Chapter 5 Something Lost And Gained #2
He and Sana reappeared by the walkway of trees into the Weryn Palace. Inside was the gate to Forsworn. It was to this gate that Weryn was heading. Elgar turned towards the big Vampire just as Weryn nearly bowled into him.
“Gah! What–what are you doing here, Elgar? It is–it is Elgar, isn’t it?” Weryn asked.
He was clearly distressed. His hands were fisted. His expression kept flickering from one emotion to the next. Elgar took this all in with a quick glance.
“It doesn't matter who you are!” Weryn growled. “I need to go!”
“Yes, to Forsworn,” Elgar said as he stepped again into Weryn’s path.
Weryn bared his teeth. “Out of my way, Eyros.”
“I, too, have a score to settle with Roan Tithe and Legion,” Elgar said, ignoring the supposed insult of naming him by his Bloodline and beloved Master.
“I care not–”
“You will need my assistance,” Elgar stated. “As you will Sana’s and–ah, he comes. Demos, I am afraid that Ryder will not know you right now.”
The handsome Black man loped to them. His long dreads flowed down over his powerful naked shoulders. He stood there completely naked and unashamed.
“My name is not Ryder! Why do people–”
“Weryn! My Immortal.” Demos crossed his arms over his chest and bowed. “I am at your service.”
Weryn studied Demos for long moments. “You are strong, but young. I know you not. I need you not.”
Demos lifted an eyebrow. “You weren’t kidding, Elgar. He’s totally… Well, my Immortal, I am coming after you whether you like it or not.”
“You think I cannot make you stay here?” A dangerous light was in Weryn’s eyes.
“He is your best friend,” Elgar stated simply, and shared one of the memories he had of Ryder and Demos together with Weryn.
Weryn stumbled back, swiping at the air as if the memory were something he could physically bat away.
“He is your best friend. Your Blood Brother. He stood by your side when no one else would,” Elgar said and sent the memories of what had happened in the Ring. He was pleased that there was an answering ping in Weryn’s mind.
Ryder is not gone. Just subsumed. For now.
Weryn blinked rapidly and shook his head. “I don’t remember that. I don’t…”
“Even if you don’t remember,” Demos said quietly, “don’t you sense what I am to you?”
Weryn’s silver eyes lifted to Demos. He grunted and gave one brief nod. “You may come. But do not get in the way.”
A wave of relief went through Demos and he gave Elgar a bright smile.
It had been right to reach out to him. They had spoken mind to mind a few times since their original meeting.
Elgar found him… soothing and beautiful with his dark skin and easy going personality.
He was strong without the need to prove himself.
He was loyal without the need to have it trumpeted.
He was quietly competent in every way. A born leader, he could also follow.
He was rare indeed. Weryn read all of this in him, too.
“But you other two, I don’t need,” Weryn growled at him and Sana.
Sana crossed her arms over her chest. “You believe Legion and Roan are hiding out in Forsworn.”
After a moment, Weryn gritted out, “Yes.”
“And how do you expect to get to them? Sneak up to them? Think they won’t hear you coming?” Sana asked. “I know they have a Wyvern with them. Think you can keep running after them while the Wyvern teleports them around you?”
“And finding exactly where they are in Forsworn won’t exactly be easy. But with Elgar here, I bet he can locate them pretty darn quickly or, at least, narrow down the area for us,” Demos pointed out.
“More than that, I can shield your minds from him for a time,” Elgar explained.
Weryn grimaced. He looked to his palace and then back at him. “Fine! You can come though I do not either of you!”
Sana lifted that scarred eyebrow. “It doesn’t matter if you do, because you can trust us. My Immortal Fiona and Ryder–you–are good friends. She wants nothing bad to happen to you.”
“Ah, yes, I met her and…” Weryn’s expression darkened and he lowered his head.
“Grayson is Ashyr,” Elgar said softly. “You know this.”
“Get out of my head, Eyros! Do that again and I shall leave you where none will find you!” Weryn pointed a finger at his chest.
Elgar looked at the finger. He was not afraid.
Weryn was a wounded bear. He was running from Grayson as much as he was hunting Legion and Roan.
His mind was a mess. He knew that things were different than they had been when he had last been “awake” and yet he was not seeking to find out how.
He was steadfastly avoiding such knowledge.
“I understand. We should go,” Elgar stated.
He did understand. He had made no promise he wouldn’t look into Weryn’s shattered mind.
He just wouldn’t mention what he found out loud.
His Master often got into trouble not for looking, but for speaking of what he found and drawing conclusions that were true.
Such conclusions were things that the person who they were about often was not ready to face. And there was much Weryn was not
“This way,” Weryn grunted and strode ahead of him.
He was a powerful, big Vampire, twice Elgar’s size, yet he moved with a panther’s grace. There was nothing bulky or slow about his movements. He was truly a born predator. Weryn might not be able to read minds or teleport, but he was more in touch with every living thing than any other Vampire.
The trees they walked past creaked in greeting to him.
Their leaves rustled as he passed a hand over their trunks in a mark of affection.
Small creatures that usually avoided them, appeared to line the walkway up to the palace.
