Tug-Mug: What contract?

Melissa: The one that says you Lunatacs will introduce my stories for me.

Tug-Mug: Rotten huooman.

Melissa: Come on.  Two lousy minutes.

Tug-Mug: Fine, fine.  Here ees a story called 'Thirst'.  I deedn't actually read eet, so I don't know what eet's about.

Melissa: You guys are so useless.

 

Thirst

 

                There had been a major earthquake the night before.  Luna didn't care too much what happened in the rest of Third Earth, but the Darkside was her territory, so in the morning, she sent her people out to survey the damage.  Within a few hours, all came back.  Mystan's report was the most interesting: The side of one mountain had collapsed, and there seemed to be a cave system.  But since these caves were far enough inland as to be unconnected to the realm of the Deep Ones, everyone promptly forgot about it.

 

                Which worked out well for Mystan.  The next day, he veered from his assigned patrol route, and headed back to the exposed caves.  Taking a small flashlight from a pocket in his robe, he carefully picked his way through the tunnels.  While an easy task for most, Mystan was severely claustrophobic, a condition he would never admit to.  However, if he could get what he came for, it would be worth the feeling that the mountain would collapse on him.

 

                There was light in the cavern, so Mystan switched off his flash and called, "Lord Lilith?  I have returned."

 

                The once-great Lilith sat on the other side of the flames, green eyes staring balefully at the telekinetic as he approached.  While never a beautiful creature, the demon queen was positively hideous now.  Her dark gray skin was mottled and slightly scaled, and her long white hair was stringy and unkempt.  Her gray cloak was tattered, her armour unpolished, and her face lined with age she shouldn't feel.  Her eyes, uniformly green, long ago glowed with malevolent energy, now seemed to flicker as dying flames.  She hissed, and in a voice that reminded Mystan irresistibly of gila monsters said, "Come back to gloat over me, yerin?"

 

                "Lord Yerith died in the war, as it was assumed you did," said Mystan, sitting down opposite the demoness.  "His granddaughter Luna remains."

 

                "So what?"

 

                "As Lord Yerith's second, I should be the true leader of the yerin, the Lunatacs.  But Luna has a bodyguard I cannot defeat, and I must go through him to get to her.  I need power, lord."

 

                Lilith laughed at him, a very unpleasant sound.  "Do I look like I could give you power?  Merely to survive I had to long ago devour the spirits of my poor lilin.  Those who were not killed by the war, that is.  It has been nearly fifteen hundred years of waiting and still I am weak."  She smiled, if what she did with her face could be called that.  "Perhaps you think that of you kill me, my power will go to you.  It will not work.  You are not of my blood."

 

                "I will renounce Lord Yerith and become your creature if you grant me the power to destroy Luna.  Once she is dead and the Lunatacs mine, I will command them to accept you as their true leader," offered Mystan.

 

                "Your plan has holes," hissed Lilith.  "First, you wish to lead the Lunatacs.  If you become lilin, you will not lead.  I will."

 

                "I would be second to you, Lord Lilith.  Never to Luna."

 

                "Second, I am weak.  What makes you think I have the ability to grant you power?"

 

                "Could you grant me power?"

 

                "What makes you think I can?"

 

                "The fact that you do not say no," Mystan said, triumph in his voice.  "The Fallen, since they were once Pure, cannot directly lie."

 

                "You are a clever little mouse," said Lilith.  One hand reached through the flames, catching Mystan by the throat before he could move.  Her features smoothed out, still unlovely, but again young.  Her clothing mended, her hair filled out, falling over her shoulders.  "I am weak, but only compared to my former glory," she hissed.  "My lilin are long dead.  I need servants to attend me, and you need a lord to command you.  However, the power I can grant is limited."

 

                "Luna's bodyguard is strong," Mystan gasped.  "I need to be stronger than him, or at least be able to resist his blows."

 

                Lilith released the telekinetic, who gratefully caught his breath.  "I can increase your strength," she said, "I can increase your speed and agility.  And, most importantly, I can grant you the ability to regenerate damage."

