In the time when Lady Sprite walked the mists her light touched many lost there. One that it touched was Valjera, and this is her tale. Valjera was like Lady Sprite in that she too was lost in the mists of time, but she chose to go there. You see Valjera was wanted by the Darkness as well. Only she was wanted by the Nightwalkers. The Nightwalkers were the most powerful of the race of Vampires. They were ruled by a Queen that believed that Valjera was the one she had waited for. The one of noble blood that would complete her power. It was written that the one of noble blood would walk in the mist and would come to be embraced and at that embracing she would be the sister of the Queen. Increasing her power so that she could again walk in the light. She she stalked the mist of time for Valjera, but Valjera was drawn to the light of Lady Sprite, a light that the Queen could not touch. Until Lord Nightwind came for Lady Sprite, Valjera stayed close to her and this kept Queen away, but after Lord Nightwind brought Lady Sprite out of the mists Valjera felt Queen's presence again. Valjera needed Sprite's help to escape the mist, so as Sprite slept Valjera came to her. "M'Lady I need your help, tell you love his realm is in danger. The Queen of the Nightwalkers is trying to cross over to his Realm. She only needs my strength and she shall have the power to walk in the light again." Lady Sprite awoke with a fright "M'Love where are you?" Lady Sprite told her Lord of her dreams so Lord Nightwind decided to go in search of this elf. Nigthwind entered the mists but couldn't find her, but Nightwind did find the Nightwalkers. Queen told Nightwind that the mists were her realm and that Valjera was part of them. She told him to no concern himself with this little elf, but if he wanted to see her that she would find her for him. Then send word so he could talk to her. Nightwind agreed but still continued to look for her. As the Dawn approached Nightwind returned to his love and told her that he couldn't find this "Valjera" but would try again after he rested. Soon Lord Nightwind was asleep. In his sleep the Queen of the Nightwalkers caught him off guard, she placed a spell to hold him in sleep till she found Valjera. Nightwind would sleep for 3 days.
As the night wore on Lady Sprite was again visited by Valjera. She told her what the Queen had done and what would happen if she was "embraced". Lady Sprite stayed asleep to talk to Valjera. "What can I do to release M'Lord from his sleep?" Valjera's image appeared to Sprite clearly for the first time. She was a little taller than Lady Sprite, her hair was the color of the mists almost white, she was slight of build, but has a look of nobility about her. She seemed unarmed, but the fine dagger that hung from her hip. Her eyes were midnight blue and seemed to hold wisdom beyond her young looking face. She spoke softly but very clearly. "M'Lady I need your help, the Queen of Nightwalkers is growing near. I fear that if she embraces me I will be lost.....Yet I do not fear her, for I believe I am destined to be a vamp. M'Lady if I become a vamp I will be unable to look at you again. I have watched your travels in the mist and your escape to the worlds of Light. I only want to be free of the mist as you are." Lady Sprite told her of how she was freed from the mist, of how her love had fought for her, and the love they shared. Valjera's heart was lightened with hope. "I shall try to free you Valjera but unlike M'Love I do not know what magic to use to help you." Valjera thanked her and told her she would return to her dream again the next night if she could. "That would please me.....yes please do." With that Valjera was gone. Lady Sprite spent the next day with the mages and healers of the Realm both trying to awaken her love and to learn what she could do to help Valjera. Her love she was told would awake in 3 days. The spell could only be broken by a vampire (a nightwalker) that you must be a child of the night to cast the dark spell and none in Nightwind's Realm were able to cast it but Lord Nightwind himself because of his dark past, but that what was told to her was right. Lord Nightwind would break the spell in 3 days, until that time they would watch over him.
That Night as Lady Sprite drifted into sleep Valjera returned to her. "M'Lady, Queen is very close, I need your help now." Lady Sprite still did not know what to do. "I know not what I can do Valjera, I don't know how to bring you from the mist." Then Lady Sprite saw something that made her blood run cold. The image formed behind Valjera, she was very beautiful, hair black as night, her skin as pale as the moon, her face as fine as glass under a master's hand, but the thing that chilled Lady Sprite's blood were her eyes, as black as pitch night....soul less and with a never ending depth, as deep and bottomless as her Lord's magic pit. Then as if from the purest snow was her fangs, resting on her blood red bottom lip. Lady Sprite was frozen as she came up behind Valjera, slowly and softly tilted her head and sank her fangs into her neck. Just as they pierced her skin Lady Sprite's voice returned, "NO, You can't have her!" and as he hand raised a pure ball of light formed before her. Without a thought she sent it forth and encased Valjera and Queen. Then as it covered them there was a scream and the light and the queen were gone. Valjera's eyes were blank and she dropped to her knees "Thank thee Lady...But I fear you are too late." She tilted her neck and a tiny drop of blood formed on her. "She has bitten me, I am now one of them." Lady Sprite thought for a moment "No you are not, if you were the light would have banished you as well, would it not?" Valjera said "Yes M'Lady tis true your light embraced me at the same time her darkness did, But I can feel the vampire growing in me. She calls to me.....she means to come after you M'Lady....in your realm...you must wake your Lord for he can Command her....." With that Valjera was gone again.....
