Atlantis The Beginning

12. Pirates And Vampires

  It had been almost two days since they set out from the Wolf Capital. Alice had insisted on riding a horse, but Lucy had refused. According to her, horses were too slow.

  ''Time is of essence'', she had said. ''We must reach Southfay as soon as possible''.

  Alice was a little scared at first, after all she did not have much experience riding on a werewolf. The two werewolves ran with the wind, twice as fast as any horse.

  They reached the ford of Zhor around sundown, where they decided to set up camp.

  ''I wonder where Scarlett is'', she sighed, as the two werewolves morphed back to their human form.

  ''They might be halfway to Morhurst by now'', replied Lucas.

  ''I hope we won't get killed even before talking to the Pirate Lord'', sighed Alice.

  ''They won't kill us'', said Lucy, uncertainly, ''as long as Stonearm has already sent the ships''.

  ''That is reassuring'', laughed Alice.

  Lucas started gathering wood and twigs to build a fire, while Lucy went to hunt for rabbits.

  It was starting to get cold. Luckily Alice had remembered to bring her fur cloak. By the time Lucy returned with the food, Lucas had already built a fire.

  ''What is that?'', asked Alice, pointing at the carcass in her hand.

  ''I don't know. I caught it along the way. Might be delicious'', she answered.

  ''I am not eating that!'', shuddered Alice.

  ''Don't worry'', she grinned. ''I brought a couple of rabbits too''.

  Lucy dropped the animals near the fire and began preparing a spit. Lucas and Alice took out their daggers and started skinning and cleaning the carcasses.

  As soon as the meat was cooked, Lucy distributed it among themselves.

  ''I am so hungry that even this tastes like the finest meal in the kingdom'', grinned Lucas.

  ''Even this? Next time, you can cook it yourself'', scowled Lucy, throwing him a murderous glance.

  ''It is starting to get cold'', shivered Alice.

  The lycan siblings did not appear to be affected by the cold. They had not even bothered to bring cloaks, and were wearing light leather outfits.

  As soon as they finished eating, Alice spread her bedroll on the ground and snuggled into it, pulling the fur cloak over her. Lucy slumped down beside Alice, while Lucas took the first watch.

  Alice tightly gripped the fur on the werewolf's neck as it bounded towards the mountains. Lake Vervain gleamed to their right, reflecting the evening sun. Lucy managed to keep up with her brother even with Alice on her back.

  After one more day of traveling, they reached Ithacus. The guard greeted them at the gate and let them in. They headed straight towards the inn, which had been turned into a temporary headquarters for the eleventh pack.

  Alice smiled, remembering the night she and Scar had sneaked in and killed the Empire's soldiers. She was beginning to miss her best friend.

  They collected the necessary supplies for the rest of their journey. It was already past noon, so they decided to spend the night.

  They set out at dawn. Before long, Ithacus was just a tiny speck on the horizon.

  Slowly, the country side started yielding to wilder lands, covered with brambles and stunted trees. By nightfall, they were able to see the mountains looming before them. The peaks looked like a black mass against the gray backdrop of the sky.

  By noon, the next day, they reached the foot of the mountains. The weather started to change, getting colder and rougher. We had traveled only a few leagues when the wind started to howl, ripping at the trees.

  Lucy stopped near a rock outcropping that would protect them against the wind. Alice jumped down and leaned against the back of the rock, pulling the cloak closer around her. She was shivering with cold. It had never been this cold in Atlantis.

  Lucas turned back to his human form.

  ''We cannot go any further today, at least for your sake'', he said, looking at Alice. ''Are you alright?''.

  ''A....A little cold'', she stuttered, her teeth chattering.

  Lucy who was still in her wolf form, snuggled beside her. Alice leaned against the giant wolf, grateful for the warmth.

  Lucas opened his pack and passed her a loaf of bread.

  ''I don't think we can build a fire in this weather''.

  Alice nodded, nibbling at the bread. Lucas spread a bedroll at the back for her.

  ''Here'', he said. ''You can go to sleep now''.

  Alice held up the rest of the bread for Lucy. The wolf snapped up the bread and gulped, before running her tongue across Alice's cheek.

  ''Stop'', giggled Alice.

