Son of Vampires

Prologue

In the country later known as Vesper

For hundreds of years men had fought each other, with no hope of peace, or government. During this time the Elven race, once strong, was steadily dwindling. The Dwarves hid underground and sided with and befriended none.



During this time of chaos, a young man called Garth sought for peace that would benefit all. To him the Divine One and his Lady sent The Messenger, a being of such power and skill none could face him. The Messenger led Garth to the Elves, who promised to ally with men and help stabilize the government that would follow. Then Garth looked to the dwarfs, who promised peace in return for protection and trade.



As the forces for peace grew, those who did not want it banded together. The Messenger took action and the threat fell away. Although it is uncertain what he did, most of the opposition either disappeared or joined them...



After the chaos settled and a government was born, Peace came. Watched over by the Messenger, the First council of the Alliance named Garth King and swore that only those with the chosen due to their personalities and moral standards would be named heir and crowned King/queen after the old one passed away or resigned. To signify the blessing of the lord, Garth was crowned and ordained by the Messenger, who charged the Council to uphold the values that had brought them together. To help, he created a 'test' for the heir that would prove their worthiness.



A thousand years after it's founding, The Alliance suffered a near fatal blow. The Messenger, who had survived all attempts to end his life, was found dying on the steps of the palace. He spoke to Falcon, the king at that time, and then died.



That same day, at dusk, vampires attacked along with discontent lords, riled up pheasants, and enemy invaders snuck over the border. The Royal family was slaughtered, the king killed in his very throne.



Although it was a victory, Man had learned to be content with peace and so refused to bow to a dictator from foreign lands. Despite attempts to recruit the army of the king, the men who had been so loyal to their king melded into villages and towns, hidden by the townspeople so they could not be found.



With their valiant attempts to remain free, the people overthrew dictators and false kings, clinging to the one hope for a return of peace.



The final gift of the messenger, which was passed on to a young scribe by King Falcon:

The line of heirs lives and will return peace when the time is right. Keep the faith, and all will be well in time.





























































Chapter One





200 years later in a village called Proven, the only village inside the Tear forest....





It was a calm but breezy day. A middle aged man leaned back, breathing deeply. Light brown hair fell to his ears, and deep green eyes surveyed the clouds. His light brown and green outfit marked him as a forester, although he mostly hunted meat for the village. The quiver at his waist was mostly full save for the arrow embedded in the deer at his feet, and the bow in his left hand was unstrung. He shouldered his kill and started home. A familiar voice called out to him.



“Hey Vex! Out hunting again?”



He turned to face the speaker. “As always,Joey, as long as you haven't scared the game away again. It's hard hunting without you shouting like that whenever you drop by.”



Joey Sessions grinned as he dismounted. Unlike Vex Alken, Joey had no talent for stealth and had, on numerous occasions, ruined Vex's hunts to the point where he came home empty handed. Joey was around 26-27 had dark brown hair and was about average in height and build. His dark brown eyes surveyed his friend of five years with amusement.



“Well, it's not exactly my fault, is it? Family,” Joey replied



Vex turned to head home with his burden. “You'd better come along now. Diana is at Tess and my throats to make sure you're properly healthy.” Joey laughed as he followed, leading his horse. Diana was Joey's wife and also a good friend. With a strong will she dominated over her husbands lack of eating.



“You? Afraid of Diana? Ha! I'm fit as a fiddle.”



“Then you can explain why you're always pale and a bit thinner than you should be?”



“My father?”



“Ha!”



“Well, you did say 'always' so...”



“After a few days off the road with decent meals you're no longer pale and you begin to fill out. I've known you too long, Joey.”



“So? You're saying I can't take care of myself?”



“Joey, You're a brilliant fighter but when it comes to food, health, and hygiene, you really need help.”



“Hey, I know how to cook!”



“It's not a question of whether or not you can, but whether you actually do.”



“Are you saying I don't eat?”



“Do you have a better excuse?”



“Excuse? I'm very busy. I don't take time to cook a feast.”



“A roll and lump of cheese don't count as more than a snack.”



“HEY!”



