Arthur Daigle's Blog - Posts Tagged "vampires"

It was a dark and windy night, and goblins laughed and danced around a fire of burning modern art. Normally goblins don’t help people, but earlier that day they’d seen a town’s mayor try to convince his people to buy these monstrosities for an obscene price. In a move rare among goblins, they’d stolen the paintings and took them a safe distance from the unfortunate humans before destroying them.

“There goes the last one,” a shaggy goblin said as he fed a painting into the flames. It showed what was a cat, or possibly an iceberg, floating over a landscape of pink something or others. Goblins were stupid and a bit crazy, so they weren’t driven mad by this nonsense, but others weren’t so lucky. They’d seen three men lose bladder control just from looking at this painting, and an entire crowd ran in terror when the artist tried to explain his work.

“Missed one,” a short goblin said as he handed over another painting.

The shaggy goblin frowned. “Wait, that’s a painting? Of what?”

“I don’t know!” the short goblin shot back. He studied the misshapen images and frowned. “I think the red thing and the yellow thing are having a fight with the blue thing, and the blue thing is having stomach trouble. Look, just forget what it’s supposed to be and torch it before Stotle sees it.”

“Before I see what?”

The other goblins winced. They’d done their part to save humanity, but before beginning the trip they’d left behind one of their members. Poor old Stotle wasn’t ready for such horrors. The pale skinned goblin with wide eyes wore a molding rug for robes, normal enough for a goblin, but his mind was hopelessly twisted after reading a book on philosophy. There was no telling what those paintings could have done to such a fragile mind, and they had no intention of finding out.

“Nothing, Stotle,” the shaggy goblin said. He tossed the painting into the fire and watched the blurry images turn to ash.

Stotle stood at the door of their ramshackle house at the edge of the Jeweled Forest. He’d been asleep, but light from the fire had woken him. He peered through the darkness and saw the inexcusably foul artwork being destroyed. “Is that Jubal’s masterpiece, Society’s Folly in the fire?”

The shaggy goblin scratched his head. “That might have been the name on it.”

“Did you burn the rest of his work?” Stotle asked. The goblins hemmed and hawed as Stotle approached and studied the crackling fire where some paintings were only partially destroyed. “Yes, it looks like you got all of them. There’s Bartender’s Delight, that’s Horsehead Bookends of Doom, and I do believe that one was I Can’t Believe I’m Being Paid for This, the painting that got him thrown out of art school and nearly lynched.”

Turning back to his friends, Stotle said, “But since they’re destroyed, is Jubal really an artists? You can’t be an artist if you have no art, assuming that was art and not an assault on the senses.”

Panicking, the shaggy goblin shouted, “Stop him, he’s getting philosophical!”

The goblins grabbed Stotle and eased him to the ground. The short goblin grabbed a stick off the ground and jammed it into Stotle’s mouth. “Bite down. It’ll keep you from talking.”

Stotle did as instructed, but even with a stick in his mouth he kept trying to analyze the lack of Jubal’s career, talent and possibly lack of the man’s mind. He could go on like this for hours. The only cure the goblins had found was gagging Stotle until he’d gotten it out of his system.

“I don’t get it,” the shaggy goblin confessed. “We can bounce back from almost anything. Bruises, bumps, cuts, scraps, frostbite, fire, none of that hurts us for long. He should have healed from whatever that book did to him.”

Stotle chewed through the stick in his mouth and ate it. “As I was saying…”

“Hello?” The goblins turned to see two humans approaching them. That was odd, as few humans traveled when it was dark. These humans were youngish, a man and a woman dressed in worn clothes and coming out of the forest. The man stepped in front of the woman and asked, “Forgive the intrusion, but may we warm ourselves by your fire?”

Shocked, the short goblin blurted out, “You’re asking goblins for permission?”

“It’s your fire, so we must ask and leave if denied,” the man replied.

“That has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve heard tonight,” the short goblin said. He glanced at the fire and the rapidly disappearing paintings. “Not the stupidest thing I’ve seen, though.”

Stotle got up and dusted himself off. “The fire is free for any to share, as is our home.”

“You are kind, although I doubt your, ah, house, could fit us and you,” the man said. He led the woman closer and they sat by the fire.

Stotle nudged the house. “I doubt that will be a problem.”

The house began assembling another room from dead branches, loose rocks and even dirt. It did so quietly enough that the young couple didn’t notice it growing larger in the darkness.

“This is a first,” the shaggy goblin said. “I’ve never seen tall folks come near us without swearing and throwing things, and they’re even asking for help.”

