Child of an Ancient City (with Nina Kiriki Hoffman)

During the reign of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, a caravan of soldiers sets forth from Baghdad on a dangerous mission to the lands of the north. Bandits fall upon them in the night, scattering their horses and stranding the party in the desolate mountains. But the worst is yet to come. For these hills are stalked by an ancient and powerful vampyr. One by one, the men are slain by the monster. Then, suprisingly, the vampyr challenges the survivors to a contest: Whomever tells the saddest story shall go free. Only this way can any of them hope to escape alive. But the vampyr has a story of his own to tell... Copyright 1992 by Tad Williams and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. Published by Simon & Schuster.