Chapter 2 - Confronting the Accomplice

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.

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