor could there be. And there are several reasons for me turning down your offer. Firstly, I’m in a hurry. Secondly, I have already earned enough money to carry out my plans, and I see no point in taking such a risk just for the sake of stuffing my purse even more. Thirdly, there is this matter’ - and he pointed to his left arm– ‘Which all but does away with any chance of victory for me in any combat with a more or less serious opponent.’

The Duchess looked crestfallen.

‘Now it is my turn to repeat your request for explanations. While I can, in general, understand your first two reasons, the point of the third somehow escapes me.’

‘I believe you mentioned that you have certain magical talents. Take a look at my arm with true sight, or let your magician do it, and then explain the meaning of what he sees. I want you to be sure that at present even a feeble minor vampire would present a serious threat for me.’

In response to Oleg’s passionate speech, the Duchess silently jerked the bell cord and gave an order to the servant who came running. An ancient man with a long grey beard and white mantle soon entered the hall, the spitting image of good wizards in fairy tales.

‘Good morning, my lady,’ he addressed the Duchess. ‘You called for me?’

‘Yes, venerable Mead-Beard. Could you perhaps take a look at this young man’s arm? It seems there is something wrong with it.’

Oleg greeted the magician and held out his arm. The old man examined it carefully for a few minutes. Then he turned to the Duchess.