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"I see. Then I shall assemble the finest troops and head for the forest."
Echoing in this Palace's chamber is a voice of valour. Of a knight renowned across all corners of her kingdom. It's a quaint Friday morning when she's called in by King Lugunius, in wake of a scourge unparalleled, a menace vowing to sow the seeds of hell and lead the kingdom to ruin.
The knight's been hearing the stories for some time now, from colleagues and civilians alike; even children. Ghouls cloaked in nightly shadows lurking and stealing the women, children and elderly from their homes, whence they disappear, seemingly never to return. Repeat cases of families torn apart, and yet no lead for any answers.
She bows down with all her dignity, keeping her eyes shut and biting her lip.
"I wish these words are marked, my king. I, Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, will put an end to this horror! I will lay it to rest for the sake of the kingdom... Or die carrying the duty."
The King at first knows not how to respond. Many a knight would cower at the thought of facing such an opponent. Of course, Elizabeth was no mere squire. To him, she was a person of importance higher than most nobles, him considering her as the most valuable pillar to the kingdom, owing to her never ending strife to ensure the well being and safety of the peasantry.
But even in this case he underestimated just who was kneeling before him. For this was no ordinary quest for her.
Lugunius: "Lady Bloodflame. Heed this if you may."
He stands, and paces towards her. Once close, he gently holds her hand and raises it, instructing her to stand.
"Considering the tragedy that befell your family, it's understandable that you would go to this end. Yet, even someone with a noble heart such as yours is no more than a mere mortal. As we all are. Unlike the one preceeding me, I can't assign to you a task as ensuring of scending you down death's door as this one."
Following his gesture, Elizabeth stands, and ponders briefly before raising her face, looking at him concerned.
"Then what can be done? Plenty of troops have been sent to the forest in hopes of finding even one poor soul. And every time, they're to never return alive... Lest the living ones grovel in fear, their spirits mortified. In such dire circumstances..."
Lugunius: "...sending the elite units is the best option."
A brief pause occurs, as Lugunius lowers his brow.
Elizabeth: "Your Highness, I can assure you that the implications do not elude me. The possibility of the Jade troops falling victim to the enemy could lead to this kingdom's requiem... Or worse. However... "
She unsheathes her greatsword, christened Thorn throughout generations in her ancestry, taking care not to raise it.
"No matter the form of this enemy, I have not only a knightly duty I am indebted to all of you to carry out, but my heart also yearns for retribution."
Lugunius makes heavy steps back towards his throne.
"I suppose this is not a matter for negotiation... Very well then. I wish to see... I wish to see the troops you assemble before you embark, by early morrowind at the latest.
Dismissed."
"As you wish, my King."
She thusly takes her leave, carrying the same ever burning confidence.
~~
Despite the mannerisms befalling a knight towards their ultimate superior, there's a lot of history regarding Elizabeth and Lugunius. Due to his immediate family getting embroiled in perilous affairs regarding the kingdom's future, he would spend a lot of his adolescence under her care, learning the way of the sword as well as proper etiquette. He would grow to become a king appreciated by many, inheriting little from the tyrannical practices of his bloodline, as a result of her devotion as his guardian.
It was very easy for Elizabeth to see him as a figurative son, being the eldest child in her family and accustomed to tending to those in need, especially her loved ones. However, what lit the fire on her chest so fiercely was not of a compassionate nature.
In her 25 years serving as a knight, 15 of them have felt completely hollow for her, following an attack directed at her family so inundated in shadow, that only occult machinations of witches could explain it.
It was on that fateful night when she had been called on duty to escort Lugunius from a banquet, for his parents were unable to do so themselves due to, shall one say, "lack of consciousness"; it'd be a close companion who'd forward the request to Elizabeth instead. On the road there however, both the young squire and her escort would observe in bewilderment as dogs, strays or not, cats and some other myriad of animals would grow in unrest.
Such a visage proved mighty confusing, for it was not even a full moon, and the usual robber or small time rogue never before had invoked such a reaction. Not enough time was left for them to meander on it though, with the howls and barks converging and forming a riot.
In this moment, the young squire uttered.
"Are they... Perhaps leading us to something tother--"
Before one would dare to draw their breath, the night, and the warnings from all those creatures, would cease in tandem. Replaced by cries not of this world.
These sounds would prove so petrifying that Lugunius, a young man of a rather considerable stature, would immediately succumb to his instinct, finding himself clinging to his guardian's side before realising. Even she would feel her stance weaken, as the road ahead of them would soon become devoid of the preceeding riot, the various creatures quickly scrounging for places to cower.
Lugunius, able to draw no more but meek whimpers, would look up to Elizabeth with a gaze overrun with fear. Her mind wanted her assuming the role of a instructor, forcing him away and giving him a blade of some form, "for 4 hands can be better than 2", yet this was no more a part of any practice. Knowing that, the squire would instead follow her heart, quelling the fire by keeping the young prince close to her side and walking along with him, towards the castle.
~~
Lugunius: "B-But Miss Bloodflame, what if those sounds were scary monsters? Are you going to be safe? They sounded like they came... F-From the forest... Isn't that where your house is, isn't it!!"
Elizabeth assumes a kneeling stance, to get to his level, and gently holds his shoulders in reassurance. She can't help but tend to his profound distress, being barely able to hold back his terrified tears from running off.
"Even if it's the biggest monster in the world, it is no match for me and Thorn. As for you, you have nothing to worry about, my prince. Look at you, you're growing so fast and bravely, you are much greater than some scary sounds, don't you think? So, remember what we learnt about deep breaths, alright? I promise you I will return as soon as possible. You simply head for your quarters to rest."
Lugunius: "Will... Will there be... Pancakes tomorrow?"
Elizabeth responds, nodding: "I'll instruct the maids to add extra honey. But, if I see you waffling about when I return, it's nothing but salt water!"
Lugunius: "Maybe I can waffle about before you come back! Miss Slowflame, blehhhh~"
Seeing him gleefully stick his tongue out, she chuckles, feeling a slight weight lifted off her shoulders.
Elizabeth: "Riiight, right. Off to bed you go, mister. I'll remember this during tomorrow's practice."
Lugunius: "You're a mean miss. I am going to sleep a lot then so you can't wake me up!"
