The Vampire's Harvest

27

Pulling the rope from your waist, you place the long cord across your palms before closing your eyes and beginning the basic ward spell Ferris has taught you. It would be more effective if channeled through a hollowed gourd, but you can't let your frustrations impede your concentration. For now, you have to focus all your energy on visualizing the rope as a shield.

You feel heat sizzling along your skin, concentrated along the line of the rope which becomes as hot as fire. It sears your palms and once the last word leaves your lips, you pull your hands away. As you do, the rope levitates for a moment before one of the ends snaps forward. The cord elongates as it spirals around Kinley, forming a tight tube around her.

"There's no cap," you mutter to yourself as you inspect the ward you made. "Does it matter if there isn't a top?" A moment later you have your answer. As the tube of rope burns, you hear a blood curdling screech cut through the inferno. In a matter of seconds, the barrier disintegrates, revealing a pile of ash where Kinley once stood.

Your throat tightens and your heart pounds against your chest. With Kinley's passing, the drones are forced to go into a vengeful frenzy. However, it was already established that you were not the source of Kinley's demise, so they ignore you completely. Instead, they silently make their way down the hall.

"Ferris!" you shout, though you know he can't hear you. Realizing the drones' target, you run down the hall, past the drones and the ballroom which is also swarming with the displeased former servants of the vampires.

"Ferris!" you shout again, this time resulting in him emerging from the lounge with the coven on his heels. You stop, fear and sadness contorting your face, but before you can warn the coven of what is coming for them, Ferris turns to the witches and with a silent signal they begin another spell.

You don't know what to do, so you turn to see the progress of Kinley's drones. They now run down the hall, having spotted Ferris and the others. You search through your bag, ready to fashion another barrier with hopes that it will be far more successful than the last. But, before you can even think of what item to grab, the drones tumble to the ground and skid across the floor before lying lifeless and empty at your feet.

"They've been released now," says Ferris with a somber tone. "The hold has been broken and their souls have been set free."

"They're dead?" you ask.

With that Ferris nods.

As for the rest of the coven, their work is done and so they head to the ballroom to intercept the frantic and confused human attendees still hopeful to find a vamp to take them away.

"You okay, Micah?" asks Ferris with a smile. "They're all gone now. No vamps, no drones. The town is free." His excited eyes and the clap of his hands in victorious applause, breaks you down. Tears stream down your cheeks as you turn away. However, your gaze betrays you when it finds Kinley's scarf still discarded on the floor.

"Micah?" asks Ferris, before spotting the all too familiar scarf. "What is this?" he demands, running over to the gift he once bestowed upon his beloved Kinley.

"Ferris, I...I tried to save her, but it was too late."

"What do you mean?" he demands. "Did you see, Kinley? She can't have been a vampire."

You didn't need to answer him.

Out in the hall the coven celebrates while many of the town laments the loss of their way of life. In the years to come, the town may have been able to find their footing without the vampires, but not without a strong leader to bolster them. Perhaps had Ferris remained, the town would have had a shot, but he disappeared that night into the forest surrounding town. Rumor has it that he lives as a hermit, fishing along the river and carving wooden figurines of a beautiful woman. Others say, he simply kept walking until he couldn't walk anymore.

You never hear from Ferris though. You only hope he made his way far from town so that he didn't witness the day a new vamp claimed the village and the way of life you were raised in is bestowed upon you once again.

***

You've found one of the unsuccessful endings of this branch of the story... Why not go back and see if you can find the right tool to create an effective ward?