After the final vision was over, Igor did not say a word and he left the aviary. Gloryana stood where she was and Belle looked at her in silence. The elf now truly understood the curse that the gargoyle bore; the haru’s soul was bound to be the sacred keeper of the knowledge of all of the souls that lay in the service of the damned. However, Belle knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have to address the beast and soon some old friends that were already on their way to the castle as they already crossed the frozen river…

“How is it that you knew that Lucy would show us the way?”, asked Arthur. “Because her soul cannot rest until the beast is dealt with and neither can ours.”, replied Abraham. “But why is it that when you carry the lantern she does not show us the way?”, Arthur asked and then Abraham turned to face him, reaching for his shoulder. “Because she trusts you and because she can still feel your love, and because your soul is pure.”, replied Abraham which confused Arthur.

“Are you implying yours is not?”, asked Arthur. “All will be revealed in due time, young Arthur, for now let us focus on the road ahead.”, replied Abraham as they crossed the frozen river with a caravan that carried the bodies of lycanthropes that they had slain and rangers following behind.

One of the gargoyles that blended in with one of the nearby glaciers saw the rangers make their way and gestured its head to another that then bowed its head. It flew to the skies for it would leave to inform its master of the danger that is coming while the other looked on to see riders on horses that were the Black Guard that also joined the ranger core, warriors ready to fight. There were fully grown adults that were conscripts from the orphanage that had also joined their cause and many of them carried backpacks as well as shovels and mining picks along with them. They each had cooked meat in their bags and some of them placed on sticks that they chewed on while making their way that was all made from the lycanthrope meat that one of their chefs was now in the process of butchering to prepare the meat for the men and women had to be prepared for the great battle that was soon to come while Abraham reached for a ring dear to him…

“Master Rendfield…”, Gloryana appeared in the throne room and it was unlike her to do so. “High Matron, it is quite rare to see you anywhere else besides the aviary…”, he replied but was cut off short when she interrupted him. “An enemy approaches, guided by a soul that use to be one of ours, a whisper in the wind…”, Gloryana explained and Rendfield raised his head.

“Let them come…”, he said. “We could use the fresh meat and blood, as well as the new souls that they provide, for my sister’s new abomination.”, the monster implied and the High Matron stood there for she knew that he was going to say something else. “I have already summoned your sister, my master, and told her what is coming our way. She has gone to see the apothecary; Hester Nikola Zank.”, Gloryana told her master who then raised his head to face her.

“I know that you already know what is on my mind, High Matron.”, Rendfield shared.

“I know that you can see the future even though it is so far from being but for you it is like as if it is already here, it is as if you are living it now at this very moment.”, he explained and then she coldly stared towards him. “No, master, I cannot tell you the fate of the Last Dracula.”, she stated and then Rendfield got up to say something only to be interrupted. “Do you fear death, master?”, she asked and this caused the monster to chuckle. “What?”, he then laughed in reply.

“True death.”, those words made him pause, not say a word then. “That is the fate that awaits all the keepers of the lost and the damned should we share their secrets without permission. This is the curse I bear and the fate that awaits me should I break my vow to her…”, Rendfield did not understand who the gargoyle meant when she mentioned ‘her’. “I have already dispatched my gargoyles to prepare for the assault, master, and make no mistake…”, Gloryana added.

“I fear true death more than I do you and all the evil that exists in this world and all others could not possibly compare to our Mother Nature.”, these are the final words she said before she chose to walk away from the monster who for the first time in forever felt some sort of fear.

“Magnificent…”, Bellindia once more marveled in the plague that the three brides had created and this time they had perfected it to not only to kill their victims but also to bless them with the same curse that she bore, the same curse that she found to be a great blessing…

“Do you have means in distributing the plague?”, she asked. “Yes, mistress, we have already given the order to prepare it for the coming battle.”, said the malfhi. “It will be magnificent…”, said the ebony harlefi with a smile. “Yes…”, said the brown gorgon with passion.

“Ah, Grand Apothecary…”, it was then that Belle noticed the man whose heart she froze. “Ah, Lady Frankenstein, you have returned.”, he bowed his head and greeted her. “How goes the task I set upon you?”, she asked and he then raised his hand, gesturing for her to see for herself.

Belle then walked inside of a grand chamber where there were many piles of bones being extracted by undead skeletons and close by there were wights that worked on moving the meat that they harvested from the many bodies the lycanthropes had gathered onto wood wagons. The zombies used their thread and needles to sow body after body part of the abomination that they were ordered to construct as the Dark Lady wished for. The humans that were present focused on the construction of the abomination’s plating and armor while also working on the cybernetics as well as its programming that would be implanted within the creature. They instructed where the wires were to be placed carefully and the organs as they managed the entire process. The wights finished sowing the creature’s two arms as well as its head and most of its upper body together, impressing the Dark Lady that looked on to continuously admire their work.

