Chapter 32

Tension began to rise as the red-headed individual paused, her eyes filled with apprehension. "We meant no harm," she spoke cautiously, "our master intends to bring the white-haired sorceress to his grand mansion. Let us see her hair, if she is not the one we seek we will be on our way."

Upon hearing her words, Ezio's heart raced with a surge of adrenaline. His grip tightened around the hilt of his dagger, ready to defend his beloved mistress from any potential threat. The mere thought of her falling into the clutches of their mysterious master ignited a fiery determination within him.

"You shall not dare disturb my mistress with your petty games! Should you persist in such insolence, I shall be compelled to defend my mistress's honor," Ezio declared with unwavering resolve.

Isabel Souldrinker and Lucius Bloodthorn exchanged a knowing glance, realizing the dire consequences that awaited them if they failed their master's mission. The wrath of the Vampire King would befall them, unleashing unimaginable horrors. With synchronized determination, they advanced—one reaching out to snatch the scarf from Lalitha, while the other extended a hand to halt Ezio's impending attack.

Ezio piercing gaze locked onto the red-headed stranger, his voice laced with a mixture of defiance and concern. "You think I'll allow you to touch her? Not on my watch!" With a swift and fluid motion, Ezio unsheathed his gleaming dagger with his right hand, its sharp blade glinting ominously in the dim light and with his left hand he pulls his mistress behind him. Lalitha chuckle and stand behind her servant, with her power she could have easily tamed the two intruders, but she also wanted to see how her Ezio will fare against these two.

Isabel's fingers had nearly brushed against the soft fabric of the scarf, but in a sudden twist, the man jerked the sorceress away. A chilling premonition swept over her as if reaching for the scarf would have spelled her demise. Her hand trembled, caught in that fleeting moment of hesitation, granting the man the opportunity to snatch his mistress from her grasp. Meanwhile, Lucius, fueled by determination, swiftly unsheathed her dagger and lunged into combat against the intruder.

"Lucius, hold!" Isabel's urgent plea sliced through the air, her intuition persistently pricking at her senses. Something was amiss. Sensing the gravity of Isabel's words, Lucius halted her assault and retreated to her original position, her sleek, flowing hair undisturbed. Ezio also stops his attack, his goal was to prevent harm to his mistress and since the perpetrator has stopped attacking he will not pursue it.

"Allow me to apologize for the rudeness we have displayed. We are in a desperate hurry to fulfill a task bestowed upon us by our master. If the lady would graciously present just a single strand of her hair, it would greatly aid our cause. However, if she is uncomfortable with this request, we shall depart without hesitation." Isabel swiftly gathered Lucius by her side, their eyes brimming with determination as they executed a graceful half-bow before Lalitha and Ezio. This gesture conveyed their sincere intentions, assuring them that no trouble would be caused.

The pair held their breath, awaiting Lalitha's response. Lalitha's gaze flickered uncertainly, a mix of curiosity and wariness dancing in her eyes. Meanwhile, Ezio, ever the voice of reason, studied the pair intently, assessing their motives and contemplating the potential risks involved.

Finally, Lalitha's expression softened, a glimmer of trust-breaking through her initial hesitations. She reached up, her fingers delicately plucking a solitary strand of her raven-black hair, releasing it into the air like a silent offering. The strand glistened in the faint moonlight, an ethereal symbol of her compliance. Lalitha had cast a spell to change her hair color when she hide her hair with the scarf.

Isabel's voice resonated with disappointment as she exclaimed, "Oh, it's black. We apologize for disturbing you. Please forgive us." Her words echoed with a tinge of regret.

Lalitha, reassured them, "Don't worry about it, there was no harm done. I comprehend fully the importance of fulfilling our master's assignment. We shall now bid you farewell, hoping that you will soon find the person you seek." Her voice carried a sense of empathy and encouragement.

