Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 02: Fall

"Really?" The woman seemed very amused by her resistance, "Well don't worry, when I'm done with you, I'll let my surviving sons and my husband all rape you to death. And when I bring you back as a vampire thrall under my control, you can tell me how you thought that."

The woman said that with an almost sexual excitement in her voice. Varia was far from the first human prisoner she had turned and the captive planeswalker assumed some of her 'sons' were former humans she had turned into vampires. It was always difficult to tell the difference between a born vampire and a turned vampire. They both had fangs, pale skin and sucked blood. The difference being one was under total control of the other.

"Go ahead. Do what you will. But I promise you this: I will slaughter every vampire in this house. I will save you for last and when I am done, you will know just how big a mistake you made. These..." Varia shook her arms to jingle the chains above her wrists, "Are naught but an inconvenience. I was surprised before that one of you could actually interrupt my Sangromancy, but I won't make that mistake again." Varia glared at the vampire as a grimace curled across her lips "And I keep my promises."

"Oh this will be fun to break you." The vampire said, her hand sliding over Varia's bare breast and down to her nethers.

Varia's face was stoic and cold as the woman looked at her, likely hoping for a reaction to touching her like that. It was disgusting and enraging to be touched where only Blayne was allowed, but at the same time it would make it all that much sweeter when Varia slaughtered her children.

"You won't be so strong next time. I will bring toys to have fun with." The vampire sighed, turning to leave. She swayed her ample ass on the way out the door, as if trying to entice her prisoner. Varia didn't even spare her voluptuous body a second glance. Instead, the moment the vampire turned her back, Varia closed her eyes and began to focus. Like all chains of this kind, there was a trick to unlocking them. You couldn't enchant the chains to absorb all magic, otherwise they would just absorb the enchantment itself and be left inert again. Because of that, the chains had to be enchanted with layers of magic to adequately protect itself from absorbing it's own protection. The magic layering itself was the chain's weakness.

She began probing the chains cautiously with her magic to avoid triggering the drain on her power. As soon as she found a crack in the first layer of magic, she drove a spike of holy light through it. The layer of enchantment was sheared away and she felt the chain's oppressive power lessen a bit. A smile spread across her face. These vampires were all going to die in the most horrid ways she could imagine.

After an hour of probing a spiking into the enchantments, the last of the magic protecting the chains fell away. She promptly melted her restraints beneath her power and she fell to the floor with a groan. Blood flowed back into her appendages, making her skin prickle painfully.

Just then a pair of voices could be heard coming down the hall, "Come on, what's the harm if we just rape her a little? I'm dying to get my rocks off."

"You know that mother wants the first time all to herself. We really shouldn't be down here." The second said.

Varia got quickly and quietly to her feet. She ran next to the door and pressed her back to the wall. The door opened and the young men walked in. They looked at where she had been chained up and the door closed behind them.

"Where the hell is she?" The first asked, scratching his head.

"Right here bastards." Varia hissed, reaching out with her magic. She gripped the blood in their bodies and ripped it out their eyes and mouths. They were dead before they hit the floor and she swirled all the crimson fluid into a thick orb above her hand. She had her magic, a weapon and there were maybe a paltry dozen standing in her way. They were doomed.

At her touch, the wood door melted into dust and she stepped into the dim hallway. There was a second cell across from hers that was empty and no sign of her belongings. Oh well, that didn't matter right now. What mattered was fulfilling her promise to the vampire matron. She ran through the open door at the end of the hall and dashed up the spiral stairs. At the top she ran into another vampire. Her blood orb passed through the front of his head and came out the back, bristling with the added gore. His body hit the floor with a dull thud. Now Varia was standing in the entrance hall of the mansion, a great big room with a huge crimson-carpeted staircase leading to the upper levels. It was empty except for the corpse she had just drained.

There was some laughter from a door leading off the hall on her right. She neared it and peaked through the crack. The room was only lit by a few candles and there were eight vampires sitting around a table. They were eating dinner and laughing together. The woman she wanted was sitting at the far end, still naked. Apparently this was her harem or something, because Varia hadn't seen another female vampire since she had killed the twins.

