Shattered Hero
The crowds bustled through the town fair as night fell over the small village of Torma. Cyrus and Basil walked through the streets, having spent the last of their gold on a rigged archery tournament. Cyrus took in the fresh air, thinking of a way he could get enough gold for a stay at the inn, while Basil's attention was elsewhere. Three beautiful young women were walking through the street, led by a short portly man in a top hat. Basil went running over to the girls before Cyrus had a chance to stop him.
Basil weaved through the crowds with ease, making his way towards the girls. The brunette in the middle caught his eye as he tried to get a closer look. Before he knew it, Basil had nearly plowed through the short man leading the girls.
"Watch where you're going you clumsy oaf! I don't want you getting dirt on these girls, they have to be perfect for their performance today..." the man started to ramble, his voice trailing off.
Basil looked over at the girls once more, looking over the brunette. She was a slender young woman, but she also looked very fit. Her long brown hair fell to her shoulders, grazing against her elegant red dress. As he admired her green eyes, she looked over at him. The look in her eye was a sad, almost worried expression. She looked over at the rising moon just breaking the horizon before continuing onward. Basil continued to follow the girl, a bit more tactfully this time as he used the crowds for cover. She broke away from the small troupe and ducked into a small alley. Basil was quick to follow, a suspicious Cyrus right on his heels. The girl broke into a dash as she weaved through the tiny alley. Just as Basil was about to run after her, he watched as she fell to the ground, clutching her chest.
"Are you alright?" Basil called as he ran to her.
"Stay back!" She gasped.
"But you're hurt, I have to help somehow!" Basil replied.
"Stop harassing the poor girl and go fetch a cleric or something." Cyrus groaned.
"Both of you, please leave..."
She suddenly started screaming in pain, her back arching. The popping of bones echoed through the alley as the girl began to change. Her hair grew long as fur started to cover her body. She looked over at Basil, the last shred of humanity fleeing her as she let out a howl of pain. The girl had fully transformed into a monstrous wolf.
"Why are all the girls I like so much trouble..." Basil sighed.
"And why do I always end up getting caught in the middle of it?" Cyrus replied.
Screams resounded from the crowd behind them. Cyrus turned to see the people flooding down the streets in a crazed panic, but they seemed not to have even noticed the werewolf.
"Cyrus! Wake up, we've got a problem!" Basil yelled, grappling with the werewolf as she tried to pin him to the wall.
As Cyrus slammed into the werewolf, Basil looked to see a small army of skeletons stampeding down the street after the townspeople. One of the skeletons crept into the alley, jumping at the werewolf. She turned and wrapped her claws around its skull mid-leap. Cyrus and Basil escaped as she slammed the skeleton's face against the pavement. She darted into the street after them, mowing down another group of skeletons in the process. They weaved through the crowds of people, trying to outrun the werewolf as she plowed through the massive sea of skeletons. With a bright flash, a wall of light shone down behind Cyrus and Basil, cutting off the advancing swarm. An old man stood in front of the wall, his hands glowing with power as he pushed the wall forward over the skeletons, obliterating them. He dusted off his white robe and turned his head.
"You two, come with me." He said, looking over at Cyrus and Basil.
They hesitated a moment, staring in awe at what had just happened.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I just have a favor to ask." he continued.
They followed him towards the edge of town, the old cemetery coming into view. He opened the gate and led them to a large elaborate mausoleum. The size of a small barn, the mausoleum dominated most of the small graveyard.
"I'm sure you both know what this is." he said, looking over at the mausoleum.
Cyrus and Basil gave him a blank stare, having no idea what they were looking at.
"You're not from around here are you..." he continued.
"No, we're not really from anywhere to be honest." Cyrus said.
"Well, this is the tomb of one of the greatest heroes ever to walk the land. I don't have time to get into the legend in detail, but she single-handedly overcame the last dark forces that threatened our land. I believe history is on the verge of repeating itself, and I need your help in releasing her." the man said, walking over to the door.
"And how would we be of any help?" Basil asked.
"This insignia etched into the door acts as a lock. The key was split into three pieces and divided among the three great nations of the land upon her defeat. I have one of them already, and I have an idea where the second is." he answered.
"That still doesn't answer the question." Cyrus replied with a groan.
"I'm getting to that. One of the shards is in the hands of the Mortevus clan, the most dominant of the vampire clans."
"So you want us to attack them and steal the key for you?" Basil asked.
"Of course not! I'm on good terms with the Mortevus clan, but that's not to say I always get along with the clan's leader. Actually, we end up arguing more than anything. That is where you come in. I want you two to go in my stead. You should be able to come up with some kind of deal." he replied.
"And what would we be getting out of this?" Cyrus asked.
"Well, I can pay you a handsome reward for the shard." the man said, pulling a large bag of gold out of his robe.
"We'll do it!" Basil exclaimed hastily.
"Good. I'll send word of your coming. The head of the clan resides in a small forest just north of here."
"And who are you exactly?" Cyrus asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry. The people of this town know me as The White Sage, but you can just call me Matthias." he said with a smile.
"Where can we find you when we return?" Cyrus questioned.
Matthias pointed to a tall spire in the center of town.
Cyrus and Basil waved goodbye to Matthias and headed off towards the forest.
"Why'd you have to jump at that offer so fast, you know I don't like doing other people's dirty work!" Cyrus sighed, giving Basil a hard punch to the arm.
"But it's money Cyrus, lots of money!" Basil replied.
"At least let me think about it next time." Cyrus groaned as the forest drew near.
"Should be a piece of cake. Just get on their good side and we'll have that key in no time." Basil said energetically.
"If only everyone were as stupid as you are, then maybe that plan would work." Cyrus said with a laugh.
"Yea, keep laughing. I'll show you..." Basil grumbled as they reached the edge of the forest.
