Victoria woke with a start, sitting upright as she looked around the room. Wherever she was, the room was tidy and clean. The sheets and mattress were plush and soft. Bright light streamed in from the window beside her bed, a welcome change from the dreary walls of the old fort. Giselle quickly came to her side from the chair beside the bed, tackling her into a gentle hug. Despite the pain, Victoria hugged her back tightly, never more glad to see anyone in her life. After a brief moment, Giselle let her go and pushed her back against the mountain of pillows on the bed.
"You should take it easy. You're hurt pretty badly," She said. She reached for the bowl on the bedside table and dabbed at Victoria's lip and forehead with a cool wet cloth. Victoria winced as she did so, now feeling the aching and bruising from where Lucaese had struck her.
"Did Lucaese escape?" Victoria asked. "Last I remember, he was beating the shit out of me."
"Unfortunately, yes. But believe me, when I finally found you, you had beaten the shit out of him, too. If the wyrz hadn't grabbed him, you would have ripped him to shreds." Giselle swapped the rag for a metal tin of salve that smelled heavily of mint and other herbs. She dotted it onto Victoria's lip and a few other places on her face and neck. "Everyone is just glad you're still with us."
"And the Elitre?"
"Also escaped. But everyone else there was not so lucky."
"I half expected not to wake up at all."
"I was worried you wouldn't either at the start. You were so weak. I know you heal on your own, and I got to witness just how quickly you can regenerate, but it was still touch-and-go for the first few hours until we could move you here." Giselle brushed some loose hairs behind her ear and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for all the fussing, but there are some wounds on your sides I need to look at. I'll need to lift your shirt up."
With Giselle's help, Victoria sat up and lifted her shirt. Victoria gritted her teeth as Giselle unwound the bandages from her ribs. She gently inspected them, but tears still bit at Victoria's eyes at the slightest touch. At least three of her ribs were definitely broken. Giselle wiped some of the cuts and scrapes with the clean cloth and applied fresh salve before rewrapping new bandages around her again.
"Is the Commander alright? I saw him with the rest of the prisoners," Victoria said.
"He's malnourished and bruised, but recovering back at the citadel just fine. The Knights would like to personally thank you once he and the rest of his retinue are feeling well enough. The Commander sends a courier over at least once a day to check on you."
"I don't see why I am being thanked. You assembled the group, and you stormed the fort," Victoria said.
"You sacrificed yourself for my people, my home, and my family, without so much as a second thought," Giselle said, gently pushing her back down to rest. "You made a master vampire turn tail and flee, and in the process, we were able to liberate over two dozen missing persons. You deserve just as much credit."
"I sensed Jean at the fort. Is he alright?"
"He's just fine. I'm sure he's retelling the events of that night to Klen in the common room. I think the accomplishment of killing his first vampire has gone to his head."
"Well, it's high time he slew his first monster. I was slaying them regularly at his age."
"Yeah...." Giselle laughed softly. She gave Victoria an odd look, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how. "Are you hungry? Or thirsty? I can have one of the servants bring you something."
"No, I don't need anything. What I need is to get out of bed and walk around." Victoria sat back up again despite Giselle's protest. She cast aside the down comforter and swung her legs to the side. Luckily, Giselle was there to catch her as her legs promptly gave out when she tried to stand.
"What you need is to take it slow and stay in bed," Giselle chided. "You've been through a lot."
"Where are we, anyway?" Victoria asked as she steadied herself on her feet. The mere act of balancing made her ribs scream in protest.
"We're in my family's townhouse in Tru'Lis." Giselle let go of her once it seemed as though she could stand on her own.
"How long was I out?" Victoria took a few test steps to see if she could move. Despite the profuse aching from all over her body, she didn't fall to the floor.
"Not too long. We came into town about three days ago, early in the morning." Giselle walked over to the other plush armchair tucked into the corner of the room opposite the bed and retrieved the bundle of clothes. She set them at the foot of the bed. "I brought your armor with us. If you're feeling well enough to be on your feet, then we've got more work to do."
"Is that so?" Victoria laughed. She liked Giselle's fire. If there was work to be done, she was more than ready. "What's on the agenda?"
"Lady Isendra reached out to me this morning about reports of strange blue lights outside the Dark Quarter. She fears the campsite you destroyed has been reclaimed."
"Blue lights, specifically?" Victoria frowned.
"Yes," Giselle said. "That's where you first met Klen, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. I'll talk to him about it. The two of us can investigate the area, if there's any other business you need to attend to in the city. I wouldn't mind getting a bit of revenge on Lucaese's minions if there's any undead in the woods."
