{"id":25636,"date":"2021-10-31T06:30:05","date_gmt":"2021-10-31T10:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=25636"},"modified":"2021-10-25T13:51:45","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T17:51:45","slug":"tellest-short-story-blood-in-the-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/tellest-short-story-blood-in-the-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"Tellest Short Story – Blood in the Desert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blood in the Desert
\n<\/strong>A Tale by Aaron Canton<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sun blazed down over the dusty streets of downtown Hydor, and the slight breeze that blew through the square and kicked up the occasional puffs of sands did nothing whatsoever to lower the temperature of the desert city. Many of the stalls that lined the square made brisk business selling drinks and fruits which promised to cool off whoever consumed them. There was even one stall where a gnoll mage\u2014an ancient beast whose hair had long since gone silver with age and whose fur was following suit\u2014magically created bits of ice that were just the right shape to be dropped into a drink; judging from the size of the pile of coins in his stall, his merchandise was extremely popular. Despite all this, though, most of the gnolls who had gathered to do their weekly shopping were drenched in sweat.<\/p>\n

One, however, sweated for a reason that had little to do with the desert weather.<\/p>\n

Rayas brushed at her forehead with the back of her hand, managed to push a few beads of cold sweat and strands of dark hair away from her amber eyes, and tried not to shudder at the familiar chills of fear which swept through her whenever she was out in the open. Then she dropped her hand and made her way through the crowds in the hopes of reaching a butcher. If she could finish her shopping quickly, she thought, she could hurry back to the safety of her little home and stay there for the entire rest of the day. Yes, she could just stay home, where it was safe, where nothing was coming to get her\u2026<\/p>\n

Droplets of sweat continued to form on her forehead, and a deeper chill of pure terror gnawed at her. Rayas bit back a curse and pressed on, desperate to just grab whatever the nearest merchant had for sale.<\/p>\n

Many gnolls filled the square as they haggled with vendors and chatted with each other, and Rayas had to push her way past a few to reach the closest food merchant. When she arrived there, she found that two other gnolls were laboriously inspecting the cuts of meat that they were considering buying. \u201cIs this all you have?\u201d asked one, a tall female gnoll whose outfit indicated she was an artisan of some kind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said the merchant. Rayas distantly remembered that his name was Wassen and that he grazed livestock up in the foothills just behind Hydor proper. He was usually a reliable source for healthy, untainted meat, although the other customers seemed to think something was wrong with his selection at that time. \u201cThis is all for this week, I\u2019m afraid. Not as much as usual, but there should still be enough for everyone who wants some.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d the other customer asked. Rayas saw that he was a male gnoll who was in the city guard, at least judging by the fancy sword dangling from his belt. \u201cDid the others get sick?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly,\u201d Wassen said in his usual drawl. \u201cA few of my animals went missing. I\u2019m pretty sure it\u2019s rustlers of some kind, although I can\u2019t remember the last time that we had any way out here. It\u2019s not as though the desert is exactly full of cattle, so thieves tend to stay away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas found herself pressing closer, desperate to hear the conversation even as she knew it would terrify her even more. Meanwhile, the guard said, \u201cYou should have told us. We could have sent someone up to look for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wassen shrugged. \u201cI reported it to the city. Didn\u2019t your commander send a patrol?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf so, I didn\u2019t hear about it,\u201d the guard said. \u201cI\u2019ll ask my captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d Wassen grew pensive. \u201cOdd thing is a couple of the cows that vanished were old milkers who were just about ready to lay down and die anyways. I can\u2019t imagine them surviving the march to wherever rustlers go to resell stolen livestock; they\u2019re probably already dead. No idea why those would be stolen unless the rustlers were total amateurs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas realized she was breathing more quickly, almost to the point of hyperventilating. It was how it began the previous time, she thought before she could stop herself: the animals going missing, after which gnolls would start vanishing, and then\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWas there something you wanted to buy, ma\u2019am?\u201d Wassen asked, looking directly at Rayas as he did so.<\/p>\n

Rayas realized that she\u2019d drawn so close to the others that she was practically on the artisan\u2019s shoulder. She quickly stepped back, brushing a few more strands of sodden hair off her brow and then adjusting the red loincloth she wore. Her ancient necklace, all she\u2019d managed to save from her village in western Iradel, rattled as the stones on it bumped against each other. \u201cI was just looking for something to eat tonight,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, anything here should do,\u201d said Wassen. He gestured at the counter in front of him. Rayas saw the rows of sausages and other meats which had been salted and otherwise preserved so they could withstand the desert heat for a few hours. She\u2019d still probably have to run the meat home to make sure it didn\u2019t spoil before it got into her cool cellar, but she was planning on rushing right home anyways, so that didn\u2019t matter. \u201cWhat strikes your fancy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas bent down a little so she could smell the meat, but then she recoiled, because it smelled off in a very distinctive way. She knew that scent, knew what it meant, knew that the problem was worse than she feared\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Wassen asked, concerned. \u201cThe meat\u2019s fine, so why did you jump back like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The artisan sniffed the meat as well and then shook her head. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not fine,\u201d she said. \u201cIt smells\u2026bloodless, if that makes sense. And now that I look at this sausage closely, it\u2019s a bit pale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wassen shrugged. \u201cYes, it\u2019s slightly anemic, but sometimes cows do get a bit anemic,\u201d he insisted. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen it happen to so many before, but I don\u2019t think it should affect the quality of the meat. Besides, the other meat vendors here have the same problem, so it\u2019s not just me.\u201d He settled back in his chair. \u201cI told the City Council about that too. They\u2019re meeting later today to put together a team to investigate and find out what\u2019s causing this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI figure it\u2019s the bad grazing conditions,\u201d said the vendor in the next booth over, who had apparently been eavesdropping. \u201cNot a lot of rain, so the grass is weak, so the cows can\u2019t eat much and get thin-blooded. Things should clear up once we get some proper rain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas wanted to yell at the gnoll that grazing conditions were the absolute last thing he should be concerned about, but she couldn\u2019t do that. She couldn\u2019t even speak. Suddenly she felt like her head was going to explode; if the situation was so bad that the food coming into Hydor was already tainted, the end was nigh. She stumbled back and, ignoring Wassen\u2019s offer of help, turned, and fled back into the crowd\u2014<\/p>\n

Only to almost crash into a squadron of six gnolls in shining armor.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright, ma\u2019am?\u201d one of the guards asked. He was tall and had a deep voice, and his shield had the insignia of a captain of the guard.<\/p>\n

