The Everlight party and the vampire hunters were walking up hill. The surrounding was full of mist, making it hard to see through and they might easily get lost. That had set out at 3 in the afternoon and had been walking for an hour with no lead to the vampire territory. Will saw a bird flying up high and uses it to borrow sight by consuming it with shadow. From up high, down below were a full of mist, but up front there is a huge medieval castle standing there. The castle was tall that it went above the mist, making it obvious to see.
"Let's head forward, maybe the vampire territory is there,"
Will acted as if he does not know the location but simply guessed to avoid raising suspicion. The vampire hunters and the rest of the Everlight party members listened and they headed north.
After a while, they have arrived at the large medieval castle. It was pitch black and the wall of the castle was torn down. A cold wind whispered through the trees as bats fluttered across the dark sky. The air smells of smoke and mystery as Will was the first to walk up to the castle and look for an entrance. They can't go through the main entrance or that will draw attention of the vampires. Just then, they heard an engine sound coming from behind. They all hid behind the bushes as a hunch back hopped off the small car and headed for the main entrance. The car was old and faded red in color. The large engine was at the front of the car while behind the car was two huge pipe where the gas was emitted.
The hunch back was grumbling as he grab onto a huge ring with many keys hung onto it. His hands was trembling went he was choosing the correct key to open the door. Must been the cold wind that make him shiver. On the ground were some animal meats that he caught earlier. Will look around and noticed a small door that might lead to the inside. After the hunch back enters the castle, Will signal the vampire hunters and the Everlight party to follow him. They entered through that small door which leads them to a dark room. One of the vampire hunters lit up a fire torch which reveal that they are in a storage room. The air smells of smoke and mystery and the vampire hunter holding the fire torch lit up the whole room to see their surroundings. Cobwebs and cauldrons are founded in this storage room and candles and real human skulls were found on the shelf.
"There was a door that lead to the outside but they decided to wait for a while. Who knows when that hunch back might show up again! A few moment have passed and Will finally decided to check things outside by standing in front of the door and his shadow stretched outside the door. It looked around and came back. The course is clear. Will twitch the door knob and unlock it. He then exit which then followed up by the rest of the Everlight party and the vampire hunters.
Outside was lit by dim yellow light from the weak torch fire hang around the corridor. Red carpet rolled out on the ground as Will followed along the path and heard a familiar grumbling voice. It was the hunch back. He signaled the Everlight party and the vampire hunters to stop moving as he took a peek. Behind a door, the hunch back was inside a what seems to be a kitchen.
"Stupid event...stupid master...ordering Betty to fetch some deer meats for the event and cooking it..."
Betty? That's a weird name for a male. Will thought to himself as the hunch back cooked the deer meats he caught earlier in the morning. Now that he is distracted, the Everlight party and the vampire hunters could travel around the castle and save the 'harvested' before the visitors arrive.
They walked around this big castle and soon reached to a wine cellar. The door was locked so entering won't be easy. They could barge in but that would draw the attention of the hunch back. Will sighed as he thought to himself:"It would be easier if it were to be me alone,"
"We need to get the keys from the hunch back,"
"Ok,"
Miljana nodded her head and ordered a troop of vampire hunters to head back to the kitchen and retrieve the keys. During the meantime, Will decides to travel the castle again to know more about the location so that this place would not be to the vampire's advantage.
They then entered a ballroom where tables were placed neatly. A huge throne seated at the front. That must be the host's seat.
They then walked around again and noticed a stairs to the upstairs but they did not climb for the vampires might be sleeping up there.
When they returned back to the cellar's door, the troop has already retrieved the keys and the hunch back was fainted in the kitchen. They tried every keys and after a long time, they had finally opened the door to the wine cellar. The room was dark but the fire torch lit up the whole room. It was a huge room with shelf storing wines from different period of time. There seated many unconscious people from the 'Dead City'. The vampire hunters quickly came and helped freed them from the ropes. Miljana looked around and found Cynthia unconscious. She removed the rope on her mouth and woke her up. Amethia did the same to Raye as he snapped back to reality.
"W-where am I?"
"Thank goodness you're alive!"
Amethia hugged Raye which he slowly places his right arm on her back. Cynthia opened her eyes to see tears rolling down onto her thigh. She look up and saw a cat sobbing silently.
"I'm awake, don't be sad,"
Cynthia patted Miljana and stood back up.
"So what's the plan? You guys sure have a plan before coming here right?"
Cynthia caught on fast and asked everyone. Will looked around and told Cynthia the plan.
"We can't send the residents back right now, we will lose our troops by the time the guests arrive,"
Will then explained everything to Raye and Cynthia, catching them up on the current situation.
"I see..."
Suddenly, a bell sounded from the ball room. Once, twice, trice...the bell sounded six times before stopping. It must be 6 o'clock in the evening. They have been inside the castle for 2 hours!
Chatters sound can be heard outside the room as Will slowly climbed up and look outside. There was a window nearby so he took peep outside and noticed carriages parked at the sides and the guests are lining up, waiting for the host to invite them in.
"What should we do now?" Asked Cynthia as she looked around the wine cellar.
"We wait, the chef (Hunch back) is fainted so they would have to delay the event for a while, while the ruler of vampires are trying to settle the things, we ambush them and kill them, then only we settle those guests,"
"Sound legit,"
As they were sneaking around the castle, trying to return to the storage room to hide the kidnapped residents. Will stopped them right in their tracks.
"What's wrong?"
Raye whispered into Will's ear.
"They're here,"
"Who?"
A vampire descend from the stairs to invite the guest. Oddly, Raye couldn't hear any footsteps made by the vampire. He took a closer look and realized that the vampire's feet aren't even touching the ground! And more over, they don't even have shadow. Raye realizes that this is a huge disadvantage for Will who is the 'Shadow Sage'.
There were other vampires that lived in this castle, vampires that are blood related to the ruler of vampires. There sat a daughter of the ruler of vampires on the right side of the throne. The guests were then quickly seated and the ruler of vampires walked up to the throne. He was quickly seated and he took up a wine glass which he lightly uses a small spoon to tap it to draw the attention of the chattering vampires. The vampires quiet down and listened to the host's speech.
"I, Count Lestat, would like to thank you for coming all your way to this event, well then, our main dish are some red meat that you would love,"
A vampire then walked up to the host, Count Lestat, and whispered in his ear. Count Lestat then stood up and apologizes to the guests.
"My apologies, but there are some minor incidents that occurred in the kitchen, the situation will be quickly resolve so please be patient,"
The vampire then headed for the kitchen, all according to Will's plan.
"So...how do we ambush them?"
The Everlight party and the vampire hunters whispered among themselves.
"The food will be delayed, but not the wine, that's what they will think, so they will head for the cellar to retrieve the 'harvested' human, when the count realized that the human are gone, we locked him up inside the cellar, separating them from the other vampires, making it easier for us to fight him,"
"Then what about the guests?"
"We will settle them later, right now, the host is the only reason the event is still ongoing, we can't take on all of the guests, we will lose, but we can scare them, by taking the head of the dead host and showing them that the ruler can be killed,"
Cynthia thought for a minute and ordered the troops of vampire hunters to distract the vampires that were under Count Lestat, while trying not to draw the battle into the ballroom. A vampire hunter handed his sword to Cynthia before departing.
Now that the plans are all figured out, they parted ways and did their role.