Riding the unicorn felt the closest to flying again. His hoofbeats skimmed the earth without a jolt, his mane rippling in the cutting breeze. The trees and fields whirred past me in a blur, forcing me to focus my sight on the road ahead and the unicorn's gleaming horn. I held on tightly to the reins, my rear end lifted off his back as I kept myself in place pressing my feet against his billowing sides. The unicorn needed no guiding, he knew the way as well as I did
The unicorn galloped tirelessly along the road, sparks flashing from his hooves and tail stretched out for balance. When the village lanterns flickered on the horizon, he surged forward, flaring his nostrils with an intense bellow. My staff glowed brighter as we grew closer to the village. "Night creatures!" I bared my teeth. Here we go!
Danesti was protected by a scant wooden gate now burst open by a pack of crabmen. Two breached the gates and advanced on the villagers bravely standing their ground wielding swords and pitchforks. Let's hope they don't turn those on me after I've dealt with these walking dinner platters.
Well aimed blasts from my staff immolated the crabmen outside the wall and I sliced them clean through when I charged through the gate, standing between the persecuted villagers and the hissing night creatures. The unicorn reared in a shrilling neigh and struck his hooves, his horn shining beneath the emerging moonlight. The beasts lunged forward with snapping claws. "Hyahh!" I slashed a light beam from my staff bisecting the creatures down the middle in a gory splatter.
More crabmen appeared and I flexed my arm, glyphs gleaming beneath my sleeves summoning a line of holy flame through the attackers, controlled by my mind. As the demons screamed being cooked alive I blasted them to giblets with well aimed shots and sliced the necks up close and personal of those too stubborn to die. My loyal steed took the enthusiastic chance of trampling those still clinging to life.
Once the creatures' screamed ebbed into silence, I burned their corpses with holy flame, ensuring their poisoned husks wouldn't harm anyone in death. I steered the unicorn towards the villagers standing tense with their weapons at ready. Please don't let this be a repeat. Ignoring the instinct to stay in saddle, I lightly tapped the unicorn's legs, asking him lower his knees. "Is everyone all right!?" I dismounted.
The villagers remained silent, gazing on me in a mixture of fear and relief. One in particular, a dark skinned woman with black hair, stepped forward. I gripped my staff seeing the hammer latched to her belt. This woman's a warrior, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on if she thinks I'm an enemy or not. Gotta put my best foot forward.
"We are now, thanks to you." The woman responded. "Welcome to Danesti. I'm Greta, the village headwoman." I introduced myself with a respectful bow. "Arcane Magician at your service. How's everyone holding up?"
" Barely by a thread." Greta answered, looking past the unicorn trying to spot something unseen. "Did Marius...?"
I gripped my staff in guilt. "Was that your rider?" I lowered my head. "I'm sorry. He was attacked on route and suffered mortal wounds. I found him in the woods bleeding out on his horse but I was too late, he died in my arms." I took the message from my cloak's pocket and handed it to her. "Not before giving me this. I came as fast as I could."
"I see." Greta pocketed the message with a mournful look.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save him." I told her in regret. "The only thing I could do was be with him."
"He wasn't alone and that's more than enough." Greta responded. "He's not the only one we lost, but he was the last of his family which is why he risked the journey." I felt a pang in my heart, I knew what that was like.
"Still I had hoped..."Greta murmured dourly. "But that's what hoping gets you I suppose."
"He didn't die in vain, he got the distress message to me and I've answered it." I stood tall and confident. "I've come to help you."
"Is that so?" Greta inquired. "You're not the one I sent for."
"I know." I tipped my staff. "But I am the next best thing, and that's better than nothing. Give me a chance and I'll be as good as a protector as Alucard."
A fearful murmur rippled among the villagers, muttering of vampires, castles, and a mysterious mage . Greta ordered everyone to get some rest for the night, leaving the two of us alone.
"So it is true." The head woman's eyes bore into me. "You are in league with a vampire."