Throwing him a warm grin, she gives him a headpat, then stands and looks up towards the moon. And in a very overtly stoic tone, she declares:
"We shall see to it then, who will come out victorious!"
Turning her gaze towards him, she finishes:
"Until then, I bid thee a good night's rest."
Lugunius runs off upstairs, all this pent up terror seemingly turning to nothing in an instant. After all, he had nothing to be afraid of, for any monster would be doomed to fall shall his master swing her mighty blade. Yet he couldn't help but observe from his window, as she would take her leave towards the forest, with Thorn already unsheathed and tightly held in her hands.
~~
All that is heard amidst shuffling branches and wind howls is heavy, brooding footsteps. The once peaceful trail leading to Elizabeth's family abode has been filled with withered leaves, her cloak causing them to drift away in her wake. Yet as she continues to tread down this beaten path...
"The... Lights..."
She reaches a point where all the lanterns lighting up the rest of the road have been destroyed. What lay ahead is shattered lamp enclosures, along with steel posts bent out of proportion. Averting her thought from ceasing her march, she continues onward, the scenery proceeding her growing more and more awry.
Blood starts to cover the tree trunks. Cobblestone, torn off the road and thrown towards battered shields and broken swords and maces - the smell of spruce wood, slowly getting swallowed by a deathly stench.
As the ever growing trees cover the moonlight, it becomes increasingly more perilous to keep treading, yet she keeps herself steadfast. She can't bring herself to be afraid, no matter what she could be coming in contact with. Before realising, she's locked her gaze to what lay ahead, her cloak now getting caught in random sharp bits of weaponry or mangled armor and then torn from the bottom end. Soon, blackness gives its way to crimson. Crimson smoke, emanating from somewhere... Familiar.
"Is there a fire!?"
"HELP US, SOMEONE!!!!! PLEASE"
"WE'RE- WE'RE BURNING U- AAAGH!!"
Elizabeth: "Hello!? What's going on over there, are you alright!?"
She begins sprinting towards the source of the sound, feeling a knot in her stomach the weight of a planet. "Those voices were familiar, I am sure of it, please let them be okay, have mercy..." is what she'd utter verbatim, taking the long winding left turn towards an image, a phantom that would scar her forever.
It was her house. Engulfed in an opaque crimson blaze.
"NO! EVERYONE!"
She scurries to it as fast as she can, almost losing her balance several times, while sparkling tears begin to don her eyes and fluttering away into the air. As she gets closer and closer, however, the screams lessen.
By the time she reaches the house gate, all that can be heard is the flames.
"There.. There is no way- Mother! Father!! Where have you--"
An explosion coming from the ground floor of the building cuts her breath short, the resulting wave knocking her out of stance, causing her to fall. She looks around, as what was left of her home is now crumbling down following the blast.
In the face of utter defeat and confusion, she looks up towards the stars, almost catatonic from the shock.
"What... What happened here? Everyone... You can't have died right? Not in this way, not our family, not all of you... Yo-You didn't deserve this!"
Soon, sobbing replaces her words, not knowing to deny or accept this reality.
Yet as she begins to close her eyes amidst whimpers, ready to drift out of consciousness, she feels a hot breath crossing her nape. So hot that it turns her sweat to ice.
"e... Eeh?"
This feeling soon invades her ears, in the form of uncanny breathing. The ground beneath her back fades away, and she stiffens.
As the breath utters, in a piercingly thin whisper,
"Thank you for the feast.",
the now lone squire passes out.
~~
Following this harrowing experience, Elizabeth would have no recollection of any events following her hearing those cries for help. Moreover, the flames would soon cease, leaving behind nothing but rubble, yet not touching even a single tree. The bodies, the crushed equipment, the broken lanterns; all of it would disappear as well. She would be found by her own comrades the next morning, with an abyssal void looming over her memories to this day, coupled with that everlasting knot in her stomach.
This is what Lugunius had to never find out about at all costs. And for 15 years she'd made sure to keep it that way, for his sake. She just had to pray that the retribution she was obliged to mention in their earlier exchange would not cause intrigue, for he could definitely fend for himself in battle, but this should never be a battle for him to fight in.
Friday drifts by, finding the now hardened yet benevolent knight assembling a party of the most dependable men she could find. Noon gives its way to dusk, the now newly formed troop meeting in one of the Palace's rooms, consisting of two sword wielders, followed by two mace wielders, and five archers. As night arrives, news reach them while forging a plan ahead of time, of witnesses claiming three children and their elderly caretakers having just been taken by darkly figures, too darkly to make out any details.
Learning this from her scout makes her blood run cold, then run steaming hot in a mixture of anger and fear. She clenches her fists trying to keep her fire quelled, hurriedly shaking her head before rising up from her chair, her hands bashing the table.
Hadvar, one of the mace wielders, is immediately alerted by her reaction.
"Milady?"
She grabs her cloak off the hanger and dons it.
"I-I gotta check this, I MUST check this, it-"
Hadvar: "Milady, wait."
Elizabeth: "But Hadvar, there is NO time to wait, they're taking people right off their own homes as we speak, we got to--!"
At that point Joseph, Hadvar's long time pal and archer, fearing little for Elizabeth's ire having fought by her side for years, stands up and paces towards her.
Joseph: "You brought us here so we can do this together! We are more than aware of your eagerness to go about things alone but this is no such time! You got to not think of yourself as alone in this for once. Please."
Elizabeth: "But you--"
"He's right.", one of the archers proclaims. Elizabeth, Hadvar and Joseph then notice their comrades rising up one after another, ready to accompany her as their leader.
Utterly dumbfounded, being accustomed to working on her own throughout her years as a knight, she looks at all of em with a frown of disbelief.
"You really would come along with me for a mere investigation?"
Joseph: "Who said it's definitely just that? According to the scout, the culprits only just left."
Hadvar: "It's a miracle, how good this chance is that's fallen upon us. Think about it, if we go there as a party, we can cover so much more ground..."
Elizabeth: "Or, even better... Capture one of the culprits. This could provide us with a lead, you're right...!"
Hadvar: "Aren't we, all these years with you silly harl-"
Elizabeth hurriedly cuts him: "Oooi, do mind your wording if you don't want me to hush your gums now, will you?"
Clearing her throat, she turns to face the rest of the party:
"Right! Are you all ready then? We are heading for the unknown here, we need to be fearless!"