"So, once I'm done with her, I think I'll make her into my new daughter." The woman said happily, "We'll start to repair the damage she wrought on our family and she'll be the one to do it. Isn't that great?"

The other vampires around the table laughed heartily. Varia bristled with anger. She shoved the door open with a bang and strode in. They barely had time to look her way before she had shot a spear of blood through six of them. She sucked out all their blood into a gigantic orb above her head, the warm blood dripping down her body and staining her pale skin crimson.

"You fucking bitch!" The woman yelled and the man at her left leapt up on the table in the way of Varia. Since he was oldest looking vampire of the ones at the table, the naked bloodmage assumed he was one of the matron's husbands.

"You will not touch her. I will kill you before that happens." The vampire said, lunging at her. Varia brought the giant orb of blood splashing down over her own body. She used the all blood around her to create a blade in each hand and slash at the vampire. He easily dodged out of the way and stopped on her left.

"Don't worry. I promised her that I would kill her last. She hardly deserves to die thinking one of you lived." Varia smiled, her entire body wet with gore, giving her the visage of a bloody ghost.

"You monster!" The man yelled, lunging at her again. This time black magic flared around his hands and he tried to strike her with it.

As he lunged, she cast a spell she hadn't used since Sorin taught it to her. She sank into the pool of blood around her and disappeared. He stumbled as he flew through the blood she had been standing in. Thick tendrils snapped up and grabbed him, dragging him down to the floor. Before he could resist, the crimson liquid consumed him completely, dissolving his entire body into pure gore.

"Nooo! How could you? You cruel bitch!" The vampire woman cried out, running for the door. The pool of blood swirled and shot across the floor, getting directly in front of the door. Varia rose out of it like a specter: Her entire body coated with the blood of the vampires. When her eyes opened, they were spots of white amid a crimson horror.

"Because I promised you I would. You vampires never leave well enough alone. None of this would've happened if you hadn't attacked me first." Varia's voice was cold and full of venom, "Now, let me show you what I plan to do with you."

The naked vampire took a step back in fear as Varia grabbed her by the neck and forehead, making her scream in terror. A squeeze made her quiet with a whimper.

"I will forever enslave you as one of my spirits. When I call, you will be compelled to come and do my bidding, no matter how much you hate it." Varia said with a ghostly white grin, "I've heard getting your spirit ripped from your body hurts. Let's find out, shall we?"

She poured black mana into the vampire as she shook in fear. The hand on her forehead slipped into her body and she pulled sideways. A ghostly visage of the woman was torn from her body. Her physical form fell to the ground with a loud thump, dead and empty. In Varia's hand, she held the spirit of the vampire woman as she sobbed hysterically. Her ghost looked exactly as her body did, naked and curvaceous, except that she seemed to fade away somewhere around the knees and she could easily be seen through.

"How did that feel my slave?" Varia asked, pulling her close.

"Just... Just let me... die..." The vampire blubbered.

"You are now and forever more bound to me as a dark spirit. Take heart for I will set you upon my foes and you may sate your rage and desire upon their flesh." Varia smirked. The best spirits to have under her control were the ones that hated her. They were the most dangerous and fought the hardest because they had the thirst for vengeance inside them.

"Y... Yes... Mistress..." The vampire whimpered before Varia dismissed her to the dark realm of the spirits.

"Alright, now that's handled. Let's find my clothes and go to Sorin's." Varia said, cleaning her body with a simple spell.

She found all her things sitting in a pile in the vampire woman's bedroom. With her clothes back on and her sword at her hip, she leapt from the bedroom's balcony and launched herself over the river once more. Absorbing the life from all those vampires had revitalized her and she was now carrying the strength of that vampire woman. Varia never did consider learning her name. Perhaps she should ask what it was the next time she summoned the matriarch.

It took her a few more hours to reach Sorin's land. His castle was set atop a tall hill, enough to see out for miles around. This was not the actual Markov manner, for the Markov family had disowned him when he created Avacyn, but instead his own castle where he had taught Varia sangromancy. The last time she came here, she did so with Sorin and no vampire dared cross him.