“A year ago I don’t think I would have come, but harsh times and true friends have helped me see that goodness isn’t the property of any one race,” the man said. “My name is Tristan Fireheart, and this is my wife Isa and our daughter, Mira.”

The baby gurgled in her mother’s arms and waved her arms. The goblins swiftly gathered around Isa and her daughter, their faces showing awe. If they were expecting a show they were sorely disappointed, because young Mira yawned and promptly went to sleep.

“She’s no fun,” the shaggy goblin said. “Not here a minute and she went to bed.”

“It’s been a troubling time for us,” Isa said. “She needs her sleep.”

“Aw that’s no fair,” the short goblin complained. “You can’t get tired out being carried around. She should have plenty of vim when all she does is eat and piddle.”

“Now be fair, piddling can be hard work,” the shaggy goblin countered. “Why I remember the first time I tried coffee. Woo boy, I was on the toilet for a long time!”

Tristan blushed and Isa stifled a laugh at the goblins’ conversation. Tristan cleared his throat and said, “My wife speaks the truth. We sold our horses this week to cover our expenses and truly abominable road taxes.”

“What drives you so hard that you travel at night and with so little?” Stotle asked.

“We seek a new start in life,” Tristan explained. “We fled my father’s rule and look to settle in Ocean view Kingdom, which I’m told is not far from here.”

“A few days travel will find you at your destination,” Stotle replied.

“Our maps don’t show this area in detail,” Tristan said. “You’ve already been kind enough to let us rest here. Could you be persuaded to show us the way to Oceanview?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” Stotle told him. “I don’t exist.”

Tristan stared at him. “What?”

The shaggy goblin shook his head. “It’s not his fault. The poor fool went and read a philosophy book. It drove him totally bonkers.”

“It’s true, I don’t exist,” Stotle protested. “My life has been so absurdly silly that it can’t possibly be real. I’ve escaped death many times, seen things no one should see, and somehow come out of it not only alive but with both my sanity and credit rating intact. There’s no way that could happen. Therefore, I can safely conclude that I don’t exist.”

Tristan and Isa stared at Stotle. The short goblin sighed and patted Tristan on the back. “Get used to it, because he does that four times an hour, more if he’s bored. We can show you the right trails to take to get you where you’re going and stay away from road tolls, but you’ll have to put up with a few days of that nonsense.”

“Why do you want goblin help?” Stotle asked. “We have a well deserved reputation for untrustworthiness going back thousands of years. Logically you should seek aid from anyone else before turning to us.”

“A goblin gave us accurate directions a month ago,” Isa said. “I think he did it to help our daughter more than us, but regardless of his reasoning, it was kind.”

“Goblins has been no worse to us than our own people,” Tristan continued. There was pain in his voice as he stared into the fire. “My father has tried to kill us, and I fear he hunts us even now. Other men have taken advantage of our suffering, charging us unfair prices for food, lodging and transit through their lands. I took a hundred gold imperials at the beginning of this journey and spent them all.”

“Tragic,” Stotle replied. He looked back at the house, now double its original size. “The morning may bring new insights, and if nothing else bring you closer to your goal. I hope it will prove equal to your dreams. Let us put out the fire and retire for the night.”

“If you wouldn’t mind leaving us the fire, we’ll stay here while you…wait.” Tristan stared at the enlarged house. “That building has grown! What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Stotle said. “You were just looking at it from the wrong side to see how big it is. Allow me to open the door, and let’s see, yes! There’s a crib inside, a bit simple, but large enough for your daughter. How thoughtful.”

“But I was looking at it from this side,” Tristan protested. He stared at the house and frowned. “Did something just move above the door?”

“Stop smiling,” Stotle whispered to the house. Louder, he said, “It’s dark and you’re tired. A night’s sleep will make everything better.”

There was a harsh noise from the forest, a gnashing, growling sound. The goblins backed closer together while Tristan and Isa stood up.

“What was that?” the shaggy goblin asked.

Stotle searched the dark forest, trying to find the source of the strange sound. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

“I have,” Tristan said. “Earlier this night, Isa and I heard it in the forest. It was farther away then. I approached your fire to avoid whatever that is, for it sounds dangerous.”

“Leave the fire burning and get in the house,” Stotle ordered. He rarely showed such determination and authority. The goblins obeyed, but they made sure Tristan and Isa went ahead of them.

There was a rustling noise in the forest, the only warning they had of the attack. The shaggy goblin was knocked over and two more goblins were driven to their knees. Something tried to grab Tristan, but he ducked and punched his attacker. A second attacker grabbed Stotle as it got between them and the open door, and in the light of the fire they saw what they faced.

