Kelron was unable to sleep during the following day. He had retreated to his room after breakfast to rest, but was unable to sleep. His thoughts continuously revolved around Silverian and what the vampire had told him.

What if Lord Valendar really had rescued Kelron? What if the vampires just did what every living being would do and fight for their survival? What if the code of honor Kelron had been following his whole life was based on a misassumption?

All these thoughts were so terrible and blasphemous that Kelron was afraid of them, but once these questions had been raised, they demanded an answer. If he couldn't find a way to ease his doubts, his whole life needed to be questioned. And that was something Kelron couldn't bear.

But those weren't the only things plaguing the paladin. Every time he closed his eyes, Silverian's seductive smile came to mind. It didn't help to remind himself that this attraction wasn't real, just part of the vampire's power, because for Kelron, it felt real.

The paladins of the Order of the Silver Blade neither took a vow of celibacy nor were they forbidden to marry, but in these trying times, the wardens wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble and strictly separated men and women. There was not a single woman at Castle Northwall; the female paladins, who existed in large numbers, had their own fortresses.

Kelron had always been too busy to waste his time and energy on women. During his training in the capital, he had made some intimate acquaintances with girls, but those encounters had remained shallow. At Castle Northwall, it wasn't uncommon for men to seek intimate relationships with each other, and it was tolerated as long as it didn't affect their work. Kelron had never understood this. He didn't want to feel calloused hands and a coarse, stubbly face against his skin, but preferred tender, cool fingers and satiny hair... soft, warm lips...

The paladin noticed unwanted heat filling his body, and with a discontented growl, he got up from his bed and tried to banish every thought about the vampire. If Silverian had been human, it wouldn't have disturbed Kelron that much, but having indecent thoughts about a damned monster was absolutely shameful.

Kelron went to his wash basin and splashed lots of cold water onto his face. He'd love to take a bath, but he didn't want to endure the looks of the other paladins in the bathing room. He finally decided to put on his armor and work off his frustration with some good fighting practice.

He found Mergil in the courtyard, training the younger paladins and making them sweat profusely. Kelron watched the movements for a while. His old master was agile and fast, depending on his dexterity, not his strength. He seemed to foresee his opponent's movements and reacted accordingly.

Involuntarily, Kelron was reminded of the imprisoned bloodsucker, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. How dare he compare his beloved and admired master with that creature! Nevertheless, there was a similarity in their way of reacting to an opponent. And as much as he hated to admit it, Kelron's abilities were inferior to both.

"Ah, my boy! How about some fighting practice? I think you could use the exercise." Mergil had spotted him and stopped to make a challenging gesture. "Take a wooden sword and show me that you haven't forgotten everything I've taught you."

"With pleasure, Master." Without further ado, Kelron grabbed a practice sword from its stand and took a few swings to test the balance and warm himself up. Then he took up his fighting position.

The other students cleared the area to watch the exciting match that undoubtedly was about to begin. Mergil remained calm and concentrated, his eyes fixed on Kelron. For a moment, both men stood motionlessly, then the old master attacked.

Kelron had his difficulties countering the strikes and realised he was defending without any chance for attacking.

'Pathetic.'

Silverian's voice echoed in his mind, and Kelron clenched his teeth. No, he wanted to become stronger and quicker to defeat his enemies. One day, he would face Lord Valendar and challenge him to a fight. And on that very day, he would rid the world of a great evil.

'Lord Valendar rescued you.'

Hate and anger boiling inside him, Kelron almost missed parrying the next strike and was forced to retreat. Blind rage was a bad companion in battle, when it came to getting the upper hand against Mergil. Kelron forced himself to take a deep breath and concentrate solely on the moment.

"When you fight against one opponent, you mustn't see all of your enemies in him," Mergil reminded him as they circled each other. "Don't fight with your heart, just with your head."

This was easier said than done. As much as the younger paladin tried to suppress his emotions, he was still failing.

