The Shattered Crowns

The creature paused as a grotesque syringe pumped blood directly into its mouth. It twitched, then rasped, "Hunters are weak. Man is weak. Ruin the study. Yes, they will ruin it. Need something stronger. A better test—yes, a better test."

Its long, clawed fingers plucked a syringe filled with viscous, black-red liquid from the table of surgical tools. It muttered feverishly, "Plague Lords strike faster. Time runs out. The child is dying—needs blood. Test must continue."

Sylvan lunged forward, desperate to stop it, but the creature moved with unnatural speed, jamming the syringe into the thrashing child's arm.

"Stop!" Lemi shouted as she loosed an arrow. It struck the creature's back, the silver tip piercing deep into flesh. Yet the thing barely flinched, as though the wound was little more than an inconvenience.

Sylvan swore under his breath. It wasn't just some creature—it was a Tainted-blood. Worse, he had no resin vials on him, nothing strong enough to deal with this abomination.

The child writhed in agony on the stone floor, her small body convulsing violently as the corrupted blood surged through her veins. The creature turned toward them, its crimson eyes glinting with manic energy. "Not Dragon's blood. No, no. Not Dragon's blood! All for naught. But... another Tainted-blood born. Yes, yes! If Tainted-blood mixed with Dragon's blood, then—then breakthrough!"

Sylvan didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, blade gleaming in the flickering light, and slashed through the creature's arm. The severed limb fell to the ground with a sickening squelch.

But the victory was fleeting. Blood pumped furiously from the tubes connected to the creature's body, knitting the limb back together almost instantly. The Tainted-blood's grotesque face twisted into something resembling amusement.

"Oh, new guests," it hissed, its voice low and gurgling. "Guests without taint."

Sylvan stumbled back, gripping his sword tightly as the creature took a slow, deliberate step toward him. Its movements were unnervingly smooth, unbothered by the injury.

"Tainted-blood," Lemi whispered, the realization hitting her like a blow.

Sylvan nodded grimly. "Not just any Tainted-blood. This one's high-ranking. Likely tied to the House of Blood."

The creature tilted its head unnaturally, its elongated fingers flexing. "House of Blood? No, no, no. Myxi—outcast! Not part of them. Solve problems, yes. Solve big problem! Find Dragon's blood. You have it not."

It began pacing across the blood-soaked floor, muttering to itself, seemingly lost in its ramblings.

"Think we can kill it?" Lemi asked quietly, her voice strained.

"Not without burning it to ash," Sylvan replied. "It's regenerating faster than we can injure it. We don't have the tools for this."

Lemi's hand hovered near her quiver. "What about the head?"

Sylvan shrugged. "Even if you hit it, it won't die unless we can burn it completely. This one is... different. We're better off talking. It's mad, but mad doesn't mean unreasonable."

"Talk?" Lemi snapped. "It just injected a child with whatever foul concoction it's experimenting with! It's a monster!"

"It's not just any monster," Sylvan shot back, his tone clipped. "Lower-level Tainted-blood? Sure, we could kill those. This one, though—it's more dangerous than it looks. Don't underestimate it."

Lemi glared at him but said nothing.

The creature continued its ramblings, its crimson eyes darting toward the convulsing child. "Not Dragon's blood... soon. Soon, maybe. Another test. Children solve everything."

"Creature!" Sylvan called, his voice sharp.

The Tainted-blood's head snapped toward him, its lips curling into a sneer. "Still here. Always the men—yes, the men come to ruin everything. Only women stay longer."

Sylvan took a slow, measured step forward. Lemi's gaze darted to him, confusion and anger flashing in her eyes. She hissed under her breath, "What the hell are you doing?"

Sylvan didn't answer her. Instead, he locked eyes with the Tainted-blood and said, "What if I know where to find Dragon's blood?"

The creature froze, its movements ceasing entirely. For the first time, genuine attention flickered across its grotesque face. The tubes pumping blood into its body trembled with excitement.

"Dragon's blood?" it hissed.

Lemi's jaw tightened. "What?" she whispered furiously. "What are you talking about, Sylvan?"

Sylvan ignored her, his blade still poised, ready to strike if needed. He stepped closer to the Tainted-blood. "I know where one is."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The creature's words spilled out in a frenzied rush. "Breakthrough! Massive breakthrough! Dragon's blood—the key to everything!"

Sylvan raised a gloved hand, halting the creature's fervor. "Not so fast. I want information in exchange."

The Tainted-blood's eyes narrowed, but it nodded eagerly, its clawed hands twitching with barely contained excitement. "Myxi knows things. Many things. Long has Myxi lived. Tell Myxi what you want to know!"

Sylvan's voice was calm but firm. "How do you cure Snake's blood?"

At that, the creature let out a horrible, scraping laugh. The sound echoed through the tunnel, its sharp edges biting into their ears.

"Snake's blood! Yes, yes. Plague cured with Tainted-blood Bloodmaster's death! Blood injected into host—yes, yes. But not what you want! No, no. The Bloodmaster must die first. Everything tied to the Bloodmaster. Kill it, and the Snake's blood withers!"

Sylvan exhaled slowly, filing the information away. The Bloodmaster—a creature high within the House of Blood's hierarchy—was the key.

Reaching into his coat, Sylvan retrieved the last vial of Dragon's blood. He hesitated, his fingers brushing the smooth glass. Irina had given him this vial—it wasn't something he could part with lightly. But the situation left him no choice.

He tossed the vial to the Tainted-blood. Myxi caught it, cradling it in its grotesque hands like a sacred artifact. It unscrewed the cap and inhaled deeply, a guttural hum escaping its throat.

"Yes... Dragon's blood. Could never forget the smell," Myxi said, its voice trembling with reverence.

"What else do you know?" Sylvan demanded.

The Tainted-blood's grin widened, its blood-filled tubes pulsing faintly. "The nobles of Franzisch—foul creatures, all of them! Tainted-blood Bloodmaster hides in the towers of the d'Aragon manor. High above the city, yes, yes. Kill the Bloodmaster, and its blood cures the plague! More blood, more knowledge, yes!"

"That's all I need," Sylvan said curtly. He scooped up the unconscious child, cradling her against his chest.

"We're leaving," he said to Lemi.

Lemi cast a wary glance at the raving creature but followed Sylvan out of the tunnels.

Once they were out of earshot, she snapped, "You know where Dragon's blood is? Do you have any idea how honored they are? If you turned one in, you'd be a legend!"

Sylvan's face darkened. "I know," he said simply.

Lemi fell silent, though the tension between them lingered. Sylvan didn't care. He wouldn't let Irina—the one person he sought to protect—become a tool in Franzisch's madness.