The Kingdom of Brozegrad. A city built ingot the mountains, and one of the largest, and most technologically advanced cities in Ageria. Constructed from stone and steel, this city is almost fifteen kilometers in length. Rather than a flooring completely of stone, the ground was layered in thin bluegrass, with a massive oak tree, with branches that stretched, and weaved there way through, and around the various tall buildings of the city. The tree was covered in blue leaves, that almost glowed in the dark. Several pillars were constructed to keep the ceiling of the massive cave from collapsing in on itself.

This city was well known for being owned by the dwarves. It was here that new technology was created. Steam-powered robots, and new weapons. Machines built to drill into the mountain where built, and a series of minecarts ran through the city, to carry whatever those drills find. Mine Shafts were spread out on the outskirts, each one leading to different and winding paths, far out from the city, and deep underground. In the city's dead center, however, was a massive tower. As tall as one of the pillars, this structure served as the castle for the king of the dwarves. There was only one way into the castle, and that was by a guarded door, across a bridge, that arched over a small ditch of clear water. Inside the door was a single platform, with a gated door, that was pulled up and down by a series of chains.

Beneath the castle, was the feasting hall, and the king's quarters, as well as different parts to the castle. At the time, the king was in the middle of yet another daily feast. He ate with his subjects, at a long table, covered in all different kinds of food. The people of the city where welcome to come down at any time to feast if they were the first to a seat that is. Servants were running back and forth, cooking food, and delivering it to the table, trying to keep it constantly stocked. As one of these servants came running back to the kitchen, she couldn't help but hear a cry for help. It came down the side path from where she was supposed to go. Quickly, the dwarven servant changed directions and made her way over to the scream. As she approached the point where she believed the sound to have come from, the little dwarf peered around the corner to see a woman. She looked to be in her young twenties and was nowhere close to being a dwarf. She was taller and looked more like a human. She wore all black, showing no skin aside from that of her face. Her boots were flat and went up to her knees. From the looks of it, they were made from leather. She wore black leggings, that was covered up by a coat, that stretched down to halfway past her lower leg. The top was made from black leather, with a silver engraving into it. Her long sleeves top was also covered by protective gear, and the gloves she had were made from the same material. A hood was over the back of her shoulders. The woman's hair was rather long, and her eyes were dark blue.

This unknown woman had fallen over and was leaning up against the wall, holding her leg, as it bent in a nonhuman way. There was no sign of blood, but it looked like she had either pulled something or dislocated her leg. Quickly, the dwarf servant knelt to her side.

"Oh dear, what's happened to you?"

The woman looked at her with a thankful expression.

"T-Thank you. I was just looking for a lavatory to relieve myself when I slipped and dislocated my leg against this wall."

The dwarf looked up and saw a small hole in the stone wall, as well as a trail of water left on the smooth wooden floor of the castle. She squinted her eyes and followed the water trail down the hallway, seeing it bend around the corner. The dwarf would have to clean that up, and she frowned because of it.

"Well, never mind that. Let's get you fixed up." She said, helping the woman to her feet.

"Thank you so much." The woman said, before kicking the dwarf in the back of the head with her foot. The leg she dislocated snapped back into place with a loud cracking sound, and the woman shuttered. She stretched, and bent over, grabbed the dwarfs body, and started to drag her into the room off to the side. The room was made for storage and held several ingredients that needed to be kept in cold storage. The woman looked around for somewhere to stash the body and eventually attempted to stuff the dwarf into a cabinet. Before she did, however, she snatched the keys in the dwarfs pocket that unlocked all the doors on that floor.

She then cracked her neck and stepped back out into the hallway. The woman walked slowly through the halls, making no sounds whatsoever. Her footsteps left no thump behind them, and she cast no shadows on the walls around her. The hood was flipped back over the woman's head, and a black mask was pulled up from under her neck, which stretched up to cover everything beneath her nose. After a minute of walking, she picked up speed, now sprinting down the hall quietly. It wasn't until the woman found herself in front of a specific door, leading to a series of staircase's, that she stopped. The woman used the key to open the doors, and dived inside, quickly and quietly closing the doors behind her. She now had two paths. One led to one side of the castle, and one led to the other. From what it looked like, the woman knew where she was going, as she immediately turned down the dimly lit staircase, and made her through a long hallway, which led her to a large ballroom. She looked around and smirked under her mask.

The woman took her time from this point on. Guards patrolled the hallways, each one carrying spears and swords. These dwarves were armored and expecting combat. Lucky for her, this part of the castle wasn't lit very well. Torches on the wall provided the only light sources across the hallway, rather than the fancy chandeliers that were hung at every corner on the first floor. The woman stuck to the shadows, moving only when no guards where in sight, and the coast was clear. She snuck her way around corners and quietly took out every guard, one by one. The woman hid there body's anywhere she could find. Behind barrels, in barrels, in rooms, under beds, and tables. She soon found herself standing near a heavily guarded door. The only thing standing between her and that entryway was about four guards. Each one decked out in golden armor, and shields. The woman assessed the situation and saw no possible way to sneak past them. The door was at the other end of a long hallway, with nothing in it whatsoever.

She sighed sightly, under her breath and stepped out into the middle of the path. The guards all immediately took notice of her.

"Hey. Who are you? You can't be here." One said, stepping forward from his post. The woman kept quiet, however. Her hands slid down to the sides of her legs, and she pulled out two knives, hidden under the coat she wore. She twirled the knives in her hand a single time before jumping at the first dwarf. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, he was killed instantly as one of the knives were derived deep in between the slots of his helmet, stabbing him through the eye. He let out a scream, and the knife was pushed deeper in, killing the man. His body fell limp as the woman removed the knife, and looked up to the other three guards. Collectively, they ran at the woman, holding there shields up to block any attacks from her. She put one hand on her hip and sighed, waiting for the dwarves to get closer, and once they were, she jumped over them, driving both her knives into the backs of the dwarves armor. They both grunted, but their protective gear prevented the knife from getting too far. She kicked the third, uninjured dwarf, and grabbed one of the dwarves who she stabbed. Being as small as they were, she was easily able to overpower them. She ripped the helmet off of the dwarf and grabbed the back of his head, before repeatedly smashing his face into the nearby wall. Blood splattered over her, and she threw the dwarf towards his friend as he came to help. The woman then turned to the final dwarf, and kicked him down, pinning him beneath her boot.