“I trust my father was of great help to this process?”, she asked. “Yes, my lady Frankenstein.”, replied the apothecary. “I wish to see him, now.”, she said. “But he is already here, my lady.”, this response confused Bellindia who would look around to see if anyone resembled Victor, and all that she was were wights as well as zombies in the room that further added to her confusion.

“Here, my lady…”, the scientist then pointed to the abomination’s head and Bellindia looked to the table, and it was in that moment that she felt a certain loss but not of love but of power.

She lost control and for the first time in a long time did her heart make a beat as if it had felt something. She was always so confident, so cheerful, so childish and playful but this time that entire flicker left as she coldly stared to the head of the monster before her.

“You killed my father?”, she asked. “Yes, milady, and he was quite easy to carve for his bones and flesh were rather old as it were.”, the apothecary replied. “Why did you do this?”, she asked and he turned his head to face her without fear, without emotion, for his heart was cold as ice.

“Because you and your brother commanded it.”, he said. “What?”, she looked at him enraged. “My brother specified that my brother is to join in on the process, not to be butchered!”, she then raised her voice and the human did not even flinch. “Yes, he did, and I asked the master later to clarify if he meant as an assistant or to join in for spare parts, and he said the latter.”, this reply then made Bellindia’s eyes lower down as she turned to face the abomination’s head.

“Do you wish for me to perhaps assist you in easing your burden, my lady Frankenstein?”, the apothecary asked and then she turned to face him. “Perhaps then these emotions will not hinder you the same way that they have once done to me? Do you want me to silence them as you did my own?”, he questioned his lady loyally and yet coldly, no emotions could be found in his eyes.

“No…”, she said to him. “My heart is not like yours and I am well in control of my emotions, the passion that burns deep within my heart does not hinder me or sway me from my path unlike yours once did. You will continue the construct and I will return to oversee the process. I will be watching you, Grand Apothecary, and I will expect a deal of great many things from you.”, she explained to him and most would feel honor at this moment but the apothecary felt nothing. “Of course, my lady Frankenstein, in this life I serve you.”, he replied and she then stepped forth.

“Do you wish for your work not to be hindered by any means? Do you wish to have total control out of anything that you construct, no restrictions and no chains?”, she asked. “That would be the best for my line of work, my lady, but as long as master Rendfield is in command there will be restrictions.”, the Grand Apothecary replied and then Bellindia lowered her claw.

“I want my father to be at the forefront of it all, of everything. I want him to both hear and see, to feel, the suffering, pain and anguish of all the wailing souls after you are done with it. Do you understand?”, Bellindia told the apothecary her wishes and although he could not feel he could think for himself, and in that moment he wondered why she gave such an order before he bowed.

“And in return I shall ensure that your work goes undisturbed for all time as long as you report back to me whenever you deem necessary. Do I make myself clear?”, she said to the apothecary who did not say a word and simply stared into her eyes before she would walk away from him.

In that moment, Bellindia Frankenstein better understood the path of the damned, and her father. He had a created a monster and he understood his mistake, and the apothecary once understood that as well only for his heart to be frozen only for him to not feel anything afterwards.

“If the apothecary only had a heart beat left, perhaps then her father would have not died?”, Bellindia thought but in that moment, as she stood in those halls, she realized that she does not care anymore, that her father and all others mean nothing to her as he now knows what she is.

In that moment, she would then proceed to approach the three elves and they looked at her before she gestured for them to follow. That night all four of them would share a bed where kisses were exchanged between them and new blood spilt as a new surge of memories rushed all over. They made love throughout the night, the following day until tomorrow night. She inherited all of their memories, all of their love, all of their passion and desires that she inherited just as she once did when she put her mark on the beast that also left his very own mark on her. The following day, the Dark Lady and the three elves would join the Council of Vampires and Lord Rendfield…

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“Ah, dear sister, I am so pleased that you came.”, said Rendfield. “Please, sit…”, he gestured and she then walked over to the other side of the table, past her brother before she took her seat on his throne where she proceeded to cross her legs in front of him, and the three elves smiled.

The council that sat the table was surprised and Rendfield was baffled while the three brides of the Dark Lady Frankenstein placed their claws over their mouths to conceal their smile.

“What is the meaning of this?”, asked Rendfield. “Meaning of what?”, asked Belle. “You sit on my throne.”, he replied. “Your throne?”, she asked. “Do you truly understand the dead, brother, as you so claim?”, she questioned him and he smirked. “Of course I do.”, he implied.