  She grabbed a spare cloak from her pack and snuggled against the rock wall on her bedroll. Lucy slumped down beside Alice, shielding her from the cold wind.

  In a few minutes, Alice was sound asleep, breathing peacefully into Lucy's fur.

  Their ascent was steady and slow, with the cold wind battering against them. Alice buried her face in Lucy's fur as she bounded up the pass. The mighty, snow tipped peaks loomed over them.

  Alice was anxious to reach the other side of the mountains. The only thing that was preventing her from freezing to death was the warmth emanating from the werewolf.

  The path was starting to get steeper and more difficult. By nightfall, they had almost reached the top of the pass.

  The werewolves plodded on through the snow as they began their descent down the mountain.

  It was almost midnight, when they came across a small rock shelter in the side of the mountain. They shared the loaf of bread in Alice's pack and drank some water from the waterskin.

  ''Have you ever traveled through the mountains before?'', asked Alice.

  ''No'', replied Lucas. ''Rarely does anyone travel to Southfay, except by sea. It is an isolated port city. Even Viktor hasn't bothered to take it back from the pirates''.

  ''It has been a long, tiring day. Take some rest, Alice. You need it'', said Lucy.

  Alice nodded, spreading her bedroll on the ground.

  ''Goodnight'', she whispered, as she leaned her head against her backpack and closed her eyes.

  The next day, they continued their journey down the icy slopes. The sun had just started disappearing below the horizon, when they reached the base of the mountain.

  Before them, stretched the port city of Southfay. It was beautiful, with intricate houses and lush gardens. Wispy clouds swept by overhead. Hundreds of ships littered the bay.

  There was one ship that stood out from the others, looming over them. It was bigger than any ship Alice had ever seen.

  Its sails were emblazoned with the Pirate Lord's crest, a hooded skull surrounded by nine bones. On its bow was carved a figurehead of the sea god with a trident in his right hand, below which were painted the letters 'POSEIDON'. It was the flagship of the Pirate Lord, Edward Payne.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  ''Phoebe was right'', I whispered, as I stared at the dark fortress of South Warren, where most of Empire's forces had gathered.

  The base was surrounded by wide stone walls about fifty feet tall. Its battlements were crawling with armed sentinels, who kept watch over the surrounding plains.

  We were crouching behind a clump of boulders, out of sight from the sentries. It was well past sundown.

  The fortress was surrounded by thousands of enemy tents. The soldiers patrolled the surrounding lands on their mounts. Multiple watch fires glowed at regular intervals.

  ''The lycans cannot defeat an army of this magnitude'', said Julian. ''And these are just the Empire's troops, without considering those of Argent and Cerebrene''.

  ''We cannot go into the city'', I said. ''It is probably filled with soldiers. By any luck, we might be able to get some supplies at Norwood''.

  We carefully crawled back to our camp, keeping to the shadows of gnarled trees that dotted the hill. The night was dark and cold, with a light mist hanging in the air. The stallions pawed at the ground nervously.

/>   We did not dare light a fire, which would probably draw the attention of the soldiers and give away our location. Julian grabbed a loaf of bread from his pack and started nibbling on it, while I took a long draught from my blood skin.

  ''Take some rest'', I told Julian. ''I will keep watch''.

  The night drew on in silence, except for the occasional screeching of bats. I closed my eyes and strained my ears, listening to the sounds of night. I could hear the babble of countless voices, mixed with the clanging of weapons and neighing of horses from the encampment.

  I opened my eyes as the first rays of the sun filtered through the leaves. I woke Julian and we were back on our way as soon as he had finished his breakfast.

  ''We are nearly out of supplies'', said Julian.

  ''How far is Norwood?'', I asked.

  ''We might reach it before sundown''.

  Slowly, the trees started to get farther apart, before giving way to wide grasslands. After riding for several leagues, we finally caught sight of the village at a distance. I lowered my hood as we spurred the horses toward the gates.

  The guards lazily waved us in, without even giving us a second glance. We found a small inn at the end of the street. We tethered the horses in the stable and checked in. Julian went out to gather supplies for our journey. I went up to my room and dumped my backpack and sword in the corner, before I crashed on the bed.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  Alice winced as the pirate poked her shoulder with his curved sword. ''Move!'', he snarled.

