A few years before Chapter 1...

“Again!”

He raised his halberd, facing off against his instructor with a determined expression on his face. With one hand, he swung the weapon at the adult vampire who deflected the blow with his sword.

“Widen your stance, it’ll allow for more power in your strikes.”

Damien adjusted accordingly, avoiding the retaliatory strike by a hair’s breadth. The man dove forward, and the younger vampire used the shaft of his weapon to keep him at bay. He switched hands and retreated further, doing consecutive thrusts to try and stab at his opponent. The halberd moved at great speeds, and he strategically targeted critical points that would be harder to defend against.

The man dodged and parried them all with ease. He swung his sword down to trap the halberd into the ground. In the blink of an eye, Damien was disarmed and had a weapon held to his throat.

Halberd Mastery has reached Level 2

“You need to avoid overextending. Right now, most of your potential opponents could just grab the halberd by its shaft and yank it from your grip. This will change as you grow older, but focus on maintaining a safe approach during your attacks.”

The sword dropped down, and Damien nodded his head. He was significantly shorter than his instructor, barely above his waistline. He picked up his halberd, specifically crafted to fit in his hands. A regular one would've been far too unwieldy despite his amazing strength and speed at such a young age. Although his father praised the boy's natural aptitude and combat sense, Damien didn't feel that way. His peers were very capable. The young noble of the Drake family was able to challenge him in all aspects, and they kept up a healthy rivalry.

He felt that he had an unfair advantage in comparison to his classmates but still only had a marginal edge compared to them, but he had grown used to his elevated status. Damien knew that talent-wise he wasn't the best.

“As you say.”

The battle took place in an outdoor arena devoid of people. Weapon racks were prominently displayed along the perimeter, ranging from swords, daggers, axes, and flails. Damien had been deepening his understanding of the halberd, a part of his demanding weekly routine.

“Next, I will be using a spear to better demonstrate how to fight against such opponents. Make sure to pay attention to how I keep you at a safe range using the length of the-”

A hand grabbed Damien’s shoulder. Large and firm, he instinctively knew who was behind him before he even turned his head.

“Sorry Joseph, but I need to spend time with my great-grandson. Toodles!”

The younger vampire’s vision blurred, and his surroundings changed into the middle of Wisperium’s town square.

Many waved and greeted the two. Vampires, and the occasional human all gave them their regards. Damien waved, returning their greetings politely as he had always been taught to do.

He turned to his great-grandfather; an aging man with white streaks along his hair and beard. It reached down to his shoulders in an organic way. Highly-defined cheekbones, a strong jawline, and powerful neck made him look much younger than he actually was. The elder towered over the townspeople, at a staggering two-hundred centimeters tall; and his gnarled hands had numerous scars as he let go of the boy’s shoulder. Despite his advanced age, he stood tall; with an air of royalty that none dared to disrespect.

The clothes he wore were form-fitting, showing the outlines of his muscles which hadn’t atrophied with time. But it was detail that couldn't be seen easily, as he wore a black cloak which served as an outer layer. Damien looked down at his own outfit, liking the fact that his uniform was almost a spitting image of his ancestor's. The only difference was that he wore shorts due to the training session.

“Leader! Spending the day with your grandson?”

A female vampire walked towards them, joining the two as they leisurely walked through the city. She wore a dress that went down to her knees, with the clothing being split into black and red. Her muscles were well-defined, without being too bulky. Instead of diminishing her delicate beauty, it served to enhance her allure and make her that much more beautiful.

“But of course. How is Alyssa’s training?” Dracule asked, inclining his head at his distant relative.

She pursed her lips, looking somewhat bemused. “She lost her pet in the Arcadian Forest. I warned her to start small, but she was adamant that having a strong first mount would accelerate her growth as a beast-tamer. Honestly, Alyssa is a handful.”

Damien remembered Alyssa. As a distant relative, he didn’t have a close relationship with her. He viewed her as an eccentric woman who had been hellbent on being Wisperium’s greatest beast-tamer. Although young, he knew that she was touted as a special talent. The boy remembered the pure-white bear cub she dragged around Wisperium. He thought that it was adorable, and felt bad for the way she treated the creature. Her freakish strength made even simple gestures of affection a potential death trap.

“Oh dear, is she alright?”

“The Warbear was still a cub. It posed no threat to her. They were separated when the Orbweaver's children swarmed her during the training session. It will likely not survive in such a different environment.”

His grandfather shrugged. “Tell her to focus on taming one of the Fire Wolves from the forest first. They are easier to force into submission. Keep training her well, Natalia. I'll remind the Orbweaver Queen to stay away from our borders. They've been getting more frisky lately...”

