Varsus spun around, shouting back at the guardsmen who had accompanied him.

  “Where is Lady Avalaine?!” he screamed. “We must find her!”

  Matthias sprang forward, then yanked Varsus off of his feet, back toward the guardsmen.

  “My lord, we will find her, but we must deal with this demon first!” he shouted.

  Varsus forced his mind off of Avalaine. He had been so preoccupied with the demon he knew, he had forgotten about the other monster here in the hallway.

  When he turned again, he saw the creature cowering at the end of the hall, growling and hissing. Its hands were now claws, its eyes were red, and its teeth were jagged and pointed.

  Matthias was holding up his Hand of LaKrona, and the thing that used to be human writhed as it grew closer.

  But it did not leave or even attempt to get away. It shrank away from the assembled men, but that was the most it could do.

  “I will serve you, masters! Have the lady release me and I will serve you! It is I, Tobias! Do you not know me? I have served you well, my lords!”

  Varsus heard someone behind him shout.

  “That’s the missing boy! We thought he ran off!”

  “Missing boy? By LaKrona, what is that thing?” shouted the Earl. “Good Lady preserve us!”

  Varsus knew the behavior of this monster was strange, but he had no time figure it out.

  “Keep your pendant on it!” he shouted to Matthias as he strode forward, sword at the ready.

  “STAY BACK!!” shouted the creature, but although the voice was loud, it sounded more frightened than fierce. The effect of the holy pendant nearly immobilized it.

  Varsus did not stay back. Instead, he chopped at the creature’s head with vicious strikes, one after the other, as the thing cried out in a pitiable manner.

  Tobias offered to serve them, destroy their enemies, turn on its master, provide them with eternal life. Varsus tuned it out and continued his brutal hacking.

  “My lord, please finish! I cannot endure any more of this thing’s nonsense!” Matthias shouted.

  Finally, Varsus managed to chop through the thing’s arm and neck, separating the head from the body.

  When Matthias and Varsus turned, both were covered in blood spray. They found Earl Lirra and all the guardsmen looking at them in horror.

  “We found you have to cut off the head or they don’t die,” Matthias said, his voice matter of fact.

  “I-indeed”, said the Earl. He was looking past Varsus to the now lifeless thing slumped in the corner next to its own head.

  Varsus marched up to the Earl and spoke, barely restraining himself from shouting.

  “Where is Avalaine? We must get to her, NOW.”

  ***

  Avalaine was on her hands and knees, looking up in horror at her former friend.

  Myria stood before the door, the only way out, which she had barred with a large table.

  Avalaine, despite being more ill than she could ever remember, studied Myria with fascination.

  Her skin was pale and waxy, and her eyes seemed sunken in, her face vaguely skeletal.

  Even worse was the thick red blood dripping from Myria’s right hand. She had torn out a guard’s throat moments earlier, and the dreadful proof of that act remained on her body.

  Avalaine spared a glance to her left. The guard’s lifeless body lay next to her. His blood pooling out around his ravaged neck.

  All the women in the shelter room had retreated away from the dead man, to the back wall, as far from Myria as they could get.

  Avalaine felt alone and exposed in the center of the room. She wanted to retreat as well, but she lacked the strength to do so. Increasingly painful waves of nausea flooded her, and she moaned in response, willing herself not to retch again.

  Myria stood still. Not a regular mortal stillness, but an unnatural lack of motion that was almost as frightening as her violent action.

  Then, to the horror of all, Myria seemed to suddenly notice the blood on her hand.

  She stared at it, her sunken eyes widening. With a burst of frantic motion, Myria brought the hand up to her face. She began licking and sucking the blood off of her hand in a frenzy.

  All women in the room cried out in disgust and alarm. They tried to move away, but there was nowhere to go. No one dared attempt to move past the thing that used to be Myria.

  They could do nothing but watch as Myria finished the grisly meal. Her hand now completely clean of blood, she looked around for more.

  Avalaine remembered the dead guard only a moment before Myria’s eyes locked onto him.

  In the blink of an eye, Myria had crossed the room and threw herself onto the guard, hungrily lapping up the congealing blood around the body.