'But you do not have to be angry about having a heart, Kelron. The others may be cold and emotionless, but you are not.'

Once again Silverian's words filled his mind as he tried to banish that memory. What good was there in having feelings? They were just in his way and prevented him from improving. Kelron had to follow his masters' examples and forget any emotion.

Once again, he was reminded of Silverian's wounds and Waragus' almost sadistic smile. That had been no indifference, no lacking compassion, but sheer pleasure by torturing others. It was simply dreadful, and Kelron didn't want to follow that example under any circumstance.

But what about Mergil? Was he truly indifferent to the things happening in the dungeon? It seemed so. He still didn't truly believe in the success Waragus was hoping for, but he also had told Kelron that hunger and pain would make the vampire talk eventually.

No one would treat an animal like this, but a vampire was something different. It was a disgusting thing, unworthy of existence.

'We would never torture someone, much less a helpless person.'

With a cry, Kelron attacked. He didn't have the faintest idea what drove him, but the fresh rage inside him gave him energy. He used his advantage of strength and height to force Mergil to retreat a few steps. The old master didn't show any openings in his defence, but there was no chance for him to counterattack either.

The bystanders gasped as the blades met again, locking at the quillons and letting the opponents stand still in a silent match of power. Kelron looked into Mergil's surprised face, just a palm away from his own, and suddenly everything seemed easy. He knew exactly what his master was going to do.

Seconds later, it happened. Mergil turned his weapon to free himself and disarm Kelron, but his student took a step back and lashed out. The blunt blade hit Mergil's lower arm.

The old master stopped and then raised his sword in ritual acknowledgement. "Well done, Kelron," he declared while their audience applauded. "My teachings prove to be fruitful at last. You predicted my last move."

Kelron nodded a bit breathlessly, as surprised as his master. "I just hope I will manage to do so in a real fight."

"You will," Mergil assured him and gave his wooden sword to a squire. "But I'd like to know why you were able to do this just now, although you don't train regularly at the moment."

Kelron shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I was lucky. Although..." He hesitated.

"Although?" Mergil urged.

Kelron put his practice sword back into its stand and returned to his master, who'd just commanded the other paladins to continue with their usual training.

 "Master, there's something I need to know," Kelron started hesitantly. Although he feared the answer, he needed to be sure. "Back then, when you found me in the village... where was I exactly?"

 Mergil gazed at him with furrowed brows. "You were in one of the few houses that hadn't been burned to the ground. You were unconscious, but uninjured. Why do you want to know now?"

 Kelron stared at him in shock. "Are you sure I wasn't lying underneath a crumbled wall?"

 His old master shook his head. "No. It almost seemed as if someone had put you there for safety."

 With an unsteady hand, Kelron rubbed over his eyes. "It is true then..."

 "Boy, are you alright?" Mergil asked worriedly. "You are quite pale."

 "Don't worry," Kelron muttered. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

 Mergil watched the young paladin cross the courtyard to get back into the fortress. "Seems like he's finally growing up," the old master mumbled with an almost melancholy smile before he returned to his students.

As soon as Kelron had left the courtyard, he leaned against a cool stone wall and tried to calm himself with deep breaths. But it didn't work. There was just one thought whirling around in his head: Silverian had been right. Although reason reminded him that the vampire might have seen him in that house and invented the whole story, there was still the question as to who had rescued Kelron then. And even if it was true, Kelron didn't have to blindly believe everything else Silverian had told him.

No, he wasn't yet prepared to see his whole world turned upside down.

Still a bit weak in the knees, the paladin stumbled upstairs to his chamber. Although sleep was even more elusive now, he didn't want to face company in his troubled state of mind. The other paladins would just ask questions he couldn't even answer for himself.

When Silverian awoke that evening, Kelron had already been sitting for a while at his post and brooding. The vampire got up from the floor and looked at him inquiringly.

"You know I did not lie." It was a statement, not a question, but there was no triumph in it.

