Chapter Text
“Ireena?” Vasili sounds nervous, even as Lady Wachter takes a confident stand in the middle of the stage. “I think something is wrong. I think you should –“ He doesn’t finish his sentence before the screams erupt. There were crates under the stage, crates that you assumed were simply holding supplies for the festival. They burst open with the sound of tearing wood. Lightning arcs across the sky, followed almost instantly by thunder. This can’t be happening, you think. Ismark swore Vallaki was safe. The baron, though repulsive, was at least effective at keeping out the monsters that plagued you in Barovia village. Vasili grabs your arm. “Ireena, we need to run!” You wrench your arm out of his grip. You run, yes — towards the vampire spawn that burst free and turned on the crowd.
Lady Wachter catches sight of what you’re doing. “Protect the crowd!” she commands, and a bolt of crackling, blood red magic shoots towards the nearest red-eyed monster. To Vasili, she yells, “Do something!” That’s perfectly laughable, you think, bringing your sword around in an arc. He’s worse in a fight than you, and you know just enough that you’ll probably get yourself killed. But no, Vasili has a sword of his own and he looks suddenly like he knows how to use it. He decapitates the spawn threatening you with a single fluid motion.
“Shit,” you pant, moments later, as four or more spawn lie dead in a bloody pile. You killed one. Lady Wachter’s magic killed another. Vasili somehow managed two. Lady Wachter is still on the stage. She looks out towards the rest of the city. Over the rain, you hear screams. “There are more,” she says. You look around and grab Vasili’s arm. You can see figures prowling on the rooftops. He nods. He sees them too. “Where should we go?” you ask. “Who’s the most vulnerable?” Lady Wachter hesitates, looks at Vasili. “The orphanage,” she says, after a moment.
You throw your wet hair over your shoulder and nod, trying to project more confidence than you really feel. Vasili sighs. “Is there a chance I could ask you to go home?” he asks. “The townhome is probably safe. I’ve paid for wards.” This surprises a laugh out of you. “Children need our help,” you say. Vasili shakes his head, but he’s half smiling. “I think this is why I love you,” he says.
You’re too surprised to respond, but Lady Wachter saves you from trying. “If you two are going to help, then move,” she orders. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I doubt very much that anyone else will be able to get things under control.”
She leads you through the streets like a general. Whenever you see people fleeing, you all herd them towards the nearest home. “They can’t enter without an invitation,” Vasili assures a young man with a smile. “Don’t let anyone in you don’t know,” Lady Wachter commands a scared family. “We’re taking care of this,” you lie with a smile to a grandmother and her infant grandchild. “Just stay inside.”
The matron of the orphanage has already taken precautions when you get there. By “precautions”, she’s stationed herself at the doorway with a broom handle. Spawn are menacing the building. She’s bleeding, and only another well-timed bolt of magic from Lady Wachter saves her from dying to the spawn menacing her. You and Vasili run to take her position; with the three of you, it isn’t impossible to dispatch the remaining vampires. It’s hard, though. One gets a lucky blow past your armor — and aren’t you glad you chose to wear a breastplate to a festival! — and you cry out in pain. Vasili skewers the creature before it can do worse, but you’re left badly shaken. “Can you move the children to the church?” Lady Wachter asks in a low voice. Matron Belasco shakes her head. “They’re too scared,” she says. “Surely, a house…” Lady Wachter nods. “Most likely. Tell them to keep away from doors and windows. Don’t let anyone else in.”
“Should we move towards the church?” you ask Vasili. He shakes his head. “I’d rather make sure as many people as possible are safe, first,” he says. “But you can stay here. It’s safe now.” You sigh. “No,” you say. “I agree with you. We have to protect people.” You kiss his cheek and he smiles. “Rictavio must be somewhere around here,” you suggest. “We could try to find him, maybe bolster our numbers a little.” Vasili concedes that it isn’t the worst idea. “Where do you think he might be?” he asks. “The inn?” You nod.