Vex laughed as they continued towards the village.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



Tess glanced up to see her husband, Vex returning with his kill and Joey. She was small compared to her husband, but her soft figure served her well. As Vex's wife, she was well known as the village healer. Their daughter, Lauren, was Tess's apprentice. Like her mother, Lauren was small with even brown hair and riveting blue eyes. The oldest, Korvi, and his wife, Natalie, were home for a visit. Korvi had reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. On the other hand, Natalie was tall and thin. She matched her husbands even temperment perfectly.



“Tess! Look who's come to visit!” Vex called. He saw her smile and hid a grin



“And needs a good meal by the look of him. Perhaps some rest as well,” Came her reply.



“Hey! I'm not here as a patient!” Joey insisted.



“Of course not, Joey...” She teased.



He chose to merely growl at her in reply. Vex grinned good-naturly at him and turned to Tess. “Can we eat all this,” He indicated the buck on his shoulder ”or should I give half to the butcher?”



She considered the kill, and the size of their group, for a moment. She glanced at Joey, in a way only a healer would. Then she nodded to herself.



“No, I think we'll use it all.” Joey looked suspicious for a moment, then a cry of “Joey!” caused them all to turn. Lauren, coming around the corner with a bundle of fresh herbs, had seen their visitor.



He grinned, then gave her a mock frown. “Are you going to get after me as well, or are you glad to see me?”



“Dad, are you harping on poor Joey again?”



Vex laughed. “Poor Joey, eh? He needs a little harping now and again to make sure he doesn't starve by accident.”



Joey simply groaned.



Tess laughed and shooed them all inside. “Come on, come on, let's not stand around wasting time.” Lauren hefted her bundle and followed them.



As she set about putting it away, Tess herded Joey into a seat. “So what's new, Joey? Anything interesting going on in the world recently?”



“Hey, Hey!” Joey held up his hands in surrender “I just got here! No interrogations, please!”



Vex, returning from the cellar where they stored meat, caught the statement. “I thought you liked interrogations, Joey.”



“Not from friends!”



# # # # # # # # # # # # # #







“Vex, Why is your whole family here?” Joey murmured. “I would expect Lauren, but Korvi and Natalie don't even live within a mile of here. And they don't usually stay overnight either.” He and Vex were walking towards The Firebell, the inn located in Proven. Tess and the others had gone to bed. Vex tapped his fingers together as he contemplated his answer.



“It's a kind of memorial gathering. Tomorrows the eleventh, right?”He glanced at Joey.



“Yes, the eleventh of November.” Joey paused and looked sharply at Vex. “Why is the eleventh important?”



“Because it's a very special day for us.”



“Are you talking about him?”



Vex paused, then soft footsteps interupted them. a wolf was walking towards them. Light gray in color, it made very little sound as it moved.



“It's a wolf...” Joey whispered, stopping. The wolf reached them, studied them silently then held out something to Joey. Taking the folded piece of paper, joey half turned away as he read it. The wolf turned to stare at Vex while he unfolded it. As he read, his eyes widened and his face grew pale.

When he had reached the bottom of the paper, he glanced up at the wolf. “Shaun?” He said hoarsely. They could have sworn the wolf nodded. It then turned and walked away. Joey dropped the letter and hurried after it. Vex glanced towards the paper on the ground, confused, then followed.



Joey was now jogging after the wolf, who had begun to run. Vex increased his own pace, trying to keep up as the wolf headed for the town square. As the wolf passed under a shadow from a building, it's shape changed. Now a child like figure continued to run where the wolf had been. Vex glanced ahead of the figure and saw a man sitting on the edge of the well in the center of town. The figure ran past him and disapeared among the homes. The man watched them go with a strange look on his face. It seemed to be saying: I don't like what you're doing, but I won't stop you. I just wish you would reconsider.



Joey stopped, his breath steaming in the chill air, next to the figure. The stranger spoke first.



“Hello Joey.”



Vex stopped a ways back, not knowing what was going on. Joey stared at the man.



“Shaun? How did..? When?” He stopped, not sure what to ask.



I guess he's Shaun?... I have no idea who Shaun is either...Vex thought. Shawn laughed. It had a trace of sadness.



