I had rested for about 10 minutes and summoned additional units to guard the area.
"The captain is down there with Thomas and Charlotte."
Chioma appeared from the left wing of the building. She had been sneaking down to have a look around for the captain.
"Then let's go. Time to end this." My body was still wounded and tired. A deep wound in my stomach would have previously hospitalized me. Probably even killing me. But my body could persist now, having changed so much.
"Are you sure you're okay Frey?"
"I'm good Rolf. Let's go."
He didn't ask again. Stranger things had happened recently, than someone walking with a wound.
I kicked the door open and went inside with Rolf, Chioma and Magnus.
"Stay there! Don't come any closer or I will kill him!"
Thomas and Charlotte was bound to each their chair. The captain standing behind Thomas with his hands around his neck. Long vampire nails drawing blood as they bore into his skin.
"Don't kill him! I just want to talk" The captain was a vampire, I was sure after inspecting him. Yet he didn't have the same skills as the skull. But some claw and transformation skill.
"Where is your master?" I asked, trying to buy time.
"Why should I tell you?" The captain growled at me, looking like a cornered animal.
"Because I want to meet him. I've seen how strong vampires are. And I'm curious how strong I would be if I became one."
"Frey what are you saying?" Chioma and the others took a step away from me.
"Well isn't it obvious? I need to become stronger. And these vampires became a lot stronger the moment they turned!"
"HAHA! I see! So you want the gift then. Prove it. Kill someone here!" The captain had seen hope.
"These are my friends. Let them go and you can turn me yourself. It's a hierarchy right? If you turn me, I will be under your direct command. And so will all my units."
I started walking closer to him. "Isn't that what you want? A personal army?"
The captains face was plain, I couldn't read him.
"Our master is too strong. He is a sick fuck who took all the children. He likes children you see. Especially the young girls. He want's their young blood for himself, and when they get their period, he wants to breed them, create a direct line of the vampire king."
He looked at me, studied me as I slowly walked closer.
"If what you say is true, then we need to kill him! You can be the new king, with me by your side, we can end him together!"
A smirk appeared on the captains face. "It is very tempting. I have seen no one else with a class like yours. But... Sadly I don't trust you!"
"NOOO!" Charlotte yelled with tears falling, as the captain tore Thomas throat out.
Blood was spurting over the table as Thomas collapsed.
The captains body started to change, becoming a huge bat-like creature.
He didn't get to finish the transformation, as I had already cut him into four pieces.
Chioma cut the rope on Charlotte, "Heal him! Quick!"
"I can't! I have no mana, the ropes was suppressing it!" Charlotte cried as she hugged Thomas, sulking into his face as she turned him around.
"Drink this fast!" Rolf threw her a minor mana potion and she drank it.
But it was too late. Thomas had put his hand on Charlottes face, giving her a last smile, with pleading eyes.
Charlotte cried and spoke softly as Thomas hand fell. "I will protect her Thomas, I swear, I will find Miya!" He was dead.
I went to her and put my hand on her shoulder, while looking at Rolf and Magnus. Their faces was hard and cold with anger. I knew I could count on them.
"Charlotte, we will help you. We will get Miya from the Vampires!"
In the camp outside the building, my units had gathered all the survivors and was standing guard along the wall around them.
Rolf appeared with Calf, having healed him some with potions.
"I thought you where gone Calf, I'm happy to see you standing." I greeted him as he came to the front of the building.
"Yeah that was a nightmare, but my new body is very tolerant." He smiled.
"You should talk to these people, it is not safe here anymore." Rolf spoke as he looked over the bloodstained area.
Calf came to the forefront and people quieted down.
"The world has changed. Monsters roam free and multiply around us. The portals pose a constant threat to our very existence. But that is not all. Our skills is now a threat as well, they can change us and plague us. Monsters is not all, and after what happened today, maybe not even the worst of our enemies. We now have to fear other humans as well."
He looked at me and Rolf, we nodded before he continued. "We need a safe place. You have all seen the class and power of this man and his group." He pointed to me, creating a short pause.
