Lossenatar was dead... He died because of his loyalty. And now it was too late not to follow his path. The age of Vampires was indeed at an end...
Firithhyando sat on the edge of the tower and thought about the countless things that passed during his lifetime. It was painful, but in a way it took off the pain of losing Lossenatar. Lives started and stopped, but everything stayed in Firithhyando’s memory. And through that he saw the future. Not much, but enough to know that things would continue going worse and hope would be false. Numundo or Lossenatar didn’t understand him, they didn’t have a prodigious memory, this was alone Firithhyando’s suffering.
Numundo hadn’t said anything since last period and Firithhyando didn’t blame his friend.
Firithhyando closed his eyes and jumped down. The end was near!
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Aganzir couldn’t have peace in her room. Not only was the situation unpleasant, but the room was nothing she liked. It had all those shelves and furniture that was nearly rotten of age. She cursed loudly as she threw a chair out of the window. It hit the ground with a big crash and the bearded woman laughed.
What to throw next? The shelf maybe?
She was both extremely happy and extremely angry. The Vampires would probably be killed in a night or two and Aganzir could start exploring this cave properly. But she herself had been suspected pretty badly last half-a-period. Did the fools really think that she was hammering innocents into pieces while others were sleeping. She laughed and threw the shelf out too.
Crash.
The short woman sat down, wiped her brow and laughed again.
Aganzir closed her eyes and lay down. Though she didn’t know it, she would soon be thrown out too. The bed on which Aganzir lay was lifted into the air and slowly moved towards the wall with the little window.
The woman opened one eye with a frown and a little laugh that ended very abruptly.
Darkness was all around Aganzir, not the darkness she had been used to but darkness more sinister than that. She sat up on the bed with a start and looked around.
Nothing. Just black.
She rubbed her eyes, but it was still all black.
And then the bed went straight through the wall and with a big crash met the ground and squashed poor Aganzir underneath it.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Kitanna had shown her true form.
The Shade had been trapped under the mountain when Arda was formed and since then she had been the true owner of Kaimoir, a Maia of Vala Námo. Until Yulnagar came. The Lord of the Vampires had defeated her and sent to a deep sleep into the very depth of the cave. Long ages passed and Kitanna slept. The reign of Vampires grew and withered. One day, the gate to the upper world was opened once again, Kitanna woke from her sleep feeling the time for escape coming closer. Yulnagar was weak and she had regained the strength she had had when Eä was created. But then this incident with the Men and Yulnagar’s bloody plans accured and Kitanna was trapped once again.
Now she was feeling free. Her mighty formless body that looked like a big black cloud was releaced from the uncomfortable human shape.
Ah. But she had to return back to her body, for this wasn’t over yet. She still had things to deal with before freedom was true. Cursing, the cloud turned into a woman.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Firithhyando crept to the window of the house Kitanna occupied.
Once an old storyteller lived in the same house. In his childhood Firithhyando had spent nearly all of his time running after the old Vampire asking for more stories. The storyteller was long gone and Firithhyando now wondered which stories very true and which just legends.
The Vampire smiled at the memory, but then remembered his task and the smile faded into a grim expression.
Firithhyado began chanting a spell of possession. He wouldn’t do the mistake Lossenatar did, he’d stay hidden.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Kitanna sat on her bed and waited for the clock to strike. She had waited long and this wait was nothing compared to the ages she lived in the cave, but these few hours were too long.
The woman stood up nervously and walked to the window. For some reason wanted to jump out of the house, from the third floor. Without knowing why, Kitanna climbed on the window sill and prepared to fall...
Bang!
The door flew open and a cloaked figure rang into the room.
Kitanna slipped from suprise and was about to fall onto the pavement below.
The person in the cloak rushed to Kitanna and grabbed her arm, pulling the possessed woman up into her room.
”This is to repay yestarday”, said the cloaked figure and took off her hood.
It was Diamond!
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
The Vampire cursed again and again as he flew towards the tower. How could this happen, again!?
When Firithhyando landed on the tower, Numundo was standing and looking down at the great pyre as if for searching something intensively. Numundo noticed Firithhyando and ran up to him.
”Fir! Somthing strange has accured! Your human name was shouted loud by that man, Mac!”
”What?”
”It means that Yulnagar will kill you when the clock strikes!”
Firithhyando’s face twisted with agony.
”Calm down! Calm down... You still have time. Act now”.
The lynched Vampire looked at Numundo and agreed. He calmed down.
”Yes, I’ll go. Now”.
Firithhyando turned to jump down again, but Numundo caught him and put his hand on Firithhyando’s shoulder, ”Fir, why not curse Yulnagar and flee? Look what Loss did and what happened to him. Curse the ancient fiend, let him play with the Men and just go”.
”No, Num. We don’t have a choice... Not only would he kill us if we ran, but if not, the memory of such a deed would tear me. I must go”. Firithhyando turned to leave again, but Numundo only tightened his grip. Firithhyando looked at his friend and sighed, ”You’ll survive”.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Nogrod couldn’t sleep. He walked around his room trying to think of an answer to the mystery. Who are the Vampires? What are the Vampires? Why are they killing us? And what is this ”oracle”?
