THE PLAIN OF SLAUGHTER

CHAPTER 2

-

I

-

Bringing the airship down at the airport to the north of his establishment, Lagoon had the contents of his bald head working ceaselessly as he headed for his bedroom. Losses to the village and his peacekeeping forces, compensation, plans for reconstruction—there were a million matters to consider. And yet another problem—one of the highest possible level—awaited his attention.

Luxurious was the only word to describe his bedroom, which was equipped with a gigantic circular bed. If the countless farmers who still slept on straw ever saw the beauty of that bed, riots would ensue. When Lagoon’s troubled countenance turned toward it, a figure rose gracefully from its center. Lagoon froze in place, astonished.

“Surprised? For all your size, you’re still only human,” said the shadowy voice that rolled toward him. It wasn’t until the next day that it came to light that the iron bars over the windows, proof against even the monstrous strength of the Nobility, had been melted.

“You—what do you want with me?” Lagoon asked, frozen stupidly in the process of taking a step forward.

“I came to ask you for something,” the body in white replied.

-

A figure in a purplish-blue robe crossed the vast water-filled space without the use of a boat. From the elbow down, his left arm had been replaced with an electronic artificial limb.

As soon as Vlad halted, a woman’s voice resounded in his ears like the rustling of a garment, saying, “Your arm and the wound on your brow—they’re the work of the one as gorgeous as the very darkness, are they not?”

In spite of himself, Vlad put his hand to the deep gash that remained. Although the injury was obvious enough, she shouldn’t have known about the arm, and yet she’d been entirely correct. And the wound on his brow—with his regenerative abilities, one ten times this deep should’ve long since healed over.

“You know about him? Just how did you and he come to—oh, never mind. It’s a trivial matter, after all. I merely came here to tell you something: Byron has been destroyed.”

For as far as the eye could see, all movement vanished from the surface of the water. Although there hadn’t really been much to begin with, what now settled over the depths was the calm of true death. On account of this, the next remark rang out with a horrible clarity.

“You did this—you murdered our son with your own two hands?”

“Who else could’ve done so? Who but I would be up to the task of slaying the son Vlad Balazs raised with such tender care? By now, he’s food for the fish in the river.”

The water absorbed Vlad’s words.

“You threw our child into the water?”

“Indeed I did.”

“Then this night and for every night that follows, you shall never be able to let your guard down. The water cannot destroy him.”

“What?”

“You have sealed your own wife away in the water. Trapped her in a world colder and harder than any hell for a Noble. But the streams that course through your domain, the lakes that dot it, yes, even the droplets of rain that cling to the leaves of the trees, all heed my will.”

Her tone wasn’t at all wrathful, and that in and of itself was enough to make anyone’s hair rise on end.

Vlad snorted, “Do you mean to tell me your hatred has saved him? I have no problem with that. No matter how often he might rise again and call on me, I shall dispose of him each and every time. But that is not what I came here to tell you. I’ll be moving to the mountain stronghold.”

“Why?” the voice inquired. The surface of the water was calm.

The lord pointed to the wound on his forehead.

“You may remain in your hell if you so wish, but I must live in the world. In the days to come, backbreaking labor awaits. The man who did this to me—he will come again. If I’m to be ready to greet him, I shall need a suitable location.”

“So you say, but that is the home of the ‘mountain folk.’ That is not good. Not good at all. If you make a foe of them, you’ll be bringing death and destruction down on innocents.”

“And that is precisely why I have need of such a place now. Especially against this Hunter. He descends from the great one!”

The woman said nothing.

“Such looks, such power, such presence—truly a breathtaking man. I fought him off once, but that isn’t to say that I triumphed. You see, he came to rescue a girl I’d taken, and accomplishing that, he left. Hear me when I say that even Greed tasted defeat at his hands.”

Once again, the woman said nothing. However, her lack of a response wasn’t because she reveled in this information, but rather because Vlad’s words instilled in her the same shock and awe.

“And knowing this, you can see the reason why I must relocate. To be ready for one of the great one’s line, I must go to that fortress. Even then, there is fear in the depths of my heart. Not of the Hunter, but of the blood that flows through him. What’s more, there have been disquieting movements within the village of Krauhausen. Someone has lent their strength to the Hunter—probably Lagoon.”

