The calm before the Storm: Part I

We stumbled up the mountain to the estate with Aiyana practically dragging me along, I hadn’t spoken a word since. The Headhunter, or Lucian Hawthorne, had disappeared into the night. Aiyana was worried he would follow us back, but it seemed he kept his word.

After we got back, the two of us climbed to the tallest tower, keeping watch in case he returned to claim our heads.

It is hard to put it into words, how I was feeling. I’d never been happier than the moment I saw him alive, but he was so different. It was clear that it wasn’t just time that wasn’t kind to him. Now, I was his target.

Happiness, regret, sorrow, anger, fear… solitude. All of them took a hold and left me completely clueless. How should I be feeling? My father was deeply in love with mother. To lose her, to feel so powerless to stop it… for 10 years he seeked his revenge, would it all be over if he took my life?

Aiyana didn’t have the words to speak. I had told her everything when we were back at the castle, and she took it upon herself to keep me company. Though I wasn’t surprised she hadn’t said anything to me, I wouldn’t know what to say either.

“You were here, that day. Weren’t you?” I asked. “The day of the attack.”

All of the pain, all of the heartbreak flooded back to her. “I was.” She responded meekly.

“Tell me what happened here. What started all of it.”

“Will it change anything?” She asked.

“No. But I want to understand what made him become that.”

Aiyana slowly walked to the other side of the tower and sat facing me. She took a deep breath, readying herself for the memories. Finally, she looked at me and spoke softly. “Let me tell you our history.”

*-*-*

Zaharia was the 17th head of the Nightshade brood and had been for half a century. It was in the Winter of his 51st year rule that saw the break of an ancient yet secret pact.

The Nightshade brood were one of three great families. Though they didn’t number as many as the other two, their leaders were intellectuals. They had survived thus far on smart planning and careful management. The leaders of the brood held a meeting every month, or in emergencies. And the meeting this time, was an emergency.

Zaharia hurried into the council room and took his seat at the head of the table. It sat 5: Selik, the master of spells and incantations; Rayan, the master of communications; Alfric the master of the hunt; Geraldo the master of the blade; and of course, Zaharia, master of the brood.

“Forgive me for my lateness, gentlemen. We have so many of these so-called emergency meetings that I’ve started to forget the meaning. But please, do tell what is so urgent this time.” The master placed his seal upon the table loudly, clearly disgruntled he had been pulled away from his duties. The council was formed when life was more volatile, these days the leaders were dramatic for a lack of a better term.

To his immediate right was the master of the hunt. A spindly man with dark skin and sickly yellow eyes. He was a dark elf that had once fought the Nightshade brood but chose to become undead instead of, well… dead dead. “We do apologise for the timing sir but it appears something has come up.” He spoke quietly.

“Out with it then” Zaharia commanded.

“Our livestock are soon to be depleted” said the master of spells, “I have cast the runes, however we will not survive the winter without a hunt.” He was almost wispy. A man of the occult that was mocked as much as he was respected. Zaharia took in the news like he was being told it was raining. “Then send out the patrol, what is the problem?”

“We’re being watched, Zaharia.” The voice behind him was grizzled. It came from the second most important vampire of the brood, Zaharia’s right hand man and brother. “Fiore.” Zaharia called “and who exactly are we being watched by?”

“Weiss. Their men are heading to the towns below. Word must’ve gotten out about a vampire brood in the area.”

The commander scoffed. “Come now dear brother, surely you realise how ridiculous that is. After all…” he paused. “The Crown have known of us for centuries.”

The secret pact? It was a peace treaty between the Weiss family, the kings of Regalia, and the Nightshade brood made by the second leader and the 41st king. It is said that the progenitor, the first leader of the Nightshade, was a son of the undead queen Lilith herself. Though she was killed by an ancestor of the 41st king, he feared a second coming of the monstrous army. So, they signed a pact in secrecy. The Weiss would leave the Nightshade be, and the Nightshade would stay away from the capital.

By all accounts, a sudden break of contract made no sense.

“What good would it do the Crown to attack us now?” Zaharia asked.

“We don’t know, sir.” Alfric exclaimed. “All we do know is that King Atlas’ sons, Prince Cassius and Prince Hector, passed through Ajax’ forest not 3 moons ago. My scouts have seen them in the towns at the base of the mountain.”

“It makes no sense for them to be here against us, there must be a mistake.” Zaharia urged. “The King hasn’t taken notice of us since he took the throne 30 years ago! They ignored us then, they will ignore us now!”

Fiore slammed his hands on the table beside his brother. “Atlas is lazy and arrogant, he believed we would go away eventually and right now you appear just like him. Our kin have seen things, overheard things. Believe me as your brother and your follower, if you pretend this isn’t happening you and your family will die.” Fiore held fire in his eyes, hoping his words would be enough to convince his brother.