She nodded her head, before leaving the two to their own devices. A few meters away, an old hag wearing a hooded robe waved towards the two. She looked positively ancient, with a haggard face and pale-white hair. The senile fortune-teller, Neftelia Valentine. She had a stand which sat comfortably along the side of the road. It was well-designed, with purple curtains and numerous trinkets behind her.

"Damien! Lord Dracule! Would you like your daily horoscope? Free of charge, of course!"

The young vampire wouldn't admit it out loud, but she scared him at times. Her eyes were pale-white, and it was unnerving to be stared at for so long. He knew that she wasn't a threat, but he had spent a portion of his childhood suffering from nightmares due to her. Dracule gave her a thumbs-up, prompting her to unveil her crystal ball. She claimed that it was made from a dungeon core, but nobody confirmed or denied her claims.

She began chanting in a foreign language, which Damien suspected was just gibberish. The orb began to glow dimly before powering down. Neftelia dropped her arms before staring at the young vampire with her blank eyes.

"Oho, it seems like you'll be receiving a pleasant surprise later this afternoon. Followed by some irritation."

The fortune-teller repeated this for his great-grandfather.

"Oh, similar to Damien. You'll have a minor nuisance to deal with soon."

The vampire lord shrugged. Damien couldn't tell whether or not he believed her ramblings, as she often made false predictions. Braham would visit her occasionally, saying that she had a lot of experiences and advice despite her eccentricities. He vividly remembered the one time she went insane, raving about a calamity that would ravage the world.

'DRAGONS! THEY'RE COMING!'

Her announcement put everybody on edge. But after weeks, months, years, nothing came to pass. She refused to say anything about the incident. Neftelia gave them one last parting message as they continued to their original destination.

"Take this advice within your heart. Never, ever! Leave your crystal uncovered when you're away." The fortuneteller said as she put a cloth over the magic orb she used. Damien tilted his head, curious as to what consequences could arrive from such an act.

"Because of spirits?" The boy asked, confused. Her voice was serious and showed a solemn expression.

"What? No. If the sun hits it in the wrong spot you'll burn your house down." The old woman stored the orb under the stand, far from where the sunlight can reach. Damien shook his head, following his great-grandfather to their destination. He felt exhausted from the short interaction with her.

By the time they finished walking, they had arrived in front of a massive, stone building. The largest dining hall in Wisperium, Bloody Mary. Damien looked at the man gratefully for saving him from his grueling lessons and treating him to food.

“Thank you, grandfather.”

“Come on Damien, you can call me peepaw! There is no need to be so formal.”

He blushed. “I’m older now. I must learn proper etiquette.” The boy used the excuse of etiquette, but he did feel some embarrassment referring to his great-grandfather in such a way. Damien felt like he deserved some more respect than that as the ruler of Wisperium. As he got older, he began the transition of seeing Dracule from a cheery grandfather to a respected ruler.

“Boo. Don’t listen to your father. All that stuff is overrated.” The older man's shoulders slumped, despondent at the fact that his great-grandson was becoming more mature. Even at a young age, Damien displayed integrity and kindness. Dracule was very familiar with his bloodline's inherent demeanor; arrogant, crude, and short-tempered. Even before his etiquette lessons, his great-great grandson had always been a kind soul. Dracule sorely missed the toddler whom he cradled in his arms, even though his love for his predecessor hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Inside the building was a large cafeteria. Many vampires, along with the occasional human ate delicious food from all over the world. It was massive and looked closer to a cathedral from inside. Ornate glass ceilings with a chandelier that provided the dining hall with a classy atmosphere. The sleek, black furnishing, and white-tiled floor served to enhance the dining experience.

Several people nodded their heads to acknowledge their leader’s presence. A few younger children waved towards Damien, who returned their greetings. There were very few people in line, and they began to order food.

As the city’s leader, nobody dared to charge the man a fee. They accepted the orders and immediately began to cook. As they waited, Damien noticed a few gold coins clinking into the tip jar. He eyed his grandfather’s robe, which fluttered slightly at the same time, but didn’t bother commenting.

“Grandfather, do you know when Braham is coming back?” It had been years since he saw his older brother. They got along splendidly, uniting under their dislike of the weekly routine they had to endure. By his father's order, they attended school along with a rigorous training regimen which honed their magical and physical talents.

“I am not sure. He’s been allowed to return home since last year, but we haven’t heard anything from him since he was in Idil.”

He stuck out his lip, missing his older sibling’s presence. Someone he could confide in about the daily troubles, insecurities, and accomplishments. Braham was someone who knew what it was like. Damien looked forward to meeting with his brother after so long. As children, they were inseparable. He refused to comment whenever someone brought up the topic of him crying upon his brother’s departure.