“Impossible!”

“We are talking about humans here, after all,” he chortled. “It wouldn’t be at all surprising for them to do something we would never consider. I have already ordered de Carriole to do something about this, and I have taken measures myself. Yes, de Carriole himself has been acting strangely of late, but we shall see about that shortly. My wife—you are to remain here.”

Silence descended.

Presently, the woman’s voice replied, “With pleasure.”

But who were the “mountain folk” waiting by the mountain stronghold? The woman’s voice had sounded almost relieved.

-

Early the next morning, D and May were led by Lagoon as they headed for the isolation chamber beneath his establishment.

“Though ‘isolation chamber’ has a nicer ring to it, it’s actually a jail for holding enemy prisoners of war,” Lagoon laughed. “But seeing as this is a thousand feet underground with ten-foot-thick concrete walls, the Nobility can call to her all they want and there’s no danger of her going anywhere. Naturally, getting themselves down here won’t be easy either. Especially not with you around.”

Feeling the chill that radiated from the boundless material beyond the special concrete walls, the trio peered through an observation window in the iron door before them and saw Taki lying on a spacious bed.

“It was a rush job, but in moving Taki in here, we tried to make it as comfy as possible. But no matter how good of a job we do of keeping him away, if we can’t put down the Noble who bit her, it won’t mean anything. And that, D, is your job.”

Though Lagoon stole a glance at the exquisite Hunter’s profile, he couldn’t detect an iota of emotion in the gorgeous features turned toward the slumbering Taki. In fact, all it did was make him feel lightheaded.

“I’m heading out soon.”

On hearing D’s words, he finally returned to his senses.

“You’re going?”

His question was pointless.

Giving no reply, D quietly stepped away from the door. The sword on his back was one he’d purchased from Lagoon.

“Oh, look at Taki,” May said, pointing to the surveillance room. The girl was riding on one of D’s shoulders.

Taki had risen from her bed, and it took no time at all for her to notice the group. Pressing her face to the window, she said, “You all look fine. You too, May.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll be fine soon too, Taki. Mr. D’s gonna fix that bastard.”

“I’m sure he will. I appreciate it. Until then, I guess I’ll be out of commission, won’t I?”

“I guess you will,” May laughed, and she was about to put her hand in through the window. But she never reached it. D had drawn back. For Taki was a “victim.”

“You’re right, May. Take care,” Taki said with a sad smile.

“The next time this door opens, you’ll be back to your old self. Definitely. I’ll unlock it for you myself.”

While it was unclear how May’s words sounded to anyone else, both D and Lagoon spun around at the same time. Entrusting the young woman to the subordinates Lagoon left down there, the three of them got into the elevator.

“I sure hope Taki gets back to normal soon,” May said, gnawing on her lip.

“I’ll second that,” Lagoon responded. “That all rests squarely on the pretty boy here. Let’s hope for his best effort out there.”

Though what he said could’ve been taken in jest, such a remark could also be a grave matter. D wasn’t the sort of person to appreciate sarcasm.

“Then everything will be fine,” May said, looking up at the young man with eyes full of trust. She’d come down off his shoulder when they got in the elevator.

“But there’s something I don’t understand,” she continued, the gaze she directed at Lagoon filled with suspicion.

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“You were gonna let a dirty old man have his way with me. And D saved me from that. But the people who protected me while D was off at the castle rescuing Taki were hired by you, right? And on top of that, you’re giving shelter to Taki and me. I don’t think you have any more slave trading in mind, so why are you suddenly on our side?”

People often refer to hitting someone where it hurts, and that’s exactly what May’s words did. Lagoon’s face made him look like a bald sea monster carved from stone, but something rolled across it like a wave before the veins rose at his temples. Surely he’d never thought an eleven-year-old girl would put such a question to him. His squinting eye was invested with an unusual power as he looked at May. His look would be enough to freeze anyone but a Noble, but May met it with an innocent stare.