Rayas managed to jerkily nod her head. \u201cFine,\u201d she lied. \u201cJust heading home.\u201d Then she paused. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d she asked. \u201cThe guards don\u2019t usually patrol downtown in armor like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guard captain arched an eyebrow. \u201cA patrol went missing last night, so we\u2019re out looking for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMissing?\u201d repeated Rayas in a slow tone as horrible scenarios played out in her mind. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean that they went on patrol, they didn\u2019t come back, and nobody knows what happened to them,\u201d the guard captain snapped. \u201cWhy, do you know something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas hesitated. Nobody had listened to her the last time she\u2019d tried to warn everyone, but maybe this gnoll would. He had a duty to listen to anything that might save his troops, didn\u2019t he? \u201cWell,\u201d she ventured. \u201cIt could be vampire gnolls. Between the animals who are missing blood, the vanished patrols\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The guard captain snorted. \u201cSurely you\u2019re joking. Vampires? Here, in Hydor? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, sir,\u201d said another guard. \u201cI think I know this one. She came to the council a few days ago and said the city was about to be attacked by vampires, but she had no evidence, so they kicked her out. She\u2019s not right in the head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas bit back an angry retort. \u201cThey didn\u2019t listen to me, but maybe if you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going on a wild-goose chase to hunt vampires!\u201d said the captain. \u201cIf you have any real evidence, tell me or the council. Otherwise, stop wasting my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas opened her mouth to yell something, but then she let it shut again because she couldn\u2019t figure out what to say. She needed to find the words to make people take her seriously, but she couldn\u2019t. That meant this guard wouldn\u2019t listen to her any more than the council would. Then the vampires would come and turn everyone, and she\u2026<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t even think of the horrible things that had happened after that. Instead, she remained silent. After a few moments the guards walked past her. \u201cHey, did you ever find out why Tendo didn\u2019t show up today?\u201d one of the guards asked as they passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he was in the infirmary,\u201d said the captain. \u201cHe was tired and kind of pale, so they decided to keep him there for a day and let the clerics work on him. He\u2019s not the only one either. It\u2019s this damned heat; if we\u2019re not careful, we\u2019ll lose half our troops to heatstroke before we find those bandits who are stealing livestock\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not heatstroke!\u201d Rayas yelled, unable to stop herself. \u201cThat\u2019s what happens when vampires start to turn someone! They drink their blood, the victim becomes weak and pale and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She realized everyone around her was staring at her. And then, as she stared at the crowd in the desperate hope they would take her seriously, they began to laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre vampires even real?\u201d one gnoll whispered to his friend. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of them outside of children\u2019s tales!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the heat got to her,\u201d said an elderly female gnoll to her friend. \u201cShe needs to lie down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoo!\u201d said someone right behind her. Rayas swiveled to see a young gnoll with an impish look in his eye. He waggled his hands at her and said, \u201cOh no! Here comes the vampire!\u201d<\/p>\n

And then Rayas ran.<\/p>\n

She ran as fast as she could, knocking her way through other gnolls and almost crashing into a vendor with a vegetable pushcart before she managed to reach a deserted alley. It was slightly cooler than the square, if only because high walls blocked off the sun, but Rayas found herself sweating more. \u201cThey won\u2019t listen,\u201d she said, her voice heavy with bitterness. \u201cThey won\u2019t listen to me no matter what I do.\u201d She snorted. \u201cI should have bitten that idiot. Made him see what it was like\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

But as much fun as it would be to embarrass or scare the gnoll who had terrified her, Rayas knew she didn\u2019t have time for that. She had to do something. \u201cI\u2019m not going back to the square,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll skip dinner tonight. Then tomorrow I\u2019ll get food at first light, leave town, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Her sentence trailed off. Where could she run? Where was there in the desert that the monsters wouldn\u2019t pursue her? Could she make it over the mountains, and even if she did, would that be enough? Maybe she could flee all the way to another continent, but what if the vampires were able to pursue her there as well? Would they ever leave her alone?<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am,\u201d came a voice.<\/p>\n

Rayas looked up to see a hooded gnoll stepping out from a small building and crossing the shaded alley to approach her. He was about half a foot taller than her and had a muscular frame as well as a sheathed scimitar sticking out of his belt. The hood cast a deep shadow on his face that made it hard to make out his eyes or his expression, and Rayas wondered if it was magical in some way. \u201cYes?\u201d Rayas managed, failing to hide the quiver of terror in her voice. \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard what you said earlier,\u201d the gnoll added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were there?\u201d Rayas asked. \u201cIn the market?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the council chambers,\u201d the gnoll corrected. \u201cI happened to be waiting in a side room while you spoke, and I could hear everything, Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I believe you. With all the strange things that are going on, it makes sense that vampires are probably involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Rayas asked, daring to slightly release some of the tension in her body. \u201cThe council just laughed at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a bunch of old fools,\u201d said the cloaked gnoll. \u201cBut I see the truth.\u201d He bowed. \u201cMy name is Vester. I work as security for some of the local merchants when they send caravans out across the desert. You know, to fight raiders and such.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, Rayas thought, that explained the gnoll\u2019s muscular body. \u201cThe vampire gnolls have done horrible things in the desert,\u201d she said. \u201cI came here hoping to escape them, but it didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is difficult to escape vampires, in my experience,\u201d Vester agreed. \u201cBut I do know of one approach that often works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas\u2019s heart quickened. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d she said eagerly.<\/p>\n

And then Vester pulled off his hood to reveal blood-red eyes and fangs that jutted from his mouth. \u201cBecome one of them!\u201d he hissed as he jumped forward.<\/p>\n

Rayas froze up. Intellectually, she knew that she had fought vampires before. She\u2019d fled from her home in western Iradel, after all. But even the thought of trying to remember those fights was so traumatizing that her mind flinched away, and she couldn\u2019t remember a single way to fight back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t have someone spilling our secrets before we\u2019re ready!\u201d said Vester as he advanced. Rayas instinctively darted back quicker than she would have thought possible, evading his first strike as she did so, but then her back hit the wall of the alley. He surged forward then and knocked her down before she could respond. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry. Once you\u2019re properly one of us, you\u2019ll understand. I certainly did after I was turned in that desert ambush.\u201d He knelt and sniffed Rayas\u2019s neck, then pulled back, as if debating how precisely to bite her. Rayas cringed away and waited for the end that she had feared for many months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2014\u201d began Vester.<\/p>\n

Then Rayas heard a squelching sound, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Vester staring down at a sword protruding from his chest where his heart must have been. Then he fell to his knees before turning to dust and blowing away.<\/p>\n

When Rayas turned to one side, she saw something that she would never have imagined. A towering rhinotaur wearing golden armor was walking toward her while sheathing a sword with one hand. His other hand carried a huge battle-ax that shined even in the dim light of the alley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you?\u201d ventured Rayas to the rhinotaur who had saved her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank Cerox,\u201d said the rhinotaur in a haughty voice. \u201cI\u2019m his paladin. When I strike, it is on his behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas heard the pride in the rhinotaur\u2019s voice and figured that, whatever he said, he wasn\u2019t actually all that upset about being praised for killing the vampire. \u201cWho are you, and what are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The paladin chuckled. \u201cMy name is Noth Vox, and Cerox sent me here to kill vampires,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are Rayas, correct? Gnolls in the square said you claim to have information on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas knew that should have eased her mind, but something about the way Noth carried himself made her uneasy. She thought back to her former home and how her village\u2019s most powerful warriors had become its biggest dangers once they\u2019d been overwhelmed and turned. \u201cI\u2014\u201d she began.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you\u2019re going to give it to me,\u201d said Noth, in an arrogant tone that brooked no dissent. \u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really know much,\u201d said Rayas.<\/p>\n

Half an hour had passed since Rayas had almost been bitten by Vester. She\u2019d managed to talk Noth into going back to her home so they wouldn\u2019t have to talk about vampires in the street; for all they knew, she pointed out, other vampires might be hiding in the area and could hear them. Noth hadn\u2019t seemed very worried about that, but he\u2019d grudgingly agreed to follow her back to her abode. They took refuge in her small living room, sitting on ragged cushions, while Rayas looked up at the huge rhinotaur and tried to explain herself. \u201cI just know the symptoms of when vampire gnolls start attacking a village,\u201d she went on. \u201cMissing and anemic animals, then missing and anemic gnolls. There\u2019s nothing else it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth inclined his head. \u201cBut surely once you figured out that there were vampires around, you did something?\u201d he prompted in an annoyed tone. \u201cDid you begin putting a party together? Hunting for their strongholds? I need to know everything you did in case it affects my own plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas looked away from his eyes and lowered her head as a wave of shame hit her. \u201cI tried to warn the council,\u201d she said. \u201cBut they didn\u2019t listen. They just said I was crazy and threw me out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd after that?\u201d Noth asked. \u201cWhat were your next strategies?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas glanced toward the back of the room where a couple of bags were sitting open. A few items of clothing and some dried goods were poking out of one of them. Noth followed her gaze, then said in a contemptuous voice, \u201cYou were planning to run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d admitted Rayas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who would stop the vampires?\u201d Noth asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone else,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cAnyone else. I don\u2019t care, honestly, but I can\u2019t do it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmph.\u201d Noth sighed. \u201cSo, you\u2019re the coward I thought you were, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m no coward!\u201d Rayas protested.<\/p>\n