"With how heavily the area has been patrolled, I doubt there are any undead. But there may be something else out there that may be relevant to our ghostly friend. He's been quiet since the letter came in. Meet us all downstairs when you're ready and we'll go over everything in detail." Giselle started for the door. Before she left the room, she looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Victoria?"
Victoria winced at the sound of her own name. She had forgotten that Lucaese had outed her to everyone in Alize. Undoubtedly, Gerduwin had confirmed her identity as well. "Yes?"
"I'm glad you're back."
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Victoria could hear everyone chatting as she slowly descended the stairs. Jean sounded like he was in high spirits, discussing his own feats of valor with Klen. There were two voices she did not recognize. As she turned the corner to enter the parlor of the townhouse, the conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at her. Klen quickly rose from his seat and knelt in the traditional fashion when saluting royalty in Halaafin—with his right hand balled in a fist and crossed over his heart. The two knight enchanters in the room quickly followed suit.
"Princess Victoria," Both of the captains said quietly.
"Do not call me that," Victoria said. She didn't deserve the rank or the respect it came with anymore. "I am a princess no longer."
"The rest of us beg to differ, Your Grace," Giselle said. Thankfully, neither of the Labelles had saluted her. "You are royalty, even if your lands are gone. Why didn't you say anything? The Empress could have helped you."
"What good does the title do me? If I just casually waltzed around with my real name and title, I'd have been recaptured by the cult years ago." Victoria crossed and quickly uncrossed her arms as her ribs protested the movement. Her identity coming to light was the last thing she ever wanted. At least now she had more to hate Lucaese for. "Please, gentlemen, stand up. I wish you wouldn't grovel so."
The captains rose, but Klen remained in his position, refusing to meet her eye. Again, Victoria asked him to stand. Reluctantly, he obeyed, still not looking her directly in the eye. Jean, seeming to sense that the time was right, quickly pushed his sister aside to hug Victoria gently.
"I don't care if you're a princess," He said. "I'm glad you're okay."
Victoria smiled through the tears as she patted his back. At least he tried to be gentle. "I heard you slew your first beast, Little Lord. Were you a Boucher, there would be a banquet in your honor."
"There's something of the sort in the works already." He let her go to stand beside his sister. Suddenly, he seemed so hesitant. "Are you going to stay, Your Grace?"
"Well, the Hands of Death are still a threat, are they not?" Both he and Giselle seemed relieved to hear her say it. Victoria wouldn't say it out loud, but she'd become very fond of the two of them, and their steward. After their daring rescue, how could she simply up and leave? She owed them her life.
One of the two knights cleared his throat. He stepped forward, side-eying Giselle cautiously before he spoke. "Lady Boucher, our commander would like to see you and your companion Klenden when you have time. Commander Allard and the other knights that were liberated wish to thank you both for your part in their rescue."
"You can assure Gerduwin that I will see him soon," Victoria said. "You are Rendon, correct? I recognize you as one of his apprentices."
"I am humbled that you would remember me, my lady." Rendon bowed once more with his companion. "Ian and I cannot adequately express what it means to us to know that our princess still lives. You may think you have failed us, but none of us see it that way. It gives us hope to know that the undead have not taken everything from us. Until we meet again, your Grace. Good day, Duke and Duchess Labelle, Master Baudelaire."
"Right, until next time," Victoria said, relieved to finally have the two knights gone. At last, she was able to walk up to Klen. He was acting so strangely, and she had a feeling it wasn't all due to the reveal of her true identity. She stood in front of him, waiting for him to finally lift his gaze from his feet. "Why won't you look at me? Have I done something to upset you?"
"No, your grace, you have not. If I had only known who you really were, I would have fought harder to protect you. I didn't know what was at stake. I'm sorry." Finally, he lifted his gaze. In his eyes, she saw nothing but shame.
"I went willingly, Klenden. If we had both been captured, you never would have been able to lead Giselle and the others to me. I am free because you made the right choice, even if it doesn't seem that way to you."
"Thank you, my lady." He smiled, but it was clear that worry wasn't all that was on his mind.
"We're friends, Klen. You don't have to call me by any title."
"It doesn't seem right, but if that is what you wish then I will do so," Klen said.
"Now that our guests are gone, we should discuss Isendra's letter. The sooner we address this issue, the sooner we can visit the Commander before we head home." Giselle gestured to the plush red couches in the middle of the room. "I, for one, cannot wait to put this city behind us."
"That makes two of us," Victoria said as she took a seat. Klen sat beside her, drumming his fingers anxiously on his legs. "You mentioned Isendra has gotten reports of lights outside the Dark Quarter?"
