Outside, a few guards, having heard the noise, had run from the end of the corridor and surrounded Xara. Their leader asked, "Mistress Xara! Are you all right? Is there a problem?" his hand on the hilt of his sword. Xara, without taking her eyes off the door, waved them away with the back of her hand. "There is no problem," she said, her voice calm but filled with an absolute command. "This is my business. All of you, fall back. I want no one in front of this door." Although the guards hesitated, they could not defy their leader's command. They bowed respectfully and retreated as silently as they had come. Xara waited a while longer, until the sounds from inside ceased completely. The roars had subsided, the crashes had stopped. All that remained was a weary silence. Taking a deep breath, she slowly eased the door open and went inside.
The room looked like a battlefield. Hundreds of books and parchments were scattered on the floor like wreckage. The massive bookshelf in one corner of the room was tilted to one side, shattered, as if it had been struck by a giant's fist. And in the middle of this wreckage, Vladis sat. He was huddled at the base of the shelf he had destroyed, knees drawn to his chest, head bowed. His body trembled slightly, exhausted after the seizure. Xara closed the door quietly behind her as she entered. Her steps made almost no sound as she navigated the mess on the floor. But Vladis had sensed her presence. He had heard her footsteps, the change in the air. He didn't raise his head. To be seen in this state hurt more than any physical wound he had ever received. Shame covered him like a cloak.
Xara stopped a few feet away from him. She was weighing what to say, how to react. Vladis slowly raised his head. His eyes first saw the woman's steps, then her metallic skirt and strong legs. Then, as if ashamed of this gaze, he quickly looked away and met her face. He had an abashed expression he hadn't felt in centuries. Slowly, as if every joint ached, he stood up. He looked at the scattered books and the shattered shelf. "I apologize," he said, his voice muffled and tired. "I... I couldn't control it. I will cover the damages."
Xara looked at him in this state. This was not the proud Drakovan who had challenged her just moments ago, who had displayed incredible strength. This was a man wounded and weary, a prisoner of his curse. A momentary feeling of compassion stirred within the woman. "It doesn't matter," she said, her voice unexpectedly soft. "They are just wood and paper. Copies of our history, not the originals. We have many of them." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Does this... happen often?"
Vladis shook his head. "Not always. When I push my strength... or when my mind is tired, it gets triggered. Nydra has a hook deep in my soul. Sometimes she pulls that hook and makes me dance." After this painful confession, a long silence fell between them. Then, Vladis, as if trying to lighten the mood, added with a bitter smile, "At least I've tested how good your library's acoustics are. I also apologize for my roars."
This unexpected dark humor brought a slight smile to Xara's face. "The acoustics are indeed not bad. But I'd prefer not to test them again," she said. This little joke had broken the tension between them somewhat. They talked for a long time. Vladis spoke of the nature of the curse, how the delusions worked, how this situation was slowly driving him to the brink of madness. Xara listened intently. As a leader, she had to understand every kind of threat and power. Vladis's situation was both a weakness and a potential for uncontrollable strength.
"This is why this matter is vital to me," Vladis finished his words. "The only way to be free of this curse is to find Nydra and settle this account. That's why I need your knowledge. At any cost."
Xara began to walk slowly around the room, thoughtfully combing her scattered raven-black hair back with her fingers and gathering it. Finally, she stopped and turned to Vladis. "You passed the test, Drakovan. You proved your strength. More than enough. You've paid the price." She nodded. "But I think I'll change that price slightly. Or, let's say, I'll make a counter-offer."
"I'm listening," said Vladis.
"This fortress, this clan," Xara said, gesturing around the room. "Is much more than what you see. We are not just the keepers of history. We are also its targets. The secrets we hold whet the appetites of many powers and factions. We constantly face infiltration attempts, attacks, and threats. We need protection. An adjutant, a protector."
Vladis's brows furrowed. "I thought your guards were for that job. The two at the gate were quite... persuasive."
"Our guards are capable," Xara agreed. "But they are part of the clan. They are not like you." She took another step closer to Vladis. "The interesting part is, Drakovan... I've never seen anyone like you. Your power is wild, uncontrolled, but also immense. With your clan gone, alone in this world... I am offering you a place in our clan."
This offer was something Vladis had not expected. He was momentarily stunned. He had been alone for centuries. The idea of belonging to a group, a clan, felt both foreign and vaguely appealing.
"Will I fight alone, or... shoulder to shoulder with the Chain-Skull Clan?" he asked. "Will the others... accept me? A stranger, a Drakovan."
Xara closed the distance between them a little more, standing directly in front of him. She looked into his eyes, as if wanting to read the very depths of his soul. "It will not be a problem for them," she said, her voice holding absolute authority. "Because I say so."
One of those moments of intense silence fell between them again. Vladis saw his own reflection in the woman's eyes. A tired, wounded, but still unbroken reflection. His eyes, involuntarily, strayed to her waist again, then, realizing his mistake, he quickly diverted his gaze to her arms, and from there to her disheveled hair.