Lady Wachter refuses to follow you to the inn. She has to reach her daughter, she says. Stella won’t know how to keep herself safe. You offer to escort her, but she assures you that she can look after herself. Having seen the evidence of this, you reluctantly part ways.
You take cover from the spawn prowling the rooftops by keeping to the shadows. Vasili is a lot better at this than you expected. He pulls you into a corner just as you hear the thud of boots and scrape of claws on the shingles overhead. You’re both hardly breathing, staring wide-eyed at each other, until you hear the creature leap away. You almost laugh with relief but daren’t draw the thing back.
The doors of the blue water inn are locked when you reach them. Vasili swears, though he’s clearly trying to keep his voice down. “The inn isn’t a house,” he realizes. “They can come and go as freely as we can.” Your throat is dry. “I don’t hear screams,” you croak. “They must be fine.” Vasili shrugs. It’s not like either of you are healers. If they’re not fine, then they’re on their own.
“I guess we keep going,” you say. You do still hear commotion, even over the rain, so clearly there are more people you can help. Vasili looks uncomfortable, but nods. “I can’t persuade you to focus on yourself?” He asks. You smile, but shake your head. “The people need us,” you remind him. “How many people can the spawn kill?” He isn’t sure, but the possible body count is clearly high.
A girl’s scream cuts through the storm from a few streets away. You dash from cover to cover towards it, splashing through mud and puddles. The rain makes it hard to see, a blessing and a curse. You can’t be seen either. Vasili grabs your arm again as you’re about to dart out from the alley. “This could be a trap,” he warns. “I think I smell something strange.” You don’t smell anything but rain and dust and blood, but you assume he’s catching something you’ve missed. You nod. “I’ll be careful,” you say, and raise your sword in a protective guard. Vasili does the same.
A girl is in the doorway of a shop. A haphazard ring of dark powder circles the doorway. Bodies lie in the street, their throats ripped out. Viscera have been flung around like disgusting streamers. You can smell what Vasili smelled now, and you gag. Vasili keeps you standing and helps you stagger to the girl in the doorway. Her face is as white as a sheet. She stares at Vasili. “What are you doing here?” She asks. He pushes his dripping hair out of his face. “I could ask the same of you,” he says. “What’s this?” He gestures at the dark ring with his sword. The girl steps back into the shop. “It wards off fiends,” she says. “There were demons in the streets.” She waves for you to come inside. Vasili half carries you over the threshold. You’re too busy trying to keep down the contents of your stomach to resist too hard.
Once over the ring, Vasili helps you to a chair and slams the shop door. “Fiends?” He demands. The girl hands you a rag so you can dry yourself off a little. You do so and try to focus on the conversation. “Whoever set this up must have decided that vampire spawn just weren’t enough,” the girl says. “Who’s your friend, Vasili?” Vasili looks almost angry with the girl, but he sheaths his sword rather than snap at her. “Ireena,” he says to you, “Meet a…companion of mine. This is Volenta.” Volenta looks like she’s trying to act cheerful despite the circumstances. She dips a curtsey to you. “I’ve known Vasili for a while,” she says. “Sorry he couldn’t introduce you under better conditions. Are you hurt?” She digs through a basket and pulls out torn strips of fabric. Before you can reassure her, she’s bandaging your arm. “Humans do much better with their blood on the inside,” she tells you. “Especially when hungry spawn are on the prowl. Vasili should take better care of you.”
That seems to get rid of his annoyance. He laughs. “I try, but it’s hard when she’ll defend anyone and everyone. I assumed we were safe inside the city, but apparently not.” Volenta shakes her head. “Seriously? Vampires have hunted here for years. You didn’t seriously believe that stupid Vargas Vallakovich, did you?” You express some disbelief that she’s willing to speak out like this. She knots the bandage with a snort. “Please,” she says. “Like anyone can hear us. Anyway, who would mess with one of Vasili’s friends? He works for Lord Von Zarovich, after all.” Her last sentence is teasing. Vasili rolls his eyes.
