The Return pt.09
It had been several hours since the young woman had begun her journey with Lucien. Unsure of the correct distance her new companion wanted her to follow him from, she kept changing her pace, speeding up, slowing down constantly. And it slightly annoyed the strange man walking with her.
Her hammer rested in the belt on her waist as her hands kept to the back of her head. She did not know who this man was or what he was after beyond reaching Salver to aid someone, but she felt confident that he would keep her safe now that her secret had been revealed to the gang she had worked with. And that confidence she found confusing.
As she continued to follow him the young woman finally had enough of the quiet and decided to ask “Who are you?”
“King Lucien Salvatal the Third. King of Arlorne and Chieftain of the Dharan People.”
Upon hearing this, the young woman began laughing causing Lucien to ask in surprise “What is so funny?”
Wiping away the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes, she answers “It’s just that I’ve never heard of someone trying to claim that he is the tyrant from legends before.” She then straightened herself put a little better before adding “I mean no offense of course.”
Lucien stopped walked and turned to face the young woman and as he looked down at her said “I knew I had become a legend to some but I didn’t know most had forgotten about my existence.”
The young woman stared up at Lucien and answered “It’s just a legend in these parts. I don’t think anyone actually believes in the mythical tyrant Lucien. Hells most don’t even remember the old legends anymore. I just happened to be fortunate enough to be raised in an orphanage that had a few scholars that taught us some of the old legends in attempts to educate the poor youth.”
Moments pass as the two stare into each other’s eyes before Lucien turns and continues following the road to Salver. This information was too much for the little pride he still held. He was the King of Arlorne and had destroyed the entirety of Rylocke at one point. Now he was just a legend most did not believe in. He was greatly disappointed but relieved at the same time and he did not understand why.
As they continued on their journey Lucien eventually felt a gnawing urge to know more about her and just what she knew of him. His pride had finally overcome him.
“What’s your name girl?”
Surprised by the question she walked next to him and looked up at him answering “Arcia. I don’t know my family name. I never knew them.”
“Alright Arcia my dear, do you really not believe that I am King Lucien Salvatal the Third?”
Her hands were behind her head as she said to him “You can claim to be the tyrant all you want but he’s just a myth. No one could be that old or powerful. It’s not possible.”
Lucien was surprised by this and asked “What about what you witnessed in the village?”
Arcia shrugged as she looked ahead of them “You’re certainly a powerful vampire but from the time of the ancient kingdoms? No one would believe that.”
Chuckling at her statement Lucien corrects her “I am an upír, not a vampire. And the Ancient Kingdoms were already destroyed by the time I was born. The last of the Ancient Kingdoms collapsed four decades before I was born. I simply destroyed their usurpers”
But with those thoughts fresh in his mind Lucien asks himself as much as he was Arcia “Where did the story of me destroying them come from?”
He continued to quietly think out loud as Arcia answered with some flair with her hands “I don’t know. The legends tell of the Tyrant Lucien raising a massive vampiric army and in a war that lasted two hundred years destroyed all the old families and their kingdoms.”
What he just heard caused Lucien to stop thinking to himself and look directly at Arcia. His anger was clear in his eyes and his voice became sharp.
“That is a bold lie to spread about me. My great-grandfather took in as servants two of the ancient dynasties when their kingdoms fully collapsed after centuries of propping them up. My grandfather then took in the last daughter of the Klossal Imperial Family. The first King of Arlorne took in several of the ancient dynasties during the initial Collapse of the Ancient Kingdoms.”
Lucien then looked ahead and told Arcia “Hells, my family can trace our history back to a time before we became a royal family during the first collapse. We were just Dukes for a very long time under the rule of one of the Ancient Kingdoms. Before that we were mere peasants.”
He then sneered “Until Syrn saved the king’s life and was rewarded with the plains.”
Arcia could hear the barely contained disdain for this Syrn person despite claiming him to be an ancestor.
“What’d he do?”
Lucien looked away from Arcia with a click of his tongue. He did not want to answer this question at all. Syrn was controversial amongst his family, so much so that only one place still bore is name, Syrndharas.
But when he looked back to Arcia he found that he was going to have to answer.