“It's been...What, ten years? You've changed, Joey.” He smiled at Joey. “Who's your friend?”



Joey followed his gaze to Vex. “Oh, Vex. He lives around here.” He turned and called, “It's okay Vex, It's just my brother.”



Vex approached muttering, “I didn't know you had an older brother.” Joey grimaced.



“Vex, this is my brother, Shaun. Shaun, Vex Alken.” Joey explained. Then he turned to Shaun, who had just given Vex a measuring look. “How did you get here? No, wait, how did you know I would be here?”



Shaun glanced in the direction the wolf had taken. “I didn't. A friend told me.”Vex noted a touch of frustration in his tone.



“Who's your friend?” Vex asked.



Shawn shrugged. “Some one who has helped me alot.”



Vex looked up and saw gathering clouds. “Let's continue this inside before we get rained on,” He suggested. They followed his eyes and nodded.



“Snowed on, more likely.” Shaun agreed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *







Safely back at the house, the three men settled down to talk. Vex constantly caught Shawn watching him with a challenging expression. This served to put him on edge about Shawn. Joey didn't seem to notice, throwing questions at his older brother, who answered him patiently.



Finally, Vex grew tired of it. “Is something bothering you?” he asked. “I feel like I'm being weighed and falling short.”



Shaun, who had just finished answering Joey's latest query, turned to him. “You don't miss much do you? I have a question involving a friend of mine, but I'm not sure you're the person.”



“Am I meant to understand what you're talking about?” Joey was glancing back and forth between them.



“He's been looking at me like I'm being judged ever since you told him my name.” Vex told him.



Shaun was looking at him with that very expression when Joey turned to him. “Oh.”



“You wouldn't happen to have a son that went missing some time ago, would you?” Shawn stated. Vex paled a little.



“Why do you ask?”



Shaun nodded to himself. “My friend is known by his last name only. I wondered if he was related to you.”



Vex looked down. “Yes, I did have a son who disappeared. But that was seven years ago.”



“And we never got him back.” Vex was the only one who didn't jump at Tess's voice. She, Korvi, and Lauren were coming down the stairs. Tess's expression matched the sadness in her tone.



Korvi and Lauren grabbed chairs from the dinning table to sit on while Tess stood behind Vex with her hands on his shoulders. He looked over his shoulder at her.”Sorry if we woke you.”



“Actually, we haven't been asleep. That day has been on all our minds.” Korvi objected.



Shaun looked at the group. Vex caught it and shrugged. “It will answer your earlier question, Joey.” Joey leaned back.



“I never heard the entire story.” He admitted.



Vex nodded. “Loris. His name was Loris.”This was for Shaun's benefit, not Joey's.







Loris was a very kind and caring person. Although their family had always been fair skinned and light haired, He had soft black hair, pale skin and deep brown eyes.



The morning of his eighth birthday, Vex was surprised to find Loris sitting on the floor outside his bedroom door.



“Have you been here long?” He asked his son. Loris shook his head.



“I can't sleep much.” He explained. Vex stared at him.



“How long have you been staying up at night?” Loris started counting silently with his fingers.



“A long time. My head hurts if I try to sleep every night. I wander around outside so I don't wake you up.” Loris looked at Vex nervously. “Is that bad?”



Vex shook his head. “You're saying that because your head hurts if you try to sleep when you don't need to, you go explore outside so you don't disturb us?” Loris nodded.



“I get back in bed when you leave so you're not worried.” He added. He ducked his head. “Sometimes when Mom is busy and forgets, I weed her garden by moonlight.” Vex shook his head with a grin, then leaned down to ruffle his son's hair.



“I'm glad you don't get into trouble then.” Loris squinted up at him, trying to make sure Vex wasn't mad. “Did you want something?” Loris nodded.



“I was wondering if I could go with you today.” Loris said to the floor.



Vex was surprised. “Sure. If you think you really want to go.” He was rewarded with a relieved smile as Loris scrambled to his feet.



Tess, who had followed Vex, smiled. “I just need to make a little more lunch for you then.” Vex reached down and lifted Loris into his arms, putting a finger to his lips so that Loris wouldn't make noise and wake his siblings. The boy nodded.