Isa screamed. Goblins cried out in panic. The two vampires roared in delight at so much terrified prey. White skinned and wrinkled, the vampires wore tattered rags and had long, sharp fingernails. Their ears were long and wide, like a bat’s ears, and their red eyes matched the color of their gaping, toothy maws.

The roars stopped as the vampires got a good look at their victims. “Oh for the love of all that’s foul, it’s a bunch of goblins!”

The second vampire holding Stotle by the throat threw him aside. “Filthy vermin! Your blood’s a stew of toxins. We’d get sick even sipping from your veins, you gutter worms.”

“Being undesirable works in our favor for a change,” the shaggy goblin said.

“I smelled man blood!” bellowed the first vampire. Its eyes narrowed as it saw Tristan and Isa silhouetted by the fire. “Ah, there is a meal here.”

“Leave now and we won’t have a fight,” the short goblin said.

The vampires laughed. “You would threaten us? We are lords of the night, the stuff of nightmares made flesh, the ultimate predators! We take what we want, when we want! If you feel like dying, we can oblige you without feeding on your tainted blood, goblin filth.”

Stotle grabbed a burning log off the fire by an unlit end and swung it at the first vampire. He hit it on the foot, and the vampire bent down as he screamed. Stotle swung again and hit the vampire between the legs. As the vampire doubled over, the goblin struck him over the head. The second vampire charged into battle, but Stotle tripped him and set his clothes on fire.

“You see?” Stotle said. “This proves I don’t exist. There’s no way I should have gotten away with that.”

“Inside!” Tristan yelled. The humans and goblins ran into the rattletrap building while the vampires recovered. They’d taken blows that would leave a man moaning in agony, but their wounds healed in seconds. In moments they ran at the door so fast they might as well have been flying, but they were a split second too late. Bang! Tristan slammed the door shut and slid a bar over it.

“Vermin!” the first vampire yelled. “You think this hovel can hold us out?”

“Frankly, yes,” Stotle replied. He peered out a window too narrow for the vampires to reach through. “Vampires can’t enter a building without the owner’s permission.”

The vampires fumed as Tristan added, “None here are fool enough to grant you entry.”

The shaggy goblin grabbed a stick of firewood and broke it to form two pieces with sharp ends. “I’m not dumb enough, but I might be angry enough.”

“That same proscription against uninvited entry prevents you from forcing your way in regardless of how strong you are,” Stotle continued. “The situation is a stalemate. You have no choice but to leave.”

“Rodents don’t dictate terms to lions!” a vampire yelled.

The second vampire put a hand on the first’s shoulder. “Wait. Hear us, prey. Our dread lord Vacast, Lord of Vampires, sent us forth with a task. He seeks the Dawn Lantern, a great treasure not seen for many years. We have searched high and low, in places none but our kind can tread and live.”

“No luck, then?” the shaggy goblin asked.

“Would we be here wasting our time with you sub humans filth if we had succeeded?” the first one yelled. “Do you really expect goblins to know anything? They’re too dumb to know the color of the sky!”

The second vampire rolled its eyes. “Anger management classes just didn’t work with you. My point is, many seek this wonder and have failed. But men and elves can only go where their kind can survive. Goblins live where others can’t. You may have heard of our prize, maybe seen it. We can’t return to our master empty handed. Tell us where it is and we’ll leave you alive. Speak truthfully, for we can hear lies.”

“With those ears I bet you can hear winning lottery numbers on the other side of the planet,” the short goblin quipped.

“I doubt either of them know what color the sky is when they can’t stand the light of day,” Stotle added.

The vampires growled and bared their sharp, glistening fangs. “Speak or die.”

The shaggy goblin held up his hands to get the other’s attention. “Okay, everyone empty out your pockets and see if you got this doohickey.”

“That’s not what I meant!” the second vampire yelled as the occupants of the house duly turned out their pockets. This produced a mound of lint (which Stotle ate), a set of skeleton keys, a pewter spoon and a yak horn, but no Dawn Lantern.

“Has anyone heard of this whatchamacallit?” the short goblin asked.

All eyes turned to Stotle, who shrugged. “I know a ridiculous number of things, but nothing regarding magic lanterns.”

“I do,” Tristan answered. The vampires’ jaws dropped at the news. “It’s one of the fifty most powerful magic items on Other Place, a lantern made of obsidian and lapis, with a diamond at its core.”

The vampires pressed up against the bared door. “Where is it?”

Tristan shrugged. “As you said, it’s been lost for years, so long that all have forgotten who made it or what it can do. The last man to hold it died so long ago his name is forgotten. I only know of the Dawn Lantern from reading books on ancient history.”