“In death we are all brothers and sisters, we are all family and one of the same. We are equals. There are no lords, only souls of forsaken that wish to find some kind of meaning in this afterlife and you’ve held them back for far too long. You failed to notice a feeble minded apothecary holding back his research due to the still beating heart and the very gift bestowed upon your concubines who make for far better apothecaries compared to all others, but the greatest insult of all is that you allowed spies among our ranks.”, this last comment would then confused the monster but cause the council to be nervous. “Spies?”, he chuckled. “There are no spies among the damned and there never will be. Who would dare to…?!”, Rendfield fought by words but in his response he then realized who she could have possibly meant were the spies.

He turned to face the council of vampires and saw Lady Carabosse as well as Red stare coldly towards Lady Rose and Lord Spriggins. They each appeared to have an eye for the other.

“My esteemed council, is this true?”, Rendfield questioned them and the four knew that they could lie but the brides knew well that everyone feared the Dark Lady just as equally. “It is, my lord.”, it was Lady Talia Carabosse that was first to respond to reveal her treachery.

“My aunt and I do not see quite eye to eye, and therefore I have no part in this.”, said Briar Rose.

“My niece is not wrong in this matter and we are not spies as much as we are observers. We were sent by another party that is…”, Lady Carabosse paused. “Interested in making an alliance with you, my lady Frankenstein.”, she added only for Rendfield to smirk yet again. “You mean an alliance with me.”, he replied. “No.”, Rose Red then spoke up that surprised Rendfield.

“Our mistress specifically requested an alliance with Lady Frankenstein, not you. As Lady Carabosse said, we were sent to observe what is in our best interest and hers, and she has deduced that the Dark Lady is her best option. No offense, Lord Rendfield.”, Lady Red would explain to all present and Rendfield was shocked at such a revelation.

“On that note, I’d like to add, that I must agree with the Dark Lady on the topic that she had once mentioned beforehand.”, Talia Carabosse commented before she looked to Briar Rose. “My dear niece, what I have done to you will never be forgiven nor will I ever seek your forgiveness, but we share a common curse that the Dark Lady has revealed to me in the form of a revelation to be, in fact, a blessing that both you and I bear. In life, we were enemies. In death, let us be allies and should you not wish that is fine with me…”, she explained as they all observed and Talia then placed both of her hands on the table before she leaned to closely look at her niece.

“As long as you do not cause any harm to me or my friends, I will not cause any harm to you and yours, and as a sign of good will I have ordered my forces to abandon Teyvat. That is all I have to say.”, Talia then proceeded to look towards the Dark Lady who waved. “We will talk later.”, she said to the queen that took a bow before she would be seated once again. “Our world was never yours to give.”, commented Briar. “Nor was it our families to rule in the first place.”, replied Talia and both relatives looked to each other with a scolding hatred in their hearts.

“And finally, dear brother, you let emotions get the best of you.”, said Belle and the monster turned to face her yet again. “You wanted our father’s love and you never got it, and because of that you wanted him to suffer by giving me this wonderful blessing. I also wanted to toy with our father, Rendfield, although not for the same reasons and you robbed me of that pleasure. He was far more useful to us as a wight or even a skeleton…”, she chuckled at her last sentence and shook her head as she was very disappointed for she knew her father was intelligent.

“You squandered a great gift, a great mind, that was hacked to pieces to be used for scraps for my abomination and why? Is it because you wanted your father’s attention, is it because you never had it? Oh, poor you. Bo-hoo-hoo…”, she then behaved childishly to mock him. “Or was it to spite me, was it all done in order for you to see me break as well?”, Rendfield then stepped closer to her and looked down upon her, he towered over her and yet she did not move an inch.

“Or was it all of the above?”, the tension was there and then she smiled. “So you have a choice, brother, stand by my side and rule or stand aside and rot in the ground. The choice is yours.”, the moment that she offered him the choice, all members of the council stared towards him.

Rendfield held his claymore firm and the three brides observed him ever so closely and cautious. Their tails moved back and forth, their ears flickered and listened intently to any possible sound that his heart would make and they felt the vibrations in the earth with their seismic sense. It was then that Rendfield took his claymore, raised it and placed the tip of the blade on the ground. He then kneeled down before her on one knee and bowed his head, and now she had truly become the Dark Lady that rules all lost and the damned of Perrault. At that same moment, the ranger core and their recruits had finally arrived to mountain pass leading to the castle road. They could hear the howls of lycanthropes in the distance and the hysterical laughter of the elves among the many trees of the woodlands surrounding them. Their warriors prepared their shields and blades as well as passive spears while their rangers had already prepared their crossbows and guns. Arthur held the will of the wisp within the lantern still before Abraham turned to face his army.

“Defensive formations!”, he gave the order and every warrior then slammed their rectangle like shield on the ground to form a wall with no clear opening as the baggage animals, most of the rangers, and even most of the cavalry shifted to the center of the large wall forming around them.

