Guul'Zaroth Ch.19 - Complete

The umberwood trees of the forest wall closed in around the little alchemist's shop where Rolf watched from. He stood on the building's balcony with his arms braced against the railing and admired the dark brown almost black bark of the trees and the multitude of faded purple leaves spanning the many arching branches. Beyond the trees, the edges of the Drowned Forest were patterned with small hollows and catacombs where rivers surged from, charting paths deeper into the impenetrable darkness beyond. The moonlight only allowed a small range of visibility beneath the thick tyrian canopy above.

A muffled yawn stole Rolf's attention away and he turned to spot Laurelei in the doorway. Her eyelids drooped sleepily and her hand covered her mouth, catching the remnants of her exhalation.

"Finally awake?"

"It was a... tiring evening. I can't remember the last time I fell asleep in my clothes, simply collapsing where I stand like some careless child. Embarrassing really. No matter, I'll have an opportunity to change soon enough."

It was then that Rolf took notice of Laurelei's appearance and realized that for the first time since he'd met her, she was indeed wearing the same dress she had been the night prior. Her hair was dishevelled and her attire was misaligned and even smeared with the occasional blot of dirt, of all things. "You didn't change already?"

"Of course not. I only just awoke moments ago. I hadn't the opportunity. I needed to ensure that you were in good health."

Rolf's lips parted as if he were about to say something but instead he remained silent and returned his attention to the nearby trees.

"So, are you looking at those rabbits?" she asked as she moved to his side at the railing.

"What rabbits?" Rolf said, tilting his head toward her.

"In the woods, about eighty metres away, two white rabbits. You don't see them?" She scrambled up to the edge, leaned over the the rail and pointed into what appeared to Rolf as a dark expanse of nothingness. "Right there."

Rolf strained to spot the described animals but it did him little good. "How can you see anything in that?"

The princess smiled to herself and rested her chin in her hands. "Of course, humans are creatures of the day. It hardly even occurred to me that the darkness would inhibit your vision." The gentle breeze of the evening brushed through her loose, chocolate coloured curls. They hung past her shoulders and nearly down to her elbows. She'd always kept her hair neatly styled and maintained in a ladylike bun.

"Rolf," she said looking out at the trees. "We should talk about what happened."

He sighed loudly. He'd known this was coming. "Do we have to?"

"No, not really. But I want to. I want to tell you that what you did last night was incredible."

"What?" he asked with a raised brow.

"How much do you remember? I'm presuming very little, otherwise you'd not be sane enough to have this conversation right now."

He grumbled under his breath and resigned himself to the conversation. "At first nothing but I've been piecing it back together all morning and Miles filled me in on some of it. Staring at these trees helped." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and thinking back. "What I do remember, I wish I didn't. It's blurry, it's fragmented, it's as painful a memory as I can recall and I don't want to talk about it. Any of it, if it's all the same to you."

Laurelei nodded, her eyes turning sad in the process. "Fair enough. But Rolf you do need to know what I'm going to say next. I almost ended everything. Every person you or I have ever known would have been dead. Every piece of land we've ever walked would have been fouled and scorched. All because I was weak. But then there was you. You were there for me in a way that nobody else has ever been before and you did something so stupid, so insane and so wonderful that you were able to undo my mistake. And still you don't truly grasp what you did, do you?"

Rolf stood up straight and finally looked Laurelei in the eyes. His face was a mix of bewilderment and a weak smile. "No."

"You did what only one other mortal man has ever done. You defeated a demon Rolf. Not through strength of arms or magical power but through your will and your selflessness alone." Her voice faded from seriousness to something new, something Rolf had never heard from her. It was joyful, barely suppressing a soft laugh but that wasn't so unusual. There was admiration in her words. She looked at him at this moment not as if he were property or merely servant, not even as a friend. For the briefest of moments, she looked at Rolf as if he was a hero. "I thought you were just some idiot boy from some inconsequential little village. So many times I wondered why it was you. Why had I been so cursed to ally myself with such a foolish, unruly young man. But now I wonder how I'd ever have gotten this far without you or with anyone else but you."