"W- Who are you?" He asked, spitting up blood onto the woman's boot.

"No one you need to worry about, well not anymore at least." She let out a mischievous laugh and began to crush the dwarf beneath her boot. The metal armor bent as she applied a surprising amount of pressure, and within a moment, her boot broke through the armor, shattering it, and rupturing the dwarves insides as her boot broke the skin and crushed his bones and organs beneath it. He gagged and let out a cry in pain as he died. Slowly, the woman lifted her boot and walked over to the remaining dwarf. He had pushed his friend off of him and got up weakly. Just as he reached for his weapon, the dwarf was met with a knee to the face. He stumbled back and coughed up blood as his nose broke. The last thing he felt, was his arm being grabbed, then flying through the air, followed by the excruciating pain of his spine shattering against the stone wall. He laid there, limp and unmoving, but still alive. All feeling in his body from the neck down was gone.

The woman locked some of the blood from her fingers, before walking casually over to the large door the four where guarding. She looked at the lock on the door and crushed the metal with her bare hand. It caused the woman to strain for a moment, but it did little to stop her as she pushed the door open. It led to a large mine shaft and was one of the few doors that led to mines. These places were used to bring resources straight to the castle using the mine cart system the dwarves had in place. However, standing before her were not materials or mine carts, but rather men. Every person before her stood wearing brown leather armor. Each one of them carried the same kind of sword and bow over their backs. Across all of their faces, was a blue handprint, tattooed into their skin. Standing before all of them, however, was one man. His body was covered from head to toe, in blue tattoos. They glowed a bright blue, and a ghostly sword was formed in the man's hand, which he held over his shoulder. The man wore heavy black armor, similar to that of an old warrior.

"Took you long enough." He grunted, stepping into the castle.

"Yes, well I had some other things above ground I needed to take care of first."

"Do you know where it is?" He asked, in a deep and scratchy voice."

"Yes. Lazarus and Twilight are going to wait for our signal once we have it."

"Good, let's get moving then." The man held an arm up and pointed straight forward. "Go wreak some havoc boy's." With that, the men behind him ran into the castle, and down the various halls. The woman and the man walked behind them, making there was down more stairs, and the halls of blood and bodies left behind by the tattooed man. Once the two made it deep down, and far enough they made their way to the one door they wanted to find. A wooden door, locked behind several rows of metal bars, and steel casing. The woman looked at it and sighed, as there was no visible way to remove the bars.

"Stand back." The man grunted, putting his hands between the bars. The woman did as told, and watched as the man summoned something in his hands. She couldn't make out what it was, but as the man pulled it out form the bars, it brought them with it. There was a loud crack as the metal was ripped from the stone wall and a chunk of it was torn away. With them out of the way, the woman ran towards the door and broke it down. Once inside the room, she could see the floor made from gold. The ceiling was a reflective clear substance, as were the walls. In the middle of the room was a pedestal, and on it, was exactly what she was looking for.

***

The doors to the kinds feasting hall were broken open, interrupting the meal the dwarves were enjoying. Smoke filled the entrance, and out stepped a man. He wore thin black armor with a blood-red cape covering up the two large wings on his back. Like the other two beneath the castle, his wardrobe was fairly similar in tone. Stepping out from the smoke behind him, was another woman. While she wore the same outfit at the woman below, her hair was shorter, and much more blond, rather than black.

"Who are you two?" The king asked, sitting up from his seat.

"Who are we?" The man said, and chuckled, "You really don't know me?" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, "I am Lazarus Delacroix, and this is my associate, Twilight Bloodworth."

The woman glared at the dwarven king.

"We," She started, "Are here, for one thing, your majesty." She started to walk forward, and the other dwarves at the table distressed. As they ran, however, Lazarus cast a spell, causing several dark spikes to fly from hi shand, each one pinning the dwarves to the ground, and killing them. There blood staining the smoothed floor.

"We are here, for the dwarven relic. The Hammer of Moradin."

The king laughed out loud.

"Why on earth would I give it to you!" The king grabbed his weapon from beside his seat.

"No, you aren't." A voice came from the king's side. He turned his head, and his eyes widened as he saw the black-cloaked woman, and another black armored figure walks up to his side. The woman was carrying the relic in her hands. The cracks in the hammer's appearance glowed brightly.

"How did you...?"

"Oh, don't worry your little head about that." She teased him, swinging the hammer, and smashing it into him, sending him flying against the wall. The king grunted and laughed as he fell to the floor, and weakly got up.

"W- Who are you." He repeated himself, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Well, you already know who we are, but those two are Aries Drach and Eleanor Ripper."

"You're all nothing more than a couple of criminals then?" The king growled.

"No, we are far bigger than some low life thief." Eleanor frowned, and aimed the hammer towards the king, "We, are the four horsemen. And Valhalla is our lord."

The king stood there in confusion. Never before had he heard of any 'horseman' as they claim themselves to be.

"Valhalla?" the king asked, "The one and only?"

Lazarus nodded. It was with that faint gesture of the head, that reality set in for the king. If they worked for Valhalla, then they must have been powerful. Where had they come from though? The king questioned this before getting smacked by the hammer again. This time, however, a chunk of stone shot out from the ground, and formed a sharp spike, which impaled the king mid-air, and pushed him high up. He let out a cry in pain as his blood began to spill out and down the newly formed rock spike in his feasting hall.

"Don't worry, my king." Twilight said in a taunting voice, "You will die soon enough." She laughed and turned to walk out with the other three. The king watched helplessly as he bled out, and his organs spilled out onto the table below, landing, and splattering next to the plate of ground sausages.

The four horsemen took their time walking through the streets. They cut down every living thing they saw. Men, woman, and children, all ran screaming. Blood paved the pathways, and the bluegrass that covered the ground of the cave turned red. The city went into a panic as guards were killed and buildings were set on fire. Bodies were left behind the horsemen, and as soon as they reached the gates to Brozegrad, the city had been shaken. Lives were lost, and families separated in the chaos. The people meant to protect the city, where dead, and the one relic meant for there people had been snatched from under them, and most of the people didn't even know it.

"What is the next move?" Aries asked, turning to Lazarus.