Cyrus and Basil trudged through the forest, a light mist billowing around their feet as they walked. Off in the distance was a large, elegant manor. As the pair approached, they noticed there were no windows, and one ominous door, a lone watchman standing guard.
"If we're quick maybe we can sneak past him." Basil whispered.
"Mathias sent word we were coming, so that would just be pointless and stupid." Cyrus replied.
The man at the door looked over Cyrus, and after a moment stepped aside.
"My master has been expecting you. I advise you not stray from the main hall. Doing otherwise could be... dangerous." he said with a grin, opening the door.
As Cyrus and Basil walked down the main hall, they admired the busts lining the corridor.
"Must be the previous heads of the Mortevus clan." Cyrus thought.
The final bust in the hall had a fearsome, almost demon-like visage. The hair formed what almost appeared to be a mane, wrapping around from the top of his head to his thick pronounced beard. His features were bold and sharp, an enraged glare forever chiseled onto his face. Cyrus hesitated for a moment, composing himself before moving on.
"I'll wait out here." Basil said, inching backwards.
"Oh no, you're coming with me." Cyrus replied, nearly dragging Basil through the oak doors into the next room.
Precious urns and other priceless works of art adorned the walls of the large throne room. To their surprise, they were alone. A loud crash echoed through the room, nearly giving Basil a heart attack as he frantically checked to make sure whatever caused it wasn't his fault.
"I expected this bust to be perfect, but it seems you fail me yet again. Next time I want perfection, now do it again"! Enraged screeching could be heard from the other room.
A door at the side of the room opened, a tall slender woman emerging from the other side. Her long blond hair whipped around her as she slammed the door and walked towards the throne. She wore a short black lace skirt and a matching corset. She looked over at Basil and Cyrus, barely acknowledging their presence as she took a seat on her throne.
"You must be the ones Mathias mentioned." she sighed as she propped her head up on her hand.
"Yes. I'm Cyrus, and this..."
"I know who you are." she interrupted, a dull and irritated look on her face.
"And what's with you?" she continued, looking over at Basil, who was practically drooling at the sight of her.
After giving her a quick once over, Cyrus immediately realized the problem.
"I apologize for bringing attention to something such as this, but could you please cross your legs..." Cyrus muttered.
"Normally I would find it beneath me to show any modesty towards dirt such as yourselves, but if it will become this much of a distraction I seem to have no choice." she said, crossing her legs.
"Now, what is it you want from me?" she continued.
"Everything..." Basil muttered wistfully.
"The only thing you'll get from me is bruises and broken bones if you don't still your tongue! I'm two centuries too old for you anyway." she groaned.
"As I was saying..." Cyrus continued.
"Let me deal with this distraction first." she said, rising to her feet.
The woman looked at Basil, walking towards him. She pushed her finger against his chest, backing him towards the door. The moment he set foot outside, she slammed the door in his face and locked it shut.
"Now where were we?" the woman asked, taking a seat back in her throne.
"About what I need from you..." Cyrus began.
"Yes, Mathias told me you want my shard of the keystone." she replied.
"It is imperative to my quest..."
Cyrus hesitated, noticing the suspicious grin on the woman's face. She twirled the obsidian pendant on her necklace between her fingers.
"Well, it's right here. All you have to do is come get it." she said.
With that, she slid the pendant into her corset. Cyrus' face started to redden.
"You consider me dirt, yet you're making advances toward me..." Cyrus muttered.
"Oh, I still consider you dirt, delectable near irresistible dirt I want only for myself, but dirt nonetheless. She replied, toying with the lace lining the edge of her skirt.
"Why are you doing this? I'm already willing to arrange a trade for the shard, so this line of persuasion is unnecessary." Cyrus groaned.
"I already told you, all you have to do is take it." she replied, running her finger down the front of her corset.
"I don't think I ever got your name." Cyrus said as he approached her.
"You can just call me master." she replied with a grin.
"I'll pass." Cyrus said.
"Fine, you'll come around eventually. Call me Tielle for now then." she said as she kicked off one of her shoes.
Cyrus stood before her, trying to work up the courage to reach for the shard. As he reached in, Tielle put her foot up against his chest.
"I never said I was going to make it easy." she said with a giggle as she pushed him away.
Cyrus rushed forward again and again, only to be repeatedly pushed away. Tielle laughed, mocking Cyrus' attempts at grabbing the shard. Frustrated, Cyrus shoved her leg aside and lunged in. Tielle immediately wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him into her.
"This is more like it." she sighed, running her fingers down Cyrus' back.
As Cyrus reached for the pendant, Tielle pinned his hand against her chest.
"You're not even trying, are you?" she teased, twisting his wrist just enough to make him squirm.
With a sadistic grin on her face, Tielle gently undid the clasp on the gold chain, letting the entire necklace slide down her corset.
"Oops..." she muttered with a grin.
Tired of putting up with Tielle's game, he tore open her corset and grabbed the pendant.
"I was hoping to have a little more fun with you." she pouted.
Cyrus broke away from her and began walking, pendant in hand.
"Oh, I just noticed something..." she called, Cyrus ignoring her calls.
"Thats not the key shard. My mistake." she sighed, a subtle grin breaking through.
Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks, rage consuming him. He whipped around, sword drawn and ready to strike. Tielle nimbly dodged, knocking the sword out of his hand, and wrapping her fingers around Cyrus' throat.
"We'll have to work on that temper of your's." she said.
"I'm leaving as soon as I get the key shard, now what do you want from me?"
"I want you to serve me." Tielle replied.
"Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke..." Cyrus muttered.
"Think it over. I expect an answer by sunrise. Until then, I suggest you stay here, since the forest can be a dangerous place at night." Tielle said, rising to her feet.
