You grab your gun from the broken tiles, and stumble forward towards the courtyard. You move along the building, before finding a wooden door to the courtyard, pushing it open. You stumble into the courtyard, walking to the middle before dropping to your knees.

"Wolves! Bring me your Alpha! I wish to talk!" you cry.

About a dozen werewolves quickly appear, beginning to circle you. They don't strike, perhaps confused by what you're doing. Soon, the Alpha appears. It walks forward, staring at you as it growls, saliva hitting you in the face.

"I want to join you," you say. "Mihrab is going to betray you. I overheard him say as much. The vampires will always seek to have dominion over... over the noble wolf."

The Alpha bears its teeth, but doesn't strike. It looks you dead in the eyes, as you stare back.

"Let me join you. I promise you won't regret it."

The wolf snarls, before pouncing forward.
> You scream
You scream as the Alpha's jaws fly forward, biting deep into your arm. You yell in pain as the werewolf bites into your arm, as a flood of emotions enters you. Hate. Anger. Passion. Adrenaline Hunger. You yell, no, you roar as you feel your body morph.Your body begins to twist and break. Your bones snap as your limbs stretch wider and your head and body grows. Your face is torn apart as his teeth grow and sharpen past their usual point. Hair sprouts from your body, soon, you find yourself lying on the ground, feeling the animal inside you finally unleashed. You look at the moon ecstatically, letting out a howl, which is soon joined by your new family. The Alpha looks at you and growls, and you bow your head in submission, an act that just feels natural. The Alpha blinks slowly at you, and you understand that its time to hunt, and finish Mihrab off.

You turn, sniffing the air. It's like you just know where to go. You sprint forward, running along the walls and smashing through oak doors. You find Mihrab, covered in blood from what you presume was a fight with a werewolf, hurrying towards the sacrificial chambers. He stops in terror as he stares at you, his eyes widening.

"So, you joined with the dogs, did you? Pathetic," he snarls.

You burst forward as he does the same. His claws painfully scrape along your snout and release a wave of blood and adrenaline as you smash your claw into him, knocking him against the wall. You bite down on his throat with a roar, tearing it clean out as you smash your claws into him. You turn, seeing a werewolf staring, half ready to charge and half ready to run. You burst forward, tearing its head off and tossing it down the hall, before bursting forward again. You... "feel" a presence in the shadows, twisting around and pouncing, pinning Alexa against a wall.

"You're either much, much more intelligent than I thought, or much less so," she says.

You feel pain run through your chest as she jabs a silver dagger into your chest. You howl, tearing it out as pain runs through you.

"Sorry, wolfy," she says, falling back against the walls, letting the shadows absorb her.

You snarl, before turning to be faced with the Alpha. You stare at it, as it sniffs the air and slowly approaches you. It's eyes are filled with a deep desire, a desperate hunger. You sniff the air, suddenly becoming aware of many new sensations. The Alpha seems to be... in full bloom. A sniff quickly fills your nostrils with the scent of a beast in heat. It seems the creature is more of an Alpha female.

The creature steps towards you, her intentions clear. The human part of you looks at disgust at the beast, wanting to spit and turn away. For better or worse, that's not the part in charge of you. The animal inside you only smells the odor of a horny bitch in heat. You step forward, your animalistic side taking over as you leap on her.

Needless to say, you get little sleep under the gaze of the crimson moon.
> You continue
You awake lying on the cold stone, completely naked and with a severe headache. For a second, you feel cold, confused and scared, like a child hiding as Papa stands by the door with his rifle, waiting for Count Grey to arrive. You reach an arm out, finding a warm body and pulling yourself tightly against it, as memories begin to flood into your mind.

As you realize where you are your eyes dart open. You look around frantically, seeing the white-haired girl lying next to you, blood and... other fluids covering her, and you as well. She yawns, looking up at you. She slowly gets to her feet, groaning.

"Well?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," you reply, as she smiles.

"You did well last night," she says.

"Two dead vampires? Yeah, not bad," you say.

"I was talking about the fucking," the Alpha replies.

You look around, spotting other naked men and women lying on the ground, all in the process of waking up.

"There's clothes stashed away nearby. You need a place to stay?" the Alpha asks.

"Yeah," you say.

"Done. Daustin owns a mechanics shop, and had hired Godfrey as an assistant. Seeing as Godrey was cut apart by the vampires, you can take his place."

"Perfect," you reply.

"Don't worry. You're part of the pack now. We look out for each other."

The Alpha leans in, pushing you against the wall and kissing you. You push her away, as she raises an eyebrow.

"What? Was it only the beast within that wanted to fuck me?" she asks.

You grab her, kissing her back, before she pulls away.

"We should go. We need to be home before we're found. If the villagers spot a bunch of naked people returning from where they just saw werewolves kill a bunch of their friends, they'll put two and two together."

She turns, barking out an order for her pack to follow her as she leads them outside of the castle. You follow, walking after them.

Now, you're part of a pack. Now, the beast within in you has been released, and you're only barely to keep it contained with the moon gone.

You can't wait for the moon to call it out again.


You continue moving along the hallways, but thankfully wherever the werewolf's entry point is, it's not close enough to you to have an issue. You don't know where Alexa or Mihrab are, but they're not here, so that's enough. Soon, you find yourself climbing the tight, spiraling staircase towards the bell tower. You push open the wooden door once you reach the top, and find yourself faced with a massive, cast iron bell. You look out at the courtyard from the lookout of the bell tower at the dozens of fur-covered beasts scattered around the area. Shit, there's more than you thought.

You take a deep breath, leaning your head against the bell, taking a deep breath. The walk was fairly long, and the werewolf took some of your time. If Haygarth's still alive, he's back at the coach. You grab the bell pull, before pulling it down as hard as you can. The bell clangs loudly as you put your hand over your ears. The werewolves began to panic and howl, instantly growing frantic and charging towards the doors of the castle. You wait a moment, staring out at the courtyard, before you see the coach burst free from the castle and smashing towards the gates. The Coach smashes the Viceroy's coach out of the way, as it flies on past the trees towards the nearby village. Well, they've escaped. Lucky bastards.

You turn, and begin walking down the stairs, before seeing the tanned skin and black cloak of Viceroy Mihrab.

"You're still alive, are you?" he asks. "I had thought one of the stupider werewolves had gotten inside and smacked its head into the bell by accident. It's an interesting choice to ring it for whatever reason you have."

Mihrab walks slowly towards you, as you back up, slipping on the staircase. You quickly crawl your way up the stairs and get to the bell once more, looking down as he approaches you slowly with cool indifference.

"You've taken me away from my work. At least you'll provide a refreshing meal."

You hold your rifle out, aiming. You look over the edge of the bell tower. You could jump, bouncing off one of the tiled roofs and into the courtyard. The werewolves are inside, so you might be able to escape. Your other, as shitty option, is fighting.
> You fight
You raise your rifle, firing. The bullet thuds into Mihrab as he bears his teeth in a  grin.

"Pathetic," he says.

Mihrab bursts towards you, grabbing you by the throat, his claws cutting into your skin.

"Your life is meaningless. Has your service to Count Grey blurred your mind and given you a strong head? You have nothing to offer."
> You headbutt him
You smack your head into Mihrab's face, knocking him backwards into the wall. The gun's not working. You need to find something else. You quickly hurry down the stairs as Mihrab swears in some long dead language. You run quickly, finding yourself in the lower floors of the castle. There's a straight shot up another stairs to the courtyard, where you could lure Mihrab outside. Hopefully, the werewolves would frenzy and take him out, while you could slip back inside the castle. You could also head deeper into the castle, towards Count Grey's coffin and the inner areas.
> You head out to the courtyard
You turn and sprint forward towards the courtyard as you hear Mihrab quickly following as he snarls. You push open the oak doors to the courtyard, running out. You hear a half dozen howls as the werewolves outside spot you, but you know Mihrab is most likely still pursuing. You can't tell,  you only hear the pounding of his own heart. You keep running, before you feel your back breaking as the werewolf's claw smashed into your hack, the knife-like claws cutting through your leather duster and slashing through your flesh. You roll to the ground with a scream, as the werewolf leaps onto you, it's weight crushing you. It's wet saliva dripping onto your face, it howls at the moon in an act of triumph, before it lunges forward, biting deep into your throat.


You smack your head into Mihrab's face, knocking him backwards into the wall. The gun's not working. You need to find something else. You quickly hurry down the stairs as Mihrab swears in some long dead language. You run quickly, finding yourself in the lower floors of the castle. There's a straight shot up another stairs to the courtyard, where you could lure Mihrab outside. Hopefully, the werewolves would frenzy and take him out, while you could slip back inside the castle. You could also head deeper into the castle, towards Count Grey's coffin and the inner areas.
> You head inwards
You turn, running further into the castle. You hear Mihrab snarl behind you as he charges after you. Suddenly, he slams into your with unnatural speed, sending you toppling forward as his claw cuts open your back. You groan, quickly stumbling forward as you push open the door and slam it shut behind you, locking the door. Mihrab immediately punches through, his clawed hand reaching for the key. You look around desperately, and find yourself in the room with Count Grey's coffin. You look around, spotting an oak door at the side that you remember leads towards the armory. There, you could get enough firepower to do something.

You could also go for the sword hanging proudly above Count Grey's coffin. It's supposed to be a great and powerful. You could try get it, and maybe best him in melee. If you're very, very luck.
> You head for the armory
You turn, barreling towards the armory. You hear the door unlocked behind you, hearing Mihrab approaching. You run desperately forward, but Mihrab is faster, stronger and angry as hell. As you run desperately, you feel Mihrab grab you. He flings you against the wall as you yell in pain, before darting forward and stabbing you through the neck with his claws. You let out a yelp of pain as blood fills your throat and runs down your chest, before Mihrab grabs your head and quickly twists it, breaking your neck.