Lagoon grinned and told her, “Well, it’s kinda complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it for us,” May insisted. “You were gonna let some weirdo get freaky with me, you know. I’ll thank you to take some responsibility for that. I wanna hear a good explanation.”

“I bet you do,” a hoarse voice said.

Lagoon gave D’s left hand a suspicious glance, then quickly shifted his gaze to May. “You’re a spirited little girl, ain’t you? You’ll have to ask pretty boy there for the details. All I can do is keep you folks safe here in my place behind the lord’s back. And even at that, I’m putting my life on the line.”

“Well, why can’t you tell me yourself?” May asked, trying once more to get an answer from him.

Just then, the elevator halted. The floor indicator lamp told them quite clearly that they weren’t at ground level.

“Sorry, but you’re gonna have to leave by the underground passageway” Lagoon told the Hunter. “If it were to get out that you’d been here, it would be bad news. Just keep going straight and you’ll come to the exit. The equipment you asked for will be waiting outside.”

Once they’d parted company with D, Lagoon took May back to her room at his establishment, and then went into his office. Upon seeing a sealed envelope on the table, his eyes shone like a beast’s. The crest pressed into the melted wax that sealed it was that of the Balazs family. Breaking the seal and reading the message, Lagoon felt the color drain from his face.

-

Come to the mountain stronghold at midnight tomorrow.

—Vlad

-

“Damn it!”

Suddenly forgetting all about the letter crumpled in his fist, Lagoon looked up to the heavens.

“So that’s where you’ve gone—to the mountain stronghold? D, there’s still time for you to turn back.”

-

II

-

D was in the air, thanks to a device Lagoon had made available to him. Beneath the blue empyrean vault and the white clouds, he was like an ominous bird, riding and manipulating the wind as he flew along. The collapsible glider had a twenty-foot wingspan and was almost fifteen feet long—the scales from flying beasts that were attached to the wings made it simple to correct for the force and speed of the wind, so that even a child could easily enjoy an extended flight through the sky.

For his second time invading the castle, D planned to come in from the air.

The castle had come into view. Skillfully manipulating the wings, D started his descent. Of course, this was a Noble’s fortress. It was sure to have anti-aircraft defenses. The enemy’s approach would be caught on three-dimensional radar; and from hundreds of locations, lasers, particle beam cannons, and heavy artillery would be waiting to open fire. However, D landed at the base of a surveillance tower without the artillery even belching a single flame. The blue pendant on D’s chest gave off a deep glow. All the electronic devices were rendered inoperable, and as D walked along, each and every door opened to let him pass.

A strange silence greeted D.

“There’s no one here at all,” his left hand said.

D also realized as much.

“Gone into hiding?” D muttered. He didn’t seem to be talking to his hand.

“He’s not exactly stupid. He’s thought ahead to what would happen if you hit him during the day. But I can’t tell what comes next. Will he just keep on running, or—”

D turned around. He was in the large hall on the first floor. A band of white had flowed around his feet. Fog. The pale figure that stood in its depths was the same woman he’d glimpsed in a subterranean passageway the previous day. He couldn’t make out the face. Every inch of her was soaking wet, as if she had just come out of the water this very moment.

“Go north three miles—to Mount Blade. The lord awaits you in a castle on its slopes.”

Without replying, D turned back in the direction he’d come.

“Wait,” the woman called out behind him. In the voice of the fog. “Take me with you. Out there.”

Her voice had a ring to it that was almost mournful.

Without ever halting, D went back up to the top of the castle by the same route. He’d hidden the collapsible glider in a recessed area below the surveillance tower.

As the wings snapped open, the pale woman stood behind D.

“Take me with you. If you’re going to the mountain stronghold, you’ll have no choice but to cross the Plain of Slaughter. When you’re ambushed, I could prove useful.”

“What is it you want?” D asked as he lifted the flying machine into the wind.

“I wish to go outside. Long have I waited for someone who might take me away from here.”

“We could probably use her,” the hoarse voice remarked.

“Come here.”

When the pale woman approached, D wrapped his left arm around her waist from behind. She felt solid enough.

“We’ll have need of a horse,” the woman said. Her indistinct visage was turned toward the heavens above. “The Plain of Slaughter can’t be flown across. There’s no choice but to go by land.”