The room fills up with a resolute "Aye" in affirmation.
Elizabeth: "Onwards then!!"
"YES CAPTAIN!"
~~
In the span of a drunkard's pint, everyone makes it to the scene of the disappearance, Elizabeth instructing everyone to split up into groups of three. She brings with herself Hadvar along with one of the archers, called David, while 2 of his fellow archers cover the rooftops, and the rest keeping variable patterns. Following the next hour, then the next two and three, however, their investigation would barely manage to bring any clues to light.
~~
Elizabeth: "Goodness, this feels futile... What kind of creature could cover its tracks so well in such a small amount of time, it's utterly insane..."
Hadvar: "I am as puzzled as you are for this, honestly... I asked David earlier, if his people've managed to see anything, and it's the same for them."
Elizabeth: "Golly, what a shame..."
All of a sudden, she feels something akin to a container get crushed by her left vamp.
"Huh?"
Retracting her step, she notices a pocket sized case, slightly rusted on one side, clearly a couple of decades old.
Hadvar: "Seems like some kind of memorial item holder..."
Elizabeth: "Indeed, but... To the side, look..."
She leans to pick it off the ground and takes a closer look.
"Mm, it's rather amber in color, quite an ornate design as well... This must hold quite a bit of value for its owner, I wonder what it's doing-"
Turning it around, she's left flabbergasted, almost throwing it back to where it was.
Hadvar: "What did you see, you alright-"
Elizabeth: "What is that..? And that stench oh for the love of-"
Hadvar takes it off her hands and before muttering much of anything, he recognises it. And that freezes up the giant.
Elizabeth, noticing his change in demeanour, approaches him: "It looks like a fang of some kind, doesn't it? Though it's seen better days, look at the top, it's gone off..."
Hadvar slowly turns to her
"Elizabeth..."
"Huh? Yes, go on~", his addressing of her by name catches her off guard as 'Milady' is what he's always used before this moment.
He lowers his gaze towards the wall away from her and responds.
"That's... A fang of something that shouldn't exist in this world. One would think it's simply some kind of cat fang, but that stench...", before returning it towards her, donning a frightful expression, of a kind Elizabeth has never seen drawn on his face before.
Elizabeth: "Look, we can take a better look when we're all together back at the palace, let's make sure to take a deep breath and calm down, okay? Collect ourselves."
...
Hadvar: "I'm sorry... I can't- I can't face..."
Elizabeth: "H-Hadvar?"
She quickly grabs his arm to dampen his fall to his knees, as this discovery evokes in him memories of his own past. One he had never dared to face ever again.
Hadvar: "I can't bear to face her... That green haired heathen, it's her, it's HER FANG, IT'S HER!!!"
His speech devolves into agonised shouting as he cowers forward, covering his head and sobbing profusely.
"She's behind it all, Elizabeth, run away from this while you still can!!!"
Elizabeth has taken a step back, sitting next to him, not sure how to calm him down or ease his pain, as she's never seen him this distraught through all the time she's known him. His shouts, resembling panic akin to a child trying fruitlessly to fend against a demon, are so loud that they drive off any surrounding townsfolk. Noticing the commotion, David runs back to him and Elizabeth, finding her gently stroking his back, making sure to not utter a word as to let things blow over.
Elizabeth notices him and signals at him to keep it down, with Hadvar still sobbing. Not objecting to her wishes, he glances at Hadvar, then back to her, taking something out of his side pack.
A knit pouch, deeply stained in crimson blood.
With this second item in their possession, she decides to return with everyone back to the palace, by telling David to transfer that decision to the rest while she tends to the giant.
Thus, he notifies with it the two swordsmen, the other mace wielder, and all the archers, with the exception of Joseph, who had "gone down to the tavern" in cowardice, never to be seen again.
~~
The remaining eight would reconvene back at the palace deep into the hours of the night. Meanwhile, Hadvar had taken it upon himself to find a lonesome place for soliloquy and for some fresh air.
Hadvar: "... Yellow towards the sharp end, rotted back, yet green instead of black. Enough strength to pierce steel, could very well pierce armour. And no traceable footsteps.
Only one kind of vile spawn is able to do that dammit..."
He punches a nearby table.
"They live in the trees and in forests, usually feasting off herbs... Able to fly, renowned tenderers to grasslands for livestock..."
His initially composed thoughts soon turn into rambling, running on and encircling itself.
"... What the hell brought you back to this realm?"
He suddenly hears a rather soft, consoling voice from behind him.
"There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"
He turns around to see his long standing friend, cracking a faint smile in an attempt to quell her concerns.
Hadvar: "I'm not the kind to run off, you needn't worry, milady, ahuum."
Elizabeth: "Well, the meeting for the items we found is about to start, we obviously can't go off without you now, can we?"
...
He doesn't respond, still being in a relative daze. This prompts a sigh from her, as she sits on the table beside him.
With a small pause, she enquires him in a soft tone.
Elizabeth: "Can you look at me for a second?"
Not knowing what to say, he raises his gaze to face hers.
Elizabeth: "I'd like it if you could heed these words to heart.
I understand that whatever that fang means to you is enough to make you betray your ideals and stray away into paths you'd never think to face otherwise. I am not sure exactly what has caused you so much distress, and I wish I possessed the means to ascertain such a thing, but that expression is something I have only seen on my face. So... No matter what it is... "
She gets off the table.
"Please know you are not alone. Many have been the times you have pointed this out to me, and all this time you have upholden this value."
Hadvar: "That day... When we found you passed out... Do you really not remember anything from that night?"
Elizabeth's gaze on him widens upon hearing the question, which is then averted, as her entire face is swallowed by grief.
Hadvar: "Cause it has been the same for me."
Elizabeth: "Wh-what do you mean?"
Hadvar: "I didn't remember anything either. Until we found that box. And I'm going to be honest with you..."
She walks up to her, trying his best to not let the tears flow.
"I wish I still didn't. For once it knows you remember..."
His eyes and nose well up, and he takes this opportunity to see himself off, heading towards the meeting room, leaving his sentence incomplete.
Elizabeth: "...Is it possible to regain..."
Clearly affected, she follows after him, taking his words in.