"Yes, with the first reported sighting lining up with your departure from Tru'Lis." Auguste said. "Master Klenden, is there anything that you may have sensed over there that could be causing these lights? With the undead attacks almost nonexistent now, I do not believe the camp has been reclaimed."
"There is something out there by the camp, but I do not know if it is related," Klen said. "I have only fragmented memories of the past before my death. But I distinctly remember a village in the woods where I was killed. It could be that maybe another spirit is haunting the same woods. Maybe we disturbed it when we destroyed the camp, or it sensed my presence briefly and woke up."
"We should investigate the area if only to put Isendra at ease. What if we found something of yours out there?" Victoria said. "Maybe you'll remember something important."
"I have no interest in keepsakes. I like my existence now," Klen said stiffly. "But if searching the area will appease Lady Isendra and put her people at ease, then let's go."
"Jean and I have some errands to run in the city if you're fine with doing this task alone," Giselle said.
"That works for me. There are a few people that I want to see in the city while we are here. Where can I meet you when Klen and I are done?"
"Meet us back here. We'll give the Commander another day to rest before we go see him and his men."
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"Well, well, well, look who's back in town. Your pretty face has seen better days, hasn't it?" Favian glowered at Victoria from across his desk as she took a seat. Klen sat silently on her shoulder in the form of a raven, as he had the last time they came here together. Today, the guild master's fashion statement was a very low-cut, deep purple velveteen tunic and high-waisted black slacks. His shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was pulled back from his face. "What can I do for you, Your Grace?"
"There's money in it for you again, Favian," Victoria scowled at the backhanded tone in his voice. "Have your boys seen anything around the old campsite?"
"Why should I help you? The last time I did that, you went behind my back and cashed in the bounty for Lord Talondin! You owe me some of that money, I think." Favian took a large sip from the crystal flute he was drinking from, squinting his eyes at her. "Why don't you ask Lady Labelle for help? I hear you're working for the crown now."
"I don't work for the crown, I'm helping stop these undead attacks. I'm sure you also heard of the raid on Fort Vaegar? The whole city knows that there's a cult about now." Victoria crossed her arms. She should have known that going directly to the keep for her bounties would cause problems between them. "I'd love to remind you that you made more money with me going directly through the steward than you would have if I came right back to you."
Favian took another long sip. She could tell by the look on his face that he begrudgingly knew she was right. Technically, she had kept her end of the bargain in a roundabout way. He continued to scrutinize her silently for a while until he had finished his glass of wine. He sat up straight, reaching for the bottle of white wine he had in a chilled bucket on his desk. He didn't break eye contact with her as he poured himself another glass.
"You're lucky I am so fond of you, Huntress. A princess with respect for the common folk is a rare treasure," He said at last, producing a second flute from under his desk and pouring a much smaller portion for her. "I leaped at the chance to bag more undead when the lights first appeared. But my men have checked the area every other day for weeks and haven't seen a damned thing. Whatever those lights are, they aren't because of vampires. But they only come out at night."
Victoria accepted the glass and took a few sips. To her surprise, it was a semi-sweet sparkling wine. Favian's typical bottle of early afternoon white wine was usually bone dry and bit the tongue with its sharp acidity. She wondered if he'd had to resort to his cheaper reserves in his cellar with traffic along the Golden Highway coming to a near standstill after all the undead activity.
"Have some of the aged cheddar with it. It's a beautiful pairing." He pushed the small silver platter of cured meats and cheeses that sat in front of him towards her, helping himself to one of the slices of orange cheese. "Comes all the way from my homeland of Tosanko, you know. Aged for twenty-six months. So beautifully sharp and pungent, just a hint of nuttiness—it's pure bliss with the demi-sec."
"As much as I'd love to stay for lunch and enjoy your pairing experience, I've got a few other stops to make." Victoria helped herself to one piece of cheese before finishing her wine. "I'll have suitable compensation for your portion of Talondin's bounty sent over when I return to the townhouse. I didn't bring my purse with me."
"Bah, keep your gold," Favian grumbled. "If I extort you, you'll burn my inn down."
"How sweet of you," Victoria chuckled. "See you around, Favian."
"Stay out of trouble, Princess," He called after her as she left the room.
Once they had put the Wailing Wretch behind them, Klen jumped from her shoulder, choosing to walk beside her as a fluffy tabby cat. "Does he have wine with every meal?"
"Every waking moment of the day is time for wine in Favian's world. I don't know how he does it," Victoria said.
There was silence between them for a long while as they made their way through the Dark Quarter. During daylight hours, the slums were almost like a ghost town. It was quiet and still as a graveyard, with crumbling hovels and charred remnants of houses serving as grave markers and tombstones. None of the nighttime ghosts were wandering the streets, preferring the darkness to wander and wail.
