Realm of Monsters

Cordelia Rotrusk ran through the infirmary’s halls, dashing past startled healers and visitors until she reached the luxurious bedroom where her teammate Lynn was staying. The young dwarf kicked the door open and rushed inside, a big smile on her face.

“The next duel has been decided!” she yelled happily.

Lynn was sitting upright on her bed. The frost giant hybrid’s long legs stretched across the bed, her feet peeking out from underneath the linen blankets. Her snow-white hair was tied in a simple ponytail that rested over her shoulder. Most of her bandages had already been removed and her skin seemed a healthy bright blue. It had only been a few days since her battle with the Murkton mage Diane, but Lynn seemed well on her way to a full recovery, a testament to the skill of Undergrowth’s healers.

“Wow, that was pretty fast. I feel like you just got here, Kal,” Lynn glanced at the elegant vampiress sitting next to her bedside.

Kalliste clicked her tongue, “The next match isn’t supposed to start for another few hours. Lady Thorn sped up the schedule. That shady woman, what is she up to now?”

“I’m not sure, but guess who’s fighting in the next duel?” Cordelia smirked.

“Don’t tell me it’s me?” Kalliste raised her eyebrow.

“It’s about time I suppose,” Lynn sighed.

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t believe who Kalliste’s fighting!” Cordelia grinned.

Kalliste shot to her feet, her chair falling behind her. “It can’t be…?”

“Hehe, your opponent is none other than your fiancé, the esteemed Callum of the Great House of Veres,” Cordelia said excitedly.

Kalliste’s eyes widened before she suddenly buried her expression with an air of impassivity. “I see. Well, then,” she smiled coldly, “I shouldn’t keep the crowds waiting.”

Lynn reached out and grabbed her wrist, “Kal…”

Kalliste looked at her and for a moment, her usual icy demeanor broke. “What is it?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Lynn bit her lip, “...Don’t do something you’ll regret. I know you and Callum have some problems, but he is still a Veres. Don’t underestimate what that means.”

Kalliste laughed haughtily, “As if I’d ever lose to that man. Callum is many things, but a powerful mage he is not. I can defeat him in under a minute no problem.” 

“But will you?” Lynn asked.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kalliste furrowed her brow.

“Do you remember what your mother used to say when you’d drink the blood from your maids?” Lynn asked.

“Stop getting drunk? How could I forget, she would always say, ‘A Lilith should never stumble around like some bumbling drunken buffoon!’,” Kalliste recalled with a small smile. “It’s easier to get drunk from hybrid blood, sure, but trust me, I have no intentions of drinking the blood of that scoundrel of a man.”

Lynn shook her head, “That’s not what I meant-”

Cordelia slammed the bottom of her fist into her open palm, “Oh, yeah, I forgot! Hybrid blood tastes really good to vampires, right? I always wondered what it's like getting drunk with hybrid blood?” Cordelia leaned and whispered, “I’ve heard some pre-e-e-tty crazy stories.”

“Pfft, as if I’d ever debase myself by drinking the dirty blood of some hybrid!” Kalliste said angrily.

Cordelia winced, “Right, sorry I asked.”

“Ah, is that so? ‘Blood of dirty hybrids,’ huh?” Lynn said casually and let go of Kalliste’s wrist. “Good to know.”

Kalliste’s face paled, “I-I was talking about Callum! Not about-”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Lynn crossed her arms, a glint of mischief in her blue eyes. “On the off chance I somehow ‘randomly’ get a cut and that blood drips down all over me, I’ll make sure not a single drop of my blood falls on you. I’d hate to degrade your esteemed noble self with my dirty blood.”

Kalliste licked her lips and swallowed hard, “I-I m-mean, accidents sometimes happen, right? After all, you can be pretty clumsy sometimes, nothing to be done about it. And after your recent injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if-”

“Nope, the doctors have done a great job healing my injuries. If I do get a cut I’ll make sure they patch me up right away,” Lynn said curtly, though she struggled not to laugh.

“Uhh, am I missing something here?” Cordelia wrinkled her brow.

“NO!” Kalliste snapped and bared her teeth, her long sharp fangs perfectly clear. 

Cordelia stepped back in fear, “S-sorry.”

Kalliste took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders, “I should get going. I’m not about to arrive late to my own duel.”

“Kal,” Lynn called out. “Your mother used to tell you something else when we were kids, do you remember?”

Kalliste glanced back at her, “She said many things, that’s what mothers do.”

“Lady Lilith always said, ‘Don’t play with your food.’ Callum is still a Veres, a House that once subjugated every other House in the Northern Lands, including your own family.”

“That was a thousand years ago. The true bloodline of Veres was lost long ago,” Kalliste said. “Their House is not what it once was, it has grown weaker, their line has diminished. Whereas Lilith's has only grown stronger.” She opened the door and walked out, “I’ll be back soon.”

Lynn sighed and looked at Cordelia, “Please, look after her.”

“Excluding maybe the Ebon Aspirant, Kalliste is the most powerful mage in our generation. I don’t think anyone needs to look after her. Excuse me,” Cordelia bowed and walked out. 