D’s gaze was on the nape of her neck, which was blurred as if underwater, and then he shot a glance to the sun in the sky above.

“Will you be okay?”

“You needn’t worry about it. If it’s a horse you need, there should be a few left in the stables to the west.”

“Well, looks like you’ll have to fold that sucker up again,” a low voice remarked with interest, but at that moment, D’s body took to the air.

It was about ten seconds later that they landed in front of the stable. Folding the glider without a word, D then chose a horse from those that remained and straddled it. The horse was bareback.

Though the woman got on behind D, she didn’t put her arms around his waist, so as soon as the horse began to move, she nearly fell off. After D pulled her back into place, she finally grabbed hold of him.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, adding in a tiny murmur, “you’re simply too beautiful.”

The horse started to gallop. Less than thirty minutes later, a desolate plain spread before them. In the distance, a rocky mountain unmarked by even a fleck of green rose like a piece of obsidian, and halfway up it a castle could be seen. A lengthy and narrow flight of stairs stretched down from its gates.

“It’s three miles there as the crow flies. And the Plain of Slaughter is a fearful place.”

“Wow.”

The woman turned her face for a second in the direction from which that remark had come in an odd tone, then continued, “Once upon a time, a battle took place here between villagers who opposed Lord Vlad and the lord’s soldiers. The villagers were backed by Nobility from the western Frontier. Right in the very center of the plain they clashed—”

“When was it?” D asked, his voice making the woman’s body grow rigid.

“At night.”

“The Nobility’s time.”

The villagers would’ve been fighting as humans. Yet the time of the battle favored the Nobility.

“And the villagers were defeated. All the survivors were captured and buried alive out on this plain. They numbered more than a thousand. Some say the ground is red due to the blood they shed.”

How this woman who’d been far beneath the castle knew this was anyone’s guess.

Driving his heels into the horse’s flanks, D spurred it forward. Before the Hunter had gone five hundred yards, he felt a minute but distinct vibration where he sat on the horse’s back.

“Run. Get over to that big boulder!” the woman exclaimed, her voice falling sharply.

The ground had collapsed like sand. The way the dirt was sucked into the countless cracks, it looked like a sugary confection collapsing in on itself.

The woman let out a low gasp.

As they fell, the horse continued galloping. Its hooves pounded the collapsing ground, striking the earth just as it was about to fall away, and in that manner they were making their way across a pit that had to be a hundred and fifty feet wide. Was it due to the strength of the horse or the skill of its rider?

But once they were halfway across the hollow, only a black abyss yawned before them. They fell. The woman, however, was quite calm.

The ground had already crumbled deep into the bowels of the earth, but the horse and its riders floated in the abyss like something out of a painting. Around them, the wind groaned and bellowed angrily. And then the two riders and their mount drifted upward.

Looking up, the woman gave a louder cry of surprise this time.

A massive pair of wings had sprouted from D’s back. The wings of the glider.

She realized he’d slung them over the horse’s neck. And she also knew the device would open with the single touch of a button. However, this glider had no body—there hadn’t been enough time for that. And it would be impossible for this type of glider to safely keep something in flight without tail fins, because it was the tail fins’ job to stabilize and control heading.

D—this beautiful young man—completely disregarded the immutable laws of physics. What’s more, he had his legs wrapped around the barrel of the cyborg horse and supported the weight of the woman as well, as they made a clear and powerful ascent out of the abyss.

“The Noble warriors who were supporting the villagers were swallowed by that hole. And the villagers were left here without any allies.”

It wasn’t clear whether or not D was listening to what the woman said.

Once they’d barely risen to the brink of the great pit, they coasted another thirty feet, and then quickly attempted a landing. The wings had already been folded up and their buoyancy lost by the time the cyborg horse touched its hooves to the ground, but the horse went right into a gallop. Flawless was the only way to describe the way the animal was handled without even a second’s delay.

D yanked back on the reins and the horse came to a sudden halt right next to the big boulder the woman had indicated. But it soon became clear that the Hunter wasn’t about to stop.

“Don’t move,” D told her as he dismounted.

He took five steps forward. From the third he was out in red grass that came up to his knees.

