Caleb's Journey
Chapter 35

A clue

We must leave the siege of the castle for a moment, let its battles rage, and return to the heroes who search for the lair of Xerax. After riding for several days they walked the horses through some brush and happened upon a tiny settlement and a group of its inhabitants, a group of twenty that had come there to join up with the present occupants and expand the meekly settled area.

One of them turned around and saw the resplendent armor of the knights and rightly assumed them to be members of the Honor Guard. A man, who appeared to lead the troop approached them and spoke, “Uua be praised! Your lordships have found us in a most dire state. Please help us. We came here to live with our friends and expand the settlement, but some monster has come and murdered all but our friend Sivak. Even he is badly wounded. I’m Duvan and I humbly ask for your assistance.

Lord Lestrade surveyed the wreckage, the houses where the doors had been ripped from their hinges and the chaos therein. Then he spoke,” Citizen, any assistance that we may render we will. You are now under the protection of the Honor Guard. Lead me to your friend. Sir Kyme, you and the other knights find this monster and eliminate it!” All of the knights departed, together, as ordered.

“

This tiny settlement is decimated,” Caleb remarked. “From the looks of things these poor villagers never even stood a chance.”

Candellah passed through the throng and caught up with Lord Lestrade. “As that man is probably hurt, you’ll need my assistance. I’ll calm him and care for his wounds.”

Duvan replied, “You are welcome to follow and provide any care that you can.”

In a moment they were at the home of Sivak. There he sat, alone in the dark, clutching the body of his lifeless wife in his arms while he wept openly.”

“

This is how we found him,” Duvan said. “His leg is badly broken and he has some bruises and scratches, but he won’t let us get close enough to see the wounds to his wife. Instead, he just keeps babbling about a monster and the loss of his wife.

“

Maybe I’ll have better luck,” Candellah meekly uttered. She approached Sivak slowly and with kindness and sincerity said, “Hello child of Uua, you have friends here now and you are safe. The monster is gone. Why don’t you let me help you?”

“

Thanks, but you can’t help me unless you can bring my wife and friends back to life. He was clearly distraught and fearful, “That thing, it was upon us so fast and it was so strong, there was no way to stop it. Before I even knew it, everyone was dead except for me and my friend’s daughter, Sheena,” here he gave a brief cry. “What kind of a monster hunts, tortures, and kills its prey for fun. The sick spawn of the NetherRealmealm even forced me to watch as he drank that innocent child’s blood. She was the life and spark of our tiny settlement. Sometimes, she felt like my own child.”

“

Vampire,” mouthed Lord Lestrade. Then he thought, “It’s useless to have my men search for it in the daylight. We can do no good in that way.” He now directed his words towards the villagers, “Friend Sivak, please let this blessed priestess help you. I will go and report my findings to my comrades. You are safe now that we are here.”

Lord Lestrade returned to the group and told them what he had seen and heard. “That’s the clue we needed,” Malakael said triumphantly. “It has long been rumored that a vampire is in the service of Xerax and acts as his messenger. If this vampire turns out to be that emissary then he will unwittingly have led us right to the lair of Xerax.”

“

How will he lead us there? There aren’t any footprints around here,” Caleb inquired.

“

He flies, lad, but in what direction does he fly? East. We know that because of the terrain we’ve traversed. My bet is that if we ride east we’ll find our clues. Vampires make their homes in cemeteries or some sort of underground lair. If we happen across some such place as ancient ruins or a graveyard, from some former civilization, then there is an excellent chance we’ll find where he lives and extract the information we need by force.”

While Lord Lestrade, who had requested that Caleb go and retrieve the knights, and Malakael stood discussing the possible whereabouts of Nostarius, Candellah spent her time tending to Sivak. “Your wife and friends have gone to a better place,” she told him. “Do not weep for the loss of their mortal coil, but cherish your memories of the time spent with them. You’ll see them again, I promise.” She delivered her words with the utmost tenderness and sincerity. “Tell me, do you believe in the Goddess?”

“

Yes, I do. I just wonder how she could let something as cruel as this happen,” Sivak replied.

With her most soothing tones Candellah tried to soften his loss, “We cannot understand or fathom her grand schemes for the events that transpire in this world. I only asked because I’ve had some success in healing those who have faith in her. Let me see if I can help you, please.” She looked at him and gave him her most sincere, placid smile.