  Lucas was in chains behind her. They were being herded to the palace that loomed in the middle of the city. It was beautiful, with an intricately decorated exterior. The streets were filled with pirates and nervous civilians.

  We had decided that Lucy stay behind, in case we did not return. She was well hidden in the woods on the slopes of the mountain.

  The gates opened and they were ushered into the throne room.  Beautifully carved stone pillars held up the domed ceiling. The floor was made of white marble.

  At the far end was a silver throne, on which sat a beautiful woman. She looked proud and noble, even though she was dressed like a pirate, with a plumed hat.

  Alice's jaw dropped when she saw the man standing near the throne. It was Ronin! The mercenary who had tried to kill Scar. He winked at Alice, giving her a wicked grin.

  ''I have seen you before, haven't I? You were with Scarlett Ironfang'', he said.

  ''Yes'', replied Alice, throwing him a look of contempt. ''Anyway, we came here to talk with the Pirate Lord''.

  ''He is quite busy'', said the woman sitting on the throne. ''And you are not in a position to make any demands''.

  ''Let her speak, sister'', said Ronin, nodding at Alice.

  At that moment, a pirate walked up to the dais and whispered something in the woman's ear.

  ''Very well'', she said, before turning to Alice. ''You may speak''.

  ''I speak on behalf of the Wolf King'', said Alice. ''We need your help to take down Viktor Grimm''.

  All the pirates assembled in the palace started laughing.

  ''And why would we help you?'', asked the woman. ''We do not deal with lycans''.

  ''I am not a lycan'', said Alice. ''I am an Atlantian''.

  The woman looked surprised. She looked at Ronin, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

  ''It is true'', he nodded.

  ''We will speak with the Pirate Lord himself'', said Lucas.

  ''You do not speak, wolfling'', snarled the woman. Lucas angrily gritted his teeth, but did not react further. He could have easily taken down the woman, but he knew that he was no match for the Pirate Lord.

  ''Where is Edward Payne?'', asked Alice.

  Suddenly, the air shook, and there was a sudden blast of wind. Standing in front of them was the Pirate Lord himself. He wore a long, hooded cloak, with two swords strapped to his back. He looked formidable with his fierce, handsome features.

  ''Showoff'', muttered Ronin, rolling his eyes.

  ''A hunter, I see'', said the Pirate Lord, looking at Alice. ''You wanted to speak to me?'', he asked.

  Alice stared at the newcomer with wide eyes. She almost gasped when her eyes fell on his neck, which bore the Hunter's mark.

  She gathered her bearings and said, ''The Wolf King wants to strike a deal with you''.

  ''And what does he want?'', asked the Pirate Lord.

  ''You are to launch an attack on Kingsport with your armada''.

  ''Interesting'', said the Pirate Lord, and the woman snickered. ''And why would I do that?''.

  ''In exchange for hundred chests of gold'', continued Alice. ''He has already sent a hundred ships, as a peace offering. They have probably arrived by now''.

  The Pirate Lord was silent for a moment before he answered. ''That is a reasonable offer. But, if I am to attack the Empire's fleet in Kingsport, I want a ship for every one of mine that gets damaged during the attack, in addition to what he has already offered''.

  ''That is too much'', said Lucas, angrily.

  ''Silence, mongrel!'', snarled the pirate woman, rising from her throne.

  ''Peace, sister'', whispered the Pirate Lord, in a calm voice, before turning to Lucas. ''Those are my terms. I will begin the attack on Kingsport during the next spring tide. Tell your king to keep the gold ready. I will be coming to collect it soon'', he said, before he started dissipating into mist, which was carried away by a breeze.

  ''You can leave now'', said the pirate woman, sitting back on her throne. ''Remember the agreement. We will come for our gold''.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  ''How are we supposed to get inside?'', I asked, looking at the stone walls that surrounded the Vampire Capital. They were over seventy feet tall, stretching on both sides of the iron gate as far as I could see. The battlements were crawling with vampire sentinels.

  We were standing at the edge of a forest, where it joined a huge plain separating the woods from the city. There wasn't much traffic on the southern road, save for an occasional wagon or two, since most of it passed through the eastern gates.