A slight smile crossed Noth\u2019s face. \u201cReally?\u201d he asked. \u201cThen tell me something. What do you do for a living here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI help maintain the city,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cCleaning the walkways, landscaping, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d Noth leaned back on his cushion. \u201cA menial, low-paying job\u2026but one that keeps you inside the city walls, to protect you from vampires coming over the horizon, but also out in the sunny streets, to protect you from vampires hiding in other buildings. You set up your entire life here to evade vampires instead of fighting them. And now that you know vampires are coming, your only thoughts are about how you can save yourself. That is cowardice, Rayas. Fortunately, my god has seen fit to send me here, and I will protect you and your city despite that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that a fight is unwinnable is not cowardice,\u201d snapped Rayas. \u201cIt\u2019s just common sense. I\u2019ve dealt with vampire gnolls before when they attacked my old village in the deserts of Iradel. It was a disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Noth asked. \u201cDid you fight then? Or did you cower and hide, then sneak away when the real warriors were dead?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas\u2019s ears drew back and her fur bristled. She wanted to argue with him, but whenever she tried to think of the fighting, her mind refused to do so. Unable to explain what she\u2019d done, she just said, \u201cI fought, but in the end, I had to run. Like I said, it was unwinnable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomehow I doubt that you really gave that fight your all,\u201d Noth said.<\/p>\n

Rayas couldn\u2019t blame him for not believing her, since she knew he\u2019d seen her cowering from Vester, but the comment still stung. She wanted to bite him and show him one tiny fraction of what it would be like to be attacked by a vampire, but she managed to catch herself before she did anything crazy.<\/p>\n

Noth went on to say, \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as an unwinnable fight, at least for one who is blessed by the right god. Don\u2019t you have any paladins here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do, I\u2019ve never met them,\u201d said Rayas in as neutral a tone as she could manage. \u201cAnd even mighty warriors can fall to vampires. My old village had fighters with decades of experience behind them. They didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFighters are one thing,\u201d said Noth with a dismissive wave of his hand. \u201cA paladin blessed by Cerox is another. With his help, I will rid this city of its unholy attackers and save you all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and who else?\u201d Rayas asked. \u201cI assume your order sent a sufficient number of troops to wage such a war. Where are the others?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no others,\u201d said Noth. \u201cAnd my order is not involved. Cerox appeared in a vision and personally informed me of this problem, so I came on my own. I will slay all the vampires myself, with nothing but my holy blades and my god\u2019s blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas stared at him. \u201cYou didn\u2019t even send a message to your order? You just went straight here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d said Noth. \u201cAs a paladin does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you even fought vampires before?\u201d Rayas demanded. \u201cDo you know how to fight them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth shrugged. \u201cThey are monsters. If I do enough damage to them, they will die, especially if I decapitate them or take their heart \u2014 that\u2019s how I beat the one fighting you, remember? What else is there to know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are going to get yourself killed!\u201d said Rayas. \u201cOr turned! You have no idea how vampires fight; how hard they are when they come en masse. And if they do turn you, then the vampires will have a powerful new weapon to attack us with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCerox will never allow that,\u201d said Noth. \u201cAnd I do not fear death. Not like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas scowled. \u201cWhat do you want with me, anyways?\u201d she asked. \u201cI have no money to pay you for saving me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe favor of my god is all the boon I need,\u201d said Noth pompously. \u201cI don\u2019t require any other rewards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ve told you all I know,\u201d Rayas finished. \u201cI can\u2019t help you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet me an audience with the council,\u201d Noth said. \u201cIf I am to kill vampires, I need the authorities to know so they do not see me striking someone down. The last thing I need is someone sending the guards to arrest me. Once they give their blessing and tell the guards not to bother me, I can sweep the city and end this threat on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas still thought that was an idiotic idea, but she knew she wouldn\u2019t be able to talk the arrogant paladin out of it. \u201cYou could get any gnoll to help you with that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother gnoll might be a vampire, and if I get into another fight before clearing things with the council, it could cause problems if I\u2019m seen,\u201d said Noth. \u201cBut I\u2019m sure you aren\u2019t turned. Otherwise, that last monster wouldn\u2019t have had any reason to attack you.\u201d He stood. \u201cTake me to the council, Rayas. Just get me in the door. Then you can run away and resume hiding under a rock for the rest of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

A growl almost forced its way out of Rayas\u2019s throat before she caught herself, and she wanted nothing more than to bite out his throat, but she restrained herself. Her mouth was hurting for some reason and Rayas wondered if she was getting sick, which was of course the last thing she needed then. She debated ordering Noth to leave and then trying to get out of town before any illness that she did have got worse, but she doubted the arrogant paladin would obey.<\/p>\n

And besides, she thought, if she could get Noth into the council, and he could get through to them, maybe they could help Noth defend the city. Maybe she could contribute in that way. Then, even if she was too terrified to even think of drawing a weapon, she could still be able to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll take you there, Noth. And then I hope never to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The towering rhinotaur smirked at her. \u201cExcellent,\u201d he said. \u201cOn behalf of Cerox, I thank you for this service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Somehow Noth\u2019s arrogance made Rayas\u2019s teeth ache even more. \u201cIf you\u2019re lucky,\u201d she told him, \u201cand if you somehow survive your attempt to fight a horde of vampires one-on-one, you\u2019ll understand where I\u2019m coming from. What\u2019s more, you\u2019ll agree with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCerox would strike me down if I accepted your cowardice,\u201d said Noth at once. \u201cEnough talk. Take me to this council, Rayas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you wish,\u201d Rayas said, and ushered him out of her home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

The City Council met in the tall, ancient mansion near the rear of Hydor, the one whose rooftop commanded a view of the entire settlement, the desert beyond, and even the foothills behind the city where the farmers grazed their livestock. That building had always made Rayas feel uneasy. She had initially dismissed her nervousness by telling herself that she knew firsthand just how useless a building\u2019s thick walls, sturdy defenses, and magical wards carved into its stone surfaces would be in the face of a vampire gnoll invasion. As she approached the building with Noth, though, she was able to finally determine the real reason it unnerved her. \u201cIt\u2019s too big,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry?\u201d Noth asked her. The sun gleamed off his armor to the point where it was hard to look at him without squinting. \u201cDid you say something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas shook her head because she knew he wouldn\u2019t understand. He couldn\u2019t see that the council mansion was huge, far larger than the council needed it to be, and at least half of it had to be unoccupied. It was as if the building had been created for a much larger settlement which had been buried under the desert sands without a trace, leaving only the comparatively small city of Hydor behind. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing,\u201d she lied as she wondered if such a settlement really had existed, if its inhabitants had been wiped out by some monstrous attack, if their bodies were buried in the sand just a few inches or feet below her steps. \u201cNothing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they reached the mansion, a grizzled old gnoll who was standing on guard duty glanced at Rayas. \u201cNot you again,\u201d he groaned. \u201cDidn\u2019t you get your fill of being laughed at by the council last week?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have new information,\u201d Rayas said in a tight, clipped tone. \u201cThis rhinotaur is Noth Vox, paladin of Cerox. He claims that his god has warned him of dangers in our midst that must be fought, lest they destroy us all. The council must be made aware of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old gnoll sent Noth an unimpressed look. \u201cHow do I know he\u2019s really a paladin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth smiled slightly, then whispered a few words in a tongue Rayas did not know as he hefted his battle-ax high. The battle-ax began to glow with a strange power and Rayas found she could barely look at it. Then Noth swung the weapon at a boulder which had been set by the mansion\u2019s door as part of a rock garden, and the blade easily cleaved it in two.<\/p>\n