After eating breakfast and packing their lunch, Vex picked up his bow and grabbed Loris's hand and set off through the back door. “Bring him back safe and unharmed mind you!” Tess called after him. Vex turned with a serious grin.



“When have I done otherwise? Don't worry, I won't let him out of my sight.” He replied. As they moved through the forest Vex noticed something. Loris, probably due to his nighttime wanderings, moved like a shadow with hardly a sound.



Later in the day, after they had eaten lunch, Vex spotted a small herd of deer, grazing. As he sighted on a deer that appeared to be hurt, Loris hid in the bushes nearby.



As he looked at Loris, making sure the boy was well concealed, he saw a arrow fly out of the trees, trace a deep red line on his son's cheek, then embed itself in his own shoulder.



Vex slowly dropped to one knee in pain and surprise. Loris put one hand to the bleeding gash on his face and then hurried to Vex's side. “Dad! Are you okay?” Vex didn't answer as he scanned the trees for the source of the arrow. Loris had carefully placed his fingers around the arrowhead to slow the bleeding when three men dropped out of the trees, followed by five more.



“Drop the bow and any weapons you have, then stay where you are.” the closest attacker said. Vex dropped the bow, unsheathed the knife he used to skin small game, grabbed Loris and pulled him into a protective embrace, and brandished the knife at the speaker.



“Hey, don't try anything with that little skewer of yours, you're outnumbered.” Vex glared at the advancing group and tightened his grip on Loris, who in turn backed against his father, scared.



Hands grabbed Vex from behind and yanked him back, knocking the knife from his grip. Loris was grabbed by another attacker, who wrapped a arm around the boy's neck, dragging him away. Loris fought, finally biting the man's arm as his captor reached the nearest tree. He threw up his arm as the boy broke away and was caught by two more. In fear and frustration Loris bit one hand holding him, and kicked the other man's knee, causing both to let go.



Five of the remaining attackers had gone for Vex, hitting him with clubs and whips, intent on injuring and possibly killing him. The man who had spoken stood to one side, watching. As Loris broke away from the two holding him yelling, “Daddy!” the man who had first grabbed him unbuckled a sheathed sword from his waist and threw it at the boy in anger, catching him on the back of the head and knocking him flat, the sword tumbling in front of him. He didn't get up.



Vex, hearing Loris's call, looked up as he broke away from his attackers in time to see Loris fall. Frozen in pain and shock, he stared at his unmoving son before someone clubbed him from behind, driving him to his knees, then shoved him to the side. As his view turned black, he saw one man pick up Loris's limp body and sling it over his shoulder. He reached out to his son as his world faded.







* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *





Korvi, who had been getting worried by Vex's lateness, went to look for him. As he lost sight of the house, he heard someone moving through the trees ahead of him. Uncertain, he went to look and stopped at the sight of his father, badly injured and semi-conscious, leaning against a tree. Korvi set down the bow he had brought with him and hurried to Vex's side as he slid down the tree.



“They took him...Have t....find him...” Vex was muttering. Korvi grimaced.



“Dad, where is Loris?” he asked urgently. Vex didn't seem to hear him.



“Attacked us...carried him off –didn't know what they wanted....”Vex's voice drifted off. He seemed to collect his thoughts then whispered, “Go home...get.. help...cold.” Korvi felt his face pale. He still didn't know the whole story, but someone had clearly run off with Loris. Sipping Vex's arm around his shoulders, Korvi managed to get him standing and urged him to try and walk.



Tess was horrified when the two of them staggered into the kitchen. “What happened?” She demanded.”Where is Loris? Who did this?” Korvi shook his head.



“I don't know,I found him trying to make his way back home for help or something.” Tess Clenched her jaw as she moved to help Korvi with Vex.



“Lauren!”She yelled as they got him to bed and were having him lie down. Lauren ran into the room and froze, stunned by Vex's injuries. Korvi sighed. “I'm going to see what I can find.” Tess nodded, her face strained.





