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"While I accept your accord, I must warn you...I'm cursed. And if you travel with me you may come to regret your offer." The Tarnished had warned with caution in her voice.
Melina felt a chill travel down her spine as she walked along the road leading south towards the Weeping Peninsula. The pale blue moonlight revealed a horrible sight, corpse after corpse of soldiers, knights, dogs, and nobles littered the roadside. The ground was stained dark by blood, the scent of death lingered in the air. It was nauseating, Melina felt her stomach churn as she took in the carnage. A frantic scream drew her attention to a campsite nestled among chunks of weathered stone on the cliff side.
In it's wake a deafening silence fell over the land, even the wind grew still as a disembodied Melina drifted up the hill. As she drew near the glow of a campfire caught her eyes, and not far from it was the boot of a Kaiden sellsword. Creeping closer Melina saw it was only a leg that had been torn away from it's owner. She didn't hide her disgust as she tiptoed around the thing and made her way towards the giant stone moon dial on the cliff.
In the dark she spied a silhouette, and as she squinted it looked like someone on the ground holding another person. Perhaps it was someone mourning the dead? Or a thief turning out the pockets of the dead for anything of value. When she got closer she recognized the feather cloak of her companion and saw her skeletal mask tossed in the grass.
The Kaiden sellsword in her arms was limp and lifeless, the front of his armor had been slashed open and blood seeped out. Every hair on Melina's body stood straight, instinctively she took a step back. Her boot brushed a chain adorned with bells to alert intruders. The Tarnished's head snapped up at the sound. Their bloody lips curled into a snarl as a pair of pitch black eyes fixed on Melina.
"Leave. Now." The tarnished growled. Terrified Melina turned away and ran until she reached the South Agheel Lake sight of grace. There she crossed the veil between the living and the dead and escaped into the spirit realm.
...........
"Melina." The Tarnished called as they neared the golden sliver of lost grace. Her voice echoed off the crumbling walls of the Church of Marika. Melina was listening but she didn't dare make her presence known. "Melina." The Tarnished called sadly. "I'm sorry for what you saw tonight. I owe you both an apology and an explanation." She let out a soft sigh as she shook her head. "If you are willing, meet me in the lower level of the Roundtable Hold this evening. I would like to make it up to you for everything." With that the Tarnished reached out to the lost grace and travelled to some unknown location. Melina could hear the sincerity in their voice and felt bad for hiding from them. She would accept their invitation to meet, but afterwards she would move on to search for another Tarnished.
....
As evening drew near Melina materialized in Roundtable Hold, on the lower level she spied an open door that led into a private living area and storage. Before a large fireplace a small table was placed with a pair of chairs facing each other. On it a glass vase with blue flowers, dew kissed herba, and grave glovewort was tastefully arranged.
A pair of empty wine glasses sat on the table and eating utensils had been placed at one. Feeling uneasy Melina began to consider leaving, but then she heard a soft set of footsteps approaching. She turned around to see a woman clad in a black, high collared mourning dress walking towards her. Her face had the pallor of a corpse, her vivid red eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. And her glossy black hair was tied back into a bun. Her dark red lips curved in a smile that was both friendly and unnerving.
"Good evening Melina. You have my gratitude for accepting my invitation." The Tarnished said with an elegant bow. "I'm delighted to be here, uhm, forgive me." Melina began. "Ah, I did not introduce myself. How rude of me." The woman said with a shake of her head. "I am Lady Morgan of House Ravenmount. But you may call me Morgan, as my title no longer has any meaning."
"Morgan. That's a pretty name." Melina replied. "My friend, I do not mean to offend you, but I must ask you about the previous night." She paused as she noticed a flicker of guilt on Morgan's face. "That was a dreadful affair, and I'm ashamed you had to witness it. But that was the ugly side of my curse." Morgan answered. "Come inside and rest, I have a meal prepared for you. After dinner I shall explain everything." As Morgan said this her eyes fixed on Melina, something about them was oddly mesmerizing and calming.
Melina let herself be guided in to sit down at the table. Morgan poured her a drink of what looked like honey mead. Leaving for a moment she returned with a bowl of roasted springhare stewed with herbs. With a smile she placed the food before her and sat down across from her. She poured a glass of mead for herself, but made a grimace as she took a tiny sip.