“That’s useless!” the first vampire spat.

“What did you expect?” Tristan replied. “If I knew where to find it, I would had recovered it and been a man both rich and feared.”

Scowling, the second vampire pressed him, “Were there hints in your books? Did the authors give clues where it had been last seen?”

Tristan looked worried when he answered. “They listed a dozen kingdoms where he might have lived or passed through, and a hundred cities he visited.”

“If the Dawn Lantern was in any of those places, someone would have been found long ago,” Stotle pointed out.

“Then your books are useless, as are you,” the second vampire said.

Stotle stared them down. “Your prize is not here, and the door will not open before dawn. Leave and seek your lantern elsewhere.”

“We still hunger,” the first vampire growled. It smiled at them, a toothy grin, before saying, “We can’t force the door open, but I’m sure you’ll open it once we set your hovel on fire.”

“That is ethically and morally inexcusable,” Stotle said. “You’ve had our aid so far as we could give it, in spite of the fact that you attacked us. No system of beliefs supports your behavior. You do not have to do this. Regardless of your hunger, you are thinking beings capable of making choices.”

The vampires grinned at him. “Then we choose to see you die.”

Stotle frowned. “Model Zero Constructor, take the form of a man and embrace the vampires.”

The house shuddered as it folded forward over the vampires. Rocks, dirt and logs peeled away as Tristan and Isa screamed. The vampires screamed as well, for the front wall formed into two powerful arms that wrapped around them. In seconds the house was gone and the Model Zero Constructor stood, a golem made of bricks, lumber and iron standing ten feet tall and holding the vampires tightly. They tried to squirm free of its grip, and failed utterly.

“My God,” Isa said.

“Model Zero Constructor, form a house without doors or windows over the vampires,” Stotle ordered.

Timbers that made up the golem separated and scooped up the logs and rocks it had just discarded. The vampires struck the golem and tried to break free, but it was far too strong for them to hurt. It transformed the debris into a small building just big enough to contain the struggling vampires, imprisoning them both.

* * * * *

The goblins spent the night with Tristan, Isa and Mira around the fire. Morning came and the goblins tried to entertain Mira when she woke up. The baby was a good sport about their crude antics, even swatting them with her teddy bear. Tristan foraged for food, and turned up wild greens and a pair of trout. Noon came soon enough, and the goblins gathered around Model Zero.

“Our unwelcome guests made a poor choice last night,” Stotle began. “We must make a choice of our own.”

Tristan frowned. “Indeed. I doubt you intend to leave your golem here to hold them forever.”

“He is our friend, and goes where we go,” Stotle said. “We can’t hold the vampires until nightfall, for releasing them would put us in harm’s way again.”

A muffled voice called out from inside the stout building. “Set us free this night and we swear to leave you in peace.”

“Even if they keep that vow, letting them go means they would go on to feed on others,” Tristan pointed out.

“And we would be responsible for any harm they do,” Stotle added.

“Gold!” a vampire yelled. “We can bring you gold!”

“I’m not that desperate,” Tristan said.

Stotle shrugged. “I don’t want it in the first place. We cannot leave them here, nor can we take them with us and turn them over to the authorities. There is too great a chance they could free themselves if Model Zero tried walking such a great distance while holding them.”

Tristan was silent for a while as he studied the house. “A vampire lives in the city where I was born. He is a piteous thing, forever lamenting his lost humanity, feeding only on blood the butchers bring him, trying so desperately to still be a part of the world he once knew. I spoke with him and sensed a kinship, a person of kindness struggling daily against the curse he lives under.”

“Whereas these two embrace their new form and consider themselves superior to all,” Stotle commented. “It’s possible they might learn from this experience and become better for it, but taking such a risk means others could be put in great danger.”

“I fear we don’t have much of a choice,” Tristan said to Stotle.

“None at all.” Stotle looked up at the sun in the clear blue sky. “Model Zero Constructor, take the form of a man.”

Model Zero reassembled his component parts to become a towering golem again. As the roof of the house peeled off, the two lords of the night, the stuff of nightmares made flesh and ultimate predators screamed in terror.

“Verge, this is amazing!” Madam Ulest held up the necklace for the other guests to see. Braided gold chain wrapped around bloodstones, it was the most exquisite piece of jewelry she’d seen, even more beautiful that the many statues and paintings in Baron Verge’s grand ballroom. “How much did this cost you?”

Verge tipped his top hat to her. “Dear cousin, a gentleman never discusses price. Seeing you happy makes any cost pale in comparison.”

“I expected something when you promised a surprise for my birthday, but this is incredible.” Ulest put the necklace on and spun around.

