"Dave, please tell me you are not going on that stupid adventure in some old, useless forest and leaving me all alone here," Alice asked her husband, who had just ended a call.
"Darling, it's not just some stupid adventure; it's the greatest adventure of all time. I am this close to discovering all my dreams, our dreams, darling," Dave replied with so much excitement.
"Can you hear yourself talk, Dave? I am 8 months and 3 weeks pregnant, and you want to go on some adventure? This is a joke, right? It has to be. Do you even care about me and the baby at all?" Alice asked a series of questions almost in tears.
"Calm down, darling. Of course, I care about you and the baby, and you know that. But I've been working my whole life on this. I'm this close to discovering everything," Dave replied as he walked towards his pregnant wife and held her tight.
"All right then, if you must go, I am coming with you," Alice said as she released herself from his grip.
"What? That's impossible, baby! You're pregnant; there's no way you're coming with me," Dave protested.
"Oh well, darling, that's the only way you're going," Alice said firmly and walked out immediately.
Dave knew how stubborn his wife was, and he knew that she wasn't bluffing. All he had to do was make up his mind, but he wasn't willing to give up on this project. He had worked all his professional life for this, and the timing just seemed wrong.
"So, where exactly is this forest, and why is it not on the Google map?" Alice asked as they drove.
"Darling, you promised you would be well-behaved during this trip, remember?" Dave asked.
"Oh, is this what we are calling this now, 'a trip'? You are taking your pregnant wife to some forest because of some stupid research work thing, and you call it a trip?" Alice replied with another question as she crunched on her chips.
"I didn't want you to come in the first place; you insisted on coming," David replied.
"Oh no, darling, I did not insist. I gave you a choice, and you chose this," Alice said, crunching on her chips louder to stop Dave from replying.
Finally, they arrived at the forest, which was far from town and anywhere with humans. Dave had been used to this kind of scenario, but not his wife. He was a little worried and contemplating that maybe he had made the wrong decision by bringing her here, but it was too late to regret it. Instead, he was going to make her love it here. He set up everything for their stay, and they ate some food. Alice had packed a lot of food.
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Lord Cray was hosting the annual vampiry night at the Great-Toew, his residence. Vampires near and far were present; it was a grand celebration.
This was the one night where the rules didn't apply; it was also known as the bloody night. But no matter how gruesome this night looked, everything and everyone must be under control. Lord Cray was in charge, after all.
Lord Cray Truman, the ruler of the Bi'ceps (the vampire community), was indeed a good ruler. He abided by the rules and made sure the Bi'ceps did so too to avoid any war with neighbouring species.
His wife, Lady Rosa, was gorgeous, and their son, Malone, was handsome, smart, and an adorable soul.
"My Lord, the General and his family have just arrived," Lord Cray's head servant informed him.
"That's good; see to it that they receive the best treatment. I will welcome them personally," Lord Cray ordered.
He had been anticipating the arrival of his elder brother, General Hugo. Gen. Hugo had been at the Great-Toew occasionally for work, but this time he was with his wife Cicely and his son Phil, who was the same age as Malone. The last time they had been here as a family was when Laylo had requested it.
Laylo is Lord Cray and Gen. Hugo's mother; she is one of the oldest and most respected vampires in the Bi'ceps.
The bloody night was indeed bloody. The entire Bi'ceps was crowded, and the vampires were satiated. Malone and Philp strolled around the Great-Toew for hours; they had sampled a few tasty delicacies before exploring for some historical knowledge. The bloody night was a time they could snoop around without being disturbed; everyone was enjoying their one free vampire pass night, and no one cared if some royal teens were snooping around.
As the bloody night concluded, the vampiry night came to an end. The Great-Toew, once bustling, was now nearly empty. Lord Cray and his brother had spent their bloody night together with old friends and other family relations. Lady Rosa had been with Laylo and other relatives as well.
Gen. Hugo and his family decided to stay for one more day before departing from the Great-Toew.
"I can say that I am so proud of my two grandboys," Laylo said as she patted her grandchildren's heads at breakfast. She sat between them, and Malone and Philp exchanged whispers.
"I see that they both enjoy each other's company," Lord Cray said.
