Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Temple of Hyxia

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec exhaled sharply and let Rhietz pull him into the dance circle. He mirrored her dance moves, but on his tall lanky frame it looked a little silly.
“Hello stranger. I feel like we haven’t seen each other in a long time. Too much riding.”
He was glad she saved him from a kiss that may have led to unmitigated regret. Still, he wanted to feel warmth on his face.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz made a face at his statement, caught up in the dance. "I had to guide everyone, of course I couldn't talk to you a lot! But now we can! Wh-what's your absolutely favorite color? Delilah said she'd take me to the market to get a souvenir and I saw a really nice set of bracelets. I thought of getting you one. To symbolize our friendship." Rheitz blabbered, her face radiating with friendliness.

 

[Jodyguru]

His face was red. A friendship bracelet? What a novel thing, he thought.
“Uhm, sure. Blue or green I suppose. You and Delilah act a lot like best friends.” He saw talking a lot, always laughing.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz shrugged. "I guess. She's kind of like the older sister I never had. My older brothers never had any time to talk to me and I didn't know what to talk to them about. But Delilah and I can talk about a lot of girl stuff."

 

[Jodyguru]

“Girl stuff, ey?” He asked. He wasn’t too sure what she meant by that.

Sitting outside on a hill was a hunter looking through a spyglass. They saw Lautrec dancing in the tavern.
“Found you at last... big brother.” A woman’s voice whispered while she stared intently at him for an hour.

“Does she say anything about her past?” Lautrec asked.
Just then, a bottle on the bar exploded, sending booze flying in every direction.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz let out a shriek, falling to the ground, a piece of glass lodged in her arm. The crowd in the dining hall had stilled, eyes watching the bar cautiously. "Well then," Enius grouched, looking at his shattered bottle of booze, "-which bastard decided to play with me?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec was shocked by what happened, then went to help Rhietz. He pulled the glass out and healed her wound with his hand, glowing with curing energy.
He looked around, trying to discern why this happened. He noticed the bar itself was splintered where Einus’ glass was.
“The attack came from outside, most likely.” He said. The loud music and conversations made it so he couldn’t hear long distance, like the gunshot that roared behind a strategic hill.

“Damn, missed. I’ll get you tomorrow, you gray bastard.” She told herself, watching over the tavern to see if anyone would mount a search party tonight. Either way she was going to be gone in a hurry.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Enius muttered to himself, bending to help the flustered bartender clean up the broken glass shards. Rheitz stood up, shivering from shock and moved to sit on a nearby chair. "Wh-what was that?" she asked Lautrec, her eyes nervously glancing at the splintered bar. "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure someone was trying to kill Enius," Tobias said simply moving to the bar to examine the scene further. Shaking her head, Rhietz turned back at Lautrec. "You asked me a question, what was it again?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“I don’t recall. Who’d want to kill Einus?” He asked, looking at the old man helping pick up broken glass. A man that kind couldn’t have many foes.
He investigated the bar, seeing a round metal ball imbedded in the wood. Touching it, the thing was covered in black powder.
“A bullet. A rifle round I’d say. No way something short range could’ve gone unheard.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Winston had come down, cursing under his breath. "What was that loud bang?! I swear if it's the dhampir I'll poison him. All you bastards can't let a man get some peace and quiet!" Enius glared at Winston, unamused at his outburst. "Shut your mouth, ol' man. The dhampir protected one of our own, he didn't do anythin'. Just 'cause you're 'fraid of dhampirs don't mean all of 'em are bad." Winston scowled at Enius, sitting down on one of the barstools. "Maybe if dhampirs didn't give us a reason to fear them maybe I wouldn't be so suspicious!" he narrowed his eyes at Lautrec, hissing.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec did nothing but glare in Winston’s direction. Though something got his attention. “You heard the shot? Did you see anybody outside, possibly behind the hill?” Hearing his baleful existence scorned did little to sway his emotions. It was so much white noise to him.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Winston shrugged, frowning, "-it sounded like the shot came from behind the hill. My window doesn't face that direction though, but I think Delilah's does." Rheitz jumped up quickly, heading for the stairs. "Let's ask her!" Rushing up the stairs, Rheitz found her way to Delilah's door and opened it only to find that she was gone. Three empty wine bottles sat on the bedside table, a fourth was half full and sitting on the dresser. The wine glass was shattered on the floor, the red liquid staining the dark wood. "G-guys?" Rheitz said nervously, "Delilah's not here."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec noticed the broken glass on the floor, next to the wine. He wondered what possessed her to drink to excess.
“Well, if she saw something it’s possible she left to investigate. I- eh, let’s hope she’s alright.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Tobias was leaning over the windowsill, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Delilah's cloak is at the bottom," he said after a moment, pointing at the ground below. "And 'er knife's missin. So is 'er sword," Enius growled, sitting down on her bed. The sheets had been mussed, as if someone had rolled, more like struggled, around in the bed. A scrap of cloth stained red peaked out from under a pillow. "Isn't that the shade of lipstick she wears?" Rhi asked, picking up the piece of fabric. She ran the pad of her thumb over the spot, sucking in a breath. "Oh no....it's blood."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec moved his hand in the air and called upon his mare to leave the stable. The elven gray started running toward the hills. It’s eyes were replaced with Lautrec’s crimson glare. If someone was out there, he would be able to spot them.
While he was casting, he was crouched in a corner where he couldn’t be shot. He was surrounded in a purple aura.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