You turn, running further into the castle. You hear Mihrab snarl behind you as he charges after you. Suddenly, he slams into your with unnatural speed, sending you toppling forward as his claw cuts open your back. You groan, quickly stumbling forward as you push open the door and slam it shut behind you, locking the door. Mihrab immediately punches through, his clawed hand reaching for the key. You look around desperately, and find yourself in the room with Count Grey's coffin. You look around, spotting an oak door at the side that you remember leads towards the armory. There, you could get enough firepower to do something.

You could also go for the sword hanging proudly above Count Grey's coffin. It's supposed to be a great and powerful. You could try get it, and maybe best him in melee. If you're very, very luck.
> You go for the sword
You grab the top of the coffin, feeling ill as dark energy still emanates. You pull yourself atop it, grabbing the sword hanging there. You pull yourself onto the coffin, reaching up and grabbing the sword grip. The grip despite being made of leather, is icy cold to touch. You hop down from coffin as Mihrab breaks through the door, staring at you with malice.

"Are you going to stab me? With your little sword that you never learned to use? You've been an annoyance. Now, this is over."

Mihrab charges towards you with a snarl, charging towards you with the swipe of his claw, his eyes filled with unfocused rage.
> You dodge
You roll to avoid the strike, and Mihrab rushes past, filled with rage. He stops, swiveling around and taking a deep breath as he stares at you. He takes another breath, before walking forward, slow and methodical.
> You dodge
He strikes like a viper as you sidestep, but he slips to the side. He slashes his hand, cutting open the side of your face before grabbing you. He jabs his claws into your eye as you scream in pain, before he catches your head, twisting it quickly and snapping your neck.


You roll to avoid the strike, and Mihrab rushes past, filled with rage. He stops, swiveling around and taking a deep breath as he stares at you. He takes another breath, before walking forward, slow and methodical.
> You strike
He strikes like a viper as you slash your blade, but he slips to the side. He slashes his hand, cutting open the side of your face before grabbing you. He jabs his claws into your eye as you scream in pain, before he catches your head, twisting it quickly and snapping your neck.


You grab the top of the coffin, feeling ill as dark energy still emanates. You pull yourself atop it, grabbing the sword hanging there. You pull yourself onto the coffin, reaching up and grabbing the sword grip. The grip despite being made of leather, is icy cold to touch. You hop down from coffin as Mihrab breaks through the door, staring at you with malice.

"Are you going to stab me? With your little sword that you never learned to use? You've been an annoyance. Now, this is over."

Mihrab charges towards you with a snarl, charging towards you with the swipe of his claw, his eyes filled with unfocused rage.
> You strike
You swing your blade frantically, as Mihrab charges directly for you. You run the sword through his chest as he roars. His dark, soulless eyes go dull, as you pull the sword out of his chest, where it's just ran through his heart.

"That..." Mihrab whispers, looking at the blade with horror and disgust, before he collapses to the ground. You step forward, running the sword through Mihrab's chest. He grunts as his body begins to turn to dust as the very essence of his life is absorbed into your blade. You release the blade, hearing it clang to the ground, before you step back. You watch as the ancient, powerful vampire's corpse disappears from view.

You've killed Draven. You've killed Mihrab. Now, all you need to do is deal with Alexa, and the Viceroy problem will be solved.
> You find Alexa
You turn, walking towards the door. Last you remember, Alexa was inhabiting...

"Hmm..." Alexa says, as you spin around to see her form from the shadows.

Alexa walks forward, kneeling down to stare at the pile of ash. She gently picks some up with her finger, before blowing the dust away.

"Good riddance," she smiles, showing her long fangs.

Alexa stands, walking towards. You dive for the sword, grabbing it with your hand and holding it up, snarling.

"Stay back," you snarl.

Alexa moves forward, stopping in front of you just out of the reach of your sword.

"You've proven yourself to me. You've shown that you truly deserve this gift I offer."

"Gift?" you ask.

"I offer you a chance to join me. We are immortal, we are powerful and we are predators. If you are willing, you can join me as a vampire, and we can take the places that Mihrab and Grey once occupied."

"You want me to join you as a vampire? Why?" you ask.

"Together, we can rule. I... miss the joys of mortal life. I miss having friends, having allies, having lovers. With you at my side, as equals, we can live forever, survive anything, and be the perfect allies."

Alexa steps forward, smiling  at you.

"So?" she smiles.
> You agree
"Fine," you say. "I agree."

"Good," Alexa says, striding forward. "The moon's falling, and the son will rise soon, scaring away the werewolves. Get undressed."

You raise an eyebrow, but pull off your jacket, before pulling off your shirt. You pull off your boots and trousers, before looking up at Alexa. She pulls off her cloak, pulling off her shirt and pants as well, leaving her standing there naked, as she smiles at you. Her body, completely pale and white as snow, and as cold at it, has a definite beauty to it. She walks forward, wrapping her hands around you and kissing you, her forked tongue flickering in your mouth. You kiss back, as her freezing hands begin to roam around your body. She slowly pushes you into the coffin, which surprisingly is large enough to fit both of you. Soon, in the enclosed area, you find your thrusting as you push Alexa up against the steel coffin wall. Suddenly, Alexa bites into your neck as you groan in pain, and begins sucking on your blood, draining it from you. You struggle, but she grabs your head, pressing it against her neck.

"Bite," she commands.

You bite down on the vampire's neck, releasing a wave of dark crimson liquid that fills your mouth.

"Drink," she whispers, as you hear her slurp your blood.

You follow her orders, and begin drinking down on her black liquid. You feel, as the two of you become one and the spirit of the predator enters you with each once of blood you gulp down.

The pair of you continue in the coffin, as you begin to transform. Mortality becomes a distant concept, life an old memory and a terrible thirst takes over you.

The burden of the vampire is now yours, but so are all the benefits.
> You pass out

You stand on the wall of the castle, staring up at the gorgeous moon, Alexa's arm wrapped around you. She smiles at you, as you grin back, gently kissing her on the forehead. You sniff the air, smelling the blood of a nearby wounded dear, Alexa's perfume, the flowers along the river banks, so many senses. Alexa kisses you on the neck, before scraping her fangs across your neck.

"I hunger, Sam," she smiles. "The thirst is back. Shall we go?"

"Perfect," you smile.

You hurry down the staircase and past the gate and out into the woods. You both sprint through the trees, laughing as you head out for the hunt.

Yes. The hunt under the moonlight. The excitement. The joy. The passion. This is true life.


You turn, walking towards the door. Last you remember, Alexa was inhabiting...

"Hmm..." Alexa says, as you spin around to see her form from the shadows.

Alexa walks forward, kneeling down to stare at the pile of ash. She gently picks some up with her finger, before blowing the dust away.

"Good riddance," she smiles, showing her long fangs.

Alexa stands, walking towards. You dive for the sword, grabbing it with your hand and holding it up, snarling.

"Stay back," you snarl.

Alexa moves forward, stopping in front of you just out of the reach of your sword.

"You've proven yourself to me. You've shown that you truly deserve this gift I offer."

"Gift?" you ask.

"I offer you a chance to join me. We are immortal, we are powerful and we are predators. If you are willing, you can join me as a vampire, and we can take the places that Mihrab and Grey once occupied."

"You want me to join you as a vampire? Why?" you ask.

"Together, we can rule. I... miss the joys of mortal life. I miss having friends, having allies, having lovers. With you at my side, as equals, we can live forever, survive anything, and be the perfect allies."

Alexa steps forward, smiling  at you.

"So?" she smiles.
> You decline
"No," you say.

"No?" Alexa asks, frowning. "Shame. i thought you had potential."

Alexa puts her hand in her cloak to draw something, and you raise your sword with a snarl. She smiles, slowly opening her cloak to reveal a small flask, which she uncaps and puts to her lips, drinking.

"I was really hoping to taste your blood... and for you to taste mine. Sadly, I shan't."

Alexa leans against the shadowy corner of the wall, staring at you as the shadows begin to absorb her essence.

"Good luck, ghoul. Hopefully, we'll both stay out of each others way in the future, shall we?"

With that, Alexa disappears from the room and from your life. You fall to your knees, tossing the sword aside as you breath out a sigh of relief. You take a deep breath, before grabbing your rifle from the ground and standing. You hear a howl from outside, leaning up against the wall and creeping along before you stare out the window. You see in the distance the sun beginning to rise. The werewolves begin howl, fleeing off towards the woods, not wanting to be caught around him when the transformation ends. You wait, watching as even the Alpha flees desperately away. You wait until the sun's light actually begins to shine on the courtyard, before walking out into the courtyard. You look up at the sun, feeling its warmth on your face, before you realize how absolutely exhausted you are. You collapse on the ground, staring up at the sky and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face.
> You continue

Royalty

You stand on the castle wall, staring out at the trees. A half a dozen guards patrol the walls, watching out for any potential werewolves. The purges you've organized of the forests have been effective, but you're still alive. Due to the loss of any significant supernatural power, you've need to replenish your power by recruitment. You've recruited Lucas, Mikhail and Haygarth, all of whom managed to survive the night through their coach escape, although Dasha thoroughly and aggressively refused to come anywhere near the castle. You recruited a few more men from the villages, and quickly regained the control that was lost with the death of Count Grey. Through hard-work and a treaty with King Ferdinand, you've managed to become the new Count of the region. The peasants continue to pay tax to you, although you've negated the need for any of them to die to feed you. You've created a nice little situation for yourself here.

Count Samuel. You never thought you'd see the day. Yes, it's a new dawn. The world is changing. The myths and legends of the past are being dispelled. Now, you're the future.


You turn, walking towards the door. Last you remember, Alexa was inhabiting...

"Hmm..." Alexa says, as you spin around to see her form from the shadows.

Alexa walks forward, kneeling down to stare at the pile of ash. She gently picks some up with her finger, before blowing the dust away.

"Good riddance," she smiles, showing her long fangs.

Alexa stands, walking towards. You dive for the sword, grabbing it with your hand and holding it up, snarling.

"Stay back," you snarl.

Alexa moves forward, stopping in front of you just out of the reach of your sword.

"You've proven yourself to me. You've shown that you truly deserve this gift I offer."

"Gift?" you ask.

