[Chapter 7]

After we finished our meal and checked that also the soldiers had as well; Sir Gregory and Albert told them to get ready, also informing them of their return to Cera. After that, the soldiers immediately become orderly and hence assembled getting ready to start preparations to move out. Some of them were assigned to start packing various things, some went disassembling the tents and a few others asked the commander if they can take a bath in the nearby lake before moving out.

The princess and her company also started preparing for the journey also. The princess’ manservant equipped the princess with a suit of light golden armour together with a sword, being of the rapier type generally favoured by royals. Albert wore an bulky defensive blue-type armour and an standard ordinary long-sword, while Sir Gregory wore a silver agility-based armour and with a another long-sword, being unusual in that it was emitting some kind of ‘neutral aura’. Being obviously curious, I ‘identified’ the swords of the Princess and Sir Gregory

[Princess’ Sword]

Name: The Royal (sword Id: 2735)

Model/Type: Rapier

Blood Bound: Princess Elizabeth of Cera

Bonus Stats: (when blood bound)

Attack damage: 12-17

Strength: +9

Agility: +13

Defence: +16

Description:

A well-known crafted sword designed and crafted for the people with Royal Blood. Crafted by a renowned Dwarf sword smith, the crafting requires ‘royal blood’ of the intended wielder. Once blood touches and merges the sword, only that royal may effectively wield it.

[Sir Gregory’s Sword]

Name: The Sword of the Fallen

Model/type: Long-sword (enchanted)

Bonus Stats:

Attack damage: 32-44 dmg

Strength: +44

Agility: +52

Defence: +34

Bonus Skill: [Harvest of the Fallen] - This skill will activate upon entering battle/combat and will give you a moderate boost in all stats.

Description: This Sword created by a legendary sword-smith, it is one of the twelve ‘Swords of the Sun’. These swords can be only wielded if the sword deems you worthy.

[The stat bonus of Sir Gregory’s sword is pretty impressive]

I was given a horse by one of the soldiers to ride and since there are many wooden carriages, the majority of the soldiers just selected several and rode in them. When everyone was ready, we started our journey to Cera. It was said that the journey to Cera will take around two days of travel to reach.

Our journey became a journey full of surprises; as we journeyed, we took a various rests, to give the horses and soldiers, some of which had to walk, due to the injured having priority. We saw a herd of Unicorns and all I can say is that, as seeing them in person, they were majestic beyond words. One of the unicorns, most surprisingly, even came close towards me, giving me a good look at them, being the mythical white with a ebony spiralled horn protruding from the centre of its forehead. Also I saw some very weird looking sheep, being the creatures are full of protrusions which looked like needles around its body. We also came across a big cat which I instantly recognised as a Tiger, but twice as big.

However, the whole day was not all was perfect and amazing as that, we had to engag into a fight twice; firstly by a dozen Goblins (damn they moved quick) and the secondly was a group of Ogres , even though being slow, were definitely huge like giants wielding big clubs for the purpose of flattening us. All in all, they were untimely still defeated by us. We took some more rest along the way, in being the soldiers and horses were worn out after the battles.

So after the rest, here and there, we continued the rest of the journey with no further trouble or surprises. The sun eventually started to set and fortunately, after a little while, we saw a small town and stopped near it to camp for the night. The soldiers, the ones who had both walked and rode in the carriages, started erecting the tents. The commander had them camp near an open area just outside the town.

After settling down for the night, they waited for the dawn and as dawn approached, with the skies lightning, Sir Gregory, Albert and the Princess, together with a small company of soldiers left the camp and headed into town, to meet and inform the leader of the town of their arrival and not to be worried.

As I followed the group towards the town and approached the walls of the town, we noticed that there were no guards posted at the entrance or even more disturbing, there was an absence of any noise or whisper of activity coming from the town. Since the sun was jus thitting the horizon, indicating dawn was now past, there should be someone about putting out the various lights which still were lit and as we entered the gates of the town the first thing that we noticed is the smell of the blood in the air. Sir Gregory instantly spoke to the Princess, who was walking by the three of us and said: “Princess, please get behind me. Albert get besides the princess. I can feel something is definitely wrong here and Sir John, can you cast some kind of protection spell upon the Princess. I feel she will definitely need it.”

Both the Princess and Albert responded by agreeing and I replied to Sir Gregory by saying ”Indeed, I shall start casting a barrier around the Princess and the two of you as well.”. I them proceeded to cast a barrier, not only upon the three of them, but myself too. My barrier can effectively repel damage twice as strong as that axe-dude showed, but beyond that my barrier will just shatter.

It’s really hard to see in this thick fog, but as our vision adjusted, we came upon a disgusting scene that will most probably be embedded in our memories forever and when I took in the scene before me, I became filled with pity and enraged and then reminded me of a murderer known to my world. I saw the figures of men staked through their chests and stomachs, blood dripping on the ground together with some of them still breathing and in an unbearable amount pain. The houses seemed to be sprayed with their blood.

When we tried to get near the men and help them, we saw a group of humanoid figures with glowing red eyes walking towards us. Suddenly the most noticeable man among them, wearing red with black robes, being around 6’ tall, skin as pale as snow and blood all over his ugly bat-like face and spoke with a coarse voice: “I am The King of Darkness and Madness; enemy of the living, the one who seeks all living souls. I who crave nothing less, but the suffering, screams and death of mankind.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“I, who to seek revenge to those people who imprisoned the people of my Master,, the strongest beings that this world has ever seen. I am an immortal who feeds on the life of all the living,

I am known as Dracula.”

[End of chapter 7]