 

                Mystan smiled.  He had heard tales of the lilin warriors, and always wondered why Lord Yerith could not have pushed his yerin's evolution towards more powerful forms.  "That should work.  Do it."  With a wave of her hand and a flare of dark energy, Mystan felt the alteration spell come over him.  He doubled over in agony, then collapsed writhing on the cavern floor.  It felt as if everything inside him was twisting and changing.  After what felt like hours, but was closer to a minute and a half, the pain ceased.  Pulling himself to shaking feet he said, "What... what did you..?"  Then, flicking his tongue over newly pointed teeth he gasped, "You... you made me a..."

 

                "Vampire."  Lilith chuckled.  "You being a demon, I had to change the original design, but not much.  The yerin are evolved beings, and thus can be altered."

 

                "You tricked me!  This is not what I wanted at all!"  He knew of vampires, knew of their strengths... but also of their many weaknesses.  Silver.  Wooden stakes.  Garlic.  Worst, the need to drink blood.  The thought alone made him want to gag.  Angry, he got up and started out.

 

                "Wait, little one," Lilith called from her cavern.  "You are trapped in the mountain for the next several hours.  Remember, mouse, sunlight is deadly."

 

                Several hours.  Under the mountain.  He wondered if his nerves could take it.  Slowly he walked back to Lilith.  It was a large cavern, and maybe the fear of his new master would overshadow his claustrophobia.  Sullenly, he sat down by the fire.  "How am I to defeat Luna an her guardian with all these weaknesses?"

 

                "You will find a way.  If you do not, what use are you to me?"

 

                Mystan didn't like where the conversation was going, and tried to change the subject.  "What will we do until nightfall?"

 

                "Tell me of the outside."

 

* * *

 

                As soon as it was night, Mystan fled the caves.  Luna would yell at him for disappearing all day, but he didn't care about that.  Currently, he had a more pressing problem.

 

                This problem was hunting.  Mystan was no warrior and tended to faint at the sight of blood.  Now he had to drink the stuff to live.  Every night.  Steeling himself, he thought, I am strong.  I will adjust, but he wasn't sure if his body would obey.

 

                Thousands of years ago, when Lilith first created vampires, they were human, and had to drink human, or at least terrestrial, blood to survive.  Given his inhuman physiology, Lilith told Mystan that any blood would do, be it human or Lunatac or whatever.  He would not turn on his own people, he decided.  But everything else was so far away...  Lilith kept him from feeling his hunger until now with magic, but the spells were fading quickly.

 

                Mystan headed back to Skytomb.  There were usually at least a few bruteman slaves in the dungeons.  No one would miss it if one died.

 

* * *

 

                Feeling ill, but at least no longer in the grips of tearing vampiric hunger, Mystan went up to Skytomb's control centre.  As soon as she saw him, Luna screeched, "Mystan!  Where have you been?"

 

                Mystan's now-enhanced hearing cringed at Luna's voice.  "I was exploring the cave-in on my patrol.  Apparently it was not all settled, for a rock came loose and knocked me unconscious.  You can imagine my surprise when I awoke and found it night."  Trapped in the cave all day gave him time to come up with a plausible lie.

 

                "Hmph," Luna said.  "Since you slept all day, you get night watch.  I'm turning in."

 

                "Of course, Luna."  Yellow eyes slitted at the princess and her steed as they left.  He would not attack now.  He wanted to master his new abilities before trying them out against Amok.

 

* * *

 

                "The brutemen seem to be ill," said Alluro, unconcerned.  "That's the third one this week that has died."

 

                Mystan cursed himself.  Being on night watch meant he had no time to go out and hunt.  While Skytomb with its lack of windows was fairly safe during the day ( though he was forced to hang a blackout curtain over the window in his room ), he couldn't risk Luna sending him out.  Thus, he had focused on the brutemen.  While he only required about a litre of blood per night, the shock of blood loss killed the slaves.  He could take only a bit from two or more of the slaves, but if he left them alive, they could tell what happened.  It was unfortunate that the legends were untrue about vampiric hypnosis.  "Nothing important, I'm sure," said Mystan, hoping that Alluro didn't decide to do an autopsy.  "We can always get more."