They entered the Vermeil Forest close to where the camp had been, with Klen leading the way. Just as suspected, the area was empty. There were patches of dead grass everywhere in the clearing where the camp had been. It would take years for the cursed blood to wash away and allow anything to grow. Aside from footprints and a few piles of ash, it was clear that no one had frequented the area with the intention of camping.
"No sign of those strange blue lights everyone was talking about," Victoria said.
"Then I guess we'll just move on," Klen said, seeming eager to leave.
"Shouldn't we investigate the village you were talking about? Besides, we should come back again when it's nighttime—that's when the lights have been seen."
"I doubt the undead would want to settle there. It's bound to be overgrown and crumbling by now."
"Klen, if you don't want to be here for this, you don't have to be."
"I do want to be here. I just don't want to go there."
"What's in the village that you're so afraid of?"
"Myself," He said quietly. "I died there. And I'm afraid that if I go back, I'll... vanish."
Victoria knelt down beside him and picked him up. He didn't seem to mind her handling him like a real house cat. If anything, he welcomed the embrace. "I understand not wishing to face your past, Klen. I've been running from mine for ten years. But there comes a point where running will only keep circling you back to the place you've been avoiding."
Klen bumped his head up into her chin. "Very well. I should remember that I am not facing this alone but with a trusted friend. Nans used to lie on the west bank of the Noam River. It's a very short walk from here. I'll lead the way."
Victoria set him down and followed him east, away from the camp. The further they went into the wood, the thicker it became. The oldest oaks Victoria had ever seen dominated this part of the forest, with gnarled roots making it difficult to maneuver as they rose up out of the ground. The thick moss growing along the wood and stones made everything slick with morning dew that had yet to dissipate. Several times, Victoria almost lost her footing.
It was deathly silent in this part of the wood. Few birds sang, and it was too thick and overgrown for there to be any deer or other game. The mass of old roots made it impossible for boar to root through the ground for shoots and other food. The only sound was the rushing of the river nearby, engorged with the rapidly melting snow from the mountains to the north.
Klen stopped atop a fallen log covered in moss and mushrooms, sniffing the air as he swished his tail. "We're here."
"Are you sure? I don't see anything." Victoria scanned the woods around them but saw no evidence of any buildings. All she saw were mossy stones and thick tree trunks. But the longer she looked, the more she saw. What once was a dead tree trunk became an old and burned support beam of a house. Mossy stones were actually the remnants of old fireplaces and garden beds. The small pockets of dappled sunlight where no trees grew were remnants of old stone streets and courtyards.
"This is it. I'm sure of it." Klen jumped from his perch, cautiously sniffing about the first ruined building. He looked up at the towering oak growing out of the center of the house. "These woods weren't anywhere near as old when my master and I first came here. It's like centuries have passed...."
"Perhaps it has been. You could have been sleeping for years and not known." Victoria took a few steps into the ruins, jumping in surprise when something crunched and shattered under her boots. She knelt down to investigate, shuddering as she realized that it had been a human skull that had broken under her foot. "You said undead attacked the village?"
"Yes, a great horde of them, all affiliated in some way with the Hands of Death. Their interest in Nans is still a mystery to me. My master and I had been visiting because one of the villagers had been caught in the act of turning another into a vampire. By the time we arrived, the cult had come to reinforce the prisoner the village had taken and it was too late for us to request additional aid. It was a massacre." Klen sniffed the air, the fur on his back standing up as he did so. Out of the depths of the wood, a blue orb of light came zipping in his direction. It swirled around him in a circle twice before racing off again. He promptly gave chase, changing back to his neutral form to keep up.
Victoria struggled to keep up, tripping over roots, stray stones, and rotting beams. At least the spirit had begun to work its magic over the last few hours. Already, her ribs were feeling better. But the scrambling this way and that was still not doing her any favors. As she ran, she could clearly see the stark white remains of bones scattered amongst the ruins. Some of them were undead, but a great many of them were human. A few of the human remains were clutching farm tools or household knives—no one seemed to have been armed for battle. Klen was right—this had been the scene of a massacre.
By the time she was able to catch up to Klen, he had come to a stop inside the remnants of an old stone cottage that had become the home of a great variety of moss and lichen. The orb of light he had been chasing was circling the skeleton of a man leaning against one side of the building with a rusted old dagger sticking out of his ribcage. The armor he had worn was severely rusted and decayed. But, the silver and ruby amulet around his neck still gleamed brilliantly. Around him, there were the skeletal remains of over a dozen vampires. Klen took his human form to collect the necklace from around the man's neck.