She mounted the steps to the front door and banged on the heavy iron knocker. The door creaked open and a black spirit stood there, "Yes mi'lady. The Lord Markov is not home at the moment."

"I know, I must contact him. I am a friend, my name is Varia." Varia said.

"One moment please." The spirit floated forward and through her body. A shiver of ice ran down her spine as it circled back around to stand in front of the door, "You are telling the truth. You may enter, although I know not with the lord will be home."

"That's fine. You may go." Varia said and the spirit disappeared. Sorin preferred the companion of dark spirits he created himself to clean and care for his castle, since they did not desert when he disappeared for a hundred years at a time. She had learned about them back when she was his apprentice.

Across the entrance way and into the sitting room, she found what she was looking for, sitting on a table near the stained glass window. A beautiful glass orb almost a foot across and swirling with dark mana inside. It held a spell within it that could send messages to Sorin wherever he was in the Multiverse. Being as old as he was, he had learned the importance of taking precautions. So he made the orb for Avacyn to contact him if there was ever a problem she couldn't handle.

She placed her hands on it and closed her eyes, "Sorin, this is Varia. I have come to your home to ask a favor of you. If you would return when you get the chance, I will be waiting."

With that, she walked over to one of the couches that sat before the large black hearth. The hearth itself was cold and empty, but that didn't make the couch any less comfortable. It was made of a soft velvet and she sank into it's black padding the moment she sat down.

"Spirit, make a fire." She commanded. A black spirit appeared near her and bowed to her before kneeling in front of the hearth. A moment later it stood up and a fire was crackling in it. As it grew, the spirit bowed to her again and disappeared. She sighed happily and laid her head back on the couch pillows. Sorin really had a luxurious place here.

*******

CHAPTER 29 - FIRST ASSAULT

Blayne rose out of the lake, sputtering and wet. He flopped on the shore and gagged as water ran from his mouth and eyes. He vomited, hurling up a veritable flood of lake water. He hadn't considered this when he had taken that first breath in the water. He sat there coughing up more for a few minutes before it stopped. When he looked up, the man in the cloak was standing next to him.

"You succeeded." He observed and Blayne held up the Mox Sapphire, "Good, here are your memories back."

A single touch on Blayne's head released his locked memories and he gave a choked gasp, "Jace you're an asshole!"

"Guess I should have told you results of that water breathing spell." He chuckled, "I bid you luck on your battle."

With barely another word, Jace turned and disappeared. Blayne sighed and flopped back in the grass, still breathing a little heavy from all his coughing. He stared at the sapphire and felt it's power. The core of it's magic was the lake itself, but it reached out all across this plane, touching every source of blue mana on it. Its power was vast, rivaling that of even the ruby; something he hadn't thought possible.

"We have a chance now." He smilled, clenching the gem tightly.

*******

Varia jerked awake when she felt a hand touch her cheek. Standing over her was Sorin, a soft smile on his face, "Good evening Varia. Have a good nap?"

"Oh shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. The fire was warm and the couch was comfortable. I just had a helluva run in with some vampires on my way here: some crazy bitch and her harem. I killed all of them and turned her into a spirit slave." Varia groaned as she sat upright.

"So what is so important that you would risk your life to see me?" He asked, sitting down across from her. His silver breastplate jingled and his sword clacked as he pulled it from his belt.

"I need to borrow the Jet Mox of Innistrad." Varia said, getting right to the point, "My world is in danger and I don't have enough power there to stop it. Earth is just not rich enough in any color of mana to defend itself."

"So... Earth is your world now, is it?" Sorin raised an eyebrow, "You really did marry another planeswalker." Then he smiled warmly. "I'm happy for you. You may take the mox as a show of thanks for restoring Avacyn to Innistrad."

Vaira nervously gritted her teeth as she stood up. "Just so you know, I didn't do that. It was some woman named Liliana. She attacked the Helvault and forced Thalia to destroy it." Varia explained quickly.

"Yea, I know. Avacyn told me. But you played no small part in making that happen. Without you and your friends there, Liliana might have killed everyone there before forcing Thalia to open the Helvault herself. And she would've had nothing to threaten her with." Sorin said, "It matters little that you didn't do the actual destroying, you helped it happen and for that..."