“That’s your birthday present. The surprise is coming.” Verge clapped his hands, and servants brought in a magic mirror. He saw her joy diminish at the sight of the mirror, and he quickly went to her side. “I know you don’t care for Standish, but his assistance is essential. Please, gather around.”

Relatives, friends and neighbors pulled up their chairs around the mirror while Verge brought Ulest a seat. He tapped the mirror and smiled. “When I offered to host this celebration, I knew it had to be special. Now I’m sure you’re all familiar with Chast Firefeather.”

Ulest put a hand to her mouth. “That darling man! Handsome, strong, brave, clever, why, God was generous with him.”

A guest said, “A world class hunter of dark and fetid creatures. There’s someone you can count on to clean up the neighborhood.”

“You couldn’t say a word against him,” added another.

“Do you remember that ghoul outbreak four years ago?” Ulest asked in a hushed tone. “Firefeather dealt with them in two days.”

“He is exceptional at eliminating riffraff,” Verge said. There was a twinkle in his eyes when he continued. “What you may not know is that I hired him.”

“How did you manage that?” Ulest asked.

“I use trusted intermediaries.” Verge tapped the mirror again. “Firefeather excels at removing zombies, ghouls, walking skeletons, unintelligent pests that risk drawing attention our way. The truth is he’s been working for me, unofficially, for years.”

A guest shook Verge’s hand. “He’s on your payroll? Well done, old boy!”

“Well played!” said another guest.

Verge bent down next to Ulest. “And tonight he’s doing a special job for the lady of honor.”

Ulest gasped. “Wait, you mean…”

Verge caressed her face. “I hired a man who hired Firefeather to kill the barrow wights near your estate. He’s on the job as we speak, and Standish is going to show the hunt start to finish.”

“It will be a pleasure, sir,” the magic mirror said.

Ulest took Verge’s hand in hers. “Firefeather doesn’t work cheap.”

“Nothing is too good for your three hundredth birthday.”

The mirror was blank for a moment, its reflection showing the gorgeously decorated room. It didn’t show the guests with their pale skin and sharp teeth.

“Mirrors are cruel things,” Ulest said sadly.

Verge sat next to her as the mirror showed a man marching through an ancient graveyard. “Shh, it’s starting.

Brody woke up the next morning to more of the same. Frightened people left Sunset City while others remained because either they were too stubborn to leave or they had nowhere to go. Crowds of guardsmen and conscripted civilians searched for the Dawn Lantern. Some goblins helped them, but others had given up the hunt. Brody was shocked when he recognized one goblin walking away from the search teams.

“Little Old Dude, where are you going?” he asked.

The elderly goblin was leading his crowd of goblin students to the outskirts of the city. “No point looking anymore.”

“But we haven’t found the lantern!”

“Too many enemies will get here before we find it, if we ever do. It’s a better use of our time to get ready for them.” Little Old Dude leaned in close to Brody. “Watch your friend the hero. He’s starting to crack under the stress.”

“Too many people are asking too much from him. You know, it’s crazy, we might get killed for something that’s not here.”

Little Old Dude gave Brody a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I’ll keep in touch. Ibwibble, we’re setting traps!”

Ibwibble ran after Little Old Dude. “Finally!”

Despair hung over the city like a cloud. Brody saw a young human couple with a baby at the door to an apartment. The woman was seeing her husband off and said, “Be careful, my love.”

“I’ll return to you safely.” He kissed her and then the baby. “We’ll get through this and all other challenges, Isa.”

The man left and Brody was going to move on as well when he spotted goblins in an alley next to the apartment building. They were armed with clubs and lassos, and one wore a rug as a cape or cloak. There was also a tool shed in the alley, an odd place to have one. Brody frowned when the shed moved.

“Excuse me, but did that tool shed smile at me?” Brody asked the goblin mob.

The goblin wearing the rug smiled. “He’s very friendly.”

Goblins were good at dealing with nonsense, so Brody just shrugged and left. If that was the weirdest thing that happened today he’d count it as a win. He’d only gone a short distance when he saw a monk pulling a cart loaded with bee hives down the street. A goblin with lavender skin sat on top of the wagon.

“Mangus Quake, now that’s an easy name to spell,” the lavender goblin said as he scribbled onto a scrap of paper.

“He’s not an enemy to be taken lightly,” the monk replied.

“That’s why he’s on the list.”

Brody shook his head and went to the warehouse where Julius was directing the search. Once inside he found the situation had changed only a little. There were more guardsmen, and they were armed and armored for a fight. Archibald and Kadid Lan stood by the magic mirror, but like Little Old Dude they’d given up hope of finding the Dwan Lantern. Instead they used the mirror to study the edges of Oceanview Kingdom.

