Buried in the heart of an old village is the inn where Lord Richard and the Demon King agreed to meet. The inn had been the most appropriate place to have their discussion, away from prying eyes. They had secured the most secluded space available.
Lord Richard had insisted on the place because of its lively atmosphere, filled with the sound of merry laughter, clinking tankards and the bubbly tune from the local minstrel, it will make listening in to their conversation by unwanted ears quite difficult.
The wooden floor creaked as Nickolai, accompanied by Henry entered the inn in the middle of the boisterous activities, thrived as a spirited gathering place for villagers and travelers. They had both taken the measure to blend in as travellers. Nickolai darted his eyes around in search of the two conspirators.
"Are you sure they are here?"
"Aye. One of our men saw them go in"
The loud noise coming from all angles made it impossible for him to listen for the familiar voice of his brother or his heartbeat.
His eyes finally settled on the curious pair of eyes which had been discreetly following him ever since they stepped in.
Striding towards the counter, he leaned against it as he faced the innkeeper, "care to ask the question you've been dying to know?" Nickolai raised his brows, " because I can't help but feel your eyes trailing me"
The innkeeper shrugged, "nah" waving him off, "I'm just trying to catch your eyes so I can ask if you were staying or would like a drink"
Nickolai didn't need to use his ability to know he was lying, to test his words, he pulled his cloak halfway back to allow the old man see him clearly. Not surprised when his eyes widened which meant he must have come across someone with the same face.
The man cleared his throat, busying his hands with filling more ale into the tankards. Without wasting time, he asked him, "where is the person with a similar face as mine and his companion staying?"
"I dddont know what you're talking about" stammering, the man replied. He had been compensated with a large amount of money to keep his mouth shut, he turned to escape the scrutinising eyes of his questioner and his partner.
He gasped when he suddenly found himself, upside-down outside the inn.
Dangling the innkeeper on one hand, Nickolai asked again, "where are they?"
The innkeeper regretted receiving money from the men, he had known they were trouble when they paid a month's worth of money just for some hours in the most secluded room in the inn.
He had guessed they weren't human, when they came in, the more reason he ought to have been cautious about dealing with them. But when his eyes landed on the money, he had thrown his sense out the window. He swore to never have any dealings with other creatures again as soon as he rid himself of his current misfortune...like he would be given a choice to decline their offer.
The quick shake of his body as blood rushed through his head reminded him about the trouble at hand.
"I'll tell, please let me up" he cried.
Feeling the sharp breeze on his face, he found himself back behind the counter, his eyes went wild, the only evidence to show that he had been outside some seconds ago was the snorts trickling down his nose and the slight pain he felt in his ankle where the man had gripped him.
"Now. Where were we?" Nickolai leaned against the counter again.
The innkeeper described the location where they would find them, deciding it was best to tell them than to show them. Humans has less chance of escaping unscathed when caught in the middle of a brawl between other creatures.
By the time Nickolai and his men could get to where he described, they found it empty. Seeing the slightly opened window which led to the back door of the inn, he balled his fist in anger.
The innkeeper swore again when he found himself back at the position he was before; upside-down outside the inn. Determined to sell up his inn after this incident and venture into business that requires seeing less vampires as possible, he swung his arms helplessly as he begged for his life, feeling a tighter grip around his ankle which might stop the flow of blood soon.
"I swear, that was the place I rented to them."
"They're gone" Nickolai snapped "now, I want you to think carefully, did you hear them mention anything. Anything at all"
"I can't think while my brain is in this position. I might pass out any moment if you don't put me down. Please! I can almost feel my brain leaking through my nose, please" He begged, hoping he'll listen.
"Now, start talking" Nickolai dropped him unceremoniously on the ground.
"Thank you" he kept chanting as he dusted his clothes. Seeing the other man who had been beside his torturer approached, he quickly straightened and cleared his throat, "I'm not sure but I think I heard one of them mentioned luring his sister to the woods" he rubbed his neck as he tried to recall what else he could have heard, "when I went to offer them something to drink-" leaving out the real reason he had gone was to observe what they were up to, "I also heard something about incriminating someone about a tainted witch. I only heard it because it was a thin wall, I couldn't hear more as soon as I neared the passage"
Nickolai's furrowed his brows, trying to align the piece of information, "was the person you heard it from the same person who looks like me?"
The innkeeper nodded several times. In an instant, Nickolai pieced the information together as he finally found how Richard was trying to usurp him.
"Henry, we need to go to the Argonark woods now" he instructed as he moved to instruct the rest of his men to keep an eye on the innkeeper.
"I think I know what Richard is up to. I need to find Aliona right this moment!" He barked. Without wasting time, both men disappeared, leaving behind the others to protect the innkeeper for what was to come.
*********
The sun rays had now totally been replaced by moonlight which shone on the trail as Aliona threaded on. Thankful that a vampire's eyes can adjust to darkness. Considering the little amount of moonlight on the path, she keep walking as she was on the lookout for what Mimulke could've possibly warned her against.
Just some minutes down the path, her eyes zeroed in on a figure at a distance lying on the ground. As she walked closer, she remembered Mimulke's warning not to react to whatever she sees. The figure seemed to be alive by the movement it made and the two heartbeats she heard, she heard the soft whimper of agony the figure made.
Filled with horror when she finally saw the figure to be a woman in the process of bearing a child. The strange woman held on tightly to her cloth as each breath echoed her pain. Their eyes met and the woman's eyes filled with hope. Perhaps, glad to have found someone to help her. Aliona read her lips as the voiceless help me came out from her.
Do not react! Mimulke's voice echoed.
As she heard the woman groaned in another wave of pain, lying in her own pool of blood, her face contorted with the intensity of childbirth and sorrow, seeing Aliona passed by her.
Shaken, Ali dragged her feet after her; they seemed to have a mind of their own because she was having a hard time controlling them to keep moving forward. She heard the pure agony in the woman's voice as she screamed loudly. Tears streamed down her cheek as she moved along, seconds later, the two heartbeats reduced to one, before she could glance to know whose heart had stopped, she heard a loud cry of a baby.
Aliona tightened her hand around the bottle, willing her body to keep walking, she didn't know how long she had walked until she felt being swung around.
Drained of emotion, she looked up in daze as she saw the familiar face of her husband.
She burst into tears again as she held him in a tight embrace. Nickolai held her at arm's length to check if any injury or misfortune had befallen her.
He wanted to ask the obvious question but decided against it, that was not the right place anyway. After making sure she was safe, he looked as her hand,"where did you see this?" Peeling the bottle from her, he asked with dread, "have you used it?" Guessing the content to be a potion, obviously concocted by a tainted witch.
The moment Aliona shook her head, he swung it over his head and threw it far away.
As he was about to carry her, Ali pulled at his cloth, pointing towards the path she came from, "there's a woman who needs our help"
Nickolai tried to get more information about the unknown woman from her but couldn't. As Henry came about, relieved to see Aliona safe and sound with Nickolai.
"There's a woman I want you to look for. Check and see what you can do to help and let me know as soon as you're done" Nickolai instructed.
Immediately Henry disappeared, he carried Aliona who had started crying again in his arms, "I would suggest you stop crying soon because you have a lot of explanation to do" he snapped as he sprinted with her in his arms and headed for home.