  Again, the women cried out in surprise and disgust. Avalaine gathered what strength she could and tried to move away.

  Now was their chance, while Myria was preoccupied. They could move the table and get out. She tried to shout out a command.

  “Door…!” It came out as a croak that no one heard.

  But Myria heard.

  Her head whipped around, viscous blood all over the lower portion of her face and in her hair.

  “Avalaine, I’m going to—” Myria started but she never finished the threat.

  At that moment, reality seemed to twist and reform.

  Then there was someone else there. Someone new. A man.

  NO, thought Avalaine, not a man!

  It was shaped like a man, but it had clammy, pale white skin with mottled splotches. Its eyes were red. No iris or pupil, simply solid red.

  It had dark black hair that somehow did not pick up any shine from the candlelight of the room.

  The thing wore a gray tunic with red trim and a high collar. Its breeches were flared at the bottom and tucked into a pair of gray boots with curled tips that pointed up toward the sky.

  Its sudden appearance threw the room into chaos. The women were screaming now, ear-splitting shrieks that cut through the air.

  Avalaine knew they would scream even worse if they could feel what she felt.

  She was connected to this terrible being somehow. She could feel its malevolence, its evil, and its contempt.

  But she could also tell this was not the vast thing that waited in the void. This was its servant.

  Still, that was more than enough. Her heart was beating faster than she’d ever felt it. Fear overcame her nausea, and she forced herself to her feet in an attempt to flee.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  The thing saw her and smiled. It took a step toward her, but then it turned, noticing Myria, who was staring up at the thing with terror on her face.

  The thing looked as if it meant to address Myria, but then it noticed the women all screaming at his presence.

  “SILENNNNNNNNCE!!!!” it shouted, and Avalaine felt more than words behind the shout. A power erupted from the thing, and every woman in the room save for Avalaine and Myria found themselves thrown roughly against the nearest wall and held there by unseen forces.

  They could not move or speak. Breathing was the only luxury allowed them. Tears poured down faces, but no sound was uttered.

  Then it turned back to Myria.

  “I should kill you now,” it said.

  “M-master, no please—!” Myria begged. It hurt Avalaine to see her friend so debased.

  The creature stood for long moments. A terrible silence filled the room.

  “Is there no end to your vile gluttony?” it asked, though it was obvious the question was not meant to be answered. “This is why Ergochann has no use for your kind.”

  The words hit Myria like a blow, although she did not know why.

  Avalaine, too, felt it when the creature named its master.

  The word sent a wave of dark, concentrated misery and pain through her. She cried out, then yet again doubled over onto her knees and retched.

  The creature spun around when she did so.

  “I will deal with you in a moment, woman. Now I must rid myself of a useless, poorly made tool.”

  One moment it was standing, and the next it had bent and grabbed Myria by the throat, then returned to its standing position, holding Myria effortlessly aloft.

  Each movement was unnaturally fast, as if the between movements had never occurred or had been somehow skipped.

  Vizron drew back his other arm, meaning to quickly smash off the foul vampire’s head and be done with her, but a shout caused him to stop.

  “VIZRON, WAIT! PLEASE!” Avalaine cried, her voice somehow carrying a strength she did not feel.

  Vizron was astonished. The human meat knew his name! And he actually did wait.

  He felt some force of authority coming from the woman. He was able to resist it, but he thought it was only because the woman was uncertain of her power.

  Before she could speak again, Vizron snapped his arm to the side, throwing Myria harshly across the room. She tumbled over tables and chairs, then lay where she fell, one table falling on top of her.

  Avalaine could not see if Myria was still alive, or as alive as she had been, but she did not move from the floor.

  “Of course,” Vizron snapped, turning to face Avalaine. “My business is with you.”

  He produced the dull crystal. He had been holding it just outside of this reality, but now he held it up so Avalaine could see it.

  “This is what ails you, woman.”

  Avalaine cried out again and then doubled herself over into a fetal position.

  Suddenly, the thing was there, bending down over her, crowding her.