The commander looked deeply into those eyes to find their truth. He regains composure before responding, “If they are here, what are our options?” He asked. The room fell silent, none had an answer for him.

“Well? We can’t simply stay here, we will need to hunt eventually.”

Still no one responded.

He was irritated by the lack of a response “If they attack, can we defend ourselves?” He asked.

“Do you want an optimistic answer, or the truth?” Fiore responded.

“I want anything right now!” Zaharia roared as he jumped out of his seat. “You’re telling me we don’t have enough food and we’ve got soldiers at our doorstep, and no way of solving the issues?! What good is a council without words?!”

“Sir…” Rayan tried to jump in but Zaharia silenced him swiftly.

“Us sitting around playing leaders will lead only to the grave. We need to sort the food shortage, tell the hunters to gather what they can whilst remaining vigilant.”

Rayan nodded timidly, “yes sir.”

“Atlas hasn’t left the capital, we should try to get a raven to him. If we can get him to peacefully leave, that solves the issue. I shall have a letter on its way to the Pale Palace before the sun rises. Failing that, I want this castle fortified and well equipped. I trust I can count on our masters of the blade and spells with this?”

The two saluted.

“Rayan, I will need your telepathic magic connected to a few of your best scouts. I want them to seek an audience with the heirs and try to resolve their grievances should my letter fail to reach King Atlas. As for you Fiore…”

He placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Should the worst come to pass, I need you to be ready. A leader’s role is to protect his people, and it is my duty to give my life for them. For now I want you to scout further East, as close to the border of Vardar as you can get. Got that?”

“Got it.”

*-*-*

Zaharia remained in the council room alone, brooding silently as he messed with his pendant. He was struggling putting pen to parchment, struggling to express what he needed to say. Each word felt heavy, each sentence was correct one minute and wrong the next.

He took a moment to think it through. To collect his thoughts and consider what the future looked like. He nonchalantly told Fiore that he would give his life for his people, the thought of it coming to that made him worry.

As he was contemplating, his daughter entered the room, a younger Aiyana Nightshade. “You wanted to see me, father?”

“I did. Take a seat.” He replied. She complied and faced her father, not sure why he had called for her. And though he would have loved to ask her of her day and what her mother was up to, time was against them and pleasantries would have to wait.

“I trust news has reached you already?”

She didn’t need to respond.

“I was just a boy when our agreement with the royal family of Regalia was signed, it was the end of pain for our kin. We could sleep without fearing the raid of a holy army, or the blade of a bounty hunter. And now those same soldiers are threatening to break that bond.” The two sat in silence for a second before Zaharia took a bottle from the desk, and poured himself a glass.

“Personally, I do not think it is anything more than a charade. But we must prepare for the worst. As such, I need to know you are ready.” The red contents of his glass vanished instantly, taken like fire water.

“Ready?” She asked.

“To take my place.”

Meanwhile, the masters were following through their missions. The Sword was collecting the iron they had available and heating his forge, honing the edges of the Nightshade’s blades. The master of spells had placed runes all around the castle and imbued them with his power. Their home was enveloped by a green light, it would act as a defensive layer should the humans attack.

As for the master’s of communications and the hunt, they sent out their scouts to search for the crown princes.

“Do you see them?” Rayan asked

“No. Even with my magic I can’t find them anywhere.” Alfric responded.

“Then we’ll just have to keep looking. Once they’re located we can try and speak with them.”

“There.” Alfric had spotted them, pointing out the crown princes coming back into the camp below. “Got them.”

“Good.” Rayan responded. “My men are in position, once they are alone we can move in. Let me know when.”

The two waited until both Hector and Cassius went to their own tents to rest for the night, and Alfric gave the signal. Rayan went from lying prone next to Alfric to sprinting down the mountain in a mere heartbeat. He reached the camps in no time at all and took cover just behind Prince Cassius’ tent. He tentatively moved around to the front whilst watching for any soldiers lurking around. It seemed as though his guards had still yet to return.

“He said you’d be here.” All of a sudden a voice from inside the tent chilled Rayan to the bone. The next thing he knew, a blade flashed through the fabric and sliced his neck open.

Out stepped crown Prince Cassius with a wry grin on his face. “Well done Mr turncoat.”

Whilst dying, Rayan squirmed around, soon noticing piles of bodies lying around the campsite. Every single one of them were scouts under his banner.

Alfric felt that same sharp stab as well, screaming in agony. He managed to turn his head just enough to see his killer and he could not understand why.

“Two down.”

“Master… Fiore.”