The Order of Night


   The entrance to the Caverns of Night was at the base of a mountain range. We entered into a large cave and sat down to wait.
   "The Order will find us here," Andrys told us. "Actually, they already know we are here but no one will come for us until sunset. The light outside is too bright for them."
   We waited until the sun was low in the sky. Then a young female Elf came for us. Her skin was almost white, as Andrys had said.
   Lord Andrys, pup," she said, smiling. "Welcome back."
   "Thank you," Andrys said. "These are our friends. Dan, Xiona, Tira, this is Cat. Cat, we have been sent to ask for an audience with the Oracle, again."
   Cat frowned slightly. "I don't know if He will see you. He has said that He is waiting for the One. He has spoken to no one except Night and Vix for weeks. Still, I will take you to them and they can decide if you should be allowed an audience.
   "In the meantime, welcome all. Please, come with me."
   We followed her into the caverns. The light became dim but our eyes eventually adjusted and we could see fine.
   She brought us to a large cave. There, on the opposite wall, sat two Elves on finely carved chairs. Another Elf stood before them arguing.
   "Who are you to decide who sees the Oracle. He has always met freely with any of the Order. It is His decision, not yours, to allow audience."
   "It IS his decision, Felin," The female of the sitting pair replied. "He says that until the One appears, He will see none."
   "Vix," Felin said, sneering, "you have always been one to rise above yourself. Night's father chose me for his mate. You usurped my position. I will not listen to you."
   "Then listen to me," Night said. "Vix is my mate, my love. I chose her. The Oracle has said that the fulfillment of our purpose is at hand. We must no longer choose our mates to serve Him. That means we must choose another way. My father chose you in accordance to the old laws before I gave up my identity to become Night. The Oracle freed me from those laws and told me to choose for myself."
   "That matters not," Felin said. "I will have an audience with the Oracle. I will bring my case before him. Vix has usurped my place, I was to be Lady of this Order."
   "Very well, Felin," Night sighed. "I will ask that you be granted audience this very night."
   "Thank you, Lord," Felin said, mockingly, and then she turned and left, storming by us.
   "She will never be happy," Night said to Vix. "I fear what she may do."
   "What can she do, Lord?" Vix asked. "Our union has been blessed by the Oracle Himself."
   They noticed us then, standing in the entry.
   "I apologize, Lord and Lady," Cat said. "These five are here to request audience with the Oracle."
   "We are sorry," Vix said. "But the Oracle says He will see No one except the One. We can ask but if you are not who He waits for, He will not see you."
   Andrys stepped forward. "Night, Vix, I think the One He is waiting for is one of us. The Lady sent us, herself."
   "Andrys, dear friend, it is good to see you again," Night said. "Although I don't know if you are right, you are definitely welcome among us. Please, come forward, introduce us to your friends."
   We all approached the couple and Andrys introduced us. He told a shortened version of our stories, ending with, "And so, we came to you to see if, indeed, the Oracle would help."
   "It is His decision. Only He knows what He waits for." Night told us. "We will go to Him and ask tonight. Kitten, sister, please take our guests to rooms and help them settle in."
   "Brother, you know I hate that name."
   "That's why I use it, furball." Night said smiling, his sharp teeth showing.
   With that Night and Vix turned to mist and drifted through the wall.


   I stood there, staring at where the two had been.
   "Dan!" Andrys said, for the fourth time.
   I looked at him.
   "Let's go, he said, kindly.
   Cat took us to a set of chambers and called for food to be brought.
   "He only does that to tease you, Cat," pup said.
   "I know, and I only object to give him amusement," She replied. "These days he is so serious. His duties weigh heavily on him and Felin doesn't help much. She hates Vix."
   "I could see that," I told her.
   "You are human," she said. "I have never seen one of your kind before."
   "I guess we are even, then," I said.
   "What do you mean?" Cat asked, her head tilted to one said.
   "Well, where I am from, you would be called a vampire, except that you're Elven and you aren't trying to drink my blood." Besides, vampires don't even exist where I'm from, not that I know of."
   "Oh," she said. "The proper pronunciation is Vampyre. It means 'slow fire' in the ancient tongue. The Oracle gave us that name. As for the blood, well, we do that sometimes, but only with a willing partner."
   I stared at her.
   "Maybe you should tell him the story," Andrys suggested.
   "Didn't you tell him?"
   "No, I understand your reluctance to reveal much of yourselves to outsiders."
   "Alright, listen then all. Here our tale"