  ''We should somehow get inside those gates'', said Julian.

  ''We can pretend to be travelers''.

  ''No, that is too dangerous. They will surely recognize you. This is Argent''.

  He pondered for a while, leaning against a tree. ''Wait'', he said, looking up. ''What about the prison wagons?''.

  ''What prison wagons?'', I asked, puzzled.

  ''The prison wagons that are used to transport prisoners into Argent''.

  ''Oh, alright'', I said, ''but I haven't seen any prison wagon pass by since we reached here''.

  ''We will have to wait till one of them arrives'', said Julian. ''We can ambush them and hitch a ride''.

  I agreed, since we had no better plan. We spurred our steeds back towards the road. Once we were safely under cover of the dense forest, we tethered the horses and waited beside the road, hidden from sight.

  Occasional travelers passed by, but I did not see any wagons. The shadows grew longer, as the sun began to set.

  ''How long do we have to wait?'', I asked impatiently.

  ''We might even have to wait for a whole day. We don't have any other choice. The walls are impenetrable''.

  Finally, after hours of waiting, I saw a closed wagon headed straight towards our hiding place. It was surrounded by four mounted vampire escorts.

  ''Please tell me that is a prison wagon''.

  ''It is'', he replied.

  ''I will take care of the guards'', I told Julian. ''You stop the wagon''.

  He nodded, stringing his bow. I drew my sword and braced myself as the wagon drew nearer. I strained my ears, and sure enough, I heard the heartbeats of around ten scared humans.

  When the wagon was directly in front of me, I charged. The guards were taken by surprise. Before they could even react, I sliced off one of their heads, before burying my fangs into the neck of another.


  ''Make a run to the city'', shouted one of the guards. ''We need reinforcements''.

  I ran my tongue over my lips in satisfaction, as the blood replenished my energy. The guard who had called for help, slashed at my head, but I ducked and pulled him off his steed, burying my sword in his chest.

  The fourth one tried to run towards the gates, but Julian was ready. The guard crashed to the ground, an arrow protruding from his back.

  He had already killed the wagon driver. I handed Julian my sword and said, ''Keep this with you. I will be one of the prisoners. You be the coachman''.

  Julian nodded, strapping my sword to his belt and covering it with his cloak. I snapped off the lock and opened the wagon door.

  ''Who are you?'',asked one of the prisoners, glowering at me.

  I pulled him off the wagon and snapped his neck. We hid the bodies in the forest and covered them with some branches.

  Their horses had already scattered into the woods. I hoped they had not headed in the direction of the city. I pulled the hood over my eyes and covered my face with a ragged scarf.

  ''Give me your seat'', I demanded, gesturing at the prisoner sitting at the back.

  He nodded and scooted over, his eyes wide with fear.

  I sat down and asked the prisoners to move closer, so that I would be hidden from view. I rapped the sides of the wagon, signaling Julian.

  He closed the dead bolt and after a moment, the carriage started moving. From the barred window in the side of the wagon, I saw the forest give way to wide, green plains.

  ''Stop!'', shouted a guard, as we reached the main gates.

  The door opened and a sentinel  peered in. His eyes scanned the inside of the carriage, but did not linger for long.

  ''Where is the escort?'', asked one of the guards.

  ''This shipment is from South Warren. They did not deem it necessary to send any guards'', answered Julian.

  ''Alright, take them to the hold''.

  The carriage started to move. After almost an hour, it stopped again and Julian's head appeared at the window.

  ''All clear'', he whispered, and opened the door.

  He had stopped the wagon in the outskirts of the main city. We were surrounded by large trees and dense undergrowth. There was not a single soul nearby.

  ''What about them?'', I asked.

  ''Lock the door. We will leave them here for now'', replied Julian.

  ''Where is my father's house?'', I asked.

  Julian pointed at the lone, dark castle that stood on a small hill overlooking the city, ''There''.

            ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

  13. An Ally In Acantha

  The vampire city of Argent was almost bigger than Lycaonia itself. Dark clouds drifted across the sky, hiding the city in perpetual gloom. The buildings looked ancient, with intricate sculptures and decorations. The gardens were adorned with fountains and gargoyles. In the middle of the city, loomed a huge citadel, dark gray in color, with black towers and spires that rose to the sky.