Kelron finally looked up. Thanks to the blood, Silverian still looked healthy, but this would surely change with the next torture. This realization was followed by the alarming thought that Waragus couldn't possible overlook the vampire's condition. He inevitably would come to the conclusion that Kelron had fed him against orders.

The paladin darkly stared at the vampire. "But I still have enough reason to wish for your miserable existence to end."

"But you cannot kill the truth, Kelron. It will haunt you regardless of what you do to me," Silverian replied calmly. "But the longer you ignore it, the worse it will get."

"Worse? How could it possibly get worse?" Kelron replied heatedly. "You managed to unsettle me so much that I don't know what to think anymore!"

 Silverian smiled slightly. "No one can tell you what to think, Kelron, neither I nor your masters. And deep down you know what is right or wrong, I am sure."

"Stop giving me advice!" Kelron growled. "If I..." He cut himself off as he heard footsteps on the stairs.

It was Waragus, coming for his usual visit.

Kelron got up from his chair and grabbed the key to catch his master in front of the door. Waragus looked at him surprised and stopped on the last step of the stairs. "What is it, Kelron?"

The younger paladin closed the door behind him; if Waragus chastised him, the vampire needn't see it. He wanted to keep one last shred of dignity at least. He sprang to attention.

"Master, I have a report to make. I gave the prisoner some of my blood."

Waragus' bushy eyebrows raised into his hairline. "I gave you no such order."

"I know. But I thought it was a good way to gain his trust. Aside from that, he would have fallen into a rigor sooner or later."

"I guess you're right. Therefore I order you to continue to feed the bloodsucker," Waragus decided. "It has to realize that death is no escape for it."

Kelron hesitated. "Master, that's not possible. He told me that if a vampire drinks three times in a row from the same human..."

"Then what? Come on, tell me!" the warden demanded.

"Then the vampire won't be able to drink from another human ever again," Kelron finished and knew at the same instant that it had been a mistake to speak up in the first place.

"Really? I guess we will test that. You'll continue to feed the vampire, and if we let it go as soon as it tells us everything, it will die nevertheless if it really can't digest any blood beside yours." Waragus contentedly rubbed his hands.

"But Master..."

"No arguments! And now open the door, it's time for the interrogation."

Kelron had no choice but to obey. Moments later, the paladins with the molten silver followed.

This time, it took much longer, Kelron noticed, although he heard no screams at all. That didn't put him at ease, however, and when the paladins dragged a once again unconscious vampire to the cell, he had to assume the worst.

"I think it's about to fall into a rigor," Waragus said and gave Kelron the cell key. "Feed it a little bit of blood as long as it's unconscious. Then you wait to see what will happen."

"Master, what...," Kelron protested but was cut off again.

"I won't stand here and watch this, and it's better if the beast thinks I know nothing of it," the warden explained. "Report to me tomorrow morning." Then he left the dungeon.

Kelron stared at the cell key in his hand then looked at the vampire lying on the floor. He was barely breathing; whatever Waragus had done this time, it had used up all of Kelron's blood. The paladin hesitated for a moment before he unlocked the cell door and knelt down beside the vampire.

"Silverian?" he asked softly. When he got no answer, he carefully touched the vampire's shoulder and then turned him on his back.

It was a horrible sight. Silverian's face was as ashen and gaunt as a bare skull. He didn't have any fresh wounds, but his mouth was unnaturally red. A drop of cooled-off silver stuck to the corner of his mouth.

Kelron felt bile rising in his throat, and for a moment he had to turn away and take a deep breath to pull himself together.

Waragus had made Silverian drink the molten silver! It was no wonder the vampire hadn't been screaming.

Finally, Kelron had steadied himself enough to think. If he didn't do anything now, the vampire would fall into a rigor for sure or even die – and then Kelron would never learn where Lord Valendar was hiding. He had to keep the vampire alive at any cost.