   Ages ago, even the Order did not know when, a traveling group of Elves found the Oracle. At the time they did not know who or what He was. He appeared to be old, as a human would get, but Elves never aged that way. They had never seen any Elf like Him. His skin was dry and pale. He told them that He needed their help. Being who they were, they gave it. He told them to bring Him to these caves.
   Once there, He revealed His power, to see the future and all its possibilities. He told them His identity must be hidden from all and showed them what would happen if He failed in His purpose. What that was the original group never revealed to their children.
   They surrounded Him and gave up some of their life-force to him. The result was astounding. He became stronger and able to move around on His own. He was still old, or so it seemed.
   The change in the Elves was even stranger. Their blood slowed, almost to a stop. They seemed to have no pulse at all. Their skin paled until it was the white it was today. They gained the gift of flight and the ability to turn to mist. Their lives extended far beyond that of normal Elves.
   After many centuries in the caves, their eyes had adjusted to the dim light and the bright sun became painful. They ventured out only at night and it was from this that they gained their name, Order of Night.
   The drinking of blood began as a ritual to remember the sharing of life with the Oracle. They would perform the ceremony with only a willing partner, usually another vampyre. To share blood with one not of the Order would allow them to become one with the Order, if they so wished. That was rare, though. It was an extreme act of trust and most outsiders could not bring themselves to it.
   Their service to the Oracle became the touchstone of their lives and they lived under a code to ensure the safety of the Oracle and His purpose.
   "So, here we are today," Cat said. "Night and Vix are the first of many generations to choose each other for love. Usually, a mate is chosen only to continue the service but they have changed the rule. Most are glad for they know it means the fulfillment of His purpose. Felin, though, wanted Night, and hates Vix with a passion. Our blood may be slowed but our passions are hot."
   Vix and Night had arrived as Cat told the story and listened as intently as the rest of us.
   When Cat had finished, Vix said, "Well told, young one."
   "Andrys," Night said. "The Oracle has said that he will see the One on the day after tomorrow. He needs time to study the future to see what will come. He will see no one else, even us, until then."
   "Who is the One?" I asked.
   "Didn't you know?" Vix replied. "It's you."


   We spent that night and the next day getting to know the vampyre and their ways. I found them to be a caring people underneath the exterior they showed the world.
   Night had told Felin what the Oracle had said. She had listened and left, not saying a word. No one saw her until after my audience with Oracle.
   Cat showed us many of the caverns including one the vampyres called the jewel. It was a circular chamber with a platform at the entrance. Beyond the platform was a spherical pit. The ceiling was quartz and Cat told us that in the moonlight the light refracted throughout the cave.
   "It's like being in a diamond."


