Amid the chatters between the Chief and his Commander, Dov softly stepped on Celene's shoe, giving her a signal to do the 'thing'. The lycan understood what he asked her, though not a single muscle from her body was moved to avoid suspicion.
In silence, she then whispered,
[Personal Skill]
[6th Act]
She shifted her head a bit to aim at the correct spot.
"Howlless Night."
A small invisible room was created in a limited area around Dov and the turned vampire. Now no one can hear a single sound made by those two, and Dov can begin privately talking to her.
"Nneka, we're currently inside a private space. No one can hear any sound we make, not even our breath. But don't speak, don't stare, don't do anything out of the ordinary. If you understand me clearly, stretch."
The girl was a bit taken aback hearing Dov suddenly speaking to her secretively. But she understand quite well her given instruction and started stretching her arms like an innocent sleepyhead.
"Good." Said the masked Hunter. "Now, you need to understand that you're no longer a dark elf. You eat different, you behave different, and the things that satisfy you are also different."
She kept her face gazing towards the two dark elf leaders who were busy talking to avoid suspicion. But those words coming from Dov's mouth made her anxious. A drop of sweat went dripping off her forehead.
"Meet me off the gate tonight. I'll offer you an accord."
*
Lustmist is quite famous for its hill and mountain terrain which made them a tricky plane for war and ambush. And later that night, the two Hunters and their Broker went camping under the protection of these hills.
"They're close. 2 minutes till you can see them." From the sky, Leyna landed on Dov's hand, reporting as a snow-white eagle owl.
"Then we need to start moving." Dov retorted. "Celene, I want you to lure the bodyguards away from the scout."
"Lure? How?" The lady questioned.
"They are both males, just go near them. They'll smell your maiden's blood, then chase you like wild animals," Dov explained. "However, if you got caught, don't kill them, but don't let them bite your neck."
"Understood." Celene nodded and walked down the hills to find a better spot.
"We, on the other hand, Leyna, will have a nice chitchat with the noble vampiress."
"Chitchat?"
On the east side of the Shrine of Consciousness, exist a lonely road heading toward Siren Marsh, the province of merfolks, the bearer of the water element. Following that road will lead one to a nest, and that nest is the Bloodhound Castle Complex, home of the vampires.
Dov had no intention to go there, but the sole existence of it made it easier for him to predict where the scout might come.
And he was correct. Dressed in black and red, glamorous, more elegant than the other two. The said scout was running around the side of the road with her bodyguards, as they were about to try and sneak their way into the East Black Wall.
"I see them."
Dov was hiding behind a huge block of stone on higher ground than the vampires were. While on the north side of those bloodsuckers, stood tall an ashen cliff with Celene hiding behind it.
She tried to go as near to the group of vampires while still remain hidden. Her sharp Hunter sense was focused on sensing the echo of each step that they took.
"Oh, looks like she got it."
Both of the bodyguards suddenly stopped as they sniffed the air with their sharp noses. A huge grin went painted on their face as they happily ran in the direction of where Celene was.
She quickly noticed this and moved away from the scout to separate her from the bodyguards.
"Whoa, she's like a fishing rod." Leyna's tone went higher.
"Good, now our chance to greet the noble."
And with it cleared, down the hill, Dov go. As for Leyna, she flew away in case a fight broke out.
Near the tall cliff, the scout was standing still, feeling bewildered, watching her bodyguards went away chasing something she didn't know while looking like an absolute idiot.
"Those fools! What in Goddess' name are they doing!?" Pouty-faced, she stomped the ground with a mad tone out of her mouth.
"Funny how vampiresses can't even smell a maiden's blood." Dov menacingly came and approached her from afar.
"You!" Her gaze went mad at him "You're the Hunter! Should've known this was all your doing." The scout annoyedly pointed hard at Dov with her index finger.
"Hm? You don't seem scared." Dov held his steps.
"Huh!?" She put on a look of pure disgust. "Why would I? I'm way above those kids' level."
This actually came to Dov's mind for a while. Why does the scout have some folks from lower ranks as her bodyguard? Male or female, a noble vampire will always be stronger than a normal vampire.
"Well, no matter." Dov carried on with his steps. "It won't stop us from heading straight to business."
"Don't try me… you'll regret coming closer, Hunter."
The scout gripped both her palms together and red mist began to appear around it, fuming like the morning mist. She pulled something from between those palms and a cane stick appeared in her hand. Slim and luxurious. Longer than her legs. An ornament of a black metal bat placed on top of it, along with a red orb embedded.