“Syrn was the first and last member of my family to rule over the Dharas Plains and the Dharan People that was not of Dharan descent. While he was a great ruler early on, he never lived as a Dharan himself. After many wars and old age took him, Syrn went mad. He began to oppress the Dharan People and abuse his position heavily but it ended when his Dharan wife cut his throat and allowed their eldest son to assume Syrn’s position.”
He then looked directly into Arcia’s eyes and asked “Understand?”
Staring into Lucien’s eyes Arcia nods her head before saying “You know you can make up more believable lies.”
Lucien turns and walks away in silence continuing on to Salver. Not being believed was worse to him than being forgotten about. And he had nothing to say to Arcia as she followed him closely.
“You’re really committed. You vampires must really want us humans to believe the legends. Trying to take control of our kingdoms or something?”
Without looking at Arcia, Lucien continues walking forward as he answers “No. Those in the east are not interested in the human lands. They are content with their political games and bringing in humans they deem as valuable.”
A smile then came across Lucien’s face as he turned his head and looked down at Arcia.
“But if I were to choose to, they would all put aside their games and rally under my banner to conquer Rylocke once again.”
The tone of his voice was haunting even if Arcia did not quite believe him. The only truth she saw in what he said was the political games and recruitment of the east. Even growing up in an orphanage in Salver she saw people being approached by well-dressed and powerful individuals from the east, offering them the chance to pursue their passions to the fullest.
Silently the two of them walked until dusk when Arcia looked at Lucien and asked “Can we rest?”
Lucien looked at her and found her struggling to keep up with him after so many hours walking.
“My apologies. I forgot humans cannot keep up with me.”
He then stepped off the road to the forest as he said “Yes we can rest. Gather the kindling and I will start the fire.”
Without a further word Arcia walked off into the night in search of kindling for the fire. When she returned she found Lucien standing off to the side of a small clearing have already made a small pit for the fire. Quickly Arcia arranged the kindling and began building for the fire. Then without a word Lucien lit the fire using some of his magic and watched as Arcia pulled out some preserved meat she had on her and began gnawing on it.
As he watches her gnaw on the meat Lucien tells her “Best not to look into the fire Arcia. You will not be able to see out into the dark if you do. Face away from it instead.”
She looks up at him and asks “Where’d you learn that?”
“Centuries of warfare. Many times, have I launched night raids on unsuspecting forces because they could not see out into the night.”
Not fully understanding just what Lucien was saying, Arcia says “I can see you just fine.”
Nodding his head Lucien steps aside from the tree he was leaning against and into the darkness.
“Can you still see me?”
Arcia strained her eyes staring into the darkness and several minutes later was able to see his shape in the night.
“I can see you.”
Stepping back into the light Lucien tells her “Too long. You never would have noticed me in time.”
Groaning Arcia finishes her food before stretching out next to the fire.
“I got you here. I don’t need to see.”
Even though Arcia said that she rolled onto her side facing her back towards the fire. Lucien’s demonstration was disturbing enough for her and Lucien smiled as he watched her from the edge of their campsite.
Sleep was not to last until morning. Sometime after midnight Lucien woke Arcia from her sleep “Wake up girl. We need to move.”
“It’s still dark let me sleep.”
Lucien begins pulling the still half-asleep Arcia to her feet “Up now girl. We’re being tracked.”
Those words were quick to rouse Arcia out of her sleep and into a near panic. As she stands on her own she asks “What about the fire?”
“Leave it. We move now.”
Arcia struggled to follow Lucien in the night and tried to keep her hands on his back. Several times she stumbled and lost him before being forced to call out for him.
Tired of her slowing him down Lucien tells her “Keep up girl. We need to make haste away from the camp.”
Arcia stares at his shadowy form in the dark and reaches up to his breastplate and pulls him a little closer before speaking through her teeth “I can’t see Lucien. So, either slow down and allow me to follow or give me so damn help.”
Nodding his head Lucien grabbed Arcia by her arm, saying “My apologies Arcia. I got ahead of myself.”
Then words of an unknown language fell from his lips and the night began to resemble day in Arcia’s eyes.