Creatures with big eyes, huge ears and even bigger fangs.
But they all stood there, quite tame, as Weryn nodded to them.
“Animals! I’ve never seen these before,” Sana enthused. One of the bunny-esque creatures had allowed her to pet its head. It did let out a dangerous rattle afterwards, but it was merely a sound of pleasure. “I always thought that Nightvallen was pretty bereft of creatures except us.”
“Wyvern do not stay still long enough to notice what is right under their noses,” Weryn intoned.
Sana did not take offense. Instead, she laughed. “You’re probably right at that! I’m never happier though than when I’m moving. Staying still is dreadful. Besides, when there is always a new and more interesting sight to see, why remain still where one is?”
“I admit that sounds a little tiring,” Demos remarked.
“I could never stay still even when I was human. Always tapping and twitching.” Sana gave him a big grin.
She found Demos handsome too. Elgar was tempted to request that Demos get some clothes on as they were walking into the Weryn Palace and his rooms were now here. However, Demos’ attractive qualities were not limited to his naked person.
As they walked up the steps to the palace, Demos said quietly, “I notice you don’t have the skull, Elgar. Is everything okay with… with it?”
“Yes,” Elgar answered quietly. “I gave it to my Master for safekeeping.”
“You gave Balthazar his own skull… for safekeeping?” Demos’ eyebrows rose. “Okay, well, that’s likely the safest place for it.”
“Grandsire has a skull box that is quite attractive for it,” Elgar explained.
“A skull box?” Another eyebrow lift. “Well, if anyone is going to have a skull box it would be Kaly.”
Upon hearing Kaly’s name, Weryn swung around. “Kaly is here? In Nightvallen?”
Demos blinked. His mouth opened but nothing came out.
Elgar saved him by saying, “Yes, Weryn. You spoke to him yourself earlier this evening.”
“I did no such thing!” Weryn cried.
“Caemorn. He’s called Caemorn now,” Sana explained.
“Caemorn. Yes, I met him and the other Eyros Vampire. They were…” Here words seemed to fail Weryn. “They cannot be who they said they were. Eyros and Kaly hate one another. Those two…”
“Caemorn is Balthazar’s Master for all intents and purposes,” Demos shrugged. “They’re way close. Have each other’s backs and everything. They’ve put the school together and are leading it jointly.”
“That just shows they cannot be Eyros and Kaly!” Weryn shook his head. “Those two couldn’t bear to be in the same room together let alone work together and–and be as they are.”
“Things have changed,” Elgar said softly.
“Not that much!”
Weryn turned back on his heel and stormed into the palace.
The three of them hustled to keep after him as he led them down the hallway.
Other Weryn were immediately looking out of rooms on either side of the hallway.
Demos made movements for them to stay where they were and not speak to Weryn.
For his part, Weryn seemed to be studiously ignoring them.
There would be too many new faces with Weryn blood for him to cling to the fragile belief that things had changed.
It was only when Siban clattered down the stairs and bounded up to Weryn that the powerful Vampire was rocked back on his heels.
“Ryder! I am so glad you are here. The…” Siban stopped mid-sentence. The open smile on her face died. “Weryn.”
They breathed the name. Their eyes skittered to Demos.
“Siban,” Weryn whispered. He recognized them. They were a War Childe. “You… you’re here?”
“Yes, yes,” they repeated. “I… survived the War.”
“The War is not over!” Weryn snapped.
Siban blinked. Knowing how afraid they were, Elgar was made nearly breathless by the bravery it took to place a gentle hand on his chest.
“It is, Weryn,” Siban said.
He stared down at that hand. There was a moment where he wanted to take it in his and hold it close to his heart. But he jerked away.
“No! Legion and Roan are still out there!” Weryn cried.
“Yes, yes, they are,” Siban nodded. “You are right about that. Are you seeking them out now?”
“I–I–am.”
“I shall go with you then,” Siban answered quietly.
“N-no,” Weryn whispered. His eyes were haunted. He nearly touched Siban’s cheek, but snatched his hand away.
“Why not, Master? I was made for the War. You are right that not all our enemies were slain, I will come with you and help finish it,” Siban said with quiet conviction.
“Legion…” Weryn said the name like he was ripping his flesh open. “Legion betrayed us.”
Siban nodded. “They did.”
And then in a voice almost too soft to be heard, Weryn asked, “Is it my fault?”
Siban took a breath to answer. “They were always broken, Weryn.”
Weryn nodded. A single jerk of his head. “I must go.”
“And I will go with–”
“No, Siban!” His voice was wrecked. “You–you stay here. Where you will be… where you will be safe.”
Siban blinked slowly. “But I am made for the War.”
“You are so much more than that,” Weryn whispered. “So much more.”
And then he was walking again. Elgar went to follow after him, but Siban grabbed his arm almost convulsively. He lifted his eyes to theirs.
“I don’t know what happened, but Ryder,” she said, “Ryder is still in there, Elgar.”
“Yes,” Elgar agreed.
“You must bring him back safely,” Siban insisted. “Please, bring him back to us.”
Elgar gave a single nod and hurried after Weryn and the others.