Rayas gasped and cringed away before she could stop herself. At the same time, the gnoll guard\u2019s mouth dropped. \u201cAlright,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll tell the council you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hurried inside while Noth casually wiped a few pebbles off of his battle-ax and asked, \u201cAre all residents of Hydor as scared as you and him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas glowered at Noth and did not answer.<\/p>\n

The other gnoll came back a few moments later and said, \u201cThe council will see you now. This way, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

He led Rayas and Noth into the mansion and shut the door behind them, blocking out the intense desert sun. The temperature dropped almost immediately, and Rayas sighed in relief as she looked around the foyer. While the outside of the building was constructed of hardy stone that had presumably been mined from a local quarry, the inside\u2014or at least this part of it\u2014was made of materials which were nearly impossible to get in the desert. The walls were lined with wood, for instance, and the cushions of the two chairs against the opposite wall were covered with soft, silky fabric that Rayas had never even seen before.<\/p>\n

\u201cFancy place,\u201d said Noth in a contemptuous tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way, please,\u201d said the old gnoll as he led Rayas and Noth deeper into the building.<\/p>\n

The hallway they traveled down was also lined with wood, and every few feet Rayas and Noth passed a table with gorgeous flowers, elegant feathers, or some other kind of display which had probably cost more than Rayas earned in a year. The gnoll stopped by one old door with gold and silver embossing on the surface. \u201cThey are expecting you,\u201d he said as he pushed the door open. \u201cYou may state your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas had seen the council room when she\u2019d first tried to warn Hydor\u2019s leaders about the vampire gnoll threat, of course, but it still took her breath away to lay eyes on it again. The large room had an impressive round table in its center; the table looked to be made of a single circular piece of wood, and Rayas couldn\u2019t imagine how much it had cost to find a tree of that size, cut it down, and ship a single plank of it back to Hydor. Around the table, several chairs glittered with gems fixed in their bases, and dark cushions sat upon them, looking luxurious despite their age. Little chairs and tables lined the walls of the room, the latter of which held flowers, carafes of water, and even plates of fruit.<\/p>\n

When Rayas looked above the table she saw a few cloths, each dyed a cool blue, purple, or dark green, that dangled down from the ceiling. The cloths seemed to bring the roof closer to the floor, giving the room the feel of a cool basement that was shielded from the heat and sun of the outdoors. And then there were the ancient sconces in the walls, each carved from a different precious stone and each carrying a little torch. The torchlight was just enough to illuminate the room but no more; this kept the council members just barely visible without amplifying the heat in the room.<\/p>\n

Rayas had no idea how the council could afford this; Hydor wasn\u2019t big enough of a trading or industrial center to be able to afford these luxury items. Then she found herself wondering if all the expensive things had been bought long ago, perhaps by that other, larger settlement she thought might have existed, and if the Council was just going through the motions and parasitically living off the sustenance that their predecessors had built up. They were like another type of vampire, she considered, and then she tried hard not to think of it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d complained one of the council members, an elderly gnoll named Vasya. She was short in stature, and her mane and fur were streaked with white, which only seemed to highlight the long scar on her right cheek. She wore a fancy purple robe which seemed too voluminous for her slight frame, and she held a small scepter which denoted her position as the leader of the council. \u201cWe have heard your wild tales already, Rayas. We don\u2019t need to hear them again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tales are not wild,\u201d said Noth before Rayas could speak. \u201cI am a paladin of Cerox named Noth Vox, and my god has commanded me to come to this city and drive out the vampires. Therefore, there must be vampires here, or my god would not have made such a command.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps you imagined it,\u201d said another council member. \u201cYou would not be the first paladin to think his god was speaking when it was really your own mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third gnoll said, \u201cBesides, the prophecies of a rhinotaur deity are hardly germane in a city of gnolls. There is a reason we have no temple to Cerox in this city, paladin. We obtain protection from our own gods, and as they\u2019ve not sent us any warnings of danger, I see no reason to panic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth frowned. \u201cI have already encountered a vampire in your city. This threat is no figment of Rayas\u2019s imagination. It is real and must be dealt with!\u201d<\/p>\n

The council murmured and its youngest member, a gnoll named Hevaston, leaned forward. \u201cReally?\u201d he asked. \u201cYou\u2019ve actually seen a vampire in Hydor? Where is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI fought and defeated him,\u201d said Noth. \u201cBut there are surely more. I need all the information you have on these monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no such information,\u201d drawled Vasya, \u201cbecause there are no vampires. Rayas is seeing things that are not there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hevaston frowned. \u201cBut if this paladin really saw one\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could be lying,\u201d Vasya said. \u201cPerhaps Rayas hired an actor to try to convince us of her story, since her first attempt failed. Or he could be deluded. Either way, he has no proof.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should at least look!\u201d Rayas demanded. \u201cIf I\u2019m wrong, fine, I\u2019m wrong, but if Noth and I are right, the city needs to know so someone can do something!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough of this,\u201d said Vasya as she rose. \u201cThere is nothing to be done. Hevaston, see me in my private office; we need to talk. The rest of you are dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas sighed to herself. Now there was really nothing to be done but to flee, she thought.<\/p>\n

Then Noth said, \u201cExcuse me, but I\u2019ve come a very long way and I\u2019m quite exhausted from the journey. I don\u2019t suppose I could stay a few minutes to have some water and cool down?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d said Vasya. \u201cThe door guard will show you out when you are ready.\u201d She turned on her heel and walked toward a distant door, with Hevaston following. The other council members filed out in a hurry, as if eager to get out of the ancient room.<\/p>\n

Rayas slumped into a small chair on the side of the room while Noth drank from a crystal carafe of water. \u201cLet\u2019s go talk to that leader again,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe we can convince her when she\u2019s alone and doesn\u2019t need to posture for the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t think that\u2019s likely,\u201d said Rayas.<\/p>\n

Noth ignored her and strode toward the door that Vasya had gone through. Sighing, Rayas hurried after him. She arrived there just as Noth reached the door and shoved it open\u2014<\/p>\n

To see Vasya crouching over Hevaston\u2019s prone form, her mouth open, with sharp fangs buried in Hevaston\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n

Her head flashed up and she locked red, bloodshot eyes with Rayas and Noth for a moment before she sneered at them. \u201cDie, then!\u201d she yelled as she sprang up onto an ancient wooden desk faster than Rayas would have thought possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I know why she didn\u2019t want the other council members to support a vampire hunt,\u201d drawled Noth as he drew his battle-ax. \u201cRayas, get back. You won\u2019t be any good here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFoolish paladin,\u201d Vasya hissed. She extended claw-like fingers at Noth and bared her gleaming fangs. \u201cThere are more of us in this building, let alone this city. You cannot fight us all alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth laughed. \u201cWith Cerox behind me, I can fight anything\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Vasya sprang forward and smashed into Rayas, knocking her into Noth hard enough that they stumbled back into the council meeting room. Rayas, operating on instinct and some half-remembered memory of her fight in western Iradel, rolled to one side and then sprang to her feet in a single, smooth motion. Her eyes widened as Vasya approached her. Noth, she saw in the corner of her eye, glanced in another direction, possibly having sensed vampires approaching from some other hallway. But whatever he was doing, he was distracted, which meant she was on her own.<\/p>\n