  I felt a cold breeze sweep through the trees as we walked up the paved road towards my father's castle. It was situated at the edge of the city, away from the rest of the buildings, surrounded by large trees that towered over its walls. The gardens looked like they hadn't been attended to in a long time. The castle looked dark and mysterious.

  ''This city gives me the creeps'', I muttered.

  ''It doesn't seem like anyone lives here anymore'', whispered Julian, looking up at the dark castle windows.

  We walked up to the huge black door and knocked. I heard someone approach the door from inside.

  The door slowly creaked open and an old man peered out from behind the it. His scent was clearly human. ''What do you want?'', he asked.

  ''Does Gregor Ironfang live here?'', asked Julian, his right hand resting on the pommel of his sword under the cloak.

  ''No one lives in this castle anymore'', he replied, sourly. ''Except the servants. Gregor used to live here, until his father called him back to the citadel. Who are you anyway?''.

  ''I am Scarlett Ironfang'', I said, removing the hood and mask covering my face.

  He gasped and took a step back in surprise. ''You look just like her.  What are you doing here?''.

  ''We wanted some information''.

  ''You must be out of your mind. If someone sees you....'', he muttered, glancing around nervously. ''Come in. quick!''.

  He closed the door, before turning on us, ''What do you want to know?''.

  ''Do you know my father?'', I asked.

  ''Yes, of course. How could I forget the good master. And your mother too. She was very kind''.

  ''My father used to be in charge of the defenses at Aregon. Do you know...''.

  ''Scarlett!'', interrupted Julian.

  ''What?'', I asked.

  ''Can I talk with you for a moment'', he said, gesturing towards the corner.

  ''What?'', I asked again, as soon as we were out of earshot.

  ''Can we trust him?'', he whispered. ''He might inform the king. What if he lies''.

  ''We don't have much choice here. And I will come to know if he lies or does anything suspicious. Do not worry'', I reassured him. He nodded reluctantly.

  ''Anyway'', I said, looking at the caretaker. ''Do you know anything about the Black Castle? There might be something in his study. It is very important to us, and might even help us to rescue my father''.

  ''No. Everything was cleared after his imprisonment. I really want to help you. I loved both of your parents. They were always kind to me. But I don't know anything about your father's work''.

  ''What about his brother?'', I asked.

  ''Gregor is in the citadel. But you can never go there. The Vampire King hates you. The reason Lucien was thrown out of the citadel was because he married your mother, who was a human. He will kill you on sight''.

  ''But, what other way do we have? I have to save my parents, no matter what'', I said.

  ''Wait'', said the old man. ''There is someone who was very close to your father. He might have the answers you need. His name is Tristan Black. You will find him Acantha. If anybody knows about the Black castle, it is him''.

  As we headed back towards the city, I sensed the old man still watching us from the doorway.

  ''Was he telling the truth?'', asked Julian.

  ''I think so''.

  ''Well, that is reassuring'', he said, with a hint of sarcasm. ''Now, how are we supposed to get out?''.

  ''In that same wagon, of course'', I replied.

  ''I don't think they will let us take back the prisoners''.

  ''We are leaving them behind''.

  ''And you will be alone inside the wagon? In plain sight?''.

  ''Who said I was going to be inside. I will be under it''.

  ''Very subtle'', he chuckled. ''And I will be the driver again?''.

  ''Yes, you are returning back to the base'', I winked.

  ''As long as the wagon is still in the place where we left it''.

  As soon as we reached the carriage, I unlocked the door and looked inside. The prisoners looked at me with wide eyes.

  ''Get out!''.

  They scrambled out of the wagon and backed away from me.

  I closed the door and nodded at Julian, before rolling under the carriage.

  I lifted myself up, grabbing the bars underneath. I rested my legs on the hooks that were attached to a horizontal bar. I whistled, signaling Julian that I was ready.

  The horses started trotting forward, pulling the wagon with them. After a while, we finally reached the gates.

  ''Wait! Did you deliver the prisoners?'', asked one of the guards.

  ''Yes. I am returning to the base''.

