Inwerben the northern land, the founding land was a cold realm of constant struggle. For centuries humans and vampires had fought tooth and claw over the control of the land. The right to rule it, the hearts and minds of its people. The right to exploit its considerable natural resources. The humans saw the vampires as invaders as abominations, who did not earn their immortality but cheated and subverted the natural order, to achieve their thirst for power.

The vampire Masters, there humanity dulled by thousands of years. Saw the humans as little more than arrogant prideful children. Infants that needed a strong hand to discipline them. And so it raged on and on, century after century without any able to declare victory.

The land around Northport was chilled by an icy wind that ran across from the cold ocean. Up and down its worn roads carts travelled from the sea port inland and from the settlements inland to the port for export. It was not a barren land but it was a harsh one. The land was covered in all manner of creatures. The necromancers undead, the vampires tainted thrall minions. Sorcerers conjured demons and the ancient blood alchemist’s creations, there experiments warping any beast to colossal size and dire countenance, with the long absence of their masters.

From the city Goodford a coach slowly travelled along the road, two horses pulled the solid well maintained coach. There was a driver in merchant guild blue, his horses were nervous distracted and at times almost on the edge of panic. He was not too good himself, next to him was a mercenary from the glass bay mercenary company. The man was nervous he had his crossbow loaded with a silver bolt and kept a small holy symbol clasped in his hand. He felt his quiver, one shot would not be enough. The entire quiver would not be enough if things went badly.

They were shipping several wounded people to the city of Northport. Where cures and treatments to their various aliments could be found. Inside the couch were four people, a 17 year old girl Alice a mage. She was unresponsive her mind having been attacked by a powerful vampire. She was lucky to even be alive, even luckier not to be at the mercy of a powerful vampire's whims. Alice’s companions were Vivian and David, both members of the same party they had encountered the same opponent.

Vivian was blinded her eyes torn out, a clean bandage hiding her wrecked flesh. If she hadn’t been wearing a very expensive helmet the vampire would have removed her head entirely. Rather than just running one claw threw the visor. Vivian could not see but she could hear and she was very nervous. Her bow and a few silver arrows clutched in her hand. Beside her was David he didn’t wear his full armour for the long coach ride. He was still a mass of Damascus plate steel chainmail and thickly padded armour. He was nervous his hand moving from Vivian’s shoulder, trying to reassure her to resting on his sword hilt.

He didn’t feel well, the shock of losing his arm. The torment of seeing Vivian like this, the fate of the rest of their companions. The fourth person in the carriage was a lay healer Rose Atlee. A kind and gentle soul who kept an eye on Vivian and Alice due to their injuries. She was quiet nervous and tried to remain still, a silver holy symbol clutched tightly in her hand.

The reason that they were on a razors edge was there last traveling companion. Martin had not been severely wounded when facing off against a vampire. Even thought that would be the normal case as Martin was a vampire hunter.

He had instead been bitten by a werewolf, a body guard to the vampire. Stopping Martin using his set of skills against the vampire to begin with. Now he was more of a monster than the vampires he hunted. He sat on top of the coach one hand gripping the edge slowly muttering to himself. Sometimes in a growl, some times in a more human voice.

“I deserve this I should have died with them. With my Mary and the little ones, this is a fitting punishment for me. Perhaps before I die, I dared. I had the audacity to believe I could go on”.

His speech turned into growling for a second.

“Eve I should have been there for you my little girl. I grew strong after it happened after the attack, why didn’t I do it before, why? I could have joined the militia. I could have been a deputy hunter, I could have done something before. After does it matter what I am now”?

“John my little carpenter, you would have made a good carpenter. A master craftsman that will never be” he sobbed and howled in equal measure, the horses tried to bolt the driver had to pull them back. He looked at the mercenary beside him as if to say something. The mercenary held a finger over his lips. Martin started talking to himself again, “I stayed to barricade the gate, I should have picked up a blade or a stick and gone out to fight. I would have died, but I would be with you”.

The vampire hunter reached into his jacket his hand briefly hovered over one of his pistols. Loaded with silver shot even at point blank range he was not sure it would be enough. He sighed and pulled out his holy symbol. Martin placed a piece of wood in his jaws and bit down. He placed the holy symbol to the side of his face and clamped down harder with his jaw.

“Purge soul” he muttered through gritted teeth, the holy symbol flashed white for a second and Martin was flooded with pain. His skin was burnt his bones vibrated, the flesh felt like needles were being pressed into it and pulled through it.

His mind rebelled, like reliving the werewolf biting down on him again and he could feel his very soul twist and rail against the corruption, burning away at him from the inside. “Mother fucking son of a bitch bastard, fucking hell”.

