found its way to her hands . It rose and fell just once , cleaving the Baron ’ s skull . The confrontation was ended .
Shortly after moon rise , Lisle materialized in the main common room of the Baron ’ s keep . The Baron ’ s coven , consisting of seven male elders , three female elders , numerous fledglings and their assigned mentors , and the host of familiars required to serve them , had assembled , and were awaiting the Baron ’ s evening arrival . Before anyone in the room could utter a sound , the seven vampire warriors comprising the balance of Lisle ’ s brood materialized throughout the room , heavily armed .
“ I am the Baroness ,” she announced . Nothing else was said .
David Crerand has contributed to TDS since its debut , becoming a staple of the magazine . His work on The Village Series was a concept piece that involved a series of stand-alone stories based on vampires whose lives are crafted after occupations of typical medieval residents . David ’ s work has been published in Lost Worlds , Crossroads , Dogwood Tales , Aphelion Webzine , and Honeyguide Magazine . The last of The Village Series stories appears in Issue 6 ( Winter 2020 ).
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