Star Iron - A Vampire Epic

Faine

The carriage came to a sudden stop and one of the guards knocked on the door. When they opened the door, the guard didn't need to say anything as they stepped out to witness the scene. Bodies lay all about the grounds and up the stairs leading to the overcasting Bloodgate Manor. Blood stained the light dusting of snow and ice.

"What happened?" Faine asked.

"All the bodies look to be part of Bloodgate," Jest said as he looked closer at the nearest bodies.

"They didn't manage to kill any of their attackers?" Faine asked. "Who could do that?"

"Those damn sun worshippers," Jest said as he stepped over a body to go up to the front door. "They've been talking about doing this for ages."

"Search the grounds for survivors," Faine told the guards, "and any signs of the attackers."

All the candles and fireplaces were out in the manor, but Faine and Jest could see through the darkness as if all were lit. Servants lay slain on the floor with their chores beside them, even a few goblins resided around them. The entry hall led in three directions, but they took the stairs up to the second level.

"Is there anyone here?" Faine asked. Only the wind against loose windowsills could be heard through the darkness.

"Someone must've been really angry with the Bloodgates," Jest said as he wiped splattered blood off a window with his finger. It was cold and long congealed. "There's a lot of people that didn't like them."

"That could be said about any of the high houses," Faine said. "This isn't good. Father wanted to avoid a war with the other houses."

"The Bloodgates were barely a high house," Jest said as he pushed open a pair of doors that led to a library. Many of the bookshelves were toppled over while paper and binding littered the floor. "They probably owed an enormous debt to another house."

"I don't know," Faine said. "That seems too easy."

"That's how things have always worked," Jest replied. "That's how it worked long before our own house came into its power."

With a sword in hand, someone stepped out from behind one of the bookshelves. It was a vampire who'd clearly been beaten nearly to death. Dried blood covered his face, and his free arm had a bone protruding from it.

"Come back to claim your prizes?" he asked.

"We can help," Faine said. "We're the Goldmoons and we..."

"I know damn well who you are," he said, sword pointing going back and forth between Faine and Jest. "You must think you're so clever. I'll admit, that was a smart tactic, send in a group of slaves as a present only to use them to attack us all. Well, all the elite members of Bloodgate got away. They know it was you, and there will be retaliation."

The vampire lunged for Faine, but Jest drew his own sword and knocked the blow away. The two exchanged blows and the metal pangs urged several of the Goldmoon guards to race for the library. Each blow came harder and faster, but Jest remained balanced until the first guard entered the library and released an arrow. The arrow pierced the neck causing the vampire to his knees. It only took one swing of Jest's blade to remove the vampire's head.

"Are you two alright?" the guard asked as he killed the head into a corner of the library.

"Yeah, we're fine," Faine said. "He claimed that we were the ones who attacked this place. Do you know anything about that?"

"No, we're the first ones to be here in sometime," the guard said. "We don't even do scheduled trading with the Bloodgates."

"That's strange," Faine said as she watched Jest search around the library with a sudden vigor. "What are you doing?"

"He said something about being here for a prize," Jest said. "That must mean he was protecting something."

"I think there is a bigger issue on our hands," Faine said. "Someone is actually trying to start a war between the houses. I bet it's those sly bastards, Rockfang."

A bust and a portion of wall began to shift after Jest pulled down on one of the candle holders. It turned completely around to reveal a podium with a book on it. Jest rushed to the book with wide eyes. It was bound in a tan leather without any writing on the front, but a brand of the three moons.

"What is at?" Faine asked after she'd allowed him to flip through a few of the pages.

"I don't believe it," Jest said. "I think this is a book about the eternal twilight."

"When you're done reading about your stupid myths and legends, we've got to get word to father about this," Faine said as Jest closed the book and tucked it under his arm.

They gathered with the other guards who reported no other lives in the manor, but one had found a tracks. The tracks were of a massive group moving of the manor grounds through a small exit through the back gate.

"The group who attacked?" Faine asked the guards.

"Most likely," one of them answered.

"We should go after them," Faine said.

"That's a terrible idea," Jest said. "There isn't enough of us. You're not a soldier either. We're going back, then we can send a larger group."

"The tracks will be gone by then," Faine said. "It would be easier to go now with only a few to spy on them."

"Forget about it," Jest said as they started walking back to the carriages.

Faine glanced over her shoulder at the tracks, then followed the others. Once in the carriage, she watched as Jest obsessed over the book he'd found in the library. As the carriage started to move, she tapped her finger against her knee.

"I'm going to check those tracks out whether you want to help me or not," Faine said. "I have to see who did this."

"You're on your own," Jest said. "Take one of the guards with you."

Faine stepped from the carriage and commanded one of the guards to follow. The two scavenged through the manor to grab a few supplies before following the trail of tracks.