The vampire clan Magister listened proudly to his subordinate's report. Scarlet was able to learn valuable information. There was a new wanderer in town. The Magister smiled at his daughter. Scarlet appreciated the elder's attention, and for a moment she was frightened by the Lord's attention.
No one knew his real name. For the first two hundred years, he was known as Angus the Reaper. Those were the years when the vampire came to Ark and gained popularity. He gained fame as a great magician and warrior. Thousands of Ark's enemies found death by his spells and sword. The vampire has built a strong team and strong nestlings. The townspeople grew accustomed to the vampire. Angus gained respect and sympathy. It is hard to fear the vampire who saved your life. It's hard to hate the savior of your parents. Then Angus got into politics. He wanted power and new responsibilities. He achieved his goal. During these times, he spoke under the name of Master of the Inscription. The vampires managed to capture an important part of the city's economic activities and market. Vampires became the chief scroll masters. Magical scrolls are a versatile weapon and a means to support life. A scroll requires little effort but can activate a powerful spell. Creating a scroll requires the blood of a wizard. Vampires have access to fresh blood. The stores of the new scribes have opened a service to receive blood. The townspeople welcomed this innovation with understanding. Anyone could donate blood and receive a nice sum to meet an occasional need. For the past three hundred years, the Magister had been in charge of his clan. The old vampire demanded unquestioning obedience from the other vampires. In the dungeon of the clan castle, the Magister kept his enemies imprisoned. Every vampire needed blood to prolong his active existence. If a vampire didn't feed for a week, he would begin to hunger and go mad. The lack of it caused an imbalance. The vampire would become aggressive and lose his rationality. A vampire is a mysterious and strange creature that combines the harmony of life and death. A month without feeding on blood turned a vampire into an active undead. The Magister found a way and power to punish traitors and violators of his will. In the dungeon of the castle, he held prisoners captive. Chained up, the shriveled half-dead received a gulp of blood a year. For hundreds of years, the traitors suffered and paid the price for their crimes to the Angus clan.
Magister Angus valued peace and order. But he greeted important Ark news with sympathy. The vampire appreciated the freshness of the experience.
The girl finished her report and awaited the Council's reaction. The Magister was pleased. He liked this girl. Scarlet had great strength and had a strong character. The Magister began to analyze the facts.
Scarlet received an assignment from the Captain and escorted the wanderer to the Summoner's Guild. Then she learned some special news. The young wanderer managed to find a dracat and became its master. This is interesting. The wanderer is inexperienced and weak. But he has great luck. He was able to attract the attention of strong players!
The magister made his decision and looked at the council members.
"Legate. What do you think of this?" asked the elder.
"I am not interested in it. I am a warrior. I propose to kill the girl. She could be a nuisance and could cause trouble!" voiced his decision the head of the warrior wing.
"No need to touch the adventurer. Her death will cause great trouble. Elvira the Poisoner protects this little girl. Shine is the granddaughter of an old soldier who once saved Captain Silver Rose's life. The Captain protects the old man. We don't want any trouble with the two best military units in town!" said Scarlet.
The Magister squinted his eyes with pleasure. What a clever and shrewd girl! She had managed to unearth rare information. Few knew that the Captain had suffered defeats. In the eyes of the townsfolk, this great warrior seemed an eternal and mighty protector. The Magister remembered how this Drow had appeared in Ark four hundred years ago. The swordsman had managed to achieve his goals and had become a powerful figure on the playing field. Scarlet was right and the adventurer should not be touched.
"We can repel the attack. And we can defend our interests," the Legate said with contempt for his adversaries.
"There is no need to cause a disturbance. It is an unnecessary waste of strength. It is bad for business and humiliation of reputation," objected Scarlet.
The Legate laughed. He understood and respected the girl's interests well. She was the head of clan intelligence and information gathering. Her subordinates acted defiantly outside the city. Within the walls of Ark, vampires conducted themselves under cover of their true abilities. The clan went a long way toward achieving supreme power and domination.
"I offered a simple solution. Our warriors are always ready to return from the frontier. And a good fight won't hurt anyone. A week of carnage between the mages will only generate interest among the townsfolk. It will not cause unrest. Another explosion of aggression! No riot, just a guild clash. Everyone will be happy."
"Legate, you are too easy on the lives of your subordinates," laughed Scarlet.
"I send them to their deaths every day. I lose young nestlings every day. I have my demands on my subordinates," the vampire grinned.
"My vampires suffer losses as well. They are in constant danger," the girl said proudly.
The magister watched with pleasure another clash of interests. Scarlet's vampires were spies in other cities. She headed the Dark Guild. This organization acted as a major rival to the Adventurers Guild. There are always dark matters. Not all problems can be solved honestly. Sometimes mages wished to show disobedience to the law. The Dark Guild had regular rich customers. Murder and theft of valuables, kidnapping and racketeering, threats and violence. The guild had a lot of work to do. Big personalities engaged in big business. Big business necessarily involves the need to get their hands dirty. The townspeople preferred to have a clean reputation. Vampires did the dirty work.
"Legate leave this case to me. Killing the girl is a long affair. We have to find the performers from the Plas. We must prepare for the attack. I must handle such matters."
The vampire nodded his head. He loved war! He enjoyed spending time on the borders of Ark's domain. A good sword fight and a fair victory. A gulp of still living blood and the pleasure of the enemy's death! It was the kind of life he enjoyed. Many vampires had a fighting talent. Not everyone liked working within the walls of the city.
The Legate liked to tease the girl. He knew very well that Scarlet was a ruthless killer. She killed her enemies herself. She loved covert operations and found pleasure in intrigue. The Legate understood her. But he also understood perfectly well the difference between a warrior and an assassin.
