Blood Reign
Chapter I
Haunting Dreams
The rains fell slowly as day descended into night and the last fading shadows of light etched vague images against the cold stone walls in the dim light. The ruins of the old stone walls told the story of the great cities destruction. Untold years of wear from the winds and sun were clear on the ridged tops were huge battlements once stood. It was once a holy place, a haven from evil that swept across the land but even the evil's cold dark grasp choked the life from the great palace. Where once no evil could tread it ran free and no man dared enter even in the mists of day.
But now a new unknown evil stirred in the night. Slowly shadows began to take shape where light struck at queer angles now it bent to for an object. Soon that object began to take the shape of a man, a large man. Covered in black where no trace of his form could be seen. Nothing separated shadow from form and none could see where the figure ended and the night began. Small rodents and wildlife scampered about the floor startled by the sudden presents where there previously nothing. Silence remained, unbreaking silence. Then a voice broke out of the tearing silence. The figure seemed to speak but the sound came from everywhere at once not the direction of the figure...
"Soon..." the voice trailed off and the figure disappeared leaving only the darkness as silence set back in.
* * * * *
The man ran quickly unsure of his direction only with quick looks behind him could he see the hoards of werewolves and vampires chasing after him. They were right on his heels. It was all he could do to out run them. He had a good lead though so he did have time. Or so he thought as the opening side of the valley became clear he saw the score of undead awaiting him. He was trapped there was no where to run and his hunters closed in from all sides. the giant werewolves leapt large spaces closing the distance. Forest walls were all around him and he knew that dark was setting in and no matter what degree of skill on one could survive in the woods during the day much less night.
He turned about looking in all directions for a place to go next a way to escape. Then he saw it looming in the faded light. It was a church but how could he have not seen it when he was running before? The undead continued to lurk forward and the werewolves took bigger leaps. He had only a few minutes to live unless he got to that church. They couldn't follow him onto that holy ground. He'd be safe. Without a second thought he ran with all the speed he could build to the door of the church as he looked up at the cross that graced its center tower and he felt safe at last. He reached for the door handle and pushed quickly but nothing happened. The door was locked! THE CHURCH WAS LOCKED! And he was doomed. He slammed hard into the church door but it didn't budge. He sank down and knew what awaited him. He felt a sharp claw tear the flesh of his back and the feeling of warm blood running down his back as searing pain coursed through his entire body. And he collapsed...
Aridale shot straight up in his bed breathing incredibly hard. Cold sweat soaked his bed cloths and sheets. He quickly threw back the covers and checked himself for wounds to find, thankfully, there were none. Still breathing hard he realized where he was. He was in his own bed in his own room at the small inn he'd been staying at since he came to town. It had all been a dream. After so many nightmares like that one he'd expected to be used to it. Seldom did a night pass by that he actually slept well since "that" had happened. It had been at least three years since he'd been "banished" as he looked at it. He knew it was the reason for his nightmares. As his breathing slowed he began to remember that fateful day.
"Your not worthy to be a Paladin and serve our God! You've failed in your tasks and now he will not lend you his favor! Go! Flee now! your no longer welcome here! Your not worthy of your name!"
The words echoed through his head as the yelling of the priest replayed itself in his mind. He shook off the priests echos and tried to clear his mind. This had become an everynight routine. Everynight waking in a cold sweat, everynight reliving the day for his fall from grace. Sometimes it seemed as if his leaving was the only escape that if he stayed he'd always be caught by that falure. so he left. He left that night never to return and the heavy rain covered his tracks. A cold stare ran over his face as the memories began to play again.
"...so your leaving? All because you cant be a Paladin? Your giving everything you have here up bacause you cant be a Paladin? Do you think running from what happened will make it better? Do you think that..." He broke the thought and wipped his eyes. It must have been at least four in the morning and he needed sleep. He shook his head and laid back down. Within minutes his peace returned and he was sleeping soundly again.
* * * * *
He awoke with a hard jerk as the yelling downstairs played hard upon his ears. He sprang from the covers and his feet hit the cold stone floor bringing him fully to his sences. He opened the door to get a better listen of the commotion as to surmise the situation. Not much to his surprize it was the owner arguing with a customer over the wages of staying in "this fine of an inn" as Thom put it. he closed the door without a second thought and staggared into the small washroom just off left of the door. Some fine inn he thought was he dipped his hands into the cold water to wash his face. They cant even get you warm water he mumbled running his hands down his face and back across his long dark hair. He'd been staying there nearly two weeks and he'd been keeping his own as it were in the small tavern downstairs. He finished washing his face and he stopped his usual morning routine to look in the mirror.
He didnt look at himself in the mirror too often because when he did he was often reminded that he wasnt the most pleasant face in the world to gaze upon. Not to say he was ugly just not your average princely looks. his hair was long and uncropped he needed a shave and he couldnt remember the last long hot bath he had much less the last time he'd even washed his face in warm water.