The forest was sparse and lacked foliage, the grass dry and yellow due to the lack of water. The trees writhed in the wind, branches colliding with those of neighboring trees. An owl stared wide-eyed, watching meditatively as its brooding eyes surveyed the area. There were no signs of life besides the sound of a squirrel or field mouse rushing through the bushes, the occasional deer picking its head to watch for danger only to have it drop back down to its meal.

...

It was only in the middle of the forest that something was found. One of the trees bore thick rip marks in its bark, the work of a knife stabbing into the crisp shell of the tree. In a nearby bush were the unconscious bodies of two men, their arms bearing bruises that had turned purple and blue. One of them was bleeding from a large gash on their leg, their boot lost somewhere in the wilderness. A jackknife lay near one of their hands, glinting brightly in the moonlight. But after that there was nothing.

...

The ground of the woods had turned soft and near a large boulder a pair of bootprints was found in the mud, though they were rather unsteady as if the person was drunk. Following it, a second pair, much slimmer and less deep than that of the other pair followed, as if the person had been stalking the other. A knife lay muddied on the ground a little further down the trail, the faintest trace of blood found on its blade. If you walked a little further you would find the body of a woman sitting at the base of a tree. Her leg was bleeding profusely from a small bullet wound, her chin resting on her breast as if she were dead. The rain had plastered her dark hair against her pale skin, her mouth agape and breathing heavily in drunken sleep. In her hand lay a sword, her sleeve shredded by sharp nails.

Delilah looked more a ghost than a person sitting in the pale moonlight.

 

[Jodyguru]

“Hmph. I thought you’d be quicker than my aim.” Aida planted the rifle butt on the dirt.
“I must thank the old man for his gift of sight. Who are you, anyway?”
Dracula’s lastborn, a pale girl with black hair tied in a tight bun. She wore a brown cloak made from a skizzit hide, and carried her rifle with ease.

————
“Aida! Heavens, that girl’s still alive.” Lautrec grabbed his skull and growled. He put a hand on his throat and kept casting.
————-
The horse rode up towards the dead-to-rights pair of women.

“Let her go, Aida.” The horse spoke with Lautrec’s voice.

“Whaat? That horse is creepy!” Aida laughed.
“I’m serious! I hope you haven’t been indulging in blood savagery.”
“Lautrec...” she said spitefully.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz gasped, "I-is Delilah okay?! Did you find her?!" She had grabbed Tobias's arm, pinching him. "She isn't hurt, right? Wh-who's Aida?"

....

The world was dark and blurry and as Delilah opened her eyes she was greeted with the blurry image of a tall, thin woman, her skin as that of the pale rider who had allied himself with her company. Her black hair was wet with precipitation but was not as wet as Delilah's who had been sitting in the rain. "Still haven't killed me yet?" she breathed, voice ragged from the pain and loss of blood. "Who knew you to be so weak."

