She was musing over how hard burning the police station down might be when Myla pushed into an office and spoke to the thin man inside. Kasia followed in quietly, bracing for a tedious game of telephone. She didn't understand what the sheriff said, she assumed that was who the thin man was, until he looked directly at her and surprised her and Myla by swapping to Polish. He smiled thinly as he spoke, “You must be the Miss Mazur that Miss Lesnik has told me about. Do you prefer to be addressed as Miss Mazur, Katarzyna, or Kasia? Or do you prefer Archivist Mazur?”
Kasia's face split into a toothy smile, “Well well, looks like the world hasn't completely forgotten me! Kasia is fine Sheriff…?” He bowed slightly, “Sheriff Mortimer Montok at your service ma’am. I had hoped that my contacts in Europe hadn't led me astray when I asked after you Kasia, and it seems I wasn't disappointed. Would you like to take a seat?” He gestured to one across from him and she flopped into it inelegantly, “Thanks! And don't worry, the reports that I'm not one of the vampires that stand on formality are true.”
He chuckled as he sat, “I hope you will excuse me if I am cautious and act respectfully anyway. It's not often you meet an elder vampire.” She sighed, “Please at least don't keep saying elder. It makes me feel older than I am… but then again I guess the elders of my age are ancient now aren't they? Hmm. Look, I like to act the age I appear, not the one I am. Er mostly. The age I was turned at? The point is, please don't treat me like a revered elder or something, I'm not wiser than anyone or anything else out there. Just been around.”
The sheriff smiled ruefully, “So it seems. Very well Kasia, I'll disperse with most of the formality. So I understand you have been in torpor for the last… let's round and say hundred and fifty years. That's a lot of time to catch up on.” She fidgeted and ignored the tightness in her chest. She didn't like thinking about how long it had been, “Yeah. I'm taking notes but I haven't exactly had a lot of time to ask questions really. You're the second person I've met who actually understands any language I know after all. I do understand that if I had a phone it would be easier somehow, but I'm taking that at face value from Myla here. Not that she's given me a reason to distrust her mind you, she's been a sweetheart really.”
He kept a neutral face as he nodded, “So sweet as to let you feed off her.” Kasia could hear his heart rate pick up ever so slightly. Was he seeing if she would lie? “Did she tell you that sheriff?” He shook his head, “No but I know her well enough to know she isn't the kind of woman to be that hungover when coming to work. After hearing you were a vampire, I assumed you were why she was pale, shaky, and looked so tired.” She nodded along, “I see.” She could almost smell the lie on him. Interesting, why pretend she hadn't told him?
Was he protecting Myla? Maybe. But from what? Making her think Myla couldn't be trusted? Or maybe he wanted to see if she could tell? Still, the explanation was simple, “She offered to feed me and I did bite her, yes.” He was clearly trying to read her face. Most people heard poker face and assumed it only meant you kept a neutral expression to be unreadable. She hated that method, it gave away far too much. Instead she picked an expression and stuck to it whenever she wasn't talking. An amused smile and bored eyes. Then he nodded, “That was very generous of her.”
He pulled out a folder with paperwork in it and set it on his desk, “So. I understand you're still in the shadows, but you were considering coming out of them. Or at least wanted to be able to function in society again.” She cocked her head to the side, “I think so? I've only been awake again for two weeks or so, at this point I mostly want to know my options as much as anything else.” Montok nodded along, “Understandable. Most people who spent their long lives in the shadows are uncomfortable with the idea of being in the open. Worried about hunters and fearful mortals. It's reasonable.”
He shuffled his papers in front of him, “How about I ask my required questions about you, explain your options, and then you can take any amount of time you need to consider what you might like to do?” Kasia slowly nodded, “Sure. What are the required questions?” He held up a paper, “I have to ask certain questions about your capabilities, if they have certain qualities then we will have to discuss laws based around them. As an example, the first question is, are you capable of controlling minds?” She blew out a breath, “Aaaah yes that makes sense. Truth spells to verify?”
