Chapter 4 Morning and Murder

Ruby was having breakfast on the front porch overlooking her magnificent garden of red roses and blue and purple orchids. Butterflies the color of the orchids fly here and there to feed on the nectar while some attached themselves to Ruby's hair because she inserted a few orchids and roses in her twin braids meeting at the back of her head. She wore a red and white dress with a red ribbon in the torso and two white ribbons on its side. It has a corset design and frills in the skirt. The outfit made her look like a doll and any person who would see her will think so.

A stone table was in front of her with thin metal legs and on top of the table are arrays of food and elegant china. There are pieces of bread in a wood weaved plate, tea in a tea set complete with sugar, honey, and milk, a brown dish consisting of beef, potatoes, red bell pepper, and carrots, ham, and a large stake. A slice of blueberry cheesecake sat in the most beautiful blue saucer she owns, this is her favorite food of all. There's also a pitcher of milk for Ruby's daily calcium to help her grow. Ruby looked like a cute doll having a tea party all on her own. Zwei was on her feet deep asleep. Everything was peaceful and fairytale-like and with days like this Ruby couldn't help but smile in contentment.

Ruby was reading a book called King Arthur and the Knight's of The Round Table as she was slicing through her cake. She was so invested in her reading that she didn't notice someone sneaking up on her. A sharp blade was pressed against her neck but she only bats an eye and remained calm.

"Good morning, Dyrroth." she said calmly.

"What's good in the fucking morning? Explain everything before I slit your throat." Dyrroth threatened. The purple and blue butterflies flew off from her hair in panic which made the girl look majestic however her "companion" doesn't seem to care.

"You passed out for two days due to the amount of poison circulating your bloodstream. The boar's poisoned blood seeped into your wounds but thankful Lazuli's water and the magic charcoal cleaned your blood and absorbed the poison. I nursed you back to health and cleaned and repaired your clothes or whatever that spiky thing is." Ruby explained before drinking her milk.

"You're welcome by the way." she added. Dyrroth clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"I'm not thanking you. Why do you even look like that? You look like an eyesore. What is that a fairy tale reference? The little red riding hood get up is so annoying. Who the fuck sends a little girl in a monster-filled forest wearing a bright red cloak? Her parents must have hated her to send her happy trotting to her death. But then again a big strong man came to her rescue like all the other shitty tales. I like the version where she gets eaten by the wolf." Dyrroth ranted. Instead of being angry, Ruby giggled.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Well, I've always thought the same way. It's just funny that someone said it like that." Ruby answered. Dyrroth gave her an annoyed scowl, hating her sweetness and innocent girl vibe

"How did a bitch like you still alive in a place like this?" Dyrroth asked looking down at her with sincere curiosity.

Ruby lifted her head to meet him in the eye and gave him a smirk. "Isn't it obvious? I'm good at killing monsters." She answered with a mischievous glint in her eyes. An amused smile graced Dyrroth's lips at the girl's answer.

"Care to join me for breakfast instead of trying to murder me. You've been asleep for two days after all." Ruby pointed to a chair opposite hers. A minute passed with none of them moving until Dyrroth took the blade away from Ruby's throat and placed it on the table.

He pulled the unoccupied chair and sat. He flipped an upside-down plate and took all the stake for himself as well as the brown dish and the ham, basically all the meat in the table and started "eating". Dyrroth ignored Ruby and only focused on eating while Ruby also ignored Dyrroth although his barbaric eating is annoying her and just focused on reading her book and eating her blueberry cheesecake. Ruby heaved a sigh in contentment as her dessert stimulate her taste buds. Not a word was exchanged between the two as they live in their own worlds.

A sudden question made itself present in the girl's thoughts and she can't help but voice it in the presence of the demon.

"Dyrroth if I may ask, how did you get in here? "

"I moved my feet and walked in here." Dyrroth answered sarcastically.

"That's not what I mean. There's a thick fog surrounding the forest that cuts it off from the rest of the world. Other than the forest's ominous and dark appearance it also keeps the world 'in the dark' of what sort of things are here thus the name Dark Forest. No one knows everything here even I who live my whole life in this place." Dyrroth only ate his food with disinterest in the girl's words.