Finally having fixed her corset, Tielle walked over to the door and let Basil back inside.
"Allow me to show you to your rooms." she said, leading them up a long staircase at the back of the room.
They climbed a tall tower, finally reaching a small corridor. At the end of the hall was a massive stone door, two wooden doors on the walls facing it.
"These will be your rooms." she said, motioning towards the two wooden doors.
"I'll be right in here if you need anything. Don't be afraid to pay me a visit." she said, giving Cyrus a wink.
"She's splitting us up again... could she make her traps any less obvious?" Cyrus thought as he willingly went along with Tielle's plan.
No sooner had he closed the door behind him, Cyrus was tackled to the ground. Flat on his back, Cyrus stared up at one of Tielle's maidservants, who was about to engorge herself on Cyrus' neck. Rolling the vampire off of him, Cyrus made a break for the door. She grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards her. Cyrus reached into his cloak, grabbing hold of a vial as the vampire lunged in to bite. He shoved the vial into her mouth, the force of her bite shattering it. The vampire shrieked in pain as holy water ran down her throat. Cyrus bolted out the door and across the hall to Basil's room.
"Basil! Get out of there! It's a trap!" Cyrus yelled, pounding on the locked door.
"Go back to bed Cyrus, I'm fine." Basil groaned.
"Guess I'll have to have a little chat with Tielle about this." Cyrus sighed as he heaved open the massive stone doors.
The doors slammed shut behind him, sealing off the only source of light. Cyrus strained his eyes as he pressed onward.
"Did you enjoy my welcoming gift?" Tielle scoffed.
"What are you planning to do to Basil?" Cyrus yelled angrily into the darkness.
"Nothing at all. Unlike you, Basil is simple. So much so that he seems to be borderline retarded. Give him a pretty woman, and he gladly becomes her pet. You, on the other hand, actually have a brain. My other forms of persuasion failed, so I thought I'd do things by force." Tielle replied from the dark depths of her bedchamber.
"So you try to kill me? Sounds awfully counter intuitive." Cyrus sighed.
"On the contrary. Those who survive being bitten become bound to the vampire who bit him, his master. Inducting you into the hierarchy of the Mortevus clan would have been an adequate alternative. I would have Basil to run errands in the daylight hours in your stead."
Cyrus felt Tielle rest her chin on his shoulder.
"Last chance. Serve me and keep your free will, or sacrifice it all because of your damn stubbornness." she said, gently poking his neck with one of her fangs.
"Fine, I'll do it." Cyrus groaned.
"Good boy." she replied, patting him on the head.
"If you wouldn't mind, stop treating me like a dog. Things might go a lot more smoothly if you do." Cyrus growled.
Tielle grabbed his hair and whipped his head to the side.
"I would advise you drop the attitude. Don't make me regret giving you a second chance." she hissed.
"Why the sudden change in treatment?" Cyrus stammered.
"You're mine now. I can do with you as I please."
"How comforting." Cyrus replied sarcastically.
Tielle swept his feet out from under him, slamming Cyrus to the ground. She paused for a moment, sniffing the air. She carefully removed his cloak, noticing the vials of holy water lining the inside.
"I see you've come prepared." Tielle said as she threw the cloak against the wall.
Cyrus tried to crawl away, but she pulled him up into her arms.
"If only you'd stop pissing me off, maybe I'd be a lot nicer to you." she said, staring into his eyes.
"Oh really? How so?" Cyrus replied unenthusiastically.
"Well, considering where we are..." she said with a blush.
"I'm not interested." Cyrus replied bluntly.
"That's to be expected. Dirt is rarely interested in the foot that treads upon it, but it is still trampled just the same." Tielle said, shoving Cyrus onto her bed.
"I'm going to enjoy this. You on the other hand... that's debatable." Tielle whispered as she climbed on top of him.
No matter how hard Cyrus tried to roll her off, Tielle held her ground. She slowly undid her corset as she leaned towards Cyrus. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she gave him a gentle kiss.
"I love toying with you..." she whispered in his ear.
She rolled off of him and shoved Cyrus off the bed.
"Now get out." she continued as she lied down to get some sleep.
Upon entering his room once more, Cyrus ignored the remains of his attacker and climbed into bed. After a bit of tossing and turning, he finally fell asleep.
For Cyrus, morning came as swiftly as the kick from Tielle's heel connecting with his spine.
"Wake up!" she snapped.
Cyrus rolled over, groaning in pain.
"I said wake up!" she yelled, this time aiming for his head.
Slowly opening his eyes, Cyrus looked up at her.
"I have a job for you. Now come." she said, leading Cyrus back to the throne room.
Basil was already waiting for them when they arrived. As Tielle cleared her throat, Basil stood at attention.
"Cyrus, your resistance will only last until I break you. Now be a good boy and heel!" she snapped, kicking him in the shin.
"Did I ever tell you how much I hate you?" Cyrus asked, rubbing his now throbbing leg.
"If I cared, that might actually mean something." Tielle sighed.
She gave him a cold stare as he stood half-heartedly at attention.
"As I was saying. I want you to retrieve one of the key shards for me. I would do this myself, but this is why I have you two, to do things for me. " She said, an uncomfortable grimace on her face.
"Out of curiosity..." Cyrus began, sensing there was more to this than Tielle was letting on.
"Let me finish." Tielle snapped, shooting Cyrus an angry glare.
Cyrus sighed, starting to slouch again.
"What will it take to get you to stand up straight!?" she yelled in frustration as her hands blindly searched for something to throw.
"Alright, alright, fine." Cyrus groaned as he straightened out his back.
"Can I continue, or do you plan to waste even more of my time?" Tielle growled.
Cyrus replied with silence.