"That's a dramatic way of putting it, but yes." I responded, feeling tense. "He took me in and helped me find my place. I wouldn't be where I am without him." I couldn't shake off her eyes. "We've a good relationship him and I, but don't worry. Alucard might seem like the dark and gloomy sort, but he's a good man. He'd never hurt innocent people."
"I find that hard to believe from someone with bodies staked around their castle, but I'll take your word for it." She scanned me from head to toe. "Why are you here?"
"Like I said before , I've come to help-."
"Why are you here?" Greta repeated. "I need you to understand, I don't know you. I sent for Alucard's help and you come in his stead. You, an Arcane Magician with a glowing staff and a moonlit cloak who creeps around the forest chanting wards and drawing out the spirits of the ancient woods. You're no phantom but you're just as enigmatic. You're obviously consort to a vampire and keep company with him. You seem half crazy, and I don't need to mention the mythical horned beast that's your mount."
She lowered her hackles, giving me a sincere gaze. "Yet, you're the only hope we have, and you've already proven yourself a formidable protector."
"Thank you." I bowed. "I promise I won't let you down. What you saw back there was only a fraction of what I can do. Trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet."
"I'm not interested in magic tricks and one fight." Greta replied curtly. " I don't need to be impressed by low-key swagger. These people are under my care and I need you to commit to defending them. Because my life isn't worth living I can't save theirs."
" I get it. You done?"
"Did it work?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm all done." She smirked. "Thank you, and that was one hell of an entrance."
"Yes indeed so." A voice complimented from the latrine hut." You really are. A very impressive young woman, to tame the wild unicorn and ride it into battle. Only the purest of heart can accomplish such an impossible feat." The unicorn pulled his ears back at the eccentric man emerging from the outhouse dressed in lavish red shirt, trousers, and gold neck frills carrying an air of high swagger. Who the hell is this guy? A court noble? He looked out of place in the haunted backcountry of Wallachia as polar bear in the Sahara.
"Oh, God. This one." Greta shrugged irritated.
"You do not appear to be Adrian Tepes." The man approached in that high swagger of his.
"Perhaps you are the fabled phantom mage these superstitious folk whisper about? "
"No." I snipped, already getting a bad vibe off of him. "Name's (Y/N) and I'm no phantom. I've come to help these people."
"Ah I see. A savior magician. Stunning performance of the arcane arts I might add, you must have trained for a long time for such mastery." He bowed to me as if I were a duchess of a grand court he should have been in. "Do allow me to present myself, my lady. I am the Count Saint Germain, scholar in residence to many of the great courts of Europe."
"What's a great scholar doing cowering in a latrine hut in Wallachia?" I asked suspiciously.
"Oh." He laughed, put off guard . "Is this a latrine? I just-- I just thought someone had gotten very scared. I'm traveling, ma'am. Interesting times in Wallachia. I felt that a man of letters should bear witness."
"Right." I crossed my arms. "And are you enjoying your field trip so far?
"Um... it has been, um..." The eccentric man sighed. "Enlightening. I certainly didn't expect to be in the presence of an angel."
I gripped my staff tight, suppressing the the glyphs prickling under my clothes. I knew he didn't remark that as a metaphor . "Enough with the flattery." Greta snapped. "She's had a long enough day without you trying woo her."
"Me, court a divine being such as herself? My heart already belongs to another, one whom I'm searching for this very moment." He gave me the look of an opportunistic jackal. "Perhaps you could help me, my dear."
"I'm here to help the villagers." I said curtly, turning to Greta. "Just tell me what I need to do and I'll help you."
"I believe we are fine for the night, thank you." Greta said. "Get some rest, you've had a long journey. There's a house next to mine that's no longer in use."
"Thank you Greta." I dipped my head.
The unicorn snorted perking his ears toward the open gate. I clutched my staff, my own hearing focused. "You hear that?"
"I hear nothing." Said San Germaine.
"Me neither." Replied Greta.
"Something's coming." I peered into the woods beyond the gate. "Not night creatures, else my staff would be glowing. Something else. I hear.....footsteps." My heart lifted when a shape of a man appeared in from the woods. Alucard?