~~
The meeting itself goes by without a hitch. Therein, it is discovered that the items are connected to each other through having the same stench, as well as witnesses confirming that they were not seen laying on the ground before any time closely adjacent to the kidnappings.
Even though it'd take profound encouragement by Elizabeth, Hadvar would eventually break the silence and come out with his earlier recollection, leading the resulting clues to a common point.
"It's just some weedy bit in the forest east of here innit?" says Gordon, Hadvar's fellow mace wielder. "You lot sure there's a tid there?"
David: "We have to simply hope at this point. That part is not even covered in the map, and it is a wonder why it isn't."
Elizabeth: "That's frankly our only lead. The only reason it wouldn't be covered in such a map is if it was simply never cartographed."
She marks the spot down, then makes a crude drawing of the area on a piece of parchment to keep with her.
"Make sure you all do the same. After that we shall meet at the palace to report to the King, posthaste."
She then paces towards Hadvar.
Elizabeth: "How are you feeling?"
Hadvar: "Peachy."
Elizabeth: "Glad to hear. Glad to hear you're back to wanting your toes ripped off. Mhmh."
With a faint giggle, she gives his shoulder a hearty pat and takes her leave for the King's chamber. After all, dawn had started searing the sky, and the time they had arranged for the report was drawing very near.
"Your Highness. I have brought with myself the troops for our assignment."
Echoing in this Palace's chamber is a decisive voice of clarity. Of a knight hardened through the weight of a formless grief, yet steadfast in her resolve to tend to all corners of her kingdom.
It's a foreboding Saturday morning when she approaches King Lugunius, her esteemed friends and comrades in toe, in wake of a scourge salivating, a menace closing in to rend humanity of itself, and usher in an age defiant to the dials of time.
Lugunius rises from his throne and approaches the party, taking a deep breath as this might be the last time he has any contact with the knight who's been like family to him.
Recognising them, he begins calling their names:
"Honorary Emboldener of the Knights, Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame.
Leader of the 6th front guard, Hadvar Thornton
Leader of the 8th front guard, Gordon Swethen
Sirs Steven Keicester and Mark Doughlin
And David Arrington, of the 1st rear guard division, along with brothers Fergus, Peter and Lucas Herring Of the Archers of Rosannia... "
And thusly he paces before them before taking a graceful bow.
"I bid you the utmost honours, for embarking on a mission so paramount to our kingdom. The knowledge that Lady Bloodflame stands by your side and considers you worthy of companionship places all of our hearts at ease."
Elizabeth: "Thank you for your courtesy. We shall see this mission to the end, and return unscathed, by your grace."
Lugunius: "... Dismissed."
With a brief hesitation, he sits back on his throne, as the party bows and takes their leave.
Seeing them walk out, he mutters under his breath, teardrops falling down and meeting his robe.
"Why... Why must it... Come to this... Elizabeth..?"
~~
As the early morning gives its way to noon, Elizabeth finds some time to ponder while the rest of her comrades are training. Climbing a nearby set of rocks overlooking the castle's yard, she stares blankly into the distance, and begins to ponder:
"Everybody thinking so highly of me... Even after all this time and all this work, it never ceases to leave me bewildered... Yet also aggravated. All of you are worth so much more than you think you are, but even with the King himself... It's like a veil is enveloping your vision and you can't see yourselves clearly. Not that I'm any different..."
Looking at her trusty greatsword, she continues:
"Bearing my revelation, even Thorn is shaking at what's to come... For this may as well be... My final day on this earth. All that's keeping me going, and I hope you understand... Is you lot. For trusting me. And considering me worthy to walk among you. If I happen to fall in battle in this night, and we are forced to part ways as my mortal coil is severed... I want you to know that I'll be watching over you."
She sheaths Thorn back, and walks towards the other knights.
However, from the deepest annals of the forest, somebody is watching.
???: "I think our time to cross paths is drawing near. My heart flutters to meet you once more, Miss Bloodflame."
These words are followed by incensed laughter, showing unbridled excitement.
~~
"What a night to have a full moon."
"Indeed... Is our army ready?"
"More than ready, princess Fauna. A thousand and a half undead and counting. Let this night bring forth our advent over the mortal's reign..."
"...and let this advent be their reckoning as they're enslaved."
Under the ire of the stars lies a meadow. Adorning it all over are various kinds of spikes and stakes, pillars and statues, and in the middle lies...
Hadvar: "This should... Be the spot... Wh- there's..."
David: "Indeed..."
Gordon: "Naught but a soddin meadow or what? Did we bust our bollocks for the hell of it?"
Elizabeth: "Wait, wait a moment."
She takes her step forth, walking across the hellish meadow towards the center, Thorn shaking all the more violently the nearer to it she strides.
"... So this is what you're up to. Over where my family once stood..."
She stops, and raises her arms midway.
"I hope you're ready! For this night, of the crimson moonlight, will be the one where you're purged once and for all!"
With her blue flame bursting with fervor, she signals to the archers to shoot the barrier cloaking the stronghold they seek.
Before they get to aim their bows however, they feel something breathing down on them unstably.
Elizabeth: "HEY! GET AWAY FROM THEM, YOU!"
Hadvar: "They're behind you, step ba-"
Lucas: "Ah-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!"
The red haired knight sprints back towards them, but, despite Hadvar and David managing to save Fergus and Peter, Lucas is taken away by something.
Elizabeth: "We got to get inside, what ever is out here is awaiting us! Fergus, Peter, can you two handle this?"
They respond with grabbing multiple arrows from their quivers and shooting away towards the barrier, which begins to crumble.
Elizabeth: "There! There's an opening!"
She charges at it with Thorn, thrusting it through the cracks and vigorously pulling it down, creating a large tear.
"Hadvar, Gordon, hit it now!"
By the time the rest of them approach her position, she's dislodged thorn from the tear, and they all launch a coordinated strike.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
And with a large thud, the barrier shatters, revealing... Monsters. Uncountable amounts of them, filling up the courtyard of a large decrepit castle, so tall that its roof ends above the meadow.
Elizabeth: "Time to crush them!"
They charge, attacking the army of ghouls, leading to a fierce battle. They try to get at the heroes, using poison from their fangs or their nails as projectiles, yet the thick armour of Hadvar and Gordon combined with their excellent ability to amount an offensive in coordination proves too much for them.