  I was able to see their feet, as the guards inspected the carriage. The door opened and closed.

  I heard one of them call to Julian, ''Go!''.

  The carriage started to move again. We were out!

  As soon as we reached the cover of trees, Ju
lian stopped the carriage, and I rolled out from underneath it. I straightened up and brushed off the dirt from my clothes. Julian handed me my sword, which I strapped to my belt. We hid the carriage in the forest and set the horses free.

  ''For a moment I thought we were done for. Your heart was beating like the wings a scared hummingbird'', I said. ''They could have heard that''.

  ''I am sorry about that'', he apologized. ''I was a little tensed''.

  Our stallions were in the clearing where we had left them. I grabbed a blood skin from my pack and took a long swig.

  I sighed contentedly  as the blood sated my thirst. I swung onto my saddle and soon, we were on our way to Acantha.

  ''At least we completed the first task'', I sighed.

  ''It is better if we stick to the woods'', said Julian, as the road starting curving southwards from the forest.

  I nodded in agreement, spurring my horse off the road. After traveling for several hours, I heard the faint sound of rushing water.

  ''There must be a river nearby'', I informed Julian.

  ''Yes. The River Risetta. We can follow it till the Kil Falls. It might take more than a week to reach Acantha. It lies on the extreme eastern side of Aria, near the Gulf of Brytos''.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  It was almost mid afternoon, when Alice and the Talbot siblings reached the gates of Lycaonia.

  ''At last'', sighed Alice. ''I am going straight to my bed''.

  They had been traveling continuously for almost five days. Alice could barely walk with exhaustion. She felt like curling up right in the middle of the street.

  ''Yeah'', said Lucy. ''But first we will have to report to the king''.

  They finally reached the throne room, where the Wolf King sat on his throne. They bowed and waited for him to talk. He looked quite pleased to see them. ''I hope everything went well?'', he asked.

  ''The Pirate Lord accepted the deal. But he had one condition'', replied Lucas.

  ''What is it?'', asked the Wolf King, raising his eyebrow.

  ''He wants a ship for every one of his that gets damaged in the raid''.

  ''We can manage that. Better than losing them to the Empire. When does he start his attack?''.

  ''The next full moon. That is almost a couple of weeks from now''.

  ''Good, I am summoning the council tomorrow. You can leave now. Get some rest''.

  They bowed again, before walking out of the hall.

  ''See you tomorrow'', said Alice, waving at the siblings. She headed straight to her room. After a long soothing bath, she pulled on a set of fresh clothes and slumped into bed. Within a few seconds, she was fast asleep.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  ''How do we cross?'', I shouted over the roar of water pounding down on the stones.

  ''There is ford, a few leagues downstream'', replied Julian. ''Let's go''.

  I spurred my horse after Julian. We had stopped at a small fishing village, along the banks of Westria, but we had not stayed for long. As soon as we had gathered the necessary supplies, we had resumed our journey.

  Julian was right. It was slowly starting to widen. We followed the river till it was shallow enough for the stallions to cross. We came upon a narrow, beaten path across the river.

  ''This is a game trail, rarely used. It will take us directly to Carn''.

  ''How far is the village from here?'', I asked.

  ''At this pace, we will be inside its gates by noon, tomorrow. It is a small, secluded village. We have very little chance of running into any soldiers''.

  The woods started getting denser and more ominous. It was already past sundown. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, covering the stars.

  I heard a distant howl. It was very faint. It was probably a wolf.

  ''Did you hear that?'', asked Julian.

  ''A wolf?''.

  ''Or a Lycan''.

  ''So far from the Wolf Capital?''.

  ''There are many rogue lycans who do not belong to any of the twelve packs. If one of them is nearby, we are in real trouble''.

  I spurred my horse, urging it forward. It neighed nervously and broke into a trot. It was already midnight and we had covered almost five leagues. Suddenly, Julian stopped his horse.

  ''What is that?'', he gasped.

  ''What?'', I asked, pulling my horse alongside his.

  Then I saw it! A mangled corpse of a lion, lying right in our path. It was brutally mauled by something big, with claws and teeth.

  I stiffened as the breeze shifted southwards, carrying with it, a familiar scent.