"I offer you a chance to join me. We are immortal, we are powerful and we are predators. If you are willing, you can join me as a vampire, and we can take the places that Mihrab and Grey once occupied."

"You want me to join you as a vampire? Why?" you ask.

"Together, we can rule. I... miss the joys of mortal life. I miss having friends, having allies, having lovers. With you at my side, as equals, we can live forever, survive anything, and be the perfect allies."

Alexa steps forward, smiling  at you.

"So?" she smiles.
> You kill Alexa
You step forward, as she smiles, assuming you've taken up her offer. Then, you swing your blade, beheading her in one quick move. Her head topples to the ground, and you smile. Three vampires in one night. Terrific.

You fall to your knees, tossing the sword aside as you breath out a sigh of relief. You take a deep breath, before grabbing your rifle from the ground and standing. You hear a howl from outside, leaning up against the wall and creeping along before you stare out the window. You see in the distance the sun beginning to rise. The werewolves begin howl, fleeing off towards the woods, not wanting to be caught around him when the transformation ends. You wait, watching as even the Alpha flees desperately away. You wait until the sun's light actually begins to shine on the courtyard, before walking out into the courtyard. You look up at the sun, feeling its warmth on your face, before you realize how absolutely exhausted you are. You collapse on the ground, staring up at the sky and feeling the warmth of the sun on your face.


You raise your rifle, firing. The bullet thuds into Mihrab as he bears his teeth in a  grin.

"Pathetic," he says.

Mihrab bursts towards you, grabbing you by the throat, his claws cutting into your skin.

"Your life is meaningless. Has your service to Count Grey blurred your mind and given you a strong head? You have nothing to offer."
> You go for your knife
You lean down slightly, keeping eye contact with a snarling Mihrab, before grabbing your dagger. You stab it into Mihrab's stomach as he yelps in pain. You shove him back and immediately begin barreling down the staircase. The gun's not working. You need to find something else. You quickly hurry down the stairs as Mihrab swears in some long dead language. You run quickly, finding yourself in the lower floors of the castle. There's a straight shot up another stairs to the courtyard, where you could lure Mihrab outside. Hopefully, the werewolves would frenzy and take him out, while you could slip back inside the castle. You could also head deeper into the castle, towards Count Grey's coffin and the inner areas.


You raise your rifle, firing. The bullet thuds into Mihrab as he bears his teeth in a  grin.

"Pathetic," he says.

Mihrab bursts towards you, grabbing you by the throat, his claws cutting into your skin.

"Your life is meaningless. Has your service to Count Grey blurred your mind and given you a strong head? You have nothing to offer."
> You go for your rifle
You grab for your rifle and go down, grabbing it by the barrel and tossing it into the air. You grab for the trigger, before Mihrab slices his claws across your throat and pressing his mouth against it. You gasp as blood spurts into the monster's mouth, dropping the gun and letting out a pained grunt as you're drained of your life source.


You grab the chifferobe, opening it and stepping inside. You close the door, quieting your breathing as you wait. You hear the loud, clawed footsteps of the beast towards you, as you wait patiently for it to pass by. This is a beast, lacking all the stealth of the true wolf, or even its stronger Wulven kin. Still, it has the nose of one, which soon becomes apparent as its wet sniffling leans to it pausing outside your room. You wait slowly, holding your breath, for the wolf to pass. It doesn't seem to know you're there... yet.
> You wait for it to pass
You wait patiently as the werewolf snarls outside. Suddenly, it's massive claws bash through the chifferobe, smacking into your and shattering your bones as the claw runs through your chest. You groan, spluttering blood out onto your chest, before entering oblivion.


"I'm not going!" you say.

"So be it," Haygarth says. "If you're not leaving the castle, we need your help."

"What?" you ask.

"You need to ring the castle's alarm bell at the North-East tower. If you can ring that, you can distract the werewolves and draw them towards the North-Eastern area, so we have a chance."

"Fuck, fine. I'll get it done," you say.

"Thank you, thank you!" Haygarth says. "I must find the Twins, if they're still alive. I'll be sure to be back before you can make the journey to the bell."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," you say. "Best of luck, Haygarth. I hope we meet on the other side."

"Same to you, Samuel."

You turn, walking away from the room. You enter the hallways again, and move quickly. You can hear the roars of the beasts outside, and you wince as you hear the scraping of sharp claws on the stones outside. You take a deep breath of air, trying not to let terror cloud your judgment. Suddenly, you pause. You see the massive, wretched body of a werewolf slowly move forward through the hallway, heading perpendicular to you. Tufts of black fur cover its body, as its deformed snout looks like a pale imitation of a true wolf's, this one looking like a poor soul has had her face bashed in to create the appearance of one. It creeps along the hallways, sniffing the air.

You step back slowly, taking a sharp breath. You shouldn't be surprised that they've got in. The doors are thick, reinforced with steel and silver alike, but the werewolves were bound to get in some time. Not if the portcullis had been closed, but once they entered the courtyard, they were bound to get in.

The beast shakes its head violently as if spasming, before sniffing the air once more. It lets out a growl, and you know it's caught your scent. There's a rotten chifferobe to your side that you could foreseeably hide in. There's also the silver-loaded gun in your hands, if you want to take it more bluntly, as well as the silver dagger you have hidden in your boot. for a quiet tactic.
> You shoot
You pull the trigger, as the gun bucks in your hands. The bullet flies through the air, hitting the werewolf in the neck and knocking it to the ground with a burst of crimson blood, which sprays over its fur and sends it collapsing to the ground. An easy kill, but a loud one. You need to move, and you need to move fast.


You dive out of the way, as Draven flies just past you, swinging his sword. His sword slices into the back of your neck, not enough to seriously wound but enough to hurt like a bitch. He slams into the door behind you, grunting as he spins around. He wipes the blood from his broken nose as he stares at the two of you, before letting out a horrible laugh.

"Got too excited there, didn't I? Ha!" he smiles, twirling the sword around in his hands.

You look around desperately, for something, ANYTHING in the room to help you out. Dasha is just as in the cross-hairs as you are, and seems terrified. Haygarth is hiding behind a counter, unfocused and not thinking. Most of the horses are dead, having had their heads cleaved clean off. Still, there's three or four in the farther stables. There's two large, oil-filled lamps illuminating the hallways that could be used. Fire has a history of being effective with monsters. Finally, there's the old full lead solution. If you just duck, weave and fill the air with as much lead, or in this case silver, as possible to take out the vampire bastard, although silver bullets are more of a werewolf-killer.
> You get to the lamp
You sprint towards the lamp, your rifle held tightly in your hands as you run towards it. Draven charges ahead with a howl, kicking your leg away as you collapse onto the ground, laughing.

"Look at you try to run! Where are you trying to run to, little one?" he asks, before his eyes flicker to Dasha who goes for the door.

Draven runs ahead with an animalistic howl, slamming her into the door. He presses the sword to her throat, before throwing into the air and catching it once more.

"Ohh... this is everything! Savor the hunt!" he says. "Go! Try escape again! Or are you in a fighting mood?"
> You try for the horses
You sprint towards the horses, your rifle held tightly in your hands as you run towards them. Draven charges ahead with a howl, kicking your leg away as you collapse onto the ground, laughing.

"Pathetic!"

Dasha attempts to stand, before Draven smiles, flinging his sword. The sword embeds itself in Dasha's hand, pinning it to the door, as he laughs.

"I forgot to mention, I'm not a bad through," he says, before looking down at you. "It's a shame she tried to move and I had to throw my sword, little Ghoul. Now, I have to deal with you with fangs... and trust me, it'll be more painful."

The lamp flies through the air, smashing into Draven's head. Oil sprays across him as it's quickly set alight, as is his dry, cold corpse. Draven screams in object terror as he's engulfed in fire. He screams, desperately flailing in an attempt to put out the flames. Draven collapses to his knees as his scream finally stops, before collapsing onto his face. He slowly burns as his body turns to ash, as you crawl away from the body, standing. Haygarth stands behind Draven, staring at the fire.

"Didn't know what, what to do," Haygarth says, panting. "Saw you go for the lamp. Decided to finish the job."

"Well done," you say.

You walk over to Dasha, who whimpers as she paws at the sword embedded in her arm. You grab it, gripping it tightly as you pull it from the wall. You tear a piece of cloth from your robes, tying it tightly around the wound.

"I'm fine," she says.


You dive out of the way, as Draven flies just past you, swinging his sword. His sword slices into the back of your neck, not enough to seriously wound but enough to hurt like a bitch. He slams into the door behind you, grunting as he spins around. He wipes the blood from his broken nose as he stares at the two of you, before letting out a horrible laugh.

"Got too excited there, didn't I? Ha!" he smiles, twirling the sword around in his hands.

You look around desperately, for something, ANYTHING in the room to help you out. Dasha is just as in the cross-hairs as you are, and seems terrified. Haygarth is hiding behind a counter, unfocused and not thinking. Most of the horses are dead, having had their heads cleaved clean off. Still, there's three or four in the farther stables. There's two large, oil-filled lamps illuminating the hallways that could be used. Fire has a history of being effective with monsters. Finally, there's the old full lead solution. If you just duck, weave and fill the air with as much lead, or in this case silver, as possible to take out the vampire bastard, although silver bullets are more of a werewolf-killer.
> You fire!
You raise your gun and fire. Draven takes a shot to the shoulder, before side-stepping your next. He doesn't even attempt to charge, just grins. You keep firing, as he dodges the bullets with unnatural ease, even the lucky shots not even throwing him, and they only manage to graze or hit his central mass, which fails to even knock him back. You aim your rifle at Draven's head, as he gently taps his finger against it.

"Come on, boy!" he says, laughing. "Take the shot! I'm enjoying this! I won't even move this time!"

You peer down the sights, taking a deep breath, and you pull the trigger.

It's empty.

"Can't even count, huh?" Draven laughs, before bursting forward.

You attempt to dodge, but he's faster and more prepared for your roll to the side. He swings his sword, cutting through flesh and bone as your upper body is separated from its organic stand. You barely have time for one scream before it's all over.


