Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

Torvina stood still at the edge of his sphere, like she were waiting for permission to step closer, which Aldrin found very odd. "You can come closer if you want. I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a soft chuckle, which only made her smile wider.

Without hesitation, she came and sat next to him, ensuring to keep a respectful amount of distance between them. She looked at him, and he felt a probing sensation, which he knew she had used Inspect on him. "You have grown stronger since last we met, and at a quick rate too. What do you require of me, Lord of the Night?" She asked humbly.

Aldrin paled at the title and shook his head. "Please, Torvina, just call me Aldrin. I'm not one for honorifics and titles."

Torvina's smile dampened. "Of course… Aldrin," she struggled on his name like she was fighting a mental force to stop her from being so casual.

Aldrin finally fully looked at her. "The friends you told me about are the other Vampires aren't they?"

Torvina nodded.

"And they sent you to find and help me?"

She nodded again.

Aldrin thought for a moment. "Do you have a way to contact them?"

She shook her head. "They only contact me."

"So you're not a Servant. Wait, of course you aren't. I have smelled you twice," Aldrin said before a horrified look crossed his face that made Torvina giggle. "That came out completely wrong. I'm sorry. I meant… uh…" he struggled and scratched his head, which only made Torvina's giggles turn into laughter, causing more embarrassment for Aldrin.

"It's fine, I know what you meant," she waved him off with a smile. "However, I have an extensive list of contacts ready for your discretion until the one I answer to contacts me again, should you desire?"

He answered her question with a nod and asked something else he wanted to know. "If you aren't a Servant how did you come in contact with a Vampire?"

She frowned and opened her mouth before closing it. She tapped her finger to her mouth as she thought of the best way to answer. "I'm going to give you the shortest and concise answer. Everything will be explained, but for now, my family has a Vampire ancestor and has had many of us turned into Vampires over the centuries."

That alone had a million other questions pop into Aldrin's mind, but he needed to stay focused. "Who else knows about me besides you guys, the Moon Elves, and the Dark Elves?"

All of Torvina's mirth disappeared in an instant. "The Queen and Tanyth suspect you to be a necromancer. Your sister, along with Ingram and Finston, made it back to the capital, and my best guess is Finston has already told the Holy Order of your existence. So be ready for whispers of an inquisition," she answered, then tapped her chin as she recalled more information.

"There are some tribal goblins whose Shamans foretold your coming and have begun their trek to link up with other tribes. A few human cults have come out of hiding, and my best guess for that is probably because a demon let it slip to whomever summoned it," she said, letting Aldrin soak in the information. "Luckily, it's not as bad as it sounds. There is still a lot of ignorance, but that will change once the other Progenitors and their families start making their moves."

That perked Aldrin's interest as the Quest only mentioned meeting the leaders and progenitors of other races. "Tell me about the other progenitors that you know of."

Torvina nodded. "There are the Demons and their spawn. Although they might or might not be with you. The Elf progenitor will soon come from the shadows to unite her people once more after the ancient concord of uniting the clans shattered years ago. However, not all Elven clans will flock to her banner. Some will flock to yours if you win them over. Case in point, the Elves that were just here. The Magnurian Leviathan is in the midst of reawakening again, which will cause terrible weather storms off the coast wherever it comes."

"The Stone Father of the Dwarves doesn't care yet because it hasn't come to his doorstep, but it also means you can probably sway him to your side to be an ally, thus granting you the Dwarves. The Human progenitor royal families are still squabbling with each other, but they will more than likely band together once they realize the existential threat of a bigger war looming on the horizon."

"And last but not least, some Fae Courts have begun their Dance of Seasons, which just means they are preparing to see which seasonal court will rule the next 100 years. That also means that they will be very active in attempting to ally themselves with the best on this plane to bolster their political power in the Fae Realm. Fae Blessings and Curses are a serious trade favor in this realm."

"Also, some of those elusive Sky Giants keep trying to decipher the clouds and stars and all end up with the same answer; that answer being one word; Fate," she finished, leaving Aldrin with a lot to digest.

Aldrin whistled and shook his head at the absurdity of shit he was about to step into. "Any advice?"

Torvina gave him a gentle smile. "Keep on the track you're going. I'll have a contact waiting in Ebira for you."

Aldrin nodded. "I also need to find some decent armor."

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Torvina noted the tattered leather armor he wore. "I can also help with that too." She then reached her hand forward and plucked a tightly folded black piece of paper from thin air. "This is the card to The Black Bazaar. It's exclusive, solely for things that don't quite do well in the light," she emphasized, holding it out for Aldrin to take.

Aldrin carefully took it, his fingers lightly brushing against hers, although neither deigned to acknowledge the interaction. "It's… heavy?" He said as he turned over the black piece of paper, wondering if it was folded to be compact, if it was genuinely heavy, or densely enchanted.

