Chapter 31: The Day We Met (Arc: Glorious Days)

2000 years ago, the early days of the New Hope faction, when good vampires began to follow the light. And when the first generations of Hybrids were born and joined The Eternal Blood War as mercenaries greedy for money and glory. Lancerlord in his youth, he was like the young men of his time, hoping for a glorious future and proving his worth. Lancerlord soon learned of the New Hope faction's recruitment and bid farewell to his village to join the war to protect the people. He had ridden more than five days and five nights to Cassandra castle in the Kingdom of Germany, through the coldest nights, dangerous wild beasts to reach his aspirations. Until one day. One day, when Lancerlord's journey was still going on. In the forest, he looked over the map and said:

"Hmm, I'm sure it's over the mountain to Cassandra castle but I haven't seen anything yet. Let's just take a look."

Suddenly there was the sound of something passing through the bushes, Lancerlord looked over and said in confusion:

"What's that?"

The thing sped through the bushes around him, Lancerlord trying to locate it and putting his hand on the hilt of his sword ready for danger. Suddenly it jumped out in front of Lancerlord, just a white rabbit, and then it ran into the next thicket. Lancerlord breathed a sigh of relief and released his hand from the hilt then said:

"It's nothing, let's move on."

Suddenly someone swung down from a tree branch above and kicked Lancerlord off his horse. Before he understood what was going on, nine other guys landed on the ground and surrounded him. Lancerlord stood up and said in surprise:

"Who... Who are you?"

One guy bared his vampire fangs and said:

"Is it too obvious? We won't let any more fools join the New Hope side."

They killed Lancerlord's horse and approached him. A man lunged forward, but Lancerlord drew his sword and beheaded him. Lancerlord said strongly:

"I won't let you Predator vampires roam around here any longer, DIE!"

Lancerlord lunges forward and swings his sword at them, but one guy dodges and kicks him out. Lancerlord dropped his sword and lay on the ground. The guy earlier mocked him:

"You're so weak, you think doing good will get you to Heaven? No, we'll all go to Hell together."

They charged at Lancerlord like wild animals as he crawled down in fear. Lancerlord closed his eyes as if preparing for death, but suddenly a quick slashing sound and the sound of something falling. Lancerlord slowly opened his eyes in worry and he suddenly saw a topless young man with blood on his back and a sword resting on his shoulder. He said arrogantly:

"Huh! It's nothing compared to me, ah and are you okay?"

He turned and revealed himself to Lancerlord, he was the Langress of his youth, his proudest and most bellicose days. Langress smiled brightly and said:

"You're lucky I got here, you could have died in a little while."

Langress pulled up Lancerlord and then rummaged through the corpse. Lancerlord calmed himself and said calmly:

"Thanks for saving me. What's your name?"

Langress replied in confusion:

"Name? What is it?"

Lancerlord was more than surprised, he said:

"Your name. Is your identity, your unique point."

Langress replied:

"I don't understand what it is? I don't have a "name"."

Langress took a bag of food from the vampires and carried the Alpha God sword with him. Langress said:

"This is gonna give me a great night. They've got a bunch of weird, but delicious food. Anyways, good luck."

Langress put the bag behind him and left. Lancerlord hurriedly took his things and chased after Langress, he asked him:

"Hey, do you know where Cassandra Castle is? The place where the New Hope faction gathers."

Langress replied:

"I have no idea what you're talking about. But it's true that a bunch of people used to come through here and there was a guy who said they were going to join New Hope or something."

Lancerlord brightened up, he said:

"Great, do you know where they went?"

Langress pointed his hand at the mountain range and replied:

"That way, but all of them were killed seven nights ago. Three nights ago, another group were killed. And now I understand why, hah!"

Langress kept walking and ignored Lancerlord. Seeing that, he continued to approach him and said angrily:

"Hey, I'm being serious with you. How could you leave them to be killed? Who are you really?"

Lancerlord pulled back Langress's food bag and was hurled far away by him. Langress said dejectedly:

"Huh? Don't touch my food. You have your own."

Langress went on leisurely and Lancerlord stood up and angrily said:

"That bastard! I have to find out who he is."

Lancerlord kept following Langress but suddenly he ran faster and so did he. Lancerlord had a hard time keeping up with Langress's lightning speed, he thought in amazement:

"Damn, he's fast for a normal human. Maybe he's a Hybrid."

Langress slowed down and entered a cave that might have been his "home". Lancerlord also felt curious and went in there. Lancerlord was a Half-human and half-vampire Hybird so his vision in the dark and his ability to detect heat were very good. Lancerlord kept going inside and realizing that there were a lot of animal bones around making the air fishy, he covered his nose and thought:

"He... Eats a lot."

Lancerlord spotted a small fire, knowing it was Langress, he got there faster. Lancerlord approached the fire and saw Langress grilling food and licking his lips greedily while the Alpha God sword lay nearby. Lancerlord approached and angrily said:

"Hey! I haven't finished talking to you yet!"

Langress picked up the meat and said excitedly:

"Ho ho, today is comfortable!"

Lancerlord was offended by Langress's rude behavior and said angrily:

"Stop joking around!"