"Won't you eat anything?" Melina asked. "I'm sorry my dear, but I'm simply not hungry. Please, eat your fill. I hope it's to your liking." Morgan replied with a smile. The food was delicious, Melina had never eaten anything like this in her old home. Perhaps it was a recipe from a foreign land? Morgan was content to nurse her drink and wait on Melina, at times asking her about events in the Lands Between.
When dinner was over Morgan cleared the table and returned with a wooden mug. Melina wrinkled her nose at the copper scent coming from it. Her heartbeat quickened as she recognized the gruesome contents it held. "Let me begin by expressing my sincerest apologies. Any fear or distress I caused was not intentional." Morgan began. As she lifted the mug and took a sip of it her eyes fixed on Melina again. Melina couldn't help but feel like her limbs had turned to stone, and at the same time she felt relaxed.
"I'm sure you had your reasons." Melina responded. "You said you once hailed from House Ravenmount. Are you an assassin?" She asked. Morgan nodded her head. "Yes, I was the best of my guild." She paused for a moment as she looked somewhere past where Melina was sitting. "Long ago, after the Night of the Black Knives the Deathbirds first appeared. They formed an inhuman kinship with a group of priests that tended the graveyards, keeping the dead at rest." Morgan said as she paused to drink from her mug. "This kinship became a worship of death, with my ancestors being devout followers. When the Golden Order began to spread abroad our family lost support among the royals of our country. We were shunned and hunted, as a means to an end we became assassins. We made ourselves to be like the Deathbirds hoping to earn their blessing."
"The Deathbirds have gone mad since then, I doubt they will recall the bonds you once shared." Melina said with a sad glance. "They've also forgotten their duties, I've seen firsthand how they hunt living and undead alike." Morgan replied as she took another drink. "But they are not the cause for my plight. When I was a teenager my parents were murdered by the Golden Order. Cleansed, as they would put it." Morgan's expression turned sour at the word. "My uncle was the only family I had left, and as younger brother he inherited Ravenmount manor and the title of guild master."
"I'm sorry, that must've been difficult." Melina replied. "It was the first gentle step into the nightmarish hell I've found myself in." Morgan said with a sigh. "After some years had passed I'd learned he'd been converted by a Blood Priest. He was performing secret rites to earn the favor of the Lord of Blood." At this Melina's face went pale, she knew of the cult of blood crazed fiends that roamed the land murdering in a frenzy.
"He was discontent with his title and his leadership was lacking. The Blood Priest encouraged him to seek the power and prestige of a Sanguine Noble. The Lord of Blood would grant his request, but a sacrifice of great value was needed." Morgan explained. Melina felt the air grow cold, she had a sinking feeling of dread as she watched Morgan's eyes change to pitch black orbs.
"I was his sacrifice." Morgan said in a low voice. "As he plunged a knife in my heart the Lord of Blood was called forth. My rage, my desire for revenge, and my strength piqued his interest more than that bastard's pitiful boot licking." Morgan said with a steel edged voice. "He blessed me with the powers of his nobles, but because I refused to submit to him he cursed me as well." She paused a moment as her eyes returned to their normal reddish hue. "I'm forced to walk in darkness, the light of day will inflict terrible burns. And I'm forever consumed by a thirst for blood, forced to kill wether it's for his glory or not." Morgan said quietly.
Melina couldn't help but feel pity for her companion, out of sympathy she reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm so terribly sorry. I wish I knew some way to help you." She said softly. Morgan wore a faint smile as she laid her other hand over Melina's. "I appreciate it. And I'm grateful you stayed with me to listen to my rambling. My intention is to kill the Lord of Blood, and hope that will suffice to end my curse. And I will hunt down the few of my guild that sided with my uncle." Morgan said as she looked away for a moment.
"I pray for your success." Melina replied. This made Morgan smile. They spent the rest of that night talking and becoming aquainted with each other. And when the fire burned low and dawn wasn't far off Morgan began to tire. "Melina, I don't wish to impose, but might I ask something of you?" Morgan asked with a stifled yawn. "Of course." Melina replied with a smile. "Would you keep me company while I rest? I would ask Fia, only she's not overly fond of me. I'm too cold for her liking, and I find myself missing the warmth of life." Morgan said softly.
"For you my friend, I'll do it if it brings you some comfort." Melina replied. Together they went to the bed in the back of the room, Melina slipped off her cloak and Morgan put on her nightgown. Melina rested in Morgan's deathly cold embrace as she drifted off to sleep. Despite being next to a literal vampire she felt safe, in fact she hadn't slept that well in a long time.