A new member of the conversation intervened in their disagreement,
"I am interested in this summoner. I am interested in his dracat," the head of the Scribes' Guild indicated his interest. "This creature's blood is of special value."
The Magister agreed with his subordinate,
"The Summoners' Guild is an abiding area of your interest. No intrigue will harm our business interests. I have made my decision. Scarlet will take care of this boy!"
***
Pete Harrison was on his way to the guild and heard an unfamiliar female voice,
"You don't look happy with life, Pete from Toledo. But you look more presentable today."
The young man stopped and looked at the girl in surprise. A smile appeared on his face. He recognized her.
"We met yesterday. You helped me find my way to the Guild building. Thank you for the nice words. I've updated my closet."
"You did well. Just arrived in Ark yesterday. Already found yourself a place in the Guild and started working for Ark. You have a decent future. Why doesn't your face look happy?"
Pete shook his head,
"It's not that simple. I could have died today."
"An attack by a mage from the Plas? Those bastards know how to sneak up and strike unexpectedly! I want to hear the details. I invite you to this establishment right here. A good friend of mine makes a great refreshing drink. I'll treat you in exchange for your story."
The summoner could not refuse this girl. Today she did not hide her face. The beauty showed sincere interest. Pete gladly accepted the attention and the invitation.
They walked through the doors of the establishment. It turned out to be a sort of cafe. Pete and the girl sat down at a table. The girl continued the conversation,
"I want to introduce myself. You can call me Scarlet."
At that moment a cafe worker came up to the table and Scarlet began to make her order. Pete looked at the face of his new acquaintance with pleasure. "It's interesting, most of the townspeople look too beautiful. Do they all use magic for facial plastic surgery?" The girl had perfect facial features. The lips on her face drew particular attention. Big and beautiful, with a rich red color. Pete knew at once that it was a natural color, no lipstick! The long, straight hair of the brown-haired girl also attracted attention. It was invited to admire and fell freely down her back and chest. The hair was in various shades of scarlet and brown and sparse strands of gold flashed through the rich array of colors. Pete thought the girl spent a lot of time grooming her hair. Perhaps she uses magic to dye her hair. She must be experiencing the inspiration of a real artist when painting a picture!
The girl ordered and opened her eyes wide,
"Tell me!"
The summoner began to tell his story. While he was telling the story, he was happily drinking an unknown drink. The drink turned out to have a pleasant taste. It had an interesting flavor and was refreshing. He could see that Scarlet was listening attentively. Sometimes a reflection of her thoughts appeared in her brown eyes. She was worried and sympathetic to him. Pete felt strange. He very seldom enjoyed the attention of such beauties. He Never had received such intimate attention and interest. But strangely, a cold calm was kept in his mind. He sensed a certain impropriety in the situation. His story was not an easy one either. Sometimes Pete would shut up and take a sip of his drink. At that moment he realized that not everything was simple with his and Shine's behavior. When he finished his story the girl looked at him with admiration,
"How cunning you are! You have honored a fallen warrior. It is a dignified thing to do. Did you know that the townspeople of Plas burn their dead?"
Pete froze in embarrassment. The girl explained to him,
"You didn't just bury a body and a set of artifacts. You buried his hopes for a good rebirth! By the way, Shine showed unnecessary cruelty. Water is the chief enemy of fire. To drown an enemy of Plas is to inflict posthumous insult and humiliation. She had no right to do such an evil deed! You were helped by a great warrior. She is the one to thank. Only Elvira had the right to such cruelty. But she is magnificent and virtuous."
The young man was embarrassed. There were too many things in this city that were interesting and unknown. He was doing simple things that mattered more. The summoner did not want to talk about Shine. She had been good to him. So Pete asked about another person new to him,
"I couldn't pay much attention to this woman. I struggled with the swordsman the moment she appeared. She was gorgeous. She seemed like a powerful sorceress to me. Her black hair waved in the wind. Quick and skillful. She took out her enemies in a few moments! Are the warriors of the city that strong?"
"Elvira leads a special squad. Fang is a woman's squad. It is very hard to earn the right to join this group. Shine has to work hard and for a long time and train. All the Ark girls dream of serving in the Fang."
"You want to be in this squad too?"
Scarlet laughed and shook her head.
"No! I have my group of subordinates. I'm not that aggressive. I like to do magic and work with complex missions. I fulfill the role of Ark Intelligence. Do you understand me?"
Pete nodded his head. He looked at the girl with renewed interest. She's like a CIA agent! Whoa! This is all so interesting and a little wrong. Intelligence agents don't tell outsiders about their work! Why is she acting so openly?
"I admire your work. But why are you telling me about it? Isn't it a secret?"
"Life at the Ark is full of mysteries. Every mystery has its depth and its flavor. You are a summoner. This is the first level of mystery. Your guild has its ways of working. And you've already got your secrets. You smell nice again," she wagged her finger at him.
The young man froze at her words and gesture. What is the matter with this girl! Is she confusing and provoking him on purpose?
Scarlet threatened him again like a little prankster, her voice filled with pride and smugness,
"You won't fool me this time handsome summoner. I am a modest and sensitive girl. I can smell a peculiar smell coming from you. But now I know it is the smell of your pet's presence. You do well. You can't show your pet to all the townsfolk. You're a good student of the guild."
At that moment Pete remembered. "She's a vampire!" He quickly popped the question,
"Yesterday you said you were a vampire. Can you tell me about Ark vampires?"
Scarlet smiled and he saw her teeth. No sharp fangs. White even teeth of an attractive smile.
"I can tell you about myself. I'm willing to share my secrets with you. But are you ready to share your secrets with me?"