  “Give it to me, woman,” said Vizron. “Give it to me and I will leave here. Leave you in peace. Tell me it is mine and you will never see me again!”

  Until Ergochann comes to destroy this place, he thought, but he kept that to himself.

  Then there was pounding at the door. Pounding and loud shouting.

  Avalaine thought she heard her name being called.

  Vizron’s head snapped to the side.

  His pawn. Again. He thought about taking the time to destroy the pawn once and for all. But he had promised the fool human that he would kill this female.

  He liked to keep his promises.

  Avalaine found herself once again grabbed by the throat and hauled into the air.

  The pounding became a loud crashing, then splintering, and the voices grew louder.

  Vizron drew Avalaine’s face close to his own.

  “Do you want to die for this bauble? Give it to me. Now!” He screamed in her face, but it did not provoke much reaction from the woman.

  Avalaine was almost beyond caring what happened to her now, but she felt something inside of her refuse to give in to this monster. She gritted her teeth.

  The door crashed all the way open, and men spilled inside, throwing the table to the side and drawing weapons.

  “Avalaine!” someone cried, and she thought it sounded like Garrick, of all people.

  “GIVE ME THE CRYSTAL, WOMAN!” cried Vizron.

  “L-let me go!” she managed to croak out from her severely restricted windpipe.

  Vizron did so, despite himself. He dropped the woman, and she crumpled back to the floor.

  Crossbow bolts bloomed all over Vizron’s body.

  He barely felt this, of course. He had been so surprised that he had obeyed the woman that he barely registered the attack.

  “Filthy creature!” one man shouted as he advanced on the undead thing.

  Vizron saw it was his pawn. He could have killed him immediately, but instead, he decided to draw out the punishment of these mortal fools.

  He waved his hand, and every man that had rushed through the door suddenly flew backwards as if yanked on strings.

  They cried out as they collided with one another and the walls and furniture in the room.

  Before they could recover, Vizron struck again.

  This time he did not move, but anyone looking closely would have seen the red of his eyes brighten just a little.

  In the space between heartbeats, a full-blown cyclone burst into existence in the enclosed space. Thunderous, hammering winds and wave after wave of freezing, harsh rains buffeted the surprised men and women.

  They tried to cry out, but found their mouths quickly filled with water as they did so.

  Bodies were snatched up into the whirlpool of the storm and dashed against the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room.

  Only Vizron and Avalaine were spared the fury of the cyclone. He stood in the center of the storm and laughed as the human meat swirled around him.

  Avalaine was horrified anew at the power of the creature. She could feel it exerting itself, and she could feel its mirth at the plight of its victims.

  “VIZRON, NO! STOP IT! STOP THIS NOW!” Avalaine shouted, her voice nearly hysterical.

  The cyclone blinked out of existence.

  Men and women fell out of the air or continued on preexisting trajectories, crashing into other people, walls, and furniture.

  The large volume of water was gone, but its effects did not disappear. The room was destroyed. Pools of water remained, and everything except Avalaine and Vizron was completely drenched.

  Then it was silent, except for the moans of injured and scared men and women.

  Vizron felt uneasy. He had followed the woman’s command without hesitation.

  It was true. This human female had a direct connection to Ergochann. Or at least one that supersede his own.

  That it was killing her was merely a limitation of her pitiful mortal form.

  He should not have dared to come here. This woman could stop him. Hurt him. With only a few words.

  If he waited long enough, the mortal would die. Then he could claim possession of the crystal freely.

  Once again, it was time to go. Vizron turned and began moving, planning to enact a warping of reality to remove himself from this place. He raised his arms in preparation.

  Avalaine had other ideas.

  “No, Vizron,” she said in her weak voice. “You’ll not walk away. Stop.”

  Vizron stopped. He glared at her in response.

  His obedience was noticed.

  “She controls it! Do you see!?” someone shouted.

  “Crickney, please!” someone else shouted back. “Now is not the—”

  “No, he is right!” Varsus shouted. “The vile thing stopped when she told it to!”

  Turning to kneel beside Avalaine, he cradled her head in his hands.

