"Lunaris is the daughter of Fenrir Ashwolf. Your greatest werewolf rival, and part of the reasoning behind your slumber."
There was a silence in the air for a few moments as Draven thought about what the revelation would mean for him and his goals.
The last battle he had ever fought before entering his rest was against Fenrir Ashwolf.
His strongest opponent.
If his daughter still lived, then that would be a big deal.
"Is she as strong as I've heard?" Draven asked, trying to understand who this woman might be and whether or not she lived up to her father's name.
"Stronger, most likely, and with every day that passes she grows stronger through battle against the Fairy clans. Some within the Werewolf clans believe that she may even surpass Fenrir someday. The fact that she has lived such a long life speaks volumes too."
The others listening seemed to be shocked, too at what they were hearing.
None of them had witnessed the battles between Draven and Fenrir, but they had heard the tales.
The battle between the first and second.
That was the name it had been called.
For one of their offspring to still be alive explained the werewolf's recent rise to power.
"Of course, I wish for her death." Alicante continued. "My clan is separate from theirs, till this day. But we have been marked as deserters by the werewolves and they hunt us down."
Alicante was a half-werewolf who ended up creating a clan of his own, consisting of werewolves who respected him enough to follow.
With the rise of this new leader, they must be facing great pressure.
"That was why, when I heard that you had woken up, I had to come here personally, even though I can not stay. You may be the only one brave enough to deal with this threat. And perhaps... I could..."
The large man hesitated with the last words, but Draven knew what he was going to say.
Draven's goal was now resolute. The Lord of Vampires would ensure that Lunaris Silverclaw fell at his hands.
"Yes, brother. I will kill her and have you sit on her throne as Lord of Werewolves. Consider it thanks for all the times you helped me in the past."
Alicante couldn't help the joy showing on his face, and once again brought his long friend into an embrace.
Afterwards, they spoke of less important things, before Alicante had to return to his estate and his people.
Before he left, the man left him with something.
"This is Naomi." He said, gesturing towards the dark skin woman he had brought with him. "And this is Carmel." Then he gestured to the shirtless man beside her.
"Keep them with you, they will be able to give you any inside information you might need about Lunaris and the werewolves."
They both bowed their heads, showing deep respect, and Draven appreciated the gift.
Not only that, but he found Naomi incredibly attractive.
Then, once their conversations were done, Alicante returned to the woods and went about his way.
---
Back in Lord Draven's hall, he sat on his throne with Dracula beside him, discussing the words of Alicante.
"Well, it's good to hear he still lives!" Dracula cheered. "I haven't seen the man in decades."
Draven understood how he felt. He hadn't seen the man in a millennia.
"Yes, he looked healthy. But this trouble with Lunaris is quite serious. This is not a woman that will go down easily if she is even half of what her father was."
It felt strange for Draven to be holding someone of the new generation in such high regard.
Could she truly be as strong as Fenrir, or am I overthinking things?
A drop of sweat fell on his face, which he quickly willed to return to its pores.
"Well," Dracula started. "What we can be sure of is that she'll have many strong werewolves with her. We should at least make sure that we have 3 others besides us that are top-tier combatants, to lead groups of their own during the battles."
Draven nodded in agreement. It was something he had been thinking of deeply himself.
"There is a young vampire, Lucian. He will be my disciple. By the time that we travel for battle, he will be stronger than most of the Nocturnal Knights, and his heights will reach even higher eventually."
"Yes, I've seen you train him. He has great potential. Other than him, we also have Vespera, the number one ranked Knight. You have yet to see her fight but trust me; she is special."
The woman whose face I haven't seen yet. Though it only makes sense to bring the first ranked.
"Then that leaves one more, minimum. Of course, we should have even more if possible."
Dracula rubbed his chin in thought, mind running through the prospects and Nocturnal Knight members.
"What about Serena? She has incredible speed, though she lacks power, like her father, Malfourn"
Draven had never known her father as he was born after he entered his rest, but it was said that he was lord for a short period of time before dying in battle to a member of the Whiteyes clan.
Which was why Draven never cared to find out more about him. Anyone killed by a clan so weak deserved it, was what he believed.
"Serena has a strange contempt for me, which makes me hesitant to trust her entirely. But perhaps I can spend some time with her over the next week before we go to battle, if she still falls short, we will bring the third rank."
Dracula nodded once again, finding the idea suitable.
"Sounds good. I'm sure even with just the two of us, we would be fine handling the werewolves. This is just precaution."
"Of course," Draven replied with confidence that he did not completely believe.
Lunaris Ashwolf... Who are you?
Can she possibly compete with the strength and magical prowess of her father...
He placed his hand on his heart, recalling the wound he had suffered there at Fenrir's hand.
No, it does not matter.
Regardless, she will die at my hands.
...
Or maybe I will keep her locked away, like Odalys.
His mind flashed back to the previous day he had spent inside of the Whiteyes leader.
Maybe it's time that I visit her again...
After Dracula had left, he made his way to Odalys' chambers.
But on the way, he came across someone in the hallway.
Vespera.
She bowed her head as she walked past, and Draven flashed her a smile.
She's an interesting one... I look forward to finding out more about her.
Once he arrived at the chambers, he did not bother knocking and instead just pushed the door open.
But what he saw inside angered him.
No... It disappointed him.
Odalys was not in her bed. She had tried to escape.
He stepped over to her messy bed and ran his hands over the covers.
Warm. She left recently.
Draven was of course, aware of Odalys' teleportation abilities. Her escape was something he had anticipated before he even locked her in the room.
Which was why he placed a beacon stone inside of her wound, as her skin healed around it, hiding it away.
The beacon stone was an item that could be connected to a compass, which would then show its direction as long as it was within a mile.
He removed the compass from his pocket and saw that it was pointing west.
Back towards the Whiteyes estate.
Why Odalys? Why would you make me do this? I would have liked to someday trust you... Make you one of my own.
Draven opened the window and hopped outside.
After landing with grace, he started his dash west, as he had done a few days before.
Though this time, he would not be sparing his opponents.
Mercy in war is a blade turned dull, after all.
It spares your enemies today, just for you to face them sharper and stronger tomorrow.