Chapter Text
Under the cover of a moonless night a thief raced across the rooftops of a decrepit hamlet. His dark leather armor and hooded cloak blended seamlessly with the shadows, his nimble feet traversed a carefully planned path with the silence of a phantom.
Down below a dense mist shrouded the streets, amidst the maze of debris and broken carts ragged silhouettes shambled aimlessly. The thief paused a moment to watch one, a shiver crept down his spine as he saw a woman in a tattered, bloodied nightgown stumble down the cobblestone street. Her face had a haunted expression, spidering black patches were slowly covering her eyes, her left arm was splotched with mold and rotting off.
"Focus, you don't have all night to gawk." The thief muttered to himself as he forced himself to carry on.
Against the backdrop of the midnight sky the shape of a sprawling building with a large dome stood out. As the thief drew closer the ancient limestone walls covered in ivy and faded carvings could be made out. In an age long past it had been a temple to Aura, Goddess of light. Now it sat dark and abandoned, the main door was sealed shut to keep out the infected and thieves like him.
Ignoring the main door the thief circled around to a smaller chapel that was attached to the rest of the building. Crouching low on the roof of a boarded up shop his sharp eyes searched every nook and cranny for signs of danger. An unsettling calm seemed to fill the air, the kind that usually signaled trouble.
After several minutes he descended to the street and crossed the road to the chapel. From nearby the scurrying of rats caught his ear, they were nearly as dangerous as the infected. Approaching the door he saw the faded remnants of bloodied handprints staining it's weathered surface.
This doesn't bode well, what if this place is crawling with infected? Will I have enough time to get back to the rooftops? The thief thought to himself as he glanced over his shoulder.
He had come this far into the quarantine zone, to return home empty-handed meant he would go hungry again. Reaching into his boot he pulled out a leather bundle and unrolled his lock picking implements. With a practiced finesse he had the door open in seconds and slipped inside.
Reaching to his belt he held out a small iron hand lantern, in place of a wick it held a pale crystal shard. Closing his eyes for a moment the thief took a breath and focused his magical energy into the lantern. A spectral flame with a soft lilac hue illuminated the inside of the crystal and cast it's light in the darkened chapel.
The chapel was in a state of disarray, the benches were broken and the braziers had been toppled, ash and incense was scattered across the stone floor. The decorative banners were frayed and dusty, the murals of ancient tales were terribly faded. A trail of old dried blood led to the altar where a gruesome discovery waited.
A knight wearing rusty armor and a tattered, bloodstained tabard was slumped with his back against the altar. His dented shield bore the solar cross of the forsaken kingdom of Amaranth. A large golden spike protruded from his chest, a holy ward to trap the undead was scratched onto its surface.
As he glanced around he saw the matronly marble statue of Aura standing with her arms out in a welcoming gesture, the solar halo behind her head was missing a spike.
There was a fight here, this guy must've been the paladin charged with protecting the place. The thief thought as he looked down at the dead knight.
He couldn't take his eyes off the golden spike in his chest, he guessed it easily weighed a few pounds. It would be a trivial matter for him to melt it down and pawn it off in pieces. The thought of finally being able to afford food brought a smile to his face.
"My Lady, I thank you for your kindness. May your knight rest in peace." The thief said with a bow of his head.
Strapping the lantern to his belt he grabbed the golden spike in both hands and tugged hard. He struggled with it for several minutes before it came loose suddenly causing him to stumble back and crash loudly against a broken bench. As he picked himself up and brushed himself off he failed to notice the dead knight's fingers suddenly twitch.
.......
He had slept for so long, he dreamt of a peaceful life, the warmth of sunlight, and a happy home. But those dreams were shattered by a resounding crash, his heavy eyelids fluttered open as he instinctively grasped for his sword.
But his sword was gone, the chapel was desecrated, and someone had removed the spike keeping him trapped. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to sit straight, his body felt numb and heavy as if he were made of stone.
The clatter of his armor made the thief slowly turn towards him, his sky blue eyes were wide with fear. He let out a yell and a string of profanity as he scurried away.
From outside a horrifying scream rang out, in the distance several others cried in reply. Both men froze as they realized a horde of infected were going to be on them in a matter of minutes.
The knight raised his hand and put his finger to his helmet in a gesture of silence. Then he motioned for him to come closer before folding his hands in a prayer gesture.
"Help me." The knight's voice came out in harsh rasp. "Please."
"Why should I?" The thief asked in a hushed whisper. "You're a ghoul."
An ghoul with his wits about and you can talk. I don't like this. The thief thought.
"I can hide us." The knight replied.
From outside came the crash of crates and debris being knocked aside accompanied the sound of running feet.
"I can hear...twenty... too many." The knight said as he struggled to get to his feet.
Against his better judgement the thief went to the knight's side and helped him to his feet. He stood a good head and shoulders taller than him and was difficult to move without being crushed under the knight's weight. Together they hobbled to the back of the chapel and through a back door that led into a dusty hallway.
Brushing away the cobwebs the thief hurried along the winding corridor and with the knight's guidance they reached a dormitory hall filled with empty beds and heavy furniture. Together they used several dressers and storage chests to bar the door.
Completely exhausted the knight lay sprawled out on the floor and the thief sat nearby watching him warily.
"Didn't know ghouls got tired." The thief said quietly.
"I'm not a ghoul." The knight replied. He was about to say more but he was interrupted by a harsh coughing fit. His throat was burning to the point it was painful to talk.
Forcing himself to get up he wearily trudged to the end of the hall and out a door into an outside courtyard. The benches and statues were buried beneath dense green foliage, in the center a small fountain sat in disrepair, it's murky water was filled with small white water lilies.
Tossing his helmet into the grass he knelt at the fountain and eagerly gulped down several mouthfuls of water. Its coolness was refreshing and helped to ease his pain but it wasn't what he really needed to stop the burning in his throat.
Out of curiosity the thief had followed him and watched him getting a drink, he had expected to see a skeleton or a half rotted face beneath the knight's helmet. But instead he was met with a stern yet handsome face, his skin was deathly pale and his eyes were dark red like finely polished garnet. His hair was long, wavy, and ashen grey. The thief's surprised exhale caused him to look up.
"Holy shit." The thief stammered. "You're a vampire."
"Not entirely, I was cursed." The knight replied as he wiped his mouth.
"Who are you?" The thief asked nervously.
"Sir Andreus of Amaranth, captain of the royal guard and youngest son of King Roald." The knight answered with a trace of pride in his voice. "And who are you?"
"I'm Darian, a lowly thief with no family or home." The thief replied as his shoulders slumped slightly.
"Well, Darian, you have my gratitude for freeing me. When it's safe to leave I will reward you for your troubles." Andreus said as he stood and reached for his helmet.
"I'm surprised you're not trying to kill me for stealing from the temple." Damian replied with a raised eyebrow.
"From what I see you haven't stolen anything, so we have no issue. And as long as I don't catch you in the act then we're fine." Andreus replied.
Damian heard the warning in his voice and decided nothing here was worth taking, especially with a vampire protecting the place.