"Yes." Eleanor added, "You were the one who came and found us all."

Lazarus stopped walking and chuckled.

"Friends, it's good to see you all again, to work with you all again. Just like old times, and we will have a lot of time to catch up with each other. But for now, we must return to Avondufff Island. Our lord is waiting."

The room was quiet. A cold draft blew through the partially opened circular window. A child, buried under the covers of the bed. Arms wrapped around itself and shivering. The snow outside had piled up from the bottom of the window cill, creating a small ramp from the ground to the bottom of the window. Eventually, the child sat up in bed. It was a girl, looking no more than 16 years old. Her hair was short, and fell to around her neck, the tips of them were dyed dark red. She brushed some of her hair out of her face and stood up out of the bed. Her bare feet landed on the cold wooden floor, and the girl immediately jumped back up onto the bed. The flooring was like ice, and it stung her foot. She didn't have any socks, or pants for that matter. All she was given to sleep in that night was a simple ragged shirt with holes in it, and a pair of undergarments.

Slowly, the girl looked around the room. There was a dresser next to the bed, her normal clothes folded inside. Above that was a small wooden box, with nothing inside. Beside the dresser was a full body mirror hung from the wall. A bit of light from the window reflected off of it and shinned elsewhere in the room. There was a desk and a wooden chair across from the dresser, though it was quite a distance. A set of paper was left on the desk. The girl was working on the night before. She spent her free time at night drawing and writing. The room the girl was in was large. The flooring made from darkened wood, there was a small two steps that led to an elevated center of the room where her bed was positioned. Four long poles stuck up from the bed's edges, and met at the top, holding a thin wooden platform above them, with thin, black, see-through drapes dripping over the four corners. The bed sheets were the same color.

The girl shifted in her bed and looked back to the window. The staircase surrounding her bed may have only been two steps, but the distance from the window to her bed was still a walk. About twenty steps. She took a deep breath and stretched. Two black feathery wings unfolded from her back, stretching out beyond two of the bed poles. They then went back to their original position, folded up neatly behind the girls back. When like this, it was like the wings where hardly there at all. Only when she chose to stretch them out where they apparent. The girl took another deep breath and quickly jumped from her bed, she ran over to the window, jumping on one leg at a time as each step on the ice-cold wood floor practically stung her feet. The girl quickly slammed the window shut and ran back to her bed, and jumping onto it. Quickly, she wrapped her feet up in the blankets and tried to warm them up. She shivered and laid back down against the pillow. Her stomach growled. A vampire, like herself, needed to drink blood at least one or more times a day. Blood is what fueled her, and gave her energy. Blood is what helped her heal simple wounds, like the bruise around her left eye, forcing the girl to keep it only partially open. It wasn't the only bruise on her body. There was one on her shoulder, and one on her arm as well. They made her skin feel sore, and she craved the warm taste of fresh blood, hoping that today she would receive some.

She sat up quickly as a loud knock came from the door to the room. She looked over at it, breathing a bit heavily. The girl sat in bed for a moment, staying quiet. Another loud knock. Slowly, the girl climbed out of bed and ran to the door. She would be forced to stand still on the cold floor, and she dreaded it. Quickly, the girl opened the door and looked out into the hallway. The flooring out there was more or less the same. A red carpet covered almost eighty percent of the floor though and ran down to the other end of the hall. In Front of the girl was a tall woman. She was wearing a black nightgown, with a fur coat wrapped around her. It kept her warm. The wings on her back were also folded, just like the girls.

"Hello, darling? Are you ready to eat something?"

"Y- Yes Mistress Valerie." The girl said in a horse and tired voice, holding back the feeling to let out a squeal from the icy floor. The woman outstretched her hand for the girl to take, and she did. There was hesitation in her movement and Valerie took notice of it, but she kept quiet about it for now.

"Come on, then Emily." She laced her fingers around the girls and started walking down the hall with her. As they passed the first room to the right of Emily's, the girl shuttered and slowly shifted away from its door, bumping into Valerie, and quickly apologizing. She frowned a bit and walked beside Valerie, trying to act normal.

"Smile, darling." She whispered. Quickly, Emily tried to force a smile onto her face, but the bruise around her eye was close enough to her mouth to make it a challenge to smile. It hurt to even try. As the two walked down the hall, they passed a couple of paintings. Some of the family members, and some of the scenery, and landscapes. Slowly, Valerie turned the corner and walked down another long hallway. It was quite a walk to the dining room, and Emily dreaded it. This whole place was so much bigger then she had expected when she first arrived. Upon entering the dining room, Emily could first see the giant gold chandelier hanging above the long rectangular table, with a black cloth covering it, the edges of the cloth dangling off the side. There were almost two dozen chairs at the table, each one a mix between black painted wood, and red velvet cushions. The flooring of the dining room was made from dark wood, like every other room in this place, but the large red carpet the two had been walking on expanded to cover most of the flooring in the room. A few semi-circular windows were outlining the left well, overlooking a large snowy cliff. A storm was raging outside, frost covering the windows. The room was freezing, and goosebumps ran up Emily's bare arms and legs. She was shivering and wished to ask Valerie for a little more to wear, but she was scared to.

Valerie walked Emily over to the chair, and sat her down in it, pushing the chair closer to the table. The girl held her hands between her legs, trying to warm them up, but it did little to nothing. Two servant's each dressed in black maids attire walked out of the second set of door. Those led to the kitchen, a place Emily had been in only a few times. The kitchen was large, like all the rooms, and consisted of several fireplaces, and counters used for preparing meals. Blood was a common thing to see in the kitchen, according to the servants that roamed the castle. Each of them, unlike Valerie, and Emily, where human. Many of them were held captive and forced into slavery by Valerie, acting as there Mistress. Both servants had there long black hair tied back behind there head, and each servant was carrying a large silver platter with only a single bowl on each.

Valerie sat down at the head of the table, which was the chair beside Emily. She pulled her hair back behind her head, to keep it out of her face, and looked at Emily. She stared at the two pale horns that protrude from the girls head. It was a rare thing for a vampire to have, and it was a difficult thing to hide. The horns had been dulled recently, making them look more like curved subs coming out of her head. The young vampire looked at the servers as they approached. Both of them slowly placed the silver platter in front of the two vampires, and promptly left. Silverware and cloth were present.

