The Vampire's Harvest

42

You look up into Ell's hopeful eyes, but you can't find it in you to tell her. You take a deep breath and shake your head.

"I...I can't. I just can't betray them." You start to pull away, but the vampire keeps her grip gentle yet firm, holding you within her sway. You look back up at her and find a disappointed smirk upon her full lips.

"You're loyal," she says with a dramatic sigh. "I can respect that. There's simply not enough of that loyalty going around amongst the vamps. It's just a pity I couldn't have you join their ranks."

"I too am disappointed, but I just can't."

"It is what it is my dear. I shall part from you with one last gift," she says, halting her dance and grabbing a nearby jack-o-lantern that had been serving as a decoration upon a banquet table. "You'll need this," she adds, handing over the pumpkin. "Some of the others have caught on about your robes and now that you aren't safely trapped within my embrace, they aren't going to be as gentle as I was about discovering your secret." She leaves you with a wink and then sprints for the door.

After the space of a heartbeat, you turn around and find several vamps charging forward. One of which is Duke Gagnier, the owner of the town and the farmer of its human population. Some ways behind him is Ailisa wearing a mask you know to belong to the duke. She looks apologetic, but you don't have time to assess her condition. For now, you need to take action and need to do it fast.

"We have a mage all right," growls the duke, his voice a deep rumble inside his thick, barrel chest. "I can see the upon the robe. Everyone get out of here at once! Leave the drones to deal with this pest."

As commanded, the vampires move swiftly out of the hall, flowing around you as if you were a rock breaking the river. However, with the vamps clear of danger, the drones swarm in, rampaging forward with animal-like hunger in their eyes. Without a thought of their own, they proceed with unflinching homicidal intent. However, the time it took for them to wait for the vampires to clear was enough time for you to call forward a ward.

With your spell in place the drones ricochet off the invisible barrier, their bodies crumbling to the floor like broken marionettes. However, they don't stay down long. Drones survive on a single drop of blood that is tainted with their master vampire's poison. Somehow on the very brink of death, yet utterly invincible so long as that drop remains within them. Their charge will be relentless and never-ending unless the vampires call them off, and though your ward would make any mage proud, it will not withstand a continued beating by the swarm of mindless drones.

You know that Ferris has a spell to release the drones of their immortal servitude, but you doubt you will last long enough for him to cast it and save you. However, you might be able to bolster your shield with another spell to buy you time. Like with any spell, though, you'll need an object to channel it through. You check around you to see what you have – the silver pin you bought earlier that day, the cord of rope around your waist, and the golden horse in your pocket. That's all you have at your disposal, one of them will have to do and you'll need to pick one quick. You can see the air warping and bending as the drones lash out at the ward, their clawed hands coming ever nearer with each renewed assault upon you.

What do you choose?

- Silver Pin: ch 57

- Rope: ch 54

- Horse Figurine: ch 55