Isabella found the stories of the Knights of Valor leader, Raisa, to be inspirational, and perhaps an answer to her wish in the yearning to find others who shared her interest. But what were those besides murdering vampires because she herself was a vampire? It had to be conquest, winning, celebration. These were the themes that emitted from the KOV guild house on any random night. And oh, what a guild house. Here were the magical training beings, Isabella was sure they were elemental spirits, that accepted punishment on a daily basis to hone the skills of warriors and magi; here was the thriving marketplace with vendors selling all manner of powerful items, and there were the trunks of precious cargo stashed here and there, protected by the knights at all cost.
Lingering outside the guild house, she heard an animated discussion taking shape. Something about a challenger to the guild who sought to bring it down. Raisa laughed. “Bring it on, I love a good challenge. Why the very gods themselves said this guild would be nothing, but look at us now.” Raisa lifted her hands in exultation.
“Do you wish to enter our guild house?” a voice asked from behind.
Isabella turned in surprise. A woman, just as comely as Raisa, stared at here. She wore a fine raiment of blue, and tall stag horns on her head, giving Isabella the feeling she had been caught red-handed by a shaman.
“No need to say anything right away,” the knight said, “but take this book to study. Inside it live our rules of conduct, our outlook, and our mission. You can send word to me, Nova, if you wish to know more.”
“Yes,” said Isabella, “this is what I was looking for. Thank you so much.”
“Of course,” Nova smiled gently.
And Isabella took the book back to her tower on the outskirts of Vesper. By flickering firelight she studied the words, the mood, the context. There was nothing here that would bring her doom. If anything, it was her own ignorance of the new land that would bring that about even quicker than KOV. She made her mind up. The next evening, upon the setting of the sun, she would go, find this Nova, and pledge herself to the guild and Raisa’s cause.
It would be sane compared to the crazier stunts she has pulled.
Far saner for sure, and maybe that’s what frightened her.