Rayas felt a horrible chill of fear as Vasya approached. \u201cNot again,\u201d she whimpered. \u201cNot again, not again, not again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Vasya clawed at Rayas, and Rayas stumbled backward. Her mind felt like it was breaking apart. Her teeth ached horribly, she was so mad about Noth\u2019s contempt that she wanted to bite him again, and now memories from that horrible battle in her former home flooded back. She could see herself fighting through hordes of vampires, some of whom had been her friends and fellow warriors before they were turned, orworn down through sheer numbers. She\u2014<\/p>\n

Vasya swung her scepter at Rayas. Dimly remembering how she\u2019d survived a similar attack in western Iradel, Rayas dropped down to her knees, so the blow passed over her head. Then she jumped forward and slammed her shoulder into Vasya\u2019s gut, relying on her larger size to knock back the tiny vampiric gnoll. Vasya indeed stumbled backward, and Rayas took the chance to glance behind her, where she saw Noth sweeping his gleaming battle-ax at two vampire gnolls who were dressed like town guards. \u201cWe\u2019re doomed,\u201d she managed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou certainly are!\u201d laughed Vasya as she jumped forward again.<\/p>\n

Rayas managed to block Vasya\u2019s next blow with one of the ornate council chairs, then seized one of the torches from a sconce on the wall. She had beaten a vampire back in her former home like that, she thought as her memories continued to return, and she swung the torch at Vasya in a rapid pattern that forced the vampire away. \u201cJust like I remember,\u201d she hissed, recalling a similar scene from her fight back there. \u201cI\u2019ve done this before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vasya tried to dodge around Rayas, but Rayas managed to singe her enemy with the torch, and she hissed in pain. Rayas dropped into a combat stance\u2014<\/p>\n

A figure lurched out of Vasya\u2019s office and grabbed at her. It was Hevaston, Rayas saw, and though he had been turned only moments ago, he had the same blood-red eyes and gleaming fangs as every other vampire gnoll. He was the closer threat then, and so Rayas swiveled, dropped back, slipped under his extended arms, and jammed the flaming torch into his neck.<\/p>\n

Hevaston screamed as he was dispatched, but then Vasya hit Rayas with her scepter. Rayas stumbled and Vasya was able to grab her from behind and drag her to the ground. \u201cDie!\u201d Vasya roared. \u201cI want to taste your blood!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas struggled in vain but couldn\u2019t break the ancient vampire gnoll\u2019s grasp. Vasya bent down over Rayas, smelled her neck, and then\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d Vasya whispered. \u201cAlready bitten?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas froze. That couldn\u2019t be, she thought. Everyone whose blood was drunk by vampires either died or became one of them. She was neither dead nor undead, so she couldn\u2019t have been bitten.<\/p>\n

Except Vasya\u2019s words seemed to unlock one more memory in her traumatized mind. She saw herself faltering in battle against the vampire leader, saw him using his psychic powers to force her back, saw him biting into her neck\u2014just as, with the last of her strength, she had stabbed him in the side with her sword. The vampire leader had been knocked away, Rayas had been able to escape, and all thoughts of the battle had fled from her mind.<\/p>\n

Until then.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe must have run far away from the master,\u201d mused Vasya to herself. She stroked Rayas\u2019s cheek almost lovingly. \u201cThat\u2019s why she didn\u2019t turn when she was bit. Oh, but the master is here, and I can sense that her turning continues. She will be one of us and serve the master within a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not!\u201d whispered Rayas in a feeble voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cVasya laughed. \u201cYou have no choice\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

And then her head went flying, cleaved off by Noth\u2019s massive battle-ax.<\/p>\n

Rayas gasped for air and pushed herself up. She saw all the vampires were defeated, strewn across the council chamber. Noth had a few more dents in his gleaming armor, but he was otherwise unscathed. \u201cYou won!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I won,\u201d said Noth in a tone of perfect arrogance. \u201cNot everyone is like you, Rayas. Some of us are brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas shut her eyes as she felt an overpowering urge to jump onto Noth, to bite out his throat, to kill him and drink his blood\u2014and then she wondered if that was really just her own aggravation with him, or if the vampire \u201dmaster\u201d Vasya had spoken of was already influencing her.<\/p>\n

If so, given how strong the urges were getting, she might indeed lose herself completely within hours. Maybe less.<\/p>\n

Rayas slumped down and Noth smirked at her. \u201cYes, I think it\u2019s better if you stay here. I\u2019ll finish this on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you needed my help to find the vampire warren,\u201d said Rayas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that you won\u2019t be helpful,\u201d said Noth. \u201cYou weren\u2019t of any use in this fight, after all. Besides, the vampires know I\u2019m here now, so I\u2019m certain they\u2019ll attack me as I go through the city. I\u2019ll deal with them as they come.\u201d<\/p>\n

He began to leave, but Rayas forced herself to get up and yell, \u201cYou can\u2019t fight them on your own!\u201d She took a breath. \u201cI tried, back in my village. I remember now\u2014I<\/em> was my village\u2019s greatest warrior; if anyone could do it, I could.\u201d She shut her eyes for a moment at the memories she hadn\u2019t been able to think of since that horrible battle, the ones which she was only now recovering. She remembered all the training she\u2019d done, all the drills, all the exercises\u2014and how useless they had all been against the vampire horde. \u201cBut I still lost. No single warrior can\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth scowled at her. \u201cWrong,\u201d he interrupted. \u201cA single warrior can take on a vampire army, if he\u2019s backed by a strong arm, a powerful blade, and the god of war. A coward can\u2019t, though, and what you\u2019ve shown me these past few hours is that you\u2019re a coward. I don\u2019t need the help of anyone, especially you.\u201d He sneered at Rayas, then walked off.<\/p>\n

Rayas glowered as Noth left. She wasn\u2019t a coward, she thought. Her fear was perfectly rational. And that wasn\u2019t even considering the thoughts building in the back of her head, the urges to give up, to give in to the corruption she now knew was spreading through her veins, to bite Noth and make him a vampire because it wasn\u2019t like they could be fought anyway so she might as well join them now\u2026<\/p>\n

It took all her strength not to give into that insane urge. By the time she had quelled it, Noth had left.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Rayas sat alone in the deserted council chamber. She knew that eventually somebody would come in, see the remains of the fight (Hevaston\u2019s corpse, at least, had not crumbled to dust like the others, possibly because he had been turned so recently), and try to arrest her. But nobody had come yet, and so she remained on the ground.<\/p>\n

Maybe she should have just died back home, she thought. She could have gone to a warrior\u2019s death, died a hero, and never known the terror that had engulfed her for the most recent span of her life. Even the chaos of battle had been nothing like the paranoia which had consumed Rayas since reaching Hydor and the encroaching terror of the prior few days. Those days had been spent cowering in her quarters, rushing out only when she had to buy provisions or work and then hurrying back inside the moment she could afford to. They had been worse than any death could be.<\/p>\n