He nodded, “Just so.” She nodded, “Well to be specific on my type of vampire, I am of the bloodlines. None of my vampiric gifts can control minds, but my actual blood can when it is drunk by another. I'm going to assume that controlling minds is fundamentally illegal with edge cases for use in self defense that I shouldn't rely on saving me?” He blinked, “That… is accurate yes, I thought you hadn't been instructed on this yet?” She shrugged, “That's basically how this has always worked, and typically include exceptions for people who either give themselves over willingly or for use as a legal punishment.”
She gestured lazily at a window as if to include the world at large, “Most organized societies among the supernatural set similar rules. While details change from place to place and often excluded mortals, I can't think of a reason a modern society would deviate from those norms.” He smiled, “Ah, then none of the laws will be particularly surprising to you then. You also cannot turn someone without their express consent and they must be of sound mind. Unfortunately that means you can't use that to save people in emergencies unless consent already exists.”
She nodded along, “That follows my own personal ethos too. Actually on that note, I do know an alchemic method to purge the forced obedience from a vampire's blood for mortal consumption. I'm more than willing to teach that process for free to anyone that wants to learn. It's not cheap and it's not easy, but it works on every bloodline I've used it on so far.” He sat back a moment and studied her, “You are an odd one Miss Mazur. I would certainly like to have a copy of that process.” Her smile widened, “Please, just Kasia, Mister Montok. Your next question?”
He glanced at his list and set it down, “You are a known figure Kasia, even if it's by legend these days, so really these questions are a formality. So I will instead ask the most important thing I need an answer to. First, you are a mage, correct?” She frowned at that question, “I can use magic but I am not a mage. I'm far closer to a witch or enchanter really, and I use alchemy as well.” He nodded, “But you were well known as owning three texts of particular note. The Book of Souls, the Book of Binding, and a copy of the infamous necronomicon."
She nodded, “That would be correct, though the necronomicon turned out to have a vastly over inflated reputation. It had very little to do with the undead and most of it focused on demons and creatures of darkness. The entire book is essentially a trap for idiots that think they can outwit aeon old creatures.” He nodded, “And the other two?” She was quiet for a moment, “Those…. Those were the real thing. No less dangerous, but Solomon wrote them as his own research notes not as texts to be distributed. It's why they had such simple names.”
She decided to keep away from telling him too much about their purposes, “They didn't teach anything, they just laid out facts, failed workings, and then noted what did and didn't work. Technically there isn't a single complete working in either one, but the knowledge in them was breathtaking.” He tapped his pen in a thoughtful rhythm on the table, “I see. Necromancy is strictly outlawed, even with the consent of the former person. It's simply considered too unseemly to use and is judged to be desecration of a corpse.”
She nodded, “Acceptable to me.” He met her eye, “All soul working is as well. It's considered a practice of the mad and cruel.” Her gaze didn't leave his, “Agreed. I don't know a single soul working that isn't painful to the soul.” Silence lingered just long enough for her to wonder. What had he heard? What rumors were going around about her these days? And where had the books ended up? Finally he went back to his paperwork and started filling things out, “Good to know. Let's talk about your options then.”
He gestured at her, “The first is to simply remain in the shadows. No real paperwork will be kept on you, just a note that there is a vampire that exists. The requirement of that is for you to remain in an exclusive zone. It doesn't need to be the one here and you're allowed to travel between them through certain private channels, but you have to remain in an exclusion zone. It grants you the freedom to act to your base nature without any legal repercussions. It does not stop something else in the zone from killing you either though, just so you're aware. Laws of nature and all that.”
She slowly nodded as he continued, “Next is to become a private citizen of the preserves. You join the residents of the town here as a new neighbor and you live your life. Officially you'll be a citizen of the Draconian Unity, you may travel freely between preserves and exclusion zones, and you only need a passport to visit other countries. But you are required to follow all of the Unity's laws and pay their taxes. Your identity and nature will be on your citizen paperwork, which if you leave the preserves can be seen by governmental officials.”