You walk along the hallways towards the stable, your gun clenched tightly in your hands. You consider pushing Dasha ahead of you so anything that attacks has to cut through her first, but that's not the right thing to do. It's better to keep her behind you, in case a creature attacks from behind, and you can fight off whoever attacks from the front with your rifle. You walk past the rows of unlit torches that cover the walls, wishing they were lit. You aim your gun ahead, sweeping the barrel to check the corners for any hidden beasts that could be hidden away there.

"We need to hurry up, h.." Dasha says.

Suddenly, one of the windows several meters above you shatters as the upper half of a body smashes through it. It hits the wall with a wet thud, collapsing to the ground. Dasha screams as you desperately back pedal to avoid it.

"Fuck me!" you say. "The villagers must be having a bad night."

"Oh god," Dasha says.

You hear a terrified scream outside. It sounds female, and young. Very young.

"Help! Help! Mama!" a voice screams from outside.

"We need to help her!" Dasha says, a look of panic flooding through her.

"Do you want to fight the Wulven?" you ask. "I'm not."

You try to appear tough as Dasha stares you down, before looking away. You hear a high-pitched scream,  before the crunching of bone and flesh.

"It's done. Let's go," you say.

"The village is down the road! Why the fuck would they bring the villagers here to kill them?" Dasha says.

"Break our morale, or act as bait, maybe. They're intelligent, for abominable beasts. Now, let's move on."

You continue walking forward, reaching a wooden door. You press up against it, waiting. "Here it it."

"This is the door to the stables," you whisper. "You ready?"

"Ready. I'll follow your lead."
> You force Dasha to go in first
"You go in first. He'll be able to smell my blood sooner than yours. I'm a ghoul."

"Bullshit!" Dasha hisses. "Give me the gun, then I'll go."
> You give Dasha the gun
You take a deep breath, bashing open the door with your shoulder, raising your rifle. Draven stands there, a sword in his hands and a grin on his face as he stands over a heavily injured Haygarth, who has been stripped naked and is covered in bruising and cuts.

"Don't you know how, freak? I said do it!" Draven shouts.

He swings his blade and smacks Haygarth in the side of the head with the flat of his blade, knocking Haygarth to the floor.

"Dance!" Draven laughs, before his eyes flicker to you. "Look who it is! One of Grey's ghouls and... I've no fucking idea who you are, but you look like a bleeder!"

Haygarth yells as Dasha raises her rifle. Draven roars as he charges forward, and Dasha both attempts to backpedal and aim. She trips on the stairs, firing off the gun. Unfortunately, she misses Draven. Even worse, the bullet ends up flying straight through your head.


"You go in first. He'll be able to smell my blood sooner than yours. I'm a ghoul."

"Bullshit!" Dasha hisses. "Give me the gun, then I'll go."
> You convince Dasha to go in with just the knife
"No!" you say, shaking your head.

"Then go through!" Dasha commands.

"You go in with the knife, I go behind you with the rang..."

Something slams into the door, sending you flying across the ground and onto your ass with a painful thud. Standing there, clad in armor with long, wild flowing black hair and a face contorted by rage and anger.

"Yes! I was distracted by the freak, but even I can hear you two bickering! Gotta get my ears checked, haha!" he snarls before laughing menacingly as he steps forward.

The vampire charges forward with remarkable speed. You raise your gun quickly, firing. The bullet thuds into Draven's chest, but it fails to even slightly slow him down. He swings the sword as he leaps upon you, slicing through your muscle and sinew and separating your head from your body. His lips immediately wrap around your gaping neck hole as he drains you of your blood, your head rolling to the ground.


You swing the butt of your gun, cracking into the side of her face and knocking her to the ground with a grunt. The knife goes clattering, and you dart forward, grabbing the knife and raising your rifle to point at her.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The girl stares at you with anger, blood running down her face from the newly opened cut on her forehead. You recognize her as Dasha, the sacrificial victim from earlier. Huh, apparently she survived. Interesting.

"Hands in the air!" you say, pointing the gun at her head.

She slowly raises her hands, spitting blood and a tooth on the ground. Apparently, you swung harder than you thought.

"Fuck you!" she says.

"You need to listen to me," you say.

The girl swings at your head, but you catch her fist. She spits in your face, which you wince at.
> You try talk to her
"Look, please, listen to me," you say.

"Fuck off!" she shouts.

"I don't need you to trust me, just listen! For..."

"I said, fuck off!" she shouts again.

"Listen!" you say loudly, losing your patience. "Did you see those fucking vampires?!"

The girl stares at you, still defiant, but quiet.

"If we want to get out of this, we need to work together. I don't care how much you hate me for doing what I did to you, but we need to."

"You work for the vampires," she says.

"I work for that one," you say, nodding towards Count Grey. "The others killed him, and now they want to kill me... and you. We're on the same side here, understood?"

The girl pauses, before slowly nodding.

"If I let you up, you won't try anything?" you ask.

"Give me my knife," she replies.

"I can't trust you," you say.

"I can't trust you either," she says.

You sigh, before handing the knife back. She grabs it from your, staring at her reflection in the blade for a brief moment, looking as if contemplating attacks, before looking at you.

"What's the plan?" she asks.

"I don't know. We need to... Haygarth," you say. "We need to find him. He should be in the stables. He knows this place better than anyone. He'll have keys, know secret tunnels, know everything."

"Let's go, then," Dasha says.


You walk into the sacrificial chambers. You walk over to Count Grey, who has a deep wound going through his chest and lies on the ground. You step over the blood-filled grooves of the floor, walking over to him. You drop to a knee, checking his pulse, before mentally hitting yourself for being so stupid. He's undead. You pull back his eyelids, revealing dull, lifeless black eyes. You quickly pat him down, finding only a curved ebony dagger and some Leu on him, which you take. You gently pat his cold head as a matter of respect, or perhaps more likely to comfort yourself. The terrifying menace who has controlled the region for over a thousand years is dead. He was your master, your mentor and your liege.

"Good fucking riddance. He was a cold, sociopathic cunt," you say aloud, a part of you still terrified to say it, somehow expecting him to wake up and tear out your throat.

You stand, looking around. There's the doorway to the lower floors, where you,,,

A girl charges out from your blind side, holding up a dagger.
> You attempt to negotiate
"Wait! Look," you say, holding up your hands in defense.

The girl slashes her knife, cutting open the palms of your hands as blood spurts out and you yelp in pain. The girl slams into you, jabbing her knife directly into your throat. Blood spurts out in even more gallons, as you choke on your own blood as the girl repeatedly stabs you in a mixture of anger and terror.


You burst towards the wooden door, unlatching it and opening it so Lucas and Mikhail can topple in. You quickly close the door behind them, seeing the eyes of one of the beasts as as it desperately stares at you with the rage of a hungry and stuck lion. You lock the door as it's weight smashes into the hard wood with enough force to splinter it.

"There's not supposed to be that many! There's not that fucking many!" Lucas says.

"There must be every cursed wretch under the moon's gaze," you mutter.

Mikhail spits blood onto his chest.

"Christ..." he groans, as Lucas chuckles.

"Oh dear brother, Count Grey would tear your throat out if he heard you mutter that fucker's name here," Lucas smiles. "Samuel, help me. We need to get Mikhail to the medical bay."

"Can't you handle him? I need to go warn Count Grey and the viceroys," you say.

"Yes, sure," Lucas says, grabbing Mikhail and putting his arm over his shoulder.

He walks towards medical bay, as you quickly hurry up the stairs to the sacrificial chambers. You walk upstairs quickly, heading through the lounge. You reach the door to the sacrificial chambers, before pausing. You can hear whispered voices inside, almost drowned out by the roars of the werewolves outside. How has Count Grey not noticed the attack? Why is he still in the sacrificial chambers? You tilt your head forward, and you think you can make out the words if you try hard enough.
> You enter the room
You walk into the room, and are immediately faced with a shocking scene. Count Grey kneels on the ground in the center of the pentagram, his face covered with blood. Viceroy Draven stands over him, his sword pointed at the older vampire's chest he smiles, looking at his prey. Viceroy Alexa stands to the side, leaning against the wall as she drinks from a crystal bottle filled with the scarlet blood of one of Count Grey's many victims. Viceroy Mihrab stands over his former master, his sharp fingernails pressed against Count Grey's neck, an ornately carved wooden stake in his hands.

In an instant, all four vampire's look at you, surprised.

"He escaped the wolves. Impressive," Viceroy Alexa says.

Viceroy Mihrab's eyes narrow, as he plunges the stake into Count Grey's hearts.

"Get him," he commands.
> You run
You turn, sprinting away as the vampires give chase. You have a clear shot through the main hall and out into the courtyard, where you can lock the heavy wooden doors and keep him locked inside. You could head through the lounge and into the armory to find something capable of killing these beasts. Finally, you could head down the small, spiraling staircase and lose them in the lower floors.
> You head into the courtyard
You sprint forward, past the coat rack and into the entry hall. You grab the wooden door, quickly lifting the metal bar up with a heart-filled with adrenaline, and swinging the door open, shutting it behind you.

A massive bundle of flesh and fur smashes into you, shattering your bones. You painfully smash into the ground, looking up to see a massive, white werewolf sitting atop your broken body. It stares down at you, it's blood red eyes filled with an animalistic hunger, devoid of any sentience beyond that of the wolf it's body has morphed to imitate.

You close your eyes. Thankfully, this beast doesn't like to play with its food, and finishes you quickly.


You turn, sprinting away as the vampires give chase. You have a clear shot through the main hall and out into the courtyard, where you can lock the heavy wooden doors and keep him locked inside. You could head through the lounge and into the armory to find something capable of killing these beasts. Finally, you could head down the small, spiraling staircase and lose them in the lower floors.
> You head into the armory
You sprint forward, turning towards the armory. You run desperately, but the vampires are faster. You feel your legs knocked away, hurtling to the ground. You smack painfully into the stone floor, yelping as Alexa plunges a dagger into your chest. You yell as it pierces your lungs, coughing blood onto your face. Alexa smiles, licking the blood off your lips, before biting down on your neck and draining the very life source from you.