Dracule patted his head softly. “Your brother is strong. He is fine, I can assure you that. Maybe Braham wi-”

A small alarm began to sound, and several people began to rise from their seats. His grandfather was one of them. The man's chair clattered as he rose to his full height. Damien knew that sound very well.

It was the alarm for intruders.

“This will only take a minute.” Dracule said, reassuring the boy with a small smile on his face.

He disappeared, and Damien continued to eat his food; a medium-rare steak drizzled in human blood. As a noble, he was given the highest quality food to maximize his growth potential. The boy found a particular liking towards buffalo steak, a domesticated animal that is homegrown at Wisperium.

Unbeknownst to him, his grandfather had requested for the cafeteria to make a permanent installment in their menu for his beloved grandchild. Damien ordered it consistently, stopping by the restaurant after school to eat with classmates.

An explosion occurred and the ground shook. Utensils clattered along the tables, and many began to grow nervous. Along with his grandfather, many of the fighters had picked up their weapons to defend their homeland. If he focused his ears enough, Damien could hear screams and shouts from outside. He was impressed that the intruders had come far enough for him to hear their screams. The boy couldn't recall the last time they had gotten so close to the town square.

After blinking, Damien noticed that his grandfather had returned to his dish, taking a small spoonful of soup.

“Were they strong? They were quite close this time.”

His grandfather smiled. Not a single speck of dust on his formal attire. “The intruders used something to bypass our anti-teleportation defenses. Unfortunately, they weren’t powerful outside of that. C'mon, you think your peepaw's going to go down because of some lousy humans?”

Damien nodded. He was used to invasions. Whether it was a rampaging monster or a coordinated siege, they always ended the same way.

The corpses of their enemies being looted and used to feed their pets and to fertilize the ground. Survivors were used as prisoners to extract blood from. He had seen the remnants of enemy forces, although his family did their best to shield him from such sights. Although seeing a corpse for the first time was shocking, Damien had grown accustomed to not viewing them as people. They were enemies, who wanted nothing more than to hurt those he treasured. It made things easier to cope with.

A few people began to trickle back into the cafeteria, resuming their meals. Some of them had scuff marks, but almost none of them suffered from injuries. Another day, another invasion. They cleaned their table, having finished their meal. Both of them returned their dishes to the counter, and Dracule told his grandson to hold tight before pushing off the ground.

Dark red wings manifested from the man’s back. It looked demonic, rippling with energy as they ascended upwards. He landed atop the massive castle, their home. He did his best to ensure the landing was soft and smooth for Damien. The balcony was empty, save for two seats and a small table.

Taking his regular spot, Damien sat down and crossed his legs. He admired the sunset, the orange and red blending in perfect harmony. It cascaded over the city, as he watched people go about their daily lives. This was one of his favorite past-times. Spending quality time with family.

His grandfather placed down a small box of pastries on the table; honey-glazed crepes with blueberries. The boy munched down on the food, quietly enjoying the time spent with his grandfather.

After a few minutes, he began to hear the steps rushing up towards the balcony.

“Well, I suppose this is my time to go. I suppose this was the nuisance Neffy was talking about. See you in a bit, Damien.”

The man vanished, leaving the boy with a half-empty box of treats.

“FATHER! YOU CAN'T SKIP THE COUNCIL MEETI-oh. Damien?”

A man burst into the balcony, seeing Damien chewing on the pastry with a calm look in his eyes. Crumbs along his cheek, he opened his mouth to greet his father.

“He already left. Would you like some, father?”

All the tension in his body disappeared, and the man sighed. He looked identical to Dracule, aside from younger features and a slimmer build. His face was stern, but handsome. His hair fell down to his sides, stopping at his eyebrows. If one didn’t know any better, they would’ve mistook the man as Damien's older brother. He was clean-shaven, with a small goatee and mustache that made him look classy. Gideon Rose sat down on the seat next to his son.

“...Sure.” He took one and bit into the delectable treat. The red crystal of his family ring let the light reflect along its surface. “You know Damien, you have to learn how to say no to your grandfather’s interruptions. ”

The boy nodded, keen on ignoring the lecture as he enjoyed the food. He inwardly rolled his eyes at his father's lecture. The man seemed like a hypocrite, putting his feet up along the edge of the balcony while he relaxed alongside his child.

“Learning these skills will be the foundation of your development. You can’t afford to miss a session or else you’ll fall behind. What did your mom tell you about watching your sweets? You'll need to brush your fangs better, or else cavities will fo-”

Damien made a noise of affirmation, reaching for another pastry as he listened to his father’s rambling. Sometimes he wished that there was a way to mute his father when he talked. The boy wondered if Braham had stayed away because of their father's incessant chatter.