Vivian shouted her voice loud, but as neutral as possible “Martin are you alright is it under control”? There was a few seconds of heavy breathing, “yes its fine I used a blessing to supress it again. I have a few hours until it comes back”.

Everyone in the coach breathed a sigh of relief. Vivian stared blankly out into space then turned to David, her hand gripping his. Her voice low, “how are you holding up”? He half grinned, “Its odd the pain has faded, I can’t feel the pain but it still feels like the arm is there. I get other sensations like flexing my fingers or the breeze across my hand. But it’s not there I suppose I still expect it to be there so I imagine it’s there. At least I feel better with Martin out on the roof, he's not eyeing us up like a side of pork ribs”.

“You need to get some sleep, you’re the only one of us that could put up a decent fight if something happened to Martin, you can still swing a sword. Alice can’t throw a spell in her state and even though I can shoot, my chances of not hitting something are very high.”

He looked back at her, she was always professional she had always been. “How are you holding up? Keep your spirits up, a set of enchanted golem eye a regeneration potion. We will have you back up in no time”. She swallowed something a hint of emotion, she didn’t want him to see. Though all she wanted, was to be held by her dearest child hood friend.

She was a professional mercenary. When they had treated there injuries through some means mystical or mechanical. Then or hell even once they were inside a settlement with nice high walls and lots of people with silver weapons about. Then she could afford to relax her control and let her panic and shock out.

For now she held her words close to her chest, “it is disconcerting to be blind. It is disconcerting not to be able to keep a watch on my surroundings. I am glad that I have the ring of the eagle, it helps to sharpen my other senses a little. I can hear and smell enough to have some idea, the salt from the sea I can smell it a little as we get closer to north port. I can feel the position of the carriage as it moves through the road I can orientate myself”.

Vivian looked over to the lay healer, “rose how is Alice doing”? The lay healer put a hand to Alice’s forehead, then pulled back her eyelids before checking her pulse. “She is unchanged still comfortable as far as I can tell but no response. It was funny when your colleague was still inside. Her heart beat was faster and faster, now he is gone outside it’s settled down”. “Thank you your very brave to have volunteered for this job, we must thank you properly in the future”.

Lost deep inside her own mind Alice could gain nothing from the conversation around her. At one point she sensed that something ominous was gone. She was lucid enough to realise that she was inside her own mind, locked in a dream. The result of the trauma at the vampire’s hands. It was only a matter of time and concentration and she would wake up again. It played out inside her mind as reading, searching through the tower mages library. She could feel page by page she was getting closer, to the point where she could gain her body back. Then she could take stock of her mind.

The coach driver noticed something on the road ahead, a tree blocking the path. It was a well-used road and there had not been a storm, something was very wrong. The coach guard from the glass bay mercenary company had his crossbow at the ready. He didn’t want to but he had no choice. Martin spun round and was standing on the roof of the coach a moment later. He sniffed the air “I can smell men and monsters, there is an ambush ahead”. He banged on the side of the coach. “David have your sword ready, we have no way round. We either live or die steel yourself, Vivian if anyone enters the coach shoot them”.

A second tree fell behind the group blocking off the road. There was no room to turn and no way off the path. From out of the bushes and tree line ten bandits emerged, a few had crossbows a few carried wooden shields and axes. They were led by a tamer, he had four pet basilisks at his command. They were large lizards with the ability to spit poison and petrifying venom. They were slow but tough, with a lot of natural armour and vitality. The tamer was sensible enough to lead his bandits from the back. Using one of his pets as cover he looked at the coach driver and the guard.

“Little men do yourselves a favour and get out of my way, there are four wounded adventures. They have so much gold that when I collect their heads it will set me up for life. I might even be able to buy a dragon egg, you just keep out of my way and you don’t die”. The coach guard fired his crossbow hitting one of the bandits in the shoulder. “Fuck you” the guard dived behind the coach as he went to reload his crossbow. The coach driver pulled a knife and disappeared with him. Martin drew his four barrelled pistol and emptied it into one of the basilisks, the creature wavered then collapsed. David burst out of the coach his sword drawn he slammed the door shut and ran at his opponents.

Martin was hit by several crossbow bolts and laughed. He drew a pair of octium daggers and charged forwards towards the bandits. David thrust towards one of the bandits. The man blocked with his wooden shield. Only to have David’s mithral blade thrust right through his shield through his hide armour and sink eight inches into his guts. The man staggered backwards dropping his weapon and shield clutching his guts screaming, “fucking help me, someone must have a healing poultice”!