Torvina quickly covered his hand with hers with a wide-eyed look. "Under no circumstances can this be seen out in the open like that," she said, pushing their hands closer to his chest. "Use it only when you're out of the city. It attracts attention that would be unwanted here."

Aldrin furrowed his brow as he looked down at their hands. Torvina quickly pulled hers away, turning a shade darker of pink. Aldrin waved that off as he took another look at the black piece of paper.

Aldrin read it with furrowed brows. "Will I find enemies there? Or at least anything I should be worried about?" He looked back at her.

Torvina shook her head. "No, but you won't find any friends either. It's neutral ground. Everyone and everything is there to get what they need and get out. Don't stare too deeply otherwise it will stare back," she warned him with a glare.

Aldrin took her warning to heart as he nodded his head. "Right. I'll just figure it out then." He tucked the piece of black paper into his Inventory. "What can I expect in Ebira? I know what's supposed to be there, but what's underneath it all?" He asked, switching topics.

Torvina grinned. "Scum and villainy," she proudly said, her grin forming into a beaming smile.

Aldrin did a double take. "Why does that sound familiar…?" he asked.

She giggled and waved him off. "It's a story for another time," she said wistfully with a smile. "But Ebira is filled with minor gangs that feed into major crime syndicates. Syndicates that are in need of a firm hand," she hinted to him.

Aldrin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to be the head of a crime syndicate."

Torvina laughed, "You wouldn't. Not directly, at least. We can put someone in place. Get your foundation up for your return, and not to mention you would line your pockets. And your coffers," she trailed off on the last part.

Aldrin thought about it for a moment. "Does it have to be a crime syndicate or can it be anything?"

Sensing an opportunity, Torvina raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?" she smiled coyly at him.

Aldrin smiled back. "Enslaving the slavers, to start. Liberating the slaves themselves and giving them their freedom back. I know it's a lot to ask-"

"It's not," Torvina shook her head. "It's doable. We will just have to start small, especially with the crime lords running amok in Ebira. It'll be easy pickings for you once we get past the initial growth stage of the organization."

Aldrin leaned back, impressed that Torvina was already thinking of ways to accomplish it. "All I know is that the Queendom isn't what it used to be. Something is wrong. They were experimenting on Undead in… Lor-Vold…" he quietly finished, remembering how he had a reluctant hand in its destruction.

Torvina looked away. "I know. I'm sorry," she breathed. "But think of it this way, without you, there would have been a lot more damage done in the beginning."

Aldrin sighed, knowing she was right. "All I can do now is be better than the day before." He repeated the words his family lives by.

Torvina looked at him with another smile, unaware of his true thoughts. "That's right!" She giggled. "Ebira can be your do-over for Lor-Vold. You can make it better. Better than it is now. After all, Vampires usually have one or two shady businesses," she smirked.

Aldrin laughed. "We all have to start somewhere, right?" He said, feeling some of the weight and guilt he carried lift from him.

"I'll get your foundation started so when you get to Ebira, just call for me and I'll show up again," she told him then stood up from the steps, pulling him up with her.

Aldrin's features softened as he smiled down at her. "Thank you, Torvina."

Torvina beamed, "It is my absolute pleasure." She bowed. "Now, is there anything else I can help with before I'm off?"

The smile he had slowly receded. "Yes, actually." He pulled out 400 gold coins in a pouch and held them out for Torvina. "I don't know if my old team has been terminated from the Adventurer Registry, but if it isn't…" he struggled with the next words to come out of his mouth as his throat tightened at finally being able to put his old teammates to rest. "Would you mind saying we perished in a dungeon?"

Torvina looked between the coins and Aldrin. "Is this..?"

Aldrin stiffly nodded. "It is. 100 gold for each of my old teammates' families. This should help them live comfortably for a very long time."

Torvina carefully took the pouch from Aldrin's hand. "I will make sure they receive this. What's the team name?" She asked as she put the pouch in her Inventory.

Aldrin gave her a sad smile. "As cliché as it was and a bit ironic now, we called ourselves Team Dawnbreaker. We had hopes of ascending together within the Holy Order."

"I'm sorry." Torvina touched his arm.

He shrugged hoping it would also shrug off the emotions, but it didn't. "I know in another life… things are different and we all survived that Dungeon…"

Torvina only stared at him, her hand lingering on his arm before she gave it a gentle squeeze and let her hand drop.

Aldrin gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you again, but you should be off now. I feel my friends are nearing," he said, trying his best to push the emotions back down in order to focus on the task at hand. One day he knew he would have to unlock that door and face it, but today was not that day.

Torvina nodded, all emotion she once displayed now gone. "Until Ebira, Lord Progenitor," she dipped her head and stepped back.

He shook his head with a grin. "I told you to call me Aldrin."

Torvina's playfulness returned as she winked with a grin and then vanished in a pink puff of smoke.