(Inside Decker's mansion)
Decker was in a dark room, sitting in a lotus position. He used a lot of the dark shadow's abilities and used the previous days to recover. Decker groaned as the dark shadow was slowly devouring his soul. "Dark Shadow, eat more of my soul. Eat your fill so I can use more of your power, so I can dance on the corpses of my enemies." For 4 hours, he continued to endure the pain caused by the dark shadow until he heard a knock on the door.
"Enter"
One of his vampire henchmen opened the door. He bowed on one knee, and he could feel a dark and evil energy throughout the room. The henchmen felt great fear as soon as he entered the room and refused to look at Decker. "My lord, the leader of the Storming Hornets has arrived."
Decker smiled. "Great. Take our guest to the meeting room and tell him I will be there in a few minutes."
"As you command, my lord"
After half an hour, Decker came into the meeting room. Kilo stood up and walked towards Decker with his arms open. "You crazy bastard, you did it; you bested the great Leonidas." Kilo was so excited that he gave Decker a manly hug. "I don't usually hug people, but the news of you defeating Leonidas made me really happy. Now I know that we stand a chance against the Crimson family."
"I recommend not to underestimate the other family members of the Crimson family, almost everybody can be considered monsters especially Leonidas's wife"
Kilo looked confused "Let's go sit by the table, my friend".
As they were both sitting down, Kilo decided to poor them both some whiskey in a glass "Now tell me more about the wife."
Decker took the class of whiskey and lightly shook it, and soft clinking noises could be heard as the two ice cubes clashed against each other. "I do not know much about his wife, but I managed to pull some strings, and I found out that she was previously part of the Fulger family."
Kilo was not familiar with this family "Who is this Fulger family? Are they well known?"
"They were once a big family, but do not mistake them for being weak, as they are still a force to be reckoned with. The family now chooses to stay down low, and if we kill the Lord's daughter, he will surely come for us." Decker said
Kilo smiled, not a slight of fear could be noticed on his facial, instead it was filled with excitement. Decker's victory over Leonidas gave him the confidence to kill vampires that is considered unstoppable by most. "Well, my motto is that with great risks come great rewards, so we just have to deal with the consequences. Now tell me what makes them so special that you think we must be cautious of her." Kilo asked Decker while drinking from his whiskey glass.
Decker smiled "Well, you could say that most of the family members would inherit the ability of fire from Leonidas, however, Anna Crimson is the only lighting user."
Kilo was a little shaken by this new information "Fuck… luckily we have some armour that is lighting resistant, but I am sure you will keep her preoccupied with one of your dark shadow clone figures."
"Of course, they all will die, every last one of the Crimson family members."
Kilo chuckled as he sensed the anger coming from Decker "What about Leonidas?"
"We will collect his corpse after we annihilate his family…so tell your men to prepare themselves, we will attack the castle tomorrow at midday"
Kilo then started to laugh "Perfect, then we will attack the Crimson castle tomorrow. I will become rich and famous"
====
In the underground section of Crimson castle, nestled in a big, spacious room stood a massive magical portal gate that adorned intricate carvings. The magical gate was so big that it almost reached the room's ceiling. The room was also occupied by several vampire knights that stood guard, some were walking back and forth, and others talked to each other in a low tone of voice. However, suddenly the portal began to emit a magical white light, indicating that someone was about to arrive through the magical portal. From the magical vortex, an imposing figure stepped out, and the moment his foot touched the concrete floor, the vampire knights immediately recognised the familiar vampire when they sensed his power. Further, their eyes began to glow red and they immediately bowed their heads to welcome the important figure.
"Welcome back, master Zeno."
Zeno stepped out of the portal and exuded an aura of power and grace. His dark and flowing robe billowed around him. He started to walk down the steps, and with each step, the room almost seemed to acknowledge his arrival as if paying homage to his status. Zeno nodded his head in acknowledgement and greeted the loyal knights.