  “My Lady,” he said, his tone urgent, “you must maintain your control over this thing! Force it to tell us how to destroy it!”

  Avalaine smiled at Varsus. He was shocked at the rictus of her grin, as well as how pale and clammy she looked.

  “Garrick…” she said, then raised her hands and traced them over the features of his face.

  “My Lady, please,” Varsus whispered, his tone a bit more fierce. “Stay with us!”

  “We should cut off its head!” someone shouted. Then many shouted along with them, voicing their agreement with this plan.

  Vizron was growing increasingly worried. Cutting off his head would not kill him, but it would inconvenience him. Perhaps long enough for them to bring those who had true power.

  The woman’s command was unassailable. At least not directly. He could not move physically, but he was seeing a way around the problem.

  “Myria,” he said in his raspy, dry voice.

  Varsus saw Avalaine’s eyes grow wide, and she opened her mouth to speak, but it was too late.

  Myria, forgotten by the women and not even seen by the men, burst from under the pile of furniture that had covered her.

  Shouts and screams were everywhere as Myria tore through the guardsmen, who were already half-drowned and battered by the cyclone. Her sharp claws rent skin and even mail armor.

  “Come, Myria, we go!” Vizron shouted, and as he did so, a blinding white light erupted into existence all around them.

  Everyone in the room cried out and covered their eyes, but the white light seemed to penetrate everywhere, even behind closed eyelids.

  Then it was gone.

  Varsus blinked and rubbed his eyes. As his vision returned, he saw everyone else doing the same. Some women were crying, and so were some guardsmen who had been savaged by Myria.

  He looked down at Avalaine. She had closed her eyes, and lay on the floor on her side.

  Varsus grabbed her and sat her up.

  “Avalaine! Avalaine” he shouted, trying gently to shake her awake.

  She did not respond.

  Varsus found himself shoved roughly to the side. He prepared to take issue with it until he realized it was the Earl himself and a sopping wet Master Crickney, a man he had known almost his entire life.

  “Stand aside!” the Earl growled at Varsus. “Well, Crickney!??”

  Varsus watched as the older man examined Avalaine.

  “Nothing to be done here, my lord!” Crickney said. He turned and stood, facing the remaining guardsmen who had come with them.

  “You men! Attend!” he shouted. “Deliver Lady Avalaine to the medical chamber!”

  The men moved, but too slowly for the Earl, Master Crickney, or for Varsus, who all shouted at them with impatient fury.

  The speed of the men doubled then, and that seemed to satisfy everyone.

  “Let us be off!” said the Earl as he fell in step behind the men carrying his daughter.

  Varsus began moving to follow, but Master Crickney grabbed at his sleeve.

  “My lord,” he began, and he saw the look of impatience on the Baron’s face.

  He held up his hands in deference.

  “My Lord Varsus, the doctor will help her, but we need information. We need to know what happened here!”

  Varsus frowned. He was still drenched, cold and shaking with the fervor of the moment. He wanted to go after Avalaine, but he had to admit that there would be nothing he could do once he got there. The Earl might not even let him in the room.

  He sighed, then forcibly calmed himself. Looking around, he saw many people still hurt, some extremely so. His own man bore some injury, as well.. He stepped over to help Matthias stand up.

  “Are you well, man?” Varsus asked.

  “Aye, well enough. The damn pendant doesn’t work on it. I tried,” Matthias said, grimacing as he stretched his body.

  Crickney clapped his hands together to get their attention.

  “That is exactly what I am talking about!” He exclaimed. The man was lit up and energized. “We need information. You have some, I have some, and so do these people.”

  He waved his hand around to encompass those still in the room.

  “We need to know what is going on and how to stop it.”

  Varsus and Matthias looked at each other, then they both began talking over each other at once.

  Cricket held up his hands.

  “My lords, forgive me, but I am trained in the ways of knowledge. Allow me to ask the questions, and we’ll sort this out.”

  Varsus nodded his head. He still felt like he should be doing something, but since he had no idea what, he was going to let Cricket have his way.

  “Ask away,” he said, and settled in for a barrage of questions.