Chapter 3: Other Plans
Kuru sat, staring long into his mirror. His eyes nearly glazed, his intensified stare unfaltering, even as the other spoke.
"So, it has begun then?"
"Yes," he slowly answered. "Yes it has indeed."
Kuru sat alone, his small chamber dark, save for the reflective image displayed in the mirror. A small Alliance-Styled Cutter was overtaken with ease. Kuru watched emotionlessly as it plunged forever into the dark void of the inlet.
"What of the wolf?"
Kuru continued staring. "It has been captured."
"And the Vampire?"
"We are unsure of his current whereabouts. Our spy in his manor said he departed early this morning, wrapped in his bindings." Kuru waved a hand, silencing the mirror, and plunging the room into velevty blackness.
"He will try to free the girl."
"She has already been freed.” He spoke, rising from his soft throne. “Illuminatus!”
The room burst into torchlight. Kuru donned a pair of Obsidian Order Robes, neatly folded upon a silk-sheeted bed.
“What do you speak of?”
“Istal freed her. She sacrificed herself to save her allies from Jyor-ll.” He pulled a slender arm through a finely woven sleeve. “It matters not, though.”
Kuru opened a beautifully scrolled door, and walked into a silent stone corridor.
“You know you cannot escape this conversation that easily, Master Kuru.”
Kuru sighed, and, looking about, ducked into a corner. “A new host has been found. She donned the Soul Stone moments after Erika’s death.”
“Does the Vampire know how to use the Stone?”
Kuru cleared his throat. A group of Obsidian monks passed silently, taking no notice of the man.
“Speak!”
Kuru rolled his green eyes. “We do not know. I would assume so. However, the host has already been joined with the energy. Even if he knew how to use the stone, it would be impossible to free her.”
“Excellent.”
Kuru walked out of the corner, onto the velvet red carpet. Tochlight flickered up and down the massive hall. Kuru eagerly stepped forward, anxious to be rid of the conversation,
“Kuru? One more thing.”
Kuru stopped. “Yes?”
“The girl’s name?”
He chuckled, exposing pointed fangs. “Her name is…”
(Meanwhile)
"Seraphine!" A whisper called out.
It called her name. Called it, even though the person speakign it was dead. Dead, and engulfed by flames, but still, somehow, she managed to say the name.
Seraphine's pale body tossed and turned in a makeshift cot. Much had happened between the battle and her current catnap.
The cot itself was woven of fine silken thread, freshly cultivated by Ian. The druid had graciously taken the lot back to his small estate at the edge of the Basten Inlet. His nearby hill, shrouded in gorgeous forest grown by Ian himself, overlooked the shadowy bay and a small dot of land below, called Executioner's Island.
Wrapped tightly around her neck, Erika's beautiful purple stone gleamed, glowing faintly in the darkness of the bedroom. Seraphine moved uncomfortably in her sleep. The night was cool and perfect, her silken nightshirt, donated generously by Ian, fit comfortably, yet her sleep was wrought with traumatic images, flashing ceaslessly through her mind.
A burnign body... A man, cast in finely woven brown robes... Erika. Erika's pointing at something...
Seraphine writhed.
The Seal...Massive...Seven Runic circles...The Seal! She's pointing at the seal.
Her frail body, now barely clad in the soft nightshirt, began to tremble violently.
The Dead body fo a draconis girl... Wings! A Vampire..
Fyr...FYR! The handsome visage of the vampire lord pulsed through Seraphine's mind. He stood, his face- his beautiful face- illuninated by the moonlight, staring out into the night. Seraphine's arm grasped the bed as she shook.
Fyr's hands caressed Seraphine's naked back. SHe felt fangs, sharp teeth of the vampire, lovingly embrace the flesh of her neck. A sigh of passion. Lips meeting in the dark.
The bed was bathed in Seraphine's sweat.
Elle...Elle was falling. A wickedly sharp blade...lodged in her Back!
Seraphine awoke with a blood curdling scream. A few feet away, Elle stood, arms crossed in front of her unarmored tunic, staring in shock.
"Seraphine, are you alright?" As stern as the Elf was, Seraphine could easily detect worry in her voice.
Elle was healthy and uninjured, save for a small, rapidly healign wound on her pale left cheek. Seraphine sat up in bed panting for air, a shoulder strap dangling limply off of her white shoulder.
"Are you hurt?" she asks, her red hair blowing in the wind from the open window.
