A few more prisoners walked from the houses.
He broke their chains, as did Armless, at least until morning when the gargoyle turned to stone atop a building, then they resumed again at dusk.
"None of your mates wanted to join you?" He asked, he and Armless overwatching Al and the others tend to shivering pale prisoners.
"They believed me mad, for helping a human, and having a taste for god blood."
"Makes two of us," he said as Dany approached them.
Armless stared her down, eyes glowing white.
"My sister here helped me turn Livarza into a pair of boots," he said.
Armless laughed. "What a surprise, the Angel of the Night, bested by a brute and his runt!"
"She was strong," Dany said, rubbing her left shoulder, "I was certain we'd not survive the battle."
"Then I must kill you two," Armless said, pointing at them both, "after we string out the First Sword's innards."
He cracked a small grin, and even Dany smiled as well, the three looking at one another. Were they anywhere save for the blood farms of Cerebes' last followers, steel and talon would collide.
Hands covered in blood, Al made her way over to them, suggesting they make for the tunnels.
"It's an hour or so's walk," she said, wiping sweat of her forehead. "Less once we cut into the halls. Most of the rejuvenators are inside, and those are worth more to vampyres than gold."
"I thought we agreed to kill 'em all," he said, folding his arms.
She frowned. "We will, but this could make our fight easier."
"Not really," Armless said. "Quarrath's strong as they come. A little less blood won't slow her down, 'specially for you lot."
Al scowled him. "And just who are you? What in gods' name did our iron headed friend here do to make you so interested in joining us?"
"You'll not last in this hell without me," Armless said, putting an arm around he and Dany. "'Specially if these lot are your best hope!"
He shoved the winged ogre away, who howled towards the sky.
In a single leap, Armless was in the sky, hell screaming like a blood drunken bat. Every single vampyre, the would be shattered stone within the Burning Lands howled for.
It made his heart race, and he made his way north with Dany close by.
The others were slow to join them, a few hundred paces behind, though Armless circled back and forth between.
Several paces ahead were the walls of Eldreth's dozen story halls.
Bright grey, almost silver, granite walls with gold tinted windows all marked with the three pointed star. It's roof was made of pure onyx, slight glimmers against the moonlight, and there were crows lined across the ends, all with red eyes.
The birds spoke, hisses like a chilling wind.
"What purpose does thou haveth if thou hast no life?"
Armless landed beside him, growling at the crows. "The bitch's toying with us. Let's head in."
The others caught up to them, Al with a nocked arrow as the birds cackled and laughed.
"Leave us be, ye' of the fallen lord. Return to thy resting grounds, and sleep with your wretched kind!"
Armless ripped out stone from the ground, then heaved it at the roof.
Birds yelped, crunching apart as stones pummeled them. Armless kept throwing until the crows scattered about, eyes beaming within the sky until black feathers were all to remain.
He led the party to a pair of doors, gold with black knobs. All their weapons beamed a small silver light, and Nathan whispered prayers.
Upon opening the door, they were greeted by a whiff of wine-like incense.
It was clean.
Unlike anything he'd ever seen, the walls were pristine, gold and silver rails upon the ceiling, and black torches with stiff flames. If they were even flames at all, and the torches lined against the walls from one end of the hall to the other, far as one could see. Along the walls were portraits, some of the Lord Cerebes, others of vampyre royalty and some of the most famed figures in all Creahllachia.
"His majesty, first in all the land," Nathan said, eyes wide examining a painting. "The rumors were true. He did strike a bargain with the dark lords."
Some lords of the neighboring kingdom were black of hair and green eyes, all wearing flameborne insignia's.
While he didn't care much for history, he didn't rush, allowing Nathan to look for long as necessary.
"Running out of daylight," Armless snarled, dragging the lad away. "Ya' can come back after I've skinned your master, boy."
Nathan smiled. "His lordship spared you once already. You need another lesson?"
Armless growled, wings spreading, but a door slamming stopped him from ripping Nathan open.
All the party faced down the hall, weapons ready.
Doors slammed, windows shook, and shadows filled the air. Voices spoke amongst the air like thunder, rumbling the walls, some portraits falling from their mounts.
"Perhaps her highness wasn't explicit enough," the voice warned, getting closer. "I shall over you mercy in her stead."
On either side of them, shades descended from the ceiling.
Yet one became solid, a vampyre with fair skin, long dark golden hair, sharp ears, and fiery white eyes. On either side its waist were longswords, crafted from the stars smelting mithril. On its back was a larger blade, though it was so dark it was difficult to tell what it was.
The shade stood opposite in manner, hands within its waist.
"Leave," the vampyre commanded, a deep powerful voice, drawing its swords. "Return to your resting grounds, soulless filth."
Al, an arrow nocked, demanded, "Release every innocent man, woman, and child first!"
The vampyre was silent.
A puzzled look on its face, as if trying to decided whether to be offended or confused, it shook its head.
"A farmer would not part from his soil, nor livestock," it answered, swords flickering. "This is your last warning."
The shade's sides flickered, its gaze like the blood moon.
Spear up, Arthur took to his side. He slammed his shield into the ground, then he and the spearman drove forward. Armless leaped atop the wall, then dove down. Behind them light shined, and the vampyre wailed. He slammed into it, Arthur thrusted, and Armless crashed atop it.
It slipped beneath the ground.
"Fuck!" Armless shouted, ripping up stone beneath him.
From torn stone rose the shade.
Behind them screamed Al, and he turned to see her and Nathan uplifted upon the vampyres blades. Dany charged it, though it flung both twitching bodies at her. She was knocked off her feet, and the vampyre closed in on her.
Fire span from the shade, its arms waving up.
Flames erupted from the vampyres swords, as it incinerated Dany.
"Yes," the vampyre hissed into Nathan's ears, "you shall do most certainely."
Nathan spat blood, the vampyre's blade lodged within his upper chest.
He swung his flail, though the vampyre ducked. The shade dove as well, evading Arthur's thrusts as well as Armless' claws. It was so tight he couldn't retract his flail in time, and he blocked the vampyre's heavy sword. His shield's light dimmed, then it cracked. He cursed, trying to widen his base, but he was already against a wall.
Armless, latched by strangling shadows, roared before being dragged beneath the ground.
They vampyre cut off Arthur's head, then slammed into his shield again.
"Do not return here," the vampyre snarled, riposting his great shield as if it weren't a near half ton block of iron. "False believer!"
Cold mithril severed his head.
On the ground, blood gargling his mouth, he listened to Armless' roars shake the walls.