And besides, she noted, if she had died then she wouldn\u2019t be in the situation where she slowly turned into a vampire herself and could betray her city at any time. What if she found Noth again and was overwhelmed by the urge to bite him? Either he\u2019d kill her, or she\u2019d bring him down, and then Hydor would truly be defenseless.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did I do any of this?\u201d she muttered to herself as her head sank into her lap. \u201cNoth\u2019s right; I\u2019m just a worthless coward now. So why did I fight? Why did I live?\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, when she thought about it, she knew why she\u2019d fought. Her parents had been guards who had saved her village from a massive bandit army that had been passing through the area on the way to lay siege to some large city in the grasslands beyond the desert. The bandits had demanded all the gnoll village\u2019s food and supplies for their journey, and when they were turned down, they\u2019d attacked. Rayas\u2019s parents had led the battle and driven off the bandits despite being outnumbered several times over, and when Rayas had truly understood the great thing that they had done, she had known she wanted to be someone who could do the same.<\/p>\n

And so, she\u2019d trained relentlessly, working to become a mighty warrior, and she\u2019d even won a few battles against random bandits, monsters, and hostile tribes. But then the vampires had come, and she\u2019d lost. She\u2019d barely been able to escape after holding off the vampires until\u2026<\/p>\n

Rayas frowned. What had she held the vampires off for? Her memories showed her fighting in the deserted center of town. There was nobody around but vampires and bodies. What had she been doing?<\/p>\n

Then she remembered. Her and the few other guards who\u2019d survived the initial attack had bundled the civilians\u2014children, elders, helpless farmers and artisans, everyone who couldn\u2019t fight\u2014into the wagons and sent them out, then launched their rearguard action. Even after her fellow warriors were dead, Rayas had fought on and held up the vampires by herself, preventing them from attacking the fleeing gnolls. She\u2019d only turned to run when she knew enough time had passed that the vampires would not be able to catch the other villagers. Then the vampire master had shown up and bitten her, and Rayas had barely escaped with her life, but the fact remained: she\u2019d saved her people.<\/p>\n

Rayas smiled bitterly at the old memory. She\u2019d loved the idea of protecting her tribe, she\u2019d loved how she\u2019d saved them from the various minor threats she\u2019d dealt with, and\u2014as terrifying as the vampires had been\u2014 she\u2019d even loved being able to stop them from hurting many of those she cared about. But now she couldn\u2019t do any of that, because like Noth said, she was a worthless coward. She could never protect anyone again.<\/p>\n

Or could she?<\/p>\n

Rayas looked down at her hands again, and then turned to see Hevaston\u2019s body. She\u2019d beaten him, and new as he was, he\u2019d still had the vampire advantages of strength, speed, and a bevy of magic powers. She still had it in her to kill vampires; the trauma of battle hadn\u2019t taken that from her. She could help if only she wasn\u2019t so scared.<\/p>\n

But then again, she thought, she\u2019d been scared in her first fight with vampires too. She just hadn\u2019t let it stop her because she\u2019d had people to protect. And there were gnolls to protect here too. She might not be as close to them as she\u2019d been to those of her tribe, but she still liked them\u2014the guards who kept them safe, the merchants who sold the supplies she needed, the farmers who worked in the lonely foothills to provision the town\u2014and she wanted to protect them. If she chose to fight on their behalf, maybe she could do something to help them. Assuming she didn\u2019t become a full-blown vampire first, of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if I can stop the master before I fully turn, maybe I won\u2019t turn at all,\u201d Rayas murmured. She wasn\u2019t sure if it worked like that, but it wouldn\u2019t surprise her. If the master vampire\u2019s proximity really was affecting Rayas, then possibly killing him would get rid of that effect.<\/p>\n

She was still for a moment longer, and then with a greater effort than she\u2019d ever expended since arriving in Hydor, Rayas forced herself off the floor. \u201cNoth was right,\u201d she said. \u201cI was a coward. But I\u2019m not going to be anymore.\u201d She took a deep breath. \u201cI swear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Rayas picked up a sword that one of the dead vampires had been using and tested its weight in her hands; it was almost the same size as the blade she\u2019d used back in Iradel, and when she swung it she found the motions came naturally. Her memories were back now and she could remember every sword-drill and stance that she\u2019d ever learned. She could use this blade, she thought. She could protect people\u2014<\/p>\n

A powerful wave of cold bloodlust swept over Rayas, who almost bent double fighting the urge to track down the nearest gnoll, drink her blood, and turn her. When she straightened again, her face was drawn and determined. \u201cIf I\u2019m going to do something, I have to be fast,\u201d she muttered. \u201cBefore I turn.\u201d She took a breath. \u201cI need to find Noth.\u201d<\/p>\n

She tucked the sword into her belt and ran out the door.<\/p>\n

Noth turned out not to be difficult to find. She had only gone a couple of blocks from the council mansion when she heard the distant sounds of battle, and it took her almost no time at all to find the abandoned store the noises were coming from and to kick in its door. Hot sunlight blasted into the store\u2019s foyer, incinerating one of the two vampire gnolls who was in the room, and Rayas easily leapt into the shadow the other vampire was hiding in and stabbed him through the heart with her blade. As he died she was already running into the next room.<\/p>\n

\u201cDie, fiends!\u201d Noth yelled as he battled what looked like a dozen vampire gnolls. A few discarded cloaks and sets of clothes on the ground indicated that Noth had already killed some vampires who had crumbled to dust, but many more remained, and Rayas saw that Noth\u2019s motions were starting to slow. Of course, she thought; he was wearing heavy armor and wielding a massive battle-ax, so as strong as he was, he had to be tiring. But she could save him, she thought. Or at least, she could try.<\/p>\n

Rayas let out a fierce yell and charged into the fray, her sword decapitating two vampire gnolls almost before the others had known she was there. Noth shot her a glance. \u201cI need no help!\u201d he said in an angry voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve fought them before. Trust me, you need help!\u201d Rayas shot back.<\/p>\n

As some of the vampire gnolls turned to fight Rayas, she felt cold terror rising in her body again, but this time she was able to hold on to her memories of battle and use them to drive herself forward. She knew how to do this, she thought, and she would do her best. Even if part of her was screaming to hide under a rock again, she would not let herself be pushed back.<\/p>\n

The next few minutes were full of wild battle, with Rayas frantically slashed at her enemies while also dodging or blocking their own blows. Once she felt the mental presence of the master pushing on her to drop her weapon, or better yet, join the others who were attacking Noth, but with a surge of will she managed to fend it off and instead used her sword to kill one of the stronger vampires. Noth slammed his ax through the head of a vampire that was attacking him, then almost idly crushed another against the wall with a powerful blow of his fists. \u201cLeave!\u201d he yelled. \u201cCerox is the only support I need, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

A flicker of motion from above caused Raysa to glance up, where she saw a shadowy figure dropping down from the ceiling. It was a muscular vampire gnoll, and it landed perfectly on Noth\u2019s back. Noth lunged at it but it easily evaded him before chanting something and grabbing the golden collar which protected Noth\u2019s neck. It vanished and the vampire gnoll lunged its fangs at Noth\u2019s unprotected jugular.<\/p>\n

Then Rayas threw her sword and skewered the vampire in the head.<\/p>\n

The vampire\u2019s body went flying away, and even as Noth cleaved through the remaining vampires around him, he gaped at Rayas. Then he yelled, \u201cDuck!\u201d and Rayas dropped down just in time to avoid a blow form one of the last few surviving vampire gnolls. Noth leapt forward and killed the attacker, and then Rayas sprang up to slay one last vampire gnoll that was running at Noth\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

She and Noth then looked around, but nobody attacked them; they had won the fight. After a few moments, Rayas slowly said, \u201cThat one vampire gnoll who dropped on you would have killed you if I hadn\u2019t been in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth glared at her but said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need help,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cOtherwise you can\u2019t complete the mission. And that\u2019s what your god wants, right? The vampire gnolls to be purged from Hydor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Noth said slowly. He seemed to be fighting with himself. Then he finally said, \u201cFine. You can fight by my side. And\u2026 thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas inclined her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made you decide to fight?\u201d Noth asked her.<\/p>\n