You turn, sprinting away as the vampires give chase. You have a clear shot through the main hall and out into the courtyard, where you can lock the heavy wooden doors and keep him locked inside. You could head through the lounge and into the armory to find something capable of killing these beasts. Finally, you could head down the small, spiraling staircase and lose them in the lower floors.
> You head downstairs
You turn, heading down to the staircase. Unfortunately, hurtling down a tight, steep staircase at breakneck speeds leads to you quickly slipping, tumbling face first down. You bounce off the steps, feeling your bones break, before your head lands awkwardly and your neck snaps like a twig.


You walk into the room, and are immediately faced with a shocking scene. Count Grey kneels on the ground in the center of the pentagram, his face covered with blood. Viceroy Draven stands over him, his sword pointed at the older vampire's chest he smiles, looking at his prey. Viceroy Alexa stands to the side, leaning against the wall as she drinks from a crystal bottle filled with the scarlet blood of one of Count Grey's many victims. Viceroy Mihrab stands over his former master, his sharp fingernails pressed against Count Grey's neck, an ornately carved wooden stake in his hands.

In an instant, all four vampire's look at you, surprised.

"He escaped the wolves. Impressive," Viceroy Alexa says.

Viceroy Mihrab's eyes narrow, as he plunges the stake into Count Grey's hearts.

"Get him," he commands.
> You attack
You raise your rifle, firing at Viceroy Mihrab. He easily sidesteps with inhuman speed, as Viceroy Alexa and Viceroy Draven charge you. Draven is faster, swinging his sword. You manage to duck under it, feeling it hack at your scalp, before he kicks your legs away. Your smack into the hard, cold stone floor, as Alexa grabs your neck, quickly snapping it.


You walk into the room, and are immediately faced with a shocking scene. Count Grey kneels on the ground in the center of the pentagram, his face covered with blood. Viceroy Draven stands over him, his sword pointed at the older vampire's chest he smiles, looking at his prey. Viceroy Alexa stands to the side, leaning against the wall as she drinks from a crystal bottle filled with the scarlet blood of one of Count Grey's many victims. Viceroy Mihrab stands over his former master, his sharp fingernails pressed against Count Grey's neck, an ornately carved wooden stake in his hands.

In an instant, all four vampire's look at you, surprised.

"He escaped the wolves. Impressive," Viceroy Alexa says.

Viceroy Mihrab's eyes narrow, as he plunges the stake into Count Grey's hearts.

"Get him," he commands.
> You surrender
You raise your hands, dropping to your knees as you put your hands behind your head.

"Please, have mercy," you beg.

Viceroy Alexa sprints up to you with a blur, stopping behind you as she pulls out a curved dagger.

"How... boring. How did you even survive here?" she asks.

With that, she slashes your throat open. You clutch at your bleeding throat, collapsing forward.


"Come on, you shout," running towards the village.

Your hands push tree branches out of the way as you leave the path, almost tripping as your legs catch in the undergrowth, but manage to keep going. You stumble into the village, grabbing the corner of the house to steady yourself, as the werewolves charge into the village. Thankfully, a few peasants have been caught with their doors barely barricaded. The werewolves smash through hastily nailed planks and into the huts inside to devour a feast of flesh, bone, brains and organs. You hear horrified screams as the beasts get distracted and begin to tear apart the poor souls who have been left inside.

"Ah!" Mikhail screams, as one of the more focused hunters knocks him to the ground with its claw.

"Shit, Mikhail! Samuel, cover me!" Lucas says, skidding to a halt to help his brother.
> You leave them
You keep running, as Lucas swears loudly, cursing your name. You keep running, twisting your head back as you see the werewolf biting into Mikhail's throat. Lucas aims his gun, but clearly seeing the blood streaming from his throat, turns and follows you. As the werewolves are distracted with their prey, you continue sprinting towards the tower.

Unfortunately, you see one of the werewolves stand in the center of the village. It's larger than the others, its fur white and its eyes red. It stares at you for a second, before it lets out a powerful, booming howl. The other werewolves emerge from the buildings, blood matting their fur and dripping from their claws. The Alpha Male drops to all fours and begins sprinting away towards you, followed by the others.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Lucas says as he nears you, as you see the castle.

You sprint, the only noise being your heavy panting and the thudding of boots and clawed feet on the earth. You reach the castle, sprinting through the gates and past the carriages parked there. You see the portcullis' control wheel to your left, and the heavy wooden door to the keep to your right.


You sigh, drawing your knife as Lucas smiles.

"If you're going to lead to someone's death, at least have the fucking balls to be the one who uses the knife," he says.

Lucas walks over to the next girl, as you walk up to one. She tries to struggle, but you grab her by the hair, holding her vulnerable throat out and slicing it open with a long cut, before slowly lowering her head to above the grove. Lucas grabs the next girl by the hair, holding her forward and quickly slashing her throat as the blood pours out. You walk to the next one, quickly driving the sword through her neck, slicing open her fleshy throat and letting her bleed into the groove.

"Watch them die, Mikhail. You choose for this to happen. Whether you want to actually hold the knife or watch, you're a fucking monster. We all are. At least, we're willing to fulfill our role."

"Lucas! Mikhail! Samuel! Come down here!" Count Grey asks. "Quickly!"

"We need to go," Mikhail says, quickly turning and heading towards the door.

You quickly hurry towards the main hall, walking down the spiraling stairs. Count Grey stands there, alongside his three Viceroys, and Haygarth rushing to put away coats.

Viceroy Draven is a tall,well-muscled man. He has long, curly black hair, and instead of the black attire of the other three, he instead dons  steel plated armor which covers  him from the neck down.  A sword hangs by his side. From what you know, he's almost five hundred years old, once being and most likely still remaining a formidable warrior. He looks at you, his eyes narrowing as he stares at you. He lets out a low, guttural growling at the sight of you. Even after years of work around Count Grey, the man manages to make you feel like little more than a blood bag.

The second, Viceroy Mihrab, is even older, almost as old as Count Grey. His skin seems unusually tight,  a light brown in complex, his face sunken, his eyes lacking any emotion whatsoever. He wears dark attire, his eyes glancing in your direction away for a second, before peering away with disinterest. He doesn't appear to be armed, but with the long, sharp fingernails on his hand that at that length qualify as swords as well as long fangs, he doesn't need them.

The final Viceroy, Alexa, is the only woman of te group. She wears a black hooded cloak, her pale, scarred face underneath, with unnaturally long fangs even for one of her kind to halfway down towards her chin. She leans against the wall, looking at you without a single noise. She stares at you like a starved wolf. Something tells you that of all those present, she's the biggest threat.

"Yes, master?" Mikhail says, standing up straight.

"Werewolves spotted on Hangman's Trail," he says. "They're amassing. Perhaps for a strike."

You pause, and can hear the distant howls of what lies between monsters and men.

"We'll push them back, sir," Mikhail nods.

Mikhail turns away, and quickly begins heading to the armory. You follow, and you all quickly descend the stairs to the armory. You walk inside, grabbing a padded leather duster and slinging it over. You grab a rifle, as well as several magazines of silver bullets, popping them in a satchel that you put over your head.

Now suitably armed, you grab a lantern, walking out towards the main hall. The Vampires have left, no doubt to partake in some drinks, discuss future plans, before beginning the ritual and, imbued with a power that grows as the blood moan rises, slaughtering dozens of helpless villagers.

You walk out the hall doors, pushing the door open and entering the dark night. You walk along the earth, passing the gate, which for some reason has been left open, one of the Viceroy's carriages sitting under the raised portcullis.

"Should we move it so we can drop the portcullis?" you ask.

"And piss off Count Grey and whoever owns this carriage? No fucking chance," Lucas says.

As you leave and wander off into the trees. Soon, the only sound is the crunching of leaves under foot and your breathing.

"Control your breathing. Deep breaths. Watch your foot placement as well as the path in front of you. Avoid twigs and try leaves. We're trying to hunt, best be quiet about it," Lucas says. "The man's most definitely untrustworthy and cruel, but he knows how to hunt.

You take his advise, holding the lantern out to illuminate the path ahead. You see a shape move to your right, and stop, immediately twisting to aim.

"Contract, left side!" you whisper.

"Just a deer, stay focused!" Lucas whispers. "This is a fucking hunting trail, of course there's deer around!"

You keep moving, you gun raised in your one hand, propped in the crook of your shoulder to allow you to aim.

The beam of your light comes across a deer lying on the ground. It's belly has been ripped to shreds, entrails covering the earth around it and soaking it with bodily fluids. It's head, connected to its body by a few strands of sinew and muscle, lies in the grass at the edge of the path, two lifeless eyes staring towards the stars.

"It's fresh, look out!" Lucas growls, as you immediately turn. You see a form rush through the undergrowth, aiming at it, but it's gone before your finger can even tighten on the trigger.

A growling comes from the trees to your left, and you swing your rifle over to aim at the beast. They're faster than usual. They're not supposed to be this fast. It must be that fucking moon!

A howl comes from your right, and you drop your lantern to aim, catching a glance of blood-matted fur and a flash of white teeth. The beasts don't seem to bee going for the attack, rather endlessly circling, toying with you. None of you have even had the chance to fire a shot.

Suddenly you see one of them, basked in the red glow of the moon, dead in the center of the path. This one stands directly there, hunched over and staring at you, clearly not scared in the slightest. It's abnormally large, not even wearing the tattered remains of clothes, covered in patches of fur. it's head is malformed, it's jaws filled with teeth that barely fit in its mouth, crushed into somewhat of a snout. It's hungry eyes stare at you, as it lets out a low growl.
> You wait
You wait, keeping the monster in your sights, but knowing there's as many off to the side, waiting to strike and wipe you out to the last man. The creature growls, clearly impatient. Suddenly, it arches it's head back, looking up at the crimson moon, and letting our a powerful, ear-splitting howl.

