Dear Journal,
I feel as if I am trapped beneath the earth once more. Am I meant, in actuality to walk this journey alone? Is it selfish that I desire another to walk with me despite the destruction I'm sure I will have to leave in the wake?

- 𝓔. 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
                (1605)

The castle of Asphal's beauty was in tandem to that of Gandalwell's. Fortified with the whitest of stones, the morning sun glared lustfully at the keep. A single gold flag waved in the morning wind, rippling and dancing vivaciously in the air from the tallest tower as it made its point to signify that this was the house of the elite.

Elias watched through the caravan's window as they whizzed past the lush, green fields filled with animals grazing lazily while the light of the morning medallion shone off their furred coats. His bionic eyesight made well to see the radiant wings of butterflies flap softly as they siphoned sweet nectar from the milkweeds. He could see the birds battle the wind in the sky, defying gravity as they frivolously soared across the blue. The air was refreshing and heartwarming, the morning filled with life.

It made Elias want to vomit.

This was not his scene. He hated the sunlight and the 'beauty' that came with the day. He had found love in the moon and its divine gleam as he rewarded it as the largest pearl in the sky, the stars being its dazzling diamond counterparts. He loved the smell of nightdew on the sleeping plants, the sudden liveliness of the nocturnals and the coldness the darkness of the night brang. He could not wait to get out of this dreadful sunlight.

After identifying themselves to the guards present, they rode across the castle's moat once the drawbridge was finally lowered. Elias could see the mossy, green water ripple as small fishes capered in it. The dragonflies sat upon dead twigs that floated on its surface, watching the caravan pass by. It was not long before they arrived at the front gates. The teeth of the portcullis bared and creaked threateningly as the gates lifted for the arrival of the king.

Once they had all exited, they were all greeted in the inner courtyard by the Queen and the knights of Asphal.

Elias could see the relief on the faces of the King Koren's men as they stood before him. He could tell that they respected and feared him; that he was a man they looked to and believed in. He wondered if the people would ever look to him, not only in fear but adoration, just as they did King Koren. Would they follow a demon and his goal to make the world right and just?

"My king, you have returned to me" said King Koren's wife.

She was a short woman with auburn hair falling behind her back in tight curls, a simple gold crown sitting atop it. Her wrinkled face was pleasantly pursed as she made her way over to the King and Emma, her golden gown sweeping the inner courtyard as she walked gracefully.

"Let us exchange pleasantries inside. I need a drink" King Koren said, rudely side stepping his wife as he headed towards the main keep.

Elias could tell that the king was perplexed by not only the battle he had just witnessed, but the monsters. Seeing the minotaurs had shocked him into a state of realization and worry that left Elias clueless to the King's cognizance. The shortness of his breath, the beating of his heart, the sweat that dripped down his brow bone all made for a tale of fear.

The king was in a bad mood but what say him who had just lost an arm? Elias thought.

As the knights followed their king, Elias and Zelda waited for the Queen and Emma to lead before moving.

"I need blood, Zelda" Elias told her as they walked along side each other.

He had lost a substantial amount of his ichor in the town of Willowry during his fight and this had left him weak and famished. It was only a matter of time before he would lose his sanity and begin to binge on the blood of the Asphalians and it was important to note that the king was not exempt to this.

"I know. You've been baring your fangs the whole ride to castle. As soon as they assign us to our chambers I will get you some, just wait for a moment" she responded, glancing up at him as they walked.

The Queen and Emma were in meaningless conversation as they entered the main keep. He caught Emma stealing dejected glances at him in the midst of her confab but he made well to act as if he did not notice. He thought of what she had said and how true it had been. He had not been a man in 7 years but instead, he was now a beast, just as hideous as any werewolf and minotaur as he paraded among the people in a dead body. He was a fool to believe romance was possible in this form. Who could love a monster like him but him?

"Elias? Did you hear me?" Zelda asked, returning him from his thoughts.

"No, please repeat" he said looking down at her.