He set his paperwork down, “Finally, we can help you gain citizenship wherever you wish. This does require us informing the country of who and what you are, and we have no control over their actions afterwards.” Kasia blew out a slow breath, “Well that's not much of a choice… mmm but then again if I wanted anything else then I shouldn't have come here. Can I change my mind later if I don't like my choice?” Montok shrugged, “As much as anyone can yes. That's simply going through normal immigration.”
She laughed, “Fair. So what's staying here look like for me? What can I expect for help to get me back on my feet?” He tapped a different sheet, “We fill this out, get you a cheap phone with a six month plan, get you in a motel room on an extended stay rate, and then help you get a job. Since you have such a specialized diet, you'll have to have your meals provided through the Unity unless you find… willing donors to provide it. This would come with a small delivery expense you'll need to cover, but it's as simple as that.”
He thought a moment then smiled, “Oh, and you may have a transition companion to help you get through the next few months if you like. Either we can assign you one, or you may ask someone to do it too. If you would rather not have a formal assistant like that then you can decline it, it mainly makes them your emergency contact if anything unpleasant happens.” Kasia nodded, “Can I have a second to think?” He sat back, “Of course. I'll catch Miss Lesnik up on our discussion while you do.”
Kasia felt a sharp pain and a glance down showed she had started picking at her fingers at some point. She had just ripped some skin off. That was a new tick. What was the sheriff reading off it? It didn't matter in the end, she already knew she was going to join the preserve. Staying out in the exclusion zone wasn't appealing and she wasn't going back to Poland blindly. She didn't belong anywhere anymore so one place was as good as the next really. Well that wasn't entirely true, she at least found one sympathetic soul here so that was a boon.
Did she want to drag Myla around though? It didn't stop them from spending time together if she didn't. If they didn't end up hating each other in a few months anyway. Physical attraction didn't mean they were compatible as people. Myla touched her arm, “You can have him mark me as your companion. I don't mind helping you.” She looked at Myla and felt a soft smile take over her face. She had promised herself to give this an honest try right? A first step. “Yeah. Yeah that sounds good, if it's okay Sheriff.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
He nodded, “Of course. Now one last thing.” He shifted the papers, “Well not exactly the last thing, we're going to fill in plenty of personal information for you to be a citizen of the Unity. But the last thing you need to start considering tonight, even if you don't make an immediate decision. What job you might like to be placed at.” Kasia stretched, she wanted to move, to be doing something physical. Instead she nodded to the sheriff, “I’ve only done two jobs in my unlife. Soldiering and teaching.”
Montok nodded, “I see. You don't consider your magical capabilities to be a profession?” She shrugged, “They're a fascination, something I love to learn about and practice, but I don't do that for money. I try not to mix my hobbies and my income unless I have to. I'll have to think on it, depending on what jobs there are here.” The sheriff tapped his pen on the table, “Well with your knowledge as well, there are a few jobs that you could do. Your nocturnal nature limits our options, but there's the bar Fox Tales first. They always need new wait staff, but the owner told me that they do need a new third shift bartender right now too.”
He checked his notes, “The local diner, the Midnight Hour, is short a waitress right now. One of their night staff moved out of town after winning a large sum of money in a contest. The motel needs a new security guard as well, the last one was caught napping on the job, and the park rangers are always looking for new staff.” She studied the ceiling for a moment, “Mind if I take the night to think on it? I'll be back tomorrow night and pick one no matter what, I just want to get an idea of what I'm getting into. I figure I can stop by most of those jobs and ask the staff what it's like working there.”
He smiled, “You can take a few days if you like, there's not an immediate rush to get you a job. It just makes your life easier. Let's get your personal information filled in for your citizenship paperwork, and we can wrap this up for the night.” It was tedious. Where she came from, who she was, when she was born. Who her family was. She was grateful that Myla stepped out to take a call during that part, she didn't want to be asked well meaning questions about her family line ending with her unlife.
