“We have to move soon. How are you feeling?” Evie asked, tearing her gaze from the boarded up window of an abandoned building. In the dim lighting from the little rays of fading sunlight that filtered through the cracks and crevices, Buramog sat slumped against a rotted wooden table that was on its side. He was holding a cloth to his side that had turned black from the blood that seeped through the wound in his rendered armor while his Runed Iron short-sword lay within arm's reach.

  They had the unfortunate encounter of running into a pack of ghouls led by two Ghoul Barons. They managed to escape, but not without Buramog taking a few scrapes trying to protect Evie so she could use her runestones to their best effectiveness. She felt guilty that he still got hurt. More than once she regretted not taking the class of a healer when it was offered on her advancement to Tier 2. However, she had seen what her father was capable of with runestones. It was a path that required patience, which would eventually pay dividends. She even wondered if there would be a variation when she was ready to ascend to Tier 5 since she had chosen the title perk of a Servant.

  She was snapped back to reality when Buramog grunted. “I will live. Those fiends won’t get the honor of slaying me,” he snorted, but Evie noticed the way his heavyset brown eyes sagged with tiredness from the blood loss. She took a quick glance at the wound, seeing that even with their first aid, it only seemed to worsen.

  “If we can at least make it back to Emir before sundown. We will be alright,” she said, straining her hearing for any of the shrieks of the ghouls. They were slowly making their way from the dock outwards, capturing any victims before they could escape to tell anyone nearby. There were even a few that were unlucky enough to wander into this part of town that were captured. However, she knew it was only a matter of time before they started reaching the denser pockets where people clung to. If that happened, then it would only escalate. On the other hand, she was grateful that Ebira wasn’t in absolute control of the Queendom, which had guards patrolling around like the towns and cities closer to the capital.

  In the back of her mind, though, Skarra plagued her since she was an unknown outlier still having to retreat to whatever den she called friends to lick her wounds. She also knew that it presented an opportunity if Aldrin didn’t regain control. Still, she couldn’t help but sigh in annoyance at the sudden turn of events. While her knowledge of vampires was enough, it wasn’t all-encompassing, and she had no idea that effectively disabling Aldrin would warrant his return as a Feral.

  Buramog wheezed and laughed. “What…?” he asked.

  Evie turned back to peek out through the boarded cracks, her eyes scanning the rooftops she could see from her viewpoint. “Just thinking about how we got here.”

  Buramog shifted and stifled a groan. “We got here because vampires aren’t seen in a welcoming light to some,” he said.

  “It wasn’t always like that, from the stories my tribe has passed down through generations,” she answered, straining her eyes on a flicker of movement on the furthest rooftop within eyesight. “Stay quiet though, I think we might have company soon,” she whispered, becoming more vigilant than before.

  They heard the shriek first, before baleful howling as a pack of ghouls vaulted over the strip of rooftops like rabid animals, searching for prey. Evie watched them with bated breath, slowly reaching into her pouch that was at the side of her hip, fingering one of her runestones that sat within. Buramog saw that and slowly reached for his short-sword, grimacing at the pain that raced up and down his side at the movement.

  The ghouls that Evie could see stopped, sniffing the air, shrieking and growling as they clamored over the rooftop. Her heart seized when one shrieked louder than the rest before they started ripping away at the roof shingles. There was a scream when one ghoul broke through, dropping inside, and like ants, the rest swarmed and descended into the hole. There were muffled crashes and more screams within. Evie resisted the urge with all her might to not go out there and confront the creatures, but Buramog had other plans.

  “If we don’t do something, it will only make Aldrin feel worse,” Buramog whispered as he shakily stood, surprising Evie with his insight. He moved to stand next to her. “Let me out,” he asked and even though Evie was torn, she still refused the request.

  “I wasn’t asking. Let me out. For Aldrin’s sake,” he pressed, but Evie stood firm and rooted herself between him and the door.

  She looked at him, really looked at him, and saw the fire that burned within his tired eyes. Her respect for the Orc only grew more from it, but if he died, it would affect not just her but everyone else. “I can’t, Buramog. You are too valuable to risk your life,” she whispered back.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “And they,” he stood tall, “are worth the risk.”

  Evie pursed her lips together then shook her head. “No. I understand, but we can’t.”

  “She’s right, you know…” a soft voice said, startling them both.

  Evie pulled out the runestone she had been ready to use while Buramog, even wounded as he was, still took a defensive posture in front of her as he turned to face the newcomer. Both of their breaths hitched as they took in the pink skin and hair pulled back into a tight bun with amethyst eyes. She wore a black cloak that draped down to her knees, and what little Evie could see in the dim light were brown leathers with etched runes running along the edges of it that wafted subtle power.