Rolf had adopted an ear to ear grin which might have been accompanied by a blush had his body still possessed such a function. "C'mere!" he roared as he reached down, grabbed Laurelei under the arms and lifted her off her feet. Nearly tossing her into the air, he spun her around before placing her back down.

She let out a loud scream, accompanied by playful laughter and wildly kicking legs. "Release me! Now, I mean it!" she said with as big a smile as Rolf had ever seen.

"Thanks Laurel. It means a lot to hear that," he said as he tousled her hair, an act which drew much crinkling of the nose and fussing from the little vampire.

"You're so much like him," she said in a quiet voice.

Rolf tilted his head back and looked down at her curiously. "Like who?"

"Hm, I suppose it's only fair," she said. "While you were indisposed you told me some things about your past. About your parents and your music."

With a deep sigh, Rolf grit his teeth together pressed his palm to his cheek. "The music, really? Guess that's out there now."

"Indeed," she said. "But in respect of that, I'll share something too." Laurelei placed her back against the wall of the building and slumped down to a seated position. "My brother. Count Christoph Lockheart, eldest son and heir to the throne of Agares."

"But I thought you were Methuselah's heir?" said Rolf.

"I am," Laurelei replied flatly. "My brother has been dead for over two years."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that." Rolf looked away and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat.

"No need. I should be apologizing to you. I've known that your father was deceased for a long time now and suspected the same of your mother. When did I tell you I was sorry? No Rolf, you have no reason to apologize to me."

The young man nodded but remained quiet.

Laurelei cleared her throat and continued her story. "I cried for days when I found out. It was a crushing moment to know that I would never see him again and that he'd been killed in his sleep by a group of foolish Shepherds. The order denied all knowledge of the event and my second brother Atticus pursued and executed those involved. Some new treaties were drawn up, Atticus inherited Christoph's title and lands and I was named the new heir. Then everyone else went on, acting like nothing had changed.

Christoph was my favourite person in this entire world. He was brave and kind. He looked after me and always did whatever he could to make me smile. He'd return to the castle just for me, to give me special books he'd come across and tell me stories. He'd spend hours with me whenever he could. If ever I was upset, he'd change that." She quietly reminisced for a time, hands linked together and her eyes softening. "He persuaded me to learn the art of sigils and to educate myself. Until he passed away, I was never destined to inherent the throne but under his watch I would never be just a showpiece for my father to dote on, show off to his subjects and eventually marry off to some count for political purposes. To Christoph I had so much more worth than that and he ensured that it would come out." She lifted her eyes from her lap and toward Rolf. "And you remind me of him so much."

What followed was a comfortable silence as both Rolf and Laurelei thought deeply on the words shared between them. That was until about five minutes later when a loud rattling at the door recaptured their attention.

"Oi!" said Miles as he poked his head onto the balcony. "You two all caught up, cause Pigsy and I are just putting the final touches on dinner."

Rolf donned a friendly smirk. "You should probably know that I don't need to eat anymore."

Miles shrugged. "Don't mean you can't enjoy a nice sit-down dinner and have a chat." His attention swiftly turned to Laurelei. "And Miss Charlotte, I hope you don't mind but I warmed up a bottle from your reserves. Presumed the little lady might be hungry too."

With an affirmative nod and a hand from Rolf, Laurelei got to her feet.

Back on the first floor, dinner was being served and the group of four sat around a small table. The little kitchen was located near the back of the building and wasn't quite appropriately sized for such a group but they made do. Nigel and Miles feasted on corned beef, cabbage, sausages and potatoes. Laurelei, who'd found the time change and redo her hair, had a much smaller sampling of food and a little cup of warm blood. In her hunger she'd already swallowed two cups in quick succession and was sipping at the third. Rolf just observed from his chair.

"Mr.Haydn," said Laurelei, "I've been meaning to ask since I arrived but of course circumstances didn't necessarily permit. Where is your wife?"