Xara had noticed his movement. "Is something wrong, Drakovan?" she asked, a slight mockery in her voice.
Before Vladis could say anything, she continued. "As I was saying, we hold important information. Nydra's past, her weaknesses, perhaps even clues as to where she might be... It could all be within these walls. You can help us protect this information. In return, you will find what you are looking for. And you will have a home."
"Are you offering me a vigil that will last for centuries?" Vladis asked, the idea feeling suffocating.
Xara laughed. "No, of course not. We're not going to lock you in a dungeon. But you can live here. You will be safe. And so will we."
Vladis thought of his ancestral manor. That pile of stones, his fortress of solitude. To abandon it... "It will be difficult," he murmured.
The gravity of the conversation was suddenly broken by Xara's next question. With an insinuating smile on her face, she asked, "Are you hungry?"
This simple question struck Vladis's mind like a lightning bolt. The deep, gnawing hunger, which he had forgotten until that moment under the influence of the fight and the curse, returned with full force. He felt an emptiness in his stomach, his throat went dry. His eyes, unaware, drifted to Xara's neck, to the faint point where her carotid artery pulsed. He collected himself and looked the woman up and down. "If you have... quality blood... why not?"
Xara understood his gaze and its implication. She laughed aloud. "Hmm, I won't be giving you my own blood, of course, so don't look at me like that. But we can find the best for our guest." Motioning for him to wait, she left the room.
When Vladis was alone again, he looked at the shattered shelves. The shame he had felt a few minutes ago had been replaced by a strange anticipation. In this underground fortress, under the leadership of this
strong woman, perhaps what he was looking for was not just a clue.
When Xara returned with a silver goblet in her hand, Vladis was still lost in thought. The woman held the goblet out to him. The liquid inside was dark red, almost black, and had a rich, metallic scent. Vladis took the goblet and drank it in one go. As the warmth of the blood spread through his veins, he felt his strength and vitality returning.
"Better?" Xara asked.
Vladis nodded. "Thank you."
"I will give you the information tomorrow," Xara said. "My team has already begun searching the deepest archives. For now, be our guest. And you don't need to say or do anything for what you did. Just keeping calm is enough." She stood up and headed for the door. "Let me show you to your room. I had it prepared in the blink of an eye."
Vladis followed her. They passed through corridors and came to a section he hadn't seen before. Xara stopped in front of a door, also carved with runes. "This is yours," she said. "Everything you need should be inside."
Just as she was about to turn and leave, Vladis called out to her. "Xara." The woman turned to him. "Thank you for everything," Vladis said. His voice was more sincere and genuine than it had been in a long time. Not a negotiation, not a threat, not a formality. Just pure gratitude.
This sincerity had caught Xara off guard. She was used to intrigues, power plays, demands. But a simple, honest 'thank you'... she didn't encounter that very often. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Then, with an instinctive movement, she moved slightly closer to Vladis. She studied his face for a long time, as if seeing it for the first time. She saw the ancient pain in those tired eyes, but also that unbroken honor. Finally, without a single word, she simply nodded slightly and turned, disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.
Vladis opened the door and went inside. The room, like the rest of the clan's fortress, was simple but functional. A bed carved into the rock, a table, and a chair. But it was clean, and most importantly, it was safe. As he let himself fall onto the bed, his mind was filled with thoughts. Joining a clan... Xara... Nydra's ghost... And Garon's death. This underground fortress would be either a sanctuary for him or a new kind of prison. But at least, he was no longer alone. And that was a feeling as comforting as it was dangerous, one he hadn't felt in centuries.
Within the stone-carved walls of the room, Vladis found himself caught in the strange, almost unsettling feeling of belonging to a home for the first time in centuries. The sharp edges of loneliness seemed, if only for a moment, to be blunted within the safe silence of this underground fortress. His mind drifted into deep thought, weighing the day's events one by one—the fight, the curse, Xara's unexpected offer. When exhaustion finally claimed his body, his consciousness sank into the soft velvet of darkness. And the dream, inevitably, found him.
He was standing on a platform. He was surrounded by a starless, nondescript void. Two women stood before him; his past and, perhaps, his future. On his right, stood Nydra. Her beauty was not the innocent, moonlit radiance that had once captivated Vladis. This was a corrupt, sensual, and deadly beauty. She wore a black fabric that seemed woven from shadows and whispers, barely covering her body. Her red lips shone as if wet with fresh blood, and her eyes, pulling him in, stared like bottomless pits of promise and destruction. The aura she radiated was the scent of suppressed desires and dark passions; sweet but toxic.