  ''A werewolf!'', I shouted at Julian and jumped down from the saddle.

  There was terrible growl as something huge darted towards us from the darkness of the woods.

  ''I will take care of it'', I told Julian, as he reached for his sword.

  I drew Shadowfang and snarled in warning at the fast approaching beast. The horses neighed nervously and pawed at the ground. Julian caught hold of their reins, trying to stop them from bolting.

  I raised my sword and charged at the beast. It pounced, baring its dagger like fangs, and I sidestepped, but one of its claws grazed my cheek. Before it could turn, I swung Shadowfang, aiming for its flank.

  As soon as the blade pierced its hide, the werewolf started disintegrating, until there was nothing but a pile of bones left.

  I felt an itching sensation, as the gash on my cheek started closing. I sheathed my blade and brushed off the dried blood on my face.

  Julian handed me the reigns to my horse, and I jumped back on the saddle.

  ''You have grown, Scarlett'', he smiled. ''You are a true hunter now''.

              _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  Alice walked towards the throne room with Lucy. There was still no news on Scarlett and Julian, and she was worried.

  ''I'm sure she is alright'', said Lucy, as if reading her mind.

  ''But it would have been nice to know if they had succeeded in their mission''.

  Lucy nodded. The guards held open the door for them as they entered the throne room. Alice glanced at the assembled lycans. There were only five Alphas present.

  ''…...rendezvous with them at Dorholt'', Phoebe was saying.

  ''Yes, and I will go myself''.

  ''But, my lord'', protested Alistair, looking at the king. ''We need you in Lycaonia. I can go with her''.

  ''Do as I say, boy'', thundered the Wolf King. ''You will take care of the administration while I am gone. Phoebe and Lucas will assist you''.

  ''You are going alone?'', asked Alistair.

  ''No, Thelma and Norman will come with me''. The two Alphas inclined their heads.

  ''Scarlett Ironfang is destined to kill Viktor, and I am the only one who stands a chance against him. Together we can surely take him down'', said the Wolf King.

  ''I will come with you, my lord'', interrupted Alice. ''I cannot idle away in my room while my friend is in danger''.

  All eyes turned on her. Lucy was gaping at her in awe. The Wolf King's eyes twinkled in amusement as he considered her for a moment.

  ''Very well, you can come with me if you wish. But be warned. You are walking into grave danger and you might not return with your life''.

  ''I understand, my lord'', said Alice, bowing her head.

  ''You!'', called the Wolf King, gesturing at one of the servants, who was waiting near the door. ''Send a message to Julian. He is to wait for us at Dorholt''.

  The servant bowed and left.

  ''Prepare yourselves. We leave at dusk'', said the Wolf King. ''You can go now'', he dismissed them.

  Everyone except Alistair Talbot left the hall.

  ''Are you out of your mind?'', snarled Lucy, as soon as they were out in the corridor.

  ''I have to go. I promised to help her'', said Alice. She looked determined. ''I cannot abandon her now''.

  Lucy's face softened. ''Just be careful'', she said. ''And good luck. I hope we will meet again''.
>
  Alice hugged her friend goodbye and started walking towards her room. She was going to the dreaded Black Castle. She was scared, but that was not going to stop her. She was going to help Scarlett get her parents back. She was an Atlantian. She could not afford to be held back by something like fear. She was a hunter!

                _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  Acantha was one of the biggest cities I had ever seen. It was beautiful, with plenty of fountains and gardens. The large, ornate houses projected riches and fortune. Even the walls were intricately decorated. The streets were crowded with travelers and traders. It was easy to blend in.

  There were both vampires and humans among the crowd. I was surprised and pointed it out to Julian.

  ''How do they coexist?'', I asked. ''Won't the vampires attack the humans?''.

  ''No, Acantha has a different policy. There are exchange booths where the humans can sell their blood for money, which is in turn sold to the vampires. No one is allowed to hunt or kill in Acantha. If anyone breaks the rules, they are sentenced to death'', he replied. ''Better than what they do at Argent if you ask me''.

  ''I have never seen such a beautiful city anywhere but in Atlantis'', I said in awe. ''And it is so peaceful''.