“We’ve spotted Lord Bryce and his men,” Kadid said. “He brought more of them than I’d thought.”

Brody studied the mirror and saw four wagons pulled by horses, with a dozen men in each wagon. An elegant carriage led them with Lord Bryce at the reins. “He came in person? That’s risky.”

“If he didn’t, his hired men might seize the Dawn lantern for themselves,” Archibald said. “Yips, stop drawing mustaches on the mirror.”

Yips giggled and made no attempt to erase the black mustache he’d drawn on Lord Bryce’s face. “How about a black eye and pimples?”

Kadid grabbed a rag and wiped the mirror clean. “He’ll be here by nightfall. We also saw four suspicious ships heading for Sunset City. They’re clustered together and not flying any kingdom’s flag.”

Archibald adjusted the mirror’s controls to zoom in. “Give me a moment to…it’s the Red Hand. They’ve loaded the ships with men.”
Julius walked up to the mirror. “Any sign of the vampires or the Inspired?”

“Not yet, but vampires and master wizards are fast,” Kadid said. “They could be a hundred miles away and reach us in hours.”

“Does anyone else want to get in on this?” Brody asked.

“We’re trying to prevent that,” Julius replied. “Are there armies or knights close enough to deal with them?”

Archibald continued adjusting the mirror. “None. King Baldos has moved most of his forces to the borders.”

“What for?” Brody asked.

Just then Officer Dalton entered the warehouse escorting Anton. Anton spotted Julius and yelled, “What did you do with Craig?”

“Who?” Yips asked.

“Just as well you don’t remember him,” Brody told him.

Julius stepped back from the mirror and addressed Anton. “Your friend is helping to avert a war. Last night we received word that three nearby kingdoms threatened to invade unless we hand over the Dawn Lantern. King Baldos went with his lawyer, a hundred knights and your fellow prisoner Craig to convince those kings that we don’t have it and never did.”

“How is Craig supposed to stop armies?” Anton demanded.

“By going under oath and testifying about the Truth Seekers, including how they were subverted,” Julius replied. He saw confused looks from both men and goblins, and explained, “Lawyers have powerful abilities, including placing a person under oath so they can only tell the truth.”

“That’s one less threat,” Kadid said.

“Not necessarily,” Archibald said. “The kings threatening to invade may not believe Baldos. There are ways to evade telling the truth even under oath by giving testimony that is both true and inaccurate.”

Officer Dalton frowned. “Huh?”

Brody snapped his fingers. “Wait, I think I get it. Baldos could say no man has found the Dawn Lantern, but a woman found it so it’s still kind of true.”

“No one would fall for that one anymore,” Archibald replied. “It’s an omission used far too often. But he could say none of his subjects found the Dawn Lantern, which could mean someone like myself who isn’t his subject did find it. He could also say the Dawn Lantern isn’t in Oceanview Kingdom while knowing its exact location outside his borders.”

“I feel queasy,” Office Dalton said.

Yips clutched the sides of his head. “Brain hurting, trying to escape through my ears!”

“Stop explaining the law to them,” Julius ordered. “Much more of that and we’ll all need therapy.”

Anton still wasn’t satisfied. “Why did you send him and not me? I’m the leader of the Truth Seekers. I’d be the better person to represent my group, and our failings.”

“You have a more important job,” Julius told him. “We received word that Gron and three Truth Seekers were captured and are on their way here. I need you to convince those three men that they’ve been used and need to cooperate with us. And you need to be present for Gron’s interrogation. You know him better than we do and can help spot his lies.”

Anton scowled. “Oh yes, I want to see him again.”

Hours dragged by without progress. Guardsmen fortified the city as best they could, but their numbers were low. Civilians with military experience were drafted into service. After that guardsmen gave spears and shields to any able bodied man they could find. They ran out of weapons long before running out of men. Messengers were sent to get help. The few who returned reported that knights and soldiers were on the border facing off against powerful armies that could attack at any second.

It was getting late when Habbly found Brody outside a stable and walked over. Habbly waved his mop at Julius, who was talking with two guardsmen, and asked, “Any good news?”

“Kadid got word through the magic mirror that King Baldos is talking with the other kings. We think he’s convinced them the Dawn Lantern was never here and they’re being played for fools. Hopefully tens of thousands of men aren’t going to attack.”

“Hurray,” Habbly said blandly. “Brody, exactly how crazy are we? On a one to ten scale.”

“Four. Four and three eighths tops. Why?”

