A crow’s caw, several squawks from a trio in fact. The glimmer of what might seem as moonlight from above. Creaking trees and waving branches casting small shadows from the lack of any true light.

SMACK!!

A ghoulish wail, two figures flung between the trees and across a dirt path into tree trunks. The impact was hard, their bodies slumping over and collapsed unto the ground near immediately. Another couple of hard whacking sounds and out popped a few more, one high up into a tree branch- crumpling in and folding around the vein, flopping off and crashing to the forest floor. A few more groans and another simple series of crackles, bones and bark both.

A simple hop and a skip off of the path led to a scene of about a dozen and a half undead slapped all around the clearing, some with limbs hanging by only a few strands of the clothes on their backs, others torn to pieces or with holes punched right through. Another thwack and out spun two more to the ground, splashes of dark green fluid gushing out like antifreeze being splashed on a wall.

With their fall not a single thing dared to stir. The air grew still.

The dim crackle of a running flame, caped by rocks in a ring, surrounded by a radiating darkness the likes of which was relatively common in the outside. The creaking forest of eternal abyss, adorned by seven surrounding the glow of the fire. An occasional owl hoot hoot, the cry of a coyote. A thick white line surrounded the small clearing that sat glazed in a bath of bath of orange and yellow.

From one corner of the section the powder was dropped by the handful, courtesy of Dante with his magic purple pouch. The hunter looked up and approached the fire, soon taking a seat right next to the young Bakuuva.

“o’right ‘en, thas that.”

“This damn forest is crawling with those things. You sure your little lines will keep those zombies out?” questioned Yeager.

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy. The bastards won’t be able to cross ‘et.”

“They aren’t zombies,” Elise spoke, looking up, “Not in the traditional sense. These are creatures raised using the Infernal Resurrection Technique, often nicknamed Infernals. They’re one of the few types of undead that are weak to silly things like salt lines.”

“One of the few types? Gods that’s disturbing,” Shree murmured.

“Disturbing… so a Vampiress can find things of their nature disgusting. Interesting,” Illiya spoke, looking up, eyeballing the female knight.

“Tch- don’t be such a bitch you little brat. I’ll make you regret it,” Shree growled back.

“You’re in no position to make threats. I stomped your lot pretty easy after all, and you seem more like the type to worry about a broken nail than anything else anyway.”

“HEH HAHAHA, oh she’s got you there Shree-”

“Grrr- shut it Yeag!”

“Hmph… so you’re the princess of the Sarzento Kingdom, eh?” Fen Rao murmured looking over to Adalaine, “What brings the likes of you all of the way out here in the first place, hmm?”

As the question was asked, both Elise and Dante looked across the way to the lowered expression of the young princess, a somber expression at that. The crackle of the wood, splintering and charring up so nicely. The glow of the fire, washing over her face like waves at a beach.

“We’re… looking for help.”

“Come again, help you say?”

“Why would a kingdom like Sarzento need help? I thought you guys were like, super strong demon slayer mother truckers or something,” Yeager asked.

“Gotta say, I agree with the Vampire. Sarzteno has a reputation. Your people conquered Drachen Lands and dealt with a Vampire Plague centuries back. Rich as can be too- why would you lot need help all the way out here?” Dante added.

“Well I… it’s because uh… you see-”

“Sarzento isn’t exactly the safest place anymore.”

“Illiya wait- it’s not that… alright it is that bad,” Adalaine spoke, looking up now across the way, “My people have a problem, a problem that my father and his advisors are ignoring.”

“Please, do go on.”

“Hmph… it’s not the business of any outsiders-” Illiya grumbled.

“Ah see, thought you lot were lookin’ for help. Now you don’t wanna share? What good does that get ya?”

Illiya’s glare struck back at Dante, his smug expression shining, “… because, it’s not the business of those who ally themselves with their kind.”

“What was that now you brat?”

“Our… kind?”

“Illiya!”

“Perfectly acceptable,” Fen Rao responded, “Mortals trusting the supernatural, as they so call it- never meant to be. We kill, we drink blood- usually humans in the mythos. And Vampires are responsible for causing most everyone here suffering, if not then pain in accordance to their ancestors or country. We’re monsters that can’t be reasoned with. We kill, we destroy, we get off on it, all just another Tuesday for us. Right?”

“…”

“Thought so.”

“So close minded,” Elise murmured.

“Close minded eh? Hrmm. Elise, right? Tell me child, what exactly IS your story? You had mentioned yourself as a child of the Drachen, and you seem exceptionally forgiving to what we are. I find myself curious.”

“Not much to really talk about when you get right to it. I spent much of my life with a Drachen Clan by the name of Vulfax on a planet called Earth. I was a slave to the wishes of a fake father for many years before I learned that I was not of their kind. In that time, I met many interesting creatures of the night. Some the generic high off their ass blood sucking type, others more… reserved, I guess you could say.”

