“Those chains will hold, I assume?” Henry asked as he closed the firm iron door behind him that was engraved with a variety of magic inscriptions.

  “They will hold,” answered the priestess and the pseudo-leader of the Lavan tribe, Iluna. “The spell imbued into those chains is quite sly. The strength of the chain is fuelled by the strength that is exerted on the chains. The more one struggles to rid himself of the chains, the stronger the chains will be.”

  “Huh, that is sly. Very clever.”

  “This pce is designed for the worst threat that we may face. That said, what do you intend to do to them, my lord?” asked Iluna.

  “We’re alone now, Iluna. You can drop the lordship,” Henry said with a wink. The hallway wasn’t narrow, but only two individuals were present in such a vast space. Not even a guard was in sight. This was to be expected since this was the vilge dungeon, reserved for only the worst of the worst.

  “I can’t do that, Lord Henry,” Iluna refuted the lenience with a wry smile. “I’m aware that you wish to be our friend, but a friend is not what Ulrum needs.”

  “Then, perhaps you should start headhunting for the appropriate entity.”

  “We already have a suitable candidate.”

  Henry returned the wry smile. “Well, good luck with that.” He sighed in resignation.

  “Lord Henry, I trust that you are aware that the Lavans can’t possibly hold the two vampires here forever. We can’t spare the sustenance for them. Not because we ck food, but because feeding them carries too much risk.”

  “Do you prefer that I just kill them?”

  “I don’t prefer senseless killing, but if the death of those two eliminates any potential threat, then it would not be senseless killing.”

  “Well, you don’t need to worry, then.” Henry shrugged and began down the empty hallway that echoed with every step he took.

  “I still haven’t got an answer, Lord Henry,” Iluna said as she followed closely behind. “I have always believed in your decisions and actions, Lord Henry. I have never questioned or doubted your requests. But this is tremendously different. You asked for the vampires’ presence to be kept secret from most. You requested a pce of captivity that is known only to a select few. Therefore, I begged your forgiveness, but I have to be inquisitive here. What is your intentions with those two? You brought them back instead of killing them.”

  “It’s an experiment,” Henry answered after a short pondering.

  Iluna frowned. “What kind of experiment requires two vampire captives?”

  “I’m gauging the limits of their… empty bellies. I want to see how long they could go without sustenance before they… expire.”

  “....” Words hung on the tip of Iluna’s tongue, but she could find the will to let those words out.

  Henry noticed the strained expression on the priestess's face. He felt a tad guilty, but he had already made his decision. He couldn’t back down now. “You’re disappointed with me, aren’t you? Does my cruelty surprise you?”

  “I am not disappointed with you, Lord Henry. I could never. I don’t see it as cruelty. It’s just—”

  “You don’t have to lie, Iluna. I can see your unease. You don’t have to walk on eggshells in my presence.”

  “...I’m sorry, Lord Henry. Y-you are… correct. It is cruel and I am frightened, but I’m not frightened of you. I fear the repercussions from their queen.”

  “You have nothing to fear from her. If she’s smart, she won’t do anything to you or your people. She knows what I’m capable of; I made sure of that. She knows my petty and frail morality is the only thing that kept her nation from being razed by me.”

  Iluna gnced behind her. Her eyes were fixed on the door where the two vampires were held behind.

  “Do you pity them?”

  “I—I don’t…”

  “Remember, no eggshells.”

  “...I do. I know they are our enemy, but you keep them locked up and let them starve, just to measure their limits? This is— vile.”

  “It is, but it’s necessary. Vishara had proven themselves to be untrustworthy. I doubt she’s a fool, but greed can make the smartest person commit some of the most foolish deeds.”

  “She’s greedy?”

  “Perhaps greed isn’t the right word. How about lust, then? Her lust for power and vengeance. If she tries something daring, I need to know their weakness to retaliate efficiently.”

  They arrived at a gate. The stairs behind the gate would lead them to the surface.

  “...Are we at war, Lord Henry?” Iluna asked, stopping at the gate. Her hand was gripping the lever that would open the gate, but she did not pull the lever.

  “I don’t want to believe that we are but… we might as well be at war, albeit a subtle and silent one.”

  “I see…”

  Henry cast her a reassuring gnce and smile. “Don’t worry. Even if it comes to an all-out war, I would not involve Ulrum. Truth to be told, Ulrum and women are the one reason that I have not confronted Vishara directly. I don’t wish to involve them and my home. I can’t afford the colteral and damages. As long as Vishara does not harm them or Ulrum, I will never go to war with her.”

  “What if she does?” Iluna questioned. “What if she does harm one of your consorts?”

  “...For her own sake and the sake of the world, I hope she wouldn’t be that foolish.”

  Iluna pulled on the lever and the gate lifted open. “The two captives will be your responsibility, Lord Henry. I cannot spare any of my people to watch over them. I hope you can understand that.”

  “It’s alright. I have already asked plenty of you. I will not ask anymore of you. You can rest assured. Whatever happens, it won’t be your consequences to bear.”

  Iluna smiled wryly. “One does not get to choose which consequences to bear. Consequences decide their own bearers.”

  ****

  Shadows rose in tides.

  “How do you like this?” Yu taunted with a chuckle.

  “Weak and naive,” Rayne muttered and drove her fist into the shadows. The darkness whirled and rippled. A hole was drilled into the shadows.

