“That was interesting.” He said, clearly confused of what he just saw. Nienna let out a scream, and Eylinn’s reaction was swift. She launched forward, grabbed Nienna and kept her behind herself, shielding her from the Orc no longer an Orc. She reached for her sword, but discovered to her great dismay it was not there.
“Stay the fuck away!” She yelled at him, her face unrecognizable, the rage controlling her every move.
“Oh relax; you don’t even have a weapon with you.” He said short, not paying her state any worthwhile attention.
"I don't care what you'll do with me, Ra'Gru, but you leave Nienna alone. She's innocent." She hissed, and spat between every word, more beast than Elf. The girl was clenching at her dress behind her back, succumbing to panic. A wheezing noise echoed in the room, as she tried to summon her wind magic between the tears.
"Hehe, don’t worry. I’m not here to harm you." Ra'Gru said with a smile on his lips. "Do you have a cup of wine by any chance? You wouldn’t want to leave a guest thirsty, would you?" An otherworldly sound escaped from Eylinn’s esophagus.
"You think I'll fall for that again?"
"Well you did not take my word to heart last time. According to Qylan, you let your guard down, so you clearly learned nothing." Mentioning Qylan was the final insult she was even remotely willing to tolerate.
"Don't... Tempt... Me..." She hissed. "I've learnt more than enough from Qylan by now, and I'm not making another such mistake." Nienna started to inch towards her nightstand.
"What mistake? Nothing happened to you the last time. For all I know, you might have enjoyed it." The Orc sneered. She felt disgusted. What did he take her for?
"Yes. Being throttled is a real turn on for me, you sick cockhead."
"Well being in prison didn’t turn me on either." In what was only the split of a second, Nienna had thrown herself at the nightstand and grabbed the only weapon available in the room. A letter opener made of pure silver.
“Eylinn, catch!” Without even turning around, she reached with her right hand and caught the flying knife, holding it in a firm grip, aimed at Ra’Gru. She sported a sinister grin, no longer feeling as helpless. As long as she had a blade, she could at least hurt him in some way, before she’d die.
"Don’t be a fool." He said, not even reaching for his own piece.
"Now that we're both armed, how about you tell me how you even got in here?" He laughed at her question, mockingly or amused, she couldn’t tell, nor did she care to know.
"Quite easily. The same way I disappeared from your stockade."
"Then why aren't I dead yet, if you can move so freely and silent?"
"Why would I want to kill you?" Eylinn’s eyes narrowed.
"Do I look like a girl interested in guessing games?! When are you going to stop ask questions, and do whatever you’re here to do?"
"By the look on your face, I would guess you aren’t. Also you seem different.” He turned his head towards the girl crouching down by her bed. “Lady Nienna, my condolences to the death of your father." She stopped crying, and instead spoke to Ra’Gru with a trembling voice.
"Don't talk about him... He trusted you, and now he's dead..."
"And so are many other lords. Your father was a good man and I did not intend for him to die like that. Yet we cannot change the past. This is war and many more will die before it’s over." Concern grew in his voice, but Eylinn didn’t believe a word he said. She moved to block his sight of Nienna again.
"If you're threatening her..."
"It is a fact. In war, many will die." Tired of cowering at the floor, Nienna moved up and cling to Eylinn’s side.
"Many will die because of your greed!” She yelled, in full confidence, with strength as hard as steel. “Return to the Light, you can be saved!" Ra’Gru responded only in anger.
“You know nothing of my choices or my greed, and do not attempt to assume you do." Eylinn couldn’t believe her ears. Still he would defend the Dark, even after she had seen what a spiteful scourge it was. Sadistic, cruel, vile. Her blood boiled at the injustice she had been dealt, and focused it on the man standing before her.
"Your Dark took everything from me! Everything I had, everything I could have had! So don't lecture me of choice! I upheld my part of the fucking bargain, what more do you want?! Or do you only wish to torment us more?" She could feel Nienna letting go of her arm, whispering into her ear.
“What do you mean?” The girl was confused, but Eylinn only glanced at her in a hopeless gaze. Annoyed at her own inability to keep her mouth shut, she got even angrier, and reached the knife further and more threatening at the intruder, almost at a striking position.
"The Dark has taken nothing from you.” He said, and now she hated him thoroughly. ”Regarding the bargain, if you truly upheld it, then how is my child?"
"He's safe as safe he can be. Under the care of a good willed man, and so it will remain."
"And the mother?" Ra'Gru asked, with worry shooting from his eyes.
"Married to the heir of Three Rivers." She said in a chill voice. "As far as her husband knows, you raped her. She's safe under his pity." Ra’Gru turned, towering, his fury apparent for anyone to see.