David was on the offensive, he didn’t have his shield on an arm any more. So he had to keep on the offense at all times. To provide so much of a distraction, so that his more immobilised companions would be ignored. He had a basilisk heading towards him and a wooden shield jammed onto his sword. He brought the sword down onto the basilisk’s head, with all the force he could muster. The wooden shield shattered and the basilisk staggered from the impact.

Martin used a couple of focus throws to embed the knives in a basilisk then pulled out two more blades. He dived past a few bandits heading for the crossbowmen, a passing bandit swung at him even a clean axe strike hit a dull click of metal armour beneath his great leather coat. They panicked realising what was heading for them.

One of the bandits opened up the door to the coach, an iron broad head arrow flew past his right ear. A second smashed into his right shoulder, a third into his stomach lower and to the left, the fourth arrow shot past his left knee. The bandit staggered backwards quite dead before he even hit the floor. The healer looked about, “you got that one but there are more”.

Martin let out a bestial growl as he was hit in the back with an iron arrow. At least it was not silver. The coach guard emerged from behind the coach and fired into a basilisk, hitting it in the shoulder before ducking back down. The wounded bandit on the floor was thrown a poultice by one of his conspirators and set about trying to stem the bleeding to save his life.

David brought his blade down on a bandit. The bandit parried in perfect timing but his axe handle was not going to stop a mithral blade. It cut into the wooden shaft and the bandits shoulder. David struck forwards with a series of thrusts. The bandit's shield had a chunk take out of the side, then a thrust pierced his neck and the bandit fell dead.

Martin was on the four bandit crossbowmen, they got off a few more shots that did nothing to save them the first lost most of his face as he tried to block with his crossbow. The second tried to swing it like a club, only to be stabbed in the chest before she could complete her swing. The remaining two turned and ran, one clutching his crossbow the last dropping hers. The bandits only made it a few steps before they were stabbed in the back and knocked down to bleed out on the cold unfeeling earth.

A second bandit charged into the carriage only to be met with a barrage of arrows. She had the presence of mind to duck down but still caught with the last arrow striking her in the head killing her. She dropped her shield and axe to the ground. The next bandit was hot behind her not giving Vivian a chance. He threw his axe at Alice an easier target. Rose protected her patient and stepped in the way. The axe cut into her shoulder and neck, the kind healer cried out and crumpled to the floor. Lying in a slowly growing pool of blood.

The bandit grinned picking up a dropped axe from the floor, Vivian didn’t need eyes to see what was going on. She had one of her bodkin arrows to hand. She tackled the bandit to the floor of the coach. Using the arrow like a short spear she stabbed the bandit again and again and again mixing the bandits blood with roses on the floor. She made sure to take their eyes before they were granted the mercy of passing away.

David launched his attacks at the bandit in front of him. The man's shield disintegrated he tried to block with the heft of his axe only to lose the blade. A second strike and his forearm was gone, David finished him off as the man screamed for mercy. The wounded bandit got back to his feet only to turn around and realise Martin was there. A slash of a blade and he was falling down trying to hold his neck closed, he would not get up a second time.

The basilisks surrounded Martin and spewed there poisonous breaths at him. Not that it would make much difference to him. Martin drew two daggers they were coated in oil, a flick of his fingers and a match imbedded in the hilt of each weapon set the oil alight. Marin charged forwards towards the basilisks he looked at David, “get the tamer”.

Martin ignored his attackers straddling one beast stabbing it again and again with the flaming blades. The other two basilisks shot jets of poison and petrifying gas. To no effect against the vampire hunter, against the enraged lycanthrope. The tamer could see David heading towards him his beasts were distracted and his bandits were dead. He swallowed, this would not be good. He drew a mace his last defence and started to back away. “Now listen let’s not be hasty you let me go I call my pets off”. “How much have you got? David asked. “Fifteen silvers” the terrified man almost begged him, “not enough” the sword came down.

Martin pushed the flaming blades into the basilisk’s skull, through the ear canals the beast thrashed around and tried to save itself. Hissing and screaming twitching and bucking it didn’t survive. The second basilisk bit into his leg before he could react, with his armour and constitution it was not a serious wound. Martin drew his silver coated daggers and started to carve away at it. Vivian had her bow she aimed for the sound and fired, putting a shot threw the basilisk narrowly missing Martin.

The last basilisk observing the demise of its brethren turned tail to run. It got ten paces before Vivian shot it. Then Martin was on it carving away into its hide finishing it off. David wiped his sword on the bandit leader and held it at the ready. As the last basilisk fell Martin howled in triumph. Martin calmed down looking around. The coach driver put his dagger away, the mercenary coach guard lowered his crossbow. David sighed and put his sword away.