Elizabeth meanwhile, despite wielding such a large sword, zealously leaps from enemy to enemy, using her blade almost like a hammer using a tall stance. Her agility quickly clears up the rear guard of the ghoulish army with the help of David and Peter, providing her and her sword wielders with a weak spot to capitalise on.
Gordon: "Oi you two bev be careful yeah, we've already lost one or two of ye to them beasts!"
David: "I'll cover our rears, you join the others."
Peter: "Understood."
Now as a united force, they manage to dispel the remaining forces, and thus they merge into one.
Hadvar: "Time for the gate!"
Elizabeth: "You said it, CHARGE WITH ME!"
Everybody gets behind her and pushes Thorn ahead, using it as a battering ram.
"I believe there's no need to resort to vandalising, brave warriors."
The voice of a noblewoman resonates in their heads, causing them to stop dead in their tracks.
Elizabeth: "Where was that from!?"
Hadvar: "Th... The..."
Reluctantly, he points at the gates opening, to reveal a slender figure donning a reddish black dress. Her hair shine under the shade of the trees, along with her eyes, revealing a crimson glow beneath her pupils.
"That's her... The leader of this army... Ceressia Fauna."
Fauna: "Oh? I see that I still have admirers after so long?"
Hadvar feels bile rising up from his stomach in disgust. He refuses to speak.
Elizabeth: "Are you the leader of the ghouls, as he says? Was all this your doing?"
Fauna: "Oh, more than that my darling. Your kingdom has been of utmost importance to us undead for centuries, you see. Those ghouls you killed... Pitiful..." she says sneering at their bodies "they were once... Yours. What better way is there to prevail over your adversary than poach from them after all?"
She casts a quick glance upon Hadvar, who in response blocks his mouth and falls back.
Elizabeth: "You vile hellspawn, you lie... You would never pass through our defenses..."
Fauna: "Who said we had to pass through... Any defenses? Lady Bloodflame-"
Elizabeth: "Don't you dare utter my family's name."
Fauna: "...Have you ever cared to ask your poor friend over there, why exactly we have been the only thing to lead him cowering away like a little cub? It's because unlike the undead you may have triumphed over before..."
She inches closer to Elizabeth and lifts her mouth up to her ear.
Fauna: "We are a mix."
Elizabeth: "A mix? What is this about?"
She keeps her stature firm, trying to keep her gaze away from Fauna. However, with her so close, she notices it's gotten difficult to move her body at all, as if this monster has somehow enthralled it.
Fauna: "Awe, have we not brushed up on our history lessons? You see, me and all of us here used to be sages."
She begins throwing quick glances towards Elizabeth's comrades, in such a way as to not alert her.
"Sages of the forest, considered heretics by your beautiful kingdoms, unwilling to accept the legacy of the Kirin preceeding them."
Fauna gently huffs down, frowning yet maintaining a subtle grin.
"Being forest bound, we were gravely unsuitable for any urban life... Yet in your strife for expansion, we'd lose more and more of the grounds we were supposed to protect."
Elizabeth: "So. You decided to side with devilish effigies, figures of the underworld? As an earthly species? All over a grudge?"
Fauna grabs Elizabeth's arm, squeezing on it.
"I'd suggest you mind your words, my beauty... I am giving it all I have to not finish you off right now, for I have to savor the moment...
But to get back on topic, no it was not for a grudge. With all of these factions leading to our realm lessening in size, there had to be a way for us to protect ourselves. It was less siding with the undead and more coming to a mutual understanding that led to us Kirin mixing with them; a common goal simply unified us."
She lets go of Elizabeth's arm and takes a step back.
"And considering that since then you all have been driven away, I'd say the deal was all worthwhile." she says, bowing to her, her grin transforming into a smirk.
Flustered from the encounter, Elizabeth quickly tries to get her bearings, retreating towards her comrades.
Fauna: "For you see... A mix of undead and Kirin is... Something more, shall we say, effective. Nature tenderers with the ability to grow their numbers across different species, what more could we ask for?"
As she continues her speech, she slowly raises her arm. Following her... Hadvar, David, Gordon, Fergus, Peter, even Steven and Mark, slowly rise to its accordance, their heads and arms dangling downward lifelessly. Having no grip to their weapons, they all fall to the ground.
Elizabeth: "G... Guys..? Are you..."
She looks at all of them around her, trying to find their gazes, trying to see a smidgen of movement, one sign of life... Yet nothing presents itself.
"Are you okay, what- what happened to you all..."
Fauna: "I'd suggest you take your distance from them, my sweetheart. I might be the more powerful one compared to your little troupe, but I'm no match for the weight of a human's body. Hmph!"
She snaps her fingers, and just like that, their gazes slowly rise, staring blankly as if they're blind and not uttering a word, but mere groans.
Elizabeth: "What ha... What have you done to them!? Is this a spell, let them go this instant!! If you want a fight, pick it with me, they don't have to suffer!"
Fauna cups her own cheek and looks at Elizabeth zealously.
"Awwhahahahaa! There is no need to hurt like this, you can ease yourself! This offer I'll remember though."
She then inches to her side.
"You see, something exclusive to us undead Kirin... Is that even if we are not of the highest ranks..."
Shifting her fingers eloquently, she commands Elizabeth's comrades to surround her.
Elizabeth: "Wh- wait wait, everyone, please heed my call!! Your bodies are acting separately from your minds!! Please you must fight i-"
Fauna: "We can control a live being's life force from a simple glance. Down to the very last drop."
She briefly caresses Elizabeth's cheek, which prompts her to shift away from it. She knows not whether to focus on them or the revenant Kirin, profusely turning her face between the two in confusion.
"Did you think we needed to resort to such lowly ways to enthrall you lot as to bite you? It's nice to feast from time to time, but...", licking her upper lip, she utters to her in a more sultry voice, revealing a growling undertone, "it's even better to savor it, for the rare ones of noble heart."
With what feels like time and space freezing as if it's been also taken under Fauna's control, Elizabeth comes in contact with an all familiar feeling.
An uncanny breath, feeling so hot that it turns her sweat cold as ice, just beside her nape. Her fire wavers in fear.
"Ones just... Like... You."
Fauna stands. Finding the whereabouts of Thorn and pacing towards it, leaving the knight with her seemingly corpsified comrades.