Suddenly, the monsters are upon you. A wall of fur, muscles, teeth and claws strikes, a wave of death. You twist, firing your gun, grabbing the bolt and pulling it back, but before you have the chance, a clawed hand grabs you, willing you throw the air and into a tree. You yell as your back breaks against the tree. Before you can even scream, your throat is tore open by a mouthful of sharp canines.


You swing your fist, smashing into the side of the girl's head, as she crumples to her knees. She lets out a pained moan through her gag, and as blood trickles down the side of her face, her eyes fill with fear. You pull on her chain again and she follows. You quickly lead the two along the hallway, before up the stairs, into the "church". You hear Count Grey's dark, cold, emotionless voice from the main hall.

"Welcome, Viceroys. Did you decide to come together, or simply met on the road here?"

"Coincidence, my lord," another far deeper voice booms, one more filled with malice and hatred than Count Grey's.

"Good, good. Haygarth!" Count Grey shouts.

"Yes, yes master?" Haygarth's voice comes back from the stables.

"Come, fetch the Viceroy's coats!"

"Yes, yes sir!" Haygarth says, quickly hurrying to them.

You turn your attention back to the task at hand. In front of you in a large, open stone room. Groves cover the stone floor, making the shape of a large pentagram. Lucas' two prisoners are kneeling at two of the points of the pentagram chained to a loop in the stone to prevent them from moving, while Dasha lies at the third, her unconscious state meaning she doesn't need to be chained up.

"Come on," you say, raising your fist to threaten the second girl. You force her to kneel on the ground and chain her to the loop in the ground. You drag the first girl to the other, doing the same.

Mikhail and Lucas stand off to the side, watching them. Mikhail looks down, looking vaguely embarrassed at his part in this. Lucas, however, seems ecstatic. He walks forward, grinning as he draws his dagger.

"Oh boy, look at that!" he says, dropping to his knees in front of a girl. "Look at that. You see the pentagram? You see those deep, thick groves? I'm going to fill them with your blood. You like that? You ready?"

The girl frantically begins to struggle, as Lucas smiles. Lucas slices the girl's throat open, as blood pours out, flooding into the grove and running along. The girl gurgles as blood pours through her throat, and Lucas lets the head fall to the ground over the grove, letting the blood pour out into it.

"Mikhail, come on, we need this ready for the Viceroys and Count Grey!" he says.

"I am not a butcher," Mikhail says softly, as Lucas' eyes narrow.

"Don't fucking take the high road. You drugged every whore here, knowing it was all so we'd slit there throats here. You're as much a murderer as I am."

Mikhail looks to the ground, opening his mouth as if to say something, but closing it just as quickly.

"That's what I thought. Samuel, grab your knife, let's get to work."
> You let Lucas kill them all
You stare at Lucas wordlessly, who frowns. Lucas works to the next girl angrily, kicking her in the back of head to force her above the grove. He grabs her by the hair, holding her forward and quickly slashing her throat as the blood pours out. He walks to the next one, who at this point is frantically trying to escape. Lucas stabs her through the throat multiple times, as blood spurts to the ground.

"Watch them die, cowards. You choose for this to happen. Whether you want to actually hold the knife or watch, you're fucking monsters. We all are. At least, I'm proud of myself."

Lucas walks over the second last girl, putting the knife to her throat. The girl struggles desperately, but the chains stop her from resisting

"Lucas! Mikhail! Samuel! Come down here!" Count Grey asks. "Quickly!"

"We need to go," Mikhail says, quickly turning and heading towards the door.

Lucas shrugs, slicing open the girl's throat and letting her head fall and knock against the cold stone. He quickly hurries towards Count Grey, and you follow. You quickly hurry towards the main hall, walking down the spiraling stairs. Count Grey stands there, alongside his three Viceroys, and Haygarth rushing to put away coats.

Viceroy Draven is a tall, large man covered with heavy muscles. He has long, curly black hair, and instead of the black attire of the other three, wears steel plated armor covering him from the neck down, with a sword hanging by his side. From what you know, he's almost five hundred years, once being and most likely still remaining a formidable warrior. He looks at you, his eyes narrowing as he stares at you. He lets out a low, guttural growling at the sight of you, and even after years of work around Count Grey, the man manages to make you feel like little more than a blood bag.

The second, Viceroy Mihrab, is even older, almost as old as Count Grey. His skin seems unusually tight,  a light brown in complex, his face sunken, his eyes lacking any emotion whatsoever. He wears dark attire, his eyes glancing in your direction away for a second, before peering away with disinterest. He doesn't appear to be armed, but with the long, sharp fingernails on his hand that at that length qualify as swords as well as long fangs, he doesn't need them.

The final Viceroy, Alexa, is the only woman of the group. She wears a black hooded cloak, her pale, scarred face underneath, with unnaturally long fangs even for one of her kind to halfway down towards her chin. She leans against the wall, looking at you without a single noise. She stares at you like a starved wolf. Something tells you that of all those there, she's the biggest threat.

"Yes, master?" Mikhail says, standing up straight.

"Werewolves spotted on Hangman's Trail," he says. "They're amassing. Perhaps for a strike."

You pause, and can hear the distant howls of what lies between monsters and men.

"We'll push them back, sir," Mikhail nods.

Mikhail turns away, and quickly begins heading to the armory. You follow, and you all quickly descend the stairs to the armory. You walk inside, grabbing a padded leather duster and slinging it over. You grab a rifle, as well as several magazines of silver bullets, popping them in a satchel that you put over your head.

Now suitably armed, you grab a lantern, walking out towards the main hall. The Vampires have left, no doubt to partake in some drinks, discuss future plans, before beginning the ritual and, imbued with a power that grows as the blood moan rises, slaughtering dozens of helpless villagers.

You walk out the hall doors, pushing the door open and entering the dark night. You walk along the earth, passing the gate, which for some reason has been left open, one of the Viceroy's carriages sitting under the raised portcullis.

"Should we move it so we can drop the portcullis?" you ask.

"And piss off Count Grey and whoever owns this carriage? No fucking chance," Lucas says.

As you leave and wander off into the trees. Soon, the only sound is the crunching of leaves under foot and your breathing.

"Control your breathing. Deep breaths. Watch your foot placement as well as the path in front of you. Avoid twigs and try leaves. We're trying to hunt, best be quiet about it," Lucas says. "The man's most definitely untrustworthy and cruel, but he knows how to hunt.

You take his advise, holding the lantern out to illuminate the path ahead. You see a shape move to your right, and stop, immediately twisting to aim.

"Contract, left side!" you whisper.

"Just a deer, stay focused!" Lucas whispers. "This is a fucking hunting trail, of course there's deer around!"

You keep moving, you gun raised in your one hand, propped in the crook of your shoulder to allow you to aim.

The beam of your light comes across a deer lying on the ground. It's belly has been ripped to shreds, entrails covering the earth around it and soaking it with bodily fluids. It's head, connected to its body by a few strands of sinew and muscle, lies in the grass at the edge of the path, two lifeless eyes staring towards the stars.

"It's fresh, look out!" Lucas growls, as you immediately turn. You see a form rush through the undergrowth, aiming at it, but it's gone before your finger can even tighten on the trigger.

A growling comes from the trees to your left, and you swing your rifle over to aim at the beast. They're faster than usual. They're not supposed to be this fast. It must be that fucking moon!

A howl comes from your right, and you drop your lantern to aim, catching a glance of blood-matted fur and a flash of white teeth. The beasts don't seem to bee going for the attack, rather endlessly circling, toying with you. None of you have even had the chance to fire a shot.

Suddenly you see one of them, basked in the red glow of the moon, dead in the center of the path. This one stands directly there, hunched over and staring at you, clearly not scared in the slightest. It's abnormally large, not even wearing the tattered remains of clothes, covered in patches of fur. it's head is malformed, it's jaws filled with teeth that barely fit in its mouth, crushed into somewhat of a snout. It's hungry eyes stare at you, as it lets out a low growl. It's trying to bait you into striking. Still, maybe this is the best chance you're getting.


The coach drives inside the huge gates of the huge castle, as the sky turns gold and twilight fills the world with a beautiful feeling of serenity. The coach pulls into the stables, where Haygarth immediately gets to work with the horses. Mikhail opens the coach door, putting Dasha over his shoulder and walking towards the keep. You follow him, as does Lucas, walking alongside him as Dasha stirs with a groan, but doesn't break her slumber.

You walk into the keep, and quickly down to the dungeons. The large dungeon is covered with an earth floor, and four occupied cells. Four women, all of similar age and appearance to Dasha, all whose names you've forgotten, are there. Their mouths are gagged, though they scream desperately as they see you enter. Mikhail mutters a curse under his breath as he tries not to make eye contact with the women, but Lucas smiles and cheerfully waves at women. Mikhail carries Dasha to an empty cell, opening it and laying her gently on the cot inside. He locks the cell behind him, and looks at you both.

"The sun is down. Should we wake him?" Mikhail asks.

"Leave him. It's late. We'll wake him in an hour," Lucas says.

You nod, turning and walking away from the twins. You head up the stone staircase towards the kitchen. Despite the fact that this building is around a thousand years old, it's surprisingly well furnished. Count Grey has kept the house furnished with modern technology, one of the bonuses of controlling a tiny pocket of land and resources. As long as King Carol I got his taxes, he left Count Grey do as he pleased.

You open a cabinet, taking out a somewhat stale sugar cookie and biting into it. You make yourself a sandwich from cold meat, nuts and dates, and quietly consume it, while watching as the world blackens. Just as you see the first red haze on the horizon of the rising blood moon, you quickly turn and head quickly down to the Count's chambers. You hurry down the stairs, quickly heading to the lowest floor, at the center of the castle. Mikhail is already waiting in the dark room, empty except for a single, candle-adored coffin leaning against the stone wall.

The coffin in intricate, a large, black wooden coffin with an intricate, thorny pattern, and a single silver, demonic face with a roaring mouth with a pair of fangs on the front. You can feel the dark feeling emanating from it. It makes you feel cold just looking at it, and you shudder at the thought of what lies inside. Nonetheless, it is your duty to awaken your master.