"They have created a strong camp, with sturdy walls. I will go there. Those of you who wants democracy and create proper laws and rules befitting our new world, are free to join us!"
A rumble of voices started to emerge as hundreds of people started to talk.
"What about our children! They took them all!"
"I hear you!" Calf made them quiet down.
"This group who saved us all, will eventually venture into the new world, and to do that they need to cross the blue bridge. We have gathered information from the vampires, and the blue bridge should be their stronghold! Meaning that all the children should be there. They have promised to save the children! But now is not the time. We need to move from this place, regroup and regain our strength."
The people had a lot of questions, wanting to go right away. But eventually Calf made them realize, that going there now, would just lead to death. We needed provisions, clothing and most of all we needed intelligence.
The Vampires could have fortified the bridge and making traps. And we didn't know how many of them there were, and where the kids was being held.
Ind the end they all agreed to go to my camp.
"There is too many of them, how will they fit inside?" Magnus asked as we walked between the trees towards my camp.
I had a lot of the dark stone, but I was reluctant to use it here, not knowing when I could get my hands on more of it.
"We will have to make do for now. My units can sleep outside the wall."
We continued to move in silence. Everyone was alert, looking into the trees around us fearing an attack.
But nothing happened as we reached the gate.
"Commander! Welcome back. The camp is safe as I promised!" Erik stood proud at the gate as we arrived.
"Good work Erik. Take command of the units, make fires, prepare all our meat. Then form a protective line in the forest around the walls. We need to keep these people safe for the night!"
"Yes commander! At once!"
The spear units joined Erik and the rest, as he started to shout out orders. The wolves disappeared into the forest.
The people all moved inside. Many of them had sacks and bags with personal belongings.
The place became crowded quickly. People had to make space close to each other on the ground around the campfires. Many of those who had skills and above level 1, took to the gate and upon walls for room.
"Calf, you get the house with me and my group." I pointed to the house and we went inside.
Magnus threw firewood on the embers in the fireplace.
I created two additional couches in the bare corner of the house. Withdraw linen cloth pieces I had looted from the dark dwarves and spread them on the couches and bed.
Between them I made another, shorter table, that we could sit around.
Chioma started to hand out water and cooked a few steaks over the fire.
"It's amazing how well you guys have adapted. And that skill, or profession of yours, Frey... Being able to create things like this out of thin air. I can't say I'm not jealous."
Calf was tapping the couch before he sat down.
"It's not really out of thin air Calf. I have to mine or gather the stone. But my inventory is extremely large, so I can carry tons of stone with me at any time." I answered with a smile as I took a place on the other couch.
Rolf and Magnus joined us, while Chioma finished the horned-rabbit steaks.
"Hmm." Calf took a huge sip of his water. "Have you ever tried to use that profession in combat?"
Use my profession in combat? The thought had never even crossed my mind.
"What do you mean by that Calf? How can a chair or table help me in a fight?"
"Well, explain it to me. You are able to create anything at will?"
"Yes. However I need to have the stones or ores in my inventory. Also the mana cost changes depending on the complexity and form I want to make."
"Allright. So you can create anything you want as long as you can imagine it. Why not create spikes in a hole or a boulder in the air?"
Magnus started to laugh. "Haha that's right! The boulder would fall down and crush whoever was standing under it!"
Rolf had a huge smile on his face from his friends outburst. "I think they are on to something Frey. Even if it doesn't have the best offensive abilities, as the stone will simply drop into place. I think you could utilize it well, as a defense."
"What do you mean Rolf? Like build a wall to protect myself?"
"That's right! In a fight, you might find yourself surrounded. Creating a wall, even a thin one, can protect your rear and back. Or if you face a fast opponent again, like the vampire from before, you could try to trap him. Enclose him in stone."
We continued to discuss our skills and abilities far into the night. Chioma also told us that her cooking profession had ranked up, allowing her to brew tea and even beer, which had made Magnus jump and cry in anticipation.
But so far no one had any profession to gather the plants and fruits, so Magnus had fallen back into the couch, disappointed.
As we talked about how to make the camp safe, with rules and laws that everyone had to follow if they wanted to stay here, we eventually fell asleep.