Horror Adventure The Vampiress and the Magi Archivist

[PlagueDoctor]

A lone figure walked though a valley that swept up to jagged ridges on either side, the fields to the south were home to farmers who had been complaining about cattle mutilations for almost two decades. No this man was here to see if he could find the truth hidden in what was now a thoroughly woven tapestry of rumors and old superstitions.
His name was Banafrit Erebus, most people called him Ben for short,and he was an Investigative Archivist for the Magi Council. They'd given him a long leash in the hopes that he would hang himself- so far he had been successful in avoiding their ire. Stopping by the side of the lazy river that had carved its way to survey the valley. He saw what he was looking for. He was close now.
This mission was to find the resting place of a Magi who had turned against the Council, he'd been assassinated but his work was unrecovered. Running his fingers through his short, blonde hair he took a drink from his canteen before refilling it from the river, the magics within the canteen purified the water as it hung on his belt.
Ben estimated he'd make it to the entrance of the cave just before dark, that was acceptable.
The trek was easy enough until he had to climb to the crumbling entrance, if he had to guess he'd say that the assassins destroyed the path and hill in front of the cave to hide what it used to be. Stepping inside he saw the carved stone of a doorway, the shattered remnants of said door layer further inside. Using a flashlight he studied every inch as he made his way further inside.
"The Council is going to be so pissed off that I found you." He said quietly to himself, patiently weaving magics into his eyes to give himself an advantage in seeing traps before they had been sprung.

 

[SillySpyder]

The Faversham Pass was often overlooked by the locals and unlucky travelers. Its bending river were the only source of direction within the whole valley that had been carved thousands of years ago by glaciers that no longer existed. It was a visual scar in the earth from above, if one managed to fly over top. A mark within the soil that only meant to be travelled on. It wasn't a destination. It was merely a journey for those travelling to the nearest town for supplies or company, albeit the travel was anything but short. Could you make it from one side of the pass to town in under a day? Yes. You could. Though the valley was lush and green with the vibrance of spring, there were no trees to shelter you. What nature you spied were the lush greenery that sprouted here and the tracks of wild animals. Marmots were popular here. They stared at you wherever you went. No fear. None. It was if they had been expecting you.

Deer came here more often than their natural predators. To drink the water and to eat grass along the shoreline. There was not a soul. No company. Alone. Ben would be alone for his entire travel and that was more likely a good thing for him. An old monastery laid abandoned. The monks were gone, disappeared to the new one built years ago. The only inhabitants were what vermin and avian creatures that found their way inside, however most of the inhabitants were rats.

Almost as soon as he entered, their squeaks sounded as they scurried away from the shine of his flashlight into what cracks had been formed in the walls and passages. However, the rats weren't the only inhabitants. From a room near the back of the building, something stirred. Something on two legs and barefoot. Thessalia Godfrey had once been a Magi in training under the Council who had disappeared with the traitorous Magi, Viktor Phimaris. However, upon being found, he had been executed for his crimes. However, his research and supplies had never been found.

Instead, he had been told off to the current Council members as someone to be forgotten about. However, Thessalia would remember him. Turned into a vampire by the late Viktor, she had been forced to learn about her new self all alone in this crumpling building. However, she wasn't alone now. Scampering to the darkness room in the back of the building, the old chapel, she hid herself behind the old organ, holding onto a broken bottle. Her only protection.

She sensed it. Magic in the air. Faint, but undeniable. Great, she was up against a magic-user.

 

[PlagueDoctor]

The scattered sounds of rats squeaking running deeper into into the structure, he proceeded with caution, studying the architecture. This led him to the realization that this was an ancient cathedral or something very similar. Interesting, the pholios that mentioned Viktor's laboratory only mentioned the cave entrance sparingly and left most everything else up to the readers imagination. They'd been edited and it wasn't subtle in most cases.
Ben used small magics to enhance his flashlight as he kept going deeper, he made note of the one direction the rats did not go. Ben explored the structure slowly and methodically, there were no books as everything had been either confiscated or burned.
"This place is huge... what is that?" Ben knelt down to examine the rusted end of several bolts sticking out of the stone brick in one of the more bare rooms. "They removed equipment of some kind. Uncharacteristic of assassins." Either this wasn't just assassins or a second group was sent in. That raised concerning questions. Pondering this he stepped into another room to find a large burn mark on the floor, the flame had been incredibly hot. Did they cremate his body? That put a few rather disturbing possibilities on the list for why they'd sentenced him to death.
They had torched his body and taken almost everything from his castle, which was notable underground. At least a large portion of it was. This did not bode well. While he paced in the hallway something caught his eye- a small cross carved over the door frame at the very edge of the hall.
"I thought they said he hated religions, maybe it came with the property." Ben chuckled at the thought of a realtor showing off this property. He had a few rooms to go through before that one but he had a strange feeling that what he was looking for was in that chapel.

 

[SillySpyder]

With what Thessalia knew about the building, she knew that whoever was in here was approaching as she heard the voice coming closer. A male's voice. She clenched her fist more tightly around the bottle. The only way in and out of his building was the front entrance out into the open valley, and that way was blocked. She waited until the voice paused and then stood up, standing taller than the organ which was moments away from collapsing to the floor. "State your business, are you friend or foe!" she called out into the emptiness, wondering whoever was inside. Were they nice? Were they enemy?

