The night was cold, and each step up the stairs emphasized it more as the wind blew past.
Fularis' castle was grand, more grand than any other, including Cain's. It's bigger, more glamorous, higher quality, and overall much neater than the other castles. It gave Fularis' title meaning.
Growing up, Cassiel had only ever been to the city once, and yet, despite having a decent time back then, he had an absolute disgust and hatred for this city, and an indescribable feeling he couldn't explain even to himself.
However, soon he'd finally be given an explanation to those feelings, those same feelings he has even to this day, which has only grown ever the stronger as he finally reached the doors.
.....
Upon finally entering the castle, the immediate path forward is laced with a red carpet trimmed in gold, leading straight to a throne where a man was sitting.
"Oh finally, you're here!" The man yells out, giddy and excited.
"You must be the ones hired for my entertainment, right? Well, get to it then, entertain me, the great Gazardiel Tenebris!" The man would continue, never letting a moment pass where his voice wasn't heard.
After a couple moments pass, and Cassiel along with his party stand still, stunned by the behavior, Gazardiel grows impatient.
"You dogs, I said entertain me, now get to it before I have you all executed for wasting my time!" Gazardiel orders, barking like he himself was a dog.
As Gazardiel sits gleefully on the throne, his legs hanging off one of the arm rests as his body lays on the other, he laughs as Cassiel finally approaches.
Believing this to be the opening act for his amusement, Gazardiel claps excitedly for a few moments, before realizing Cassiel isn't stopping his advance.
"Will you cut that out?" Gazardiel snaps, his tone serious.
This throws Cassiel off guard, not expecting the weird act Gazardiel was displaying to continue.
"What?" Cassiel questions, confused.
"I said will you cut that out, you damn imbecile!" Gazardiel orders, seething with anger as no one had questioned him before.
Cassiel looks at the man, stunned.
"Damnit, what are you, a stupid mutt?" Gazardiel says, standing up, sticking his finger in Cassiel's face.
In just a moment's pass, Cassiel reaches up, grabbing Gazardiel's finger.
"You must have truly lost your mind... Nahka! Teach this fool a le-"
With another moment passing, his finger is savagely ripped and pulled from off his hand.
Looking on in terror as his decapitated finger laid gripped in Cassiel's fist, Gazardiel shrieked in pain, screeching at the top of his lungs as tears flowed down his face.
Without another minute passing, from both the left, and right corridors in the castle, a vampire walks out, each having eyes as red as crimson.
As Gazardiel rolls around on the floor, still crying out in pain, one of the vampires stares at Cassiel.
"You must be Cassiel Aeternus, yes? The great king, Nahka Aion, awaits your presence down this corridor." The vampire announces, her voice sounding almost robotic, as if following a script.
Staring at the woman, Cassiel sighs deeply.
"What are you lot are playing at? It's really starting to tick me off." Cassiel growls, cracking his fists as he walks towards her.
"My opponent is not you, Cassiel Aeternus. Go see the king while we keep your... warriors... company." She continues, stepping to the side to let Cassiel pass.
Before reaching her, Cassiel turns around, looking at his party.
Ophelia, Mihr, Kislev, Elysia, and Albus, but as his eyes gloss over him, Albus nods his head, as if to tell Cassiel to go.
"This shit is going to drive me insane..." Cassiel mumbles, walking past the woman, and into the dark hallway.
.....
With Cassiel no longer in sight, the two royals under Nahka step forward, a man and a woman.
"My name is Rosei Ombre, and this is my companion, Miral Sombre. We will keep you company as our king has a discussion with yours." The woman says, pulling two long, curved daggers out of sheathes off her back.
As she does so, the man beside her, Miral, pulls out a long, metal bo staff.
Rosei's long, black hair was in two split ponytails, dangling off the back of her head. Her attire was completely black, trimmed in an even darker fur lining.
Her companion, Miral, also had long black hair, and it draped down his back like a curtain made to block out the sun. It paired nicely with the long black robes he wore, which had many different engravings and lining along it, giving it a noble look. His face was also drawn on with two thick lines of black makeup dragging down his eyes, before disappearing beneath his chin.
Without wasting any time, Mihr stepped forward towards Miral, feeling drawn to him.
Not wanting him to be alone, Elysia and Kislev follow just behind him, leaving Ophelia and Albus to deal with the other one.
"I apologize, you seem mistaken." Miral states, walking behind Rosei.
"We fight together for a reason." Rosei continues, getting into a stance.
Stunned, Mihr feels slightly embarrassed, before his feelings are cut off by a loud boom as Albus and Rosei clash blades.
"You must be Albus. You're strong." Rosei says, complimenting Albus before spin kicking him, launching Albus into a wall.
With the dust clearing, Albus is seen standing, as his sword vibrates wildly after just barely blocking her attack.
"Everyone, we will have to work together. Mihr, protect Ophelia, you aren't skilled enough for this fight." Albus orders, blood dripping down off his forehead.
Without protest, Mihr dashes to the back, just off to the side of Ophelia to give her sight of the situation.
"Run behind me if an attack comes our way, I'm confident I can block anything." Mihr states, confidence filling his voice.
Ophelia nods, and immediately shoots off three arrows in quick succession, launched straight towards Miral.
However, before reaching him, the arrows dissolve mid air as a pool of blood surrounds Miral.
Following this, Kislev appears in front of Rosei, sending slug after slug towards her, only to be deflected with every attack.
As Rosei is distracted, Elysia uses this as her chance to appear behind her, dropping low to the ground and swiping her dagger at the back of Rosei's ankle.
Moments before the cut reaches her, however, Elysia is launched into the ceiling as a beam of blood had appeared right under her.
'This isn't good. A hunter who can block even Kislev's attacks with ease, and a mage that's casting tier four magic without a chant. If only I had full control over my heart...' Albus thinks to himself, charging forward, before being launched straight back as Kislev flies into him.
"Miral, now's the time." Rosei says coldly.
"Yes, of course, Rosei. Miral responds calmly as a huge sphere of blood forms over him.
"Fifth tier magic, Sanguine bomb." Miral chants, sending the huge sphere flying towards Ophelia.
Without wasting a moment, Ophelia dashes behind Mihr, before praying for her life.
"How... PATHETIC!" Mihr yells out, crossing his arms in an x while planting his feet into the ground.
The moment the ball connects with his skin, Mihr is pushed back slightly, which digs the ground up slightly despite it being a marble tiled flooring.
Screaming out in rage, Mihr takes a step forward, before launching the attack back forward, hurling it straight at Miral, before it dissipates into thin air.
Sweat drops down Miral's face and his hands shake slightly, not in fear, but excitement.
"It's you, isn't it. You're Mihr Cruor, the man conceived by Selenis Cruor and Charo Sombre, right?"