Rayas hesitated. \u201cI remembered what was really important to me,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I got tired of being the coward you said I was, so I decided to be different. At least for this one last fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth waved off the compliment, then paused. \u201cLast fight?\u201d he asked. \u201cDo you think you won\u2019t survive it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas looked at Noth, and then an almost overwhelming pressure hit her. She had to run forward, had to bite him, had to rip out his throat and bring him to the master as a newborn vampire, to\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cRayas!\u201d Noth\u2019s voice cut through Rayas\u2019s thoughts, and she realized that she was gripping a stone column hard enough that her hand hurt. But it had been enough to stop her from attacking Noth, so she wasn\u2019t going to complain. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said Rayas. She took a breath and wondered how much longer she\u2019d be able to fight off the master. \u201cAnd I hope we both survive this fight, but that\u2019s not the point right now. We have to hurry. Any ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth nodded. \u201cOne of the vampires here didn\u2019t die. Just after you and I took everyone else down I saw him sneaking out the back. I bet he\u2019s running back to his base for help. If we hurry we can track him there and kill the master.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let\u2019s go,\u201d said Rayas. She grabbed her sword and hurried out the back door, Noth running close behind her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Noth and Rayas left the building and saw a single set of footprints leading away. The wind was kicking up enough dust that the footprints would have been erased were they more than a few minutes old, so Rayas felt confident in assuming they could only have been made from the one vampire gnoll that had escaped. Noth agreed and followed Rayas as they pursued the trail.<\/p>\n

The footprints led through a maze of passages and alleys before ending at a small doorway which was set into a stone structure that had no obvious purpose. Noth shoved the door open and glanced inside. \u201cStairs going down,\u201d he announced. \u201cLooks like it\u2019s a deep descent. What\u2019s under this city?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cI\u2019ve never been down there.\u201d She was reminded once again of her idea that Hydor had once been inhabited by someone else. Maybe those inhabitants, whoever they were, had made this mysterious subterranean part of the city.<\/p>\n

There were unlit torches in sconces within the structure. Noth raised his battle-ax, shouted a holy word, and struck the tips of the torches with it. The torches flashed with divine energy and then blazed to life. Noth smiled and passed one to Rayas before taking the other and leading the way down the stairs.<\/p>\n

The air was dry and musty as the two descended, and Rayas noted that the temperature was dropping more rapidly than she would have guessed, but she kept her wits about her and didn\u2019t panic at the oddities. The stairs ended after a few hundred steps and the two found themselves in an old stone tunnel. Far in the distance there seemed to be some kind of chamber; light flickered from it, but it was a low, almost haunting light that showed nothing of the room beyond.<\/p>\n

Rayas and Noth approached the distant chamber as quietly as they could. Rayas caught herself glancing at Noth and could feel an almost tangible pressure to get close to him so she could bite him, but she did all she could to ignore it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you\u2019re alright?\u201d Noth murmured to her. \u201cYou look pale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Rayas insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou weren\u2019t bitten back in that store, were you?\u201d Noth asked. \u201cOr in the council chamber?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t bitten in the store or the council chamber.\u201d It was not, technically, a lie, since her bite had been from long before then. \u201cLet\u2019s just keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they reached the chamber, Rayas froze as her old fear reared up again. She could see dozens of vampire gnolls in the room, some sleeping and a few feeding from anemic corpses. In the center was a small throne upon which a tall, broad-shouldered vampire gnoll sat. He was muscular and wore heavy armor, but his helmet was off and Rayas could see the telltale red eyes and protruding fangs which gave his true nature away. Plus, Rayas could see something else too. She could see, in the dim half-light coming from faint crystals set within the room\u2019s walls, that this was the same vampire gnoll who had led the group that had attacked her village.<\/p>\n

This was the master.<\/p>\n

Before Rayas or Noth could do anything, the vampire leader lightly hopped to his feet as if his armor weighed nothing. He held a massive mace at his side, Rayas noted, and it was covered in strange sigils. \u201cWe have guests,\u201d the master vampire noted. \u201cYou must be the famed paladin of Cerox I\u2019ve heard so much about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth smirked. \u201cI am he, and I am here to slay you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The master vampire chuckled. \u201cYou would try to slay Moklang, master vampire of the desert?\u201d he asked. \u201cBold. And as for your gnoll companion\u2026 ah.\u201d Moklang smiled. \u201cThe one that got away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas flushed. \u201cI ran when we fought in Iradel,\u201d she acknowledged. \u201cThis time I won\u2019t run. One of us isn\u2019t leaving this room alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am already not alive,\u201d said Moklang. \u201cBut I know what you mean.\u201d His eyes gleamed. \u201cI have overwhelming forces and access to magical powers the likes of which neither of you can comprehend. Why not give in to your inevitable loss and surrender now? I promise your fate will be much more pleasant than the alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUs losing to you is hardly inevitable,\u201d said Noth. \u201cWe will triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo paladin, no matter how strong, can slay me,\u201d said Moklang.<\/p>\n

Noth chuckled. \u201cEven were that true, I am not alone,\u201d he said. \u201cI have help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp who failed to stop me the last time?\u201d Moklang laughed before turning to Rayas. \u201cAnd as for you\u2026 surely by now you must know the fate that will befall you. In minutes, perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas growled. \u201cEven if I were to fall in just a few minutes, I would use every breath until then to stop you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrave words from someone who spends most of her time hiding,\u201d Moklang noted, and Rayas wondered if he\u2019d had her under observation. Was she some kind of pet project of his? She shuddered at the thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough of this,\u201d said Noth. \u201cI see no reason for more words.\u201d He raised his battle-ax. \u201cLet us fight!\u201d<\/p>\n

The vampires surged forward, Rayas drew her own blade, and the battle was on.<\/p>\n

Most of the enemies rushed at Noth, but one vampire gnoll leapt at Rayas with an unholy shriek. Rayas feinted and spun around him, using a move that she\u2019d come up with herself and perfected while still a warrior in Iradel, and took his head off with her blade before he could recover and turn to face her. Then she spun further and blocked the blow of another monster who had charged at her back. When the vampire gnoll pressed his weapon, a heavy iron cudgel, against hers, Rayas shifted her balance to one foot and kicked the monster squarely in his kneecap. His leg gave out, he sank down, and Rayas killed him the very next instant.<\/p>\n

Noth, meanwhile, was charging toward Moklang and smashing through anything that got in his way. A few vampires were beginning to regroup behind him, so Rayas hurried forward and fought to clear them from his back. \u201cI\u2019m here!\u201d she called to Noth as she took down a tall, blood-bloated vampire gnoll that had been rearing back to strike at the rhinotaur. \u201cKeep going!\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth gave a bright, vibrant cheer as his ax cleaved through another enemy. \u201cI will never stop!\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Moklang brought up his hand and chanted something, and Rayas almost doubled over as some kind of psychic force hit her. She was consumed with thoughts of tackling Noth, biting him, and turning him at last. \u201cNo\u2026\u201d she hissed, managing to swing her sword hard enough to drive back a vampire that had tried to attack her while she was stunned. \u201cI won\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She could hear Moklang\u2019s voice in her head. \u201cOf course you will,\u201d it said. \u201cYou have no choice. The battle is lost. I control too much of you for you to hold out any longer, and without you, the paladin will fall. I have won. Give in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas felt her trauma-infused pessimism returning. How many times in the past few days had she thought there was no possible chance to defeat the vampires? How many times had she wanted to run away, or just give up, hide, and hope they didn\u2019t find her? The situation was hopeless and resistance was pointless, just like the fight in Iradel had been pointless\u2026<\/p>\n