Emily looked down at the bowl. It was a sight she was used to, as this was a dish she actually quite enjoyed. It was a simple bowl of soup, but rather than bowled broth, it was thick, warm blood, with indescribable chunks of meat floating inside it. Emily lifted the bowl with both hands and took a sip from it. She wondered why Valerie decided to let her have this again? Emily could taste that the blood wasn't exactly fresh, and the chunks of meat she sucked up and chewed, were rather old, but she ate the meal nonetheless. As she continued to take small sips from the bloody soup, she could feel the small bits of strength returning to her. The girl's complexion changed, and the bruises on her body slowly began to fade. Emily then started to flinch, as she felt a previously hidden whiplash, that went from the top of her back, all the way to her hips, slowly patched itself up. The feeling stung her, but she tried to ignore it. When the bowl was empty, and the meat was chewed, Emily put the bowl back down onto the silver platter, letting out a soft sigh in relief.

"Better, hmm?" Valerie said, sipping her bloody soup using a spoon. She went much slower, and ate in a much more professional manner, "You manners could still use some work though." She tells her a bit coldly, taking another long sip from her spoon. Valerie's soup was much fresher. With blood, recently drained, and meat chunks just severed from some poor soul.

"Y- Yes." Emily quickly said, "I- I'm sorry." She went silent, looked down at her bare legs, and putting her hands between them again.

"See that you're more careful next time." Valerie replied, a silent 'or else' hovered in the air between them.

"I- I will." Emily nodded quickly. Her voice shaking. She sat there in silence again, patiently waiting for Valerie to finish. The young vampire tried to not look impatient, and simply stared down at herself. She couldn't help but notice something. The Servant that had delivered her food to her was eyeing her, watching the girl from the kitchen doors window. Emily tried to ignore the feeling of being watched, but in a way, she was used to it. Every day for breakfast, at least on the days she received it, the servant always watched her, never taking her eyes of the boy while she was eating. It was a bit creepy.

"Now." Valerie said, "Can we discuss your choice of outfit?" The vampire dabbed her mouth with a piece of fabric and looked to the girl. Emily looked up at Valerie and nodded nervously, a bit scared as to what she would say.

"Like I said yesterday, you're wearing that because I didn't approve of what you wore yesterday. Should you dress like that again, you will be punished. Understand?"

Emily gave a quick nod. While it was true, she was made to wear these clothes, it was a small form of punishment for what she did wear the previous day. Emily regretted it and knew if she ever tried to dress in anything the mistress didn't like, she could get whipped again, or hit, or worse. She could have been chained to 'the room' all night. Valerie simply taking her pants and long sleeve clothing, and leaving her like this in the cold weather to freeze was a soft punishment.

"You are dismissed for now. Go change." The vampire said, standing up, and slowly making her way out of the room. Emily stayed seated until Valerie was out of the room, and let out a relieved sigh. She stood up and marched back to her room, the two servants walking past her on the way out to retrieve the bowls and platters. Emily walked quickly down the halls, and over to her room, shutting the door behind her quickly and locking it. She ran back over to her bed and jumped into it, trying to stay off the cold floor. Emily let out a sigh and looked over to her dresser. Quickly, after a moment, she jumped from her bed and over to it. She pulled the two doors open and searched through it, quickly finding an outfit she could put on. Within the next minute, she had dressed in a black long sleeve shirt, and wool pants, with black socks. The girl let out another sigh of relief as she could now walk on the ice-cold floor a little easier, with the soft, and warm feeling of her socks between her skin and the cold wooden floor.

Emily walked over to her desk and sat down at it. A feather in an ink jar was waiting for her and before her a set of paper. Emily opened one of the drawers, which looked to be empty, until she reached her hand into it, and took out the bottom of the drawer. Beneath it was a small notebook she had been writing and sketching in. Emily moved aside the lessons Valerie would give her, and laid out the book on the desk in front of her. She knew if Valerie found it, that the mistress would make her life even more of a living hell. Slowly, Emily looked through it, going back to the earliest written page. A month and a half ago to the day, was the first time she managed to write one of these.

It was almost like a diary. Emily couldn't actually talk to the other servants like she would a normal person. So instead, she wrote down her thoughts in this book, keeping it a secret and hiding it from Valerie. Many of the pages consisted of her thoughts, and how she felt. None of the pages actually talked about something positive. At least not after the first week and a half of staying here. After that, Valerie began giving Emily lessons on how to act properly, and polite. She taught her how to use her powers as a vampire better, and while she had improved in her magic in that field, she was forbidden from using any other form of magic. Her spell books, her witch's hat, her wands were taken from her.

But above all of this, the majority of pages in the notebook consisted of drawing on the layout of the building. Hallways and how many steps long they were, where the stairs were located, and pretty much the layout of the entire first floor. It had been a long process, but Emily had managed to sketch out a rough draft of the layout of the first floor. She had explored every part of it, but the building had three more floors she was aware of. The second floor, the attic, and the basement. The problem was, that she was forbidden from leaving the first floor until Valerie saw that Emily was trustworthy enough to go looking around the other floors. There was a reason she was doing all this. Since the day she arrived, she had not seen her dragons once. Fus, Ro, and Dah. Three dragons she found in a temple that felt like a lifetime ago. She stole them from their nest and had been raising them. When Valerie first brought Emily here, she gave her one chance to say goodbye to the dragons and had the servants take them elsewhere in the castle. 'Pets were a distraction.' Was Valerie 's reasoning, 'If you're going to live with me, then your going to follow my rules.'

Emily decided to be a bit more daring today and wanted to at least look into the second floor. The girl put the notebook back into her hiding place after writing out her plan and put her homework back on the desk. Then she stood up and walked to her door. She opened it slowly, and peaked out, looking both directions before stepping out when the coast was clear. While there were not many servants in this place, she knew that they still walked around. They took their time to clean, and wash things, so they would spend several minutes or even several hours cleaning a single room.