"I said, I'll have the items ready by tomorrow. Also, I think it best for you to keep from Emma. While the King, Baltazaar and I might know the real story of their relationship, others do not. It's not lady-like for her to be associated with other men" Zelda said firmly as they walked through the narrow hallways of the castle.

"Why exactly are you telling me this? I've never touched that woman" Elias protested.

"But you would like to" She returned, regarding him with her dazzling blue eyes.

Ignoring her, Elias took the time to inhale the decrepit aroma of the castle. With their ceilings as tall as the heavens, inside was large, vast and resplendent with its antiquated design.

Centuries old stone stacked upon each other were decorated with oil lamps in their crevices to illuminate the fortress and tapestries along with self protraits and statues lining the hallways.

"Where the bloody hell is Syrus?" Elias heard the king say as he walked hurriedly through an archway.

"Syrus?" Elias said to himself.

"His squire" Zelda answered for him.

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" A boyish voice shouted from behind them. Elias could hear his feet tapping against the concrete floor as he ran past him.

The King's movement ceased, resulting in everyone else freezing their tracks and turning towards the sound of the voice.

"Your majesty!" The boy said as be finally slowed down once he was close to the king.

The Queen rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh at the sight of the young man donning red and gold livery. He had a small sword tucked away in his scabbard and his curly bush of brunette hair was wild and untamed on his head. His green eyes and boyish facial features made him a handsome junior but there was something awkward about his looks. Squires were usually young but his body looked to be  matured as his muscles bulged through his uniform. He reminded Elias of himself as he recalled the days of him racing through the Marewood market.

A few knights stepped in front of King Koren, blocking the young boy from approaching him.

"You dare approach the king so carelessly, Syrus? Have some respect!" A senior knight said sternly.

"Oh, forgive me" the boy called Syrus said, tittering nervously as he stepped back.

"You're back, your majesty! I do hope your trip went well. Where is your Kingsguard? I want to show Sir. Alex how well I've advanced in combat with my sword" the boy said confidently.

The king frowned knowingly at the young boy, unable to bring himself to tell him the news of the tragedy that ensued in Gandawell.

"So insolent! Koren is kind to him because his late father was his bestfriend. I don't know why he does not have him thrown him into the cellar. The boy is a half wit!" Elias heard the Queen whisper to Emma.

"Not even a proper greeting! You impudent hellion!" The senior knight said, raising his arm to backhand Syrus.

Elias was infront of the boy in seconds, catching the hand before it fell.

"A man who hits children is a coward" Elias said firmly, squeezing his wrist as he looked on the knight.

The senior knight, shocked at Elias's speed was frozen in confusion, lost into his intimidating eyes.

"That's enough! Eli" King Koren said courtly.

Elias released the knight's hand, his eyes never leaving him as he stared hatefully at the human while he rubbed his wrists.

"Bloody hell! You're tall!" He heard Syrus say from behind him.

As he turned to look down at the boy, his brilliant green eyes told Elias he revered him. Ignoring Syrus, Elias turned to the king.

"King Koren, I do not mean to be rude, but I would like to be excused. I'm..." Elias said, looking at his missing hand and then back to the king. "...tired"

"Ah.." the king said picking up his hint. "Very well, you're dismissed for now. Syrus, show him to one of the lord's quarters. I'll also have him fetch you in a while in order to discuss the situation"

"Yes, Your majesty! Let's go Eli!" Syrus said happily as he walked ahead of Elias.

"Is that your real name? What a great name! I had a cat named Eli but it drowned in a river. I did not know cats couldn't swim. Can you swim Eli? You look strong. I love your eyes, they are glowy and gold. And you have fangs! It must have been hard for someone to sharpen your teeth. Did it hurt? It looks like it hurt. Where is your left hand? I knew a man with one hand. He was not nice" Syrus rambled on as they walked.

They ascended two flights of stairs and still, the boy would not stop talking. Finally, they arrived at door of Elias's chambers.

"Well this is it! You seem to be the king's friend. A friend of the king is a friend to Syrus. I must tell Sir Alex that I have a new friend. But I do not see him anywhere" Syrus frowned.