He also helped her activate the prepaid phone, she was suddenly grateful for her notes from earlier. Montok finalized the paperwork and shook her hand, “Well Miss Katarzyna Mazur, let me be the first to formally welcome you to the town of Greenmist. I hope you'll find it to be as much a home for you as it is for me.” She gave him a fanged smile, “Thank you sheriff. I look forward to living here.” She started to stand when the sheriff suddenly spoke, “Ah, I almost forgot! Is the name Gregory Duvall familiar at all?”
She paused and felt her body shift through expressions on its own into a reflexive frown of thought. Had his body been found then? Or had he been reported missing? She hadn't expected to be asked about this, but he wasn't the first to try and ambush her with a question like that. And his attempt was amateur at best. She settled back down into her seat, “Not immediately no, why?” He fished into his desk and pulled out a folder, “We had a poacher go missing in the exclusion zone recently, it happens on occasion and usually means they're dead, but we so far haven't found his body. Since you came from there not long ago, I was hoping you might be able to help.”
He pulled papers out of the file, the man's face was on the front. She felt a chill run up her spine as a shade leaned over her shoulder. A shade more solid than the others and wearing that man's face. She focused on the sheriff's words to distract herself from him, “We just need to find out what happened to him, see if there's a reason to send a rescue party out looking for him or not.” She could smell the lie on his lips, but she didn't know him well enough to tell what he was lying about. Could she be in trouble here? Was this worth lying about?
A voice whispered in her ear, “He has truth spells. He saw your lie and answered with a lie.” A familiar shade but not one she liked to look in the eye. She studied the picture, why hadn't he called her on the lie? To trap her? Or maybe… she slowly put the paper down, “Sheriff, what do the laws say about poachers being killed by wild animals in the exclusion zone?” He paused and his tone was careful as he answered, “We don't enforce laws on animals, Archivist.” She nodded slowly and decided on a partial truth.
“You're aware that I awoke in a bunker?” He nodded and she continued, “There were several starved vampires inside that bunker including myself. My memories from that time aren't entirely clear, but I remember having to kill them too. Starved vampires aren't sane you see.” His gaze didn't waver, “It must have been harrowing, but how is it related to our missing poacher?” Time for the carefully worded truth, “Because I do recognize his face, he was a victim of one of the mad vampires in the bunker. He is dead, though I couldn't tell you for certain where his body is now.”
She caught the motion when he glanced at whatever truth spell he was using to check her story. He slowly nodded, “I see. His body wouldn't still be in the bunker?” Another careful answer, “That was the last place I saw it, but the door to the bunker was left open. It's possible you'll find his corpse somewhere out in the forest instead.” Montok closed the folder as he considered that, “I see. Thank you for telling me Archivist, we won't have to risk lives out in the exclusion zone now.” She nodded, “Sorry that I can't assist further. Was there anything else?”
He started to shake his head no, then hesitated, “N- well just one thing. Do you know much about veils?” She frowned, “Yes actually. I used to be considered an expert on the subject of them, I dealt with them often on my expeditions. Why?” He drummed his fingers on his desk, “We recently got a report of one with black magic signatures around it-” She sat up, “Out in the exclusion zone around a clearing?” He blinked at her, “Yes, you know about it?” She scowled, she had forgotten about that summoning circle. How?
Wait, she had been led past a veil without breaking it? Her scowl deepened, “I need a pen. Or chalk or marker, just something to draw with, and a mirror.” The sheriff blinked at her and she snapped her fingers, “Quick now!” The sheriff looked hesitant but pulled a marker out of his desk and offered it to her along with a shaving mirror. She snatched them up and quickly started drawing on her forehead. She could already feel the veil trying to suppress the memory again, but luckily the rune was simple.