"The Lady of the Lake, a close friend of mine, creates and maintains the fog surrounding the whole forests which keeps the monsters and everything else out that's why in scriptures this place is also called the Realm of Monsters. The trees on the edge of the forest are said to repel demons from entering, that's why I was wondering how you got in here in the first place."

"As I said, I moved my feet and walked in here. " Ruby's brows creased in annoyance staring at the male demon before being replaced by a look of realization.

"You don't know how it happened." She uttered under her breath saying it more to herself rather than her companion. Dyrroth didn't say a word and only focused on filling his stomach.

"Did you come here with other demons? " Ruby asked in confirmation.

"I came with a squad of demons who died the moment they entered. Weak idiots."

"That's the normal thing to happen but how did the fog not kill you as well? It kills demons but lets everything else enter like elves and humans who then will be most likely killed by monsters."

"I'm just exceptionally strong unlike those other shits and can you shut up already, it's ruining my meal."

"I'll just consult Lazuli about this." Ruby said ignoring the demon. Silence reined after that, the two chose to live in their own separate worlds.

When Dyrroth finished eating he popped a bottle of wine open and poured himself a cup. This made Ruby look up from her reading and give him a disapproving gaze, her mouth agape.

"Any problem Red?" Dyrroth raised a brow at her.

"You shouldn't really drink alcohol early in the morning. It's bad for your health." Ruby reprimanded gently.

"You're not my mother nor are you my wife." Dyrroth answered plainly, stirring his wine by rotating the goblet.

"You're such a whiny demon and you never listen. Is your childhood really that bad for you to be such an ass?" Ruby retorted. Dyrroth only growled not wanting to continue with the conversation. Seeing this placed a proud smirk in Ruby's lips.

The maiden sipped her milk with the smirk still in her face. She remembered the deal they made two nights ago and asked him about it.

"By the way, do you still plan on collecting those items or should I send you off?"

"No, we're still collecting them not as a favor but as an adventure. The true question is, are you up for it?" Dyrroth challenged with a devious smile which Ruby returned with a determined one.

"Bring it on."

A river flows from south of the Elven forest and through the middle of the dark forest. Follow the river fifty meters east from the Ruben village and there you will find a break in the fog behind the only fruit-bearing tree. Behind the tree is a path that leads to the village Stark where I grew up in. But beware of the dark forests for it is the den of great monsters. There are faceless monsters that will stalk you and attack in your moment of weakness, gigantic spiders that will wrap you up in their web and feast on your blood, flowers pretending to be meek and mild but are actually poisonous carnivores, but worst of all are the beowolves. Bloodthirsty cruel monsters. These breasts are twice stronger than regular wolves and trice the smarter. Their strength comes from being a pack so you will seldom see a lone wolf. Mostly be wary of the alpha or the Wolf King for he is the strongest of them all. They are everywhere in the forests hunting and killing so it is very likely that you will encounter a pack once you enter. Your worst enemy however is fear, the beasts that dwell in the forest can literally smell your fear.

From this entry, the journal said nothing more about the directions to get in the village and instead went on a long list about the monsters that dwell in the Dark Forest and how to deal with them, which is a great help if you are in the Dark Forest. Which Alucard isn't currently. He is lost in the Enchanted forest and he cannot find the river which the journal spoke of plus he can't figure out where he is in the map there are only woods all around him and his map only contains the Leonin village, Elven kingdom, Ruben village, and a cross mark indicating the Stark Village.

He sighed for the nth time. His mentor's daughter better be nice and beautiful or else this quest is a total waste of time.

"Where is that damned river?" He muttered.

A scream pierced through the air and a body rocketed in front of Alucard and got impaled on the tree. It wore blue and has white hair, a black spear protruded from his back as blood seeped from the wound. The person was obviously dead so Alucard went to inspect the body.