Abernathy awoke Lady Sprite as he cast the spell of blinding light around her. The Nightwalkers screamed in pain as it drove them back to their Realm. "Hello M'Lady....I think we are under attack." Lady Sprite was on her feet in a moment "What of M'Love?" and she was off to her love's chambers. As she entered the chamber she saw them circling Lord Nightwind's bed but as they got too close a finger of blue lightning would leap forth and send the Nightwalkers reeling back. Lady Sprite raised her hands and in a flash of light all but two were gone. "Who are you?" As they turned to face her they removed their hoods...."Queen and Valjera" In a flash Queen attacked Lady Sprite, but Lady Sprite's Light matched Queen's Darkness. "Bite him my child.....add his power to ours, with his power we will all walk in the light again. No more will we be cursed to the night. Bite him.....Bite him NOW!!" Lady Sprite couldn't drop her guard against Queen, all she could do was say "Valjera......my sister from the mists.....remember M'Lord may be able to free you. You have seen the love we share. You know what he means to my life, don't take him from me!" Valjera paused only a moment then turned and covered Lord Nightwind in a cloak of Darkness. After a moment Valjera rose with a drop of blood in the corner of her lips. "Noooooo" Lady Sprite turned her light on Valjera, but as she did Queen brought Lady Sprite to her knees. The bold of light from Sprite engulfed Valjera as Queen spoke, "She will live through that for she has your Lord's blood to protect her, but you don't have anything to protect you." Lady Sprite braced for Queen's attack, but it didn't come. After a moment she opened her eyes to see a look of terror on Queen's face. As she looked around her eyes came to rest on her love standing beside his bed encased in black armour, his eyes glowing red. "Queen......you have dared to challenge me again?.....This time I will not leave you alive." Queen's face changed...."You can't harm me Lord Nightwind.....even your Love's power can not over take mine and my servant has tasted your blood. She can bring you to your knees. Give me your worse mortal." Nightwind smiled and then spoke words long forgotten. As he did Queen's power began to fade, her hold on Valjera with it. "How?? You are one of us........your power can't harm the Queen." "I'm not one of you.........you old hag. My Power belongs to only me." Nightwind smiled. Then Queen turned her power on Valjera, but Nightwind just waved his hand and protected the young vamp. "In case you wanted to know Queen.....this young vamp freed me with her kiss. So Vamp you have no power over me, and you know I know your weaknesses. Now Be GONE!" But the Queen just stood there smiling "Lord Nightwind I have no fear of the light. Valjera's blood protects me." "Not anymore." With that Nightwind turned and encased Valjera in a dark crystal. "Her power is lost to you." Nightwind cast a spell of banishement and Lady Sprite her light together their power sent queen back to the mist.
For a fortnight Nigthwind read, cast, and toiled over the creation of the special spell needed. Then word came from him to the Royal Court. "By My decree, all Nobles of my Realm shall gather in my Great Hall before dawn this coming morn. There will be no exceptions!" {Signed and bearing Nightwind's royal symbol} Abernathy let it be known to all nobles and all were present.
As the night began to give way to the dawn Nightwind appeared, and a hush fell over the room. "well met M'Lords and M'Ladies.......I have called you all here to witness and share in mine and M'Love's happiness, and to introduce you to a very special new member of my Realm." With that Nigthwind called forth the crystal holding Valjera. Many in the room caught their breath for all knew who and what the one before them was. "Fear nto my trusted friends, she means none here any harm." with that Nightwind removed the crystal around Valjera and she floated down to stand before Nigthwind. "M'Lord where is Queen?" Nightwind smiled, "She is gone Valjera, back to the mists." Valjera just nodded. "M'Love tells me your wish is to find a realm to call home." "Yes M'Lord.....that is my wish." Valjera bowed her head. "Then here, in this place I repay the goodness you have shwon me, M'Love, and my realm by helpinf me defeat Queen of the Nightwalkers, aiding M'Love in battle and reviving me in time of need. I, as Lord of this realm, do return your title.....Lady Valjera and bestow a title of my own......"Mistress of the Dark Side." Lady Valjera smiled "Thank you M'Lord." Nightwind nodded and continued. "And as a symbol of your new title, I give you this gift." Nightwind held out his hand, hanging from it was a fine pendant. The pendant was in the shape of a moon over a sun. The moon glowing blood red and the sun paling before it. Valjera lowered her head and Nightwind placed it about her neck, as it touched her skin Valjera felt strange. "Thank you M'Lord, I am truly honored. But I must find a place away from the light, for it hurts me if I Stay." Nigthwind smiled, "Not any longer M'Lady...the pendant you wear protects you, but be warned it will only protect you within the borders of my realm for now." Nigthwind whispered as the first rays of the dawn entered Nightwind's great hall. Valjera turned to face them and the nobles gathered. Nightwind spoke "May I introduce the newest Lady of My Realm "Lady Valjera, Mistress of the Dark Side...." and just before everyone bowed Lady Sprite added "And my sister." The whole court stopped as Lady Valjera bowed her head to Lady Sprite "Thank you My Sister....." Then turning to let the sun warm her face as it rose she smiled again..."Thank you all........I am truly home........" Then as all watched the sun come up to glow around "Lady Valjera"......