   The next morning I rose and waited, nervously, for my audience with the Oracle. Night came and led me to the chamber where we had met him and Vix. He touched a hidden panel behind their chairs and a small door opened. Night gestured for me to go in alone.
   I emerged into a small cave. It had been set up as a comfortable room. On a chair sat the oldest looking person I had ever seen, Elf or human. He watched me enter and politely gestured for me to sit in a seat opposite him.
   I sat and waited for him to speak.
   When he did speak, his voice was young, strong and, vibrant.
   "Long ago, I loved a woman. Our life was joyous. She was gifted and I was her Lord. We enjoyed our blissful union until one day my Love's sister killed her Lord. She was also gifted. My love could hear the thoughts of others, her sister could control them."
   "You were the Lady's Lord?"
   "Yes, please let me finish. All will be made clear."
   "I'm sorry, please continue."
   "We had known of my Love's sister's gift and what it was doing to her. She could not hear the thoughts of others and grew jealous of Mine. She always thought that others were laughing, secretly, at her. She decided that if she could not hear their thoughts she would decide what they thought. Even her Lord, she didn't trust. Though he loved her intensely, she doubted him. Her bitterness and power began to twist her and she in turn twisted her master. Then she decided that she should control everyone. She killed the man who loved her and used his life to become the Goddess.
   "I knew what she planned. I had never revealed what I was. You see, I was also gifted. I had seen that if I had revealed myself and taken a Mistress that the Goddess would be victorious. Even before I had met mine I knew what I had to do. I learned to hide my knowledge, so that even when I had become bonded with mine, she couldn't see what I was or what I knew. I pained me greatly to hide from her but I had no choice.
   "On the day the Goddess Ascended, I told mine to accept my sacrifice. After much arguing and persuading, she agreed. Our final moment together was a kiss. I fell to the ground and watch her Ascend. While she was occupied with her Ascention, I crawled away.
   "I found the Elves who would become the Order and set forth the action that created the vampyres. Their combined magic hid me from both the Goddess and the Lady. Both knew I existed but not who I was. I had survived only because Mine could not bear to see me dead and only took most of my life energy. I hid because I knew that Mine could not concentrate on stopping her sister if she knew I was still alive. I have spent my whole life hiding from the one I love the most, but that time is almost over. Soon, she will know I am alive and that is the last thing I can see. My gift will not reveal anything beyond that point to me.
   "You are the reason we can be together. Something will happen that will need both of us. You will bring us together. I cannot tell you what will happen, if I do it will change the future. Be patient and all will happen in the fullness in time.
   "So, now you know my tale. Tell me, how would you judge me?"
   "You have done something I don't think I could do. I can tell that you love the Lady. Yet, you have hidden from her all this time, just to help the rest of us. Thank you."
   "You are most welcome, child. Tell no one what I have said until later. You will know when the time is right. Now, please go, I am tired and need to rest."
   I rose to leave and walked back through the door. Night and Vix were waiting for me.
   "What did he say?" Night asked.
   "He told me not to repeat it," I answered.
   "Very well, we can accept that," Vix said. "Please, come with us. The night is falling and there is a clear sky. We wish to show you the jewel."
   "Night? Already?" I asked, incredulously.
   "You were in there all day," Night told me and led Vix and I to the cave called the jewel.
   When we arrived, Cat and my friends were already inside. We entered and I marveled at the light playing across the walls.
   Suddenly a cloud moved across the moon. Felin walked into the room and, at her gesture, a wall of stone covered the entrance.
   "We will have this travesty over," she said, walking to the edge of the platform and floating to the center of the room, over the pit.
   "What are you doing, Felin," Night asked.
   "Taking what should be mine."
   "I am not yours. I am my own. My love is Vix's. You own nothing of me." Night was getting angry.
   "Then leave," Felin said. "The wall is of my making and will not depart without my release. The only way out is to accept me or destroy me."
   "Don't do this, Felin," Vix said.
   "It is done."
   "So be it," the two vampyres said together and flew at Felin.
   "Felin raised her hands and an explosion rocked the room. I was thrown back against Xiona and together we hit the wall.
   "The Goddess has strengthened me," Felin said. "She promised if I kill them then the Night would be mine."
   I groaned as I picked myself up off the floor and my soul-sister. My friends were spread out all over the platform. Andrys lay next to pup, his limbs bent unnaturally. pup herself was slumped against the wall, her face a mass of bruises. Xiona lay behind me on her back. I couldn't tell if she was breathing. Tira lay folded to my right, blood flowing from her mouth and nose. Cat lay near her, also unmoving, thrown against the hard rock.
   The only others I could see were Felin and Vix, fighting each other over the pit.
   I crawled to the edge of the platform and looked over. Night lay at the bottom, either unconscious or dead.
   Neither vampyre noticed me as they battled. They clawed and bit and stabbed at each other, all thought and reason lost in their hatred. Felin fought madly for her prize. Vix fought much the same way for the same man, her love.
   It was that love that betrayed her.
   Night groaned on the floor and Vix looked down to him, concerned.
   Felin struck, her knife catching Vix in the chest before the Lady of Night could change to mist.
   Vix fell and landed next to her Lord.
   Felin watched her fall the turned slowly to the platform.
   "You," she sneered, "are all that is left. Your friends are dead. The Lady is defeated with your death and I will have my prize."
   I backed away from the pit, grabbing my cross and pulling. The chain broke and my pendant grew in my hand until I held the sword.
   Felin laughed. "Come on then, little human."
   I gripped my sword with both hands and raised it over my head, the point facing Felin.
   She only hovered, laughing at me.
   I ran to the edge of the platform and jumped. As I flew towards her, Felin started to change to mist.
   It didn't matter.
   My sword pierced the mist that was the vampyre, sinking between where her breasts had been. I let go of the sword and let my momentum carry me beyond Felin.
   Together the sword and vampyre fell to the ground, my sword embedding itself into the rock as it was in the woman.
   Felin gasped, now fully solid, blood on her chest and lips.
   Crying softly, "You promised me," she died.


