"Thorpe!" I shouted over the thunderous galloping of hooves.
"Yes, my lord," Captain Thorpe answered promptly.
"You and James, ensure we form a piercing formation when we besiege the castle," I commanded, urging my horse forward as we rode at tremendous speed toward the now-visible domain.
"Ready, men!" Thorpe bellowed.
"AHHHHHHH!" The army roared in response, their cries echoing like thunder across the field.
"Don't fail the lord!" Thorpe added, galvanizing the troops even further.
As the remaining distance to the target dwindled, the men began dismounting their horses, preparing for battle. My own horse, however, did not slow, instead gaining speed as we neared the city gates. Upon arrival, I noted with satisfaction that they were wide open. Marauders and highwaymen always underestimated the possibility of retaliation, their arrogance leaving them exposed to surprise attacks.
I dismounted swiftly, ensuring the gates remained open by shattering the bolts that would secure them. My horse, Cynex, reared and hooved the marauders to death with relentless force.
"Charge!" I roared, the ground trembling beneath the synchronized stomps of my infantry surging through the gates.
"Leave none of these bastards alive!" I commanded, drawing my sword and pointing it toward the city as the army charged past me. Bells began ringing, and the city erupted into chaos as the battle commenced, the clamor of steel and cries of combatants filling the air.
Turning my horse, I directed Cynex toward the keep, but before I could reach it, a blazing arrow flew straight at me.
"Stomp, Cynex!" I ordered. The horse raised his powerful hooves and slammed them down with such force that the ground between us and the arrows rose, forming a protective barrier.
"Cynex, leave the city," I said, dismounting. "I won't have you harmed here."
Cynex hesitated for only a moment before obeying, swiftly exiting the city. I circled the raised ground, scanning for the archer, but they had vanished. All I could ascertain was that the arrow came from the direction of the keep. Not wanting to waste time, I sprinted toward the keep, utilizing the superior speed and strength granted by my vampiric nature.
It didn't take long to reach the large wooden doors of the keep. As I prepared to push them open, James's voice called out from behind me.
"My lord, we're glad we caught up to you in time!"
Thorpe followed close behind him.
"Finished already?" I asked as the doors creaked under my push.
"Not quite, my lord," Thorpe replied. "However, the men can handle the remaining marauders. It's more prudent for us to be at your side."
"All right, let's get this over with. Hopefully, we can wrap this up before the men finish outside. Be careful, these marauders surprisingly have someone capable of using Force."
"Force?" James questioned. "That doesn't seem right, my lord. Someone using Force would need rigorous training or rare innate talent. Surely they wouldn't stoop to the life of a marauder."
"James has a point," Thorpe agreed. "A Force user wouldn't typically associate with such barbaric scum."
"You're likely right," I said, my voice trailing off as the scent of blood hit me like a wave, sharpening my senses. I pushed open a side door leading into a passageway, revealing several marauders lying dead in pools of their own blood.
Exchanging uneasy glances, we rushed through the keep, passing more corpses along the way. Finally, we reached the main hall's doors.
One of the massive doors was already ajar, and we cautiously entered the moonlit room. At its center stood a tall figure with long, flowing red hair that reached his back, clad in a red silk coat that swept the floor. In his hand, he held the marauders' leader by the neck. Beside him, a masked individual with short red hair aimed their bow at us, their arrow drawn and ready to fire.
"We have intruders, Your Majesty," a female voice sounded, her voice sharp and deliberate.
The figure turned slightly, acknowledging our presence.
"Oh dear," he said, his tone almost playful. "It seems I've lingered too long, and these runts managed to catch up to me." With a sickening crack, he snapped the marauder's neck, letting the lifeless body slump to the ground.
Turning fully to face us, he continued, "That said, I'm glad you're here. It seems I've found the ones responsible for what happened to my… belongings."
"They took your familiars, Your Majesty?" the archer asked.
"No," the man replied coldly. "They killed them."
My eyes narrowed. "You're talking about those wolves that encroached on my territory?"
"Indeed," he confirmed.
"Then you must be the Monarch of Envy," James interjected.
The man sneered, his expression dripping with disdain. "I am not that imbecile. Listen well, fools, I am Solivar the Radiant."
James's eyes widened in recognition. "Solivar? I remember that name from my youth," he whispered.
"The Vampire Monarch of Pride," Thorpe said aloud.
"Good," Solivar said mockingly, his voice condescending. "At least you're not entirely ignorant."
Wasting no more time, I lunged at Solivar, but the archer unleashed a barrage of flaming arrows. James and Thorpe intercepted her, engaging her in combat while I pressed my attack.
Solivar remained unfazed, his outstretched hand pulling the blood from the dead marauder's body, forming it into a gleaming rapier. He parried my strikes effortlessly.
"You're no match for me, boy," he said before delivering a powerful blow that sent me flying into the keep's stone walls.
Before I could recover, Solivar turned his attention to James and Thorpe, dispatching them with a similar ease.
"I've had enough of this nonsense," he said, his voice cold and disdainful. "Come, Tate. We have better things to do."
The archer nodded, and as Solivar transformed into a swarm of bats, and engulfed the woman, vanishing into the night.
"My lord, are you all right?" James asked, helping me to my feet.
"I'm fine," I replied. "Remember, I'm far more durable than a normal human. Ensure you and Thorpe are in good condition."
"We're fine, my lord," Thorpe confirmed.
"Good," I said, sitting down to collect myself. The encounter played over and over in my mind, leaving me with more questions than answers.