It was the break of dawn when Lalitha stepped foot into Ravenspire. At this bewitching hour, the town lay shrouded in slumber, enveloped in an eerie stillness. The silence was interrupted only by the distant echo of her footsteps, resonating like whispers in the air. As she approached the town's gate, a solitary guard stood watch, battling his drowsiness with intermittent yawns. The weight of the night's darkness seemed to bear down on him, making time crawl by. But the arrival of Lalitha and the mysterious man beside her jolted him awake, his eyes widening with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. It was a rare sight indeed to encounter wanderers at such an ungodly hour.

The guard's senses heightened as he studied the pair, their figures outlined by the faint glow of the emerging sun. The man exuded an aura of an enigma, clad in a cloak that concealed his true intentions. His piercing gaze betrayed a hidden past, while the woman, possessed a beauty that set her apart.

With a commanding presence, the guard barked, "Halt! What brings you both here at this hour?" Ezio furrowed his brow, taken aback by the guard's tone. However, he maintained his composure and replied in a soft, gentle voice, "We are weary travelers from the neighboring country. We have lost our way, missing the last town, and fate has led us here at this late hour. All we seek is a sanctuary to rest our weary feet."

"Hmm, I'll still need to see some identification," the guard said, extending his hand toward Ezio. Ezio swiftly pulled out a handful of gleaming silver coins and placed them on the guard's open palm. The guard withdrew his hand, glancing at the coins momentarily before stuffing them into his pouch. He had mastered this routine over the years, and without counting, he knew the sum was worth at least a month's wages.

"Very well," the guard grumbled, a touch of reluctance in his voice. "Both of you may enter Ravenspire. But mark my words, if you dare to stir up trouble, I'll personally escort you to the dungeons."

As Ezio and Lalitha strolled past the guard, a chilling voice pierced the air from behind, demanding their immediate halt. "Halt! How dare you deceive us!" it boomed.

Lalitha turned around to face the source of the voice and discovered the fiery-haired girl, her eyes ablaze with fury. She couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. "Ah, we meet again," Lalitha remarked, her voice laced with intrigue. "Pray to tell, why do you obstruct our path once more?"

The guard, his eyes fixed on the four figures standing before him, unleashed a guttural bark. "What in the seven hells do you think you're doing? If you're here to cause trouble, get out of this town!" His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, revealing a conflicting duality within him. Though tainted by corruption and greed, an unwavering commitment to protecting his duty still burned within.

"Shut up!" Isabel snapped, her voice laced with frustration and anger. Suddenly, a gleaming dagger whizzed through the air, propelled by a mysterious figure lurking behind her. With astonishing accuracy, the blade found its mark, striking the guard square in the face. The impact was so forceful that the guard was flung backward, his life snuffed out in an instant.

Amid the chaos, Lucius emerged from the shadows, brandishing a pair of gleaming daggers. Her eyes glinted with a dangerous determination as she faced both Ezio and Lalitha. "You almost succeeded in fooling us with your treacherous magic," she hissed, her tone dripping with menace. She had scrutinized a strand of hair in her hand, detecting faint traces of camouflage magic. Isabel's gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing into a piercing glare.

"Normally, I extend kindness to others," Isabel seethed, her voice dripping with icy intensity. "But because you dared to deceive us, I will ensure that you pay with your very life." A sinister smile curved across her face as she unleashed her fury. In a chilling transformation, Isabel morphed into her vampire form, her elongated fangs gleaming ominously. Her fiery red hair surged and writhed around her like living flames. The air crackled with otherworldly energy as she prepared to unleash her wrath.

Lucius, undeterred, maintained her human guise, though the daggers she had wielded moments before had mysteriously vanished. The tension thickened as Ezio, fueled by adrenaline, tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand. With lightning speed, he struck out, parrying Isabel's blade and expertly deflecting the daggers that Lucius abruptly hurled at him. Each clash of metal sent sparks flying, illuminating the area around them with bursts of fiery brilliance.

Lalitha chuckled and smiled at Isabel. "Oh, I should have guessed, a vampire... There have been rumors of the walking dead, drained of blood, in recent years. I've been contemplating an investigation, but the knights have kept me occupied with their endless conquest and the materials they have obtained for me."