   Night gingerly picked himself up and went to Vix. He pulled the knife from her body and placed a hand over her wound.
   She opened her eyes and smiled gently at her Lord.
   He reached down and she took his hand as he helped her to her feet.
   Together they came over to where I knelt by Felin, my sword still stuck where it had been.
   "Release her, please," Night said.
   I nodded and pulled my sword from the rock and Felin.
   She turned to dust.
   I looked at Night and Vix, "You're OK?"
   "Not really," Vix said, ruefully. "Although we live and will recover."
   "Come," Night said. "Let us carry you back up."
   They each took one of my arms, careful not to touch the sword, and we drifted back to the platform.
   My friends all still lay where I had last seen them. I dropped my sword, crying, and started to go to them.
   Before I could move, the rock wall disappeared and the Oracle walked in. He looked at my friends and then me.
   "It is time," he said
   As I watched, dumbfounded, the rest of the Order of Night entered and surrounded my fallen friends. They gently picked up the Elves and the wolf and laid them in front of the man they had served for fifty thousand years.
   "Dan," he said. "Call for the Lady."
   I reached down to pick up my sword. As I touched it, the weapon became the cross upon an unbroken chain. Touching the silver stone upon the pendant, I call, "Lady, we need you."
   Shining, the Lady appeared, facing me. "Child, what do you need?"
   "He asked for you," I answered pointing at the Oracle.
   She turned and saw the Lord she loved and had missed for far too long.
   "Mine," she said in wonder.
   "Shhhh, love," he said. "These ones need you."
   "Yes, of course, Lord."
   She knelt beside my friends and closed her eyes. The Oracle knelt beside her, closed his eyes and took her hand.
   They started to glow. Brighter and brighter they shone until their light covered us all. A healing reached out to everyone in the cave. Then, the light started to fade. When is was gone, so were the Lady and the Oracle. My friends though, started to move.
   Cat was the first to recover, followed quickly by the rest.
   "What happened," Xiona asked.
   "Felin betrayed us to the Goddess," Night said.
   "Dan destroyed her," Vix continued.
   I turned away, my pain at killing again filling my eyes.
   "What happened to the Oracle?" one of the vampyres asked. "He was here when the Lady started her healing.
   "He went with her, back to the Mists," I told them. "After so long, they could be together." And then I walked out of the cave.


   Andrys found me at the mouth of the Caverns, staring into the starry night.
   "Why do I always have to kill someone?" I asked him, tears still filling my vision.
   "Would you rather let the Goddess win?"
   "No, but I was never a warrior," I said softly. "I'm not set up for this. I am afraid that if this keeps up I may eventually enjoy killing."
   "Remember this, my friend. If you ever come close to that feeling, please, leave. I wouldn't want to have to try to stop you. You mean far too much to me."
   "If I ever come to that point, Andrys," I said shuddering.
   "Dan, don't do this to yourself. Trust me, you won't come to that. We all see you clearly, I think. You are too good, too caring, to become that."


   We stayed in the caves for another four days, recovering from Felin's treachery. When we left, Night told us, "Tell Tariel, we will now be out more. Our purpose is finished. We can live our lives as we wish."