"You will be heading north into the snow mountains of Ral'Tesh. I have prepared a carriage to take you to a valley between the two eastern mountains. From there you will continue on foot through the valley, until you reach a tall spire overlooking the frozen sea. That is where the shard is."
"Is that it?" Cyrus asked.
"No, one more thing. Give Erah my regards." she continued.
Basil and Cyrus walked out the door and into the large horse drawn carriage awaiting them out front.
"That was nice of her, giving us a ride there." Basil said as he lied across the velvet seat.
"Something isn't right. There's something she isn't telling us..." Cyrus muttered, dozing off to sleep.
Before long, the carriage came to a stop, and a frigid wind swept through the carriage as the door opened. A frozen wasteland stretched out before them, the sky split by two massive peaks of ice and snow. Cyrus and Basil stepped out of the carriage and began their trek through the snow. A faint rumbling echoed through the valley as they walked, slowly getting louder. Within minutes, it felt as though whatever was causing the rumbling was right beneath them. Basil and Cyrus broke into a mad dash, just in time to evade the massive jaws bursting from the ice below.
"Basil, run!" Cyrus yelled, making a break for the end of the valley.
A huge mound of ice and snow quickly headed towards them, the monstrous wurm giving chase. They reached a clearing, the massive spire Tielle mentioned looming in the distance. The wurm rose out of the ice, opening its jaws as it closed the distance between itself and its prey. A bolt of fire split the sky, suddenly blasting through the ice. The wurm made a hasty retreat, while Cyrus and Basil pressed onward towards the spire. Another bolt fired down a few feet in front of them.
"What business do you have here?" a voice boomed.
"We were sent by Tielle." Cyrus called out.
After a brief silence, the doors of the spire creaked open, almost as if to invite them inside. A tall spiraling staircase snaked up the wall of the spire, the walls lining it one by one beginning to light themselves. Cyrus started the long climb, unable to shake the feeling that he was being watched. Basil crept back towards the door, hoping to slip away. The door quickly slammed shut, as though it could sense his presence. He turned to see the candles start to flicker and wane, one by one becoming extinguished. He bolted up the stairs to catch up with Cyrus before it became too dark to see. Reaching the top of the spire, a small door opened to greet them.
They entered the small room, briefly scanning the area. The walls were lined with shelves, filled with vials and strange liquids. A long, ornate turquoise carpet lay across the floor. A robed hooded figure sat across from them, lifting its head to acknowledge their presence.
"Welcome, what can I do for you?" a voice boomed.
"Tielle sent us to retrieve the shard of the keystone." Cyrus replied sternly.
"She must really like you, well that or she's gone soft. My sister used to kill those who dared refer to her so casually." the figure said, lowering the hood.
Cyrus found himself staring into the cloudy gray eyes of a beautiful young woman. Her long dark hair fell down behind her robes as she tilted her head to the side.
"Lucky for you, I'm nothing like her." she continued as she rose to her feet.
"You must be Erah, correct?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes. Now, what does my sister offer in exchange for the shard?" Erah asked, starting to walk towards them.
She waited patiently as Cyrus stood before her, baffled.
"Once again she sends her pets stumbling into the dark." she sighed.
"What do you want for the shard? I'm sure we could work something out." Cyrus replied.
"If you give me something, Tielle loses nothing and this whole exchange will have been made absolutely pointless... then again... you technically are her property..." Erah mumbled with a grin.
Chills ran down Cyrus' back as those words rolled off Erah's tongue. Erah looked over at Basil, who was entranced as usual.
"You." she said, getting Basil's attention. "Take this to Tielle for me." she continued, tossing the shard to him.
"Yes ma'am." he replied eagerly, running out of the room.
"Well, now that you have me here, what do you want?" Cyrus groaned.
"As I said before, I'm nothing like my sister. I simply chose to keep you here because I knew your friend is blindly loyal to the point there is no doubt in my mind that shard would be returned to her safely." she replied.
"I'm glad you care so much." Cyrus sighed.
"Either of you would have served my purposes. Hell, any human would be fine. I just need your blood." she continued.
"Great, so you're a vampire too."
"No, not at all. I need it for my alchemy, and considering the location of this tower, I don't get many visitors. Now, ready to bleed?" she asked with a malicious grin, pulling a knife from under her robes.
Cyrus quickly drew his sword, taking a step back. Erah switched her grip on the knife, its back pressed against the blade of her arm. Reaching into her cloak, she pulled out a small vial of gray powder. Cyrus lunged in, swinging at her with his sword. The vial burst into a thick, suffocating smoke. Cyrus fell to the floor, coughing. As the smoke cleared, he found only Erah's robes hanging from the tip of his sword.
"It would seem you're also very ill prepared for combat. Has Tielle gotten so desperate she's been simply dragging people in off the street?" Erah mocked.
Before he could even reply, he felt the cold steel blade of Erah's knife press up against his neck. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow as Erah pulled him close to her.
"I can't help but say I'm disappointed in you. I expected you to at least put up a little bit of a fight." she continued, grabbing his hand.
She slid his palm across the blade of the knife, and quickly held his hand over one of the many empty vials on the shelf. Cyrus winced in pain as the blood rand down his hand and into the vial.
"Almost done." Erah sighed, the vial now a little over halfway full.
"That's all you needed?" Cyrus snapped.
"Yes, though I was tempted to kill you, if only to get on Tielle's bad side." she replied, watching the blood slowly climb towards the rim of the vial.
"You'd go so far as to kill just for the sake of sibling rivalry. To be honest, I probably should have seen this coming." Cyrus groaned.
Just as the blood reached the rim of the vial, Erah slid a small cap into the opening.
"All done. That wasn't so bad now was it?" She asked with a grin.
Erah bandaged Cyrus' bloody hand, sitting him down in a chair at the side of the room.