"Sir Alex is a member of King Koren's kingsguard?" Elias asked him.

"Yes he is! A talented bloke he is. Do you know him?" Syrus asked perkily, flashing a boyish smile at the vampire.

"He is dead" Elias told him.

"What?" The young boy, the smile immensely falling from his face.

"The men your king brought to the castle were killed by a monster" Elias told him.

"A monster?" Syrus asked, his mouth curved in a frown.

"....B-but Sir Alex...Sir Alex would never let a monster kill him! He is strong. He taught me everything I know now. You must be mistaken" the boy said, his voice shaking with sadness.

"If you do not believe, ask your king" Elias said simply, opening the door to his chambers and closing it behind him, leaving the boy outside.

Elias listened to hear if Syrus was crying but there was nothing. Instead, the boy walked away slowly, heading down the hall.

As he turned to observe his chambers, he realized how similar it was to the one in Gandalwell. This left Elias to wonder if all castles had a standard design for the lord's quarters. It was the classic canopied bed, unlit fireplace, wooden chest, bedside table and stool.

Sitting on his bed, Elias used his right hand to clutch the empty spot his left arm once resided. The pain had now fully subsided and was replaced by the feeling of something trying break the surface of his skin.

A knock sounded at the door causing Elias's head to snap up to look at it. Without permission, Zelda entered his room, shutting the door behind her.

She had a book in her hand closely resembling the grimoire Emma had shown him.

"So that was yours" Elias said looking at the tome.

"Yes, now listen. It would be rude to kill the King's subjects as you've just arrived. They consider you as an ally, so my blood will have to do. It is not as palatable as a human's but it should help with your regeneration" Zelda told him.

"Regeneration?" Elias questioned, his eyebrows twisted in confusion.

"Yes! Your arm. Can't you feel it? I can" She said sitting beside him. Removing his hand from the spot, she placed her palms over it, rubbing the area gently.

"This is amazing! There has never been a vampire with this ability since the ancient Vylisians" she said after.

"This is what interests you?" Elias frowned.

"I am a maker. Ofcourse it does" she said spinning the pages of the grimoire to stop in the centre of the tome.

"id est, ut non moriatur, industria sine fine mihi suppleret" Zelda chanted.

(What is dead may never die, supply me with endless energy)

Elias watched as her body was momentarily engulfed in a green aura before fading back to normal.

"Now" Zelda said, shutting the book and placing it on his bedside table. "You can drink to your heart's content. You have about a quarter of an hour"

"What was that?" Elias questioned, referring to the spell.

"A spell so you don't kill me by taking too much blood" Zelda told him.

"Or was it a spell to poison your blood and kill me?" Elias asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I beg your pardon? Do I look like poison specialist to you? My speciality is to create. I make things happen, now drink before the enchantment wears off" she rushed him as she bared her neck.

Staring at the empty spot on her pale skin, Elias could see her pulse beating within her flesh. He could hear her heart rate accelerate as she craned her neck to the side, awaiting his fangs to pierce her skin.

"Why the neck?" Elias asked.

"Oh for the love faes, Eli!" Zelda protested.

"This seems a bit intimate, does it not? You're in my room baring your neck for me to drink from you" Elias explained.

"Was it always intimate when you were drinking from random people?" Zelda asked annoyed.

"A little" Elias said truthfully, recalling his past meals engendering an erotic feeling.

"You are revolting. I am not interested in you Eli. Just drink! I cannot have you killing the people of this castle just because you are hungry" Zelda huffed.

"Fine" Elias gave in, taking note of her seriousness to protecting Asphal. "But it is better if you stand"

Rolling her eyes, she stood, craning her neck once more.

Elias towered over her, using his right hand to caress the spot she had chosen. He opened his mouth then he sank his fangs into her skin, holding her in place while a gasp escaped her lips as he broke the surface of her epidermis.

She was right, it was not as delicious as a human's but it would make due. He drank and drank, feeling his strength return to him. A strange sensation in his left shoulder made stop to look at it. A stub of his arm was now present in the spot that was once bare.