"I dont look that bad do I?" He shrugged off the thought and continued with his morning routine. He pulled his long hair back and tired it then slipped on his pants and boots and laced them. He threw on his white shirt and buttoned it followed by his leather vest and his work apron. Then he headed downstairs.
"Mornin Ari." The man said as he saw Ari coming down the stairs. "How'd ya sleep?" He conintued. "Damn bed bugs are gettin bad arent they?" he finished with a laugh. Ari just shook his head and nodded to the puddy old man. By the Gods was he a chubby little guy! To be no more than five foot or so he was really short and had to weigh at least three-hundred pounds on his five foot frame.
"Good Morning, Thom..." Ari replied. Ari made his way across the long bar room oposite of the stairs and took his usual seat at the end of the bar.
"How bout it lad? The usual?" Thom asked peering up over the bar.
"Aye, peck, the same..." Ari said petting the little guy on the head.
For a dwarf he was increadibly easy going to someone who made fun of his height. Any other dwarf would have picked a fight with a dozen men if the lowest of the called him short but Thom was by far tall by dwarven standards.
"Stop it Ari, you know how I like it when you call me Peck. It just makes me all moist..." Thom retorted with a smile and a flutter of his eyes. Then he darted off waddling down the bar to the kitchen door. Ari looked up and over the bar around all the heads of game and other beasts he could only have guessed that Thom slayed himself in his "younger" years as he liked to referrer to them. What he really meant was thinner years because he was still young for a dwarf. Ari looked over the many pictures that hung on the walls of old friends, friends and other people Thom once knew. He got lost in the thoughts of how one person could know so many and how he came to know them and it wasnt long till Thom came back threw the kitchen door with nothing in sight of him behind the tall counter but his hat and Ari's food.
"Umm hmm look what I got here... Breakfast is up Ari is you ready?" the dwarf said as he stepped up on his crate so he could actually put the food on the bar in front of Ari. Ari stared at the the man passed the food and smirked abit at his toothless grin and his obvious pleasure at what he had just brought Ari.
"Thank you, Thom..." Ari replied turning on the stool to face the bar suddenly broke from his thoughts of the pictures. Ari began to eat and Thom left him to his breakfast to do his usual morning wake up calls and mail checks. And Ari's memories of his fall from grace began to come again. This was unusual. He usually didnt have relapses from the happenings of the night and his nightmares. The memories became so intense that Ari stopped eating and was totally ingrossed by the memories. It wasnt long before Thom came back around the bar to see what the matter was.
"...Ari, hey lad! Wake up!" Thom yelled as he stepped up on his crate. Suddenly almost as if Ari had been jerked into this world from another he shook his head and blinked abit taking deep breaths.
"What is it, boy? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Thom asked clearly worried at the sight of seeing someone usually so emotionless now looking completely disorientied and completely drained.
"It's the... the nightmares again... This time I just cant shake it... Can't stop thinking about... Usually..." He took a heavy breath and shook his head again and exhailed slowly. Ari never opens up to anyone and never has. He only told Thom about his dreams just to have someone to talk to about them to perhaps get them under control but he never told Thom what they were about or why he'd come to Vauss. But Thom had never pressed him to let him know but he was quickly thinking otherwise after seeing the expression on Ari's face. Thom wasnt the kind of person to hint at what he wanted to know. His dwarven blood made him question flat out without hesitation when he was determined to know and he was about to find out exactly who this Aridale was that he'd known for three weeks, taken care of him gave a job to, and cooked for and still didnt know his last name.
* * * * *
The shadow danced on the heavy branches from tree to tree like candle light touching dark curtains. Playfully it lept in its game. Skillfully it hunted it's meal although the hunt was mere childs play to the beast it was no work of labor to catch what it wanted. It could have had it's kill already but preferred to toy with the prey to prolong the night other than just return to sleep. This nights unforunate "guest" was a wandering pickpocket that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He ran for his life and the beast seeking to end it only followed playing letting him wear himself out before he struck.
Then suddenly there was no where left to run the trees had stopped and met the face of the large stone cliff above them. Now the man was truelly cought between a rock and a hard place, so to speak... He knew fighting was pointless and it wouldnt even buy his last free minutes. Yelling and screaming was impossible and just as useless. Then all was quiet and thoughts of thanks to his god began to enter his mind as did plans to head in the other direction. As he turned to do just that Black Death fell from the trees directly in front of him. The shadow that chased him now caught him and it was here that he would die. He looked slowly at the creature. Before him loomed the largest werewolf he'd ever known to exist and he would tell no one of the sight. He knew only the very skillfull could escape a werewolf. Much less one the size of the monster looming before him. Skillfull he was, but two boot daggers wouldnt even scratch the beast. The monster breathed down on him from the darkness. There it loomed. At least Nine foot in height and didnt look a bit winded from the chase to catch the thief. He starred fearfully into the face of the beast and saw his death in the scarred eye of the werewolf. Looking at the creature he noticed its size wasnt the only thing different about it. It's right eye was scarred but somehow was no blind and a large stripe of fur started at the top of its head. The color of grey just lighter than its fur itself.