"Karina is out on business reasons. She's picking up some supplies from nearby settlements, making deliveries and the like. I was expecting her back at some point tonight and it shouldn't be long now, "said Miles. "By the way, Rolf, I know you don't need to eat but you could eat if you wanted to, right? Just for the taste."

Rolf shrugged.

"I wouldn't recommend it," added Laurelei as she carefully carved off the smallest piece of a single sausage. "Most of his bodily functions don't operate anymore so he wouldn't process the meal. It would just sit in his stomach. Probably forever."

Miles smiled and rubbed his stubbly chin. "Fair enough. Maybe just chew it up and spit it out then? For me, I worked so hard on this meal."

With a loud clang Nigel dramatically slammed his fist down on the table and rattled his already empty plate. "I cannot allow such a blatant waste of food!" he said after guzzling down a mug of ale. "I shall eat it in his place!"

A collective chuckle moved around the table, shared by all save Nigel who remained completely serious in his expression.

Fork hovering at her mouth, Laurelei closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "I stand with Sir Hawthorne. I will not have any servant of mine being so uncouth as to spit at the table." Biting into her skewered potato chunk, the young lady smiled and carefully wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Over the next several minutes both Nigel and Miles cleared their second plates and Laurelei started on her fifth cup. Then there came a noise at the kitchen door. The tapping steps of thick soled boots rounded up the path accompanied by the sound of a familiar woman's voice. "Miles, pack your things we need to go!"

"I had hoped she would use the front door. Too much to ask I suppose," said the alchemist.

The door came open and in its place stood a figure both familiar and at the same time strange. It was Karina most clearly, the hair and freckled cheeks were too recognizable, but her attire appeared totally foreign on what until yesterday was to Laurelei naught but a hard working alchemist's wife. She donned what was undoubtedly a Justiciar's uniform, black and silver with a sun pendant. Her outfit was replete with ruffled neck scarves, a black tricorne hat and a thin, straight-sword sheathed at her hip. She appeared gravely serious for but a moment until she noticed the three strange figures gathered around her kitchen table at which point surprise overcame urgency.

Miles smiled at his wife as casually as if she'd just come home from a day at the market. "Subtlety dear, we have guests."

"Aye, I can tell!" the woman said as her right hand reflexively wrapped around the hilt of her sword. "Care to explain?"

Miles ever so calmly adjusted his spectacles in response. "Long story. To summarize, they needed my help so I gave it to them."

"Then help them and send them on their way, no need to serve them supper!"

"Well I can't send them out there knowing what's happening, now can I?"

"Excuse me!" said Laurelei, getting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips. "What are you two talking about, what's happening?"

Karina matched Laurelei's pose, glaring straight into the girl's eyes. "King Methuselah's men and a few of Count Orlov's have been scouting this town out over the last two days. I went out to investigate late last night, been at it all damn day trying to figure out what they want. Should've come back sooner because I'm starting to think it might just be you."

Laurelei's hand reflexively reached for Rolf. She pulled at the sleeve of his coat and bit down on her lip.

Karina continued. "We don't have time for any of this. The vampires aren't content asking nicely anymore, they're essentially raiding the village now and they could be at our door any minute."

"Rolf," said Laurelei as pulled harder on his coat. "We need to leave now. They're going to take me back and I can't, I can't go back now. Not yet."

Looking at her husband, Karina spoke slowly and serious. "They can't find her here. We'll be implicated for harbouring her if they do and I don't fancy cutting my way out of the this town."

"You won't have to," said Miles. "We're leaving. We'll just have to make our move a little earlier than we planned."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not giving up our home and risking everything for that little monster!" she said, pointing at Laurelei. "Let's just send her out there, give them what they want."

Laurelei's body nearly froze in place and Rolf sprang to his feet. He wasn't armed but was ready for a fight regardless.

"Try it, I dare you!" he said in a growl of a voice.

"Go on boy, stop me then," Karina replied. She placed her apart and bent her right elbow, fingers still locked around the hilt of her blade.

