Alex Black: The Vampiric Uprising

Chapter 6

As they stepped through the portal, Alex's eyes widen in awe of the natural beauty around him. They were in a rather large clearing in a forest, wildflowers of all colours were popping up all over the clearing. There was laughter and chatter all around them. It was only then that Alex noticed the wooden cottages that almost perfectly blended in with the surroundings.

"This way." Auria said, pulling him out of his trance. She led him to a rather big cottage, probably the biggest of them all, near the edge of the clearing. Once they reached the door, Auria knocked three times and then took a step back. Seconds later the door swung open, inviting them inside.

Auria led the way, taking the first step over the threshold, motioning for Alex to follow behind her. As he stepped inside, Alex saw bookshelves lined with what seemed to be ancient grimmoires. "Auria, this place is amazing." Alex said as his eyes darted across the room. All sorts of trinkets standing about; daggers, amulets, jewels and more.

"The best is yet to come." Auria said with excitement evident in her voice as she reached for a nearby doorknob. "What we seek lies through this door. Are you prepared for what lies ahead?" She asked, her excited tone suddenly turning serious. "Of course I'm ready, how hard could it be?" Alex replied ever so confidently.

As the door swung open, a strong scent of sage filled the air around them, along with an array of more subtle scents that Alex couldn't quite place. Auria motioned for Alex to enter, taking a slight step backwards to open the doorway for him. "The Elders wish to speak to you." She said in response to the questioning look she got from Alex, after which he entered the room with Auria behind him.

The room was dimly lit and it was nearly impossible to make out any detail of their surroundings. Alex could immediately feel eyes on him, which made him slightly uneasy, but he continued onward nevertheless. He continued walking until he heard a voice coming out of the shadows, which made him freeze in his tracks. "Is this the boy?" The shrill female voice asked from within the shadows.

"Indeed." Alex nearly jumped when he heard Auria's voice behind him. "Hmmm, he doesn't look like much. Just look at those scrawny little arms." The voice retorted. "Enough Elder Tabitha. The boy did not come so that we could judge his appearance." A thunderous male voice said from elsewhere within the shadows. "Elder Elbrim is right, sister. We agreed to meet with the boy and hear his plea. Let us make good on our word." Came a gentle voice. "Very well Elder Elswain, I shall entertain an audience with the boy. You had better hope this does not turn out to be a waste of time." The shrill voice came again.

"Step forward boy, we shall hear you speak." Her voice came again, cutting through the shadows like ice. "Elder Tabitha, can you not see you are scaring the boy?" The Elder Elswain's voice followed shortly after. "If you two are done bickering, maybe we can turn up the lights so the boy can actually see us?" Elder Elbrim's thunderous voice resonated through the room. "Very well." Elder Tabitha and Elder Elswain's voices came again before three sets of hands gave a single, unified clap and light seemed to seep into the room.

Slowly Alex could start making out the figures of three people standing not too far ahead of him; on the left was a hunched over figure, in the middle was a tall and muscular figure, to the right was an elegant, ladylike figure. As Alex's eyes scanned over the figures, he was immediately able to place each of the three voices with one of the figures. Elder Tabitha was the hunched over old lady, Elder Elbrim was the muscular tall man in the middle and lastly, Elder Elswain was the elegant, youthful lady on the right.

"Please, step forward." Elder Elswain said, her eyes beaming as she looked at Alex. He reluctantly started moving closer to them, coming to a halt when there were merely a few meters separating them. "What's your name?" Elder Elbrim enquired. "Alex. Alexander Black." Alex replied with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "And what is your business with us Alexander Black?" Elder Tabitha asked in her shrill voice.

"We are facing a vampire threat at the moment. We have the location of a lair, but I fear there's more to it than meets the eye. Auria tell us that you posses magic that will aid us on our mission. I am here to ask for your help." He explained. "And why should we help you?" Elder Tabitha asked mere moments after Alex finished. "Because there are lives at stake here. And these people are as much my family as you are, my Elders." Auria interjected.

The three elders remained silent in contemplation, exchanging glances between the three before Elder Elbrim spoke. "Very well, but first we shall see if you are all that Auria claims you to be." Before Alex could question what he meant, Elder Elbrim started chanting, the other two following his lead. Seconds later, Alex's vision began to fade to black.