Emily walked through the hallway and made a turn in the opposite direction of the dining room. 'Sixty steps' Emily thought in her mind, 'Sixty steps and turn left.' Emily counted each footstep she made and turned down another hall once she reached the desired number. She counted each step as she walked, and soon found herself in the front entrance. A massive open room, with two large staircases, that led to the second floor. From the front door, the stairs were parallel from each other, and on each side of the room. They curved around the wall, and the steps started at each side of the large black, steel door, that led to the outside. Each stair was designed in a Gothic manner, as was the golden chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. Thankfully, there was no servants insight, so Emily took this as her opportunity to sneak up the stairs. She wore socks, making her footsteps a bit more muffled, but even then, she walked slowly. At the top of the stairs was a railing overlooking the room entrance, as well as three paths to choose from.

Emily noted that she would start with the left hallway, and turned to walk down it. Like she had done before, she counted each footstep she took in her head. 'One, two, three, four, five' She stopped and looked around, making sure there were no servants on the far end of the right hall that could look over and see her. Again, the hall was empty. 'Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.' Emily found the first door. Only ten steps from the beginning of the left hall. She looked at the door for a label of some kind, but there were no markings to signify what was on the other side. While Valerie had taken her wand, and spell books, there was one thing she could take off. The summoning tattoo. A few months ago, back when she was at Neptunes Bay, the paradise resort of Ageria, an old-time friend she knew by the name of 'Elias' gave her a summoning tattoo. He spent two hours drawing the design of a wolf with spirals on her shoulder. She loved it and reminded her of times with people she used to know. But those people didn't like her. She didn't like them. One she cared about very much, turned around and stabbed her through the chest, nearly killing her. Emily frowned at the thought and put her hand near the keyhole. The tattoo on her shoulder glowed blue, covered by the black cloth of her shirt, and a ghostly blue lock pick formed in her hands. She stuck it through the keyhole and worked it around, eventually unlocking the door.

Emily looked to her left, and then to her right, before slowly turning the knob to the door and pushing it open. The room inside was a bit smaller than most rooms. It consisted of several rows of bookshelves. Each one seemed to be organized alphabetically. Emily stepped into the room and looked around at the colorful array of books and novels before her. The room looked freshly dusted and completely clean. The wooden shelves looked wet still like they were cleaned not even a couple of minutes ago. Emily approached one of the shelves and spent a minute or two looking at the books. She found a few things she could be interested in reading but did not dare take a book. She quickly made her way to the door, and left the room, after checking if the coast was clear. She noted mentally, that the first room, in the left hallway, ten steps down, is a small library. Emily then turned slowly and kept going down the hall.

'Eighty-nine, Ninety, ninety-one.' She stopped again. At the end of the hall was a glass pane door, leading to the outside balcony. Emily remembered seeing it when she first arrived here. A single second-floor balcony that ran across the length of the building. Emily made note of it and was about to turn to leave, but a booming voice called out to her from the other end of the hall.

"Emily!"

The young vampire stiffened and straightened her back. She froze completely and began to shiver. Goosebumps ran up from her legs across her body. The girl's eyes widened as she stood there, too scared to move.

"What are you doing?" The sound of footsteps approached her from behind. Emily stayed quiet, not responding.

"Emily," Valerie repeated, warningly. Again, no response came from the young vampire's lips. She was too scared to even consider turning around to face the mistress.

"Emily Come here. Now." She demanded. Emily took a deep and shaky breath, slowly turning her body to look at Valerie. The mistress had changed out of her nightgown, and into her normal clothing. Whether that consisted of a black dress or vampire garb, was entirely dependent on how she felt that day. Emily began taking slow, steps towards Valerie. Each step forward felt like a chore, and she dreaded it. Emily knew what could happen to her, but what exact form of punishment she would receive for being caught in a forbidden area was entirely new to her. This was the first time she had snuck up to the second floor, so there was the possibility that the punishment could be light.

When Emily got close enough, Valerie reached out and grabbed the girls wrist. She squeezed it tight, almost to the point where it felt like it was going to break. The young vampire let out a squeal in pain. She took a deep breath.

"I- I'm sorry." She quickly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Valerie did not care for the girl's apology though. She forcefully pulled on Emily's arm and started dragging her back down the stairs. Emily let out another squeal and tried to stay on her feet, but with how Valerie was dragging her, she had to be constantly moving to even stay steady. When they reached the stairs, Emily ended up tripping and falling into Valerie as she was dragged. It did little to push the vampire, but she turned her head, and glared down at Emily, giving her a death stare. Emily whimpered as she looked up at the mistress.

"P- Please, I- I'm sorry." She stuttered, repeating herself. Valerie frowned, and kept going, dragging Emily down the stairs, forcing the girl's shoulder to hit every stair on the way down. Once on the ground floor, Valerie grabbed Emily by the joint of her left-wing and pulled her up quickly. Emily let out another squeal as her wing, one of the most sensitive parts of her body, was squeezed and yanked on. Valerie made sure Emily was on her feet before continuing to drag her in silence. The grip on the young vampire waist tightened, and Emily started to fight back. She tried pulling her arm away and hitting Valerie to try and get her to let go. It felt as though her bone could shatter like glass any second. The mistress didn't react to her resistance, and soon reached Emily's room. However, instead of going into the girl's room, she made a quick turn over to the door beside it. Emily's heart stopped for a brief moment, and she started to pull on her arm harder, now desperately trying to get away from Valerie.

"Please, No, I- I'm sorry Mistress," Emily begged. Valerie pushed the door open and threw Emily inside. The young vampire hit the stone floor hard and grabbed her wrist. She started to squeeze and apply pressure to it. The room was dark, it always was, but the little light given from the hall outside was enough to illuminate everything in the room. Blood stained the cobblestone floor. Puddles, and puddles of dried blood. Machines, constructed of metal and wood were positioned everywhere. Mainly along the walls, but there were a few in the center of the room. Emily got up quickly and tried to run past Valerie and out of the room, but the mistress threw a quick punch at the girl, replacing the previously healed black eye with a fresh one. This time on her opposite eye. Emily whimpered and rolled onto the floor.

In silence, Valerie kicked the girls behind and forced her to stand up. Emily did so quickly, rubbing it, and looking to Valerie with one squinting eye. The mistress raised one arm and pointed to the corner of the room, where a chain hung from the wall with a steel color. Emily shook her head and started to back up from the corner, a few tear tracks rolling down her cheeks.

"If you don't listen, it will only make things worse." Valerie hissed, grabbing her shoulder and gripping it tightly.

