Chapter 13

It seems that the paralyzing effect that the vampire used was less powerful this time, as it took less than ten seconds each for me to release the others.

At that point everyone except Ertak starts to talk at the same time a few times, until we calm down.

There is a heated discussion on what to do next.

Anneli says in a fiery voice "That evil thing must be destroyed quickly, lets go now"

Slanat is more unsure in his tone when he says "I think, we should really go report to the guild instead"

Anneli retorts with a "Coward" and Slanat responds "Maybe I am, but mostly I am concerned", holds a short pause seemingly grasping for how to say what he wants said and continues "concerned about confronting a vampire in it's lair when we could not even scratch it the last time and it again held us in place with ease"

Garis, who has been quiet so far says "Being held is indeed a problem, but even bigger is that our weapons did nothing to it"

Nedia says in a bit tentative voice "Well - I do have 2 silver tipped arrows, they are supposed to help against vampires"

Garis hits his helmet with his armored fist and sighs "Silver, indeed, silver" and pulls out his silvered dagger "This might help, but still this is not enough really if it is the only thing we can do"

Anneli who has been unusually quiet then says in a more moderate tone than normal "If we wait about half an hour, I should be able to pray for a weapon blessing for two weapons. That should allow those weapons to bypass any such evil protections"

Garis asks "Only two?"

Anneli answers with "That is the maximum I can keep ready at the same time. Once I bless the weapons, they are blessed for about two minutes and revert to normal after that"

Garis nods.

After that we have a pretty useless and confusing conversation about who should do what with the blessed weapons. I think every possible and impossible combination likely came up and the tone varies from heated discussion to outright yelling.

Maybe five minutes later Ertak finally has enough and says in really annoyed voice "Enough", draws breath and continues "Anneli and Luvirini get blessings as they might be able to resist, I get the silver dagger. Nedia and me will hang back hidden and hope the vampire will not see us before we attack. Slanat and Garis charge first trying to draw attention."

We all stare at him for a while, as that is the longest thing he has ever been heard to say.

Next there is a chorus of comments and protests, mostly from Slanat and Garis protesting their role in the plan. Ertak just stands there quietly and looks at them like my teacher back home used to look at me when I could not answer a simple question back in school.

After a while everyone calms down again and in maybe five more minutes, we decide to do as Ertak suggested.

So Anneli starts to pray for the weapon blessings.

While we wait, I suddenly remember a focusing exercise that we did in utility magic class. It is supposed to help concentration. Though it is not a protection spell or anything like one, I remember that it was my concentration that I felt slowly slipping away when the vampire gazed at me, so it might help. Thus I sit down on the ground start to focus on it.

The next thing I note is a tap on my shoulder. Looking around I see everyone ready to go with Garis holding out his hand to help me up. I get up and he says "You were in some distant world there"

I mumble something about the focusing exercise and how it may or may not help and Garis claps me on the shoulder saying "I am sure it will help, else you would not have though about it."

My total surprise must have clearly shown as he continues "Oh, you have not noted yet that when you have these sudden ideas about anything magic related, they are almost always correct"