Lucas hurries into the room,, dropping his cigarette and crushing it under his heel. He looks at both of you.

"Oh good, we're all here. Let's do it, shall we?" Lucas says.

"Which one of us wakes him tonight?" you say.

Lucas smiles, holding up his bandaged wrist.

"I did yesterday."

Mikhail shows you the two-day old cut on his upper arm You draw your dagger, pressing it against your forearm and gently slicing it open. You take in a deep breath as you feel the sharp pain. Blood pours down your arm, and your press the open cut into the roaring mouth of the silver ideal, smearing it with blood. You count to three, before leaning in.

"Glorious Master, the night has come and the world is yours," you whisper.

You step back as the coffin door is pushed open. Inside stands the Count. Dried blood cakes the corners of his mouth, as he lets out a growl, flashing his long, curved fangs, that look sharper than a needle. His black, soulless eyes peer into yours, as you take a deep breath. You outstretch your arm, and he walks forward, grabbing you by the wrist. He brings your arm to his mouth, and begins to suck. He sucks the blood that pumps from your cut as you wince, before releasing you. Mikhail hands you a roll of bandage, which you quickly begin wrapping them around your wound. Count Grey walks away from you, strolling towards the lounge. He walks up the stone stairs, before heading to the glass window. He stares out at the darkness, and the rising red moon.

"Good... good..." he says. "Prepare altar. The Viceroys will be here soon."

You nod eagerly, and quickly head down to the dungeons, followed by the others. The gagged woman are in the cells, curled up and terrified. Dasha is still unconscious, which gives you pause.

"The new girl, Dasha, look at her," you say.

"What of her?" Lucas asks.

"She's still not awake. Maybe you used too much chloroform, Mikhail," you say.

"No, I used the normal amount. Maybe she had a medical condition," Mikhail says.

"Who the fuck cares?" Lucas asks.

"What if she's dead? We'll be one victim short? Do you want to be the sacrifice?" you say.

Lucas pauses, opening the cell and walking towards her. He drops to his knee, putting a hand against her chest.

"She's breathing. Just unconscious. The idiot must've used too much chloroform. She's alive, she'll do, alright?"

Mikhail shrugs, slinging the girl over his shoulder. Lucas opens the two other cells, grabbing the women inside and pulling them along by their hair. The girls are shackled, so they're incapable of struggling much, but any resistance leads quickly to a punch to the side of the head.

"Samuel, get the last two!" Lucas shouts.

You grab the cell keys, walking over. One of the girl stares at you with rage, the other sits in the back corner in terror. You open the scared girl's cell first, grabbing her by her chain. You drag her out of the cell, before opening the second cell and grabbing the more resistant girl.

"Don't fight me on this. You're not going to win this, and I don't want to hurt you," you say.

You pull on the second girl's chain, but she plants her feet down and stares at you.
> You drag her to the chambers
You grit your teeth, pulling tightly on the chain and dragging her forward. She tries to resist, but you're simply stronger, and she's forced to follow. You slowly lead the two along the hallway, up the stairs, and  into the "church". You hear Count Grey's dark, cold, emotionless voice from the main hall.

"Welcome, Viceroys. Did you decide to come together, or simply met on the road here?"

"Coincidence, my lord," another far deeper voice booms, one more filled with malice and hatred than Count Grey's.

"Good, good. Haygarth!" Count Grey shouts.

"Yes, yes master?" Haygarth's voice comes back from the stables.

"Come, fetch the Viceroy's coats!"

"Yes, yes sir!" Haygarth says, quickly hurrying to them.

You turn your attention back to the task at hand. In front of you in a large, open stone room. Groves cover the stone floor, making the shape of a large pentagram. Lucas' two prisoners are kneeling at two of the points of the pentagram chained to a loop in the stone to prevent them from moving, while Dasha lies at the third, her unconscious state meaning she doesn't need to be chained up.

"Come on," you say, dragging the second girl to one of the pentagram's points. You force her to kneel on the ground and chain her to the loop in the ground. You drag the first girl to the other, doing the same.

Mikhail and Lucas stand off to the side, watching them. Mikhail looks down, looking vaguely embarrassed at his part in this. Lucas, however, seems ecstatic. He walks forward, grinning as he draws his dagger.

"Oh boy, look at that!" he says, dropping to his knees in front of a girl. "Look at that. You see the pentagram? You see those deep, thick groves? I'm going to fill them with your blood. You like that? You ready?"

The girl frantically begins to struggle, as Lucas smiles. Lucas slices the girl's throat open, as blood pours out, flooding into the grove and running along. The girl gurgles as blood pours through her throat, and Lucas lets the head fall to the ground over the grove, letting the blood pour out into it.

"Mikhail, come on, we need this ready for the Viceroys and Count Grey!" he says.

"I am not a butcher," Mikhail says softly, as Lucas' eyes narrow.

"Don't fucking take the high road. You drugged every whore here, knowing it was all so we'd slit there throats here. You're as much a murderer as I am."

Mikhail looks to the ground, opening his mouth as if to say something, but closing it just as quickly.

"That's what I thought. Samuel, grab your knife, let's get to work."


You hand over your wallet, giving them the finger as you do.

"Thanks," the skinny one smiles, grabbing it from your hand as he smacks you in the head with the gun, knocking you to the floor.

"What are you doing?" the big one asks. "We don't need to kill him! We got the wallet!"

You look up to see the barrel of the gun pointing directly at your head.

"You heard what he said. He's with the count. If we kill him now, the count won't come after us!" the skinny one knows. "He's seen our faces."

"He doesn't know our names," the big one says.

"I'm Lucas. That's Mikhail," the skinny one said.

"What the fuck!?" the big one, Mikhail replies.

"We have to kill him. Now even you'd agree to that," Lucas says.

"Always kill your prey. You don't want to let them come back and bite you in the throat," a voice says.

Count Grey steps from the shadows, his teeth curved in a grin, his fangs prominent. He grabs Lucas' gun arm, twisting it until Lucas drops the gun. Mikhail charges with a knife, but with a quick, well-planted punch to the chest sends him to the floor, badly winded. You stand up, grabbing the gun as well as drawing your own, pointing one at each of the thieves.

"What, are you some fucking cowboy with your guns? Shoot, come on!" Lucas says, even though his bottom lip is quivering.

"Tell me, Samuel. How did they manage to jump you?" Count Grey asks, tracing a finger down Lucas' nose.

"I was pissing," you admit.

"Hmmm... tell me, where is your family?" Count Grey asks, turning his attention to the teens.

"Dead," Lucas answers.

"Well then, you've shown balls, willingness to kill and the ability to ambush. Perhaps... Samuel, you were the one mugged. What happened? Were you behaving stupidly and ambushed by some lackluster fools, or are these two deserving of becoming ghouls?"
> You suggest you were unprepared and the teens are undeserving of becoming ghouls
"No. I was just unprepared," you say. "These thieves are nothing special."

"So be..." Count Grey says, before Mikhail grabs your leg, flipping you onto your back.

Count Grey steps back as he watches you struggle on the ground with Mikhail. Your guns bounce across the stones and land a few feet away, barely in arms reach. Lucas immediately goes for the guns, as Mikhail puts his hands around your throats and begins to strangle.
> You go for the gun
You reach for the gun, as both you and Lucas immediately grab it. You try to rip the gun from his hands, but Mikhail's massive, strong hands choke the life out of you. His hands crush your throat with it's powerful squeezing, and the life is wringed out of you as you desperately try to get one last breath. The world goes dark, as you let out a final croak.


"No. I was just unprepared," you say. "These thieves are nothing special."

"So be..." Count Grey says, before Mikhail grabs your leg, flipping you onto your back.

Count Grey steps back as he watches you struggle on the ground with Mikhail. Your guns bounce across the stones and land a few feet away, barely in arms reach. Lucas immediately goes for the guns, as Mikhail puts his hands around your throats and begins to strangle.
> You focus on Mikhail
Your fingers immediately grab Mikhail's face, your thumbs going into his eyes as you begin to push your thumbs down to blind him. Mikhail releases his grip to grab your wrists and pull him away, before Lucas fires the gun. The bullet blows out the back of your head, staining the ground red.


"Haygarth, be fair here. Do you really want to go back to the castle to have to cook for us? We could quickly get some grub, some drinks, and then head back to the castle. Right?"

"Don't like leaving carriage. There's always pointing, laughing, staring," Haygarth says, pulling his balaclava up to the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll pull in. You go eat. I'll wait here, eat something when I get home," he says.

The carriage pulls in alongside a tavern, as you look to Haygarth, who looks fairly pathetic as he attempts to cover his mishapen form.
> You attempt to convince Haygarth to come in
"Haygarth, it's cold, it's been a long day, you must be starving and desperate for a drink. Come on, Haygarth, let's go inside."

"Fine," Haygarth says, nodding as he climbs off his spot. "Five minutes."
> You enter the tavern
You walk inside the tavern by yourself, feeling the weight of your Leu-filled wallet in your side pocket,. You walk alongside a nervous Haygarth, and immediately garner the attention of everyone in the bar. Your garb makes it immediately clear to anyone but the most ignorant or simply stupid of the peasants that you're a servant of Count Grey. The tavern quickly clears out, heading to their various homes, leaving only a few idiots too old and stubborn or young and cocky to realize staying near you is death.

You toss a crumpled note on the counter, looking up at the bar tender expectantly.

"Everyone's staring," Haygarth says, nervously.

"Everyone either left, is drunk as fuck or is trying to appear tough while stopping from pissing themselves," you reply.

Soon, you find yourself drinking a pint, a plate of chicken, boiled potatoes and cabbage in front of you, as Haygarth does likewise. You smile, eating it up eagerly, downing the pint in a few gulps. You belch loudly, as Haygarth mutters a complaint. You grin, finding yourself now filled with food, warm and content.

"Where's the bathroom?" you ask, feeling the need to piss rising as your full bladder demands you act.

"Bathroom's broken. Go outside," the bar-tender replies.

You raise an eyebrow, tapping on your hat.

"Do you know who I am? Who I work for?" you ask.