  “You’re a Fae? Here? Why?” Evie asked until her mind recalled that Aldrin was in contact with the Fae. “Wait… you’re the one Aldrin briefly spoke of.” She said, putting her runestone back into her pouch and placing a hand on Buramog’s shoulder, who had yet to release the tension within his body. “It's fine. I think she’s an ally, or at least I hope she is?” Evie asked.

  “I am. Normally, I wouldn’t make myself known to anyone but Aldrin, but this is a kind of emergency.” The Fae said, looking around their hidey-hole. “I am Torvina, by the way,” she said when she looked back at the two.

  Evie stepped around Buramog, who was only slightly relaxed now but still kept a watchful eye on Torvina. “I am Evie, and this is Buramog,” she introduced herself.

  Torvina gave a thin smile. “Oh, I know. I have been watching you all since you guys started,” she said. “Like I said, I have come to help,” she said, drawing out a white piece of chalk that warbled the surrounding air.

  Evie stared at the piece of chalk, feeling the onset of a headache forming between her brows. “What is that?” she asked when she finally tore her gaze away and looked at Torvina.

  “The answer to all our current problems. Help,” Torvina said, then looked around the room before finally sighing to herself. “I guess this will have to do. He’s not going to like it, but it's the best we have,” she said, then bent down and started drawing dizzying runes that seemed to run together in a perfect circle. When she was done, she stepped outside the newly drawn circle and put the chalk away.

  “Is that a miniature teleportation circle…?” Evie asked, only seeing a handful of those, more so drawn by her father whenever they needed to transport something big back to their village.

  Torvina giggled, turning a brighter pink. “It is! I knew he chose right,” she beamed, then she turned serious. “When he steps through, tell him exactly who you are, or he will kill you before you can blink. Trust me,” Torvina said, then pricked her finger, letting a drop of blue blood dribble down her finger and onto the runes, igniting them.

  The circle of runes lit up, opening a white doorway that shimmered with controlled power. Evie and Buramog had to cover their eyes from the brightness, and immediately the stale air in the abandoned building shifted into a cold stiffness. It blanketed them only for a brief moment, but it was enough for Evie to recognize something similar from it.

  “Welcome, Lord Marshal Callux. I was not expecting you to be the one to step through.” Evie heard Torvina say evenly and almost reverently.

  “General Ragneel had been called to the front lines. I was appointed in his stead,” said a voice that oozed authority. “And who are these two?”

  Evie saw the white light from the teleportation circle fade, and she uncovered her eyes. Before Evie stood a man clad in red armor with black engravings. He wore a ghostly cape that dragged behind him and whipped in an ethereal wind it only danced to, and a longsword with two rubies encrusted on the handle and at the bottom of the pommel was sheathed at his hip. He held a helmet that had a tuft of black hair stemming from the top of it that went down the middle, tucked underneath his clawed gauntlets. Finally, when she moved up his face, she dropped to a knee, kneeling before the man.

  “I greet thee, Lord Marshal Callux. I am a Servant to Aldrin Ravindra, Progenitor of Vampires. Evieanda Ynnlein, 14th princess of the Mountain Giant clan Ynnlein,” Evie said calmly and evenly.

  There was a pregnant pause, and Evie wondered if she messed up the proper way of greeting. “Then you do not bow. Though I shall let it go just this once since you have not been trained in the proper manner of greeting another lord of one of the Great Houses, given your station. Rise.” The man commanded, and Evie did.

  She took another look at the man who was of Elven descent from his high cheekbones, angled eyes, thin black eyebrows, and closely cropped black hair. His pointed ears were more pronounced since the usual long locks did not cover them, as the Elven people liked to sport. However, slitted crimson eyes, similar to how Aldrin’s turn, stared unblinkingly at her before they moved to Buramog. “And you, Orc? Are you a Servant of Lord Ravindra?”

  “My clan and I are the start of his army, Zha-Mulg,” Buramog said and moved to thump his chest but thought better of it on account of his wound that weakened him by the minute.

  Callux flicked his eyes to the wound, taking one long sniff before wrinkling his nose. “Ghoul poison. Heal him. I would rather my first impression on Lord Ravindra be favorable.” He flicked his eyes back to Torvina, who still knelt.

  “At once, Lord Marshal,” Torvina replied, then stood, her hands glowing white as she spoke words of power.

  Evie frowned as a spike of irritation bloomed. “You couldn’t have done that before…?” she said tersely.

  “I was going to, but the situation at hand required immediate attention,” Torvina replied, still just as calmly.

  “Report,” Callux commanded.

  Evie chose that moment to step in while Torvina focused on healing Buramog. Callux listened with rapt attention, and at the end, a cold fury draped the room. “These pirates have harmed Lord Ravindra. I will hunt them down once I pacify the Lord. How long until the sun goes down?” he asked.

  Evie replied, grimacing at how many people would be lost before Callux could move, "A few more hours at best."

  “Then that will have to do, Lady Evie,” Callux responded, stepping back to sit down as far as possible from the sun's rays, biding his time.

  Safe Journeys!