"Why did we go through all this again? If you just needed a little blood why didn't you say so?" Cyrus mumbled.
"You were the one who jumped to the wrong conclusion and tried to run me through. It was the only way to get close enough to you without getting killed." Erah replied, sliding the vial of blood on one of the shelves.
"The way you put it, who wouldn't jump to the wrong conclusion!?" Cyrus snapped.
"What can I say, I have a flair for the dramatic. I'll let you go back to Tielle, but I want you to do something for me in return. Consider it a test, to see if you're truly qualified to serve her. There is a small chateau in the valley just west of here. I'd like you to bring me one of the candles from the cellar. I think you should be able to at least do that much." Erah sighed.
"Thats it? Get a candle? You're kidding, right?" Cyrus asked in disbelief.
"No, I'm serious. I thought I'd at least give you something around your skill level. So, What are you waiting for?" she snapped.
Cyrus made his way back down the long winding staircase, the candles once again mysteriously lighting themselves as he went. Walking out the door and back into the freezing cold wasteland, he slowly trudged westward through the ice and snow. After a few minutes of walking, the chateau slowly crawled over the horizon. Nearly frostbitten from the cold, Cyrus grabbed hold of the door and pushed it open. The doors slammed shut behind him as he walked inside.
The main hall of the chateau was covered in a thick layer of dust. Dimly lit candles illuminated the hall, its red carpets stretching off into the darkness. With each step, tiny clouds of dust sprung up from the carpet. He started to explore the chateau, searching for a way into the basement. Fumbling in the dark as he walked down the man hall of the west wing, he reached a small oak door at the end of the hall.
As he opened the door, Cyrus found himself in an old study. Compared to the rest of the chateau, it was lit fairly well. Aside from a small reading desk in the center of the room, the only other furnishings were book cases towering to the ceiling. Looking up, he saw a little girl on a ladder reaching for a book on the top shelf. She was dressed entirely in black. A small cape hung down over her dress, and an over sized witch's hat rested on her head.
"Excuse me." Cyrus yelled up to her.
Startled, the girl started to fall backwards. Losing her grip on the ladder, she flew through the air. Cyrus ran over and caught her just as she was about to hit the ground. Her hat fell off, allowing Cyrus to get a better look at the girl's face. Her long black hair fell to the floor as she lay in Cyrus' arms, her wide blue eyes staring up at him. She looked to be only twelve years old, her face free of even the slightest blemish.
"Are you going to put me down any time soon, or do you enjoy holding me in your arms like the bride you'll never have." she said, her eyes narrowing to a glare.
He quickly put her down, flustered by her response. Dusting herself off, she reached for her hat. Putting it back atop her head, she turned her attention back towards the shelf, beginning her climb to the top once more.
"Hey, is that all you have to say?" Cyrus called to her.
She lifted her hand, squeezing her fingers together as if to grab an invisible tab, and slid her hand to the side. Try as he might, Cyrus could no longer open his mouth.
"This is a study, and should be treated as such." she said, her tone suddenly growing serious.
Having finally found her book, the little girl climbed back down the ladder and sat behind the desk. Opening her book, she raised her hand again and slid it back the other way, allowing Cyrus to talk once more.
"Now, what are you doing in my house?" she asked.
"I need a candle from your basement." Cyrus replied.
The girl gave him a puzzled stare, her hat starting to slide off her head as she tilted her head in bewilderment.
"That's it? You want an ordinary candle, something you can find almost anywhere once you pass through the mountains? This isn't a damn thrift store! I can't believe I'm still humoring you with this, get the hell out of my sight!" she snapped, looking back to her book.
"I'm not leaving without that candle." Cyrus protested.
"Fine, let me siphon a few years from your life and maybe I'll think about thinking about it. I really can't be bothered digging through the basement so if you'll excuse me, I have reading to do." she sighed, now lifting the book to block Cyrus from view.
"Fine, I'll get it myself." Cyrus groaned.
The girl lowered the book just enough to see Cyrus again, giggled to herself in amusement, and then raised the book once more.
"Good luck making it out alive." she muttered.
"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked.
The girl simply pointed her finger, flinging Cyrus back out the door.
"If you really want it that bad, the cellar is down the hall and to the left." she called out before slamming the door.
He walked down the dark hallways, making his way to a rusty steel door. As he opened it, he was greeted by a thick wall of darkness. Taking a torch off the wall, Cyrus slowly crept down the stairs. Withered corpses littered the floor, some propped up against walls, others slumped over tables and boxes. His eyes darted to the side, noticing something move in the shadows. He made his way through the dark cellar, straining his eyes to see. He noticed a small candle sitting on a table in the corner of the room. Grabbing the candle, he turned to leave. A young woman stood before him, her long black hair falling over her face.
"Looks like we have a live one." she giggled, shambling towards Cyrus.
Turning, he saw more figures shuffling towards him. Hungry looks in their eyes, the figures encircled him, slowly closing in. Their grotesque faces flickered in the light of the torch. Cyrus slashed at one of them, slicing off its arm.
"That supposed to scare me?" it said with a laugh, reaching down and picking up its fallen limb.
Cyrus continued to hack away at the ghouls, but it was no use. They quickly overwhelmed him as he tried to slice a path through their numbers. The ghouls slammed into him from all sides, clawing at his armor hoping just to get a taste of his flesh and blood.
"Dammit! I'm going to die down here if I don't do something soon!" Cyrus thought as he tried his best to hold off the ghouls.
"Five years..." a voice called.
Cyrus strained his eyes through the dark to see who was talking.
"Give me five years of your life, and I'll make the nasty ghoulies go away." the voice continued.
"Do it now!" Cyrus yelled without hesitation, bashing one of the ghouls in the head.