Anna, who was in the private room in the upper section of the castle with her son and grandson. She was sitting by the table as usual drinking blood out of a tea cup, and reading her favorite romance novel. Markus and Richard, who were also present in the room were busy playing chess.
"Since when did you get so good at chess son?" Markus wryly smiled, seemingly struggling against his son.
Richard, feeling very pleased with himself, had his father against the rope with his last move on the chess board. He gave his father a light chuckle. "I am sure father is holding back"
Markus then looked at the chessboard and thought about what his next move was going to be. "Shit, I can't lose against my son" he thought. He then suddenly sensed Zeno's spiritual force, and he smiled and said, "So brother is finally back."
Anna also sensed her son's presence and was very happy that he had returned safely. She continued to read her novel and would occasionally look at her son and grandson playing chess. This was the kind of moment that made Anna appreciate life; however, she still misses her husband, who hasn't sent any messages of some sort.
Clashes of steel could be heard traveling through the aid as Carmilla and Thomas were practicing with their swords. Carmilla thrust her swords in a quick motion, but Thomas managed to evade it and counter with his own thrust. Not expecting Thomas to counter, she somehow managed to dodge the attack coming from Thomas by a hair's breath. "I almost got you there, Milla.".
Small drips of sweat started to appear on Carmilla's forehead; her eyes started to glow red, and her fangs extended. Thomas noticed Carmilla was getting serious, and he responded by drawing out his own power. Both wanted to continue their attacks until a figure appeared in the middle of them.
Both immediately stopped their attack. Carmilla's eyes stood wide in place; she didn't blink for a moment and dropped her sword a few seconds after recognizing the person standing in front of her.
"Daddy?"
Zeno Crimson had a subtle smile on his face when he laid his eyes on his only daughter and said, "Hello, sweety.".
Carmilla ran to her father, Zeno, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Dad, I missed you." Zeno embraced his daughter and gave her a tight hug. Carmilla knew that there were many times when some of the young vampire children's parents would lose their lives when they went on missions. She knew her father was one of the strongest vampires in the castle, but the possibility of him dying was never off the table. There are even stories that the great Leonidas almost died to a ghoul king.
Thomas ran up to them while they were still in each other's embrace. "Welcome back, uncle." Zeno looked at Thomas and gestured for him to join the family hug. Thomas smiled and did not hesitate to join the hug.
After a few seconds, they disengaged from there heartfelt embrace and Carmilla was still wiping her tears. Thomas, however was more interested in his uncle's stories "Uncle, Uncle, was the enemy strong this time.".
"Thomas!" Carmilla, angry, shouted his name; she couldn't believe why her cousin wanted to ask such a question when her father had just returned home.
Zeno smiled "The enemy was very strong, he was very tall with four eyes and four arms. He also wielded four swords in each hand, his speed and power were otherworldly."
Thomas had stars in his eyes. "Really, uncle, what was this powerful enemy called?"
"The people called him, Four".
"Dad, are you okay? Did you manage to kill him?" Carmilla asked.
"Unfortunately, he got away, however, I did manage to cut one of his arms off before he escaped. But I was too injured to chase after him."
Thomas was amazed; he could not help but imagine his uncle fighting this monster with four arms. "Wait, uncle, if you sliced one of his arms, does he have to change his name to three now?"
Carmilla couldn't help bursting out laughing when she heard Thomas's comment, "Stop it Thomas.".
Zeno lightly chuckled. "I guess so."
"I bet my dad would turn him to zero" Thomas said while holding out his fist.
Carmilla smacked Thomas on the head "Are you saying my dad is weak?"
"Ouch!" Thomas grabbed his head "Why did you hit me"
"Don't make fun of my dad"
"But I didn't"
Zeno faintly smiled as he looked at the two and thought about the time he and Markus also used to argue like this when they were their age "Hey, stop it you two. Where is your grandfather? I don't sense his energy.".
"Grandpa went on a business trip" Thomas said while rubbing the area on his head where Carmilla smacked him.
"And John also tagged along."
