Salem's Story

“Tell me a story, Uncle Salem!” said the little girl, her blues eyes sparkling. “I want to hear about how you met Auntie Marg.”

The bespectacled man let out a sigh and looked over to young child.

Half annoyed he replied, “Olivia you should focus more on your studies and less on silly stories.”

He inwardly winced as he saw her face fall.

“Okay child, but only if you promise to stop bugging me every day for my tales.”

She smiled brightly and rushed over to her favorite padded chair. Salem looked around the small library and let his mind wander back over those twelve years. To those dark days when those damned vampires started to take over….

Blood ran like rivers as the filthy beasts worked to crush any resistance. They would kill anyone that even thought to fight them or even hinted defiance. The innocent family members were then taken to the castle to be sold as blood slaves. He had been reckless then, a young man filled with anger and his heart lusted to fight the blood drinkers. He pulled his long ebony pipe out of the bag which he kept next to the small fireplace.

“One day, several years ago, I was hunting a group of blood traitors.”

At those words he saw a flash of fear in her eyes and he knew why. It had been those human sympathizers of the vampires who had led the attack on her family's castle. They willingly served the Dark Lords in exchange for gold. “They had just raided the village of Diagone when I picked up their trail. I wanted to catch them and those innocent villagers that were on their way to be sold as slaves. It was my duty to save as many of the villagers as i could. The human race has to survive.”

He hated those traitoras men and everything that they represent.

“They had set up camp next to Oiche River the night I decided to sneak into the camp to see how well guarded the villagers were. I quickly cast a spell to make myself invisible and silently crept around the encampment taking note of where the guards were posted and to try and find out who this groups leader was. My heart froze for a moment when I saw it was the banner for Maxwell the Red outside a lavish crimson tent.”

He pictured Maxwell then, that grisly old man with his graying red hair. Maxwell made a habit of drinking too much and having his way with the young female captives.

“I located two large wagons with bars over the openings in the middle of the camp. Inside I saw twelve young men and women who looked tired and scared. I continued past trying to come up with a plan that would let me free them without Maxwell or his henchmen seeing. As I turned around to make my way back to the wagons I heard the sound of footsteps coming in my direction. I slipped behind a tent and watched a guard walk up to the first wagon and peer in. He then pulled an iron key from his belt and inserted it into the large padlock then reached in and grabbed a girl by the wrist.”

Salem closed his eyes then, picturing the scene in his mind and he could still hear the slobbering voice of the man.

“C’mere wench, Old Max wants a play. I hope he doesn't get carried away with you because I might want some fun later.”

Salem saw the terror in the young women's eyes as she was pulled to the ground and her hands bound behind her back. He knew then that he had to come up with something fast.

"I reached to the ground and picked up a small stone. With a skittering crack I threw it to the side of the woman's captor. The man looked startled and snapped at the girl, "Don't move a step or I will cut your feet off," and went to investigate. "By then my invisibility spell had been exhausted, so I rushed up to her and whispered, "Don't worry I will have you out of here soon." Salem looked over at Olivia then and smiled as he saw the wonder in her eyes.

"That was Auntie Marg?" she asked. "Is that how you met?"

"Yes, that was her, but the story is not over. Would you like to hear the rest?" Salem replied as he took a long draw off of his pipe. As he let the smoke trickle out, he heard the girl giggle as he made the smoke change colors before it disappeared.

"Yes!" the girl squealed.

"When the guard walked back I was waiting for him. I hit him over the head with my staff, then dragged his unconscious body to a nearby supply tent. I tied him up and then cast a spell of blind and silence over him so that he could not yell out whenever he came to. The young lady looked at me with a mixture of awe and fear in her eyes. 'Was that magic?' she asked in a trembling voice."

Salem understood the fear. Magic users were feared and hated by the vampires and most humans alike. "Yes woman, and it‘s the only thing that will save us now." Together they rushed back to the two wagons and using the key he lifted off the guard he opened the barred door wide and commanded everyone to get out. The villagers were hesitant and weak but after a little coaxing he was able to get them out. After all the people were helped down, he cast an illusion spell to make it look like the prisoners were still in there. “I didn't know how long it would take for my ruse to be discovered but I was hoping for a few hours. "He led the prisoners along the river bed and towards the ancient forest.

“We had only been traveling for an hour or so when there was a blast of horns and I heard a cry of alarm coming form[from] the river. I let out a silent curse because I knew that the illusion had been discovered. 'Hurry' I yelled to the group. ‘If you wish to live then we must move into the safety of the trees.' I then saw the young lady who I had first rescued stumble and fall. I went over to her and pulled her up by the hand and asked, 'What is your name.' She looked at the ground then and asked in a mousy voice, "Why do you want to know, is it for some dark spell?" I shook my head at her fear and replied, 'No dark spells, I am only wishing to help. Besides I would never harm someone as beautiful as you." She looked up then with a trace of scarlet hinting at her cheeks and in the same weak voice said, 'My name is Margie, Margie Ravenwilde.' With a reasuring smile he replied "Don't worry Margie, we will make it through this. Just trust me."