"N- No, I- I'm sorry, I d- don't want t- to-"

"I don't care if you don't want to." Valerie said, cutting her off, "you must learn to listen."

Emily stood there, breathing heavily, staring at the chain on the wall. She tripped slightly as she was given a light shove forward towards it.

"Now, Emily!" Valerie hissed.

Emily jumped in fear and took another deep breath. She slowly walked to the corner of the room, her arms and legs shaking. Slowly, the young vampire sat down in front of the collar. Valerie bent over and fastened it around Emily's neck. The length of the chain attached to the wall and it's placement, forced Emily to stand up, in an awkward stoop. Tears fell from the girl's cheeks and onto the bloody floor beneath her.

"Look at me," Valerie demanded. As Emily weakly looked up towards the mistress, she was met with a hard smack across the face, "You do not wander without permission."

Emily let out a loud yelp, her face stinging.

"Y- Yes." She quickly nodded. Another smack went across the girls face.

"And you do not complain when you are punished for disobeying."

Emily quickly gave her another nod. With that, Valerie stepped back and crossed her arms.

"Two hours." She turned to leave, closing the door behind her, and leaving Emily in the pitch-black room. Her night vision, however, allowed her to see a little bit, even if very little from how dark it was.

"P- Please no." Emily whimpered.

The high waves crashed against the rocky shore of Alnwick Island. The island of Vampires was dormant. While it was daytime, the sun's rays did not shine onto the island. A large black cloud circled the entirety of the island and the sea around it. On the smooth stone streets of the island, the several footsteps of a band of adventurers could be heard. One member of this group had a hood over her head. Her hair was white as snow, and it stretched down to about halfway down her back. A black cloak covered her body, and the set of feathery wings she possessed beneath it. She looked down at her feet as she followed behind the rest of her group members. Her two eyes were not the same color. One was a silver shade, and the other, a stormy grey. Her ears were pointed like an elf's, and she covered them with her hood. Both of her arms where bare, revealing her black skin, and heavily scarred body. Up her arms and legs where several gases, that never healed, and across her face, a large 'X' shaped gash under her right eye, that stretched over her nose. Her name was Alina.

In Front of her was a small Necromancer. She wore a purple cloak and carried a staff, which she used as a walking stick. She was the shortest of her allies, being a half breed between a dwarf and an elf. A mask covered her face from the outside world. At one time, it was something permanently glued to her face, but not too long ago, she was able to remove it, allowing her friends to see what she truly looked like. Her hair, much like her cloak, was purple and went down to her elbows. The girl wore a set of leather armor over her everyday clothes. Sitting atop the necromancers head was a fairy. A rather tall one at that. The group members had found her early on in there travels, and gave her the name 'Lunette.' For as big tall as she was, she weighed little to nothing. No more than a feather. Her long brown hair ran down to her knees and helped to cover her nude body. The fairy found fabrics and human cloth to be uncomfortable with her smooth skin. So the most she wore was a bandage around her chest and a simple set of undergarments to cover herself. Her hair took care of the rest. Her skin shinned in what little light there was. Reflective markings spiraled across her arms, her legs, and her stomach. Two butterfly-shaped wings, sprouted from her back. She happily hummed as she sat on the necromancers head, using her as a stool and an excuse to not walk.

Lunette looked down to her right and at the newest addition to the party. A Merfolk, they met not too long ago. She claimed her name was Ann, and that she had spent her entire life living at the bottom of the sea. Her original appearance when they first met her was different from how she was now. Rather than pure white skin, it had tanned to a dark brown, and cracks broke through the skin, and a soft orange glow shined out of them like her insides were burning lava. Her white eyes helped people identify that the girl was blind, and she indeed was. The way she saw things were different. She could only see body heat, like using a thermal spell. She saw the body heat of everything around her, and even through walls. A useful talent that could come in handy. She wore ripped clothing and an old sailors uniform. She smiled happily as she held the necromancer's hand, relying on her to guide her down the street and around places.

In Front of her, she could see three other sources of heat. Two of which were male, and one was female. One of the males wore leather armor, and he covered himself in a dark green cloak. His entire body, from his arms, down to his legs were completely covered in glowing blue, mystic summoning tattoos. He could make any weapon or tool he desired to appear in his hands. The ranger known as, Elias, walked beside two knights. One wore armor crafted from the scales of a demon. The shape of the armor showed off her more feminine features. It was a mix between an ugly tan color and reddish black scales. The knight had her helmet on for the time being, but under it, was an alcoholic undead girl with long black hair.

Beside her was the stubborn knight, Sargon. His armor was bulkier, and he carried a large halberd over his shoulder as he walked. The color of his armor was the classic silver, but in recent battles, it had been scratched and dented and needed repairs done. He rarely took his helmet off, and on the few occasions that he did, the group members could see the short black hair and beard he possessed. The knight marched down the street and across the rocky bridge of Alnwick Castle. The structure itself was built upon a smaller island, just north of Alnwick, but a large bridge connected the two islands. The castle was built into the island itself and towered over the group. The storm cloud above spiraled around the tip if the central tower.

Sargon approached the door and banged his fists against it. He was eager to get inside and slit the throat of another vampire. The group ha a reason to return to this island. The youngest member of their party had been stolen by Alina's aunt, Valerie. Emily was last seen by them, injured, and in pain. For Alina, the young vampires previous caretaker had accidentally stabbed her in the chest during a fight. She had gotten confused under an illusion spell and mistook the girl for the enemy. It was something she regretted deeply, and it had been tearing her apart for the last month. All she wanted to do was get Emily back, and a part of her was scared if she would even want to come back. Violet had been a big help to Alina, giving her someone to talk to about her issues. She let Alina yell at her in anger, and helped her talk through the trauma.

The doors to the castle slowly opened, and Sargon pushed his way in. The inside of the castle was pitch black, but he knew the route to take to get to the king's council. Ann gripped Violet's hand tightly. Around her, she could see the glowing heat signatures of hundreds of vampires. Some on the ceiling, others in corners and others simply walking around. To the others, those vampires were hidden in the darkness completely. As Sargon stormed into the council room, he raised his voice and yelled out;

"King of Vampires!"