 

                Alluro turned back to his station, leaving Mystan alone with his thoughts.  Concerning the legends, it was fortunate that it wasn't that easy to turn others.  It was untrue that being bitten by a vampire would turn you into one.  Blood contact was required.  Considering that, he wondered if he should try to turn anyone.  It might help him to have a surprise ally when he turned on Luna.  But which one?  The only Lunatac who came immediately to mind as making a good vampire was Chilla, and she would never agree to it...

                Mystan pushed thoughts of turning others aside.  Vampirism was a curse, and he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.  And even if it wasn't, there were the practical considerations.  If he by himself found it difficult to hunt, how would he cover the presence of another vampire?  No, Mystan would work alone.

 

* * *

 

                "You've been spending an awful lot of time with the slaves lately, Mystan."

 

                The telekinetic jumped, then turned to face Luna.  Amok could move very quietly when it suited him, and with Mystan somewhat preoccupied...  "I've been trying to figure out what has been killing them," he explained.  "Alluro should be the one doing this, of course, but he said he couldn't be bothered."  Which was true.  Which worked out well for Mystan.

 

                "Well, what have you found?" asked the princess.  "I'm tired of sending Knave and Tug-Mug for more of these worthless beasts."

 

                "It appears to be a disease of some sort, for they bear no marks of injury."  Not on the outside, they didn't.  Not any more.  Blood loss was too easy to notice.  "None of us yerin have actually witnessed the death of one of these creatures, but the simple fools say the afflicted collapses without warning."

 

                "Could this disease affect us?"

 

                "It hasn't yet.  I couldn't say."  Oh, yes I could, Mystan's mind added, And it will affect you as soon as Amok is out of my way.  It is unfortunate that he is immune to all psychic powers, not just telepaths.

 

                Luna was about to answer, but a tortured shriek from farther down the hall caught her attention.  Amok bounded down the corridor, followed by Mystan.

 

                The bruteman was clutching its chest, screams suddenly cut off.  "Do you want me to do something, Luna?" Mystan asked.

 

                "No," she said, holding up a hand to stop him.  "Odd.  It looks like he can't breathe.  When he dies, do an autopsy on him.  See if that's how the virus strikes, blocking the capillaries in the lungs or something."  When the bruteman finally collapsed, Luna steered Amok away.

 

                Mystan directed a feral smile at Luna.  After a few minutes, when he was sure the slave was dead, he removed his telekinetic influence.  It was unfortunate that Mystan couldn't kill Amok in that way, squeezing the great beast's lungs until he died.  Apparently the guardians were not only telepathic ( immune to it, anyway ), but were also possessed of telekinetic powers.  It would certainly explain the steed's ill-proportioned strength and immunity to Mystan's power.

 

                It didn't mean, however, that Mystan couldn't just throw something large and sharp though the guardian.  The question was, would Amok live long enough to hit Mystan?  Likely he would, and Mystan would be glad of his regenerative abilities.

 

                Psychically lifting the bruteman ( he didn't actually want to touch the ill-bred creature ), Mystan took it down to Alluro's lab.  At this time of night, the hypnotist would be asleep.  Mystan would have ample time to drain and store the slave's blood before throwing the corpse to the incinerator.

 

* * *

 

                Days ( well, nights ) later, Mystan announced that he had discovered what was killing the brutemen.  Luna rode into Alluro's lab, impatiently tapped her riding crop against her hand.

 

                Mystan smiled and bowed slightly.  "Princess, I am glad that you could come at this odd time to inspect my work."

 

                Luna snorted.  "You've been working nights a lot lately," she said.  "But my curiosity is piqued.  What's been killing the slaves?"

 

                "I can show you," said the telekinetic, gesturing to a spread of papers on the table beside him.  Luna urged Amok forward.

 

                With a thought, Mystan sent a half-finished invention flying across the room, aimed directly for Amok's side.

 

                Amok was no longer there.

 

                Mystan barely got out of the way as the guardian landed and lashed out.  Amok jumped over the thrown device!  The psychic looked about wildly for a new weapon while using his powers to push Amok back.  It worked with moderate success.

 

                A small missile hit Mystan in the side, causing him to stagger and lose his concentration.  He barely regained his balance when a he was bathed in a soft blue light and a smooth voice said, "Give up, Mystan.  You are a fool to fight us."