The rangers stood side by side along the oblong, curved, cylindrical shield wall drawn up around on the outside, making a rectangular figure. The wall faced outward and holding their arms at the ready, they enclosed the rest. The others, who have flat shields, formed a compact body in the center and raised their shields over the heads of all others so that nothing but shields can be seen from every part of the phalanx alike and all men and women by the density of the formation are under shelter from missiles. The rangers prepared their explosive arrows for their crossbows and their rifles to fire upon anyone that would dare to attack them as Arthur saw the blue light of his beloved flicker as it seemed to be getting dimmer when they all heard the march of the damned. It was then, to Arthur’s horror that the moonlight shun among the cursed ones who transformed into the living skeletons, ghouls, wights, and the many terrors that the moonlight revealed them to be. The lycanthropes were the first to charge only for the explosive arrows to hit them and shatter their bodies to pieces but that did not stop the onslaught that they sought to wreak upon the living. Arthur then heard the shrieks of the gargoyles that descended down from the heavens and the shield wall spread a part from above as a gun was then aimed into the air. Arthur then heard the sounds several Gatling guns opening fire upon the damned that got shredded by the bullets and their explosives ignited into the air before they could drop them. The shield wall pushed forth and between the cracks large spears protruded out that stabbed several wights and ghouls that threw themselves against the wall. The tip of the spears would then begin to spin like drill bits that shredded through the flesh off their enemies and this way the soldiers would pull several undead back to their wall where the riflemen would proceed to shoot through their heads. Arthur witnessed the effectiveness of the Black Guard and Blackwood Rangers at first hand. They were both vital in their survival and in holding back the monsters.

“Hold the line!”, Abraham Van Seward ordered the guard. “Keep firing, keep firing!”, Arthur passed on the order to the rangers as gargoyles fell from the skies, one after the other. “Ready!”, one of the dwarven volunteers stated and then Arthur grabbed the handles of one of the Gatling Guns to open fire himself, opening fire upon any gargoyle in his sights.

At that same moment, Bellindia Frankenstein stepped through a mirror only to appear on the same balcony where she was first bitten and surrounding her were the Vampire Council along with Rendfield that gazed into the field below as more soldiers began to arrive into the battlefield from the mountain pass below. Bellindia observed the battlefield carefully and focused her eye sight on where the heart of the enemy army was located only to spot them. She looked to the brides and gestured with her heads as the brides grinned before turning to the apothecaries. It was then that Bellindia spotted a lycanthrope that threw a large stone into the line formation that knocked back several soldiers. The stone toppled the lantern of Lucy Murray and broke her free as her spirit then ascended into the heavens. Arthur saw this and then aimed his gun for a moment at the lycanthrope that charged towards them in order to infiltrate their line but the second line behind the previous formation quickly grouped together. They surrounded him, blocked him off and stabbed him with their many spears one after the other. They struck his head and it was in that moment that Abraham Van Seward stepped forth. Arthur then noticed that Abraham’s right hand began to glow and quickly deduced he was more than what he appeared to be. He waved his left hand and then his right hand that launched balls of fire that struck the lycanthrope that fell to his knees before he raised both hands that incinerated the entire body of the lycanthrope. It was then that one of the rangers, an elf, would shout out in a warning…

“Wisps!”, the ranger lord turned immediately and the Black Guard were suddenly distracted by the arrival of a massive wave of wisps that flung their spirits into the bodies of the deceased and seemed to also make their way underground to possess those buried there for far too long.

The dead bodies of the deceased Black Guard then opened their eyes as the living quickly stabbed them in the head to prevent them from rising and those that they could not reach in time was because of the lycanthropes that caused such a deafening roar at the Black Guard that fell back but held their ground. One of the lycanthropes raised both arms and bashed down over a shield formation. It grabbed one of the guards and bashed him against others as many other lycans then charged along with the nosferatu and ghouls that threw themselves over the walls. The Gatling Guns kept firing but then Arthur’s own gun ran out of ammunition as he shouted.

“Reload!”, and to his horror he saw none other than Gloryana Deathwing herself whom simply spread her arms open to the gargoyles lying on the ground below whose bodies began to shake.

The hands and arms of the dead then emerged from the ground behind the shield wall of the guards that turned in panic only to stab them with their massive spear-drills. Reaching for his sword, Arthur charged into the heat of battle and stabbed any undead whose head first rose from the ground. Bellindia Frankenstein observed the field of battle as the spears kept stabbing through flesh, as the corpses kept falling, as the explosives kept sounding off, and the rifles kept firing throughout the night that caused flashes and smoke everywhere. Abraham Van Seward knew the battle would take its toll and turned to face Arthur whom he saw stabbing the undead. Abraham then approached him, grabbed him by his wrist and pulled on him. He then looked down and Arthur saw him turning a ring three times over before they both disappeared…