Once it was complete she poured a little willpower into it and it felt like a tension she hadn't felt was eased in her head. She groaned and relaxed into her chair as she set the mirror and marker down, “Damn. I didn't even notice that one.” Montok was looking at the rune with fascination, “Didn't notice what exactly?” She lifted a hand palm up, “The veil was blocking the memory of itself in my mind. It's… veils have a lot of tricks to them. They can redirect people around them so you don't even touch them, they stop you from entering, and the more clever ones make you forget them if you see them. Or get inside.”
Montok looked alarmed, “So dozens of people could stumble on a veil and just never realize it?” She nodded, “Certainly, and even if they slipped inside somehow like I did then it doesn't matter if you forget you did. They're bubbles of altered reality so you can do a lot with them. Actually it explains why no one sensed the magic, it's self contained. It was probably residue from my passage that they found around it actually.” Montok leaned forward, “So you know what's inside?” She nodded, “And it's not pretty sheriff. A mass sacrifice summoning ritual, though I couldn't tell what was called up.”
He breathed out slowly, “Damn. Any idea why the unicorns might be having trouble breaking the veil?” She frowned and considered the question before nodding, “Dissonant magic nature is the most likely answer. Unicorns are creatures of pure nature magic, cousins of the archfae. They might be some of the most powerful creatures alive, but their nature means they have hard limits. If they're struggling… outer dimension magic source, it'll either be divine in nature or connected to one of the more esoteric extra planner beings.”
He nodded, “I see. Since you saw the site already, any insight as to what we're dealing with?” Just thinking about the ritual site brought back the stink of the corpses to her nose. She pursed her lips, “I would start by testing for a chthonic divinity. Follow it up by checking the infernal and go from there. Whoever investigates that will need a strong stomach too. It's rare to see that many bodies outside battlefields, and something mutilated them.” Montok tapped his pen on his table, “Could a mage make a veil on their own? I heard the sorcerer kings did it.”
She shook her head, “No.” He waited, then frowned, “Just no?” She nodded, “Just no. The sorcerer kings didn't do it on their own, they needed to have servants do it. Or to soul meld with something that can. This isn't a thing you just make with a lot of magical might and a dream, you need to have the right nature to do it. A dragon could do it, or a unicorn. Any of the high fae could, but they share a nature with the unicorns so they would recognize that.” He drummed his fingers on his desk, “How did you get inside? And if magic isn't effective against this, then why did those runes work?”
She hesitated before sighing, “I can't tell you a lot of the details. The short answer though? I'm blessed by a patron and those runes come from them. These only work on me, but you don't need them anyway. The unicorns could remove the memory block on anyone else that has one from the veil, they're just hard to notice unless you're looking for them.” He pursed his lips, “And you got in…” She shrugged, “Because my patron opened the way. Probably so I could tell you about this now.” He frowned at her, “Why? Like if they care enough to bring you there then why not dispell it?”
She frowned back at him, “I assume it's a plan of some sort, if they wanted me to handle it then they wouldn't have left the memory block in place either. But I was brought there without an explanation. Divine beings only explain themselves when it has a purpose, most of the time they just do things and expect us to figure it out.” Montok rubbed his temples like he was getting a headache, “I see. Would you be willing to assist the unicorns with the veil?” She laughed, “Hell no, unicorns and undead don't mix. They get murdery about us.”
He shrugged, “I figured that would be the answer, but I had to ask. Well Archivist Mazur, I think that wraps things up here. If you change your mind about selling your magical expertise, then please let me know. I have a list of enchantments that I would love to have but can't figure out the spell form for. I have no doubt someone of your experience would have them done in an afternoon.” She stood and he followed her up, offering a hand to shake. She smiled at him, “Of course sheriff.”
