laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Birds flitted high above and sang to another day as the wagon lumbered northward. Kailee sat on the roof with Lericanin and Tia to his right as sunlight cast long shadows across their path. She gazed upward to the occasional blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds drifting lazily overhead.

"It would be something to be able to fly," Kailee mused.

"Would certainly make this trip faster," Lericanin added quietly. He and Alister had survived a very strange attack for their six day trip between Mellerud and Onebro which Kailee knew had involved her admirer's henchmen. They had both lost weight from the assault that also deprived their tortured bodies of sleep, and it showed. This fight had intrusively allowed them visions into the next plane. She could still hear their screams.

She turned to eye the blue-eyed giant as he sat, cradling his heavy crossbow. "You know, there have been times lately that I wished you hadn't found me."

He turned to her, confusion wracked his face. "Why?"

"For all the things you've suffered because of me." The comment also grabbed Tia's attention.

"None of these things that we've been through had anything to do with you," Tia stated emphatically.

"Tia, don't lie. You and I both know what's been going on. He's been trying to make all of you suffer so that I would draw closer to him. I may be naive, but I'm not stupid."

"It doesn't matter," Lericanin began. "I'd go through hell for all of you, you know that."

She shook her head and turned to scan the distant covered road that would soon open. A flash exploded within her mind, wracking her body in convulsions as she bent over while the world began to spin at a sickening pace. An arm grabbed her shoulders as she felt light as a feather and floated upwards while her mind ached. As it slowly subsided, she opened her eyes to stare at the fine embroidery of her light green dress.

"....you alright?" Lericanin's voice slowly focused and gained in volume as she relaxed and looked up to see the large round building to their left. The whole area had an odd, bluish glow until her green eyes noticed a being that stood in the road and stopped the horses. Panic accelerated her heart rate and she tried to concentrate and center herself. If she was going to have to fight for her life, she needed to control and defeat whatever this was. Closing her eyes momentarily, she straightened and opened them to see the elderly man in white surcoat with maroon border and emblem on the breast denoting the symbol of Arhus. His kind, brown eyes greeted as he spoke. She could see his lips moving and the smile, but couldn't distract her mind from the aura around him.

"Kailee," Lericanin called, turning her face to his and breaking the spell.

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, backing from him. "I'm fine. Where are we?"

"Welcome to Exmoor," the cleric greeted as she looked at him again, her heart still racing. "I'm Elias and servant of Arhus, welcome." He turned and motioned to another long building that fronted the large, two story, horseshoe-shaped barracks. "Charles will tend to your horses. I've been waiting for you," he stated, eyeing the trio on the roof as Lericanin and Tia moved to climb down. Kailee couldn't take her eyes from this man, his white hair splattered conservatively with grey. He glanced to her and noticed her attention. "You need not fear child, no one here will harm you. I give you my word."

"Then you apparently don't know anything about me," she stated without thought, apprehension still piqued.

"I know that you are here for a reason and I will do everything in my power to answer all of your questions, for I see that your heart has many." His gentle smile softened her walls that melted with each moment. "Come, gather your strength and rest now," he offered as the rest of the group shouldered their gear and neared the cleric.

Tia climbed up onto the driver's bench and eyed her. "Come on." Kailee noticed the nervousness in her friend's eyes also. They would have to weather this storm together. As the horses and gear were under the care of the stablehands and smith, they remained close to Lericanin as the group stowed their things into the second story billet and toured the school and barracks. Sandstone walls and tile, finely crafted hangings and sconces, laquered oak railings and a wealth of history in banners, books and memorabilia littered the large home for the Templar and Paladin who served the deity of justice. Eventually, they exited back into the nearly enclosed courtyard as young boys of various ages practised their arms training under watchful veterans.

They followed Lericanin to the rounded shrine that Kailee had noticed first and stopped as he ascended the broad, white stairs to enter the open air temple dedicated to his patron deity and met Elias, the Knight Commander and their host.

"I'm here to guide you, brother and answer any questions you may have." His voice echoed off of the high walls and ceiling as she and Tia stopped near the base of the stairs.

Lericanin reverently scanned the church, "This is amazing."

Elias chuckled, "Thank you. It's not grand but, it definitely serves its purpose. We tend to travelers and pilgrims as they come to visit along with the other duties that He has given us."

"You said you knew we were coming?"

The cleric nodded as he glanced to the duo watching them from outside. "Yes. My champion stated that I needed to tend to you and your group today," he mentioned and looked back to the younger acolyte of Arhus. "What is your greatest fear? What keeps you from succeeding at all things?"

"I don't fear anything."

"A man without fear is a man without hope, my friend."

Kailee could tell immediately that the comment hit her friend like a ton of bricks and wondered what he was thinking. She watched as Lericanin nodded respectfully, turned and headed deeper into the sanctuary as Elias descended the stairs and approached them.

"Is there anything that I can do for either of you?" he offered.

Tia immediately shook her head and backed from him as Kailee wondered how much this man really knew about her, or had this all been some elaborate trap.

"Why do I feel sick every time I near one of your churches?" she asked.

He smiled and studied her for a moment. "How much do you know of yourself? Your true nature."

"I know I don't really look any different from her," she motioned to Tia and looked back. "I know I only need to feed once a week. I've tried Lericanin's cooking and it's alright. It just didn't give me the energy that I get when I hunt for them."

"Your mother was attacked that night by a vampire. You are half vampire yourself, that's why you feed on the blood of your kills. But, the odd thing is you're not affected by sunlight and you don't have the same outlook as other vampires that we've encountered over the years."

Tia's jaw dropped as Kailee stared at the cleric, hanging on every word. "What's a vampire," Kailee asked.

He smiled nervously. "Tradition holds that they are people that have been infected with a disease that gives them eternal life that they have to feed with nightly attacks on people or animals. You seem to be the exception to the rule." He smiled again. "I don't truly understand this either."

Kailee stood there, blankly staring at the cleric. "How could this have happened?"

"Arhus works in mysterious ways, my child. Only time will tell what his design is for you."