"What?" He yelled. "You let her marry into the whorehouse of Three Rivers? The one who burns followers of both Dark and Light?" Eylinn relished in his misery. It was like fuel for her own ego. The terror mixed with joy at his pitiful display. All that was left was for a chance to open him from the belly and up.
"The less he'll touch her then, I imagine."
"Mind your tongue. You handed her over to the biggest lunatic in Ecclestius."
"Me? Are you joking? I am as little involved with the marriages of the realm as you are. Would you rather she'd live the rest of her life alone? Left as the talk of bastards, undesirable and unloved?" Ra’Gru calmed himself.
“No, I guess not" His eyes shifted between the two maidens. “Anyway, that is not why I am here." He was done? Already? She lowered the knife.
"Then speak... Before my patience with you end."
"Tell me, have you ever heard of a book called the Necronomicon?" He seemed intrigued to learn of what they already knew, his curious nature shining through his reeking facade. Eylinn was taken aback by the question.
"I'm not exactly the reading kind of person." And she had no idea what gave him that impression in the first place.
"Too bad. There are so many good books out there. But this one in particular is very powerful."
"For what purpose?" Nienna leaned in to once again, whispering into Eylinn’s ear.
“Dark Magic...”
“Power...” Ra’Gru said. “Dark Power.” He smiled. Eylinn moved her eyes skyward, nonchalant and bored of where this conversation was going. Yet again of the mighty Dark, the powers to pursue ones noble goals. To her, all it had ever done was removing even the chance to have any.
"What of it?"
"It requires a sacrifice to work." His face turned grave. "The blood of a virgin Elven girl to be exact." And again, he smiled, seemingly pleased with his own presentation.
"Great." It seemed the disease wouldn’t be claiming her after all. She’d be stolen the chance to even taste the pursuit of life’s greatest pleasure, all for the furthering of Dark spells. It had been one of the few things that had kept her mood high, that at least when in the Pale, they’d finally be two. Joint. Nienna seemed as upset as her, though she was more willing to show it. Tears fell from her eyes, and she desperately tried to summon whatever magic she was able, ready to defend herself. She was too inexperienced to realise; that all she was planning to do was draw out the inevitable, and bitter the taste when defeat would finally come.
"To sweeten the story even further, the book is in the hand of Zephfer Huaindren, the madman of the Elves." Eylinn lowered her eyes, and loosened the grip of the knife, funnelling her own fire into the blade.
"So you’re here to collect a sacrifice and a spare? I can assure you. You will only need me." Ra’Gru let out a laugh.
"If that was my intent, I would not be speaking to you now. I would have a sword in my hand and a fireball in the other." Eylinn’s face turned into disgust.
"I'm glad you find all of this so amusing."
"I will advice you both to be careful about what you plan to do. Zephfer will no doubt try to take one of you if the chance presents itself." Ra’Gru looked into her eyes.” And there was another thing. I heard your army had a little bit of a vampire problem." Eylinn's face raged again
"Yes?" She spoke between her teeth.
"There is a priest with the name of Mikhail currently travelling to your assembly. He knows parts of what needed to be done to manage it. In the north-eastern part of Ecclestius, there is a county called Wallachia. Vlad is the lord of those lands, and he is not a normal count. That would be the first place to check to solve the problem with the disease." Eylinn flinched at his words.
"A cure?"
"That I do not know, but it is worth looking into. I am truly sorry that i cannot stay for the feast, but I wish you a good evening.” He turned around. “Also, don’t look so gloomy. It really does tear up your looks." He vanished, leaving the girls with a foul taste in their mouths, and to Eylinn, a small ember of hope.
Nienna shrunk down to the floor, her back against the wall. She pulled her arms around her knees, and spoke in a faint, weak voice.
"What was he talking about? What is going on?"
“It’s ok. Don’t worry about it.” She dropped the knife, turned around, and sat down next to Nienna. "There's been a lot of grim news lately. They get easier to learn with time." The girl lowered her red head into her knees, crying loudly. Eylinn reached an arm around her, pulling her towards her chest, with the ear towards her own heart. "Don't be afraid. He won't get to you." She had no great memories of Zephfer, or the rumours about him. But she had been empathic with his son, and she wondered if he’d followed his father’s path. Would he stand for this? The girl’s sobbing remained, but they were decreasing in frequency.
"I'm sorry Eylinn..." Eylinn chuckled half-heartedly.
"For what?"
"I wasn't brave. I didn't stand up to him. You had to protect me in my own home. And they'll come for one of us. If not for me, then for you." Eylinn started to stroke Nienna’s hair, trying to reassure her that this would not be the case.
"That's where you're wrong. I'm not brave. But I didn't want him to hurt you either." She turned her head up, to make her look up into her eyes. "And he will never get to you. Ever.” Nienna smiled slightly and wiped the tears from her face.