She stomped that cane to the earth and crimson-red magic circles painted themselves on the ground underneath her. A bunch of blood runes was written on each line.
"Roses of Madness!"
Stems of roses suddenly grew from that circle. Long, thick, and numerous. They stretched and course their way onto Dov who was approaching the scout slowly.
Crowns lit with blood magic, thorns as sharp as a dagger. With those assets, they can easily root someone tight and cripple them down. But for Dov…
[Personal Skill]
[3rd Act]
He's a master of defensive magic.
"Shield of Corvus."
A quick snap of his fingers and purple fireflies went flying to all the spots around him. They all quickly transformed into purple magic shields with an element of darkness that burned those roses toast.
A perfect defense. He was completely covered. None of the vampiress magic was able to touch him. He kept his pace like a walking fortress, immovable by the outside force.
"Tck!" The scout clicked her tongue. "I guess she didn't lie about your shield being impenetrable."
"You're indeed well informed." Said Dov.
"But every magic shield has a giant weakness!"
Without warning, the vampires suddenly started running. Charging with full force directly toward Dov. She held her cane at its end and dust came flying left and right as she began viciously swinging it like a mace toward the Hunter's head.
Sadly, Dov was too strong for her. The moment she got too close, he quickly grabbed her by the wrist, stopping it from moving any further. His other hand took out the giant black pistol hanging on his belt and shove it straight onto her belly.
*Bang!*
He shot fast a magic bullet, then swung the backside of that gun onto her head. So hard and harsh, the vampiress went flying, kissed the cliff in the north with her face.
"You're right. Melee attacks are some magic shields' greatest weakness." He once again walked slowly towards the scout lying in pain on the ashen ground. "If you can land it, that is."
As he stood in front of her, he choked her by the neck and lifted her high till her feet could no longer reach the ground. The mouth on his mask flipped its curve, smiling with those cold blue teeth.
"You realize getting killed outside of your nest won't get you resurrected, right?" He said as he shoved his pistol onto her chest, right where her heart is beating.
Terrified by the sight, she laugh like a maniac. "And you realize magic bullets won't kill a noble vampire, right?" Cracks of red painted her eyes, and she grinned hard in her reply.
Without Dov realizing it, two giant blades made out of blood were floating right behind him, pointing their sharp eyes toward his defenseless back.
"I know."
What am I saying, this is Dov we're talking, a damn Hunter. Of course he realized it.
"Die!" The scout screamed at the top of her lungs and both of those blades launched themselves without mercy.
However, without a single step from where he stood…
[Lineage Skill]
"Purge."
Dov let those blades come at him. Yet both of them immediately shattered the moment they touched his cloth, swiftly turned to dust, blown away by the night wind.
"Wait— purge? And those shields!? You're Bl—"
Dov rushingly dropped his gun to shut her mouth with his palm. "Not now Heidi! My apprentice could hear what you're saying." He whispered her name as the heavy gun clashed with the earth, though panic altered his manner of speaking. The curve on his bear mouth turned back to its unhappy self.
The scout wiggled hard to move her mouth, though finally escaped from his grab. And as soon as she broke free, she immediately bit Dov's palm right between his thumb and index, then sucked it.
"This taste… it is you!" Her face went bright, as she licked the remaining blood from her lips.
"Less sound, Heidi!" He let his grip go and hushed her.
"But what's with the scary getup? Why are you covering your handsome face—" She went to reach Dov's bear mask, yet he immediately stopped her.
"It's a long story. Now can you please behave so we can talk?" He pleaded.
"Talk? Wait, are you not the Hunter that sided with the dark elves?" She's having a hard time grabbing the situation.
"I am him. That's what I want to explain to you."
"Hmm…"
"You know her, Dov?" Leyna silently perched back onto his shoulder after assessing the situation.
"Whoa! A talking owl!" Heidi was shocked by the sight.
"Positively… I come in contact with her when clearing Vampires Nest at Bloodhound Castle Complex." Dov replied. "And here I thought, as a Broker, you know all about me."
"Sure I have all the archives about you. But memorizing all of them? That will… put too much weight on my head." Leyna transformed back to her human form to ease the conversation.
"A human!?" Heidi just got more surprised by the minute.
"Shh!" Yet both Dov and Leyna hushed her in sync.
"Sorry…" She curled in embarrassment.
"We'll just waste more time standing here." Said Dov. "Come, let's move somewhere less open to most eyes."