Elizabeth's eyes waver, refusing to look at her friends in this state. In the face of utter defeat, yet accepting this reality, she takes it upon herself to stand up. The corpses make no movements in response.
"I see you can't bring yourself to just end me. Even as I stand surrounded by what is now your slaves to command, you still walk away."
Fauna: "In due time you will understand..."
She grabs Thorn and throws it Elizabeth's way.
"...that such wins have to be fought for. Otherwise, it's all hollow. Don't worry though. Once you join our ranks, you'll have ample time to ponder on it. Now, grab your blade, Lady Bloodflame. Avenge your family, lest they're satisfied with your efforts."
Hearing these words coming from her mouth pushes Elizabeth past her limit. One she had sworn never to break. Her fire, initially wavering now expands and takes on the look of a small inferno, one she dips Thorn into. Her once calming form drifts off, leaving behind a husk gone berserk, barely identifying friend from foe. She charges fiercely at the Kirin, her movements gliding in tandem with the wind, making little sound.
Growls fill the courtyard as the knight, now swallowed by a rage divine, sends slashes down Fauna's path with maniacal speed, Thorn creating enflamed waves in the air. The kirin, however, maintains her flow, skillfully dodging all the attacks she can, and deflecting the rest with her nails.
Elizabeth: "HAA! HYA! RAAH! HAAH! DAAAH!"
Fauna: "..."
She ponders.
"For a mortal, her attacks possess something of a greater power... She is definitely not an ordinary knight, and that fire wasn't for show. It's getting hard to deflect her blows, at this rate--"
With a brief switch in attack pattern, Fauna is caught off guard, and one of the blows go straight for her abdomen, shoving her back against the castle's front with a force so vigorous, it almost causes her to snap.
Elizabeth begins to pace towards her, dragging Thorn along in her stead, her eyes and mouth engulfed by flames of a warm azure, eager to turn scarlet. Fauna, finding herself in a pinch, and having to sit still to heal up the large scar without losing more blood, casts a gaze persistent towards her last resort, devoid of other options.
Under her breath she mutters.
"I didn't want to have to do this to you my dear... But I cannot afford to die here. Not to the hands of a knight like yourself."
With all the strength she can muster, she raises her arm, and flicks her hand towards the enflamed knight, as she's charging for the final blow.
Elizabeth: "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The blood curdling scream is followed by the shattering of bones. The bones give way to oodles of blood spraying out, from someone's shoulder, her attack almost decapitating them.
Once the foe she laid waste to falls down to their deathbed, though, she notices, to her absolute horror... And blinks for a moment.
"A... Alive...? What did I-"
Casting her gaze downward, her eyes meet with his. Hadvar's. His head hanging off by a strand of rotten skin, nearly severed from its body.
"I... I...
There's n-no..."
The sight makes her fall to her knees before realising. She lets go of Thorn, allowing her rampaging flames to waver off. Her hands shaking, she reaches out, bringing his head into a hug, her forehead touching his.
"No not you, not you, how could I have done this... I sworn to never use that power again..."
Sobbing overtakes, breathing only coming out in haggard pieces.
"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Fauna, having taken the time during all the grieving to heal herself, inches towards the maiden, kneeling beside her but taking care to not impose on her mournful cries for forgiveness.
"If it comforts you any... He was already dead long before your blade got to him.
Human bodies cannot withstand being suppressed of their life force for so long. Your blow met nothing but a living corpse."
Elizabeth turns to face her, her eyes red from all the tears.
Fauna: "Same as with the others. I could have you face them one by one but after seeing that, I'd rather refrain from something so rash."
She snaps her fingers, letting go of the strands of life force, the corpses crumbling down to their bones, skin decomposing into ash.
Elizabeth: "..."
Fauna: "What's with the frowned look? Are you not gonna pick up your sword?"
Elizabeth: "... As much as it pains me to raise my blade atop the body of a dead comrade... Much more one dead by my hands... The most I can do is to avenge him."
She grabs thorn, now standing, and looks at the Kirin with utmost ire.
"I'd rather die, or lead myself to death's door, if it means to foil your plans, than ever join you or your ranks, you foul life tearer."
Fauna: "... Very well. Then I accept your challenge. I expect you to give it your all, Lady Bloodflame. You never know, if it could be your last battle as a mortal."
Finishing her words, she pulls out a small obsidian dagger from behind her waist, and awaits the first attack.
And thus, windy silence gives way to a loud clash, followed by two more, multiplying in a moment's notice. No words are being uttered from either fighter, as the time for pleasantries and conversation now precedes them. Regrets get torn apart amidst the slashes and thrusts and drift off across the tree lines, each second now taking on a meaning of its own. By all accounts, this battle is between two absolute equals, despite the difference in mortality. However, as one yearns for retribution, for her family and now her fallen comrades, as well as yearn for long lost peace for her kingdom and her King, the other yearns for naught but one simple thing.
The blood of a noble heart.
The clashing continues deep into the night, crossing the threshold of the witching hour. Not with a faint sign of wavering away, it's like the threads of fate have left the knight fighting the kirin alone, the two performing a delicate ballet dance upon a space that has stood to observe. One's exhales meet one's inhales as the blades meet, bearing all the damage, which begins to show.
Elizabeth: "Haah... Haaah... I have to... Keep going... Gods give me strength..."
Fauna: "... She's faltering. At last. Time for the final blow..."
Identifying a weak point, she goes for a razor sharp thrust attack.
But before any flesh is met, a loud blinding clank sends her dagger flying. Profoundly winded out, Elizabeth falls to her hands and knees, clenching her blade tightly.
"I guess... This bout... Is over then.", the words emitting out of her with much difficulty.
Fauna: "..."
She initially considers getting her dagger back, but seeing Thorn still clenched in her hand, and realising she has already been foiled once, she decides against it.
"I suppose it was satisfying. I may have not come out of this the victor, but sparring with you was so majestic that it proved more than enough to sate me."
She offers her hand to raise Elizabeth, which she accepts.
Elizabeth: "Now then, I shall take my leave... My adversary being alive after agreeing to a bout means nothing for she is weaponless. And as resentful as I can be seeing this structure standing upon what was once my home... I have to respect that. So... May we never... Ever meet again. "
Fauna nods in reassurance.