Quickly, he took off his left gauntlet and arm piece and drew his silver dagger. With its tip, he carefully scrapped the silver from Silverian's mouth before he used it to cut his own skin at the underside of his arm. But the blood flowed very slowly and clotted too fast, forcing Kelron to make another little cut.

"Come on, drink!" he murmured. "I want to rescue you, you hear me? I won't harm you, and I won't let Waragus continue to torture you. You tell me where Valendar is hiding, and then we both get out of here. Do you hear me, Silverian? I promise. I swear it on my honor as a paladin, whatever it is worth."

Only now as he said this aloud, Kelron truly realized what kind of decision he had just made. He was about to betray his order and his masters, but, strangely enough, he wasn't as reluctant to do so as he had thought. Deep down he knew that a terrible injustice was going on and that he mustn't stand aside and watch any longer. Despite this, it was his only chance to get to Lord Valendar. Kelron wanted to know the whole truth, wanted to face the nightmare of his childhood and proudly challenge it to a duel.

After what seemed an eternity, Silverian finally began to suck at the wound. Kelron's arm was hurting already and he was feeling a bit faint, but he didn't pull away. These little scratches were nothing against real wounds on a battlefield.

Instead, a hot wave of desire washed over him, fogging his mind like strong wine on an empty stomach. The burning ran from his arm through his whole body and made him gasp.

"Damnit, stop that!" Kelron growled between clenched teeth although he wasn't even sure that the vampire was doing this on purpose. All he knew was that Silverian livened up with every drop of blood and finally opened his eyes.

Kelron pulled away his arm and looked down at the vampire, breathing heavily. Silverian's lips, now colored darkly from the blood, formed an almost dreamy smile. A dark veil lay over his eyes.

It took Kelron all of his willpower not to lean down and kiss Silverian.

But the magical moment was quickly over. The vampire blinked in confusion, then he sat up swiftly and stared at Kelron in horror. "You gave me your blood once again!"

"It was the only way to save you," the paladin defended himself. "And there was no time to ask someone else if he is willing – which I doubt altogether."

The vampire rubbed over his mouth, his face darkening. "You should have let me die."

Kelron shook his head. "Not before I know where Lord Valendar's hideout is. You're going take me to him, and I will follow you alone."

"You promise?" Silverian whispered.

 "I promise," Kelron repeated his oath, his resolve growing stronger with every moment. Then he got up and held out his hand to the vampire.

Silverian hesitated for a second, and then he let himself be pulled up.

Kelron left the cell to grab the clothes he had prepared earlier and gave them to the vampire. "Put these on. I'll take care of the guard outside," he said. He wanted to rush to the door, but stopped himself to look at the vampire. "Do I have your oath you will not harm me and will safely lead me to Valendar?"

Silverian nodded. "You have it."

The paladin unsheathed his sword, unlocked the door and sneaked upstairs. Silently, he opened the door leading to the empty, moonlit courtyard. With a hard hit on the head, he rendered the guard next to the door unconscious.

Silverian had followed him, and together they used the cover of the walls to run across the courtyard toward the gate. It was necessary to distract the guards there, but Kelron quickly thought of something. He grabbed one of the buckets from the well and threw it against the opposite site of the wall.

As he had hoped, the guards got suspicious and started to search the courtyard. Crouching, Silverian and Kelron darted through the gate and circled the outer wall until they were out of sight of the sentries on the towers.

"Which way?" Kelron asked softly.

The vampire pointed toward the mountain chain barely visible on the horizon. "The big forest at the foot of the Shadow Mountains. On horseback we will need at least a week, much longer on foot."

"We'll get some horses," Kelron declared. "There are some farms along the way. I have some money with me."

"But the farmers will recognise you as a paladin," Silverian reminded him. "It may be better if you leave your armor behind."

That idea wasn't thrilling, but the vampire was right. Kelron couldn't risk anybody finding out where he was going. As silently as possible, he began to strip off his armor and then covered it with earth and leaves. He kept just his sword and dagger.

"Let's go," he whispered.

To be continued...