Looking around Arcia was surprised by how well she could see. She had known nothing like this before and none she had ever heard of were capable of such feats.
“How? I’ve never heard of magics other than those for healing or fighting.”
A scoff comes from Lucien as he turns and walks away, trying to put more distance between them and those tracking them. As Arcia followed him closely Lucien explained “If all one can use is magics for healing or fighting then they are a poor excuse for a magic user.”
Seeing how she could now see in the darkest of nights while deep in a forest Arcia could not argue but she still felt the need to remind Lucien of a point she felt pertinent.
“Not many have the ability to live several centuries.”
A grin came over Lucien’s face as he pushed aside his confusion.
“By the time I came to my throne at the age of fifteen I could heal minor wounds. I could make fire from nothing, using lighting as a weapon and see in the dark.”
His grin became a smile as he looked down at Arcia and continued “By the time I was turned into an upír by Moriena himself two decades later I could poison an entire field of crops, blow apart the sturdiest of castle walls and cause the night to be as bright as day.”
Then Lucien seemed to grow even taller and regal, as he stood straight and presented an air of royalty “As long as you are dedicated to the craft of magic, you will learn rather quickly.”
Unable to believe any of this, Arcia looked up at Lucien “You can’t possibly be serious? You’re lying to me right?”
Staring into her eyes Lucien answers with the calmest sincerity “I have destroyed an entire forest and a massive lake during my long lifetime. Even a mountain crumbled to stone beneath my power.”
Arcia could hear her own heart beat for a moment before nervous laughter came. Then that nervous laughter became true laughter as she spoke “If you say Lucien.”
Lucien was annoyed by her lack of belief in the truth, and it could be heard in his voice “Well then tell me about yourself Arcia.”
Holding her hands behind her head Arcia shrugged “Well you already know I grew up in an orphanage and that means my parents died when I was little. But I’m originally from Salver until some member of upper society wanted the land the orphanage was on and had us all exiled to the penal villages. Then I began to hide myself as a boy, eventually a man to avoid being forced into things.”
She then looked up at him asking “That good enough for you?”
Her nonchalant attitude towards it all was impressive to Lucien. Most people would have some disdain towards their past if their circumstances had been similar. “Very much so Arcia. I am just intrigued by how accepting you are of everything that has happened to you.”
With another shrug of her shoulders Arcia tells Lucien “There’s no point in hanging myself over it all. Life’s got more coming for me anyways, might as well do my best to make the most of it.”
“Is that why you pretended to be a man?”
Quickly she cut her eyes back to the giant walking next to her “Guess we’re similar in that respect ‘Lucien’. I pretended to be a man to survive and you pretend to be the mythical tyrant Lucien.”
Lucien scoffs at this before countering with a grin “I appreciate your honesty Arcia but you should have a little faith in me.”
Seeing his grin Arcia smiled “I have faith in the strength I’ve seen from you but there’s plenty of strength in this world. I haven’t seen anything that would point to you being as strong as you claim.”
His grin once more transformed into a smile as he looked ahead “Well Arcia it looks like you’ll get your chance. It appears those tracking us were merely shepherds pushing us towards those that feel they are wolves.” He then stepped ahead of her continuing “Maybe I will convince you that I am one of the most powerful beings in existence.”
Just ahead of them standing in a clearing in the forest Lucien had noticed a group of some fifteen men waiting for them. Clearly these men were ready to kill but they were to be sacrificed before the alter of true strength. Lightly armored and poorly trained criminals were no match for the highly experienced, highly trained, heavily armored and monstrous Lucien.
As they approach the clearing Lucien uses his arm to force Arcia to follow directly behind him.
“Hold onto my belt and do not let go until I say so.”
Listening to Lucien, Arcia wraps her fingers around the belt holding his sword and sheath to his body. Her knuckles turn white from how tightly she is holding on.
Stepping into the clearing Lucien can see confident smiles on the faces of the fifteen living dead. Lucien cannot help but smile wickedly himself. He knows their confidence in their strength was true in the face of others like them and their lessers but before him it is as false as any lie.
“I see that those tracking us were a mere distraction for you to advance ahead of us to lie in wait.”