Miles was between them in but a moment, hands raised and face as calm as ever. "Everyone settle down, nobody's fighting. We need to move and do it now or things are going to end poorly for everyone involved." He turned and stepped closer to his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder and speaking quietly. "Love, I know what she is to you but right now she's a scared little girl more than anything else. I can't send her out there and I know that you can't either."

Karina looked away from him and nervously stroked the long red ponytail draped over her shoulder. "Miles, you can't be serious. Not after everything they've put us through." Looking past her husband, she locked eyes with Laurelei again. "Just who the hell are you anyway?"

Laurelei huffed and shook her head at the woman. "I could ask you the same."

"That's fair," added Miles. "But you're in our house and we hold all the cards as it were, so you go first. Tell her who you are and what you're doing here. And spare the fib you told me. The truth please."

Laurelei exchanged glances with her companions, receiving affirmative nods from both Rolf and Nigel. "Very well. I am Princess Laurelei Marie Lockheart, heir to the throne of Agares. This is Brigadier General Nigel P. Hawthorne, cursed with voracious appetite and the appearance of a pig. To my left is my necronom companion, Hrodwulf Von Ziegel. I brought him back to life."

"After killing me."

"And he has just been on and on about that little detail ever since. Honestly, he's quite the grumbler. As I was saying, I left castle Umbra with the intent to explore the kingdom I am to inherit and thus far I am already seeing just how much work needs to be done. My father is seeking my return, a matter which we disagree upon. Thus the soldiers."

Karina grit her teeth in frustration, drumming her fingers on the hilt of her sword. "And I'm expected to believe any of this?"

Miles nodded in the corner of her view.

Laurelei however shook her head. "Not without evidence. This should suffice." She reached into the folds of her dress and produced a small silver emblem depicting a bat in flight, adorned with a ruby in its chest. "The royal crest of house Lockheart, my personal seal."

"Miles," said Karina as she stared at her husband. "I'm not telling her a damn thing!"

"Love, we made an agreement."

"Aye, that was before I knew I was talking to future queen of the enemy!"

With a frown, Laurelei took a step forward. "I'm sensing you're not fond of vampires then? All due honesty, I feel the same about The Order of Shepherds."

"Well maybe you'd sussed it out but it's pretty clear I'm not a shepherd anymore," cried Karina, gesturing to her husband.

Laurelei responded with a quizzical stare. "Of course, Justiciar of the shepherds aren't permitted to marry. Why the uniform then?"

"I'm not here to play question games with children. Miles, we're leaving. If we go now we can slip away through the drowned forest."

"Not yet," replied Miles. "Tell her who we are and where we're going. She took a big risk giving away her identity to you and so you'll do the same."

"But she can take that information back to the king and ruin everything we've been working for! You're really going to take that risk?"

"On the contrary, I imagine that Lady Lockheart may prove a very reliable ally."

"And I'm to suppose that if I don't tell her, you will?"

Miles shook his head. "No dear, it needs to be you. Trust my love, it's important."

Karina sighed to herself and pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes. "I only do this in the interest of moving things along. I left the order of Justiciars nearly fifteen years ago to be with my husband. However, we still want to what we can to help our people. In that interest we've been moving around the countryside for over a decade, doing what we can. We had been planning an operation at Castle Golodomor and it appears due to recent events we'll have to rush that."

"Count Orlov's castle?" said Laurelei. "What could you possibly need from there?"

"Information mostly. Orlov is widely regarded as the keeper of secrets in this land. He has information we need, information that will help many people. Myself included."

Laurelei's interest was piqued and it showed on her face. "Information? What kind of information?"

"That is private for now."

"Very well. But I can assure you there will be no skulking into castle Golodomor while I have any say in the matter."

Karina's eyes narrowed to a sharp glare. "Do you intend to stop me?"

"Perhaps," said Laurelei. "Or rather, I intend to remove the need. During my travels I have noted that Count Orlov's lands are in shambles. I will demand an audience with him to discuss his failings as a ruler and if at all possible, explore the possibility of acquiring your information."

Karina could see her husband in her peripheral vision, grinning like a fool. "What did I tell you?" he said. "A very reliable ally."