“Heh. If you were raised by Drachen then it makes sense I suppose. And yet you appear to have a sense of humanity. Hoh, perhaps it isn’t simply being around our kind that is the problem. Hey, maybe even the stereotyping is wrong there.”

“Tch-” Illiya grunted, looking away.

“Illiya please. Lets just try and get along with them ok?”

“Get along? How can we possibly work with this rabble highness? Three Vampires, a girl raised by savages, and some thug with no manners.”

“Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Ah thanks, I appreciate the compliment kid,” Dante chuckled.

“So tell me your highness, what exactly have we done to offend your guardian?” Yeager asked.

“It’s… it’s nothing. Nothing you did. She’s just-”

“Overly protective?”

“A royal pain in the ass towards commoners?”

“Time of the month?”

“Excuse me?!”

“That first one, actually, sort of. Sorry- a lot of things have been going on at home lately. My father hasn’t exactly been, umm… attentive to the needs of his people.”

“I’ve heard some tale of the situation, hiding it will get you nowhere,” Fen Rao muttered, “Your nation is facing problems with the native Drachen, isn’t that right?”

“Hmph, I’m surprised you’ve heard even that much. Our leaders have done their best to silence this news beyond our borders,” Illiya grumbled.

“So what’s the story?”

“…”

“Go on Illiya, tell them,” Adalaine whispered.

“Ugh… very well m’lady… Sarzento is dealing with domestic terrorism. There have been signs that it is Vampiric in nature, just as our previous conflict with them hundreds of years ago. It is the belief of some of our leadership that it is a ploy by the Drachen Tribes to overtake and destroy our civilization.”

“Vampire attacks are on the rise as it is,” Dante spoke, “Ya sure it’s related?”

“It’s not my place to assume anything. My job as a Code is to protect the royal family. Her highness believes this to be unrelated to the Drachen though, something deeper. Her father refuses to support the notion, so we’ve been left to ourselves to gather allies to prove her theory correct. Thus far we have had no such luck in finding aid.”

“Round o’ bad luck I’m afraid. Course the Confederacy wouldn’t be of ‘elp to ya.”

“No… we tried already. Without my father’s word I- I’m not sure what we can even do.”

Elise’s gaze shifted to Adalaine, who again had her own face in the sand by that point. Illiya’s right hand patted the princess’s shoulder a few times before sticking. A slight frown formed as she looked to the two; though her attention soon was pulled away once more-

“So what’s the plan for escape then Dante? Your partner had mentioned that we need to vanquish these cultists to escape,” Fen Rao questioned.

“Ya thas ‘bout right. This forest is an Eternal Hollow, a magical forest that loops spacetime. The people at the town back ‘ere built a catalyst to undo the curse; but those undead raisin’ loons took it over and ‘ave made this forest their keep. We figure they still ‘ave the key to leave, just gotta take their base and we’re good ta go.”

“So… your three teammates attempted that and were captured no doubt. That should speak volumes for what we are up against.”

“It does; but we’ve got friends back at town. And with you people, we can certainly overcome the odds.”

“Hmph. So you say and so we shall see. Very well. So long as Miss Lightning over there can keep her cool and not fry us after this.”

“If she does Fen, she’ll be dealing with me,” Elise spoke up, looking over again to Illiya and Adalaine, “That… would be a shame though.”

“A shame?” Illiya questioned, “How so?”

“A shame because I think I might actually like the two of you.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“You both… remind me of some people I used to know.”

“Well isn’t that just touching haha. This is going to work out great. Hey teach, you’re still sure about this? You don’t think we’ll be hosing our own kingdom by succeeding here?”

“I can’t be too sure of anything Yeager,” Fen Rao replied, “All I know is that this future holds the greatest of possibilities. And so we shall explore it. Do not forget what our objective is, to insure the security of our people.”

“Yeah yeah. Well tell you what ladies, before we go any further I’m going to need a snack.”

A crackle of green forged itself around Illiya for only a second, with Dante’s right hand placed over a pocket in his coat. Elise glanced over to Dante, then to Illiya, and finally back to Yeager- not yet shifting or moving aside from her eyes.

“Oh relax- I don’t mean you people. I meant it’s time for me to go catch something like a deer or whatever. I don’t drink people food.”

“What?” Illiya murmured, her scowl fading.

“Yeah? What- you think just because I’m a blood sucker I drink people? Please- if we went around doing that then we’d be drinking our own people. Sheesh guys, just ask your Drachen girl there, she’ll tell you.”

“Elise?” Dante murmured, looking over to his partner at that exact moment.