Lucien’s voice came loud as the roar of a waterfall, as proud as the tallest of mountains in the Aser Mountains to the north and as handsome as any of the gods in the heavens or hells. It inspired Arcia to hope and equally instilled doubt and fear into the criminals before him.
The leader of the criminal gang smiles wide, projecting confidence, as Lucien recognizes the man he spared in the penal village. The criminal’s voice is course and threatening as he speaks “You showed great strength in the village but those you killed were nothing but common criminals and bandits.” His hand then waves directing attention to the other fourteen men as he continues “But these men here are quite strong. They have fought in many wars and trained for many years before being sent to these damned villages. Then they joined me in ruling over those pathetic excuses for humanity. And they will have your blood.”
Lucien quietly stares them down, only moving his dark eyes to inspect each of them. After taking note of each man he speaks once more “You are a few hundred short and a few thousand years too young to attempt to challenge me…human.”
The men begin laughing at this declaration as Lucien quietly speaks to Arcia “Hold on tightly and let your feet go if you can’t step with me.” Quietly she nods her head in agreement.
A voice comes from across the opening from one of the criminals “He thinks he can beat fifteen of us when he’s starving.”
Lucien then corrects him “Nineteen. Those four tracking us will be killed as well, fool.”
Silence came over the group for the moment before the leader speaks up “Is it your vampiric nature that makes you that overconfident? What makes you think you can possibly, take on nineteen trained people easily?”
Drawing his dark blade Lucien swings it around a few times, holding himself back during the demonstration before tossing it towards the group of criminals. The heavy dark blade did not bounce when it hit the ground. Instead it left an impression in the damp ground at the feet of the criminals.
“If you can wield it properly I will admit you are as strong as me.”
Lucien’s dark eyes were full of fire as he spoke to the criminals causing Arcia to question him on his actions. But Lucien was confident in his decision and assured her nothing would come from him disarming himself.
The leader smiles at Lucien, full of confidence as he reaches down to wrap his hand around the hilt of that dark blade. As he begins to lift that dark blade, the leader finds himself struggling with its weight. The dark blade that Lucien so easily wielded was over twice as heavy as that of a normal sword of similar size. But despite the heavier weight, it was perfectly balanced. Struggling to wield it, the leader of the criminals tried to flourish but nearly removed his own leg.
No longer willing to handle it himself, the leader passed it to the man on his right before asking “What in the hells is that made from you damned monster?”
A large smile was spread across Lucie’s face as he watched each criminal struggle to wield his sword. “Black Tirstul is the metal used to craft the entire sword. The hilt is made from the bones of a wolf and wrapped with leather made from the same wolf. Silver is inlaid in the guard and pommel.”
Lucien then began stepping forward towards the criminals, Arcia directly following his footsteps. The criminals were no longer laughing or smiling as they watch Lucien hold out his left hand as he approached “My sword.”
With each step closer the criminals watch Lucien as he continues to hold out his hand. Weapons are drawn as Arcia asks “Lucien wouldn’t this be a great chance to use that magic you were boasting about?”
“No need. They are not worth it.”
Closer and closer Lucien stepped as continued to smile with his hand out for his sword. Arcia did her best to keep in step with him until they were almost within arm’s reach of the criminals.
“Arcia, break for the tree line on our left.”
“Won’t they be able…”
“It will be fine. They will not harm you. Now move.”
Nodding her head Arcia lets go of Lucien’s belt and takes off sprinting towards the tree line. In the same moment Lucien grabs his sword by the hilt, taking it from the criminal that held it.
“Thank you. You die last.”
Screaming, the leader of the criminals raised his own sword high above his head and brought it down towards Lucien with great force.
Clang!
The sound of metal ringing filled everyone’s ears as Lucien now stood with his black blade high above his head. The criminal leader now found himself off balance and stepping backwards to maintain standing having been the victim of quite a forceful parry. His sword had left his hands and was now flying through the air as his wide eyes registered his end.
In one fell move Lucien brought his sword down with tremendous force and split the man. From the right shoulder to the left hip, Lucien’s sword sliced through the man effortlessly. And as the man’s body fell, Lucien watched his eyes blink twice as life left them.