Carmilla pouted her lips "Grandpa did not even ask me to come with him"
Zeno put his hands on Carmilla's head "Hey now, I'm sure your grandfather will take you on his next trip. Remember John is new member of the family, so give him a chance to get to know you grandfather okay"
"Okay daddy"
Zeno then went to the private dining room where his mother was situated. He opened the door and saw his mother standing up from the table where she was sitting. He walked slowly towards her and gave her a light bow "Mother, your son has returned"
Anna did not care for formalities when it came to her family members and quickly enveloped her oldest son with a heartfelt embrace. "I am glad you returned safely, I heard stories about this Four being extremely powerful"
"He was, I did not manage to kill him and he escaped so the family did not pay us the full amount"
"It is fine, the contract did state that he has to be killed"
Markus also walked up to his brother Zeno right after he disengaged from the hug with his mother. Markus was bigger than Zeno and looked down at his older brother. "Welcome back, brother. I sense your spiritual force has yet to fully recover. Do you think you can defend yourself against me in your feeble state?" Markus smiled as he gazed down on his brother.
Zeno looked up and stared his brother straight in the eyes "If you think you can beat me, then go ahead"
They stared at each other for a few moments until the tension broke.
"Come here"
"Welcome back, brother"
"Its good to be back"
They both gave each other manly hugs. "How have you been?" Zeno asked.
"I'm fine. I also recently returned from my mission, but it was boring. The mage I fought couldn't even take a single punch from me. Guess I am too strong hahahaha"
Not long after Richard welcomed his uncle back did they hear a knock on the door. Two familiar faces came through the door, and Zeno disappeared from where he was standing and embraced both familiar figures.
"Husband"
"Father"
"When did you wake up, son?" Zeno asked Caden while resting his hand on Caden's shoulder.
Caden smiled "It's a long story, father"
"We have a lot to talk about then, do we, son?"
"Yes father"
"You look good, I hope you didn't neglect your training"
Caden had a light laugh "Of course not father. I have been a little rusty when I woke up but I'm feeling better than ever"
"Good, good," Zeno said as he patted Caden on the shoulder.
Zeno then turned his attention to his wife "How have you been, my love?"
Reina felt so happy that she wanted to cry. She stared deep into her husband's black eyes. "My beloved, I missed you more than words can express. I have been longing for your return. When we are separated, I always feel that a part of my heart is missing, and now that you are back, my heart feels complete again."
Zeno gazed at his wife with affection; his voice was filled with warmth and gratitude. "My love, your kind words fill my heart with joy, and every time I go out on dangerous missions, the thought of you always gives me the energy to push further and beyond.…"
Anna seeing the two so in love made her think about Leonidas.
Markus then interjected "Come now, stop this lovey-dovey shit, let's get something to drink, we have much to talk about" He put his large arms around Zeno and Reina. Reina pouted her mouth as she was slightly angry at Markus for spoiling this lovely reunion.
====
After 6 hours, John woke up. "Perfect. I hope you are well rested. We have to leave. Tomorrow is the day he will attack the castle. My guess is he will attack the castle in the middle of the day when the sun is up. It wouldn't make sense to attack a vampire during the night," Leonidas said to John.
John was a little confused. He noticed that the boulder was pushed away and there was a slight opening; it was just enough to leave the cave. "What happened? Did I do that?"
Leonidas looked at John in astonishment "You don't remember pushing the boulder out to create an exit?"
John shook his head "Nope, I only remember getting really angry and passing out"
John then took out a bottle of blood from his storage ring, he drank it until the bottle was half empty. He could feel energy slowly returning to his body. "Grandpa, wait here, I am gonna check if its safe outside"
"Boy wait" Leonidas reached out with his hand and called out to John, but John had already left the cave. He exited the cave through the small opening. John came outside the cave, and he noticed that it was still morning. He moved and looked around carefully to see if there were any of Decker's men nearby.