The boys nodded in agreement, cheeks tinged with a blush.
"Why don't you reconsider coming to live here at Great-Toew? It is your home," Lord Cray suggested.
"Oh Cray, let's not go there again. I'm not reconsidering it," Hugo said as he munched on his food.
The table fell into a momentary silence. Laylo broke the quietude, and soon the mood lightened once more. The topic of living at Great-Toew had always been sensitive for Hugo and Cray, but Lord Cray never stopped trying. He wanted his elder brother to be close and enjoy his reign with him.
The oracle had chosen Cray for the position way back when they were younger, and Hugo had to accept that his younger brother would rule over him. He had no choice; Cray possessed the ermminet blood, which is the most powerful blood that exuded authority and power, and, in the wrong hands, could be extremely dangerous. The oracle had granted Lord Cray the ermminet blood.
Just as Laylo was recounting stories at the table, a servant burst in, interrupting breakfast.
"My Lord!!! There's news from the borders," he said, panting.
All eyes at the table turned to the breathless servant.
"How dare you interrupt our breakfast," Lord Cray exclaimed.
"My Lord, the Goblins have crossed the borders," he cried.
"What did you just say?" Lord Cray stood up in shock, and the whole table was gripped by shock.
The Goblins were the vampires' most formidable enemy species; they were a powerful race that had been at war with the vampires for years until the rules were established. They had their territory and were meant to stay away from the Bi'ceps.
Why did they breach the rules now? Why at this time? Everything had been going well until now...
Lord Cray swiftly announced the emergency to the Bi'ceps through complication (a telepathic ability to communicate with vampires).
"Mum, I need you to go to the safe room with the women and children at the Great-Toew, okay," Lord Cray instructed Laylo immediately after the complication ended.
"Hugo, I need your forces. I'm heading to the borders myself," Lord Cray said, glancing at his wife and son as they moved towards the safe room with Laylo and the other women. He had no idea why the goblins had crossed the borders, but he needed to take precautions. Their species held the ermminet blood; therefore, they were superior to other species. However, Lord Cray had been respectfully abiding by the rules established by all the neighbouring species that had come together to set them.
"I will accompany you to the borders; let's put an end to these goblins once and for all," Hugo offered.
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"Nothing yet?" Alice asked her husband, who was wandering around with a device that resembled a compass.
"Not yet, baby. I could've sworn I saw this blinking earlier. I just need to pinpoint the exact direction," he replied.
"Oh no, if someone caught you doing this, they'd probably think you're crazy or something. But then again, am I any better for being here?" Alice quipped, focusing on her knitting.
"Come on, baby! We can go back home soon; I'm almost done here. I've collected most of the necessary research materials; I just need one final confirmation," Dave assured her, joining her on the mat.
"Do you genuinely believe you can prove the existence of a supernatural system with the information you've gathered?" Alice inquired sceptically.
"I don't just believe; I know there's a supernatural system around. There are other paranormal species, and this throwler will lead me straight to them," Dave asserted, pointing to the device in his hand.
"This is quite amusing. All right, so what exactly is your plan? If what you're saying is true, then these species could be dangerous."
"Don't worry; I've taken precautions," Dave said, indicating his pack of tools.
Just then, the rustling of bushes caught their attention.
"What's that?" Alice asked.
Dave aimed his throwler at the bushes, and it began to blink.
"They're here; they've arrived. Please hand me the camera; I need to record this," Dave said as he approached the bushes. A short while later, out of sight, Alice found herself chuckling. She remained seated, engrossed in her knitting.
Thirty minutes later, Dave hadn't returned. Alice's worry grew. Why was he taking so long? She decided to search for him; perhaps he was deeply engrossed in whatever he was doing.
"Dave! Dave!" she called out as she headed towards the bushes. As she neared, she heard voices and commotion. It sounded like a skirmish was underway.
Drawing closer, she saw figures engaged in combat, but it was no ordinary fight. They moved with unnatural speed, hurling unfamiliar weapons. They weren't normal humans; they were creatures possessing supernatural abilities. Her husband had been right all along—creatures with supernatural traits did exist. But where was Dave? She surveyed the area and spotted him on the ground, bloodied and unmoving. She cried out and rushed to him, her tears falling freely.