“The villagers rushed in headlong,” the woman on the mount said in the lowest of tones. “There was nothing else they could do. But half of them were cut down instantly. And—”

A number of flashes leapt up from the grass. They were aimed at D’s knees.

Evading them with a graceful leap, D drew in midair to cut them down. A semicircle of light slashed through the grass, while at the same time, cries of pain from nothing human and blue blood exploded into the air.

As D touched back down, he sensed that he was surrounded by a number of individuals—who then halted. His demonstration had struck fear in them.

However, the voice that rose all too naturally from the palm of the Hunter’s left hand remarked, “Oh, this is gonna be a pain.”

Apparently it had noticed they would be at a distinct disadvantage in this battle.

From what it sensed, the assassins hiding in the grass were less than a foot and a half tall.

When fighting opponents who didn’t even come up to his knee, a swordsman’s own height would be his greatest enemy. The body of the average human being simply wasn’t constructed to use a sword against anything so small. Even a renowned swordsman would want to fight someone tall enough to give him a target around stomach-level or higher in order to demonstrate his skills to their fullest. At the very worst, he might settle for something that came up to his waist. Anything shorter than that would naturally force him to stoop and lower his center of gravity; and using both arms as a fulcrum when wielding the sword, his movements would be extremely restricted. No matter how expert a swordsman was, he would find the inability to strike with his full strength from the very onset a wholly new experience. On the other hand, his opponents were used to using that height to their advantage.

Long ago, the villagers must’ve had the very legs cut out from under them. The swords they should’ve raised against their enemies swept ineffectually through the air, and by a cruel trick of fate, they surely added to the fatalities.

The enemy’s circle tightened. D’s blade had been lowered.

“But among the bloodied blades of grass,” the woman continued, “there also lay some of the foe. What had slain them was—”

The flash of light that shot up again was deflected by D’s gleaming blade, and then the Hunter bounded once more. How gorgeous he looked as he froze at the zenith. Perhaps D’s foes halted because they were in awe of his speed, but then again, it might’ve been because of the way he looked. Suddenly, they were pierced from the back and through the heart by needles of rough wood whistling through the air. Just like the spears and arrows of the villagers, the only thing that’d had even a negligible impact on the enemy.

Although another flash came at D like a silver snake after he came back to earth, the very instant it was simply batted away a strangled cry rang out, and then total stillness returned.

As D flicked his blade and sent the gore flying from it, a thin fog enveloped him.

“What a man . . .” the woman said, the tone of her praise practically a moan.

Returning to his horse without making a sound, D said coolly, “What’ll be coming next?”

-

III

-

“I don’t know,” the woman replied, her answer clear and succinct.

D didn’t respond. He hadn’t really been asking her opinion in the first place. All she had to do was prove useful at the very end—that must have been his feeling.

Getting back on his mount, D stared straight ahead.

“We’ve got company!”

The hoarse voice made the woman’s body stiffen. It was referring to the black specks rising from the distant mountain stronghold.

Against the backdrop of the blue sky, eerie flying creatures took shape, with four limbs in addition to their wings. In less than ten seconds’ time the flyers came into contact with the horse and its riders. Taking no special formation, they flew straight down at once. Their bodies had an unusual number of bumps and pits. Their arms extended, and talons sprang from them. Clearly these were weapons meant to reach down from the sky and shred those on the ground. The talons were over three feet in length.

But the sword that gleamed in D’s hand ready to greet them was the same unholy blade that’d hewn every manner of enemy into mountains of corpses and spilled rivers of blood. No matter what the foe, no matter how they attacked, they couldn’t help but fall to that flashing steel.

Talons ripped down like a waxing crescent moon, and the sword went up like the same moon’s waning crescent. There was no clang as they came together, but with a weird and unsettling sound three of the flying creatures thudded limply to the ground. By the time the bodies that’d been decapitated in midair finally sent up geysers of blood, the cyborg horse was pounding its way across the ground far ahead.

The remaining dozen or so continued to give chase, but they showed no sign of attacking right away. Who would’ve thought three of their kind could be dispatched so effortlessly?

