[Book II Chapter 28] Filia: Vampires in the Whispering Woods

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The city slopes towards the center like a punch bowl. Filia guessed the layout from the sharp spires jutting out of the thin midday fog. They’d reached their final quest location and were leaping across rooftops. Once a good way in, Carol dropped down to the streets.

“It’s been a while.” She apologized. “Let me ask for direction.”

Filia glanced around. The buildings had a Gothic style, tall and dark with many pointed arches. A fair number of people, wearing grim expressions, walked the sidewalks while horseless carriages raced by. In the distance, a constant creaking of chains could be heard.

It was Filia’s first time in Glimvale. All her prior expeditions had involved smaller settlements like Merrybell. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the capital.

Eventually, Carol lead them to an open space where a stone quai surrounded a quarter mile hole in the earth. The Well Of Sorrows… The clanking was louder here. Filia screeched and found the source. On the other side was a row of elevators, and a few were being lowered and raised on metal chains. Those link to Nolfis below. Glimvale’s main sources of income were dark stones and other precious materials from the Undermist. Heavily armed teams descended daily to collect them.

They followed the quai to an imposing building and reported inside. The guards appeared relieved, telling them to wait. A couple of minutes later, a grey-haired woman in uniform greeted them.

“We’re here about the disappearances.” Zentrias explained.

The woman nodded, “I’m Oliva Eclair, Glimvale Defence Commander. Come with me.”

With nothing more, they were marched through a corridor and down a flight of stairs. Once they reached a cellar, Carol spoke up, “Is this related to our case?

Oliva nodded, “We know the cause of the disappearances.” She pulled open a metal door to a room full of human-sized blocks of ice. “Have a look at these.”

The frozen men and woman had their eyes closed as if sleeping. At first glance, they appeared uninjured, but then Filia noted traces of blood on a shirt. Following these to their source, she saw two puncture wounds on the neck. That explains the pale complexions.

“Vampires…” Carol hissed. “Can you tell me how you found them?”

Oliva nodded, “The first to vanish were a family of farmers close to Glimvale. Many more went missing later. People stopped traveling outside the walls after dark. That’s when they breached the city’s wards two days ago. By the time they were repelled, these were the victims.”

“Without easy prey, they risked revealing themselves.” Carol understood. “I assumed you’ve strengthened Glimvale’s defenses?”

“Yes, not that it matters now that you’re here.” Oliva gestured to the ice. “Do you think they can be saved?”

“It depends how long since their hearts stopped beating.” Carol offered. “Vampirism is one of the abominable scourges. The closer to their ‘reawakening’, the less hope there is.”

“If I may,” Zentrias broke in, “confronting vampires is far safer during the day. Can we focus on information helpful in tracking them down?”

Oliva shook her head. “It’s not me you need to speak with. I’ve summoned our resident monster hunter. He’ll tell you the details.”

They waited on the quai outside, and soon a bizarre vehicle drove up. Six gigantic tires held up the body of a enlarged pickup truck. It looks like something custom made in Neon. Just like martial arts converted power to physical strength, magical engines converted crystals into mechanical force. This contraption no doubt ran on dark stones, the crystals from the Undermist.

A grizzled, elderly man climbed out. “I’m Argus Lemont. Are you my backup?”

“We’re here for the vampire problem.” Zentrias agreed.

“About time!” The man sighed. “Hop into my battlevan. I’ll explain on the way.”

When they’d piled into the backseats, Argus slammed the accelerator. As they careened around the streets, he glanced back, “You comfortable? Pardon, but I’m no longer sprite enough to run around like you youngins. This baby gets me where I need be.”

“We’re fine.” Carol answered, turning to the rest of them. “By the way, I’ve worked with Argus before. He’s a retired saint as knowledgeable about the moonlit lands as myself, although his memory isn’t what it used to be.”

Argus looked hurt. “Aye, I recognize you snarky little lass. It’s been over a decade, cut this old man some slack.”

Carol faced the man. “You do such a good job of keeping Glimvale safe, I haven’t been called here in ages. What happened this time?”

“One of these buggers was bitten by the Source.” Argus mumbled softly.

“Oh god…” Carol grimaced.

Argus explained for the benefit of the rest of them. “The younger the vampire, the weaker and more feral they are. That makes them easier to deal with. However, when a particularly strong vampire creates a new one, you get a newborn that retains much of its rationality and inherits frightening power.”

“And the Source is the strongest.” Carol added.

“This will be fun.” Juda said sarcastically. They understood the gravity now.

“Where are we headed?” Fila asked as they passed the city gates.

“The Whispering Woods.” Argus answered. “I tracked them there after knowing what I was dealing with. Any of you familiar with the place?”

None of them were.