Korvi returned as Tess was washing her hands of blood and other things. He held out Vex's bow, broken and muddy. She looked at his face unsure,what it meant. Korvi shook his head slowly but firmly. “The snow wiped out everything. I was lucky to find this. I couldn't find anything about Loris.” He slowly admitted. It had begun snowing shortly after Korvi left.





When they all remained silent, Joey leaned forward, noting that Shaun seemed to have heard the story before, as he wasn't surprised. “So what happened to Loris?” he prompted. Vex met Joey's eyes squarely.



“We found out who took him, but Loris wasn't there anymore.”Joey was confused.



“How did you find him, if the trail was gone?”



Vex grimaced. “He came after me, wanted to make sure I was dead or something like that, I guess. Transformed me into this huge winged creature, tried to get me to attack my family. Like I would, even if I wasn't really aware of what I was doing.”



Shaun interrupted. “How did you get rid of the transformation?”



“Tess figured it out. When my mind was in control again, I simply changed back.”



“With a few differences,” Tess reminded him. Shaun was intrigued.



“Changes? You mean like leftovers from the spell?”



Tess shrugged. “He had wings, and his legs and arms were stronger.” Joey sat back.



“It's only to be expected with that amount of change. Unless the spell collapsed on itself, which would kill you, when the effects were removed some would remain.” He mused.



“Like being able to fly?” Vex queried. Joey nodded. Shaun wanted to know one last thing.



“You said Loris wasn't there anymore. What do you mean?”



“Apparently another prisoner had tried to escape with Loris. When he tried to stop them, using a spell, and the other captive tried to block it, also using magic, the two spells merged. Loris and the man who helped him were caught up in some warped transportation spell. No one could find out where they ended up, or if they survived.” Vex replied. Shaun nodded as if expecting that answer. Joey pounced on him.



“You've heard their story. Now explain why you wanted to know.” Shaun was startled. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.



“Alright, I suppose it's only fair. When I was freed, I met a boy,” Shaun swallowed “I met a boy who only used his last name.” Tess looked confused.



“What was his first name?” Vex asked. Shaun shook his head.



“Nobody knows. He's never told anyone. I guess he either doesn't know it, or he has a very personal reason for it. I never bothered to ask.”



“What was his last name then?” Joey wanted to know.



Shaun grinned. “That's why I asked about your children, Vex. The name this boy uses is Alken.” Everyone else stared at him. His smile widened. “And in the course of my travels with him, I found out something very interesting about him. He has memories that tell me, after hearing your story, either he is the same boy you lost seven years ago, or he knows what happened to him.” Vex swallowed and shook his head.



“He can't be. A child that young couldn't survive on his own in the world.” Joey and Vex said at the same time.



“I must disagree. The boy I know is just barely fifteen, and he's been wandering on his own for around seven years.” Shaun held up his hand to stop their protests. “I have met people who have encountered him throughout almost the entire seven years. I'm not doing this to cause you pain.” He cut off Joey's protest. “I'm doing this for him. That boy has saved my life more than once, and he's saved others too. I'm trying to return the favor. If he's on his own much longer Slavec's going to kill him.” Shaun snapped his mouth shut as if he hadn't meant to say that.



Korvi beat them all in asking, “Who's Slavec?”



Shaun sighed. “Slavec's a vampire. Or, at least we think he is. There are some things that don't fit.” He grimaced. Joey gave him a concerned look.



“What do you mean you think he's a vampire? What doesn't fit?” Shaun shrugged.



“He can walk in broad daylight. And he doesn't seem to need to drink blood. At least, not very often.”



Vex stared at him, thinking. “Why is he after this boy?” He shook his head. “I've never heard of a vampire pursuing a single victim before.” Joey nodded in agreement.



Shaun glanced around the circle. “I guess it's for the same reason everyone else is after him. He is very powerful, magic-wise. Although, he has only a little control over it.” He added thoughtfully. Joey was interested.



“He lacks control? How much control does he have?”



“About half, at most. He was taught the basics by someone, but he can't control how much he puts behind it. Especially the more complex stuff.” Shaun seemed worried. “I'm glad that he's well aware of it though.”



“Why? Wouldn't it hinder his progress by knowing that he can overdo it easily?” Korvi put in, confused.