Cordelia looked around the hall for Kalliste, but the vampiress was already gone.

“You should really listen to Lynn,” a voice whispered behind her.

Cordelia jumped back and yelped in surprise. “N-Nalla!? Where did you come from?”

The blue-grey drow leaned her back on the wall and shrugged, “I followed you here. I just didn’t barge into Lynn’s room like some eager child. You should really pay attention to your surroundings more often.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes, “Any other condescending advice you’d like to share?”

“Yeah, stop underestimating Lynn because she’s a commoner. Just because you’re an aristocrat doesn’t make you more powerful, nor does it give you the right to be an ass to your teammates.”

“Oh that’s rich coming from you, Miss ‘I’m too good for everyone else,’” Cordelia growled. “And in case you forgot, Lynn lost her match. Hell, you barely won your own match.”

“Is that what you think?” Nalla stepped forward and cornered Cordelia to the wall. “Lynn gave up because Kalliste asked her to. As for my match, you’d do well with how you speak to me, dwarf.”

Cordelia laughed shakily, “You’re such a hypocrite. You talk about respect, but here you are threatening me.”

“Respect is earned, you’ve done nothing to earn mine. Lynn earned Kalliste’s respect long ago, yet Kalliste still doesn’t respect you. Why do you think that is?”

“T-that’s not true,” Cordelia stammered.

“It’s because Lynn has an iron resolve and is willing to do whatever she must to accomplish her goals. Open your eyes, Cordelia. This tourney itself means nothing, the people participating are everything.”

“What are you saying…?”

“No one cares about a bunch of kids throwing magic bolts at each other, that’s just for the crowds. The people that really matter only care about who and what we stand for. The moment the Ebon Aspirant revealed himself the stakes changed. The whole Ebon Realm is watching every interaction each one of us makes because it represents the wills of our backers, our Houses, and our cities. Lynn understands that, she understands what it means for a Veres and a Lilith to battle to the death.”

“To the death?” Cordelia frowned. “This isn’t to the death. Sure, Kalliste doesn’t like her fiancé, she’ll probably beat him up, but she’d never kill him. Their Houses have one of the oldest alliances in the entire realm. If Callum dies then we could very well see a war break out. Kalliste would never jeopardize her House like that.”

Nalla glanced at Lynn’s room, “Like other Liliths, Kalliste has always kept a cool head under difficult situations. She’s a powerful mage and she can be ruthless when needed. All those traits are what make her a good captain. But Kalliste has always had a weak spot and that’s the woman resting in that room.”

“You’re saying Lynn is Kalliste’s weak spot?” Cordelia laughed incredulously.

“You are as blind as you are prideful,” Nalla shook her head. “If Lynn is Kalliste’s treasure, then Callum is the dragon guarding the hoard. Now, what do you think our brave, powerful, ruthless captain is going to do?”

Cordelia’s face paled, “No… she wouldn’t…”

~~~

The coliseum’s crowds watched eagerly as Callum Veres walked around the sandy arena, waiting for his opponent.

“~Oh, I really don’t want to fight this crazy bitch~” he sang a familiar minstrel’s tune, though the words were his own.

The southern gate opened wide with the rattling of chains. Kalliste Lilith stepped out under the glare of the noon sun. She raised her arms above her face for shade and walked towards the center of the arena.

“If it isn’t my beautiful fiancé,” Callum smiled charmingly. “How’s the sun, love? Too bright?”

“You’re cockier than usual, I wonder why?” Kalliste squinted and tried not to stare at the sky. Her sensitive skin was already beginning to irritate. A few more minutes outside without a vampire’s specially weaved cloak and she’d begin to have sunburns.

“Me? Cocky? Not at all? That would mean I am overconfident. I’m not, I’m just certain,” Callum winked.

“Certain that I’m about to drive a bolt of lightning through your heart?”

“Nah, I’m just pretty certain that my girlfriend is going to crush my skull with her bare hands if I go easy on you,” Callum waved nonchalantly at Sylvie sitting in one of the front rows.

Sylvie didn’t wave back, she simply stared with an intense gaze and smiled eerily.

“You’re cheating on me? How could you!?” Kalliste gasped.

“Save me your tears, I’m not the only one here in love with a giant woman,” Callum smirked.

Kalliste’s smile fell and her eyes grew cold, “...What was that?”

“We all saw the way you jumped down the stands and ran across the arena during your teammate’s match. Now, others might see an empathetic captain, but I know you. I know that cold shriveled heart of yours doesn’t beat for anyone, much less a ‘hybrid,’ unless of course that someone isn’t just a friend.”

“Careful with your next words, Cal,” Kalliste said in a quiet, measured voice.

“Wait.” His smile widened, “You haven’t even told her how you really feel, have you? Too afraid she’ll reject you? Smart choice. Or perhaps you don’t want to get that little monstrous heart of yours shattered? Maybe, just maybe, you’d silence her to save yourself the embarrassment of rejection?”

Blue streaks of lightning crackled over Kalliste’s fingers and traveled up her arm. She narrowed her scarlet eyes and bared her fangs, “Say hello to your mother for me.”