Library: In Rivers of Blood

"And it used to be for a while, that the river flowed right to my door, making me, just a little too free. But now that river doesn't seem to stop here anymore." I was in pain. The creature had come out of nowhere, it's dark eyes glinting with hatred and, something more. There was what seemed a living evil within those black glittering eyes, and when it spoke, that evil came forth. Loniad had always protected me from creatures such as these. A Giant, he was my closest friend, and my constant companion. While Loniad would occupy monstrous creatures in combat, I would hurl my, somewhat pathetic magic at them. Occasionally, I would even strike Loniad. He was very kind, and never complained about my fumbles. This time We had been walking towards Raven. Loniad had told me that Barbarians were attacking the city and, we thought perhaps there would be some work for us. We had just passed the outer parks when a thief came out of the bushes and attacked us. Loniad had his weapon out in a flash and with a few well placed strikes, the thief died. It was only when Loniad turned around to make sure I was alright that I saw the wound, already puffing up and discoloring from the poison. Loniad began to pale and convulsions, small at first, started to rack his body. The very first spell I had learned was The Valkyrie's Sleep, and it was needed now. I called forth a denizen from the shadow realm and bade him take Loniad away to a place where he could rest and fight the poison from his system. Loniad had wanted to stay, but I insisted. What good would a dead Giant be to me? With that, he was gone. I had never before been alone in this area, and I was somewhat nervous. Still, a war appeared to be going on in Raven and I might still be needed. The main gates seemed heavily sieged and so I skirted them and went to the west entrance. That is when the creature appeared. Thinking back, it must have been undead. Nothing else could have lay so still in that black pool of stagnant water, waiting for a living creature to come along. Especially a lone Human woman only partially trained in the arcane arts. I stood transfixed as it rose from the dark water and then, while I was caught gazing in its horrific eyes, its voice uttered words of pure evil. I was cursed! I couldn't think. I knew that it was clawing my body and that I was bleeding. I knew that I was going to die if I didn't run, but my mind had been enfeebled and so, with barely any life left in me, I ran. It wasn't enough that I run past the parks, my horror kept my feet moving until I was deep into a forest. My only thought, get back to the city, where there was safety. I continued to look behind me as I ran and so, wasn't aware that I had taken the wrong path and run to close to the River. One moment, my feet where carrying me over solid ground, the next, I was midair and plunging down into icy cold waters. I came up once, gasping for air, then sank down again. Water filled my lungs and soon, I forgot about my painful wounds. My mind came to rest and as my body was dragged down into the cold depths, my soul slipped free and . . . I died. In the darkness, a voice came to me. I was lost, in the dark and the cold and this voice seemed so warm and kind. I had never felt so alone. "You have a hard time of it, you Humans" the voice said to me. "What are you?" I asked, though I suspected it must be a Thrikhren. Oh how I hated that race. Loniad never once said anything to me about how long it took me to regain my energies or how often I would fail the simplest of spells, but I could see it in his eyes. His admiration of any Thrikhren that we brought along with us. Those insect like mages were twice as capable as I was and I am ashamed to say, I was jealous. "I am actually not one specific thing," the voice said, which puzzled me, even in this state of consciousness. "I'm dead, aren't I?" I didn't really want to know because, though I knew there were powerful magics that could raise a body from death, I had never died before and I looked at it as failure. My father would expect just that from me. Failure. "You are not yet beyond the reach of life, my child, but there is something I would offer you." the way he said it, I was becoming nervous. I assumed he offered life, and so I replied, "Yes! Please save me." "I offer you more than life, and in some ways, I actually offer you death" the voice answered. I was in no condition for word games and so said "Listen, I will beg for life if that is what you are waiting for, and I will pay you if that is what you need, but please don't continue to play games with me." "It is that very spirit that has drawn me to you, my dear" the voice whispered, "let me come right to the point, I am a vampire, and I offer you eternity." I was all but dead in a river, cursed, wounded, alone, and the yet the fact that I was talking to a vampire caused me panic. "I could never, would never!" I stammered. "You wish to master the arts of magic, do you not?" the voice asked. "You hate that you can not survive in this world without some creature or another protecting you." it said. "I offer you power" his voice was persuasive, "eternity to study the ways of magic, strength to fight those who would harm you, and skill that would make Thrikhren feel insecure." "Or, you can die and be brought back by some Priest or Healer, sent back out into a world that makes jokes about you" it said, "and wait for Loniad to return so you can venture forth in safety again." My mind was numb and the picture it had painted was so vivid, so cruel . . . "I accept".

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Library: In Rivers of Blood