Saturday - March 5th, 2016 - Gabrovo Grad
With the setting of the sun, the vampires of the city rise from their daytime slumber. The despot rises late and comes to stand in the cupola beneath my perch to survey his domain like a vulture perched above its dying prey.
In vain, I will even the smallest portion of my being to move, but the foul witch's curse still binds me after all these centuries; the fury of being forced to watch, immobile and mute as history plays itself out in front of me is almost enough to drive me mad.
Far to the south, another of the vampires appears out of thin air and begins to make his way, ever so slowly towards the castle. The two communicate in some way, that I have yet to puzzle out. Then suddenly, the advisor arrives in the castle. It avoids my tower and prison, does it suspect that I am awake and aware?
Further to the south, unwittingly, the young prince drives his motorized carriage through the very heart of wolf-man territory. Heedless of his danger, of just how close he flirts with final death at the claws and fangs of the age old enemies of the undead. Fortune smiles upon him, as the attention of the wolf-men is turned toward their ambush. If they only knew what I know, he would already be dead. He turns his vehicle towards the ruined factory and its precious treasure, without realizing that it has become the nexus of supernatural attention in this little valley.
Another of the undead moves toward the factory like a moth to the flame. Why do they gravitate towards the Anexhexaton like that? Don't they realize that thousands of their kind have died for just being so close to it? Is it designed to lure them in with some enchantment or do they as undying creatures possess an innate, perhaps unconscious death-urge? This new vampire is distinctly feminine and different in some simple way from the others I have come to know. Is she of a different breed? What kind of strengths and weaknesses do her breed of vampire have and could she free me? I can sense her power from here, she too is a witch.
The wolf-men has set their ambush well, they take no chances, there are so many of them. I see the dead have arrived, they too are drawn to the stone - I suppose that makes sense, as it stinks of death magic. Then, suddenly, both the prince and the witch-woman notice each other. The wolf-men exercise restraint and wait for the others to arrive - these aren't cubs on their first hunt, these are strong packs on the scent of dangerous prey. I relish the chance to see a conflict of this magnitude, the highlight of my night. Too bad, it will be over all too quickly.
While the undead flirt violently, I spy the other awakened - children - one fair and one dark. I see the young prince is also a wizard, perhaps the struggle will be prolonged. The battle turns against him and he retreated inside the crumbling factory, she is more powerful, perhaps she is an elder.
Somehow, perhaps instinctively, the advisor and the despot know their companion is in danger and hurry to his aid. Then the advisor is there - suddenly - ceasing to be in one place and appearing at the factory. The advisor tests his metal against the witch-woman and flees to the safety of the factory. But the presence of the advisor has emboldened the young prince and he attacks again, appearing to gain ground in the struggle. Meanwhile, I spy the despot as he is confronted by the alpha, an uninspiring first meeting, as such things are measured.
The vampires continue their struggle, the awakened children watch, the wolf-men wait and the spirits of the dead mortals whisper to one another. Then the despot arrives, the wolf-men spring their ambush as the elder witch-woman falls to the young prince's blade. Now it becomes exciting, the vampires finally see their mistake - their afraid - I love the taste of their fear - its so much sweeter than mortal dread. The advisor cleverly moves to the high ground and sees his enemies for the first time. The young price wisely abandons the fight with the fallen witch-woman - together they vanish. The despot appears blindsided by the ambush, his carriage is destroyed and he tries to camouflage himself against the pack that stalks him.
Sadly, the battle ends with no real decisive resolution. Do the wolf-men feel as cheated by their lost victory as I do for my lost spectacle? When the advisor vanishes this time, he also disappears from my other-sense, I know instinctively that he has taken the stone and has left the region. The despot, seeing his allies abandon the field, does likewise though I sense that this does not please him - the despot is proud and seeks to prove his mastery of the domain to himself and his enemies.
Moments later, to my surprise, the advisor returns to my other-sense - he and the stone are in a new factory to the south-west of the castle. Shortly he emerges in a giant mechanical wagon and carries the stone back to its resting place in the central cemetery. Why does he return with it? Doesn't he want its immense power? Where did the young prince take his fallen foe? The despot returns to the castle to lick his wounded hide and more deeply wounded pride. The wolves return to the their hunting grounds and the awakened children to their homes in the city below. The restless dead wander here and there, like the prisoners they have been, they now revel in their new found freedom.