He reached inside his heavy coat and pulled out a square cut gem as black as night. He held it out to her and nodded.

"Thank you very much. With this we should be able to defeat the Phyrexians without a problem." Varia smiled, her eyes glued to the glittering dark stone. Sorin's face went cold and he leaned towards her.

"Did you say Phyrexians?" He asked with a frown.

"Yes, some damn plague of theirs has been ravaging Earth. We can burn it up, but it just keeps coming. There's only so much we can do when our power are limited by the lack of mana on the plane itself." Varia sighed, glancing up at him, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Varia, the Phyrexians are the single most deadly enemy to the entire Multiverse." Sorin said with complete seriousness, "They consume, spread and destroy. They do this again and again and again, destroying world after world. Do not underestimate them in the slightest. If I weren't already occupied with searching for someone on Tarkir, I would help you fight them. I am trying to save the Multiverse just as you are, but from a different threat at a different time."

"I've already seen what the plague can do. You don't need to worry. I know I need to be careful around it. We already have other planeswalkers helping us. Jhoira is an amazing artifcer and an apprentice to Urza. She constructed a second Weatherlight, called the Radiant Dawn, that we've been using as our home base while we fight the plague." Varia said, standing up as he did. "We've also got Chandra and Maria with us. You've met them."

"Indeed I have. Jhoira is smart, if a little eccentric, she will not let you down." Sorin nodded, holding out his hand, "I bid you luck young Varia. Stay safe."

"I will Lord Sorin." She shook his hand and before she and let go, he had disappeared into the Aethers.

*******

Back on Earth, things had hit a stand still. The Fireballs were doing their best to fight using the Mox Ruby, but there was just too much ground to cover and too many foes to kill. With the Radiant Dawn, Robin and Henry off in England talking to their Parliament, they had little back up. Gisela had to remain in New York to give the impression of a continued angelic threat to the Phyrexians so the Praetor would keep biding his time.

Lucky for them, that's exactly what he did. The few times a demon tried to leave the isle of Manhattan, Gisela cut them down with impunity. Her skill in battle was unmatched and none could touch her. She struck with the holy hellfire of Avacyn, her blessed twin blades hacking to pieces anyone that opposed her. However, even without him assaulting them, the Praetor was still having an affect. The skies had darkened and thick clouds had started to gather over the entire planet. It was insane to think one being could have such an affect, but the plague being spread all around the world was furthering the darkness wrapping the world.

"How's it look?" Chandra asked Gisela.

"Quiet. Since I cut down the last abomination more than three hours ago, it's been completely quiet. I've seen some flying creatures between the buildings and there are some creatures that appear on the outer streets sometimes." Gisela said, her hands resting on the hilts of her blades.

"Well we've been burning things all up and down the coast. The problem is that, even with the military's help, the plague is almost impossible to contain. No matter what we do, we can't keep the spores from escaping." Maria sighed, rubbing her head nervously.

"I've faced much of the same. The plague has no affect on me, but there have been spores escaping. A good gust of wind carries it out to sea or down the coast." Gisela sighed, scratching her head.

There was a sudden whoosh overhead and a great cyan portal appeared. The Radiant Dawn floated lazily through it and floated down towards them.

"It would appear our comrades return." Gisela observed.

"Alright. Let's hope they got the UK on our side." Maria sighed.

The ship settled alongside the building and it's sails closed tightly. Robin jumped from the deck to the rooftop and walked over to them, "The English Parliament has agreed with our observations and the videos of Blayne and Varia went a long way to convince them. They've begun a series of martial laws and curfews to help maintain control. They plan to keep a wide eye on their country and the nearby weather currents to maintain lack of infection. The problem is these unnatural clouds surrounding the world. The darkness is weighing on everyone's minds."

"Well that's great, but stopping these spores is like stopping bits of dust on the breeze. There's no fighting that." Maria grumbled.

"That's true. However, the more people we get to know about it, the higher chance there is someone might come up with a solution." Robin said, "At the very least, people can know what's coming."