"Thank you Eylinn... For everything. Look, I don't know what is going on here, but I want you to know that I'll always do my best to help you. Just say the word." Eylinn smiled.
"I won't be going to the Pale. If Ra'Gru spoke true..." She went dead-pan. "I need to know." Nienna looked worried.
"Are you sure the priests can't help your men? I've heard of Vlad, and he seems about as evil as a person can be. Without serving the Dark One I suppose.” Eylinn’s face turned sombre. No priest could ever help her. This was her only chance, and she was not about to let it pass.
“I'll be fine." She looked closely into Nienna's eyes, feeling the need to clear things out. "You kissed me. Why?" The girl’s face turned red, avoiding her gaze.
"I... I don't know..."
"I love Freyr... By all my heart..." Nienna nodded, still as red as an apple.
"I understand that... I don't know what came over me... I've never done anything like that before." Eylinn started thinking of Wilhelm and Gilbert, how natural it had been for them. The grief she had seen, but also the joy... She stroke Nienna’s hair behind her ear.
"I've seen many things during my travels. Some were weird, some were evil, and some were just love." She smiled. "Don't feel ashamed for being who you are, or the people you desire, whoever they may be. Ever." Nienna looked across the room, seemingly filled with sorrow.
"I'm sorry Eylinn." Trying to cheer her up, Eylinn leaned in closer and gleefully whispered into her ear.
"With lips like those, you could snare whoever you'd want. Boy or girl." It seemed to have worked. The girlish smile reappeared on her face.
"You know, you started it." It would seem so, she knew that. Filled with feelings of guilt and shame, Eylinn turned distant. She was her friend. Not her meal. Yet the hunger had been so strong, she couldn’t resist. She hadn’t been herself. She wasn’t even attracted to women.
"I was just checking the pulse. I was afraid the shock from having make-up spilt over your bed would kill you." Nienna giggled.
"Oh, good to know you care enough to check." Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to cheer up Eylinn.
"So... How does one do now? I've never had a friend before, least of all kissed one." Nienna seemed confused by her question, parrying it with a nervous laugh.
"I don't exactly make a habit of kissing female friends who are betrothed. But I'm not sure. I can't imagine telling anyone would help anything, though Freyr might appreciate the thought of us..." She grinned. Eylinn giggled.
"What man wouldn't?" Setting the indecent jokes aside, she still needed an answer. "So... We can still be friends? You won't get mad at me? Feel bad if I come visit?" She felt anxious over the answer, but Nienna only smiled reassuringly.
"I couldn't get mad at you Eylinn, and I still want us to be friends. If that's what you want too, then it's settled." Eylinn stroke her cheek, keeping her head close to her chest.
"Thank you..." Nienna looked peaceful, content with her touch and being where she was.
"No, thank you Eylinn. We may not have been friends for long, but you are my best friend by far. I want to lose that as little as you do." She closed her eyes. Best friends? A future husband? People that cared for and loved her? She had ended up so lucky. She looked down at the girl, and a smile cracked over her face. She wondered how she could make her feel so good. And her smell. She looked down her neck again, moving her hand from her cheek to brush away the hair.
The thin protruding vein was pulsating visibly, and its bluish hue mesmerized her. She moved her fingers to feel at it, caressing the skin of her neck and nipping over it as the pulse slowly increased. Nienna was humming, contentedly. The girl didn’t mind her touch, and she was in her power. Her excitement eased the flow of blood rushing through her.
Eylinn’s breathing became harder, and her own heart raced. The girl stretched her head as she had done before, seeming trying to accommodate to whatever she was doing. The smooth, soft skin under her fingertips, she couldn’t let it go. The hunger returned, and in her mouth, she salivated. Not knowing for how long she sat there, she suddenly woke up, realising what was happening. She panicked and removed her hand.
"I-I-... Need to go. Will you be alright?" Nienna looked up with her kind eyes fixed at hers.
"Yes, I'll be ok. Thank you Eylinn." She helped her stand up, and felt the pain returning after the sweet relief of its absence for a minute or more. Eylinn braved a smile, hoping Nienna had not noticed, or paid too much attention to what had just happened.
"See you at dinner." Eylinn said, moving for the door.
"A chance to grill Fryer and talk with the engaging Alvon. I can't wait."
As she walked through the corridor in a determined pace, her mind took over. If this is what she’d become, ready to bite at the people she cared for, she would have no part of it. If she couldn’t get rid of the disease in time, there was only one option, but Freyr would never agree to do it. She spent the rest of the evening pondering over who among the lords of Light would be brave enough to end her, painlessly and with some dignity. The foul thoughts clouded the evening, and she pushed them out as well as she could. It was too cruel, this world, how it would twist, how it would give, and how it would take...
Eylinn Mindrilla and Nienna Coamenel learns of the content of the Necronomicon.