However, the lead creature suddenly went into a sharp climb, with the rest following en masse. On reaching an altitude of roughly a hundred and fifty feet they turned, each going into a steep dive.

As intrepid as their tactics were, D had just shown how ineffective they were against him.

“Be careful. I don’t like the looks of all those bumps on their bodies. They’re—”

The rest of those hoarsely spoken words were obliterated by an immense shock wave from the figure that’d turned just above D’s head.

The earth rumbled.

While the horse was sent flying, D clung to the reins, twisting the beast around. His hair billowed and his coat fluttered out. It was almost as if part of the shock wave’s duty was to show him in all his grace.

As the horse miraculously landed on its feet, a great sledgehammer of air pressure slammed straight down from above. If D hadn’t narrowly managed to work the reins so they continued to advance without any hesitation . . .

Grass and dirt went flying as the ground sank—fifty tons or more of pressure had been distributed there. But just before the impact, D’s eyes had caught the creatures going from a steep dive to a steep climb. When a body moving at high speed executed such a sharp turn, it created a powerful shock wave ahead of it. And that was precisely what his foes used as an attack. However, based on their size and speed, such destructive power was unthinkable.

“It’s the bumps,” the hoarse voice said. “The air gets funneled between those bumps, pumping up the force in the same way that the wind is when channeled between buildings in a city. And here it comes!”

The voice flowed upward.

The third ruthless blast scored a direct hit on the raised palm of D’s left hand.

A sound like thunder rolled across the earth.

As his steed galloped on, D clutched the folded glider in his left hand.

The creatures in the sky above were most definitely shaken. Their deadly shock waves had suddenly disappeared—or rather, it appeared they’d been swallowed by a certain spot on the palm of the Hunter’s hand. No doubt it was impossible for even their sharp eyes to discern the mere speck of a mouth that’d formed there.

But it was a second later that the creatures were to know true astonishment. Three more went into a dive. Between them, the gorgeous figure in black flew up from the earth. Silvery flashes and bloody spray danced out, and the trio continued on in a new dive—to their deaths. D immediately launched himself into the rest of the flock, and four more plummeted with blood trailing from them like exhaust. Smashing through his confused foes, the Hunter turned in the sky above them.

This was what was meant by snatching life from the jaws of death. Opponents from the sky would be fought in the sky. Leaving the woman and horse on the ground below, D had put his trust in the artificial wings.

The Hunter dove toward the closest of his foes. The beast’s fear-twisted face suddenly veered off to the right. A terrific blast of wind had just assailed D from the right.

Falling headfirst and essentially in a tailspin, D attempted to right himself.

As they watched the figure in black plummet steadily, the creatures laughed a silent laugh. Nothing that lived had ever escaped the turbulence they created. Even a giant roc with a wingspan of over three hundred feet could be driven to the ground, its bones already shattered in more than a thousand places. How much worse it would be for a lone human being! As D fell, they followed close behind him, to deliver the final blow and watch his cruel demise. The lumps covering their bodies shifted subtly, taking in the air currents, amplifying them, and then expelling them violently.

D’s left hand came away from the glider, and his right hand now gripped it instead. The blade of his sword was clenched in his teeth.

The lethal turbulence that roared at him changed direction.

They saw something. Saw the mouth that opened in the pale palm of his hand. It sucked in the air, then expelled it. The turbulence that should’ve knocked D down to his death instead caught him, then lifted him high into the air.

As the creatures tried to flee, a powerful force tossed them in confusion—air expelled by the palm of D’s hand.

The figure in black was drawn into the deadly dance of his foes. Blood spiraled out. It was several seconds after the last of his foes’ corpses slammed into the earth that D came straight down to his horse.

The hazy form was slumped across the horse’s back. Quickly righting herself, the woman gazed in the castle’s direction.

“Shall we go?” she asked. “That was probably the last attack—and it seems even the Plain of Slaughter wasn’t able to kill you.”

-

“How goes it, de Carriole?” the lord’s voice inquired.

“He’s made it across the plain,” the aged scientist replied.

“As I thought he might.”

Though de Carriole tried to find some tiny hint of regret in the calm ring of those words, he had little luck.