"See, it is working. Keep at it" Zelda urged him.

Diving back into her neck, Elias drank even more of her blood, relishing in the vigour his body had now reacquired.

"Elias, I am so sor.." He heard Emma say, as she opened his door. To her, it looked as if  they were lost in a passionate moment. By then, his arm had returned to normal, making the situation even more frightening to her.

"F-Forgive me for intruding" she said leaving quickly, hurt evident across her face.

"Emma..." Elias tried to stop her but she was already running down the hall.

"Leave her Elias. It is better this way" Zelda said apathetically.

Elias frowned as blood dripped down the side of his oral commissures. He imagined how it must have seemed to Emma but desperately tried to tell himself that he did not care about what she thought.

Instead of overthinking himself into a bad mood, he sat on his bed, marvelling at his new hand. Everything was exactly the same as the one before. The hairs that insulted his skin, the veins than ran to his finger, his clawed fingernails, it had all returned to him.

"I knew you were powerful but this, this is something else. Regeneration! That's bloody amazing. Never in my life did I think I could do it!" Zelda said, ogling at his arm as he flexed it before clenching and unclenching his fist.

"What did you say?" Elias asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I just mean I never thought my blood could help you heal like this" Zelda told him.

"It sounded like something else though" Elias said as he stood up from the bed.

"Do not be ridiculous. Are you drunk off witch's blood?" Zelda tittered.

"Hmm" Elias sounded, squinting at the silver haired woman.

"Well, I must go. The King wants us to meet him in his cabinet soon so Syrus will come to fetch you. Get dressed" Zelda said after, dismissing herself from his chambers.

"You know, nothing ever stays hidden for long" Elias said as he zipped infront of her. "The chicks hatch from their eggs, the seed sprouts from the dirt and the water pours through the crevices of the rocks. You would do well to remember that"

"Zelda...the maker" he whispered dangerously as he used his newly formed fingers to twirl one of her curls in his hand.

"I'll keep that in mind" she said, her jaws clenched.

"Bide" she commanded, making Elias's entire body stiffen. Walking around him, she stomped theatrically down the hallway.

After a few moments, Elias was able to move again. Clenching his fists in anger, he refrained from kicking the chest inside his new quarters and breaking it like he did the one in Gandalwell.

"Uhh, is it a bad time, Eli?" Syrus asked, popping up infront of the open door.

"Yes!" Elias thundered, slamming the door.

"I have got to keep this bloody door locked" he muttered to himself.

Selvalley, the same morning.

The minotaur had struggled to travel back to his kingdom. With his horns forcefully removed, his body screamed in agony as blood dripped down his snout, obscuring his vision and painting it red.

When he finally arrived at the castle of Selvalley, the guards immediately let gave him pass in order to report to their new leader.

"Where are the others?" she asked angrily, frowning as the lone creature stumbled inside the throne room.

She had a vicious temper and her entire body emanated evil, crippling those around her with fear.

"Th-ey were de-feat-ed" the minotaur syllabicated, his voice deep and husky.

Unbeknownst to their enemies, they could actually speak, for they were not born as beasts. Though they had to break the words down, they were still able to be interpreted.

"Defeated? By whom?" She said, standing from her new throne.

She had discarded the old, wooden seat that once belonged to King Arthur after killing him and his entire family and created a new seat using their bones, along with all the other unlucky mortals who had crossed her path. Selvalley was now at war with the other great kingdoms and should she succeed, they would rule not only Europe, but eventually, the world. This was her ultimate revenge and with her at the rebellion's helm, there was little anyone could do to stop her.

She was feared, she was strong and the most dangerous fact of all was that she was angry.

"It w-as him" the minotaur said, dropping his gaze from the woman.

"And how was he?" She questioned curiously, her chin tilted in the air slightly as she regarded her minion.

"He w-as ex-cep-tion-al" it answered truthfully.

"Good" she nodded, smiling evilly.

"I cannot wait to see him again then"

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How is everyone doing?
I hope you are all staying safe and taking care of yourselves.

Thank you for the support ❤️