"Dave! Dave! Please, say something," she implored, shaking him gently.
"Alice, you need to leave now; get out of here," Dave spoke weakly, his breath faltering. He was badly injured. Around them lay numerous lifeless figures—human-like but with pallid skin.
"Why are you doing this, Hugo?" Lord Cray retorted as he evaded Hugo's pirke stake attack. They were at the Bi'ceps border with Dave, having encountered the goblins. One of them had already injured Dave. Lord Cray and Hugo had managed to hold off the attackers before realizing that Dave was human. Then Hugo retrieved a stake and attempted to strike Lord Cray, who skillfully evaded each thrust.
At that moment, Alice's piercing scream echoed through the air as she reached her fallen husband, whose body was contaminated by the goblins' venom.
"Are you asking me that? I want you dead, Cray. The ermminet blood should have been mine, not yours," Hugo declared, his gaze fixed on Cray.
"I received the ermminet blood because I was deserving of it; you know that," Lord Cray maintained.
"Well, that's about to change. Once you're gone, I'll be the only one deserving of it," Hugo jeered.
Lord Cray surveyed the surroundings; he had anticipated that one of the soldiers would arrive, but he realized they were Hugo's loyal troops. Hugo had informed them.
Meanwhile, Alice cradled her dying husband until his last breath. She should have never let him talk her into accompanying him here.
Her water broke, and she screamed in agony.
Lord Cray rushed over, abandoning Hugo.
"Ma'am, I'm here to help you, okay?" Lord Cray assured her as he scooped her up and transported her.
Hugo was bewildered; his plan was falling into place. There was no way Cray would escape alive.
Lord Cray transported Alice to their tent, fetched some towels, and then transported her to the riverbank. She had informed him that she could give birth more comfortably there.
After a series of exertions and grunts, Alice finally brought her baby into the world.
"What are you exactly?" Alice inquired, acknowledging that he wasn't human; he had saved her and her baby, making him a different sort of being.
Lord Cray chuckled, saying, "You're the first to ask me that."
"Then I'm proud to be the first," Alice said. She needed to know; she wasn't asking for herself but for Dave's sake.
"I'm a vampire, one of the creatures that killed your husband is a goblin," Lord Cray disclosed.
"I thought vampires consumed blood; how can you be around so much blood without reacting?" Alice questioned.
"I'm a unique type of vampire," Lord Cray answered.
Alice cleaned her baby, wrapped her up, and handed her to Lord Cray.
"We're not getting out of this alive, are we?" Alice inquired, her voice faltering.
Lord Cray held the baby securely, and the infant giggled.
"I don't believe so," Lord Cray responded.
"Promise me you'll protect my baby till the end, special vampire!" Alice implored, gazing into Lord Cray's eyes.
"I promise," he assured her. Alice's life ebbed away shortly after.
Lord Cray cradled the baby in his arms and placed her in a float, setting her adrift.
"Wow, that was incredibly heartwarming. Are we shooting a melodrama here?" Hugo's voice rang out as he drew near.
Lord Cray clutched the baby closely.
"Don't tell me you've transformed into a human father now, Cray!" Hugo mocked.
"You'll never possess the ermminet blood, Hugo! You're unworthy of it," Lord Cray proclaimed.
Hugo produced a Pirke stake—the only stake capable of slaying the bearer of the ermminet blood.
"Any final words?" Hugo inquired.
"Farewell, brother," Lord Cray said.
Hugo thrust the pirke stake into Cray's chest. Cray had given Hugo the stake long ago, intending to use it as a self-inflicted weapon when the time was right. This Pirke stake was the only one in existence.
As the stake pierced Cray's chest, Hugo watched, his laughter dwindling.
With a faint voice, Lord Cray whispered, "Hugo, your foolishness and stubbornness have always blinded you. Had you paid attention, you'd have known that this pirke stake is meant to be used against oneself. By stabbing me with it, you're also stabbing yourself."
Suddenly, Hugo felt a sharp pain in his chest, and blood flowed.
"What have I done?" Hugo wailed, his voice a mix of agony and panic.
In moments, Hugo's cries were silenced, and he succumbed as well.