Salem then took a moment to relight his pipe. It was the first time he had thought of this event in several years. The young girl was too busy watching the pipe smoke change colors to see the pain in the aging man‘s eyes.

"Soon I could hear the baying of the tracking hounds and the thunder of hoof beats. I knew we wouldn't make it to the safety of the trees, so I decided to make a stand. I yelled out for the eight men to look for rocks or branches to use as makeshift weapons while shouting for the women to run and not look back. I could tell the men have had, had very little experience in combat." I walked up to them and pointed to the approaching men on horseback. 'Those are just men that approach. They are not vampires or any other supernatural form of being. Do not fear them. Fight now for your town, your loves and heart.' The men seemed to stand a little taller, and gripped there weapons a little tighter."

"I delved deep into my mind and let the feeling of the magic wash over me. I released my breath and the vision of green flames leapt from one horseman to another. Half the opposing force turned back in a panic, but the men that remained realized that the flames were harmless. I then focused on the horses next and once again let the magic flow through me. When I breathed out again I let a sphere of darkness land in front of the horses. They panicked and I could hear the thuds of heavy objects and the screams of injured men and animals. Exhaustion fell over me at that moment. I swooned but held tightly to my staff. Less than a dozen men remained and I used a little bit of my remaining strength to put a bright globe of light into the night sky so that the villagers could easily see them. With a fury they met the charge. Rocks and branches pounded into helms and cold steel cut into flesh. I looked back at the retreating women and was glad to see they had halved the distance to the trees."

All of this flashed into Salem's mind and he struggled for a moment how to describe the scene and the bloodshed to a the girl who had barely seen 8 summers. "The men fought valiantly but sadly the battle hardened fighters broke through our weak line." Salem closed his eyes again and saw the blood spill onto the ground. He had cried out to the men to try and rally them again but it was to no avail. One by one they fell. "I saw Maxwell then coming towards me. I felt a sudden surge of strength, suddenly there were six of me standing side by side. Maxwell leapt from his horse and the roan mare charged through one of the illusions. 'I see your game now you magic pig,' yelled the flustered blood traitor. He swung his bastard sword through another illusion. I swung my staff up then,catching him in the temple. Maxwell fel to his knees and over his shoulder I could see the women make it into the trees.'Not today!' I growled at him. I swung my staff again. ‘Never again,’ I yelled and for a third time my staff flashed."

Again Salem closed his eyes and remembered looking down on the lifeless bodies and felt all the energy leave him. Once again he’d had mortal blood on his hands. He had to remind myself that it was for the betterment of the human race and hoped that one day the blood would wash away.

"I looked back and saw a few horsemen form a group and they started making their way towards me. I decided to make a run for the trees. My strength had fled and I knew I would not survive another engagement." Salem took a breath and noticed that his pipe had again gone out. He touched the flame to his pipeweed again [no again] and took a deep breath. Olivia looked at him and said,"The bad man deserved to die Uncle Salem." The old man looked knowingly into the girls blue eyes and wondered what remarkable things would happen in her life.

"Well princess," He said as he ran his hand through her hair. "It is still a dark thing to take another humans life."

"After a day of rest under the protective branches, for the next week we traveled only by day and I used every spell I had knowledge of to keep our travels unnoticed. Eventually, I led the women to a well-known complex of caves that would over time form the refugee camps. It was hard going and at times i did not know if we would make it but we had plenty of fish and wild plants to eat and the river was always within sight. During the long march, the young lady that I had first rescued was never far from my side. She was always asking questions about everything she saw. Over time I came to enjoy her company and looked forward to pointing things out and doing minor charms just to see her smile. When we reached the cave complex I turned to leave but the chestnut-haired woman grabbed my arm and asked to come with me. Without me knowing the exact moment it happened I realized I loved this girl so, I agreed after explaining to her the dangers of my life. She just nodded her head and leaned forward to kiss me. Within a year, she was my wife and shortly after that my first son was born."

From near his side Salem heard a loud yawn and he looked down upon Olivia. He saw a shimmering excited light and also a bit of sleepiness in her sky blue orbs. "Time for you to get to bed. Besides you need your rest for your studies tomorrow. We have time for more tales later." He tucked the girl into her cot and whispered under his breath. "I'm sure you will make many of your own one day."