"I do. If he shows up here, I'm as happy to show him the broken toilet as I am you."

"Fuck you," you say, before turning to Haygarth. "Back in a sec, I need to piss."

"Have haste! The master awaits!" Haygarth replies.

You stand, turning and walking outside into the alley. You unzip your trousers and pull out your dick, pissing onto the side of the old building.

Suddenly, the cold blade of a knife is pressed against your throat.

"Don't move," a deep voice whispers. "Hands in the air."

"Do you expect me to let go of my dick and piss on myself?" you ask, more annoyed than scared.

"Finish up," the voice says.

You finish pissing, popping your genitalia back in your trousers, buttoning it up, and slowly turn to face your attack. Two teens, barely fifteen by the looks of it, both with short blond hair, one skinny, on large and muscular, stare at you. The skinny one holds a pistol, while the big one holds the knife pressed against your throat.

"What's this about, gents? Revenge?" you ask, knowing just how many family's want your blood for taking their daughter's.

"What? We don't know you," the big one says.

"The wallet. Now," the skinny one says.

You pause, frowning.

"Are you seriously fucking telling me you've decided to mug me?" you ask, surprised.

"Why the fuck wouldn't we?" the big one asks, pushing you against the wall as the skinny one draws his own knife with his left hand, strolling forward to press the barrel against your temple.

"Wallet. Now," he says.

"Fucking idiots. You don't recognize the outfit, eh? I'm a fucking Ghoul, Count Grey's personal assistant."

The big one looks at the skinny one nervously.

"Maybe we should let him go," the big one asks.

"He's bluffing," the skinny one says, licking his lips. "Ghouls... ghouls are rotten, aren't they?"

"The sun's down, boys. Count Grey's due to wake..."

"Shut it! Wallet, now!" the skinny one commands


You sit in the shotgun seat of a carriage with Haygarth at the reins. It's been a long journey. You have to venture to meet with King Ferdinand I in order to arrange taxation laws and other things you haven't been educated well enough to understand. You're finally entering the territory under Count Grey's control, staring out at the village you're entering as the sun falls in the distance.

"Stop here," you say. "I want to grab a bite to eat."

"We must be home soon!" Haygarth says. "Count Grey's in the back, he might wake up soon. Sun's almost gone."

You're hungry, thirsty and you've been traveling for the past three days. There's no way in hell you're going back to the castle for Haygarth to cook up his famous soup, which you're certain he's literally shitting in.
> You force Haygath to stop
"Haygarth," you snarl, drawing a pistol from your side. "If you really want me to pistol-whip you into submission, I'm willing to do so."

Haygarth sighs, before nodding.

"Fine, fine, but be quick about it!"

The carriage pulls in alongside a tavern, as you look to Haygarth, who looks fairly pathetic as he attempts to cover his mishapen form.


You awake to the prick of fangs against your neck. You don't move, taking in a deep breath.

"You looked so... so appetizing. Let's go. We need to finish the last stage of your path towards becoming a true apprentice."

You nod, standing. You make your way down to the prison cell, where the girl still waits. She looks up, terrified.

"What... what is to be done with her?" you gulp.

"She is food. Learn that fact," your master says.

The vampire draws a long dagger from his side, handing it to you.

"If you're going to be my Ghoul, you need to prove you're capable of preparing my food. Kill her,"

You hold the knife, staring at it as the girl begins to cry. You notice from the wet patch growing on her nightgown, she’s pissed herself once more.

“Kill her. She’s weak, you’re strong. Slice open her throat, so I can feed,” Count Grey commanded.

The girl breaks into sobs as Count Grey opens the cell door, swinging it ajar and motioning for you to enter. You nod, walking forward with the knife held tightly in your hand.
> You refuse
“I can’t do it,” you say, dropping the knife and let it collapse on the ground.

“Do you really want to make that choice?” Count Grey asks, baring his fangs. They remind you of long, curved thin ivory daggers, ready to strike at any given moment

“Yes,” you say.

“So be it,” he says. “You’ve shown courage by refusing an order. Perhaps you’re braver than expected. Fine, follow me. Lock the cell door behind you.”

You breath out a sigh of relief, closing the door and locking it with a twist of the key. You follow Count Grey along the hall. Soon, you find yourself in front of a large, wooden door. Haygarth has forbidden you from entering, which only mean that you had one less room to clean. Count Grey pulls a short, silver key from his pocket. He opens the door, revealing a massive storage room. The room is filled with cabinets and shelving units. They’re all filled with crystal bottles, filled with a scarlet red ichor.

“This castle was built to withstand a siege. It’s storerooms could keep a force here going for years with wheat, potatoes, salted meats and more, as well as small gardens. Unfortunately, I require a more… delicate solution to avoid starving.”

You look at the endless bottles of blood, wondering how many lives were given to fill them.

“It’s quite hard to successfully bottle blood. Let alone hard hard it is to get it from the victim without a needle and a few hours.”

“You want me to kill people and bottle their blood?” you gulp. “Are you willing to do that?”
> Yes
“You think so? You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” you say, raising an eyebrow.

“Then I think you’re right. You will fill a few bottles,” Count Grey says.

Count Grey bursts forward, grabbing you by the neck and twisting it. His fangs fly forward, stabbing through your neck. You gasp as your blood fills his mouth. The last sensation you feel is your bleeding neck wound being pressed against the rim of an empty glass bottle.


“I can’t do it,” you say, dropping the knife and let it collapse on the ground.

“Do you really want to make that choice?” Count Grey asks, baring his fangs. They remind you of long, curved thin ivory daggers, ready to strike at any given moment

“Yes,” you say.

“So be it,” he says. “You’ve shown courage by refusing an order. Perhaps you’re braver than expected. Fine, follow me. Lock the cell door behind you.”

You breath out a sigh of relief, closing the door and locking it with a twist of the key. You follow Count Grey along the hall. Soon, you find yourself in front of a large, wooden door. Haygarth has forbidden you from entering, which only mean that you had one less room to clean. Count Grey pulls a short, silver key from his pocket. He opens the door, revealing a massive storage room. The room is filled with cabinets and shelving units. They’re all filled with crystal bottles, filled with a scarlet red ichor.

“This castle was built to withstand a siege. It’s storerooms could keep a force here going for years with wheat, potatoes, salted meats and more, as well as small gardens. Unfortunately, I require a more… delicate solution to avoid starving.”

You look at the endless bottles of blood, wondering how many lives were given to fill them.

“It’s quite hard to successfully bottle blood. Let alone hard hard it is to get it from the victim without a needle and a few hours.”

“You want me to kill people and bottle their blood?” you gulp. “Are you willing to do that?”
> No
“I thought not. You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” you say, raising an eyebrow.

“Then I think you will fill a few bottles,” Count Grey says.

Count Grey bursts forward, grabbing you by the neck and twisting it. His fangs fly forward, stabbing through your neck. You gasp as your blood fills his mouth. The last sensation you feel is your bleeding neck wound being pressed against the rim of an empty glass bottle.


The coach enters the castle gate, as you climb off the coach. Haygarth lowers the portcullis, as you go to the back to open the coach. The girl sits there, staring at you in terror.

"Get out," you command.

The girl nods, crawling ahead as she gets out of the coach. You grab her by the wrist, leading her along to the coach. She doesn't talk, seemingly in shock. She doesn't say a word, instead staring at you in terror. You wonder if you should try to converse, to calm her, or keep unemotional and professional about this issue.
> You do your job without talking
You keep walking, as the girl stays compliant. She does actually smell quite strongly of perfume. You lead her quickly to the castle's dungeons. You drag her down the stairs, before leading her into a prison cell. You lock the cell door, staring at her from behind the bars. She stares blankly ahead, leaning against the wall and sliding down to lean against it, her nightgown now covered in mud and dirt.

You leave her there, now secured, and end up heading to bed for a few hours sleep before Count Grey arrives back.


"Uh... the... the fi..." you stutter, tripping over your words as the vampire growls.

"Have I found myself with another fool, a boy with the mind of a mule?" the vampire says, his long, gleaning white fangs, the corners of his mouth still red with your blood. "I've had a year out of you. Perhaps it's best to finish you off now."

Count Grey slowly walks forward, snarling as his fangs poke out, looking like huge spears.
> You run
You turn quickly, sprinting away as the vampire bursts forward, knocking your leg away and sending you tumbling forward. You smash into the ground as the vampire strikes, landing atop your fragile body.. He grabs your neck, holding your head high to expose your neck. His mouth immediately shoots forward, biting into your neck as he begins to drain you of your life force. You gasp as your blood is drained, before he stands, leaving your dead body on the ground.


You sit in the shotgun seat of the coach, as Haygarth continues spurring the horses forward. You're entering the village of Nitchidorf, with Count Grey resting in the back. The carriage's wheels roll into the village, stopping as you enter the village limits.

"Go open the doors for the Count," Haygarth says.

You nod, quickly hopping off the carriage. You run to the back of the carriage, opening it as the tall, gaunt Vampire steps out, tilting his head to stare down at you.

"Follow," he commands.

He begins walking along the street, staring at each of the houses.

"We must find you a little... playmate," Count Grey says, looking at the houses.

He sniffs the air, staring at the houses. His eyes flicker to you, filling you with dread as he licks his lips, still stained with bits of your crimson ichor, looking hungry.

"Ye-yes, master," you say, nervously.

The vampire stares at you for a second, before looking away. He seems impatient.

"Yes... I can smell two prominent ones. Tell me, Samuel, what do you think? There's a young one who smells freshly bathed and lemongrass perfume, or one that smells of fresh dough and... terror sweat. It appears the latter one can see us. Which is it, Samuel?"
> The second girl
"Uh... the... the se..." you stutter, tripping over your words as the vampire growls.

"Have I found myself with another fool, a boy with the mind of a mule?" the vampire says, his long, gleaning white fangs, the corners of his mouth still red with your blood. "I've had a year out of you. Perhaps it's best to finish you off now."

Count Grey slowly walks forward, snarling as his fangs poke out, looking like huge spears.