“I figure we’re way higher than that. We should have both run away the second this started. Instead we keep getting dragged in deeper. Evil wizards, conspirators, foreign spies. It’s way too much for goblins to deal with.”

Brody shrugged. “Running away wouldn’t help. Things would have kept getting worse and worse until there was no way to avoid it. We did our part to keep this from getting bigger and hurting more people. I’ve got friends who would get hurt if I did nothing. I didn’t used to have friends. Kind of nice not being alone, even if it means you have to take risks for them.” Brody waved at the guardsmen still on the street. “They’re not my friends, but I’ve been around them long enough to know they’re good. I don’t want bad things to happen to them.”

Habbly gazed at the setting sun. “I’d like life to settle down, go back to the good old days when goblins were the ones causing problems. We caused little problems and nobody got hurt, just embarrassed and dirty. Soiled trousers at most. Those were happy times.”

“There were no good old days,” Archibald interrupted them as he walked out of the warehouse and stretched his arms. “It’s a sad fact I’ve learned that every time in history had its share of problems. Some years were worse than others, but there were always hardships to deal with.”

“You must be bored it you’re discussing philosophy with goblins,” Habbly said.

“Forgive my involving myself in your conversation,” Archibald replied. “It reminded me of talks I’ve had with my brother Archivists, and I couldn’t help but speak. I actually came here when my magic wards detecting help coming. Come, my friends, for luck finally favors us.”

Julius, Kadid, Officer Dalton and Anton left the warehouse to find Archibald pointing his staff into the sky at a white cloud heading straight for them. The magic cloud began a leisurely descent, revealing its crowd of passengers. Harry Silt was in front with his werewolf, currently a beautiful woman with long black hair and dressed in black satin. Behind them were burly men holding Truth Seeker prisoners bound hand and foot. Goblins clustered at the cloud’s edges and babbled incessantly.

Officer Dalton nodded at the woman. “There’s a reason to become an evil overlord.”

“Yep,” Kadid Lan replied.

“Gentlemen, please,” Archibald said.

Kadid Lan held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying.”

Julius walked in front of the group. “Say it somewhere else.”

The cloud landed in front of Julius, but it didn’t dissolve and no one stepped off it. The evil overlord nodded to the woman, who grabbed their prisoners and threw them at Julius’ feet. She said, “Four verminous liars, as you requested. I don’t know why you want this trash, but they’re yours.”

“We’re grateful for your help,” Julius replied. “Forgive me for asking, but there are powerful enemies on their way to Sunset City. Your help would go a long way to protecting innocent lives.”

Harry shook his head. “I don’t doubt your words, but I have my own problems and followers to defend. Whatever this is about, you’ll have to handle it without us.”

“Mr. Silt,” Archibald said tersely.

“I don’t ask you to understand why I did this, master, but believe me when I say good men are alive today because of the choices I made.” Harry nodded to Julius and then made the magic cloud rise above the rooftops and soar away.

One of the Truth Seekers managed to rise to his knees. He blinked and asked, “Anton?”

Anton walked by him. “I’ll explain later. Gron!”

The old man stayed on the ground, but he grinned as Anton approached. “Finally figured it out for yourself, or did someone have to draw you a picture?”

“It was a picture,” Brody said.

Yips smiled. “We drew it with crayons.”

Anton grabbed Gron and pulled him up until the old man was sitting. “You destroyed everything I tried to accomplish! I wanted to save the world!”

Gron looked amused. “What are you complaining for? I saved your life.”

“You ruined me!” Anton screamed.

“Can’t tell when a man is being honest with you? It’s true. Duke Thornwood heard of your stupid papers and ordered me to kill you before you spread secrets about the Land of the Nine Dukes. I convinced him to spare you and your idiot followers. Told him you could be useful. Heh, useful idiots. Every kingdom is filled with them.”

Julius stepped between the two men. “You spread distrust among kingdoms and cities around the Land of the Nine Dukes, hoping to pit neighbor against neighbor so no one could take advantage of your master’s weakness. You’d spawn conflicts, possibly wars, giving your master time to recover from the damages done by the Fallen King without fear of attack.”

“And it worked perfectly.” Gron laughed at Anton. “I had your measure the moment I saw you. Smart, angry, inexperienced, and best of all arrogant. You’d save the world? Overturn every corrupt and evil leader, because only you knew the truth, only you knew what was right. I thought it would be hard to trick you, but I barely did anything. You were out of money? I told you who we could rob and said they were bad men. Why bother checking if I was right? No, just steal all the gold you could carry.”