Meanwhile
Kuru sat watching Seraphine writhe in her comfortable bed. He was not sure whether it was the elven girl's half-clothed form that enthralled him, or the thought of her potential power. He carefully sipped a goblet of fresh wine.
"She dreams of the Vampire."
Kuru sighed. "Yes, The Mirror has shown me. Quite graphically, I might add."
The voice cackled. "I am sure you enjoyed the vision. But you do know what this signifies. He will contact her."
Kuru rose to his feet, placing the silvery cup on the armrest of his throne. "I have already taken an appropriate measure."
"And what measure do you speak of, Master Kuru? Your first...measure of entrusting the girl to Monk Istal was an utter failure. And now the Vampire knows of our involvement."
The door to the chamber closed sharply. "I do not think it matters, Lord Asterine," A young man's voice cut in.
The voice speakign to Kuru stopped. A small framed man, bound in a simple tunic, stepped into the torch light. His developed muscles embossed the tight white shirt he wore. Jet black hair, encased by a simple cloth bandana, blanketed his face, covering his right eye.
"You are truly gifted, boy, if you can detect my presence. Perhaps even moreso, to dare speak my name without trembling." Lord Asterine's voice breathed
The young lad, lookign no older than 23 years of age, smiled. "I've learned better than to fear a simple name, my lord. Moreover, I hardly belive a voice could kill me..."
The voice of Asterine chuckled maliciously. "Kuru, kill him. I will not tolerate insolence."
Kuru barely flinched. The man remained, not running, not ceasing smiling. A second later, his body was engulfed in flames. Within minutes, he was no more than ashes on the velvet red floor.
Asterine echoed with laughter.
So did the pile of ashes.
"Are you satisfied now, Lord?" The man's voice called. A second later, white vapors twisted and spiralled, breathing life into the form of a man. Kuru chuckled, still ceasing to watch Seraphine with his hungry eyes.
The boy smiled, flashing white fangs.
"One fo your kind?" Asterine paused.
Kuru shook his head. "My measure..." Kuru waved an arm at the boy. Asterine grunted.
"IF you please, my Lord Asterine call me, Whyte. I am here to serve unquestioningly." He bowed deeply, his worn bandana flopping miserably. "Besides...Its high time I settled some business, with the Vampire Damon Fyr."
"So, it has begun then?"
"Yes," he slowly answered. "Yes it has indeed."
Kuru sat alone, his small chamber dark, save for the reflective image displayed in the mirror. A small Alliance-Styled Cutter was overtaken with ease. Kuru watched emotionlessly as it plunged forever into the dark void of the inlet.
"What of the wolf?"
Kuru continued staring. "It has been captured."
"And the Vampire?"
"We are unsure of his current whereabouts. Our spy in his manor said he departed early this morning, wrapped in his bindings." Kuru waved a hand, silencing the mirror, and plunging the room into velevty blackness.
"He will try to free the girl."
"She has already been freed.” He spoke, rising from his soft throne. “Illuminatus!”
The room burst into torchlight. Kuru donned a pair of Obsidian Order Robes, neatly folded upon a silk-sheeted bed.
“What do you speak of?”
“Istal freed her. She sacrificed herself to save her allies from Jyor-ll.” He pulled a slender arm through a finely woven sleeve. “It matters not, though.”
Kuru opened a beautifully scrolled door, and walked into a silent stone corridor.
“You know you cannot escape this conversation that easily, Master Kuru.”
Kuru sighed, and, looking about, ducked into a corner. “A new host has been found. She donned the Soul Stone moments after Erika’s death.”
“Does the Vampire know how to use the Stone?”
Kuru cleared his throat. A group of Obsidian monks passed silently, taking no notice of the man.
“Speak!”
Kuru rolled his green eyes. “We do not know. I would assume so. However, the host has already been joined with the energy. Even if he knew how to use the stone, it would be impossible to free her.”
“Excellent.”
Kuru walked out of the corner, onto the velvet red carpet. Tochlight flickered up and down the massive hall. Kuru eagerly stepped forward, anxious to be rid of the conversation,
“Kuru? One more thing.”
Kuru stopped. “Yes?”
“The girl’s name?”
He chuckled, exposing pointed fangs. “Her name is…”
(Meanwhile)
"Seraphine!" A whisper called out.
It called her name. Called it, even though the person speakign it was dead. Dead, and engulfed by flames, but still, somehow, she managed to say the name.