“Not him. He rarely uses magic anyway, because of that.” Shaun almost smiled. “He doesn't like magic much anyway. I'm not sure why.”

“Maybe he had too much experience with people misusing it.” Tess mused. Shaun nodded.



“At least that's part of it.” He acknowledged.



“Hold on,” Vex broke in. “None of us has that type of magical potential, not even Tess. Why do you think this boy would be related to us? Alken is a common family name.”



“There is a very good reason why. And I told you why I think there is a connection.” Shaun seemed a little frustrated.



“I just can't see a boy that age surviving on his own.” Joey pointed out.



“We gave Loris up for dead years ago.” Lauren stated flatly. “We never found him, or heard what had happened to him. He might have died in the spell for all we know.”



“That's what makes it likely.” Shaun insisted. Joey, catching the rising tension in the room, cut in before people started shouting.



“Then lets find out.” He spoke reasonably. “We can talk to your friend-”



“I don't know where he is,” Shaun cut in.



“Then we can try the locator spell. If he's alive, it will show us where he is. If he's dead, then nothing should happen.” Joey continued. Tess and Vex glanced at each other for a while.



“Alright,” Vex sighed. “When?”

“Three days, I think. I need to brush up on the spell before we try.” Shaun nodded,satisfied.

















































Chapter Two







They met at a clearing not too far away. Joey said the spell worked best at night so it was dusk by the time Vex, Korvi, Shaun, and Joey all got there.



Joey had already set up the base for the spell. Now he added the final touches as it grew fully dark. Vex studied the spell as he worked. A circle, ten feet in diameter was the edge of the spell. Composed of symbols drawn in white, it seemed to shine in the fading light. Korvi lit a torch he had brought as the stars came into view.



Joey sat back, finished. “We're ready,”He breathed. The three of them stood behind him as he activated the spell, then stepped back a pace. White light burst from the circle, flowing to form a sphere. For a while that was all that happened.



“Somethings wrong,” Joey said worried. “It shouldn't do this--”



The spell set off a series of cracks, as four of the symbols, each at a corner of the spell, turned a pale green, then seemed to squirm into different ones. The white sphere turned transparent, then vanished. A dark figure lay in the center of the spell, a child from the look of it.



Shaun stepped forward, saying “Are they hurt or did the spell knock them out?”



Thats when they heard the screams. As they turned they could see a red/yellow glow over the trees. “The village!” Korvi cried. Without even thinking, they all ran to find out what was going on. Vex, who ran constantly in forests, reached the village first.



Vampires were snatching up victims, others were attacking men and women who tried to stop them. Several houses were on fire, the flames spreading to other houses. The occupants who ran out were grabbed by more vampires.



Vex plunged unthinking into the fray, Korvi, Joey, and Shaun following. There must have been at least fifty vampires diving, feasting, or attacking. It was too many for the tired families. The un-dead overwhelmed the village and then left, leaving quiet save for the burning houses.

















































































Chapter three









Vex jerked awake. Sunlight from his window suggested that it was early evening. He sat up. Next to him on the bed, Tess shifted and sat up as well.



“Any idea what happened?” she asked him. Vex shook his head. Carefully he swung his legs over and stood up.



“My injuries from the vampires are gone.” Tess nodded. Getting dressed, Vex and Tess headed out of their room. The house was silent. Vex stepped onto the front porch and stopped short. A young man was sitting on the steps, leaning against the railing. “Who are you?” He demanded, realizing he didn't know the boy.



Either dosing off or out of it, the boy jerked to his feet and spun around, startled. He caught himself on the railing and sighed to calm down. “Good, you're finally awake. I was starting to worry.” Unsure how to respond, Vex studied the boy. Soft black hair fell to deep brown eyes, the dark shadows underneath suggesting that the boy had been dosing off. He appeared to be about fifteen, and thin. A long sleaved black shirt and matching full length pants comprised most of his outfit. The pair of short boots he wore were also black, but he had a white vest over his shirt, fastened with a thick black belt. A leather belt attached to a sheathed sword worn over the boy's left shoulder and a long elven dagger on the right side of his belt surmised the boy's weapons.



“Who are you? And why are you here?” Vex finally said. The boy watched him for a moment.