With a flash, all the torches in the room burned with life, blanketing the whole room in light. The ghouls shrieked and wailed as they retreated back into the shadows.
Cyrus looked over to see the young girl in a witch's hat standing in the doorway.
"You should have told me you were going to throw your life away. It would be a waste not to take a few years for myself first." she said with a giggle, motioning for Cyrus to follow her.
Cyrus followed the girl back to the study, still clutching the candle as though his life depended on it.
"You can put the candle down you know, I wont take it from you." she said with a grin.
Cyrus put the candle on a small table by the door in the study, closing the door behind him as he entered.
"You certainly were foolhardy enough to go get it in the first place, so if anything you deserve the piece of junk." she sighed.
"So, why did you come back for me?" Cyrus asked, watching the girl pull a chair up in front of him.
"Simple. I found out you were Tielle's new lap dog. I would never think of robbing Tielle of her newest toy." she answered, standing up on the chair so that she and Cyrus were at eye level.
"You know Tielle?" Cyrus asked.
She gave him a nod, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I was good friends with her father. I watched that girl grow into a fine woman, if not a little spoiled at times." she continued.
"But how..." Cyrus thought out loud.
"I'm older than I look, dear. I drain the youth of people like you. I've been around since before your grandparents were even born." she interrupted.
"But why would you keep the appearance of a girl so young?"
"I like having girlish good looks, that and I look so innocent no one suspects I'm really a witch. Well, when I'm not wearing my hat that is." she said with a laugh, wrapping her arms around Cyrus' neck.
"You're a bit too young for me, you know..." Cyrus muttered.
"Were you even listening to me before? Besides, I could care less about you romantically. It's just time for you to pay up."
Closing her eyes, she put her lips against his. Cyrus started to tremble, uncomfortable about the whole situation. As the girl started to inhale, Cyrus felt what strength he had suddenly leave him, his body falling limp and crashing to the floor.
"Thought you'd be able to stand for a little while longer. I've got all the time I need from you anyway, so while you're indisposed I might as well continue what I was saying..." she began.
"Who...are you?" Cyrus barely managed to wheeze.
"Did I forget to introduce myself? Just call me Violet. I'd rather not give my real name, for security purposes. I hope you understand. From what I hear, you're after the key shards, right? You don't have to answer that, I know you're too weak to anyway. Tielle is pretty determined to collect all the shards. Not because she wants to free the legendary hero, but you probably already knew that. She doesn't want anyone releasing Marielle. I fought her alongside Tielle's father, back when his empire encompassed the world. What a man he was, holding the power of heaven and hell in the palms of his hands. It's a shame he died fighting her. Worst of all, Tielle was crushed when she heard the news. You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this, right? I see something in you, potential. I'm sure if the time ever comes, you'd lay down your life for Tielle. I know you don't agree with me now, but trust me, you will. Now, drink this. You should be back up on your feet in no time." Violet said, pouring a small vial of clear liquid down his throat.
With a cough, Cyrus sat up, shakily rising to his feet. He grabbed the candle off the table and started to walk out. As he walked out the door, he found himself back in Erah's tower. Perplexed, he looked around and noticed a small slip of paper fall to the floor. Picking it up, he read it aloud to himself.
"You can thank me for the trip back later. ~Violet"
Cyrus walked up the long staircase, and opened the door to Erah's room.
"I've got your candle." he called out.
"Well, you actually made it back alive. Hope it wasn't too much trouble." Erah replied, taking the candle from him.
"So why did you want that candle so much?" Cyrus asked.
"Oh, I didn't. I wanted you to learn more about my sister. I hope you have a bit more insight now. I'm sure you'll put it to good use." Erah replied, taking out a small vial.
"So, can I go back now?" Cyrus asked.
Smashing the vial on the ground, a small pillar of light rose up from the floor.
"There, I've created a portal to Tielle's manor. The least I can do is save you the trouble of walking all the way back." Erah said, taking a seat in her chair once again.
"Thank you for your help." Cyrus said, stepping into the light.
In a flash he found himself in the main hall of Tielle's manor. One of the servants walked over to him.
"The master is waiting for you. Please, this way." he said, leading Cyrus up the staircase at the side of the room.
After climbing up a few floors, Cyrus was led down a long hallway to a large steel door. The servant knocked on the door, the banging echoing through the hallway.
"I told you not to disturb me." Tielle groaned from the other side of the door.
"Cyrus has returned, master." the servant replied.
Cyrus felt his skin begin to crawl as the ominous silence grew longer and longer, dreading Tielle's reply.
"Let him in." she said calmly.
The door opened and Cyrus was shoved inside. The door slammed behind him as an incredible warmth enveloped him. He realized he was in a massive bath house. A massive pool of warm water covered nearly the entire room, Tielle leaning against the far wall, back facing him. Cyrus started to blush, reaching for the handle of the door.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were bathing." Cyrus stammered.
"What does it matter if you knew or not? I wanted to see you the moment you returned." she replied coldly, still facing the wall.
"Why is that?" Cyrus asked.
" Come, join me. I don't feel like yelling across the room anymore." she called to him.
Cyrus took off his armor and started to walk towards the water, refusing to take off his clothes. Just as he reached the edge of the water, Tielle turned her head towards him.
"If you get your clothes soaked, I'm not giving you a dry set. The forest gets pretty cold at night, and you're likely to freeze if you don't keep warm." She said with a grin.
Cyrus reluctantly disrobed and joined Tielle in the massive bath. He waded all the way to her, keeping a good arms length between them.
"I'm tense. Rub my back." she ordered with a groan.
"And if I don't want to?" Cyrus replied.
Tielle only answered with a chilling silence. Cyrus started to move closer, fearing what she might do if he stalled any longer.
