Berek Dolesk

“This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” Cornelius said, very firmly, as he and Berek weaved quickly through the thick forest of Innistrad.

            “How was I supposed to know they had held on to that silly ‘Blood Traitor’ bit all these years?” Berek tried to laugh it off, but the humor didn’t quite make it out of his mouth. “Duck!”

            A black form swooped at the pair, just barely missing them. Berek grabbed Cornelius’ hand and tried to pick up the pace.

            “I can run without your help!”

            “I’m not taking any chances!”

            Another black form swooped at them, and then another. Berek muttered curses and took a quick left.

            “Neil, can you tell what those are?”

            “I’m not sure,” Cornelius stammered as he was yanked around another tree. “Maybe Nightshades? This world has a different tone than mine!”

            “Tone? What the hell does that—Shit!”

            Berek had been careless in his step and one of the nightshades had cut him off and now grabbed him by the throat, pinning him, painfully, to a tree. Cornelius tried to stumble back but three nightshades surrounded him before he could get far.

            “Don’t even think about throwing fire, we’re in a very, very old forest.” Berek hissed. The nightshade pressed harder against his throat.

            “I wasn’t going to.” Cornelius grumbled. He didn’t move, and the nightshades didn’t move to hit him. Another form came from the shadows, a smaller form, slim. Another vampire. He hissed and snarled at Berek. He spoke without looking away from his target.

            “You have not tainted the blood of our people, Blind One. You may go.”

            “I am not leaving without Berek.” Cornelius snapped back. The nightshades hissed and moved closer. Cornelius tried not to regret his words too much.

            “No, leave him, please.” Berek choked out.

            “Silence, Blood Traitor! He has chosen his own fate!” The vampire sneered. Berek began to wonder where all this aggression came from considering how petite the other vampire was. Maybe, Berek mused, it was a trait of his culture before he was turned. Although this vampire’s skin was now a deathly gray, he still appeared to have ethnic features.

            “Can you stop daydreaming and get us out of here?!” Cornelius shouted as he ducked one of the nightshades. Berek snapped back to reality and kicked a bolt of lightning into the nightshade holding him. It gave an unearthly screech and vanished into smoke. Berek coughed a few times and then threw another bolt at the vampire. He hissed too and disappeared into the darkness. The other nightshades went too.

            Berek grabbed Cornelius by the shoulders and looked him over. “Are you ok? Did they hurt you?”

            “No, I’m fine, you’re holding too tight, let go.” Cornelius pushed at Berek’s hands and Berek let go.

            “Good… I’m sorry about that.”

            “We can’t travel openly like this.”

            Berek nodded and looked around, opening his mind (a dangerous trick), to find a town nearby. “There’s a tavern, not far from us. If we move quickly we shouldn’t run into any more trouble.”

            “Right.”

“You’re the dumbest idiot I know.” Cornelius exclaimed, as he wrapped a bandage around Berek’s hand. “The DUMBEST idiot. There is no one as dumb as you.”

“Yeah I’m getting the message, thanks.” Berek grumbled. He wasn’t angry so much as embarrassed, really. He had tried to get them food. Berek was so hungry, and Cornelius wasn’t much better off. Of course, Berek still underestimated the power of raw magic on this plane. The animal he’d tried to grab nearly blasted his hand off.

“Just let me do the hunting. I know this place, I can find something for us.” Cornelius said gently. He, of all people, understood how fragile a bruised ego was.

“All you can find us is rats. We can’t survive off rats. I can’t survive off rats.” Berek snapped. Cornelius didn’t take it personally. He knew it wasn’t exactly Berek’s fault he was getting so aggressive and irritable. They both needed food. Berek especially.

It had been almost a month since they left Cornelius’s town. They had journeyed deeper and deeper into the forest, mostly hoping to find some big glassless animal. They hadn’t. And Berek was slowly starving.

“Maybe we should just go back to Ravnica. You can find food there.”

“No, I’m not ready to go back. I have more research to do with the glass, and…”

“Berek you can take the glass with you. I’m sure you have better facilities in Ravnica. I’m ready to go.” Cornelius urged. Berek thought a moment and then nodded.

“Alright. We’ll go to Ravnica.” Cornelius nodded too and helped Berek to his feet.

                Relatively, it took no time at all to step through the Blind Eternities to the City Plane of Ravnica. But to Berek it took much longer than he was used to- With Cornelius closing his eyes and clinging to Berek’s arm.

            “Alright, let’s find you a place to stay, and then some food.”

            “I thought I’d go to the guild, with you?”

            “You will.” Berek led him through the alleys of Ravnica. “But I have to talk to my guildleader first and clear it. Bringing you there right away could be seen as a threat. I promised I’d look out for you, didn’t I?”

            Cornelius scowled. “I’m not a child! I don’t need a babysitter!”

            “I didn’t say that, I’m sorry.” Berek said quickly. “I just meant that navigating my guild is difficult, and I don’t want you under any threat from them. Trust me, please.”

            “I do trust you.” Cornelius answered immediately. Berek smiled at that and led Cornelius to an inn, where he could stay a few nights. Cornelius stood in the center of the room nervously. “Will you be staying here too? Or will I be alone?”

            Berek squeezed his hand. “I will have to stay where my guildmaster puts me. But if he allows it, I will stay here with you. You’ll be fine here, Neil, I know the owners, they owe me quite a few favors.”

            “Yeah. Go get some food before you kill someone.”