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida lifted her chin and stuck her chest out.
“You aren’t my quarry. That’s why I only wounded you. I only want Lautrec dead!” She spat at the horse.
“We will see about that.” The horse said and launched itself at Aida, throwing hooves at her. She fell backwards after being struck by a hind leg. The horse grabbed Delilah by her clothes with its teeth, then galloped off.
————-
“Nightshadow has Delilah. She’s bringing her back to the hotel. I’m hoping the shooter doesn’t make the mistake of challenging me at night.”
He breathed a sigh. The steed ran in serpentine to avoid rifle fire.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz gasped, "So Delilah is hurt! Quick, call the doctor!" Rheitz rushed to the door, only to have Winston stop her. "Rhietz, I am the doctor. Don't worry, if Delilah is hurt, I'll have her fixed up real quick. Being a hermit does have its benefits." He smiled kindly at her, patting her shoulder. She frowned, her brows furrowing in worry. "But what is she doesn't make it?" Rheitz said finally, hands twisting the base of her blouse. Enius sighed, "Then her suffering will have come to an end and the world will lose a brave woman."

...

Delilah felt sick. Her head was pounding, aching with pain that felt as if someone had slammed her against a rock. Her body was on fire and jaw felt like it had been dislodged from its place. Her legs hit the ground occasionally as the horse dragged her along, its hooves drumming against the earth as if it were made of air. She knew she was drunk and that she had followed the woman that the horse had knocked down. She knew that she had been shot and that she had barely scratched her opponent. But she was sure she was hallucinating when she heard Lautrec's voice. Why on earth would he show up in her drunken imaginations? The horse had reached the door of the inn, gently depositing the woman at the front step and carefully trotting back to its stall. Delilah faded back into a state of unconsciousness, shivering at the fact that she might be at the front door of death.

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida fell back into the shadows and returned to her camp in the dunes.
Lautrec was at the door when Delilah arrived. He picked her up and carried her upstairs.
“You fool. Drinking away your problems isn’t the answer.” He chuckled to himself. He entered her upturned room and set her down on the bed.
“She’s been shot. The bullet could be in her somewhere.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Winston frowned at Lautrec's hands on his leader but didn't complain as he set her on the bed. Rheitz and Tobias had gone downstairs to get warm water and some cloth as Winston began to prep his tools. Studying her body, Winston pinpointed the location of the bullet. "It's in her thigh," he said to no one in particular. Rheitz dipped one of the clothes in some of the leftover wine handing it to Winston who began to clean the wound carefully. The pain made Delilah twist but didn't wake her. Winston slowly began to cut away at the skin surrounding the bullet, washing the knife blades occasionally of the blood. Rhietz stood faithfully by his side, wiping away the blood that trickled out and after about an hour, the bullet had been removed and her leg patched up. Setting his knives down, he turned to Lautrec with a solemn expression. "I-I...thank you. She would have died without your help." With that, Winston hurriedly left the room. Rhietz sat by Delilah's side, her hand resting on the woman's arm. "Do you think she'll be okay Lautrec?"

 

[Jodyguru]

He let out a sigh of relief. “I believe so. We got lucky this time. I think the shooter will be gone for the night. She’s an immense coward, that girl Aida is.” He looked at the expressions around him. “The shooter is Aida St.Leore. The last born of the Dracula family. That makes me her eldest brother. She’s intent on killing me. Einus and Delilah got in her way. I heard her say all of this through my spiritual connection with Nightshadow.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"But...why does she want to kill you, aren't you siblings?" Tobias asked quietly, his arms crossing as he hunched his shoulders. Rheitz nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I mean, sometimes I want to kill my brothers but they're blood! So why would your sister, I mean Aida want to kill you?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“It’s... a long story. Basically, she thinks killing me will unlock some kind of hidden bloodline power only obtainable by slaying a blood relative. Her and me are the only ones left. She was raised by some backwater village.”

He stared off into the distance for a moment. “Let’s just focus on Delilah healing up. I have a little more magic to offer. She might wake up though. The healing will purge the alcohol from her system.