Her raven hair fell in curls down her back, clean, maintained as she had crafted her own personal supplies. A bone of a deer carved elegantly into a comb. Despite the living quarters she was in, she wore clean clothes and smelled good considering the circumstances. However, she wouldn't let whoever was on the other side of the door get close. One wrong move, and she'd bolt.

 

[PlagueDoctor]

"I wondered if someone was here. I mean no harm to most everyone and those exceptions are not here. How did you find this place?" Ben asked, readying only defensive magics as he awaited a reply. It was a feminine voice which was an interesting twist. Men were more likely to be hermits than women in his experience. "My name is Banafrit but most people callme Ben." He introduced himself, he figured it was the polite thing to do.

 

[SillySpyder]

Despite himself sounding friendly, Thessalia was still wary and asked another question instead of answering his. "Are you with the Council?" that was a dangerous question to ask, but she didn't know him. She didn't recognize his name. Perhaps this was a secret code that Viktor had told his colleages?

 

[PlagueDoctor]

"Despite their best attempts, yes technically I am. I'm just a lowly Archivist though." He looked back toward the entrance, light was fading fast. "Listen, I'm stuck here until the morning regardless of what happens. I'd prefer we weren't in conflict during the wait." He pointed out.
An odd thought occured to him, Viktor had an apprentice, but the records said he'd killed her himself. Ben wondered how much of the files had been falsified, but why would they have left her here and just called her dead?

 

[SillySpyder]

Thessalia's reddish eyes flickered upon hearing that he was technically with the Council. "You may come in, then. But no funny business, or I will see you leave." she announced to him as she waited for him to open the door and step into the room. The room was filled with old pews, wooden with remnants of Bibles rotting in the pockets carved into them. Ben, upon opening the door, would find her standing by the organ. A tall, slender woman with pale skin, raven black hair, and brownish red eyes. However, her clothes still bore the Council's symbol. Mainly because it was the only clothes she had and could salvage.

"I am Thessalia Godfrey, late apprentice of the former Viktor Phimaris, the same person who I have to thank for my eternal life. Be wary, for I walk amongst the undead now. I have every reason to bite if you try anything stupid." she admitted to him. Well, this was news. She was technically dead, but not for the reason the Council bore.

 

[PlagueDoctor]

"Thank you, how have you been fairing out here, Thessalia?" He asked, giving her some time to herself while he focused on the entrance and wove subtle magics so he would be alerted should someone be following after him. Ben chided himself for not doing it immediately upon entering the structure. "I am simply looking for an artifact, I have no ill intent. I can't imagine the strife you've been dealing with alone." He really couldn't, she'd been dwelling here and not affecting the local population of humans from what he could tell so he didn't see any reason to harm her. He could, however, empathize with her.
With his alarm set in place he stretched and readied himself as he approached the old door leading into the chapel. He gave it a knock before gently pushing it open and stepping in.

 

[SillySpyder]

There stood Thessalia. Tall, slender with her reddish-brown eyes glued to the door as he opened it. Pale of skin, hair of black, standing slightly leaned against the old chapel's organ. "What kind of artifact?" Thessalia stated to him, her brows furrowed in both worry and suspicion. "A good one? A bad one? What did the artifact originate from? Is it man-made or unknown?" she asked him. It seemed she was trying to help him at first glance, but there was a glint in her eye that spoke that if he made a wrong move, she would try to kill him.

 

[PlagueDoctor]

Ben stepped into the room, quickly studying her, the pews, and the basics structure of the room.
"Specifically your late Master's tome, I have reason to believe it was destroyed as they said it was. Short-sighted assassins don't like paperwork." He shrugged, "I would assume it was hidden where you were since they didn't find you. I'd like to take notes and see if his darkness had infiltrated it. I have questions for you as well, about the timeline of events leading up to...uh.... Apologies for my excitement, I didn't think I'd find you here." He left out the 'talking' part. "I'm sure you'd like to quit referring to him with that reverent title." Ben stayed by the door, it felt like it would be best to give her space until trust was appropriately earned.

 

[SillySpyder]

Thessalia frowned deeply at his words and then sighed. "Viktor turned me into a vampire, well, he was in the process of doing it when they attacked. I remembered the slamming open of a door before I blacked out. When I came too, his remains were nothing but ash and I was severely hungry. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but learning what little magic I had left was gone was not fun. I had to drink the blood of whatever animals I could find in here or outside. I refused to drink from a human. Such would bring unwanted attention." she admitted and explained to him while thinking back. "If I recall correctly, he said something about hiding something behind a brick. However, I've not searched for it since he was killed, nor had any reason to. Though, I wasn't sure if he was referring to a brick on a wall, the ceiling, or the floor." Thessalia expressed, pointing down at her feet at the brick flooring.

 

[PlagueDoctor]

"So he didn't finish the process? Fascinating, for clarity- were you a willing participant or was this choice forced upon you?" Ben had some many more questions but he'd take it slow. "Given how much of this structure is built with large stone blocks him mentioning bricks does narrow it down. Albeit not much, but still. Almost sounds like he knew they were coming but they made better time getting here than he counted on." He was aware he was starting to ramble. It struck him as bizarre that the assassins didn’t find her, it should have been obvious if they had that she was in the process of turning. Perhaps they thought it had failed and she was dying.