She stepped out into the hallway and spotted Myla still on the phone. She was speaking in English so she didn't know what she was saying but she sounded annoyed. Kasia strode down the hall, making sure to make noise with her bootheels so Myla knew she was there. The taller woman looked resigned as she ended the call, “Hey, all done?” She nodded, “Yup. Bad news of some kind?” Myla sighed, “One of the other rangers had to cut their shift early, something about his kids' babysitter having to leave. I'm getting stuck with the end of the shift, gotta head out to the tower. Want me to give you a ride somewhere before I go?”
Kasia tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Hmm. Actually, do you think I could go with you? The sheriff mentioned the rangers are hiring, I can see what a watch shift looks like for you and keep you awake for it.” Myla grinned uncertainly, “Oh! Uh sure if you like. We're not supposed to bring people with us, but given your situation I'm certain no one would be too mad. But it's going to be boring. Also, I don't need anyone to keep me awake, it's not my first late night low on sleep.”
Kasia shrugged, “That just means it'll be less boring since you'll be awake. And when the next ranger comes to relieve you, I can just hide in the truck. They'll never know I was there.” She winked at Myla and she laughed and started making her way out of the station, “Alright. I'm getting food on the way though, I haven't eaten much today and I'm starving.” Kasia linked her fingers behind her head and followed, “Sure sure. But you should eat full meals after I drink from you in the future. It makes recovery easier.”
The Ranger
Myla had hoped Kasia might want to join her. It wasn't strictly allowed, but the chief liked her, so at worst he would give her a slap on the wrist for it. She would have to endure jokes about bringing a date to see the view, but she could live with that. They stopped by one of the two fast food places in town and the only one open, a burger place that sold greasy burgers at all hours. It wasn't exactly amazing but the only other option was Midnight Hour. She loved the diner, it had amazing food and catered to the few nocturnal souls in their community, but it wasn't fast.
She couldn't put off going to the tower for that long, the chief wanted eyes there. Between grandpa's report of dark magic and reports trickling in about rangers feeling watched, the Chief was getting nervous. It was probably just fairies or satyr or maybe nymph's having some fun freaking people out again, but until they found the culprit he wasn't going to relax. The drive was pleasant enough at least, Kasia helped the time pass by asking about things she had missed.
Mainly history, how some things had advanced and how others hadn't changed. How the dragons came back. But she also offered her own stories to break up the sometimes dull topics, “So we were two panzers in with one to go and the bastards knew we were hunting them now. So of course, they pissed me off by doing the only thing I didn't want them to. They bunkered down at the old farm.” Myla grinned as they pulled up to the tower finally, “The same one you had been sleeping in? No!” The tower had a good vantage point, or at least as good of one as they could get.
There weren't a lot of places much taller than anything else around here, you could see a good section of the forest, sure, but it wasn't like they were over by the Appalachians where the right spot would let you look on forever. They wouldn't have even built the towers if they didn't also need to set up certain permanent wards. They were there so someone could watch those without giving anything an easy approach. Motion lights came on, and she knew a chime would ring up top at the same time. Simple detection tools, but effective anyway.
The truck door shut with Kasia grinning as she climbed out, “No shit. They found it too and took it over for all the same reasons we did. The Germans were bastards but not idiots.” They started up the long metal stairs, they didn't send iron sensitive changelings to these tower posts because they were made to keep fae from messing with them, “Damn. What'd you do?” Kasia shrugged, “What could we do? Clear lines of sight, double our numbers, and they had our extra ammunition. We had one panzerfaust left with us and I knew that we were racing against the dawn already.”
Her smile became predatory, “So I told Andre to use it to blow our stockpile. I figured it would make a great way to ring their bells. We weren't going to get the tank that way, it was in the barn, but we had other ways to handle it.” Myla frowned thoughtfully, “Why not the panzer?” Kasia held up a helpless hand, “Because the main problem for us was their infantry, not the damn tank. If we hit the tank and missed the kill shot we could still handle it in a half dozen ways. But we couldn't do that while also being filled with new holes. I would survive, but my men wouldn't. Unacceptable.”