"Well don't bother now, you're already getting on my bad side. Now, what did my sister do with you." she snapped.
"She sent me to get a candle from an old chateau. It was a test apparently." he replied.
"Sounds like something she'd do, but there must be more behind it..." Tielle thought out loud.
Cyrus waded closer to her, thinking back on what Violet had told him. Through pity, sorrow, or sheer stupidity he couldn't be sure, Cyrus said five words he would immediately regret.
"About your father... I'm sorry..." he began.
Before he could finish, Tielle whipped around so fast and ferociously that he was knocked back by the rippling waters alone. Her eyes burned with rage, clenching her fists in anger as she looked Cyrus dead in the eyes.
"What did you just say?" she growled, walking toward him.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve..." Cyrus stammered as he backed away from her.
"You did a lot more than strike a nerve!" she screamed, slicing at the water.
A massive wave rose up, flinging Cyrus back and slamming him against the wall. Before he could even shake off the blow, Tielle already had her fingers wrapped around his neck.
"I'll let you live this time, but bring up my father ever again, even in the slightest passing, and I'll make you wish you could crawl back to the safety of your mother's womb and be unborn!" she spat, tossing Cyrus aside.
Cyrus coughed and wheezed, gasping for air as he caught his breath. Looking up, he watched as Tielle walked back to the wall, fists clenched at her sides. Tears ran down her cheeks as she rested her head against the wall. Cyrus watched her from a distance, almost with pity and compassion despite almost being killed.
"What are you still doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling with sadness.
"I wish I knew." Cyrus replied as he continued to approach her.
She jumped as she felt his hands start to run down her back. Turning around, she grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing? If this is your way of showing pity you can save it..." she whispered into his ear.
"Just thought I'd try to make things right." Cyrus replied.
Tielle smiled as she let out a pensive sigh.
"So in other words, you finally came to the realization that the sole purpose in your pathetic existence from this day forward is to keep me happy..." she said with a grin.
"No, not..."
"Because anything else you would have said, is wrong." she continued, cutting him off.
"Wait, there are things that make you happy? I thought only money or some kind of twisted miracle could accomplish that." Cyrus sighed.
Tielle's expression grew cold and emotionless as she started to pat Cyrus on the head. Noticing he was surprisingly calm, she leaned close to him, putting her lips to his ear.
"Why are you so calm, Cyrus. You know I don't like it when you talk to me like that." she whispered.
Digging her fingers into his hair, she shoved his head underwater in one swift motion. After a few seconds of watching him thrash about, she let him back up for air.
"You can be so much trouble, I sometimes forget why I keep you around." she said with an evil grin, pinning Cyrus to the wall.
Cyrus could practically feel his heart stop in fear as Tielle backed him against the wall, practically climbing on top of him. He shut his eyes as he felt her breath on his neck, feeling she was about to bite, but she suddenly stopped.
"It's because you make things fun." she whispered as she licked his neck and let him go.
"What?" Cyrus groaned in confusion.
"I'm so tired of everyone being so complacent around me, constantly walking on eggshells, terrified they might offend me. I need a little willful resistance every so often, keeps things interesting."
"Maybe for you..." Cyrus groaned.
"You know you like it." she said with a grin.
Cyrus sighed, rubbing his head.
"I'll take that as a reluctant admittance." Tielle teased as she walked towards him again.
"Now, digression aside. I have some business to discuss with you." she continued.
"What about?" Cyrus replied.
"The third shard, what else?" You know where it is, so get it for me. Oh, and before I forget, Basil won't be accompanying you this time. He's too much of a liability, too easily manipulated." Tielle said.
"But it's not like Matthias is going to give me the shard for nothing." Cyrus protested.
"Oh, I know. I'll take care of that. Follow me." Tielle said with a grin, beckoning Cyrus with a wave of her hand.
She walked out of the bath and slipped into a black silk robe, while Cyrus put his clothes back on. She led him down into the cellar and grabbed an old wooden staff off the wall. It started glowing with power as she ran her hands over it, a gentle breeze flowing out from it.
"Give him this. It's something he's wanted for quite some time, and something I've been holding just out of his reach for just such an occasion." Tielle laughed as she handed Cyrus the staff.
"So you expect me to go get it now, despite being exhausted from being chased by a colossal wurm, dealing with your sister, getting attacked by ghouls, and you nearly choking the life out of me?" Cyrus asked, irritated.
"Well, if you must. I'll walk you to your room." Tielle sighed as she put her arm around Cyrus' shoulder.
Cyrus gave her a look of surprise, but let her do as she please. It wasn't something worth losing his life over. They reached the sleeping quarters, and Tielle followed Cyrus into his room. She let out a sigh as she sprawled out on his bed.
"What's with you?" he said, walking over to her.
"What, you don't want me here?" she asked, running her fingers down the edge of her robe.
"No, I want sleep." he replied bluntly.
"You sure?" she continued as she slid the robe down past her shoulders.
"Yes, I am." he said sleepily as he tried dragging her off the bed.
"Fine, I was only going to screw with your head more anyway. Way to ruin my fun." Tielle pouted as she left.
Cyrus lied down, exhausted from the day's events. He passed out as his head hit the pillow. He found himself dreaming of Tielle, unsure if he was stuck in a dream or a nightmare, wishing he could wake up but at the same time wanting so desperately to stay. He was suddenly forced to choose as a loud shriek roused him from sleep. It was Tielle.
Running as fast as he could, he flew down the stairs and followed the sound of Tielle's furious trail of destruction. He found her in the basement, most of the treasure hoard in shambles.
"They're gone!" she screamed.
"What's gone?" Cyrus replied, worried.
"The shards! What did you do with them!?" she screamed, rushing at Cyrus.
"I was asleep the whole time, remember?" Cyrus replied.