Slowly the beast moved. Its now stood full upright on its hind legs and didnt slump or leen in the slightest. The man inhailed slowly and prepared for his final minutes. Then something struck him like a bolt of lightening. Instinctively he raised a dagger to cut but to no avail. In a flash it was over. No pain No blood No missing limbs. Just Darkness. The mans body slumped a little and the werewolf struck hard to the now dead thief's back laying it open for his lower back to the back of his neck. Steam escaped as the warmth of the internal organs touched the cool new morning air.
Slowly the beast finished its meal and stalked slowly away vanishing into the newly forming morning.
* * * * *
"Do you ever think about going home? Going back to see if anything has changed? Maybe go back for good?" Thom asked after the man he hardly knew answered every question he'd always wanted to know. Every question but one. For some reason Ari still wouldnt tell him his lastname. Why wouldnt Aridale tell him his lastname? What was so important about it that it had to remain unknown?
"Yeah, I think about it all the time. But I couldnt..." Ari replied. He stood and walked away from the bar and crossed to the center of the room just walking and thinking about all that had just been said.
"Why?" Thom questioned bluntly. "Its been three years Aridale! Things change... It could be different now." He rubbed his cropped grey beard and looked at the bar and the walls then back at Ari. "Who knows? No one may even remember what happened." He finished. No one spoke for a long while and Ari sat back down then Thom spoke again.
All Im saying is maybe you should think it out. I realize you've only been here a month but your young. If you plan on staying here permanantly I'll just have to kick yer ass, lad." He said with a smile. "Now finish eating some High and Mighty is in town this week and I expect a lot of business. We got to get in gear and make preparations." He finished as he stepped down off his crate and disappeared into the kitchen again leaving Ari alone. He finished his breakfast and went about a normal dat. All day the thought kept entering his mind of returning home and seeing everything again and possibly even being forgiven and if the gods willing he could even become a Paladin. At that thought he had to make up his mind. He was going to do it. He was going home. Then the wishful thinking faded and reality set back in and he realized it would never happen.
Even if it could he was so out of practice that he probably couldnt handle the tests anyway. It had been years since he even lifted a sword to move it from one place to another much less defeat an armed man as skilled or more so than himself. He shook his head and cursed himself abit for letting himself get out of practice and he realized it was growing dark! Where had the day gone?! He'd been so lost in thought that the day had slipped by and night had almost slipped in. It had to be at least six o'clock because after all it was nearing fall and beginning to get dark earily. He knew that any minute he could expect hordes of drunk men looking to shoot the bull and keep their drunkeness at it's peak and those that would come in sober and leave in worse shapes of all different stages of incoherantness. He mentally prepared himself for the worst.
Drunken comers fell wild about an incident he didnt quiet catch, something about a graveyard and robbers getting attacked by something it was unclear and hard to filter out from all the other tales floating about all he knew was everynight the stories of attacks by what people were saying were monsters and the such were growing and it seemed everynight there were new accounts of people seeing undead, ghosts, even a few boasting werewolf stories. It seemed only the ones that had witnessed it or was so drunk they'd believe anything would listen to the tales. But Ari didnt have much choice it was hard not to over hear loud drunk men bellowing about seeing horses gutted while they were on them and then the remains dragged underground. The thought of it sickened and enraged him all at the same time. The sickened part he understood but it was the part about him getting mad over something like that. Why would he care if undead killed some stolen horses? Something about undead didnt set well with him but he didnt know why or how to explain it. All he knew was he planned on keeping his distance from any for as long as he could. He was thinking about the dreams again and all the undead in them. He couldnt help but think that maybe thats why the talk of them made him feel like he did. But who could believe the stories of a drunk old man anyway?
* * * * *
It had been a busy day indeed and Ari looked forward to his sleep. It was completely dark in his bed chamber and all the nights patrons had long since been gone. All but the ones staying at the inn for one reason or another. The only light to be seen was Ari's small candle he used for light after he'd put out all the lights in his room for the night. He exited the small bathroom and sat the candle down next to his bed as he turned down the cover. He crawled into the bed and extinquisted the candle before closing his eyes.
The memories of his dreams began again and the thoughts of returning home. Could he go back? Should he go back? Would everything be the same or would things have changed? In a small town lots of things could change in three years. Everyone he knew could be gone. Everything he knew could be totally changed. He did leave with no warning. He told no one so it's possible they cold think he's dead. Think he'd died and moved one. He drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of returning home.