On his left, was Xara. She was just as striking as Nydra, but her beauty fed from a different source. She wore armor that looked as if it were poured from liquid silver, revealing every muscle and curve of her body. Her raven-black hair fell freely over her shoulders, rippling in the dream's invisible wind. Her eyes were sharp and deep, like pieces of obsidian; in them, one could read neither promise nor destruction, only absolute control and unshakeable will. Her aura was the scent of the cold power of knowledge and the suppressed energy of a hunter; sharp and invigorating. One was a reflection of sensuality and chaos, the other of power and order. Both were looking at him, but not speaking. This was a choice beyond words. As the dream froze in this silent, tense tableau, Vladis was suddenly awakened by a sharp knock on his door.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the stone ceiling of the room. The intense feelings from the dream still clung to him. The door was knocked on again, this time more insistently. "Lord Drakovan," a metallic voice called from outside. "Mistress Xara is waiting for you. Please come with me."
Vladis sat up quickly from the bed. The exhaustion was gone, replaced by anticipation. He dressed quickly and opened the door. One of the guards from last night stood before him. Sizing him up from behind his helm, he said, "This way," and began to walk down the corridor. Vladis assumed they were going to the room where he had spoken with Xara last night, but the guard led him in a different direction, to a deeper, unseen part of the fortress. Finally, they stopped in front of a door made of obsidian, much larger and more ornate than the others, with silver veins inlaid on its surface. The guard opened the door and stepped aside. "The Mistress is waiting for you inside. Alone."
Vladis hesitated for a moment as he stepped inside. This room was like a reflection of a vampire's darkest and most aesthetic dreams. The ceiling was a dome of dark crystal, as if it were a real night sky, with slowly moving, glowing nebulas within it. The walls were made of polished, veined black marble, with faint, silvery runes carved into them that glowed with light. In one corner of the room, a waterfall stretching from floor to ceiling silently poured a dense, blood-red liquid into a pool below. The scent in the air was a mixture of cold stone, old parchment, and a faint hint of sandalwood. This room was a monument to power, wealth, and immortal pleasure.
As Vladis examined this dizzying design around him, his eyes fell on the woman standing in the middle of the room. Xara stood with her back to him, looking at something like a star chart on a large, circular table in the center of the room. Her battle attire from last night was gone, replaced by a breathtaking dress. The dress was made of heavy velvet, the color of the darkest ruby. It fit her body like a glove, then flared out from the knees down, pooling on the floor like a lake of blood. Her back was daringly exposed down to her waist, and her smooth, pale skin formed a striking contrast with the red of the dress.
Xara, as if sensing Vladis's arrival, slowly turned. That familiar, mocking smile was on her face. "Studying my room, Drakovan? Or do you just think I'm part of the decoration?"
Vladis took a few steps toward her. "If a vampire's soul could be turned into a palace of stone and shadow, I think it would look like this," he said, his voice containing both a compliment and a slight barb. "A bit... ostentatious, isn't it?"
"Ostentation is power's favorite attire," Xara retorted. "Besides, after your roars last night, I thought we might need a place with soundproof walls." She paused and looked Vladis up and down. "You look well-rested. That abashed and tired expression is gone, replaced by that annoying Drakovan arrogance."
"And you've shed that boring warrior look and dressed like a queen," Vladis said, in the same tone. "Or is this just an intimidation tactic you always use on your guests?"
Xara laughed. "Or maybe I just wanted to dress appropriately for the gravity of the topic we're about to discuss." With these words, the mocking expression on her face vanished, replaced by a serious, focused look. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. "Come," she said, motioning to one of the chairs by the table. "Time to tell you what we've found."
As Vladis sat, Xara began to walk around the table, speaking. "Nydra," she said, her voice no longer holding any doubt when she spoke the name. "We searched our records to their very depths. Whether she is alive right now... is unknown. As far as we know, she is dead. But this 'death' is highly unusual." She touched the star chart on the table, and it changed, turning into a map of the world. Xara's finger pointed to a large, empty area in the east of the map. "She was last seen in the Negor Desert, in the east. There, while conducting a massive ritual dedicated to her own depraved gods, she... vanished. Overnight, along with her entire kingdom and followers."
"Vanished?" Vladis asked. "What does that mean? Was she defeated in a battle?"
"No," Xara said. "There was no battle. No witnesses. Just a result: she disappeared. And the really interesting part happened after this event." Her finger traced over the desert. "This desert, until that day, was a dangerous but passable place. But after the ritual, all paths to the heart of the desert were sealed. Our explorers, our caravans, our spies... they all reported the same thing. It's impossible to pass a certain point in the desert. It's as if there's an invisible wall. Neither physical nor magical attacks have any effect on this wall."
"A curse..." Vladis whispered. "Just like mine... A seal."
"Exactly," Xara confirmed. "Nydra left a seal behind when she left. A colossal curse separating her entire kingdom, perhaps even herself, from the rest of the world. As for information from before... " Her finger pointed to a spot slightly beyond where the invisible wall should be. "The Mattuj Temple. Before this wall existed, there was an ancient temple in the middle-east of the desert. Our theory is that Nydra conducted her damned ritual at or very near this point." She reached out and pulled a thick parchment scroll, bound in blood-red leather, from a compartment under the table. When she unrolled it, Vladis saw it was a detailed map. "Fortunately," Xara said. "This map has a pre-charted route and all the details to that temple. But... it doesn't mean much since one can't get through that wall."