A little story to celebrate Innistrad Vampires and the new release of Avacyn Restored. Enjoy.
Deck Contains Only Innistrad Block Cards and was made pre-Avacyn Restored.
Thanks for everyone for getting this story to the front page. Hope you enjoy.
The doors to the Inn of Night's Thirst opened and the Falkenrath Noble entered along with his entourage. A darkness took hold of the room as wind rushed in, threatening to extinguish the candles that lit the elegant establishment. The noble sneered at the others as he sauntered into the hall and headed for the stair that would lead to the balcony overlooking the hall. The room glowed and shadows danced from the dim light of the candelabras strewn along the walls. Steel forged gargoyle claws clutched them tightly, lighting his way as the Noble and two of his aristocrats made it up the stairs. He ignored the glances from the others even as they pretended not to notice him. All part of the game.
Nodding to his ladies, the three sat themselves at the table. A servant, one of those chosen by Markov, came along to offer herself for refreshment, but the Noble waved his hand. His ladies followed suit and the chosen left them alone.
"Have you ever seen anything like it?" One of his ladies asked. The noble shook his head.
"Never in my 314 years of unlife have I seen a gathering as this." He replied.
"I even believe the Stromkirk have joined, as have the Markovs." the other added. The noble nodded, also noting the Stromkirk Captain, who watched the others with disinterest.
"So she really means business this time." the Noble muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the room grew dark as one by one, the candles went out, leading the gaze of all to the corner of the hall until all but two candles remained. They sat as a centerpiece to one of the lounge tables and dripped wax carelessly onto the velvet red and silver tablecloth. Then, as made of shadows herself, Olivia appeared seated in one of the chairs.
The noble smirked. Nice trick, but in truth these kinds of theatrics bored him. The Falkenrath found no need for this type of charm. Intimidation by example was all they required to gain another's cooperation.
Olivia swirled a glass of her house red in her hand and took a sip, as if not even noticing the others. Then, leaving the glass, she stood up and walked out to the center as silent as death. In fact, though the hall had been loud with the whispers and scheming of the others when he arrived, the noble noticed an intense stillness had taken the room.
Looking around, Olivia smiled.
"Velcome, my comrades." she said, and opened her arms and all the lights returned brilliantly. "Please make yourselves comfortable in my domain. Let us leave our hatreds and feuds at the door, and talk together as fellow kin of the great bloodline, the holy font unnamed."
"Get on with it you old bat! Why do I have to sit here up to my neck with these grey skinned corpse diggers?"
Immediately all eyes went to the corner. The Falkenrath Noble heard a gasp from one of his ladies. He only smiled to himself when he saw the perpetrator. It was a young one, the heir to Rakish. Apparently he had not yet learned his place. And here he had expected a rather dull event.
Olivia only smiled at the Rakish.
"You are right, it was so wrong of me to keep you vaiting my dear." A ghostly whisper seemed to echo in the hall.
"These pale-faced corpse diggers surrounding you really don't deserve such a magnificent presence as yours." The Rakish Heir, young and foolish, smiled and looked around.
"Das right. Now would ya mind tellin' me why I rode two weeks to come to this sorry mess of a whorehouse?"
Oliva lifted her hand. Unbeknownst to the heir, a cloud of darkness collected silently behind him. All could see it, but he.
"I'm sorry my lord." Olivia began. "It seems in fact there was no reason to bring you here before us. Pardon my mistake." Then with a clenched fist, the shadows coalesced into a shape. A shriek ran through the tavern as a Fiend of Shadows appeared behind him. The young noble realized too late the trap, and attempted to dash out with his lightning speed. Unfortunately, it takes more than that to survive an encounter with such a fiend. The fiend spoke a single whisper and the Rakish Heir collapsed to the floor. Blood oozed from between his ears as his brain melted inside his head. Though immortal, without fresh blood he would spend the next century a brainless vegetable before he finally healed.
Immediately the Fiend disappeared into a puff of smoke and two Chosen rushed out to drag him away.
"Apparently he doesn't like Fiend music either." Olivia said and the chuckles rose among those watching. The Falkenrath Noble smirked again to himself. Typical Olivia.
"Now, I vish to thank you for attending this unprecedented gathering of our kind. But it is not without good cause I assure." The noble smiled. Finally, to the point.
"I have called this gathering of the great houses for one purpose." Then Olivia snapped her fingers and man wearing a black cloak appeared next to her. It was the Bloodline Keeper, lord of historical knowledge both written and sanguine.
"As you know..." the Keeper began, "a great plague once beset our kind."
The Falkenrath Noble sighed. "Great, another history lesson."
As if reading his thoughts, Olivia shot a shard glance his way. The Noble frowned and returned his attention back to the Keeper.
"The one known as Avacyn who could lay waste to many of our kind with but a single swing of her sword was sealed beneath Innistrad a Millennium ago. It was Olivia's own father, Count Voldaren, who imprisoned her there."
"I'm sorry Olivia..." a Stromkirk Noble interrupted. "But what does this have to do with us?" Olivia's eyes burned as she shot him a vicious glare. Immediately his head exploded and his corpse fell unceremoniously to the ground. This time, nobody stirred, not even the chosen.
"We have reason to believe..." the Keeper continued "that Avacyn has returned."
A great gasp rose among the nobles. The Falkenrath Noble slammed his fist upon the table.
"Impossible!" came a shout.
"This cannot be! She was sealed!" Came another.
"Master..." said one of his ladies. "What would you have us do?"
"Be still" he whispered back. "Let's see what she says."
A few more moments of panic and Olivia raised her hand and silence was restored.
"My dear, dear ladies and gentlemen. I vould not have called you hear to start a panic. Have faith in that much at least." She smiled as the others calmly began to take there seats again.
"Now is in fact our prime! We rule this land of Innistrad with a noble fist of blood and shadow. This land vill now and alvays be ours." The Falkenrath Noble smiled as he felt her passion rising within him as well.
"The humans battle the Volves and the Valking dead and pray to their spirits, who could care less about the fates of men. Avacyn has been forgotten by them and she has no more power here!"
A great cheer rose from the nobles.
"I know what we must do and it is not run and hide like our ancestor's once did. NO! Like my father before me, ve must fight!"
A great cheer rose again.
"The humans will know sorrow the likes of vhich hell only knows in legend. VE vill bring to them a plague of death so horrible Avacyn will cringe and wish to bury herself once again beneath the city!"
The cheer was deafening.
"But I will not let her!" she said, raising a finger and the hall grew silent.
"No, she will not escape us, nor I this time." The Falkenrath Noble smiled as he felt the pleasure of the hunt to come build inside him.
Olivia put her finger to her lips and licked it slowly. "No, for I... I have always wondered... what the blood of angels tastes like..."