  “Eek~!” Yu panicked and quickly retreated a few steps. The shadows shivered in response to her unrest.

  Rayne huffed and swept the shadows away with a kick. “Don’t panic,” she said as she lunged at Yu.

  “As if I can just do that like a flick of a switch!” Yu retaliated in a hurry, sending a barrage of barbed tendrils of shadows at the Zeva.

  “Brittle,” Rayne remarked, swatting away the shadow with the back of her fist. “Irresolute.”

  “How the hell did you do that?”

  “Your shadows cked strength and precision as a result of your loss of concentration.”

  Yu commanded more shadows to attack Rayne but the Zeva easily repelled the onsught with a series of acrobatic movements and offences.

  “I’m closing in.”

  “I can see that!” Yu unleashed a torrent of shadows upon Rayne.

  “Now, this is just foolish,” Rayne said and stomped the floor. They were on a stage, elevated around two feet from the ground. The tiles popped off and flew into the air, bringing all the smoke and dust trapped underneath along.

  The shadows descended and struck Rayne, or at least where Yu presumed her to be. All the clouds of smoke and dust obscured her vision. She lost track of her opponent. The smoke drifted with the breeze, inching its way to Yu. She looked around but her surroundings were slowly being enveloped by the smoke. “Shit,” Yu cursed.

  “And you are dead,” said Rayne, who was somehow standing just beside Yu with her straightened fingers pressed on Yu’s neck.

  “I give up.” Yu threw her hands up in resignation. The smoke was clearing. She could see the faint scorched marks that were dragged across the floor, a testament to Rayne’s speed. Despite that, she was silent in her approach.

  “A bit premature to surrender, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I wouldn’t. We’re only sparring after all. There’s no need for me to overexert myself, especially when I’m up against a sly opponent.”

  Rayne retracted her hand. “There’s nothing sly about me. This is a very basic combat technique and strategy. If you consider this sly, then you are not prepared for the battlefield. Your technique and approach leave much to be criticised, but your destructive capabilities are questionable.”

  “Anything that comes after a 'but' is just a bunch of hogwash. What’s the use of hitting hard if I can’t hit anything?”

  “At least you are well aware of the error in your limits. Now, shall we continue?”

  Yu slumped to the floor. “I’m pooped. I’m tapping out.”

  “...The proper tongue, please.”

  “It means I’m done. I can’t go on.”

  “Nonsense. You are still perfectly capable for a few more rounds.”

  Yu stared at Rayne in disbelief. “Just because I have the energy to spare, doesn’t mean I should use it all until I have none left. What about Ani? She rested enough.”

  “I have not rested enough,” retorted Ani, who was sitting on the bench beside the stage. “Don’t speak for me, Yu.”

  “I’m just being considerate.”

  “You can be considerate by taking my turn.”

  “Oh, I’m not that considerate.”

  “How convenient.”

  “What am I missing out here?” Henry asked as he appeared from the arches that paved the way into the training yard.

  “Nothing much,” it was Sarynn who answered. She was sitting just beside Ani but she was sitting in shade as the parasol was not rge enough to shield the entire bench. “I believe they are training.”

  “We’re sparring,” Rayne said.

  “Oh? How did it go?”

  “It went splendid— not. We got our asses kicked by Rayne,” Yu grumbled.

  “We couldn’t even nd a single hit or scratch on her,” Ani said.

  “Is it that bad?”

  “They are talented,” said Rayne. “They have potential, but even potential needs to be honed, and talent needs to be tempered. In the simplest of words, they need more training.”

  “Surely it doesn’t need to be this… extreme, does it?”

  “You fought those vampires. What do you think? Do you honestly believe we can afford to act so leisurely?”

  “I’m not suggesting that we should just sck. I’m questioning whether all this waste would eventually go to waste.”

  “This is no haste. We’re barely running. Those two that we caught and the one that you killed are mere scouts. They are not actual fighters. We could barely handle them. It might have seemed easy but it is not. It was easy because you were there. They dared not to exert their full strength. They were conserving their strength. We are still not strong enough. So, I implore you, don’t try to hinder our progress, even if you mean well.”

  “Rayne, I have no intention of hindering your improvement. In fact, I would like to help. Will you let me?”

  Rayne smirked. “You can start by climbing up to this stage.”

  Smiling wryly, Henry walked up to the stage and climbed up to it. “I don’t want to sound obnoxious and arrogant, but you do realise this spar will be quite unfair with me as your opponent. Do you need a handicap?”

  Rayne’s smirk widened. “We need no handicap.”

  “We?”

  “Yes, we. I won’t be the only one fighting you. We all will be. Me, Yu, Ani, and Sarynn.”

  “I’m included?” Sarynn questioned with a brow raised.

  “Yes, you are. So, get your arse up to the stage. Both of you.”

  “Wait, you’re being serious?” Henry asked.

  “What makes you think it was a jest? Or do you perhaps have no confidence in handling all four of us?”

  “It’s not a matter of confidence… well, maybe it is. I’m not confident that I can control my strength well if I’m up against all of you. I have learned to control my strength, but it’s another story when my opponents are the four of you.”

  “In that case, this shall be a great lesson for you too, my dear Henry.”

  “Oh, now you’re just tempting me.”