“Though he may have human blood in him, for all his human airs, he is made of sterner stuff. You were terribly mistaken to believe any of your little tricks could slay him.”

“Yes, I am horribly embarrassed to say.”

“We’ve lost a great many of the servants you created.”

For a second, de Carriole wanted to turn and look, but he couldn’t. He was in a laboratory that’d been set up for him in the mountain stronghold. Although the light was thin, it filled the room to overflowing. This was not the time of day when the lord could take action. And yet, the scientist sensed his presence to his rear.

“This mountain stronghold certainly doesn’t want for surprises. I’m counting on you, de Carriole. At the very least, don’t let the Hunter run me through.”

“Have no fear,”

“Ah, but I have a number of fears,” the lord laughed. “Did Greed not tell you what happened? Five foes interfered with that errand—and I hardly think they sprang fully-formed from the foam. Somebody hired them.”

“I have already sent someone to deal with that.”

“And there is another matter. What of Lady Miska? Or rather, why was it that man last night had the same power as the Destroyer that possesses Lady Miska?”

“I have already explained that. You may punish me for my ineptitude—and my foolhardy curiosity.”

“Curiosity—I see.”

This was a repeat of the exchange he’d had with his lord the previous night as he treated the wounds Vlad still bore on his return.

“Well, it matters not. Instead of punishing you, I have another task for you.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is the way we did things long ago—turn this way.”

De Carriole complied. He sensed the lord stepping back, while at the same time the door behind him opened and a pair of figures entered timidly. It was a woman of about forty and a young boy.

“What’s all this about?” the aged scholar asked his unseen master after a long look at the pair.

“I had them brought here from the Capital. A traveling songstress you were in love with a decade ago and her child. Apparently the boy will be ten this year.”

“Surely you jest. For someone my age, a decade ago lies in a distant fog now. I couldn’t remember her if I tried.”

“Is that a fact? How about you, woman?”

Until she’d been addressed, the woman who seemed much younger and softer than her years had stared intently at de Carriole, but now she suddenly lowered her eyes and said, “No, I’m not acquainted with him at all.”

When the lord spoke again, he sounded quite satisfied. “The child wouldn’t know you, of course. In which case, this should be quite easy to do. De Carriole, kill them both.”

“What’s that you say?” the aged scholar asked, and not surprisingly there was an unsettling gleam in his eye.

Still clutching her child’s hand, the woman grew stiff.

“I’ve looked into this. The woman clearly had feelings for you. However, for some reason, each of you claims not to know the other. Which is why I say it should be easy to kill them.”

“Why would you have me do such a thing?”

“I feel a sudden urge to try your loyalty.”

“No matter what you may believe, milord, all I can tell you is that I have no connection to this woman and her son. I find it quite difficult to believe that taking their lives would demonstrate my loyalty.”

“Oh, but it would. And you know why that is.”

“I’m quite sure I don’t.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, de Carriole. However, for all your evasiveness, I don’t imagine it’s any use trying to physically threaten you. You’re not the kind to value life. Why don’t I put it to you in another way? I will forbid you from seeing my wife.”

De Carriole closed his eyes. The die was cast.

“Long have I been aware of your feelings for my wife. I no longer have any use for the woman, as you could probably imagine when I built the grave she asked for—to give Byron some peace of mind—then destroyed it so soon after granting her request. Love her, bed her, do whatever you wish. But only after you have disposed of those two.”

The old man said nothing, but his ugly face twisted as he stared at the woman and boy in a way that made their blood run cold. What rose from the wrinkled depths of his countenance was a shadowy mix of suffering and viciousness.

“Ah, now you’re acting more like yourself, de Carriole. That’s what I was after—that look upon your face!” the voice of his lord laughed. “I have no idea what it must be like for a human being to have feelings. Human and human or human and Noble—which do you choose?”

There was a strident clang at de Carriole’s feet as something shiny fell there. It was a naked dagger with a golden grip.

“Hurry up before he gets here. He won’t show you any mercy either. You might never see your beloved again!”

The aged scholar de Carriole had his eyes trained on the blade that’d been thrown at his feet, as motionless as if gazing into his own future. He remained that way for a long time.