"May we never meet again indeed."
Elizabeth sheaths her sword and begins to walk away, heading for the castle, yet keeping her eyes sharply focused towards her wake.
"For as long as you are a mortal, my sweet.", Fauna softly utters, under her breath, a glee formed in anticipation.
As she's ready to cross the barrier where she entered, though...
???: "Guuhhhhhh...."
???: "Uaaaaaaa....."
???: "Raaahhhh...."
She feels many hands grab her from her arms and legs.
"Wha- Let me g- Aahh! R-release me, I say, this insta..nt..."
Gazing upon them, she's terrified to discover it's ghouls. Ones that had never appeared up until this moment.
Elizabeth: "NG... Gggh... Too... heavy..."
As they groan, keeping her squarely pinned down and incapacitated, she looks to the one on her left. And the view makes her heart stop.
"... M... Mother..? I-is that you...? That necklace... I've been keeping the other end you gave me when I entered knighthood since... So it was..."
The Kirin, having taken ahold of her blade once more, paces close to her.
"And you...", says Elizabeth now switching to her right, "It's... You're all..."
Her pupils flutter at the sight of the other two decaying ghouls being her father, donning the rusted remains of his armour, and her brother, wearing nothing but a torn robe resembling his nightgown.
She loses her ability to focus on anything and anyone, in a flash. The loved ones she held even the faintest hope for, those who she seeked to avenge, now lay around her as lifeless corpses. It deprives her of her sense of place, and of all her feelings, as the ever radiant spark in her eyes fades away.
Her fire once again wavers, as she feels so hollow that she has become little more than her undead family. The abyss permeating in her head, covering up her recollection of that long gone fateful night, now clears itself, as she gazes at Fauna kneeling down in front of her and raising her chin.
Elizabeth: "It was... It was you... Fifteen years ago. You did this, just like with Hadvar..."
Fauna: "Fret not, milady. I assure you they fought valiantly. We also made sure to use crimson flames as to not hurt the surrounding area."
She gently takes Thorn out of her grip and places it just out of her reach, then instructs the ghouls to step back.
Elizabeth: "All those unfortunate souls... Even children... How can a knight even accept this, how did anyone let this be for so long..."
Fauna kneels to her side and gently grabs her hair, holding it in one hand to raise her nape to her level.
Elizabeth: "If only... I had been here earlier... I would have been able to save all of you... Would have been able to see your smiles... "
She keeps speaking blankly into the distance, as Fauna's hot breathing approaches her.
"But alas... It was not meant... To be... Was it?"
Fauna takes a deep breath and delivers her bite, precisely on Elizabeth's vein. And as the pained wails of hers follow an ear splitting, heartwrenching scream, filling the courtyard and echoing throughout the branches, the quaintness of the night gradually gives way to rain and thunder, with blackened clouds enveloping the sky.
All Elizabeth can hear in this moment is ardent gulping amidst moans of fulfillment, as Fauna begins swallowing with ever increasing vigor, the knight twitching and writhing as her muscles weaken and her body becomes heavier and heavier. She can't help but join the moans, though out of being unable to withstand the sheer pain, moreso the burning, rather than anything pleasant. It all attacks her in the form of strobes, as Fauna's curse begins to pierce through her heart and her mind, making one beat at an unnatural pace as her thoughts bundle up and quarrel with one another.
In her final shred of conscience, being let go by the Kirin and with her vision gradually fading and blurring, she conjures her final words.
"My king... L-Lugunius, I-aaah... Am sorry..."
"You shall never... Meet me... This--.. way..."
Fauna, elated to have finally fulfilled her eternal wish, stands up and looks down on the fallen knight's lifeless body. Crouching beside her and caressing her hair, she whispers in her ear:
"Welcome to Eternity. My sweetest of sweethearts.", before taking her leave.
News of "The Disappearance of Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame" following the assignment's existence leaking into public conscience spread across the realm faster than wildfire, with knights, workers, noblemen and noblewomen and everyone in between becoming deeply affected by the loss, leading to a period of fervent mourning.
Very similarly to her family, it was never unraveled whether or not she perished, or worse. Any manner of investigation would lead to a complete lack of answers, as the undead had made sure to clear up their tracks to a fault.
Lugunius, considering himself fully culpable, takes up her mantle himself, to the best of his ability. Although a lot of people would come to deeply appreciate his efforts to directly ensure the well being of the community, his cynical outlook upon himself had a few apologists, with especially those formerly close to Elizabeth and the Bloodflames holding nothing but indignation for him. In the following years, he would come to construct a ten meter statue in her name, as well as adorn the palace chamber among other rooms with paintings of her and the deeds she'd become legendary for.
He would even go to the length to make a shrine in her room. And, not fully knowing himself whether or not his former guardian and scabbard was living or dead, he would make it a point to pray every midnight.
One of those nights however... He would hear a voice permeating in his head.
"The Queen will be always watching over you. Roses never wither as long as they are supported by an everlasting flame."
And following the voice, apparitions of her would haunt him until his final breath.
400 YEARS LATER
Echoing in the Palace's chamber is now nothing but the whims of a lone prince, one figuratively exiled from his kingdom and forced to live as a recluse by his people, for the sacrilegious and occult ridden path he had come to adopt in his recent years. Yet it mattered to him little, for it was this path that would lead to his penultimate wish; what she had embarked on her dying mission for.
In this quaint night to Sunday, he finally completes his quest to find someone so important that they could be described as "equal to divination" in his view. Thus, he dons his armour, and sheathes his sword along with his firearm, ready for the worst to come, despite his goal being one of unity than one of discord.
The path to where laid the Bloodflame estate has not changed an iota in the preceeding centuries, and considering this prince's heritage, crossing it felt rather eye opening. Through all the tales and legends passed down from generation to generation, he had cultivated an enthusiasm about this part of the forest, regularly visiting it as a child, and even taking dates of his there.
Yet this time he wasn't crossing it to meander, or squabble. It was for a negotiation, and a hopeful pact in wedlock.
"Well... This is it. The Nameless Castle. Don't mind if I do then..."
He knew not why exactly he was exchanging pardons as if someone lived here, for this was merely a hunch, yet the need arose from a nagging feeling of being watched.