“

Ok, what have I got to lose? I’ve got nothing left. Just tell me what to do.”

“

Close your eyes and give me your hands, please. You’ll have to let go of your precious wife’s body for but a moment.”

Here Sivak did as was requested and gently laid his wife’s body on the ground. Then he closed his eyes and stretched out his arms, palms upward, to Candellah. For her part she knelt down near him and put her soft hands in his. She closed her eyes as well and prayed. In an instant both bodies shone magically with a bright, blue light. Sivak felt completely at peace and miraculously his entire wound began to heal until he was restored to his former self, that time before Nostarius had wrought havoc on that dark night.

Sivak abruptly opened his eyes, “Who are you?” He incredulously inquired.

“

I’m Candellah, a priestess in the service of Uua. It was She who healed your wounds through me.”

“

I felt her comfort me about my loss. It was as if a gentle hand caressed my forehead, raised the hair on my forearms, and told me all would be well. I now truly know that my faith has been rewarded.” Overcome with awe, he continued, “I can’t say that I am not devastated by the loss of my family and friends, but at least now I have the courage to carry on, rebuild my home, and to praise Uua to all whom I meet. I’ll see to the burial of my family and friends, but first I must show everyone the miracle that you performed.”

“

If you think it best,” was her reply.

Outside the group of settlers held discussions on what repairs to make to the current dwellings and where the best places to build new homes and pens for livestock. After taking the time to assure the settlers that they were safe, Lord Lestrade and his comrades were engaged in how to best track a vampire.

Sivak emerged from his home, carrying his wife in his arms and the fact that this previously broken, bloodied, and bruised man looked as fresh as the morning dew stupefied the crowd. All conversation ceased and everyone turned to stare at Sivak. Candellah came out slowly behind him.

“

Friends, who will help me bury my precious wife?” He asked. “Don’t look so surprised. Thanks to the wondrous powers of the Goddess and the miracle done by blessed Candellah my wounds have been healed. I am happy,” here he choked on his words and tears began to stream from his eyes and down his rough face, “I am happy to have the strength to be a part of the ceremony.”

Caleb stared at Candellah. Most everyone did, but his thoughts of her were of awe. Never before had she looked more radiant to him. He felt his pulse quicken and his heart pounded in his chest like a drum. “She’s more amazing than she realizes,” he thought. “What becoming modesty. Her humility makes her all the more appealing. If she only knew how she affected people, how she is affecting me.” The lad definitely had future designs on her by now.

Sivak asked his friends to bring their shovels. All were only too happy to oblige him. Holes were dug for all of the bodies and each was carefully lowered into its final resting place. Everyone clasped hands and formed a circle around the graves. As they performed this action Candellah uttered a prayer to Uua that she would welcome them all into Her kingdom. Many attendees wept, for these were their friends, but nobody wept more than Sivak. He felt some relief in that he had survived and met the wondrous priestess.

The ceremony being completed Malakael, with as much delicacy as possible approached Lord Lestrade and spoke, “I know we haven’t always agreed on every matter and that you distrust me due to my past. However, I feel that if we are to catch this monster that we cannot afford to linger here. I am not so callous that I fail to grieve for these people or have a desire to protect them. In order to best achieve that end, we need to begin our pursuit in earnest. It is daylight. The vampire has long since departed and we stand our best chance of tracking him the sooner we leave this place.”

“

He will leave us few, if any clues. By the ferocity of this attack I believe that we face a foe of great power. Some vampires make their homes in graveyards, labyrinths and the like, by most vampires live amongst humans and prey upon a lone, hapless victim, someone who is walking down a dark alley, a lone person on horseback, etc. A truly savage nature marks this attack.”

“

I’ve had some dealings with vampires, those who wanted to add the might of magic to their natural dark talents of speed, strength, and the ability to enthrall their intended victim with a gaze. Few if any of them attract attention to themselves. Something particularly wicked and unusual happened here, the vampire left a victim behind to suffer the actions the fiend had wrought.”

Through clenched teeth, an uncommon display of emotion, Lord Lestrade answered him, “I can’t wait for us to find this fiend and to give him a taste of my enchanted blade. We’ll see if he is as bold when facing true warriors, not preying upon a group of farmers.”

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