Arc One: Awakening

Chapter 29: Clan of the Banshee

As they ascended the seemingly never-ending steps, Oscar craned his neck to marvel at the towering manor, its impressive architecture nudging the low cloud line. Bright and clean, the ivory brick alternated in pattern and formed helixes around the framework.

Arched windows absorbed the struggling sunrays and cast a kaleidoscope on the flagstones. From what he had already witnessed, he anticipated the rest of Lucarian to be perpetually dark, but the Banshee lands appeared as though they had been plucked from another, much livelier, realm and perched on the hillside. Based on Lysander's suggestion about these vampyres, it may have been.

The open courtyard welcomed them with a sensory feast of alluring floral scents and static petal glows sprinkled along the straight-structured waterways. At the top of the slope leading up to the front entrance, two women stood engaged in conversation. With a sharp nail, the silver-haired woman directed the other to the approaching trio.

"Welcome to the Clan of the Banshee," the younger said as they climbed the last set of stairs. "Your message came at the perfect time."

"I'm glad," Demetrius said, with a customary bow. "I feared we may have sent it a little too late."

"Of course not. Everything arrived as it should and not a moment later." Their gracious host extended an upturned palm to the door and the hulking oak creaked as it gave way.

"My name is Faye," she said as she led them inside, "and this is my grandmother, Amelda. She occupies our first seat."

"This is Lord Lysander, heir to the Phoenix second seat, and Oscar of Solgarde," Demetrius replied, directing a flourishing gesture to each of his companions in turn. "It has been quite some time since I was last here, but I must say, Lady Amelda, you have not changed a bit."

"You have the same charming qualities as your father, Lord Volkar," Amelda laughed. "He always had a compliment waiting for his friends."

Oscar listened to the cheery exchange as Faye and Demetrius spoke of his prior visits as a child and gaped at the extraordinary sights. He almost had to squint it was so bright. The additional windows flooded the room with even more light, painting the grey and white embellished tiles in a vivid display of colours. Surrounding it all, multiple storeys of pastel teal panels inlaid with metallic frames stretched upward to enclose the mirrored chandelier descending into the lobby.

In a private dining hall, Faye ushered them towards tiered trays laden with cakes and pots of fragrant tea at the other end of the trestle table. She poured each cup, her straightened, blonde hair draping over her left shoulder as she tilted with the tip of the teapot.

"Now," she said, gracefully gathering the sweep of her grey gown beneath her as she sat, "what can the ghost vampyres assist you with?"

With a fleeting glance, Lysander and Demetrius silently communicated the challenge before them, questioning where to even begin describing their predicament.

"You have come here about the gateways," Amelda said, cradling her warm refreshment. "Correct?"

"Yes," Lysander confirmed. "We need to get Oscar home and find a way to assess any potential dangers the gateways pose. The only problem is, the one that our friend used is now out of order, and my patrol has reported that the others seem to be in the same condition."

The lady of the first seat listened closely, raising her teacup to her lips and savouring the blend of spices and flowers. "Our lands have experienced similar issues. The gateways remained active for a short period, but now they are all inoperative. Although I was just a young girl when they closed all those centuries ago, I can sense something amiss with them."