Gron nodded at Julius. “This self righteous nitwit saved entire kingdoms. I thought you’d never turn on him, but I didn’t have to say a word before you told everyone where he was going and what he was doing. Did the Red Hand thank you? Nearly got a hero killed, and you didn’t bat an eye. Why would you when you were the champion of the truth.”

Red faced, Anton screamed, “You told lies in my name!”

“Hundreds of them,” Gron said cheerfully. “I told people what they already wanted to hear, the same as I did with you. I knew who they hated and gave them more reasons to hate. I knew who they envied and told them their enemies had treasures ripe for the taking. And then you told everyone the Archivists were looking for the Dawn Lantern.”

Gron’s eyes narrowed, and his leering smile showed dirty teeth. “It was brilliant, boy. I would have never thought of it. Well done! You riled up the most dangerous men in a thousand miles, exciting their greed and ambition, but why stop there? I took it a step further and told them exactly where to find the lantern, unclaimed and ready for anyone to grab it and become all powerful. I showed them no evidence or witnesses, and it didn’t matter. It worked better than I could have ever hoped. The Inspired even believed me and they’re supposed to be geniuses. Then again, you’re supposed to be pretty bright, too.”

Anton tried to punch Gron, but Julius held him back. Gron laughed and continued ranting. “There’s no man so blind as one on a mission, willing to sacrifice everything to reach a distant goal. That beautiful vision of the future always just out of reach justifies doing anything to everyone. Steal gold. Ruin families. Destroy businesses. Get people killed. Start invasions. Be honest with me, boy, as a truth teller to a liar. You see the panic and horror around you, a city on the verge of attacks or even invasion. If you really thought the Dawn Lantern was hidden here, would you still tell the world? I think you would, and you’d sleep like a baby afterwards, because you’d told the truth.”

Anton screamed and lunged at Gron. Julius pulled them apart while Gron laughed. Julius ordered, “Officer Dalton, get the prisoners inside. Kadid, use the magic mirror to tell King Baldos that we’ve got the man behind this lie. Once all the kings know Duke Warwick is responsible for this they’ll stop threatening one another and turn their attention to the Land of the Nine Dukes.”

“Did you hear that, Gron?” Antoin yelled. “Your plan backfired! The people you wanted to fight each other are going to come after your master. You didn’t save him, you doomed him!”

Gron kept smiling. “King Baldos isn’t going to attack anyone after this is over. Anton, did you know your loyal idiots kept sending me reports after you were captured? Honest reports. I know who’s coming, and this is going to be brutal.”

Julius grabbed Gron by his heels and dragged him into the warehouse. “We need to warn our enemies, too. They might turn back once they know they’re being used. Archibald, is there a way to contact Magnus Quake and the rest of the Inspired?”

“They wouldn’t believe me,” Archibald warned as he followed Julius. He was going to say more when glowing bells appeared around his head. “My wards have been triggered! We are in danger!”

“Secure the prisoners and warn King Baldos,” Julius ordered as he entered the warehouse. Kadid ran by him and headed for the magic mirror. The young wizard was ten feet from the mirror when it flashed and exploded. Julius dropped Gron and ran over to help Kadid up. “Are you hurt?”

Kadid coughed and rubbed his right arm. “Just bruised. I was far enough back when it blew up”

Brody tugged on Archibald’s robes. “You said our mirror would explode if the Inspired tried to interfere with it.”

“I did.” Archibald marched outside. The others followed him and gazed out at the night sky. The sun had just set, leaving them barely enough light to see a stone pillar thirty feet high circled by two more pillars twenty feet high, all three flying high in the air and approaching Sunset City. Surrounding those were dozens of boulders between twenty and thirty feet across.

“What’s that?” Yips asked.

“Magnus Quake, who has prepared heavily for this battle,” Archibald replied.

“I meant the other that.” Yips pointed in the opposite direction where strange winged creatures as big as men flew toward Sunset City.

Archibald cast a spell and formed strange glowing letters in the air. He grimaced and with a wave of his hands dispelled the words. “Allow me the dubious honor of introducing Vampire Lord Vacast and his followers. The Dawn Lantern is said to grant them the power to walk in daylight, a boon they desperately desire. Clearly they have come to claim it.”

Warning bells rang near the docks, drawing everyone’s attention to four merchant ships approaching Sunset City to release their repulsive crew. The Red Hand had come, and their men numbered in the hundreds. Lord Bryce’s arrival almost went unnoticed as he entered the outskirts of Sunset city with a far smaller force, but one wearing plate armor and wielding spears and swords.

Citizens cried out in terror. Guardsmen ran by to face the threats. Draft animals brayed and bellowed. And over it all was the hideous sound of Gron laughing.