He noticed the person's pointy ears. A moon elf, he thought. The elf was a male and an archer at that because of the quiver on his back. Alucard noticed something odd about the spear that killed the elf, it seems like black energy is circulating around it and it seems familiar.

"Abyss, the Spear of Quiescence!" Alucard exclaimed and got up to his feet, preparing to fight. He heard more screams coming from the west so he ran to help.

It took him five minutes to encounter someone and that someone happens to be an eleth (female elf) fighting against a swarm of demons all on her own. She was perched on top of the tree branches as she shot arrows after arrows that always got its target. There was something odd about her arrows, they were glowing blue and magical as she let them soar and kill.

Alucard was amazed by her skills and beauty, he found himself admiring her valor as well. He noticed a silhouette from behind the woman who held a dark spear.

"Archer behind you!" Alucard yelled and pounced branch to branch to attack the silhouette. The eleth instantly jumped to another branch just in time to avoid a spear to her back.

Alucard assaulted the unknown assassin hitting him with his greatsword but the assassin vanished in a smoke aware of his presence so he sliced the branch instead. He fell with the branch but maneuvered his body so that he can land with only a few injuries.

Alucard jumped a few feet and evaded a spear which planted itself into the ground. Another one flew into the air while a few more follow it softly. Alucard used the flat of his blade to block the impending attacks but a few managed to tear the fabric of his coat. It seems like the attacks of his enemy are becoming faster and faster so he parried and dodged with the vigor of an enraged lion.

Alucard jumped into a tree branch and kept running and evading stray arrows and spears. He located his enemy and plans to slice him in half. This time the man didn't know where he was so Alucard was able hit him with his blade. He successfully left a large wound upon the purple man's chest and arm which is also his dominant one that he used to summon and throw his spears. The man released a loud scream in pain as he weakly summoned another spear but Alucard kicked that hand which sent the spear to the ground. The action made the assassin's shoulder hurt more so he instinctively clutched it as he released a loud growl.

Alucard swung his sword to land the killing blow but a fuchsia blood orb hit him in the chest which sent him flying from the branch.

"Moskov retreat!" ordered a woman with platinum hair, large horns, and red and black dragon wings. Moskov once again turned into smoke and vanished, he reappeared beside the woman.

"He surprised me Alice I," Moskov tried to explain but was cut off by the woman.

"Do not justify your incompetence! Find Balmond and tell him to bring me that elf king and tell those useless orcs to take as many elves as they can so that I can feast on them."

"Yes, my lady." Moskov vanished again to fulfill his orders.

A blue circle appeared below Alice with unknown alphabets inscribed in it as myriads of blessed arrows rained down on her. Five of those arrows successfully impaled her in her arms like spears made of blue light protruding from her body but she shed no blood. Alice glared as she removed one on her arm like it was nothing and threw it to the direction where she saw the elf. Its moonlight like glow vanished and was replaced by an aura of insidious crimson. It aimed for the female elf but she successfully evaded it however an unlucky elf behind her took the hit instead.

"General Miya, it's all up to you now." the elf said as blood gurgled from his mouth.

Miya watched as her companion falls to his death on the grassy ground lifeless as a leaf. Miya turned her attention to the Abyssal Witch and gave her the sharpest glare filled with nothing but hate and rage. Miya released a loud battle cry as she shot arrows after arrows at her enemy who deflected them with her blood energy (basic attack). Miya turned invisible and went closer to Alice who looked around in angered confusion.

Three arrows flew at the same time towards Alice but she dodged them by flying upwards however a barrage of arrows once again rained down on her as the blue circle formed below her feet. The magical arrows pierced through her wings, back, and limbs which caused her to fall down to the ground.

Miya kept shooting arrows at her which the weakened witch barely evaded, rage and bloodlust for the witch's death never diminish from her eyes. Alice shot a blood orb towards Miya which hit her stomach and passed through her back. Alice teleported using her blood orb and released an energy blast that stunned Miya (Alice's second skill) then activated her Ultimate skill, Blood Ode. A disk-like fuchsia aura surrounded Alice which extended for a five-meter radius.