Elise’s face shown with absolutely nothing, a blank and bland expression, her eyes shut now as she leaned her body back with her arms crossed behind her head. Dante’s arm lowered, as the rage around Illiya also faded. Both Shree and Yeager stood and backed away from the fire, both turning and heading out across the white circle. Fen Rao’s own eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest, a slight grin formulating.

“How long did you know?” Fen asked aloud.

“From the moment I got near those two earlier. Blake and I noticed it right away,” Elise stated, “For those who are or have been around Vampires long enough, it becomes easy to tell which ones drink from humans and which drink from other sources… just by looking at them.”

Shree blinked, the cowboy in black standing right behind her with a revolver held to her head. Across from her, a katana blade was held firmly to Yeager’s throat. All around them were puddles of mud and piles of slush, and then the guards rushing around that had survived.

“G-gyeh- what the hell?” Yeager grunted.

Shree’s gaze zoomed around her, staring at the puddles, at the armor, at the one behind Yeager. The glow in Elise’s eyes, bright green and vibrant even when surrounded by the darkness. Unseen to her, just behind, her captor’s eyes also aglow.

“H-hey now. Hey hey hey now le- lets not get carried away here uh, alright?”

“How the hell did they catch us? No- how the hell did they beat the dummies??”

“The answer… is simple. Your mentor over there called it so perfectly, it would be an insult to have to repeat it. You spent a literal minute arguing with your friend over there too, far too easily distracted.”

“This sensation… you’re a Vampire too?” Shree asked, slightly turning her head, stopped as the end of the revolver jabbed her in the back of the head with another gun pressed into her back.

The glowing gaze of Elise shifted slightly, lurching over towards Blake, and then back to the one in front of her as that glow in her gaze intensified a bit, “These two are… Blake, try not to kill that one.”

“I know. Same goes for you Elise!”

“Hmph. I’m impressed,” Fen spoke.

“That’s the secret. Why you never killed their people, why you aren’t that worried about us making this deal, why you never outright invaded or sent multiple legions in after the convoys. You aren’t a Vampire Kingdom, you belong to a kingdom that turns its defenders into Vampires for insurance.”

“Howzz-” Dante mumbled, staring wide eyed, while across from him Illiya was doing the same.

Fen Rao’s own eyes were now open and staring at Elise, quivering slightly for only a moment before resolving themselves. Elise stared back, her own eyes aglow with a bright green, her expression unchanged as it remained wound and serious. Adalaine blinked, looking to Fen Rao.

“Well how about that? You figured out our little secret. No wonder you’ve been so soft towards us. Yes, you are correct. In exchange for the gift of the sun, we swear ourselves to power… all to protect our pride. Galahan’s past is in Vampires, victims ourselves. Thanks to the actions of a few we were able to get out of that mess, and now- this is how we’ve continued to shield ourselves. Glastol is nothing more than a sacrifice for our own peace.”

“You would sacrifice an entire nation’s freedom just for your own? That’s just-”

“Selfish? Maybe; but it is the way the world works Dante. You take, or you are taken. Heh, those two knuckleheads for example, they have been robbed themselves… years and years ago.”

Elise’s eyes shut, looking away as the rest continued to listen in- Illiya with her raised brow, Dante with his stone mug, Adalaine with her own confliction.

“They lost their folks to Hunters from The Church when they were young. It was a botched mission I was the head of years ago. We wanted to find allies, new lands, new opportunities. We were led in by some we felt we could trust and sold out. I lost a lot of good people that day, undead and living. I had them turned in hopes that it would help them become stronger, and they agreed to it to protect our small nation. To protect that which you love, you do what you have to do; even at the cost of the well being of others.”

“I know… all too well how that goes,” Elise murmured, eyes half closed, still looking away.

“If I may Princess Adalaine. If you want to protect your people, you need to take action. If you don’t act on what you believe in or for what you hold dear, it is very likely that it will be stolen from you by more like us… or by the selfish bastards that still linger out in this world. You mustn’t make that mistake, ever.”

“I… I won’t- Mister Rao, I won’t give up.”

“Heh… this takes me back. It reminds me of years ago when I-”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!”

All heads popped up instantaneously, eyes big. Adalaine’s, Illiya’s, Elise’s, Dante’s, even Rao’s.

“The hell was that?” Dante muttered.

“AIYEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!” wailed a feminine sounding voice.

“That was Shree!” Fen growled, jumping up immediately.

The old man wasted no time, bolting from his spot and shooting right through the brush before anyone could say a word. Just then came Elise, popping up in the blink of an eye and standing where Fen had been seated. Her coat flapped down, catching up with gravity and the momentum. Her emerald scowl shot out, following in Fen Rao’s direction.

“Dante, stay with those two. Fen and I will check this out.”

“A’o’ight. Be careful though Bakuuva, don’ let yourself get caught.”

“I know-”