You stand, a little less shakily. “Should we do something about the demons?” You ask. The idea scares you, but who else is there? Volenta looks nervous but Vasili gives a decisive nod. “Yes,” he says. “We should slay them, and Volenta should help. We can use her unique gifts.” Volenta wrinkles her nose, but doesn’t protest. She pulls on a hooded cloak with a wolf-fur collar. There’s a dagger tucked into her belt, you notice. She follows you back into the rain and you begin to track the carnage to the demons.
Your hair sizzles as a bolt of inky black magic flies too close to your braid. The last of the ravenous demons falls before it can get its teeth into your ankle. Vasili stomps on its skull for good measure as it vanishes into thin air. Volenta laughs and falls back against a building. You wipe your sword on the now soggy rag she gave you. “Demons are worse than spawn,” you sigh. “Yes,” Vasili agrees. He glares at Volenta like all of this is her fault. “You’re going to draw this later, aren’t you?” She only smiles before another thunder clap interrupts the conversation. A flaming horse appears up the street and gallops towards you. It bears a rider: a striking dark-skinned woman in a pristine white dress. Her many gold-adorned braids stream behind her. She’s beautiful, but you can see the crimson red of her eyes even in this light. She’s a vampire. You pull yourself to attention and jerk your sword back out. The woman dismounts and raises a hand.
“Peace,” she says. Volenta crosses her arms. Vasili holds your sword arm. “You’re very impressive,” the woman says to you. “Lord Von Zarovich sends his regards.” Vasili frowns. “He does, does he?” He says. The woman smiles. “Oh yes,” she says.
You swallow hard. You remember Von Zarovich’s burning eyes well enough, the pain of his teeth at your throat. You lean towards Vasili for comfort. “I offer apologies on behalf of Castle Ravenloft for all of this…unpleasantness,” the woman says. She draws a folded envelope out of her sleeve. You see the red wax seal. “As the present mistress of the castle, I would like to gift you an invitation by way of reparations. Your feast was quite interrupted. Allow us to make amends.” You see her fangs when she smiles. You take the envelope. Your hand is only shaking a little.
“May I ask your name?” You say. Your voice is steady. The woman’s smile doesn’t falter. “I am Ludmilla Vilisevic,” she says. “You are, of course, Ireena Kolyana. My condolences for your late father. Kolyan Indirovich was a loyal man.” There are layers to that statement, but the wave of grief prevents you from deciphering them. You nod and open the letter to Strahd von Zarovich’s spidery script. It makes your skin crawl. Beside you, Vasili says, “Is that all?” He waves at the buildings that surround you. Dark shapes, gleaming eyes, are moving on the roofs. There are still many spawn at large.
Ludmilla sighs. “Oh yes,” she says. She snaps her fingers and the shifting mass of monsters begins moving —
Towards the city gate.
The spawn swarm out of the town. Within minutes, they’re gone. The rain still falls but some of the energy seems to have gone out of the storm. Ludmilla smiles at you and bows her head slightly. “We will expect you in two evenings’ time,” she says. “If you do not have suitable attire, don’t worry. We can provide it.”
“I don’t wish to be the feast,” you say. Ludmilla laughs. “Of course not,” she says. “On his Lordship’s honor. You will be under hospitality until you leave.”
Volenta whispers in your ear, “That means she won’t bite unless you ask.” The girl giggles. You frown. Vasili glares at Volenta. “Of course, we cannot refuse an invitation from Lord Von Zarovich…” he says. Ludmilla shakes her head. “Not you, Vasili von Holtz,” she says. “The lady only.” He frowns, but she is already remounting the nightmare horse. “Do not be late,” she says. Then, she turns the beast around and vanishes into the rain.
“Well, shit,” you say.