Home at last

As the group got closer to the wall, the number of vampires on the wall tripled. Several catapults, giant crossbows, and cannons were all facing the approaching group, ready to fire.

"Halt or we will fire," The vampires warned.

"Stand down" The bird hovered as Scarlet flew to the guards with wings of blood and fire.

"It's the Crimsons' captain and the queen's disciple. Everyone, stand down." The captain of the wall patrol called out. Everyone retracted their weapons and bowed respectfully to Scarlet.

"Blood rose Anastasia and other disciples of my Master are on that bird. We are heading to the castle. Inform your higher-ups." Scarlet instructed and flew back to the bird.

The guards went to inform their higher-ups. No one would dare attack anything that passed through them as long as there was no alarm.

Scarlet landed on the bird and was ready to go when Julius made a quip at her.

"Look at you, captain of the Crimsons. Respected and strong." Talia and Davina both laughed at Julius' teasing.

Scarlet looked at Julius and gave him a cold smile. A cinder arrow formed and struck Julius' bum.

OUCHHH

They all laughed as they flew above the kingdom. The vampires within the city looked at the flying bird going towards the castle, wondering who was riding it.

"Is the queen back?"

"I don't think so. If she were back, the wall guards would have blown the welcoming horn, and there would have definitely been an entourage around her."

Hey, I just got word from my friend at the wall patrol. It is the captain of the crimsons, Scarlet, that was recently picked as the queen's disciple; Blood rose; Anastasia; and new disciples that the queen selected that just flew into the castle."

"Oh yes, wasn't that barbarian bragging? He kept on saying the queen picked one of them as her disciple."

"True. The kingdom has been a bit more lively ever since the barbarians, pixies, and the fallen that recently joined have been allowed in Wallachia."

"Yes. Apparently, the queen offered an alliance with them. We were among the top 3 strongest forces on the continent, but with the alliance, we are now number one, overtaking even the demons."

"Yeah, The Wallachian Alliance is definitely the second-best thing to happen on the Daemon continent in a very long time."

"What is the first?"

"Obviously, our queen's awakening."

The vampires discussed amongst themselves after they watched the group fly to the castle.

~Meanwhile in the castle~

"It is so big." Julius walked around the castle like a bum.

Even Talia and Davina, who were trying to keep themselves in order, were obviously flabbergasted by the sheer size of the castle. It was also silent, and the only sound that was heard was the clacking of Maverick's hooves.

"I greet all of her highness' disciples." A middle-aged man with white streaks at the sides of his hair hovered. He was dashingly handsome with his pure black eyes and pretty fangs.

He landed and bowed before them all, saying, "My name is Vladimir, but you can call me Vlad."

He then looked at Anastasia and winked. Anastasia huffed, but there was a faint blush on her face, which all the disciples noticed.

Julius walked to Vlad and nudged him with his elbow. "Yo Vlad, you like Ana? I have never seen her look so flustered. I am Julius, by the way."

"What are you talking about, young Master Julius? Let me take you all to your rooms. Vlad, go and do something else." She immediately tried to drag them away.

"Anything you say, my beautiful Anastasia," He chuckled, and then gave Julius a "talk to you later" signal.

"Vlad is pretty cool." Talia laughed as she also saw the signal.

"Pretty cool? Yeah maybe. He is also the strongest vampire ever, apart from Master. He has actually ended thousands, if not millions of lives and is one of the most dangerous people on the continent; even the chief of the barbarians would bow his head when talking to Vlad "The Dracula". Scarlet narrated.

"Sheesh, he's that scary. He looks like a really nice guy, but then again, this is the Daemon continent. Even kids have probably killed something." Julius shrugged.

"These are your rooms. Scarlet, the queen had designated an entirely new room for you, which is over there, so everyone settle in. You are all free to move around the castle, both inside and outside. Just call for me if you need me."

In a dark castle hundreds of kilometers away, a cloaked man walks past a bunch of guards, who bow before him as he passes. These guards didn't look normal at all. They seem like they are just warped creatures of blackness.

The man reaches a hall, and there are several other people seated around a round table. The cloaked man takes his seat among them, and the silence is revoked.

The first person to speak was a giant; he was around 4 meters tall; he looked like he was made of stone; and his eyes were pitch black. As he spoke, black miasma oozed from within his mouth, but no one seemed disgusted by it; instead, they tried to breathe it in.

"Verthan, how was your trip to that continent? Do you have good news?" His black eyes focused on the cloaked man who had just walked in.

Verthan removed his cloak, and his face looked human. He had black hair and a somewhat normal face, but his eyes were also pitch black.

"I apologize, my lord. I had successfully corrupted a few strong people and they were going to spread it around the continent, but all of a sudden I felt them die one by one, which ought to have been impossible as I did extensive research and I did not find anyone as strong as them except the Orc emperor that had a hand in our retreat from the continent, and even he would have been defeated as he was clearly outnumbered."

This Verthan was the person who had corrupted Abigail and her group on the Gregorian continent. Their base was now on the Daemon continent, and it seemed it suited them better than the Gregorian continent, which was all peace-loving and bright. A place of darkness where no one would mind murder or conquest—that was the Daemon continent, and they were like fish in water.