Graven and Horace met each other in the wooden hut situated in a clearing near a stream in the middle of a forest.

"Our men have already scattered themselves all over the town and other neighboring areas outside South Pond to spot the bats location. As long they have the bats' location they will alert us right away so that we can go there and annihilate those blood-thirsty parasites before they can make further damage to other smaller villages," Horace reported. ​​

"Good!" Graven said feeling relieved. "What I'm thinking right now is how many groups of bats existed out there? Did they fly together or they split into groups? Is there somebody powerful controlling them?" he muses.

"My Lord, since the spy birds haven't returned to report anything new yet, it's safe to say that the bats attack together in one single group and not in smaller groups," Horace expressed his opinion.

They didn't finish conversing yet when they heard pitch sounds coming outside from their spy birds.

They exited the wooden hut and saw four birds on the table.

Graven walked towards the table in big stride.

He picked up the first bird, placed his right hand on its head, shut his eyes, and entered the bird's consciousness...what he saw in the bird's eye view was the same, the bats attacked another village again!

He did the same to the rest of the birds. He was surprised by what he discovered from their memories.

"It's confirmed now, the bats were divided into four groups... they're coming from the East, West, South, and North direction. If we can't prevent them, they will arrive in South Pond Town tomorrow or the next day. Just my guess..." Graven said. "Informed our men to be vigilant, and guard the South Pond Town with their lives!" he said gravely.

"Yes, My Lord! I'll take my leave now," Horace said and vanished from the place instantly.

Graven need to go somewhere... he departed from the place in the blink of an eye.

A few minutes later.

He appeared in the village recently ravaged by the vampire bats. He was an apparition in black hovering in the air wearing a black hooded cape that was blown by the wind behind him. The stench of death permeated in the air. It was a heartbreaking sight to see as the village people were massacred without mercy by the bloodsucking bats.

He examined the tragedy on the ground below.

Dead bodies were scattered everywhere...old and young... died in the same way, their bodies were drained of blood, it sickened his stomach. He wondered what made the bats attacked humans without mercy this time? It never happened before.

Why it's happening now?

He hovered lower...hoping to see any survivor and lend his assistance.

A few minutes later, he gives up 'coz he can't find any survivor. The village people suffered death at the hands of the vampire bats.

The strong urge to find those parasites and kill them all was burning savagely in his veins.

He needs to find their whereabouts! ASAP!

He rose in the air and went higher trying to spot the bats' current location, he will try to locate their destination before they can strike another village and slaughter innocent lives again.

He closed his eyes and summoned his spy birds that were stationed in the next 100 miles near the area of the destruction.

Three black raven birds can be seen flying towards Graven's location.

The two birds landed on his shoulders while the other one landed on his head. He grabbed the bird from his head and entered the bird's consciousnesses.

Now...he was able to see the bats resting in a forest nearby... just a few miles away from his current location. The bloodsuckers were hanging on the branches of the trees in that area... resting from their recent blood feast.

He now has a clear direction of the whereabouts of the group of bats that massacred the whole village!

Time to make roasted bats out of those bloodsuckers!

"Go back to your post!" Graven commanded the birds.

The birds flew away and went back to where they have originated.

Graven zoomed towards the direction of the forest where the bats are resting.

It only took him a few minutes to find the area, he finally arrived! He examined the whole area while hovering above the trees.

Below him is a dense forest, all he can see are wild bushes and towering trees.

How to attract those parasites?

He pondered for a moment...hmm... he had an idea!

All he needs is a few drops of his blood!

He opened his right hand, a sharp knife appeared on his palm. He grabbed the knife and made a small cut on the skin of his palm then

made the knife disappeared from his hand. He watched the blood oozing from the cut on his palm.

He flew around the trees and let his fresh blood drop into the leaves and branches of the trees.

Soon, the smell of fresh blood awakened the slumbering bats...one by one they drifted into the open air trying to find the source of the fresh blood.

Once they spotted the floating human and the scent of blood become so intoxicating, they all rushed towards the floating source of the blood.

Graven zoomed out of the bats' reach... flying not too fast... just enough speed to lure all the bats away from the trees...he doesn't want to burn the whole forest. He will fry the bats up in the air once he's ready to strike him.

He looked over his shoulder, the bats were still following him, they're twenty meters behind him.

Now is the time to unleash the deadly heat from his body!

Graven smirked smugly... he closed his eyes and unleash the deadly flames from his body... a few seconds later he looks like a floating hell boy.

He zoomed towards the bats at lightning speed - colliding with them in the process - the bats attacked Graven blindly still smelling his fresh blood... they all burned to ashes the moment they came in contact with his body.

Some of the bats were trying to escape the flaming inferno.

Graven flew after the bats that fled from the devastation and threw flames at them - burning them into ashes one by one.

Half an hour later he was done killing all the parasites. The deadly flames in his body started to wane down.

Time to go back to the wooden hut and cool down his body.

He vanished from the area and reappeared outside the wooden hut that was situated near a stream. It is one of their headquarters.

The stream has a nice soothing crystal clear water that cools the temperature of his body quickly. He marched towards it and stepped down into the cool water, he went to the deepest part and submerged his whole body into the refreshing water.

He stayed in the stream for a few minutes enjoying his bath.

Half an hour later, he emerged naked from the water and walked towards the wooden hut to get some clothes.

He still needs to find the other three groups of bats! But first, he needs to go back to town to check his father's mansion. After he knows of their condition he will continue searching for the rest of the group of bats hiding somewhere out there.

Fifteen minutes later, Graven had finished changing into dry clothes and wore his signature black hooded cape. He's now ready to return to his father's mansion and check their condition.

He vanished from the wooden hut.

A few moments later, he appeared hovering in the air, above the mansion of his father. The windows and doors were shut off. He roamed his eyes around the whole property. Everything is good so far, no bats on the property yet... even at the nearby places he can't detect their presence.

Time to get inside the mansion!

He disappeared from the air.

He reappeared inside the living room and walked towards the cabinet where the hidden door of the basement was located. He knocked five times.

"Who's there?" a servant's voice said.

"It's me Graven," he replied.

A small peephole was opened and he saw an eyeball peeking at him, it must be the servant making sure that the owner of the voice and the man outside matched perfectly.

The door finally opened.

Graven stepped into the basement and the servant shut off the door right away.

Graven walked towards his father's room and entered the open door. He saw his father playing with his grandson in the bed.

"Father..." he said.

The old man looked at his son.

"How's it's going outside?" Sir Nicholas asked.

Graven cleared his throat. "I discovered that the bats were composed of four groups. They attacked another four villages again today. They are nearing the borders of South Pond Town. I have tracked down one of the groups' whereabouts and I was able to kill all the bats belonging to that group. Now I'm going to hunt the remaining three groups to prevent them from attacking our town and other neighboring areas. I just come here to check if everything is alright here," he said.

"We're all okay here, we have lots of food and water, and I'm having a good time with my grandson," Sir Nicholas said calmly, trying to stay optimistic against the threat outside.

"Good to know that. I'll come back again later to check this place." He stood up. "I'll take my leave now, Father," he bid farewell.

"Okay, son. You take of yourself," Sir Nicholas said worriedly.

Graven turned around and leave the place without checking on Laura and Rebecca in their rooms. He needs to find the other groups of parasites, ASAP!

He climbed the stairs and stepped outside, the servants closed the door immediately after he exited the door.

Graven pondered about his next destination while walking back towards the living room.

A moment later, he vanished from the mansion.