Vivian felt something, a spark where her eyes should be her mind was overwhelmed by the sensation. Even wounded she had contributed to the battle, mostly because she could hear movement. With her ring enhancing her perception, the basilisks were a large enough target and the bandits made enough noise that she was bound to hit them. If she sent out a spread of shots. Martin was hit at the same time by the force his eyes glowing faintly.

The level up pushed Martin to level 64 while Vivian reached 53 although David had fought the same opponents he had not yet broken through the level 50 barrier with a feat of marshal strength. Once they got his arm fixed up in some way. Even a prosthetic they could strap a shield to then he would be far more likely to face a worthy opponent and survive to break through the level limit.

Vivian didn’t know what exactly caused the level up. Wither it was the creature’s life force the abundant mana in the air. A gift from the creator god for proving her worth. Something from all of it, but her body was hardened the density of her flesh and bone was increased, her strength grew. New knowledge flooded her mind directed by her will, her need to grow. Her shatter shield technique improved to level 3. When she got some semblance of her sight back, she would be able to accurately break through shields and similar defences with bodkin arrows.

A similar effect occurred with Martin, but it was his endurance that increased beyond human levels. His toughness was already massive, even without the werewolf's bite he was pretty much able to shrug off wounds that would leave most people critically injured. He gained another level in his general melee proficiency, anything he could lay his hands on he could use. Which normally meant one of his sharp throwing blades or his mallet, which he could use to surprising effect. Now that it was over Martin checked on the condition of his colleagues, he noted the inside of the carriage the blood.

Marin looked a bit ashamed, “I was not thinking, I could have killed the lot of them at range. The tamer first to disorganise the pets. Then the crossbow men then the rest, but I wanted to get close to smell the blood”. David looked into the carnage opening the door for Martin to see the full picture he took it in then spoke “because of your recklessness Rose is dead”! Martin stepped forwards his fingers reached for Rose. Everyone tensed not sure what to expect, how in control was he? Martin wondered as he felt her pulse.

He dipped his hat saying a prayer, he sighed “let’s give her family 30 silver”. Vivian’s voice was strained with a hint of emotion as she pulled it in, to remain stoic as possible. “you think a hand full of coin will be enough to settle the debt for her life”!

His voice held a measure of regret and a low growl, “she was brave and noble but an idiot. Alice is wearing a lot of armour, she would have survived that blow rose didn’t. It is a pity that there is one less person in this world that should be hear. But let us be practical let us be realists, she is gone what we can do is take her remains to the church for last rights. Send some money back to her family with her ashes, as thanks for her compassion and care. We killed the bandits that killed her, quick justice. Tell me what else we can do”?

David looked at the dead woman and the dead bandits. “We don’t fail again. You are the only one of us that can fight at peak efficiency zealot. So you don’t run off blood lusted. You keep a level head, we don’t fuck up again.” David continued his ranting, “It’s been a month since vine garden, that coach driver the bandit Wells killed in front of us we don’t let it happen again. When we are put back together, we don’t fuck up again or people die”. Martin looked at the others regret in his voice, “remember sometimes the job it to kill the monster, not to save the village”.

Martin approached the coach guard. The man flinched Martin held out his holy symbol “divine favour” the guards wounded shoulder healed. Martin looked over to them, “we have a lot to do. David gather Vivian’s arrows for a start, I will cut down this blockage then we can sort through this mess”. David walked over to Martin and pulled an arrow wedged in his back out”. I will start with this one”. The coach driver inspected his animals and coach for damage. He noted the claw marks on the roof where Martin had gripped the edge. Silently the coach driver wondered again, how much monster and how much of a man stood before him.

Martin picked up an axe, he turned to the coach driver. “Clean up the floor of the coach, get one of the blankets wrap her body up”. The coach driver nodded grabbing a cloth and a bucket he started to do his best. David recovered arrows the coach guard kept watch and Martin hacked away to clear the blockage. Martin pilled the wood to one side of the road then went back for the log that had been dropped in the road behind them.

Martin pilled the wood up then dragged one of the basilisks to the pile. He got out his book of monsters David approached him, “anything worth harvesting”? “Venom glands in the neck the claws so we take paws and heads. Some stuff deeper in liver and gallbladder. Not that I want to go butchering them for that, if I hold it can you cut”? David agreed “Sure” they could not turn anything down at this point.