“It was an amusement park from back in Glimvale’s heyday. Somewhere you could see fairies and other rare creatures play in the mist. It was fairly successful until Evermist tilted towards the Moonlit Lands. No one goes there anymore besides bandits and fugitives. I imagine it’s one of those who got turned.”

They turned down a dirt and passed under a faded unreadable sign. “We’re here.” Argus declared. “The vamps are in the Marvelous Grotto, an underground attraction where they grew rare plants from the Undermist. Thank god you came when you did, cause we don’t have the manpower to deal with them.”

As was common in frontier regions, there were no immortals in Glimvale. The lack of amenities and entertainment drove those with endless time back to civilization. They were either recruited by some great power or made their residence on the Isle of Dreams.

Argus drove through the main street, large wheels rolling over debris. On both sides were shops and booths, some retaining fragments of their colorful paint.

<> Cici observed.

> Filia answered curtly. The vine covered buildings were dredging up unpleasant memories. It made her smirk. Compared to the monsters humans can be, facing nightmares is refreshingly simple.

“You know you need to evacuate, right?” Carol asked. “Even if we deal with these vampires, it’s only a matter of time until worse comes up from below.”

“Many have sent their families away, but the profits from dark stones are hard to give up.” Argus answered grimly. “Olivia isn’t prepared to force mandatory relocation. It’ll take a major threat to change her mind.”

“By then it’ll be too late.” Carol said sadly.

Argus furrowed his wrinkly brow, “As for me, I’ll stay as long as there’s someone to protect. It’s what I’ve always done.”

“Tell Olivia a Maven foresaw another rupture, like what happened centuries ago. Maybe that will convince her.”

“I will.” Argus answered, parking suddenly. “We’re here.”

Argus led them up a hill to the opening of a cave. Two metal plates were bolted to rock, blocking the bottom three feet. “I was sealing up the entrances when Olivia called. A stop-gate measure, but better than nothing.” Argus explained. “This was the last one I hadn’t finished, so they won’t escape elsewhere.”

Advising them vampires were weak to flames, Carol summoned an Abu Rigl Maslukha. The flaming charred monster immediately fake-lunged at her, eliciting a high-pitched shriek. It then sat back with a very satisfied grin on its blacked face. I see why she never bothers naming them.

As for Filia, she chose her volcanor, Tetris. The fire turtle was one of the strangest sukemon in that it had a lava-spewing cannon built into its shell. As a design choice it’s a bit much, but at least it’s powerful.

<> Tetris roared happily. He was a simple minded fellow who wanted nothing more than to turn his surroundings into a holocaust. She resorted to him when requiring pure destruction.

Juda and Carol’s monster took the lead, with Filia close behind. The grotto’s foggy interior quickly dissipated as she shot lava from her shoulder mounted barrels into every space they entered. Eventually they came across a bunch of bloodied bodies lying in an alcove. Juda directed the molten stone to smother the sleeping blood suckers, adding his own heat. When one tried fleeing, the Abu Rigl Maslukha latched on to it and turned them both into a raging bonfire.

“Don’t grow complacent due to these weaklings.” Argus warned from behind. “The leader and those bitten directly by him are of entirely different class. Mind their blood magics and regeneration.”

At the first intersection, Argus and Zentrias stayed behind while the rest of them cleared out the other routes back to the surface. They then met up to explore the deeper passageways.

The leader was waiting in the lowest cavern, together with six lieutenants. Filia recognized him instantly by the light of dispassionate reason in his eyes. Under his direction, the lesser vampires assaulted them in an organized fashion.

Argus deployed a sealer at the entrance, preventing retreat, and a frantic battle to death began. The lesser vampires attacked with claws of blood, shrugging off minor wounds. Only when burnt to cinder did they stop moving. Meanwhile, the leader dashed around at frightening speed, attempting to impale them with bloody lances. Filia watched Zentrias suffer multiple injuries engaging the monster. Seeing them overwhelmed, Argus joined the fray wielding two fiery axes.

When they’d felled half his lesser helpers, the leader cast a spell which caused the walls to weep blood, energizing his minions. Filia’s foresight went crazy as she sensed blades forming everywhere in the air around them.

They might’ve lost if Argus hadn’t revealed his trump card: an orb of daylight. During the artifact’s few seconds of activation, the tide turned. Filia unleashed Tetris’s ‘Lava Jets’ ability at full blast, and Juda capture the blinded leader in a molten shell. The remaining underlings were easily dispatched.

Everyone collapsed under the eerie red glow of smoldering magma and blood-soaked surfaces. We all need a shower.

“We’re luck that bastard was ten days old.” Argus panted. “If he’d had the chance to grow into his power, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

“About the one that turned him…” Carol began. “Is it really——”

“Yup, it’s him.” Argus snapped. “Even centuries latter, Jonathan Bark and his creations still plague us.”

Zentrias sighed, “Seems we must confront the immortal author once we descend to the Undermist.”