Suddenly one criminal found his head snapping back as Lucien drove his armored shoulder into the man’s face. This criminal fell backwards dead, as the impact not only smashed his face in but also snapped his neck. Lucien’s arm then stretched out with his dark blade and swept wide across three more criminals, ending them.
In a mere instant five men had been killed leaving the other ten frightened by the brutality and strength they were now witnessing. Nine of the remaining men gripped their weapons tightly as they intended to attempt eliminate Lucien.
With every stroke of that black blade Lucien removed one more criminal from existence. Every parry sent a weapon flying away and every step taken sealed the fate of one of a man. One even attempted to make a run towards Arcia only to fine one of his fellow’s weapons grabbing at his ankle, having been parried in that direction by Lucien. Turning in fear the man who had went for Arcia would watch as Lucien brought down his dark blade, removing life from him.
Fourteen dead men lay around Lucien as he stands there amongst the corpses. The dark blade in his hand drips blood as Lucien looks towards the sky. One frightened man sits on the ground shaking, having dropped his weapon moments earlier when the carnage began.
“I said you would die last.”
Those words from the sky gazing Lucien frightened the remaining man but he soon realizes he has a bit more time left on Vyrna. Lucien’s head turns from the sky towards the road east as there were still four more men to be dealt death.
Tired of the worthless opponents for him to use his once masterful sword skills on, Lucien pulls his long hair back from his eyes with his right hand “Maybe I should give a demonstration of my magical abilities.”
Raising his left hand Lucien pointed the tip of his black blade towards the east.
The approaching criminals were laughing and joking amongst themselves about what little loot likely remained to be gained from the corpse and just what Arcia felt like now. Not one of them thought their fellows would be dead until they came closer to the clearing and saw Lucien, clad in black armor, standing amongst the corpses. Their weapons were quickly drawn but it was far too late.
Annoyed by the lack of belief in his strength, Lucien knew exactly what magic he was to use. He was going to make the world remember why all feared him after eight centuries.
“Kûl Vea Cal”
The roar from the magic cracking between the four men was thunderous and shook the ground beneath. The force bent the trees to its will and the light blinding. It was the first explosion seen west of Arlorne since Lucien’s armies ran wild over eight centuries prior.
Lucien, Arcia and the remaining criminal watched as the magic explosion tore apart the four men, scattering them in pieces across the forest and clearing. Arcia flinched before rubbing her face only to find some blood had managed to reach her hiding place in the tree line. Quickly she slung her hand in a panic, removing the now blood as Lucien stood there with blood raining down upon him.
The last criminal was shaking in fear as he was now the last one. Covered in the blood of his deceased compatriots, he looked up from the ground at Lucien. As Lucien kneeled down next to him, the criminal swallowed hard. And as Lucien moved the tip of his sword towards the man, he closed his eyes.
Then the criminal was surprised as he felt tugging at his clothes. Despite being forced onto his feet, the criminal kept his eyes closed for a few moments before opening them to find Lucien cleaning his sword with the criminal’s clothes.
Arcia ran up to them as Lucien sheathed his cleaned sword “Aren’t you going to kill him?”
Her voice was loud as she could barely hear herself over the ringing in her ears. Standing before Lucien she reached up to her ears and felt something warm and wet coming from them. Her ears had burst from the explosion and were now bleeding.
Noticing this Lucien reached up to her and spoke in some language Arcia could not read from his lips. A dull green light came from the side of her head as the pain and ringing in her ears disappeared allowing her to hear normally.
With Arcia’s hearing returned Lucien finally answered her question “I told him he was the last to die. I still mean it but he can serve a better purpose until his death.” Lucien’s gaze then turned to the man “He should return to those villages and help straighten them out now that he has seen real power. I cannot stand having such disgraceful living near my kingdom.”
Arcia was not sure about it and looked towards the criminal nodding his head in agreement. Her hand moves towards her hammer but Lucien began walking west.
“Come Arcia. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
With a slight groan and quiet cursing, Arcia turns away and chases after Lucien. The criminal stares wide eyed at their backs for some time stumbling backwards before turning and fleeing towards the penal villages. Terror had filled him and it would take many months before he would be able to leave his home properly again.
