Book 4: Chapter 24

Book 4: Chapter 24

“Sir, the Itarian representative is here.”

Edric Ravenhome turned away from the window in his office. “Who did they send?”

“High Crusader Vexler.”

Edric grimaced, “Damn, I was hoping we’d get Rian.” He shook his head and waved his secretary off. “So be it; bring them up, please.”

“I can inquire after High Crusader Hearthbreaker while I escort them if you’d like.”

“No, I’m sure Rian is fine; I was just hoping they’d send someone with a known good relationship with us. Sending their newest High Crusader isn’t a bad thing, but it's closer to a neutral response than I would have preferred.” He paced over to his desk. Stopping with his body halfway into his seat, he frowned. “Crap, some of this I need to put away. Buy me some time when you bring them up.”

His secretary, Alan, a retired hunter who’d gotten one too many lasting injuries to stay in the field, grinned widely. “I’ll give them the slow escort. Route them down the impressive hallway; make it seem like I’m trying to impress the new High Crusader.”

“Perfect.” Edric started collecting paper and putting them into neat piles. Some weren’t important and could be put in his desk’s drawers during the meeting, but some were a little more sensitive than that. He gathered up those documents and walked over to the bookshelf closest to the door. With a few presses of hidden buttons and one secret knock in the right spot later, the secret, warded draw popped open. After the papers were securely in the drawer and safe from any Skills that could peep at them, he sealed the drawer back up and sat back down.

Alan still hadn’t knocked, which meant Edric had time to plan for the coming conversation.

Having this talk with Rian would have been best but not absolutely necessary. Now, Vexler. What do we know about Vexler? He couldn’t pull out one of the dossiers they kept on important people and read through it, not with the subject of said dossier on his way up, but he’d learned quite a few tricks to recalling information over the years. Damn, he’s one of the Crusade’s new blood, isn’t he? That could be an issue. He pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed. “Or will it be?” He asked out loud. “If we need to go all the way, it’ll make things easier.” He clenched his eyes shut, grit his teeth, then shoved his grief and his doubts to the back of his mind.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

The knock at his door had him straightening up. “Enter.”

Alan stepped inside, just out of the way of the door, and he announced, “High Crusader Vexler to see you, Commander.”

The young orcish man who stepped inside was wearing the official dress armor of the Itarian Crusade, a shiner, more ornate version of the plate that their officers wore into battle. Vexler’s armor was quite resplendent in the afternoon sun that shone through the window, with the metal glinting in the light and the decorative etchings showing a particularly famous scene, at least among the Itartians, of the Crusade battling against a tier-five vampyr and it’s spawn that had destroyed several towns and spread terror throughout the Isermani Concord.

Edric found the entire thing a waste of time and money, highlighting the differences between the Shatterplate Order and the Itarian Crusade.

“High Crusader Vexler, welcome. I appreciate the Crusade sending you to see me.”

The muscles in Edric’s back loosened a hair. The way things were going with the Crusade, he’d half expected the man to disparage his daughter for being turned as if it wasn’t a threat every time a hunt was undertaken. “I appreciate that. However, have you heard the rest of what’s coming out of Avalon?”

“I have,” His mouth curved down, and his nose scrunched up, his two tusks baring up and pressing against his upper lip. “Their leader, an outworlder named Kay, has apparently been turned but isn’t a vampyr. He claims he is some other kind of being called a ‘vampire’ and has some way of keeping those who have been infected from becoming vampyr, but only by transforming them into his new species. Is that what you’re referring to?”

“It is,” Edric replied, nodding, “What are the Crusade’s thoughts on that?”

“Utter bullshit. Beyond the impossibility of what he has claimed, calling himself a Class Line Progenitor of a blood Class makes him suspect. Officially, the Crusade hasn’t released our conclusions, but we suspect he may have been in league with Vampyr the entire time.”

“I have no evidence that that is true,” Edric cautiously replied. In fact, he was pretty sure that this Kay definitely had not been in league with any vampyr, thanks to his correspondence with his daughter while she had been there, and he desperately hoped that there were people with the Blood Manipulator who hadn’t been taken in by the deception and could teach the Order the Class since it could be a great weapon for the future. “However, I too believe that the claims of becoming a ‘vampire’ instead of a vampyr are false and that he is now a puppet of the vampyr who turned him and, through him, his nation.”

“And you’re calling on the Crusade because...?”

“Because I believe that it may become necessary to march on Avalon, fight against people who have been deceived and manipulated, and remove any and all vampyr who shelter there, working against our world and its people.”

“Ah!” Vexler leaned forward with a grin and smile, and the light burning in his eyes was a dangerous one, “And if such a solution became necessary, you would want the Crusade at your side.”

“Yes, I would.”

“I cannot speak officially for the Crusade on a decision of that level of importance, but I am sure that the Crusader Generals would agree to join you. Have you spoken to any other groups or individuals?”

“I have sent word to a few of the independents who would be able to help and received a few replies so far. I’ve also made overtures to the Empire to see if they would loan us any manpower.”

Vexler glanced off, slowly nodding but picking up speed. “Yes, that’s good. The Crusade has closer connections to the Concordant, so I’ll see if we can receive any help from them. Even if we don’t get official support, I’m sure a few of their noble houses will lend us aid.” He sat up suddenly with a confident grin on his face, “I’ll also contact the Coalition and see if any of their members are in the area.”

Edric hid a frown. The Coalition of Fang’s End was very close to being the kind of fanatics he was worried the Crusade was going to become in the future, the kind that needed to be removed for the safety of anyone else. Less of an organization and more of a loose collection of allied individuals, the Coalition did not care who had to die or be hurt in order to end a vampyr, and they often killed people they suspected of being vampyr, with little or no real proof. One of the Crusade’s High Crusaders being able to contact the Coalition’s very loose and very mobile leadership was worrying.

As Vexler continued to brainstorm ideas of who could be contacted and what could be done to ease the way of a force approaching Avalon, Edric’s worries that he might be making the wrong decisions reared their head again.

He shook them off. His goal was to save as many people as possible from vampyr and to prevent as many tragedies as he could. He’d lost his parents and siblings and now one of his children. He wouldn’t let anyone else lose theirs, not if he could help it.