They gathered up a bag of remains, it was tied to the back of the coach. Martin looked at the coach guard. “You fought them take two of their crossbows they must be worth something, then help me drag the bodies over we are taking them with us”. The coach driver looked at Martin incredulously, “leave them to rot or burn them hear, they don't deserve last rights”. Martin looked at the man “every human deserves last rights, they may be bandits but they were human. We bring the bodies back the priests perform last rights no wandering spirits. They cremate the bodies no material for the necromancers”. David looked over the dead bandits, “should have shown some compassion earlier should have got them to surrender”.

They went through the bandit’s possessions recovering about 16 silver worth of coin and a few bits of jewellery. The bandit leader had some sort of magic item on him it glowed green. Martin felt no ominous aura from it, he guessed it was a magical item that helped with the man’s tamer job. They would sell it plus the bandits recovered equipment. To the local merchant guild, along with the basilisk’s parts.

Martin placed Rose's body onto the roof of the carriage. Then one by one he hauled the bandit’s remains up. David helped dragging them close so Martin could haul them up. The driver pulled some rope out from storage and the pile of bodies was lashed in place. Martin sat on top, his blood lust satiated for the time being.

They moved along the road for another hour until they came across a watch tower. It was set to the right of the road. A dozen guard’s volunteers and militia kept eyes on the road. A signal fire could be lit. Giving the city a good warning of anything incoming. The tower was fifty feet high and very solid. It could probably bunk many times the number that they could see and would be a good store house to provision patrols.

A guard with a halberd waved the coach down, “what happened? where did the pile of bodies come from”. Martin landed on the ground next to the guard. He drew paperwork and showed it to the guard “we are heading to north port to seek medical treatment”. The guard looked over Martin seeing no obvious wound, “some sort of poison or curse”? Martin nodded “my colleagues injuries were more mundane but no less serious. Bandits attacked us thinking us too week to fight them off. We proved differently, they were led by a tamer with basilisks”.

The guard nodded “See the Deputy Sheriff, I think there was twenty silver on that one’s head”. The guard noticed the one body wrapped up, “did you lose someone”? Martin nodded “sadly yes a lay sister, a healer stepped between and axe and her patient”. The man nodded, “your friend survived then, and you got the bastards. At least her soul will have some measure of peace right”. Martin was resolute, “Yes may the blessing of the creator god be on you”.

Ten minutes later they saw a convoy of a dozen waggons, it was a small one in the grand scheme of things. But still too large for most creatures and bandits to try to tackle. They were protected with that number of mercenary’s bow men and spearmen long with the drivers. Not many would attempt it, not many that walked around in daylight anyway.

They began to notice patches of cultivated land, harvested now the weather was getting colder. It would not see crops again until next year. There were a few herders tending to their stock. They saw a couple of windmills. Then shortly afterwards they could see the fortified farmsteads built around the windmills, they were of stout wooden and brick construction.

Every farmer with a pitchfork was at least a militia man, willing to defend his crops and livestock with whatever was to hand. Against whatever came sniffing round at night. Harvested and processed food would be stored in the city granaries and larders. Where it was much harder to get to, making the farms a far less enticing target.

Near the city they saw some more road traffic, a few even larger convoys almost at the gates of the city. As they drew near, they could see the top of the cathedral citadel, which overlooked the harbour. They had passed briefly through this place once. Now that they returned they could see it and appreciate it in more detail. What lay in front of them was salvation to Martin, to David the return of his strength. Vivian could feel the hope of purpose return to her, as they neared the gates. Hope of her vision returning, an anticipation of seeing again. Even Alice locked away in her own head could almost feel and end to her current purgatory.

Once they were near the city they could see its intimidating size. Vivian could smell and hear it. The city of north port was nearly twice the size of Good forge. One of the nine key cities of the north. About 35000 people called the walled harbour home.

There was a big merchant’s guild presence that was only growing. Outside you could appreciate the layered defence. A large outer wall 40 foot high maybe as thick. It had been built up one year after the next with one shell of stone reinforcing another. There were lots of supports towers with ballista, heavy ballista, bolt throwers staffed by guards with militia and engineers all facing outwards. There were at the very least eighteen heavy pieces of siege artillery on the walls. More would be mounted on the inner wall and on the cathedral citadel itself. The wall also boasted a magical shield that could be activated in the event of an attack with one word.

Outside the settlement there were two ditches, one filled with spike a second filled with muddy water to act as a moat. The gate house was massive and heavily reinforced with four draw bridges allowing carts to enter and leave the city two abreast. Martin fancied he could almost see the masts of some ships from their location. Martin screamed again as he held his holy symbol to his head, “purify soul” there was pain, “god fucking dam it to hell”.