Drakarn

"You sure this is the right place," Nightshade asked.

"I'm positive," Adrastia replied. "It says so right here on the map, Drakarn Sanctuary!"

Nightshade looked around, gripping the Bloodlust tightly. "But it doesn't look like an ancient sanctuary... It looks more like an old shack."

"Well then, Adrastia said, sheilding herself with her cloak from the incoming rain, "It must of been built over."

"Yeah," Nightshade said, annoyed. "Just how much did you pay for that map anyway?"

The vampire sorceress ignored this last comment and eyed something shiny and metallic half buried on the dirt floor of the shack. It looked like some sort of plaque.

"You shouldn't touch that...," Nightshade warned.

Once again Adrastia ignorned him. "Drakarn is an ancient word that basicaly translates to Hell's Dragon. Long ago, the earliest settlers to this region payed homage to a violent god called Drakarn...."

"Which is exactly why we shouldn't be here," Nightshade said. "I have a bad feeling...."

"So do I! But you don't see me running away do you?"

The elf knew it was pointless to argue with her. There was no way to stop her from following through with her plans. They had traveled thirteen miles through some particularly nasty terrain to reach this plac and absolutely nothing was goiung to hold her back.

"They made sacrifices in his honor... Every month on the full moon," Adrastia continued. "They were threatened with destruction if they did not comply."

Nightshade shook his head and walked toward her. "It's just... Not a good idea. It feels really wrong here. You of all people should sense it. We should leave here. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for somewhere else."

"But this is the perfect place to find the Ring of Selene!"

The elf shook his head again and leaned down to look at the plaque. The words engraved upon it were faded but still legible.
"The language was popular in you time, Tia. What does it say?"

Ves.... Sigma.... Arak... Eltares... Mansa Drakarn.... It's pretty fragmented. As if the people who wrote it weren't terribly literate. But, what do you expect from peasants."
She shrugged and went on. "I can't really make out the rest. But basicaly it looks to be part of a sacrificial alter. These words are.... Instructions for ritual sacrifice..."

"Great... That's all I needed to hear," Nightshade muttered. "Let's just get out of here now."

Adrastia nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I feel it too. But the storm is getting worse."

Outside the wind was whipping past the old shack, making it rattle. A tree branch crashed partially through the roof resulting in a hail of rain and dead leaves.

Nightshade nodded his head in agreement. "Looks like we aren't going anywhere for awhile..."

Minutes turned to hours in the old shack. The storm wasn't letting up either. Nightshade noticed that Adrastia was looking weak. He knew what that meant and began backing away.

"I thirst...," Adrastia said softly, "Come here..."

Nightshade continued backing up, touching his neck nervously. He didn't want to be bitten again. Twice in three nights was more than enough. He knew better than to fight her off. Her grip was quite strong. Lucky for him, elves did not easily succumb to the effects of vampire bites and she had never attempted to drain him to the point of certain death.

Nightshade ran out of room. His back hit the wall.
Adrastia seized him, sinking her sharp fangs into his neck.
Moments later he fell down against the wall, weak from bloodloss.
"You couldn't of waited until after the storm?"

The vampire sorceress shook her head. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."

Nightshade just rolled his eyes as he tried to get up. His efforts resulted in him falling back down and hitting his head against the metal plaque, his blood staining it.

"As if I wasn't injured enough as it is...," he thought. Then adding aloud, "A little help here, please?"

Suddely the room started warping out of focus. Adrastia grabbed Nightshade's hand. Everything around them seemed to fade out, replaced by red metal walls below precarious catwalks.

"Where.... Are we....?" Adrastia asked, helping Nighshade up.

"My guess is that you somehow did this!" Nightshade yelled. "Now we're really stuck!"

"Me? This is my fault?" Adrastia yelled back.

"Yeah, you know.... Blood, altar... Put two and two together!"

Adrastia nodded. "I am sorry.... If that was indeed the case that is."

"And if this is indeed the case," Nightshade inquired. "Then doesn't that mean we are in hell?"

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