Seraphine's pale body tossed and turned in a makeshift cot. Much had happened between the battle and her current catnap.
The cot itself was woven of fine silken thread, freshly cultivated by Ian. The druid had graciously taken the lot back to his small estate at the edge of the Basten Inlet. His nearby hill, shrouded in gorgeous forest grown by Ian himself, overlooked the shadowy bay and a small dot of land below, called Executioner's Island.
Wrapped tightly around her neck, Erika's beautiful purple stone gleamed, glowing faintly in the darkness of the bedroom. Seraphine moved uncomfortably in her sleep. The night was cool and perfect, her silken nightshirt, donated generously by Ian, fit comfortably, yet her sleep was wrought with traumatic images, flashing ceaslessly through her mind.
A burnign body... A man, cast in finely woven brown robes... Erika. Erika's pointing at something...
Seraphine writhed.
The Seal...Massive...Seven Runic circles...The Seal! She's pointing at the seal.
Her frail body, now barely clad in the soft nightshirt, began to tremble violently.
The Dead body fo a draconis girl... Wings! A Vampire..
Fyr...FYR! The handsome visage of the vampire lord pulsed through Seraphine's mind. He stood, his face- his beautiful face- illuninated by the moonlight, staring out into the night. Seraphine's arm grasped the bed as she shook.
Fyr's hands caressed Seraphine's naked back. SHe felt fangs, sharp teeth of the vampire, lovingly embrace the flesh of her neck. A sigh of passion. Lips meeting in the dark.
The bed was bathed in Seraphine's sweat.
Elle...Elle was falling. A wickedly sharp blade...lodged in her Back!
Seraphine awoke with a blood curdling scream. A few feet away, Elle stood, arms crossed in front of her unarmored tunic, staring in shock.
"Seraphine, are you alright?" As stern as the Elf was, Seraphine could easily detect worry in her voice.
Elle was healthy and uninjured, save for a small, rapidly healign wound on her pale left cheek. Seraphine sat up in bed panting for air, a shoulder strap dangling limply off of her white shoulder.
"Are you hurt?" she asks, her red hair blowing in the wind from the open window.
Meanwhile
Kuru sat watching Seraphine writhe in her comfortable bed. He was not sure whether it was the elven girl's half-clothed form that enthralled him, or the thought of her potential power. He carefully sipped a goblet of fresh wine.
"She dreams of the Vampire."
Kuru sighed. "Yes, The Mirror has shown me. Quite graphically, I might add."
The voice cackled. "I am sure you enjoyed the vision. But you do know what this signifies. He will contact her."
Kuru rose to his feet, placing the silvery cup on the armrest of his throne. "I have already taken an appropriate measure."
"And what measure do you speak of, Master Kuru? Your first...measure of entrusting the girl to Monk Istal was an utter failure. And now the Vampire knows of our involvement."
The door to the chamber closed sharply. "I do not think it matters, Lord Asterine," A young man's voice cut in.
The voice speakign to Kuru stopped. A small framed man, bound in a simple tunic, stepped into the torch light. His developed muscles embossed the tight white shirt he wore. Jet black hair, encased by a simple cloth bandana, blanketed his face, covering his right eye.
"You are truly gifted, boy, if you can detect my presence. Perhaps even moreso, to dare speak my name without trembling." Lord Asterine's voice breathed
The young lad, lookign no older than 23 years of age, smiled. "I've learned better than to fear a simple name, my lord. Moreover, I hardly belive a voice could kill me..."
The voice of Asterine chuckled maliciously. "Kuru, kill him. I will not tolerate insolence."
Kuru barely flinched. The man remained, not running, not ceasing smiling. A second later, his body was engulfed in flames. Within minutes, he was no more than ashes on the velvet red floor.
Asterine echoed with laughter.
So did the pile of ashes.
"Are you satisfied now, Lord?" The man's voice called. A second later, white vapors twisted and spiralled, breathing life into the form of a man. Kuru chuckled, still ceasing to watch Seraphine with his hungry eyes.
The boy smiled, flashing white fangs.
"One fo your kind?" Asterine paused.
Kuru shook his head. "My measure..." Kuru waved an arm at the boy. Asterine grunted.
"IF you please, my Lord Asterine call me, Whyte. I am here to serve unquestioningly." He bowed deeply, his worn bandana flopping miserably. "Besides...Its high time I settled some business, with the Vampire Damon Fyr."