John continued to look around yet he found no one guarding the entrance "I guess Decker really thought we had no hope of surviving that's why there's no one guarding the cave" he thought
John then retrieved a knife and the half-drank bottle of blood from his storage ring. Further, he then cut open his wrist with great difficulty using the knife and carefully poured some of his blood into the bottle.
"Shit, time is ticking; we have to hurry back." Seeing there was nobody around, he quickly returned to the cave. He saw that Leonidas was still sitting against the wall with a slight expression of anger on his face. "Where did you run off to? You left me here alone, defenseless."
"Sorry, old man, I went to see if there was no one to ambush us; we are clear though," John said.
"Then pick me up; I still can't walk, and stop calling me old man," Leonidas said while looking at John. He was still angry and irritated because John left him on his own. He had a little thought in the back of his head that the boy would leave him for dead after opening the entrance to the cave.
John then handed the bottle of blood to Leonidas, saying, "Quickly drink the rest of the blood in the bottle before we leave." Leonidas looked at John for a few seconds. He then refused, "No, you should save the blood for yourself; it is useless for me to drink the blood."
John then got a little angry "Old geezer, do you want me to kick your ass again and force this shit down your throat or are you gonna drink this so we can return to the castle as quickly as possible?"
"You dare," Leonidas burst out of anger; his eyes glowed red as he stared at John. However, John did not back down, and his left eye also turned red as he stared back at Leonidas. They stared at each other for a few minutes before John decided to put down the bottle of blood on the ground. "Fine," Leonidas said in a low tone.
"What did you say?" John asked
"I said fine! Give me the fucking bottle so we can leave."
John gave Leonidas the half-drank bottle of blood. Leonidas grabbed the bottle with both hands. When he poured the blood into his mouth, Leonidas felt a cold sensation on his tongue, but the delicious taste was undeniable. "What is this blood boy?"
"Don't worry bout it, just drink the blood so we can leave" John said
*Hmph*
He could feel the delicious blood running down his throat. The liquid later spread throughout his body, and he felt rejuvenated. Leonidas was not aware, but the werewolf venom inside his body was slowly being killed off.
After drinking the half bottle of blood empty, John took the bottle and stored it in his storage ring. He picked Leonidas up, and they exited the cave. Once they got out, Leonidas noticed that they were located on top of a hill.
John and Leonidas quickly headed for higher ground. "Do you know where we are?". Leonidas then used his eyes to zoom in on where they were standing, and he saw a road trail. He also noticed that they were far away from any town or city.
"I am not exactly sure where we are but if we head down this hill, we will reach a road trail". John then carried Leonidas on his back as they went down the hill.
As John carried Leonidas down the steep hill, he could feel a slight increase in strain on his legs due to the added weight of his grandfather. In this kind of situation, John was very grateful for Reina's intense training. Furthermore, walking downhill with someone on his back is much easier than if it were uphill.
As they were walking downhill, there was an awkward silence between the two men. It took 30 minutes for John to break the silence. "So, what are you going to do when we get there? You're still not in the best condition to fight, you know."
"I know, boy, but as the leader of the Crimson clan, I have to be present at all costs... For me, I have to be there for moral support, and if Decker destroys my clan, then I have to be there to die beside them."
"Now that I know the story, why couldn't you guys just talk this out? I mean, you didn't mean to kill his daughter, right? John looked back at Leonidas as they were walking down the steep hill."
"That train already has left the station, boy; the time for talking is over; either he dies or I die; simple as that, that is the cruel reality of the world. The moment he attacked me or my family was the moment he signed his death certificate.".
John sighed "We still have a long way to go, we don't even know where we are"
"We just need to find someone to give us directions. Now enough talking and start running, time is of the essence"
It took an hour for John to reach the road trail. Leonidas then used his nose to smell if there was no one nearby. "Just keep running down this road trail; I smell something; I think it's a group of people; my smelling senses are a little dull."
Leonidas gritted his teeth. "I just hope we can make it in time."
John continued to run. "A little dull, are you even sure there are any people nearby?"
Leonidas got a little irritated. "Just keep running, boy".