And that hunch would soon dissipate, as the moment he stepped inside the throne room... He would hear an all familiar voice, to him and all the generations before him.
"Look at that! Someone found their way to MY castle!
Welcome. I, am Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, the noble vampire lady who has been ruling over this town for centuries."
In front of him stood an imposing, mature woman, towering over his meakly adolescent posture.
"Also known as the Scarlet Queen, as you mayhaps have heard."
He kneels and bows down.
"It is my pleasure to meet you, miss Bloodflame. If I may introduce myself, I am Lugu-"
Elizabeth scoffs, turning her back at him.
"Hm, spare the pleasantries. I know exactly who you are."
She then looks beside her, looking deep into his eyes.
"You are Prince Lugunius Phyreneus VI, the latest in the line of vampire hunters, are you not? Oh how the threads of fate can form an ouroboros sometimes, it's mighty amusing..."
Lugunius: "I am afraid you are correct..."
Blushing lightly, she leans forward to get closer to his level.
"Well of course... After facing your father, your grandfather, even your great grandfather... It's made me rather weary..."
She inches closer to him.
"And it doesn't help that each one bores an ever more striking resemblance to the last...
You of course being no exception."
Lugunius has little to say, so he chooses not to answer the caprice she's proudly exuding.
In a seeming bout of excitement for her, though, she continues.
"Speaking of your ancestors, they were all formidable warriors, but ultimately they would come up ever so slightly short of overthrowing me. So...", pacing towards her sword, hanging from an ornate holder, "Assuming you have visited me with the same goal as them, do you truly believe you'll fare any better?"
Lugunius: "... I will not."
"Hmm?"
Elizabeth is rather puzzled by his response, expecting nothing but the utter opposite. She keeps Thorn in the holder.
Lugunius: "I understand that crossing blades with you, much more expecting my hands to come out of here dowsed in your blood, is naught but a foolish man's fantasy."
He stands up, still keeping a low brow.
"I haven't visited your manor seeking a bout, necessarily, but something else."
Elizabeth: "Very well... Then I am listening."
Lugunius: "... Much as you are aware of my ancestry. I and a lot of us are aware of your deeds. Despite succumbing to your vampiric vices, feeding on the ones you formerly would offer your sword for to sate your serpentine hunger, and even contributing to the creation of another army of ghouls my predecessors had to clear out for the sake of those you would seek to protect during your time as a mortal, overthrowing the previous reign of the Kirin was ultimately what would lead to the undead distancing from the kingdom."
Elizabeth: "Educated are we?" she sits on her throne and crosses her legs. "I'm honoured. But it doesn't explain what brings you here. So... Out with it, if you may."
Lugunius: "... We... I'd mean, I... I-I'd like to negotiate a severance pact. Not sure on the name yet, you could also call it a unity pact..."
Elizabeth: "Ooh, strong wording. May you enlighten me on what that pack entails?"
Lugunius: "It entails you, fulfilling your dream. Do you remember of.. The--"
The phrase regarding her dream raises her fervently from her throne, dashing towards him and grabbing him from the chin, cupping it, her nails nearly digging into his upper cheeks.
In a low threatening tone, she inquires:
"What do you know about my dreams, young prince...? Have you been looking around places you shouldn't, perhaps? I do not recall sharing such information with anybody, much more so with you or your bloodline."
Lugunius however treats her advance with complete apathy.
"The first, milady. Have you forgotten after so long? After straying so far from your ideals and bending down to the realms of monsters? My ancestor of 5 generations ago, the very prince you were called in to raise and protect as his scabbard.
Until his dying breaths, bedridden and awaiting the embrace of the afterlife, he would record his thoughts in... This."
He pulls out a battered, heavily used book from his coat's side pocket.
Elizabeth's heart jumps in a way it hasn't in centuries upon laying eyes on it.
"Where did you find this!? You shouldn't have this at all. I had made sure to..."
Lugunius: "Soon after your disappearance, he would buy another one and resume his record. His admiration for you, owing to your tending to him in his most crucial years, would never cease."
The sight of that diary makes her swallow her previous demeanour, and she sits down by a corner, reminiscing, thoughts she had spent eons to bury deep into the annals of her memory rising back to the forefront as if they awaited the moment.
Elizabeth: "... I tried to reach him. When I was merely a fresh vampire... And keeping the thirst was easier... I'd expend as much of my energy as possible simply to keep him at bay so he wouldn't go looking for someone who would at one point very likely make him her pray. But no matter what I would do, he never wanted to accept the idea that someone so close to him had fallen victim to forces she'd revile as a knight, the same forces he was trying to expel from the same kingdom she'd die protecting."
Reading the book, she stands and begins slowly pacing around.
"Do you know how hard it was to live with such guilt for so long...? Overthrowing the Kirin reign was the least I could do, lest I could not handle the weight of living, powerless, in the shadow of my own adversary any longer.
And yet... Your lineage never understood this. You kept persecuting me, time after time, heeding none of my words. Not for one moment. So for what it is, young prince, I have to thank you. For having a heart noble enough to get this far.
However... I am afraid it will not be enough to sway me to leave this place. I have no more dreams now, I yearn for nothing more than sating my hunger! ... As well as keeping noble hearts like yours... safe."
Lugunius: "I see... Then..."
He readies his shortsword, his firearm loaded in the other hand.
"Shall we bout for it?"
Elizabeth: "Oh? I see you've changed your mind quite a bit. You were so unwilling earlier, like a little groveling cur~..."
Lugunius: "Well, take it as the negotiations failing. I'm unwilling to continue having vampires roam and abduct people for the sake of someone who would do the same in my place, if not more. And having reached the status of a revenant, you're unwilling to cease being a tyrant.
How pitiful of a knight of your caliber to hold those she considers so highly for ransom, lest they turn into pray to quell her needs..."
Elizabeth: "Your age betrays your words, young one... Your entire life to me has been as fleeting as blinking my eyes. But, even so, I admire this fire I feel in you. So, I accept your challenge."
She readies her greatsword and meets him in the center.
Lugunius: "If I win, you follow me as my vampire bride, and I show you the light. If you win, you turn me into your kind, and I overthrow your dynasty. Both roads are the same, so shall we see who reaps the sweetest reward?"
Elizabeth: "So we shall. COME AT ME AT YOUR WORST!"
=====F I N=====