Lancerlord rushed forward but Langress simply grabbed his face and pushed him to the ground. Then he quickly put his right foot on his chest to hold him back. Langress continued to eat and drink naturally while Lancerlord tried to get up but couldn't, he grumbled:

"Hey, let me out!"

Langress didn't notice anything and still ate and ate. Lancerlord was helpless and lay down, then he noticed Langress's eyes and noticed his vampire blood red right eye and werewolf yellow left eye. Lancerlord said curiously:

"You are... Hybrid half-vampire half-werewolf?"

Langress replied curiously:

"Hybrid? What is it?"

Lancerlord said:

"That's what we generally say, half-human half-vampire or half-human half werewolf. You're very different, you have both vampire eyes and werewolf eyes."

Langress replied:

"Oh, those? I don't even know why I have it, but I can turn into a bat, you know. Sometimes I can even turn into a big wolf, grrrr."

Lancerlord was silent for a moment and then asked:

"Why are you here? Don't you have any family, friends or home?"

Langress tore a piece of meat and replied:

"Huh? Why do I need them?"

Lancerlord said:

"But everyone is born with them? How long have you been in this forest?"

Langress replied nonchalantly:

"I don't really know or care. The wolf mother raised me, and when I was an adult, I hunted alone in this forest."

Lancerlord understood that Langress was a feral man but still wondered how he could speak so fluently so he continued:

"How can you talk? I mean how do you have every sounds you open your mouth and come out naturally. And how do you understand every word I say?"

Langress swallowed the meat, then picked up the bottle of wine and drank it all. He then threw it away and took his foot off the Lancerlord. Langress said calmly:

"Oh, why do we have to answer all of them? You and I have only met for a while and you keep asking nonsense things. Go away, now."

Lancerlord sat up and replied:

"No, I still can't accept you being so stubborn."

Langress sighed and said angrily:

"Fine! but then you have to get the hell out of my cave!"

Langress picked up the Alpha God sword and went deeper into the cave, Lancerlord following behind him. They walked for a short while and then stopped at a tomb made of overlapping stones. Langress said:

"This is Ron Robin, he said he was a priest. A hundred nights ago he came here and found me fishing in the stream. He tried to take me away but I refused so he decided to stay and teach me many things. That's why I get sound every time I open my mouth. He then died when his hand was clenched on his chest. I made this grave as a bed for him."

Lancerlord took a closer look and saw the necklace of the cross on the grave. Then he knelt down to pray:

"Amen."

Langress couldn't understand Lancerlord's actions and wearily left. Later it was dark, and Langress and Lancerlord sat by the fire, neither speaking nor looking at each other. But Langress decided to speak first:

"So, why do you want to go to that castle?"

Lancerlord set aside his cup and said:

"War is coming, there is a bloody war going on and it will destroy everything when it's too late. I want to join the New Hope faction so I can fight to protect my family in my homeland."

Langress replied:

"Huh, sounds boring. What is war?"

"War, is destruction, there is nothing left when it sweeps out. This forest, the nature here, everything, there will be nothing left."

"Who can do that?"

"Anyone. Anyone can do it. They are numerous, very strong, and unstoppable. But if we Hybrids join this battle, the war can be stopped."

"You alone can't do anything."

"No, there are still a lot of people like me, we may not be many but if there is a will, the war can be over."

"So, what do you guys have to do to end the 'war'?"

Lancerlord sighed heavily and said:

"To fight, to kill, to change myself to be strong and no longer weak. My hands will bloody but I will continue to fight for the good in this world."

Langress replied:

"It doesn't make any sense. If change can be brought about, why does "war" exist when its consequences are so terrible?"

"It was selfishness and evil that caused the "war". So to defeat it can only be will and good."

Langress was a little disheartened by Lancerlord's philosophical words, he stuck his chin and said dejectedly:

"If that's the case, how can you be sure that you will win the "war"."

Lancerlord showed no hesitation, he replied:

"We will definitely win, that's already the rule of this world. Only good and great will remain in this world."

Lancerlord placing his right fist over his heart proved his effort and will in this journey. Langress was a bit surprised by that action, he couldn't understand what the person in front of him was doing. Lancerlord said:

"Though I know I won't be able to convince you of anything. But if you want, follow me and we'll go together, I still owe you a life."

Langress didn't say anything and he lay down. Langress closed his eyes and slept. Then Lancerlord also slept to gain strength for tomorrow. Langress thought to herself in her sleep:

"Am I allowed to choose?"

The next morning, Lancerlord awoke early. He relaxed his shoulders and said:

"Good morning..."

Lancerlord realized that Langress was not there and had probably gone outside. He didn't say anything and packed up his luggage and then went out of the cave. But when he stepped out, Lancerlord found Langress standing outside as if waiting for him. Langress plunged Alpha God sword beside him and said:

"Hey, what took you so long? Let's go."

Lancerlord understood what Langress meant, he nodded and replied cheerfully:

"Yes, let's go."

Then Langress and Lancerlord walked side by side towards Cassandra Castle. Lancerlord said:

"Anyways, my name is Lancerlord Ambyx."

Langress replied:

"Lancerlord Ambyx, what a strange "name". But I'll remember it forever. And my "name" is... Meh, let's find it out."

And that was the day Langress and Lancerlord first met, their initial journey in the New Hope faction just beginning.