Inside the stone villa walls of Camella, Lord Andrew Lawvosky was confused and dazed for weeks and not with himself, he looked out and saw the hillside in flames and Camellana's people's hamlet destroyed. Undisclosed to him, the old woman had been enhancing him for weeks and made him fast asleep, oblivious in his chamber.But this time, he had awakened. He knew his time was short. He would take no more chances at waiting, he would find that woman. The woman in his dreams. He would take what was his before he lost it again.Furious and annoyed, he slammed open the door to Camellana’s chamber and found her in a corner weeping and with a woman on her side on the floor praying with the long white sheet gathered over her in useless defense.He grunted pleasure to himself and walked over to the unmoved woman. He grabbed the white sheet and whisked it off of her.But it was not Camellana underneath. It was her servant. Andrew turned and threw a dagger at her side, hitting the other woman in
The sight which met Diana's eyes after yet another episode of her sudden collapse at the dining hall had the horror of a dream within a dream, with the reality of sensibility added.The dim-lit chamber was as she had seen it last at the dark natives' cavern; except that the shadowy look had gone in the glare of the many lantern lights, and every piece of each oil lamp stood stark and solidly real in the niche of the chamber she was in.By the empty mattress sat young Celestina, as Diana's eyes had last seen her, sitting bolt upright in the chair beside the bed. She had placed a pillow behind her so that her back might be erect, but her neck was tightened as that of one in a warrior trance. She was, to all pursuits and goals, turned into stone as she surveyed her.There was no outstanding attitude on her face--no anxiety, no horridness; nothing such as might be anticipated of one in such a circumstance. "Celestina, where is Jenna? I haven't seen her in the dining hall."The young woman
Later at night, the healer came back with her two helpers after Cavin convinced her that what she saw earlier was just a mere apparition of the werewolf soul and she wasn't looking at the demon himself.A young helper was at once posted for the healer, and several of her servants disappeared to make themselves respectable. The healer and Cavin lifted Tommy onto the mattress where he had laid yesterday; and, having done what he could do for him, turned his attention to the helper. In all the commotion earlier the poor young woman had not stirred; she stood there as before, straight and formal, breathing softly and artlessly and with a placid look. As it was manifestly of no use to try anything to help them till the healer had left and the helper followed suit.In Diana's chamber, Celestina watched the vampire, who had by this time taken her guilt away and changed her demeanor; Celestina took her time to freshen up and change her clothing with a pair of tunic, comfortable and fresh for
The burial went smoother than expected, tears were shed as they all mourn for the fallen. Their mourning was the dawn before the light was brave enough to flood over the frontiers of the cliff facing the dark ocean. It was the time when the colors of the world bowed in reverence to their grief, pausing... before moving on with the new day and the life that needed their loving attention once more. At times the Battleaxe tribe must let the dark come as a cocoon, for their grief prepares them for the light; so they let the mourning wrap around them, they let it start their healing song. Vengeance must serve in a plotter, fresh and warm, they thought.After the burial, Celestina, Diana, and Tommy launched their journey to the Dark Mountains as per the manuscript of Marites, the Fated One dwells on the darkest peak.Supervised by young Cavin, the four souls commenced their voyage into the darkest side of the land.The small village of Twin Hallows near Dark Mountains was the region of sev
In the passageway to the Dark Mountains, The old-growth forest was like a tunnel into another time, a place where it could be any century and no one would ever know they had ever left, not even the predators. There was wisdom in the wilderness that could whisper to the pure of heart and gave fear to the darkest of souls.There was contentment in a tree branch, Diana realized how grateful they were, the natures were talking, whispering enchanting lullabies on her bears. The denim branches dangling over the limb of silver-earthen bark. It dangled independent of the wind, with a smile to match the brilliance of the moon above. Diana traced her fingers over the bark, her fingerprint over the ridged patterns. Something about being there made her so glad as if it were a sort of independence to let her body match its curving form."All, come inside,” called Cavin, “It will be daylight soon.” As he stared at the luminous band of orange straddled on top of the dark purple horizon of the Dark O
Later that afternoon, just half an hour before sunset, Diana was awakened by the jolt in the concealed door above ground.With her vampire senses, even underground she could feel the intruder and alerted her companions."Wake up, everyone," Diana uttered enough for the group to be vigilant. Outside, the village horn had called all the residents to the Twin Hollow courtyard.The village courtyard was packed tight with human dwellers, most of whom had wandered to this little town from all over the hill region. There were the elders and the clan chiefs, all delegates embodying the attention of their peoples and their administered territories.Gazing at the winter trees Diana realized it was hard to imagine them re-clothed in their finery. With roots buried deep in the frozen earth they sleep, their twigs moving in the breeze, swirling their wintry dreams. Ice forms and melts, snow barrages come and go; then each spring the first delicate blossoms and leaves send a frisson of joy through t
Unexpectedly, Priest Cornelius put his hand on Leo’s head in approval. Knight Leo jerked back as if impaled by a rush of wind. The tall head chief fell back to his knees.The crowd quieted down.“What happened?” Diana spoke to Celestina.“The spirit of the Saints has come upon the new head chief. Such foolishness if you ask me.”On signal, Knight Leo stood up again and seemed to grow taller than he had been. His stance spruced up and he now exuded the enthusiasm he had lacked just minutes earlier.It fascinated Diana. Maybe he was acting or he must have been possessed by something or someone darker but the drama was almost as promising as a theater act.Knight Leo turned to the public and declared openly in a firm chiefly voice, “All Twin Hollow villagers, send your husband, sons and father and anyone who will fight for our security. We will hunt the witches and vampires on the land, and I will oversee our armies in success over these adversaries of the church!”The throng was surpris
Redberg VillageCamellana's VillaIn the heart of the oasis of Camellana's little chapel, an assembly of dark forces took place beneath the lanterns and otherworldly spells that concealed the dwellers inside.The pitch blackness was perfect, a sort of visual lull that gave a venerable fear. With human eyes closed there was the thoroughness of fear that gives one's heart a bitterness of existing, of being, of breathing, and how those moments extended with such gloom until the dawn chose to bring back the colors.They devoured the meat of animal sacrifices contributed by the villagers and drank the blood for refreshment.The assembly consisted of Sulu, the leader of the dark sorcerers; Camellana, the priestess of the village, Nirvana, the young witch of Winterberg, wife of knight Ambrose, and lastly Lord Cornelius, the legendary vampire from three hundred years ago, the leader of the secret orders of monster knights.Cornelius was a peculiar vampire. Because of extensive time burrowing