But then Rayas grit her teeth. \u201cNo,\u201d she hissed. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course it was, Moklang\u2019s voice whispered. She\u2019d been bitten. She\u2019d almost died. She\u2019d had to run.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got them out!\u201d growled Rayas as she fought through the fog in time to block the blow of another vampire and then to cut her sword deep into his leg, causing him to howl in pain. \u201cI saved the civilians! That mattered!\u201d<\/p>\n

If she was still the terrified, despondent gnoll she\u2019d been the previous day, Rayas thought, Moklang\u2019s attack would have worked. But she wasn\u2019t. She knew better now, and she wasn\u2019t going to give in to the monster as long as she had a scrap of strength in her.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fight mattered!\u201d hissed Rayas as she forced herself to approach Moklang again. He gaped and stumbled backward, clearly stunned. \u201cMy battle mattered, and the lives I saved mattered! And this fight matters too!\u201d She lunged at him.<\/p>\n

Moklang waved his mace, its sigils glowed, and Rayas\u2019s blade bounced off some kind of invisible barrier a few inches from his face. \u201cYou will die!\u201d he snarled. \u201cIn minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil then, I fight!\u201d Rayas responded. \u201cAnd I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRayas!\u201d Noth cried out. \u201cHelp!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas swiveled to see Noth being pressed by four tall, muscular vampires. She rushed to him and took down the first one moments before he could stab Noth, then smashed her body into the second one and stabbed him in the heart while he tried to recover. Noth drove back the other two vampires, but then Rayas heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Moklang approaching with his mace held high\u2014<\/p>\n

And Noth swung his holy battle-ax. It hit the magical barrier that Moklang had summoned with his mace, and the barrier shattered with an audible crash. The mace shuddered in Moklang\u2019s grip and blasted out strange, dark sparks of energy before the sigils faded. \u201cNo!\u201d gasped Moklang. \u201cNo holy magic can\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMine can!\u201d Noth roared.<\/p>\n

Moklang drew a curved dagger from somewhere within his armor and leapt at Noth. Rayas tensed as she saw that the vampire gnoll master had left his side exposed to her while he attacked. Noth stepped forward, as if to take the opportunity to attack\u2026 but then he paused and instead slammed his ax into one of the muscular vampires who had just lunged at Rayas.<\/p>\n

Leaving Rayas the chance to kill the monster who had destroyed her village.<\/p>\n

Rayas shouted and slammed her sword into Moklang\u2019s neck as he passed her. The vampire screamed and thrashed, but Rayas bore him to the ground and put all her weight on the blade until it finally cut through. \u201cDIE!\u201d she screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t over!\u201d gasped Moklang\u2019s severed head even as his body began to decay into dust. \u201cThis desert will be ours! Saveon will be ours! All life\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And then his head crumbled away too, and he was gone.<\/p>\n

Rayas gasped as she felt a cruel, cold presence leaving her, and moments later she felt more balanced and stable than she had in a very long time. She smiled at the feeling, and then grinned as she saw the other vampire gnolls in the room which hadn\u2019t died yet begin to crumble as well. It looked like killing the master really did get rid of the minions\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d called Noth as he pointed at the far wall. \u201cThat one isn\u2019t dying!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas\u2019s gaze snapped to where Noth was pointing, and she saw a husky vampire sneer at her before fleeing into another tunnel. The two gave chase down another incredibly long hallway, but the vampire was fast and it was all they could do to keep pace with him. Then the monster reached an old stone door and slammed through it.<\/p>\n

Rayas arrived at the door just before Noth and looked outside to see foothills whose paths were shadowed by tall mountains. \u201cI think we\u2019re outside of town,\u201d she said. The heat didn\u2019t feel so bad to her anymore, and she wondered if that was because she no longer wanted to hide inside her dark, cold home in fear of the monsters. She pushed that thought aside, as something to be considered later, and added, \u201cIf we keep going we\u2019ll hit the mountains. That last vampire must have fled there\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth grunted. \u201cIf he really did run away, that probably means he couldn\u2019t call on any more reinforcements in town. Looks like the vampire infestation is done with, unless that one comes back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder how he survived when the other vampires died?\u201d Rayas mused.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe must have a different master,\u201d Noth answered. \u201cThat would also explain what the guy you killed meant when he said things weren\u2019t over. He was a master, but he might have been subordinate to another master.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the survivor was some guy sent by the more powerful master to keep an eye on him,\u201d Rayas muttered. \u201cSo he\u2019ll get back and tell whoever is really leading the vampires that their team failed and Hydor is still free.\u201d<\/p>\n

She felt a strange mix of emotions. On the one hand, she had protected her new city and its people, purged the taint within herself, and avenged the dead gnolls from her Iradel village. On the other hand, the enemy was still out there, no doubt already trying to gather more strength. And who knew what else the vampires were trying? Was Theria at risk? Other settlements? All the world?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what happened to the older settlement which used to live in Hydor?\u201d Rayas wondered to herself. \u201cIf it existed at all, if I\u2019m right about that\u2026 was it destroyed? Did the vampire gnolls ruin it?\u201d It wouldn\u2019t be impossible, she thought, since vampires could live forever. It was entirely possible that the vampire gnolls had roamed Saveon for ages, destroying societies and cities before being forced back to lick their wounds and plan their next assault.<\/p>\n

But this time, Rayas vowed, there would be no next assault. They would be destroyed in their entirety.<\/p>\n

Noth sighed to himself. \u201cI think this is where we part, then. My mission won\u2019t be over until this entire group of vampire gnolls is purged once and for all.\u201d He paused. \u201cThank you for fighting with me. You were\u2026 helpful. I wouldn\u2019t have made it otherwise. I\u2019m sorry I said otherwise before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it,\u201d said Rayas. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I wasn\u2019t useful during our first couple fights. But I\u2019m over that. From now on, I\u2019m going to be able to fight these guys.\u201d She took a breath and then looked Noth in the eye. \u201cBearing that in mind, what would you say if I asked to travel with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Noth blinked. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I want to protect my people, and that requires tracking down and destroying these vampire gnolls for good. Since you\u2019re doing that anyways, I\u2019d like to come along.\u201d Rayas smiled. \u201cBesides, I\u2019m done hiding in my house and hoping the monsters don\u2019t find me. This time I want to bring the fight to them so they never do this to anyone else. So is it alright with you\u2014and Cerox, I guess\u2014if I come along?\u201d<\/p>\n

Noth smiled. \u201cI\u2019d be honored,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m sure Cerox wouldn\u2019t mind me having someone to help me accomplish my holy mission.\u201d He clapped Rayas on the back almost hard enough to knock her over. \u201cWelcome aboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a few stalls in the market that should still be open,\u201d Rayas said. \u201cWe can get some supplies and leave as soon as you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds perfect to me,\u201d Noth responded. \u201cBut first let\u2019s search that chamber we just left. There might be clues as to where their base is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayas felt light and free as she followed Noth back toward the tunnel. Her fear and trauma weren\u2019t gone, exactly, but she had them under control. She could do this.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d protect the gnolls, and everyone else, in Saveon. She would serve her people with everything she had. And she would never again, she promised herself, give in to despair. Victory was possible. In fact, with a few mighty warriors on a righteous mission, it might even be probable.<\/p>\n

\u201cRayas!\u201d called Noth as he reached the tunnel entrance. \u201cAre you coming?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d said Rayas, and she hurried to join him in beginning the next phase of their quest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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