Hunting Festival

Knock Knock~

The muffled sound travelled through the giant iron doors, reaching the ears of the guards behind it. Despite it's enormous size, it looked surprisingly well kept. A gruff voice came out from behind.

"Who is it, state your purpose and business."

"Mhhmm... Mmmhm."

"..."

A small compartment opened and a pair of eyes looked through, only to find another pair of eyes staring back.

"John is that you? Stop with these lame pranks."

The sound of gears turned as the metal gate creaked open.

"Come in, where are the others-"

The vampire guard's eyes turned into wide saucers as the gate opened to reveal his limbless friend. After recovering from his initial surprise, he spotted me standing behind his friend. He paused in his tracks and his hand strayed to his weapon.

"Take your hands away from your weapon," I warned him.

"Or what?" He sneered. "Do you realize where you are?"

"Why don't you enlighten me, I'm new around here." I gestured around.

"You are in the Belikov Stronghold, surrounded by 150 noble vampires..." He trailed off, realizing he just gave out an important information. But before he could regret his words, my arms shot out and grabbed him by the throat.

"I see they only hire all brawns and no brains." Lifting him off his feet with iron-like grip, I held him in the air.

"Ackkk.... hecck..." The vampire desperately tried to claw my arm off to no avail. His nails barely left a scratch on my skin.

"Now I want you to call the Black Hand here, and the longer it takes for them to come, the lesser time you'll get to live. I know you vampires can communicate with your master telepathically."

A very short while later, 4 powerful looking true vampires stepped out from inside the stronghold.

"Release him and come quietly, you have been granted audience with our master," one of them spoke.

"That was a fast response," I looked at the vampire in my grip. "I guess even if you're a dumbass, a noble vampire is still a precious part of the family."

Chucking him away, I turned to the 4 vampires and twirled my fingers.

"Well, lead the way boys."

As I was about to enter the stronghold, one of the vampires stopped and took one step towards me.

"I'll have to search you before you are permitted to meet the master."

"You touch me, vampire, and you'll not see the light of day."

"Hah!" The vampire scoffed. He motioned to the others. "Are you seeing this?" They too started sniggering.

"You dare threaten us in OUR own stronghold? Are you seeking death?"

As murderous aura build up within the 4 vampires, I saw that they are readying up for a fight.

"Do you really want to destroy your master's abode and waste his precious time? Think of the 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 you'll receive."

They immediately shuddered and sobered up, thinking of the horrors that entailed in the punishment.

How I know about the 'punishment' ? I witnessed it a long time ago.

"Don't try anything funny." He growled as he led me in. I could feel the stares of the other 3 boring into the back of my skull.

As I walked along the great halls and corridors, I realised that the inside of the compound was much larger than what it looked from the outside.

"We're here, remember to watch your manners when talking to the lord." He growled.

A grand door made out of pure black obsidian stood before me. The 4 vampire took guard outside the door, 2 on each side.

"Enter." A commanding voice sounded from inside the room.

As the obsidian doors slide open, I felt an immense pressure inside that was nothing to scoff at. While this would normally petrify anyone who step foot into the room, it's merely an annoyance to me.

I strode in and sat down with both legs on the coffee table. The already annoying pressure only grew stronger.

Opposite me was a man whose aura excluded that of a vampire lord. He was dressed in a slick black suit with a blood red tie. And behind him stood 3 imposing vampires whom I could only assume to be the clan leaders.

"Hey could you tone down that pressure, your auras feel irritating on my skin." Motioning them to lower it down with a hand gesture, but it only serves to enrage them more.

"My Lord, this impudent dog has shown nothing but disrespect even since he stepped foot here, I should teach-"

"Silence."

The simple yet commanding tone immediately made the clan leader snap back to his position.

"I don't know if you are just simply dumb or overly confident in your backing, but no one has ever disrespected me in two hundred years and lived."

"Is that so? Mr…?" I replied, fishing for his name. One of the clan leader strode forward and answered for him with a proud look.

"Adrian Belikov, Master of the Legendary house of Belikov, Second General of the Imperial Army and Lord of the Underworld!" He proclaimed the titles grandly.

"So… A.K.A the Black Hand?"

There was a sudden pause in the room, before the leaders grew absolutely livid.

"HE DARES MENTION THAT NAME! I SHALL KILL HIM ON THE SPOT!"

"Hahahahaha!" Adrian held up his hand, stopping the clan leaders from taking action. "Just where does that confidence of yours come from?"

He scrunched his brows, trying to look at something in front of me.

"Are you perhaps… trying to look at my status?" I asked, seeing his confused look.

"Even hiding your status from me. You are a very interesting man, Eric Pendragon. Aren't you afraid that I'll hand you over to the Emperor?"

"Hmm, not really. First of all, it doesn't look like you need that money, business seems to be booming here. Secondly, supplying a group of nosferatu to sow havoc into the city tells me that you aren't on the Emperor's side. And lastly, barring entry for the blood wraiths that the Emperor sent. The first thing the Emperor would have done, was to send his sniffing 'dogs' all over the city, including here." I gestured around with my hand.

"Well well, aren't you a well informed one. Do you want a prize from figuring all that out?" Adrian replied sarcastically.

"I do actually, tell me a way to get out of this hellhole and I'll give you something you want, no, desire."

"Desire? I have everything I could possibly want-"

"Ebony gauntlet."

Two simple words caused the room to become a few degrees colder.

"You see…" I continued. "When I stepped into this room, I noticed dozens and dozens of amazing artifacts. With that, I assumed that this is the room where you often bring your guests, to show off your power and wealth. But there's one thing missing from the displays. The most powerful artefact belonging to the Belikov Family. How could the pride and power of the family not be displayed? That could only mean one thing. You. Don't. Have. It."

The second I finished my sentence, Adrian appeared in front of me and grabbed me by the jaw, lifting me into the air.

"You, how do you know about the existence of the gauntlet, that's a state secret. Are you a spy?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I suggest you release me, or I won't tell you where it is."

"I will simply torture it out of you," Adrian said with a wild look in his eyes.

"I swear on God Baldr that I will only tell you the location of the Ebony Gaunlet if you and your family don't harm me and provide me the method of escape from this city."

"Does an oath even work like that?"

"It works in mysterious ways, do you want to risk it," I replied with a smirk.

Setting me down immediately, he returned to his seat and folded his arms. "Speak."

"It is in the Land of Jotunheimr, Fortress of Utgardar."

"…Where's that?"

"You never really explored outside of this continent did you? Well I can't really say I blame you, it is a scary place. I'm not here to provide you directions, now, the method?"

"Head east to the edge of the city, you'll find a mining site there, take a drilling machine and make a path out."

"Okay see ya." Concentrating firepower in my hand, I blew a hole straight through the stronghold and left.

"That sonovabitch!" Adrian shouted. "I can't hurt him, but I didn't promise anything about the rest of the city. Now let the 428th Hunting Festival begin. We have a new prey in town."

A maniacal laugh echoed through the stronghold.