There was a large circular table in the middle of the room. The ceiling stretched up high and led to several balconies on different floors. They looked down into the room, and it was where many vampires stayed. The round table was only meant for the members of the vampire council. They were the ones who decided what was best for the island, but it was only half full. Only a few members were sitting and discussing certain matters when the knight barged in with his group. They all recognized who he was because he had asked for their assistance in the past.

"Where is the king!" He shouted. Alina flinched a bit. She knew it was unwise to raise your voice in these halls. With how dark it was for the others, they couldn't see the dozens and dozens of vampire standing in the dark, watching them.

"The king is dead." One of the council members said.

"Dead?" Sargon asked, "How?"

"Valhalla." Another one spoke up, saying nothing more.

"Well then," Sargon frowned, "Where is Valerie, and Lucilla? I've come for them!"

"We have not seen Valerie in over a month." One Explained, " Lucilla on the other hand, is here somewhere if you have business with her."

"I demand to see her at once for questioning." He growled.

"Questioning for what?" Another council member asked.

"We believe Valerie has taken one of or commands from us. We want to know where she is."

"It's common for us to kidnap humans of all ages to feast." One council member stood up, placing both his hands on the table and staring at Sargon.

"Except, if she had half a brain, she'd know that laying a finger on my Emily would get her beheaded." Sargon gripped the handle of his weapon, "So, where is Lucilla ?"

"Her quarters perhaps." The standing council member shrugged. "It's on the top floor of the tower." He grinned. Sargon said nothing more to him and simply nodded. He turned and walked back over to his group.

"Alina?" He asked, "Can you take us there?"

Alina did not respond. She stood there, staring blankly at the ground.

"Alina?" Sargon repeated himself. He placed a hand onto her shoulder and gave her a light push. The vampire looked over to him.

"What?"

"Can you take us to the top of the tower?" Sargon asked.

"Oh... yes." Alina gave a nod and started walking back down the hallway to the front entrance. Alina knew very well the layout of this castle, although she may not like the fact that she did. The halls where all dark, each one hardly lit by more than a simple torch on the wall. The group stayed bundled together. It was easy to get picked off in this castle by a rogue vampire, who just so decided for a snack. Karaline, Elias, Sargon, And Alina walked in a formation, keeping Violet, Ann, and Lunette in the center of the four of them. They were the ones most at risk. Mainly Ann and Lunette. As Alina leached the top of the long spiral staircase to the top floor of the tower, she led them over to the desired room. Karaline took a moment to look off the balcony. The council table was seen below, almost two dozen floors down.

Alina motioned her head to the door Sargon wanted. She then walked to a corner and leaned against it. Being in this castle made her anxious, nervous. She didn't like is here, and she didn't like this island, but in a way, it was a home. Sargon gave her a nod and told the others to wait outside. Slowly, the night approached the door. He examined it, seeing the label on the door outlining who's room it exactly was. Sargon looked over to Ann and motioned her over. She waddled over to the heat blob that wanted her to come closer.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Is anyone in there?" Sargon simply asked. Anne looked over to the room and gave Sargon a nod. She was able to see a figure standing in the room. With great force, Sargon pounded his fist against the door, repeatedly.

"What?" Replied an angry, irritable voice.

"Open up!" Sargon yelled back.

"Why should I?" The voice snapped back.

"Because if you don't, I'll do it for you!"

After a moment of silence, the door was quickly yanked open, and Sargon stood face to face with Alina's sister, Lucilla. She looked rather pissed off. Her black skin, much like Alina's, helped her blend into the darkness. The black attire she wore helped with that as well.

"What. Do. You. Want. This. Time?" She growled. Quickly, and without hesitation, Sargon pushed Lucilla deeper into the room. He slammed his Halberds shaft against her and went to pin her to the wall. What he did not expect, however, was the woman to put one foot against her will, and turn the tables against him. Being a much older and stronger vampire then Alina, she was easily able to overpower Sargon and force him against the wall by his halberd. She pinned the shaft against his throat and kicked his leg.

"What. Do. You. Want. This. Time?" Lucilla repeated herself.

"Where is she, you bitch!" Sargon groaned as he kept his grip on his weapon, trying to force it away from his throat.

"Who? And I'd watch your language, human."

"You know who I'm talking about!" He shouted, "Where is Emily!"

Lucilla stood there, keeping him pinned against the wall. She thought back to what he meant, then snorted.

"Oh. The kid Alina stabbed? I dunno, Valerie took her somewhere. No, go away." She lifted the halberd off him for just a second, and grabbed Sargon's armor, throwing him out of the room with great force. The knight crashed into the wall on the other side of the hall and grunted. The other group members turned their attention over to the conflict.

"Alina didn't hurt her willingly, she was under the effect of an illusory spell!" Sargon stood back up, slowly.

"Guess what, I don't give a shit. Now fuck off. I don't care if you feel like you have to go on a scavenger hunt to find her." Lucilla tossed Sargon's weapon onto the floor outside her door.

"Tell me where she is, NOW!" Sargon yelled in a raging voice.

"Haven't you been listening, dumbass." Lucilla snapped back, "I. Don't. Know!"

Sargon growled and grabbed his weapon. The gem on it began to glow, and Sargon shot out five black orbs towards Lucilla. The vampire jumped back as one nearly scraped her face. She snarled at the knight and raised her hand. It glowed red, as did Sargon's armor and he was quickly pulled back into the room, dragged across the floor and was slammed into the wall by force. Sargon quickly got back up and was punched across the face by Lucilla. She dragged her extended vampire claws across his helmet, creating four scratch marks across the front of it.

Elias came running into the room. He summoned a knife in his hands and quickly thrust it into the back of Lucilla. She let out a grunt and spun around, hitting Elias in the chest with her arm, she forced him back with magic, pinning the ranger against the wall outside. As Lucilla turned her head to deal with Sargon, she was met with a returning punch to the face. The vampire stumbled back as she felt her nose break. As she tried to shake the feeling, Sargon quickly swung his halberd into her side, cutting into her thigh. She let out a brief cry of pain before slumping to the floor, her blood spilling out onto the carpet of the room.

"You only delay the inevitable, Vampire. I'll kill you, and take your memories so I can find out where Emily is." He kicked her in the face, knocking her back. She fell to the floor and groaned as she slowly got up.