"Then... Basil..." Tielle growled.
"I think I know where he went. I'll take care of this." Cyrus groaned as he turned to leave.
"No, I'm coming with you. I have a feeling I know who's behind all this." Tielle replied, the fury of a thousand angry gods reflected in her eyes.
Basil and Matthias walked through the cemetery, approaching the large mausoleum. Taking out the three shards, Basil pushed them in the etching, each piece clicking into place. The door slowly slid open, revealing a stairway ahead leading down into the dark. He slowly lead the way down the small staircase, until they finally reached the bottom. Just as Basil was about to continue, he felt himself being thrown across the room.
"I have no need for you anymore." Matthias said as he walked past him, opening the door.
"Marielle, I have freed you from your prison! Now, serve me!" Matthias called.
Without warning, a thick black spike pierced Matthias' head, Basil watching in horror. As the spike retracted, Matthias fell to the floor in a bloody heap. A tall young woman stood in the doorway, her burning red eyes focused on Basil. Her long black hair whipped around her as she walked towards him. As she drew near, Basil noticed her skin had an unnatural reddish hue to it. Two small horns poked out from under her hair.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, running her nails down Basil's cheek.
He shook his head vigorously, backing against the wall.
"Well, you sure as hell aren't Marielle." Cyrus yelled.
Cyrus and Tielle stood at the top of the staircase. The woman looked up at them, a scowl on her face.
"You're Voran's daughter... my how you've grown." she said with a grin.
"You know her?" Cyrus asked as he drew his sword.
"Of course, her father is the reason I've been here for the past two-hundred years. " the woman spat as she unraveled a long chain whip.
"Tielle, explain, please?" Cyrus asked nervously.
"Simply put, humans are conceited fools. They hid the truth, ashamed of having a vampire as their savior, and now it's come back to haunt them. Lillianus is dangerous, and it took everything my father had to take her down the first time, so let me handle this." she replied, stepping forward.
"Now, aren't we confident. I'll teach you not to piss off a half demon, bitch!" Lillianus hissed, pointing at Tielle.
Her long black nails quickly shot out, extending at Tielle. Cyrus dove in front of her, as Lillianus' attack pierced his lung. He collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
"Well, that was unexpected. I would have killed you regardless, so maybe it was for the best." she sighed as her nails retracted.
"Tielle..." Cyrus wheezed.
"What, I'm kind of busy..." she mumbled, forcing herself to focus on Lillianus.
"I need you... to do me... a big favor..." he continued, each breath filling him with excruciating pain.
"Let me finish this and I'll be there for you." she replied.
"Damnit.... Tielle.... bite me...." he coughed.
"I told you this would happen, but you didn't believe me..." a voice whispered, a wall of fire rising up between Tielle and Lillianus.
Violet walked down the stairs, eyes locked on Lillianus.
"Tielle, bite him. I'll handle Lillianus." she said in a cold tone.
"Marielle, I was wondering when you'd show up. When did you start looking so young, right after you sealed me away?" Lillianus mocked.
"I locked you away once, I'll do it again and again as many times as I need to." Marielle replied, lowering the brim of her hat.
Tielle knelt by Cyrus, hesitating for a moment.
"What if I don't want to bite you?" she teased, giving Cyrus a grin.
"You know as well as I this isn't the time for games!" Cyrus groaned.
With a complacent sigh, Tielle sunk her fangs into Cyrus' neck. As she drank his blood, Cyrus could feel his wounds starting to heal as he began to adopt the supernatural abilities of the vampire.
"Feeling better?" Tielle asked, wiping away the blood running down Cyrus' neck.
"Much better." he groaned, rising to his feet.
Lillianus twirled her chain whip around herself as she continued to mock Marielle.
"What's the matter, scared? Lower the flames and show me what you've got!" she yelled.
Cyrus ran forward, but suddenly found himself being hurled backwards.
"Both of you, get out of here. I can handle this on my own." Marielle said, using her magic to shove Cyrus and Tielle out the door.
"W-what about me?" Basil stammered, too weak to get up off the floor.
"You caused this whole mess, so in my eyes you are just as guilty as she. I'll let you share her punishment." Marielle replied, closing her eyes.
Cyrus and Tielle looked back on the graveyard. Just as Cyrus started to run back towards the mausoleum, the sky lit up with a flash, a massive ray of light firing down from the heavens. Rubbing their eyes as they tried to see, the light faded, leaving only a scorched crater in its wake.
"Marielle sacrificed herself for us... was that the only way?" Cyrus thought aloud.
He looked over at Tielle, who was sitting on the ground huddled into a ball. She looked up at him, eyes full of tears.
"I can't believe she's gone..." Tielle muttered.
"What do you mean? I'm right here." A voice called to them from the distance.
A tall woman stood off in the distance, her long black hair running down her back. She dusted off her witch's hat and put it back on her head as she approached. Tielle looked over at the woman, her face brimming with joy.
"Your sister is quite skilled. Those potions of transportation really came in handy if I do say so myself. Though I must say, Cyrus, I'm impressed at how well you protected my daughter. Take care of her for me will you? I'm sure you'll do a fine job."
With that, she turned and started walking away. Tielle rose to her feet and started chasing after Marielle, yelling for her to stop.
"I can't come with you. I believe your father is still out there somewhere, and I intend to find him."
Before Tielle could say anything, Marielle broke a small vial, spilling it to the ground. With a bright flash, she vanished. Tielle looked over at Cyrus, eyes welling up with tears again.
"Stop crying and suck it up. She'll be back." Cyrus teased with a sigh.
Tielle whipped around and slapped him, knocking him to the ground. Grabbing him by the back of his collar, she turned to him again.
"I'll deal with you when we get home, now come on." she groaned, dragging him back towards the manor.