Hope crashed when the moonlight revealed him to be just a tall human, a band of weathered people walked alongside him. "Refugees." I breathed. Greta immediately went to them, her voice comforting as she spoke to a elderly woman. More people to protect, but I can do it. The angel of Death herself has faith in me, if that's not encouragement enough... I curled my hand at my side. I wish you were here.
"She's very good isn't she?" Saint Germain observed. "It's a shame." "What's a shame?" I asked. "Well, such a talent with the common people, but it's wasted out here don't you think?"
"No, not at all. She's right where she's supposed to be." I looked on at Greta speaking with the refugees. "And so am I."
"Yes, of course." Saint Germain flattered. "These people are fortunate to be guided by such a strong leader, and now a guardian Mal'ahk ." I clenched my staff darting a glare at him.
"My dear, do not be surprised. A blind man could tell what you are. How lucky we are to have been graced by such a divine presence. I am curious on why you're here on this earthly plain, but as the religious say, never question a miracle." He gave me an alluring smile that made me want to deck him in the face. "I'll keep mum, your grace. Your secret's safe with me, and I doubt any of these mud-ridden commoners could sense your true nature."
"You just said a blind man could tell what I am." I said sharply.
"A blind man with the sense of an alchemist." Saint Germain laughed. "I'm an alchemist you see, I'm naturally in tuned to the magic of the world."
"I see." I nodded, alarms going off in my brain. The angel in my dream warned me not to trust the alchemist. Could this be him? "You better keep mum. If anyone's going to tell them, it's me. And I will tell them, when the time is right."
"Rightly so." Saint Germain clapped his hands together.
Greta returned with the group of refugees. "They're from Lassa, a village about ten miles away." Greta explained. "They've been walking for hours."
"Night creatures attacked them too?" I asked worried.
"Their village was put to the torch." Greta added dourly. "They say they're not the only ones. This group includes refugees from five other villages in the region. They've lost many people to vampire and night creature feedings."
Now I truly understood how sheltered I was, and how much I took for granted. It's been so bad outside the safety net of my home. Far worse than I thought. Alucard had every right to worry and take such measures to protect us. My head lowered in guilt, I wish I didn't take lightly his cautions. I should have appreciated it more.
Yet, that wouldn't have changed my decision to leave.
"Will they be safe here?" I asked.
"Nobody is safe with vampires and night creatures on the rampage." Greta shook her head. "But they will be protected." An idea flickered in my head. "Greta, if you allow me, I can set a barrier ward around the village. It won't stop nasties from breaking through if they're desperate enough, but it will repel them strongly like an electric fence."
"I don't know what an electric fence is." Greta replied. "But I trust your judgment, do what you must."
"Thank you." I nodded and set to it. I walked around the perimeter of the small village, tracing my staff into the earth creating a large circle with the eye of protection along the curves. Magic coursed from the earth into my glyphs as I chanted the spell. I could've done the glyphs protecting the castle but the reservoir of magic is nowhere as large here as it is home. I'd wear myself thin trying to draw the same amount of power from my own source, and I needed my strength.
"This will have to do." I crossed my arms nodding in approval. "It's something and it should provide a good barrier against the night beasts." I returned to Greta. "The ward is set." I confirmed. "All you have to do make sure nobody steps on the circle or the eyes, which I made sure to be visible because they're glowing."
Greta thanked me.
"Yes. Well done young mage!" Saint Germain applauded. "We shan't worry with you guarding us."
A shocked cry erupted from one of the refugees. He hadn't seen me because he was in the cart, but when the disheveled boy hopped out with a bandaged arm, his eyes caught me. "I know her!" The boy pointed at me. "That's the mage who saved us!"
"She's here, oh God be praised we are safe!" Exclaimed the old bonnet woman. A excited murmur rippled through the crowd of refugees. I recognized three woman and one young teen from the caravan of the oak tree. Just them, are they all that's left?
"You truly are a protector." Saint Germain flattered.
"Indeed." Greta remarked crossing her arms. "You weren't the one I wanted, but you just might be the one I need. See to it that you live up to your reputation, Arcane Mage, for all of our sake."