 

                Instinctively Mystan's powers lashed out, pushing the floating psyche crystal away from him.  Were he looking up, he would have seen a blue-furred hand catch the orb and hand it back to its owner.  As it was, he was a bit distracted.  To push the psyche crystal away, he dropped his shield.  Two pairs of cold hands grabbed his arms, even as Amok reared up slightly and laid huge hands on the telekinetic's shoulders.  Pinned against the wall, he could only gasp, "Psychro?  Chilla?  How?.."

 

                Luna looked down at him, riding crop resting on her knees.  "Idiot.  You really think I don't know what's going on?"  She flicked the little whip against his cheek, causing a shallow gash which closed seconds later.  "Vampire.  Lilin.  I was born on this planet, I know its legends."

 

                "But how?.."

 

                "Your sudden interest in working nights, for one," said Luna, ticking it off on one hand.  "The dead brutemen and your deep concern for their welfare.  The fact that you hadn't actually eaten in days.  And..."  She pointed to a corner of the ceiling where a video camera hung.  "Too bad for you that you show up on film."

 

                Desperate now, the telekinetic looked around at the other Lunatacs.  Psychro and Chilla held his arms, Tug-Mug had his gravity carbine charged and aimed, Alluro was tapping his psyche club against his hand, Knave and Red-Eye stood ready, and even Psikaris was scowling at him, hand resting on the grip of a laser-rifle.  "But... but I've heard your complaints.  You all hate Luna!"

 

                "Maybe," hissed Chilla by his left ear, lightly dusting it with frost, "but your crime is not just against Luna, but against the Moons themselves, against our late race-father and lord."

 

                "This little stunt kinda killed our faith in you, Mysty," agreed Psychro on his right.  "Those of us that had any."

 

                "And some of us would support Luna, anyway," added Red-Eye.

 

                "Your little demonstration those nights ago, letting me watch the bruteman die," Luna said, continuing her earlier speech, "That was your main mistake that tipped me off.  How do you kill someone and leave no trace?  You're no telepath, you know no magic.  Poison?  What if I ordered Alluro to help you?  The brutemen were suffocated, your telekinetic powers compressing their lungs so they couldn't draw breath."

 

                "The next morning, Luna told me to install the camera in the lab," Alluro said.  "Very interesting what we taped over the next few days."

 

                Very aware of his mortality ( being eye-level with Amok will do that to you ), Mystan whispered, "But what will you do with me?"

                "Oh, all sorts of things we could do," said Luna.  "Wooden stakes, sunlight, letting Chilla and Psychro turn up the heat... no."

 

                "No?"  Mystan's voice was nearly inaudible.

 

                Luna smiled nastily.  "Alluro told me about your hemophobia, and watching you work in the lab has amply shown that you're still very much afraid of blood.  You hate your vampiric existence.  Plus you're just too darn useful to have around when you're not trying to kill me.  Therefore, I'm letting you live."  Mystan's look of total shock brought a snicker from the princess.  "What have I to fear from you when no one in Skytomb trusts you?  Let him go."

 

                Chilla and Psychro released Mystan's arms, while Amok backed away a few steps.  "Thank you.  I think."

 

                "Of course, from now on you're automatically stuck on at least one night watch, plus you're the one who has to bring in new slaves," said Luna.

 

                "Her majesty is more than fair," Mystan murmured.

 

                "And don't take that tone of voice with me.  It usually means you're up to something."

 

                "Yes, Luna."

 

* * *

 

                Though it was day, his room was pitch-black.  Though his room was pitch-black, he could still see slightly.  Mystan couldn't sleep, and lay thinking, resting his hands behind his head.  Luna and the others were currently the least of his problems.

 

                He was lilin now.

 

                How long before Lilith decided to claim what he had promised her?

 

 

The End.

 

Tug-Mug: What!?  That fool Meestan has doomed us all to thee demon queen?

Melissa: Worse than you know, Tuggy.  But Lilith won't be back for a while yet.  Next month is 'Ice Warrior'.

Tug-Mug: Or 'Everytheeng You Wanted To Know About Cheella, But Were Afraid To Ask Because She'd Reep Your Lungs Out'.

 

 

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