  ''True. This is a major trade city of Aria. You will never find this kind of wealth anywhere else in the kingdom'', said Julian.

  I stiffened, as I sensed a dozen vampires approaching us from all directions. Before I could warn Julian, we were completely surrounded. They were all clad in black armor and bore wicked halberds. There was no way we could fight all of them and escape.

  One of them stepped forward and said, ''Come with us. Lord Tristan is expecting you''.

  I exchanged a shocked look with Julian. There was no way they could have known we were coming. Julian shrugged and said, ''Alright''.

  They escorted us to a large mansion that stood on the other side of the city, beside the river. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens, patrolled by armed sentinels.

  They led us inside building, past lengthy corridors, finally coming to a stop before a set of huge double doors. They did not even bother to take our weapons.

  ''Are we walking into a trap?'', I muttered.

  ''I hope not''.

  The doors opened into a wide, circular room, intricately decorated with delicate sculptures and carvings. A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling. Expensive paintings adorned the wall. One side of the wall contained shelves filled with books and scrolls.

  A lone vampire was standing near an ornate table. I assumed it was Tristan Black. He looked young and handsome, with black hair, which came up to his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard.

  Only his deep, knowing eyes betrayed his age. He was wearing a dark violet robe, embroidered with gold.

  ''Scarlett! Welcome to Acantha'', he beamed, spreading his hands. ''You look just like your mother, and you have Lucien's eyes'', he said, in a deep voice.

  ''How did you know we were coming?'', I asked.

  ''I know many things. In fact I know almost everything that happens in this kingdom''.

  ''So you know why we are here?'', asked Julian, raising his eyebrow.

  ''Yes. You want to know about the Black castle''.

  ''The steward at the castle said you were close with my father. How did you know him?''.

  ''We used to live together at his father's citadel in Argent. We went to missions together. We had many great adventures in our childhood'', he sighed, an edge of sadness creeping into his voice.

  ''What happened?'', I asked.

  ''He was invited by the then king to join the Imperial Guard, and I returned to Acantha. His father, the King of Argent, loved him very much. That was until he fell in love with your mother, Victoria. Orpheus was beside himself with rage. He ousted Lucien from the citadel, taking away his right to the throne. Not that Lucien was interested. He had a new castle built for him and Victoria in Argent itself. Nobody dared to question him, since he was one of the Imperial Guard''.

  ''Why was he imprisoned?''.

  ''Because of the prophecy. When he found out about it, he sent your mother to me. But she was waylaid by some rebels and was taken to their hideout. It was later that I found out that the rebels belonged to the Resistance. Lucien came to Acantha some time later, looking for your mother. He told me everything. It was good that she was not in Acantha, because Viktor had sent two of the most powerful members of Imperial Guard to capture her. The Witch, Zelda and the elf, Europa. We were no match for them. They took Lucien and left me wounded. But they did not get what they really wanted. You''.

  ''Then, how did my mother get captured?''.

  ''Probably there was a double agent among the rebels. She was captured at Jedborough'', he said. ''What you are trying to do now is very dangerous. Viktor is very powerful, so be wary. He should not be underestimated''.

  ''Do you know of the secret passageway into the Black castle?'', asked Julian.

  ''Yes, of course. I was there when they rebuilt the castle. But it has been submerged for hundreds of years''.

  ''How?'', I asked.

  ''The passageway was built when River Dracburn was but a small stream. But, since then it has widened into a big river. The mouth of the tunnel is visible only during the spring tide, when there is a high dip in the level of water. You still have time, since the next full moon is in ten days''.

  ''And where will we find the entrance?''.

  ''The Black Castle stands on a tall cliff, at the foot of which flows River Dracburn. The entrance is directly beneath the tallest tower, when seen from the opposite bank of the river''.

  ''Thank you. You have our utmost gratitude'', said Julian, inclining his head.

  ''I hope you fare well in your mission and may the gods watch over you'', he said. ''You can stay for the night if you wish. It's already past sundown. It is better if you are well rested before you start your journey. I have received information that the Wolf King has already started north, along with two Alphas. Together, you might be able to take down Viktor''.

  ''Thank you for your kindness, my lord. You have been most generous'', I said.

       

           ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~