"What part of I DON'T KNOW do you insist on ignoring." She snarled and lunged at Sargon. She grabbed his halberd and forced it from his hand, then she proceeded to slam the blade against Henryks armor, cutting into it, but thankfully not him.

"You're lying!" Sargon screamed, kicking Lucilla in the stomach and removing his weapon from his shoulder. "Tell me where she is!"

"Fuck off!" Her hands glowed red, and Sargon was once again forced against the wall. He hit it hard, cracking the stone behind him. Lucilla growled and slowly approached the knight, as he was pinned. Just as she was about to grab his halberd again, she let out a scream. Two swords jabbed through her back. One a bright silver, and the other a ghostly blue. Elias and Karaline stood behind her, driving their blades into her back, and twisting them. The vampire fell to her hands and knees as the swords where drove deeper into her. Lucilla let out a cry, that Alina could hear from the hall. The sound of the scream was both unnerving and satisfying at the same time. Blood poured from the sounds in Luke's body, and she let out a weak gasp for air. Sargon landed on his feet and grinned.

"Hold her still, I have an idea." Sargon grinned, slamming his halberd onto the vampire's hand, crushing it and breaking the bones. She cried again, and let out a gasp as a ghostly chain was shot into her back, linking her to Sargon's mind. Life Link. A useful spell, that most advanced users in dark magic knew how to perform. In a sense, it cast an eternal chain to be cast between two living hosts. They then can share a single mind and see each other's memories. It was a spell most used for interrogation, but Sargon used it to get answers quicker.

The knight closed his eyes and looked into the vampire's mind. He watched as time re winded to the point where Lucilla landed at Neptune's Bay with Valerie. They sat atop the massive rock overlooking the beach for hours, eyeing the group's tent. He saw group members walk in and out, and soon, night fell and Alina left the tent, taking off and flying into the jungle. Lucilla and Valerie then flew down and into the tent. Sargon was able to see the extent of what happened. Valerie calmly talking to Emily and calming her down. She then helped Emily pack up her things, and the three flew away. Sargon speed time up, and within the next two days, Valerie and Lucilla managed to fly at full speed from Neptunes Bay, all the way over to the mountains where the first temple was located. The two vampires flew into a snowstorm, and although they were blinded by snow, they looked like they knew which ways to go. Between two peaks, over a frozen lake, and landing directly in front of a massive building built into a cliffside, overlooking a snowy forest down below. It was a mansion. Built from stone bricks, and vampiric architecture, the structure was impossible to miss if you knew what you were looking for. There was a large wall surrounding it, with dead trees lying in the front yard.

That was all Sargon was able to see, before he was forced out of her mind. The knight blinked his eyes and he was back in Lucilla 's room, with the vampire breathing heavily beneath him. Sargon grinned and lifted his halberd from her crushed hand.

"Thanks for giving me what I want." He teased her, "Pull the sword out, she can live for now." Sargon grinned and walked over the bleeding vampire. Karaline and Elias yanked their blades from Lucilla's back and left the room.

"What the hell do you do to me?" She hissed, her eyes wide, and looking at Sargon.

"What? I'm sorry dear." Sargon pointed to his head, "It's all in your mind.

Lucilla snarled at him as the two holes in her back started to heal.

"You'll be better off away from my sister!" She snapped, "I hope Valerie finally takes care of her! And that kid too, if that's what it takes!" She stood up slowly, her arms and legs shaking.

"Your sister might have committed an atrocity when she was little, and she deserves to pay for it, however, at least she does not hide who she really is. A coward who kidnaps teenagers has no right to have an opinion. Sangue would disgrace you."

"You have no idea what our father would think of this. None. Learn when to shut your damn mouth and walk away with a victory you fucking ass!" She hissed angrily.

"I never said I had a victory, to begin with."

Seething, any further eloquence seems to escape her. She limped to her door and replied with a time-saving gesture relying heavily on the middle finger before slamming her door shut. Sargon gave her an exaggerated bow and turned to leave. He descended the stairs with his allies, and once they were out of the dangers of the castle itself, and back out on the street, he turned to Alina.

"Alright. Alina, I have a very important question to ask." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What?" She looked at him warily from under her hood. Notable, Sargon could see that Alina had not been sleeping.

"I looked into your sister's mind, and I saw an estate up north in the mountains. Who does it belong too?"

"I..... estate? I don't..." She trails off, then looks down, "I don't know what you're talking about...?"

"Does it not belong to anyone in your family?" He asked, "Look, I know where Emily is. I think. I managed to break into Lucilla 's memory. I saw an Estate covered in snow, through Lucilla 's eyes."

"I don't know," Alina repeats, covering her face with her hands, and shrinking back slightly.

"Well... we at least know where we need to go next." Sargon said, "Come on, let's all go back to the ship and get out of here."

"Hold on," Elias said, "You have been pushing us here for an entire month. You make us wake up early, and only let us sleep for a few hours at a time. Were all tired Sargon, and we need to rest."

Sargon stopped and turned his head to look back at Elias and the rest of his group. Elias was right. Sargon could see the tired faces of his allies. Violet, Karaline, Ann, and Alina especially looked exhausted. It had been nothing but a mad dash from Neptunes Bay, all the way to Alnwick Island. Crossing through Elkvale at one point and riding through the chasm into Ageria's desert, just to reach the sore and hop aboard a ghost ship. Lunette and Elias were the only ones who didn't look tired, however. Sargon took a deep breath and sighed.

"Rest all you want. I'm going to Northern Ashfield. Clocks ticking." He frowned and continued walking.

"You need to rest to Sargon," Elias called out. He was right about that too. Sargon felt tired himself, but he continued pushing on. The knight felt like he needed to get to the girl as soon as possible.

"Why do we have to go," Alina mumbled. She spoke almost in a childlike petulant. Like a kid forced to go out but hating every minute. Sargon stopped and turned back to Alina. She had her eyes on the ground, and her shoulders hunched. The vampire almost looked to be pouting under her hood. The others all looked to her too.

"I want the real Alina." Sargon said, stepping back over to her, "Not one of her alternate personas."

There was no movement or response from the vampire. She just stood there, pouting and looking down at the cobblestone road.

"Alina?" Violet asked, "Are you alright?"

Still no response from the vampire.