Miya was caught inside this magical disk and a white fog-like rope connected with her to Alice. She can feel her energy and life force being drained from her body. Miya had a difficulty of moving, she can't think straight much less lift her bow.

Alice's wounds started healing and her energy started returning as she steals the life from the eleth. She released a sinister laugh at this and went closer to the elf.

Miya lifted her bow enough and summoned a single arrow. She tried pointing her bow at Alice but the witch was already close and sent the bow flying using her blood energy (basic attack). She grabbed Miya's silver hair to hold her in place and sunk her teeth into the elf's porcelain neck. Miya released a loud scream as she flailed. Luckily Alice's ultimate was over but the sensation of her blood draining was stopping her from thinking coherently.

She elbowed Alice on the stomach which made her stagger back. Alice threw another blood energy in rage but Miya dives to get her bow which made her evade the attack. Miya was already weak and low in mana but she tried her best to summon another arrow but it flickered on and off while Alice was brewing a blood orb five times bigger than her normal ones.

Alas even if she mustered up every mana left in her body the arrow she was trying to build flickered off perpetually and unluckily for her, Alice finally finished with her blood orb.

"Prepare to die you stupid elf whore. I would have loved to drink your blood dry while you watch as my henchmen destroy your useless Moon shit temple but alas you became too much of a nuisance so... Goodbye!" Alice sent the blood orb flying her way. Miya tried so hard to lift her body from the ground but she can't move a muscle, Alice's Blood Awe still lingers a little.

Just when the orb was about to kill her, a large shock wave sliced through it and hit Alice in the stomach destroying her clothing and clipping her wings a little.

"Aaahhh!" she screamed.

Alice was sent flying to the ground as Alucard burst out from the foliage. Alucard pounced on her to cut her down but she dodged however the demon hunter successfully cut off her right arm and clipped her right-wing.

Alice released a piercing cry and shot a flowing blood orb towards the opposite direction of the demon hunter. When it reached its maximum distance she teleported herself to it and made her escape. Alucard didn't pursue her and instead went to check on the injured elf.

Alucard lifted her head into his arms and checked her pulse. He sighed in relief when he found one. He lifted her in his arms and grabbed her blue bow. He carried her to where he thinks is the direction of the Elvish Kingdom. His path was dark but was slightly illuminated by phosphorescent plants of every colors as well as the flickering fireflies.

He looked down at the eleth's blood and dirt-stained face. Even with dirt in her face the Moon Archer Elf was still beautiful. Her silver hair shined like the moon under the bio lights and her lips are as pink as rose buds and looked as soft as the petals. They were very tempting to kiss but Alucard focused on the task at hand.

After minutes of navigating through the forest and killing stray orcs which was quite difficult with a sleeping damsel in his arms, he finally reached the shores of the Moon lake. Along his way are myriads of orc and elf corpses, some had many arrows attached to their bodies though mostly the orcs, some lost their heads, hands, legs, or all of them, while some had dark spears and swords, impaling them. There were hundreds of weapons lying in the ground or sheathed in the dirt, their owners most likely dead or dying because there are plenty of both. One elf was even trying to pull a spear out of his stomach even though his liver is already on the ground. An eleth has her chest split open revealing her rapidly beating heart and lungs while a blue orc tried pulling the spear buried in the ground that impaled his throat. Everywhere you look is a sight of death and the sights can haunt you in your nightmares for the rest of your life, but the only good thing is that the orcs are starting to retreat however there are some still fighting.

Alucard saw some orcs bring young elf warriors with them who flailed and protested but were knocked unconscious by the cruel monsters. He wanted to save them but the eleth seems to be in a critical situation and immediately in need of medical attention and perhaps magical as well. He also didn't want to bite more than he could chew so he just kept focusing on bringing the silver haired to the palace.

The night sky was brilliant with billions of stars and the silver moon shining above. For the first time in three weeks he stopped thinking about the maiden he really needed to rescue and instead focused on the beautiful woman in his arms. Unbeknownst to him is that the maiden he really needed to save is with one of the most dangerous person you could ever be with in the whole world.