He sat down and took out the piece of paper with the all the names. He crossed a few out and put the list back into his pocket.
Frowning he opened the door and went outside. He didn’t like walking in the darkness and hearing only silence and the crackling of wood. But he had to do it, so he did it. Nogrod had laid traps at each house during the first night, now he would go and place one new trap.
The Hunter walked to the house that was occupied by Legate, the bloody Vampire. The trap was still there, hidden well. Nogrod took out a knife and cut the rope that kept the trap set. That trap wasn’t needed anymore, the Vampire had already died.
Nogrod turned around lifted his head and gasped. He was grabbed from behind and two white fangs cut his neck. The man fell to the ground blood flowing down his back. But the Hunter wouldn’t go down so easily. Nogrod drew out a curved dagger a stabbed the Vampire, which dodged and ran behind the house.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
The pain was getting stronger, but the Hunter didn’t let it overtake him. Slowly he stood up leaning at Legate’s house. He didn’t know who attacked him, but had a pretty good idea. Nogrod took out a flask from his sleeve and took a big gulp of the booze he had for exactly such situations. That cleared his mind a bit. Nogrod began going through his possibilities.
A Vampire had attacked him, but then hid. He himself was deadly wounded and would be able to fight the beast. There was no time to put up a trap. Hm...
Nogrod gathered courage and started his slow walk to the house on the other side of the square.
He stumbled a few times and even fainted once, but he held firm with his his decision and always stood up and continued his way. Shapes weren’t clear, he could barely see and oh, the pain. The Hunter would fall any minute and that, he feared, would be his last fall.
But he didn’t collapse, instead his hand reached the knob of a door. Nogrod opened his eyes and saw that he had been right with the direction, this was the right house. Weakly, but as strong as he could, he knocked on the door.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Two women had been sitting quietly on the floor when a faint tapping was heared from downstairs. Diamond and Kitanna lept to their feet and ran down warily. Kitanna pushed the door open and looked down at the man leaning against the wall beside the door.
Diamond looked and saw the same. The man was all covered in blood. She gasped and hurried to see if he was alive...
”Well?” asked Kitanna.
”No... He’s dead”.
Kitanna looked into the pyre, ”Curse you Vampires! I’ll kill you!”
”Wait. There’s something in his hand!
”Huh?”
Diamond gave the note to Kitanna, ”It’s a list of names... Of everybody here. All except one are crossed out”.
”Do you think it’s the...”
”Probably”.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
”The Hunter’s dead by now”.
”What about the Shade?”
”I couldn’t kill her, something broke my spell and I had to run”.
”Aargh! Well, you did your best”.
”Maybe, maybe no”.
”I’ll go and do it”.
”No, Num! Don’t”.
”That’s what I told you, but did you listen to me?”
”Hey, I’m serious!”
”And so am I. We need to get the Shade out of our way, now. You’re fine, and I’ll also be fine. Trust me”.
”You’re too stubborn, Num...”
”I know. See you”.
Numundo leaped down the tower. This time in his true form: Gigantic black wings sprouting from his human-like body. A scythe in his arm. Eyes like the adyss. And a black cape reflecting darkness.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Esspiem had made his choice. He would go to see the Shade. Altough, or maybe exactly because of that, he was afraid of the Shade, he wanted to do a deal with it. Not because the thief had any great ideas of who the Vampires were, but because making an alliance with somebody as powerful as the Shade would give you better chances to survive yourself.
He put on his hood and sneaked out of his house that was already filled with all kind of precious objects he had ”borrowed” from other houses. He was thinking of going to see the graveyard next, but Esspiem didn’t really like looting graves, as he was somewhat superstitious.
The thief ran through the square, stopping often and looking around. Excitment took over and he didn’t stop while looking left and right. And that was when bumped into somebody.
”Sorry, sorry... Ah!” Esspiem looked up and saw the great monster looking at him. Otherwise the creature looked like Esspiem, but it had two giant wings and a scythe.
”Oh, it’s you”, said the demon and with a swing of his scythe, beheaded the poor thief.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
Numundo walked over the two bodies in front of Kitanna’s house and entered. Or tried to. A wave of pain went through him and he stumbled back.
The Vampire stood up and looked into the house he wasn’t allowed to enter. He felt something behind him and turned.
Two women walked towards him calmly.
”I know who you are”, said the brown haired one.
Numundo grunted and grinned, ”Oh, do you really?”
”We do indeed, dear Gil-Galad”, said the other woman.
”Gil-Galad? Well... Yes! That was me, but I’m more than that!”
Numundo roared and ran at the brown haired woman. He lifted his scythe and struck.
Cling!
Diamond held her sword shakingly but firm.
The Vampire leaped back and prepared for a new attack.
Then Kitanna raised her hand and Numundo was no more.
