Valerian stood over the corpse of the late Bishop.
No one would be able to recognise the body now. Black, threatening clouds moved above the village.
Valerian was still looking at the corpse with a bit of sympathy.
The Bishop had lost his nerve and did not try to run.
He had been petrified and attempted pleading until Valerian got bored again.
The Progenitor began to deal with the Bishop where he knelt and pleaded. Lightning flashed and loud thunder sounded.
Valerian looked up at the sky. His voice tinged with a bit of anger.
"You are being too noisy. Grieve somewhere else or will you test me?"
To onlookers, it seemed like Valerian was talking to the storm like some kind of lunatic but to their surprise, the thunder died down and the clouds dispersed leaving a starry night once more.
'Even the sky is afraid of him!' They thought.
Valerian seemed a little disappointed then began smiling again. "Some other time then, Ares."
Valerian walked back to Peter ignoring the villagers who looked at him with great fear. Peter's wounds had slowly started to heal again.
"You are weak. Your wounds are healing too slowly. Do you not drink blood?" he asked. Peter shook his head.
"I only drink the minimum I need to survive." Peter said.
"Human blood or animal blood?" Valerian asked.
"Human." Peter stated in an ashamed way. He then turned his wounded face in a different direction.
Valerian looked at the girl who had almost been executed by one of the soldiers for speaking out. Valerian smiled.
"I see." He signalled to two of his knights. "These are members of the Praetorian Guard. They are my personal guard. They will protect you. I have to hunt the one that tried to escape while I dealt with our Bishop."
"Wait!" Peter shouted but his voice was still a little strained. Valerian narrowed his eyes.
Peter composed himself and remember what this mysterious older brother was capable of.
"Forgive me, Lord Jata. I spoke too casually. I only wish to ask about what about Frey?"
"What about her? She is not a half-breed too, is she?"
"No but...she has helped me through the years and has been there for me after my father died."
"Child, I do not see how this should be my concern. The way I see things, you detest your vampire side and it is something you have been keeping a secret. The looks the other villagers are giving you are also quite unforgiving.
"I have little doubt that if I was not a strong deterrent, they would kill you to avenge their loved ones. So they did not know your situation but yet, somehow, your secret made it out to these religious fools. Need I say more because I feel you have already come to the same conclusion that I have?"
Peter failed to meet the vampire's gaze.
"Good. Uriel, take him and begin the journey. I will catch up." With that, Jata began walking away.
After walking three meters, he stopped and looked at a brown haired boy. He was sitting by a forge and looked about fifteen years old.
The bulky teenager was looking at Peter with malice and contempt.
Suddenly noticing the white haired monster staring at him, the boy's face quickly changed and he retreated into a crowd of people.
Valerian then looked back to the girl, Frey and smiled to himself like an elder who felt a little sympathy and continued into the wilderness outside the village.
He paused as he got to the woods and said, "Remain here. I will go in alone." The shadows seemed to whisper in slight protest but the whispers faded. The word of Lord Jata was absolute.
Valerian entered the woods and took in all the scents around him and found the one that did not belong. He smiled malevolently and continued to walk.
As he walked, black and purple mist began to surround him, bat creatures with thirty centimetre wingspans began pulling themselves out of his body.
Valerian's body slowly became consumed by the mist until he disappeared and the bats became a swarm. It was Valerian's unique skill, [Mass Swarm].
Valerian was not at full power yet. So far, he had been using only his physical skills and had not had the chance to use his skills and magic.
He had yet to release his aura and felt that after so much time, he needed to be away from any populated areas before finally stretching his mystic side.
He had only woken a few days ago with his own strength.
His body had healed from the battle that made the four continents of Idris into the seven continents of Idris but his strength was returning to him and his followers.
The rate of recovery was terrifying but no matter how terrifying it was, trying to fill the vessel of a being whose power was equivalent to those that shaped the cosmos would indeed take time. There were ways to hasten the process.
The large bats danced around each other and then flew high into the sky eclipsing the moon before diving back into the wood to willingly pursuing the trap the amateur vampire hunter had set.
*****
Henry Duma was a tall handsome man with burly muscles and was about twenty years old.
His short brown hair danced in the wind as he calmed his nerves. He wore light iron armour and carried and gripped his mythical longsword tightly in his hands.
He had seen the people from the black carriage talking to his acquaintance the Bishop.
He saw the white haired boy's ears and knew he was not an elf but most likely a member of an [S+ rank] vampire royal family a Pure blood or a True Vampire.
Pointy ears were one of the signs of how pure a vampire's blood was.
His father, the [S-Rank] vampire hunter, Viscount Luke Duma of Saras was the one who taught Henry and his fourteen brothers, everything they knew.
The Great Duma Family had been hunting vampire for nine hundred years.
They were experts at sensing danger but Henry was the blocked head in the family.
The first rule was do not provoke an enemy you do not know.
The second was do not fight above you weight class alone.
The third was never piss off a vampire with a rank above [S].
The rank system started from [F] rank up to [A+] rank.
Anything at or above [A] rank needed an a small army or highly skilled adventures. [S] rank was another level though.
The gap between a rank [S] monster and an [A+] was bigger than the gap between a rank [A+] and a rank [F].
This level had three ranks. [S], [SS] and [SSS] rank.
[SS] meant the likely extinction of a few races and an uninhabitable continent.
Therefore Great Families would be given resources to grow their strength to exceed mortal limits and pass strong genes to as many children as possible. They were considered an invaluable resource.
[SSS] meant that the gods would have to get involved. Granted four hundred of the strongest and most powerful mortal vessels each to descend and do battle.
Then there were two ranks above the Triple [S] rank but if those showed up, it spelt the end of the world, the end of the gods and everything they knew.
Many did not believe that such beasts existed. Or at least hoped so.