“My name is Loris.” Vex felt his jaw drop. Regaining control of himself, Vex shook his head.



“What did you say?” The boy looked confused.



“My name is Loris Alken.” It took a moment for Vex to get his mouth to work.



“How old are you?” He managed. Now the boy stared at him again.



“Fifteen. I woke up in a clearing not far from here and found this village after the vampire attack. Why?” Vex froze.



“How did you know it was vampires?” The voice belonged to Diligent, who was standing behind Loris. The dragon who served as Joey's partner was in a human form that had dark skin and white hair. The only unusual thing about him was his gray eyes that regarded the boy thoughtfully. Loris didn't turn around.



“I've seen my fair share of vampire attacks.” His tone indicated that he'd seen more than his fair share of attacks. Vex cocked his head.



“You look tired. When was the last time you slept?” Loris glanced up.



“I don't know.” Diligent silently walked up behind the boy and put his hand over Loris's eyes. The boy collapsed.



“What did you do to him?!” Vex demanded. Diligent hefted the boy into his arms.



“He's just sleeping. I didn't hurt him.”The dragon was calm. “Do you have a room for him?” It took Vex a moment to calm down.

“Diligent, Why did you do that?”His tone was calm, he noted with relief.



“He's exhausted. And something tells me he's hurt as well.” Diligent seemed annoyed now. “Do you have a room for him or not?” Sighing, Vex contemplated the question.



“I suppose we can put him in his room, as all the guest rooms are full.” They headed back inside. In the kitchen, Tess glanced up in concern.



“Where did you find him?” She asked, staring at the boy in Diligent arms. “And who is he?” Scratching his head, Vex shrugged.



“He was falling asleep on the front porch. Diligent knocked him out.” He admitted. Diligent started towards the stairs, Tess following him.



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



Loris jerked awake and sat up. Surveying his surroundings, he took slow deep breaths to calm down. I know this room. He realized. It's my room. Carefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he continued studying the room. After a moment, he placed a thoughtful hand on his side. It doesn't hurt as much. And I can move better. What happened? I was talking to Vex and... then everything went black. Loris stood up.



Wait, Tess is the village healer, and she's married to Vex. But who knocked me out? The dragon was behind me, and – Oh. I get it. He knocked me out while I was focused on Vex. Diligent. Well, I do feel a lot better now. While he was thinking, Loris pushed open the door to his room. It's dark out, so I've been asleep for most of the day. At least. Making his way down the hall, Loris sensed six sleeping minds.



Joey, Shaun, Lauren, Vex, Diligent, and Tess. Huh. I didn't think Lauren would still be here, but-wait she was training under Tess. So she would still be a apprentice. Loris froze. He could feel Vex waking up.



Vex carefully sat up. Stretching, he started getting dressed. I'm getting a little old for this. He yawned. Wondering what he should take for lunch and contemplating breakfast, he opened the door of his room.



Then he yanked his hand back as the door hit something. As he paused, Vex heard a soft thud. Carefully edging his way around the door, Vex spotted Loris sitting on the floor. The boy had one hand holding his head while he peered up at Vex. “I forgot how early you need to wake up.”



“Sorry. I didn't think you'd be awake already.” Vex reached down and helped Loris to his feet.



“What happened? I don't remember much.” The boy asked, still holding one hand to his head. Vex grimaced.



“Diligent noticed that you were not well, so he put you to sleep. Your old room was the only one available, so that's where we put you.” He explained. The boy looked at the floor. Vex noticed he was still holding his head. “Did I hit you that hard?” Loris's gaze snapped back up to Vex.



“No, No. You just startled me. That's all.” He said carefully. With a firm grip, Vex pulled the boy's arm away from his face. A fading red mark was all. Loris's expression seemed to say 'see, I'm alright'. A sound from behind them surprised them. Tess was glaring at them from the bedroom.



“You,” she stabbed a finger at Loris, “are supposed to be resting. You,” this time pointing at Vex, “need to take it easy. And there are other people who are sleeping. So quiet down.” Marching towards them, Tess grabbed Loris's arm and dragged him back to his room, leaving Vex staring after her.