Where the Vampire stood a moment ago, a statue of black marble stood. The beauty of it was unmatched.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
When the clock struck, everybody was already there, except for five.
Signs of a battle were obvious. Aganzir’s house was broken and so was her corpse. The bodies of Nogrod and Esspiem were lying beside Kitanna’s house. And a demonic statue with some resemblance to Gil-Galad stood in the middle of the square.
Enohl sat on his usual place smoking his pipe.
Everybody waited, the tension grew but nobody dared to break it.
At last, the young possessed Vampire threw away his pipe and stood up.
”Come, for you know who you are”.
Nobody answered and nobody moved.
”Ah. You don’t want to come, do you? Then I’ll come for you”, a smile came on Enohl’s face and then all of a sudden his body became limp and fell to the ground.
People began shouting.
The fire turned black for a moment, as the dark figure of the Oracle walked out of it.
People stopped shouting.
”Now where is the coward. I’ll go and destroy you anyway, so come here and don’t trouble me”.
No answer.
”Oh, really? Well, if you don’t come now, Enhilion will die instead”.
A small figure of a bat came into the view of Xyzzy, he opened his mouth, but couldn’t shout anything. The bat flew straight at the Oracle. It was nearly there when the Oracle turned and said commandingly, ”Stop”.
The bat fell to the ground and turned into Eomer. He was on his knees and trembled badly.
”Yulnagar! Why are you doing all this?”
”Isn’t this what you wanted? I’ll turn these Men into Vampires. It’s you who should be asked what you are doing”, said the Oracle and looked at the clock.
”You killed Lossenatar and Numundo!”
”Yes, I killed Lossenatar, according to his own plan. Numundo I didn’t even touch”.
”Why? There is an easier way!”
”Firithhyando, you have been chosen to die”.
”Oh, throw away that rubbish talk and listen to some sense!”
The Oracle didn’t answer Eomer but only lifted his hand at Eomer’s direction.
Eomer struggled with the pain and stood up. He turned to face the people gathered around. ”Please... Help! He lied to us... And he lied to you”.
Many hesitated, but Rune jumped forwards and shouted, ”We have seen what this ”oracle” can do! How can you still trust it? I say, fight or run!” He looked around and not knowing what to do, rushed to Eomer’s help.
”Fool!” The Oracle lifted its hand once again and pointed at Rune. Luckily for Rune, Shasta threw a dagger at the Oracle and that way probably saved the recless man’s life, as the Oracle turned towards the flying object and disappeared.
Eomer stagger to his feet with the help of Rune and shouted, ”We don’t have much time! Grab your weapons and run!” He turned and asked for help, ”Rune. Please, help Enhillion. I’ll manage and if not, I wouldn’t have managed with your help either”.
Rune felt confused but obeyed Eomer as far as he knew. He took Enhol’s limp body and moved after the rest of the crowd. Towards the tallest tower.
Morgan lead the way. At the foot of the tower he looked back to see that Eomer wasn’t managing too well. ”Hey! Somebody, help the Vampire!”
Durelin was closest, but he didn’t seem to notice the request. Boromir shouted about that.
”Do you think I’m your servant or something? Go help him yourselves! I don’t trust him anyway”, yelled Durelin and continued walking to the tower.
At the very moment the Oracle appeared beside Eomer and put his hand on the Vampires head, ”Die, traitor”.
Eomer fell on the ground and then continued falling through the ground. Soon all of him disappeared and he was never seen again.
-~~-----------------------------------------------------------------------~~-
The living:
Rikae
Boromir88 (Boro)
Thinlómien (Lomiella/Lommy)
Xyzzy
Macalaure (Mac)
Diamond18 (Di)
Shastanis Althreduin (Shasta)
Kitanna
Durelin
Rune Son of Bjarne (Rune)
The Sixth Wizard (Morgan/Sixth)
The dead:
Celuien (Cel) – Turned into a chair by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 1. Innocent.
Brinniel – Possessed by the Vampires to write poetry with her own blood on Night 2. Innocent.
Menel – Turned into a pipe by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 2. Innocent.
Roa – Possessed by the Vampires to torch herself on Night 3. Innocent.
Sleepy – Committed suicide by jumping off the highest tower on Night 3. Innocent.
Legate of Amon Lanc (Legate) – Aged to death in seconds after being voted out on Day 3. Vampire Ranger.
Glirdan (Glirdy) – Died of sickness in his own bed on Night 4. Innocent.
Aganzir - Thrown out from the third floor by the Shade on Night 5. Innocent.
Nogrod - Bit by Vampire-to-be-lynched on Night 5. The Hunter.
The Saucepan Man (Esspiem/SPM) - Beheaded by Vampire Hunter on Night 5. Innocent.
Gil-Galad (Gil) - Turned into a beautiful statue by the Shade after being revealed by the Hunter. Vampire Hunter.
Eomer of the Rohirrim (Eomer) - Swallowed into the earth by the Oracle after being voted out on Day 4. Vampire Seer.