"He was my master, Sir Vauldi," Klen said quietly. He clutched the amulet tightly to his chest. "We were separated during the attack. It seems he took out quite a number of them on his way out. We died failures, alone and forgotten...."
"You both died heroes, even if you failed. You stayed to protect these people when you both could have left them to their fates and lived to fight another day. For all you know, your efforts may have helped people escape."
Klen forced a bittersweet smile. "Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you."
The ball of light vanished as Klen removed the dagger from his master's chest. It was so old and rusted that it crumbled to pieces in his hand. He threw the remnants away and quickly turned his back. "We'll come back for him. Now, it's my turn."
They left the crumbling building behind, continuing their search around the ruined village. It didn't take long to find Klen's remains. Along the banks of the river just a few hundred yards upstream, there was a clearing. His remains were propped up against a boulder. Unlike Sir Vauldi, Klen's bones were charred and blackened, as was the soil around him within a twenty-foot radius. Nothing grew there, despite the flourishing abundance of greenery around his body. Klen turned away, unable to bear the sight of himself.
Victoria knelt beside his remains. He had clearly died in agony. Even though his bones were old and crumbling, there were visible breaks in them along his arms and legs, as well as a few of his ribs. The blast of magic he went out with must have cursed the area. She removed his amulet, which was intact but tarnished and covered in soot.
"Can we go now?" Klen asked. "We've discovered the source of the lights; there's nothing here for us now."
"It wouldn't be right to leave you two lying here. You deserve proper last rights, honored as you would have been back home."
But I... I don't know what will happen to me afterward. What if I fade?" Klen turned to face her, hopelessness in her eyes. "For so long, I've existed off of my anger at the undead for what they did to my master and me, and all the lives they took here. If I am put to rest, what will happen to me?"
"Do you really want to continue living when your only purpose is revenge?" Victoria asked. She'd been asking herself that question a lot recently. Helping Giselle and Jean had given her a new purpose. Her quest had become more than revenge for herself and her family. She had friends to protect, people she cared about again. Life had more meaning than seeking vengeance and her end.
"No, I don't," He said. "You shame me, Princess. Even if I have my own fears for my existence, my master deserves proper rights. He was a warrior and a hero to his last breath."
With how burned his bones were, she used a spell to levitate Klen's remains from their resting place without damaging them further and carried them back to where they had found his master's body. Together, they built a pyre and placed the old bones upon it. Before they lit the fire, Victoria turned to Klen and hugged him tightly. The cult had taken much from both of them. If this did end up being a goodbye, she wanted him to know how much she appreciated his companionship, even if she couldn't find the words.
"Are you ready?" Victoria asked him
"Yes," He said. "I think my master and I have both waited long enough for this. You've been a good friend, Victoria. It is an honor to have met you, and fight at your side."
"You're the first person I've been comfortably able to call a friend since Halaafin fell. No matter what happens, you will be with me always, Klen."
They held hands as they lit the pyre together. They watched the flames burn for a while. The old bones quickly succumbed to the heat, cracking and disintegrating within minutes. Klen didn't change or fade as the fire burned. Instead, he remained as he was. Even as the pyre began to go out, he didn't fade away.
"Are you alright?" Victoria asked him as he let her hand go and fell to his knees.
"I'm still here," He whispered, awed as he looked himself over. There were tears in his eyes. "I don't understand."
"You've found a new purpose, it seems." She knelt beside him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Do you feel any different?"
"I remember more," He said. "The year I was born, joining the Knights when I was a boy, coming here to Nans with my master... I've been dead for almost two hundred years."
"What woke you up? Do you remember?"
"While I laid there dying, watching the chaos and the slaughter, I was praying to the Nine for revenge. Eventually, my whole body began to boil with rage. As my physical form literally burst into flames, I took my first spirit form—a werewolf. Then I rampaged. I slaughtered anything that moved until I was all that was left. I found my master, and then the grief outweighed my wrath. I lost consciousness after that. The world was dark for a long time, like a dreamless sleep.
"I think it was the presence of undead in the area that awoke me. To me, it had only felt like a long nap. Any time the undead came close to Nans, it woke me up and I would quickly lash out and frighten them off or bring about their end. I was eager for more revenge. But I guess all that time lying dormant had tempered my anger by the time the cult made camp. So I watched them gather and make their camp, learning as much as I could from their leader. Then you came along." He smiled at her. "You gave me a purpose that I was lacking."
Victoria smiled back. "I'm glad to have met you, Klenden. And I'm glad you're still here."
Once the pyre had gone out, the two of them turned and left the ruins of Nans behind, silent and undisturbed once more.