Silence reigned as William and Saphra's eyes met in a challenge. Considering matters, William realized that this was as close to a person he could trust as anyone.

"Saphra Delenay," said William. "I shall address you as such.

"I believe you manage the affairs of House De Chevlon's slave imports?"

"And most economic matters as well," said Saphra, drawing up one black-gloved hand. She began to examine her slender fingers. "Vampires lose their ability to adapt quickly when they take power. It is one of their weaknesses that I must account for. Those vampires were base-level hunters. They were mere cannon fodder who joined for blood and immortality.

"If they are not smart enough to flee before me when I command, they have no right to exist."

"And which weakness led you down to the depths of this place?" asked William.

"Unfathomable compassion," said Saphra, shifting one hip.

"Yeah, I think you mean 'unfathomable compassion. And something else. You can't afford to let the Heir to House Gabriel get rubbed out," said Fayn, crossing her arms with a smirk.

"Well, William's death would be inconvenient for me, I suppose," said Saphra. "But it's dull to talk in such darkness; we should walk elsewhere." Then, turning around, her skirt flying around, she strode off. Her boots had long heels at the end. William and Fayn followed, and Saphra moved at a breakneck pace. William had trouble keeping up, though Fayn did not even in her armor. The two seemed familiar with one another, in a way William had not seen.

Eventually, the tunnel branched out. On the right there was an iron gate, leading down toward red light. It was labeled;

'Forging grounds.'

To the left, it was more humid, and the air filled with moisture, with tinges of moss along it. Saphra led them left, her clinging black outfit showing no signs of sway. He wondered if its only purpose was appearances, which indeed served that purpose.

They turned left, ignoring an iron gate leading downward toward a red light. As they walked, they soon found themselves amid many flowers. The same flowers from before at that.

"This place..." said William. "I've seen flowers like these before in Seathorius."

"Yes, they've been growing here long," said Saphra. "They've been feeding on the undead that is destroyed. Those crystals above use have contained spells of sunlight cast by Neral Dinis. It keeps them growing."

"To what the end?" asked William.

"I rather like having my own pet garden of carnivorous plants. To say nothing of the Goddess at the center," said Saphra, stretching and moving her shoulders. The movement caused her breasts to shift appealingly. William kept his gaze on Saphra, remembering who he was talking to. She was a demoness.

"The Flower Maiden?" asked William. He guessed that Saphra was using them to counterbalance against Neral Dinis.

"Yes," said Saphra. "In more practical purposes, having her flowers is an excellent check on passage. And it helps prevent slaves from escaping and acts as a defense. We have, at times, come under attack from our further passages.

"And as long as the gardens are down here, the curse on these lands is weakened. So you had some firsthand experience with that.

"I did," said William. "I wonder why you haven't removed Sylvar yourselves."

"Is it the custom among human nobles to kill one another for being an enemy?" asked Fayn.

"No," said William.

"Well then, there is your answer," said Fayn.

"Did Jehair help you with this? Or is she your opponent?" asked William.

"Oh, she helps many people with many things, mostly for her own purposes," said Saphra. "I expect she has one agenda or another, but it is irrelevant. Something about destroying Harlenor, I imagine." And that was how Jehair won. She was beneath notice, and everyone died.

Still, compared to Saphra, it was easy to slip under the radar. Moreover, she had a very magnificent presence. Eventually, they came to a final door and found Larxe waiting in a new white robe that concealed her just as much. She was crouched on the floor, smiling more naturally than before. Which wasn't very, and since werewolves surrounded her, it would not last.

"Neral Dinis awaits," said Larxe.

"I am glad to hear it," said William. "Tell me, what is life like here?

The answer seemed to annoy Larxe; she crossed her arms. "Not all that great.

"A lot of screaming; the werewolf sleeping quarters are far too cramped. And you can't go out hunting at all. There is only a little good game except for rabbits who survive. So you've got to go out all the way to the domain of Lord Tarsus.

"That or east to the realm of House Korlac, and they hunt us. They seem to think we're always planning to eat people."

"Why did you seek service with him then?" asked William.

"He has a lot of sources, and I'm trying to find the Alpha," said Larxe. "I've been seeking her all my life but always miss her." William highly doubted that.

"Yes, yes, very nice, Larxe," said Saphra, walking beside her and cupping one cheek. Larxe snarled before Saphra drew a piece of dried meat from her bodice and tossed it. Larxe's gaze went to it, and she howled and raced at her.

Saphra caught her arm, grabbed her by the throat, and smashed her against the flood so it cracked. Six other wolves went at her, and there was an instant of flailing limbs. Then each one was smashed against the wall, the floor, or the ceiling. Larxe was up and attacking, and their limbs moved against one another.

Eventually, Saphra caught Larxe by the throat and slammed her against the doors. Such was the force that the steel bent, and they broke inward to crash. Larxe landed beyond and stood up unsteadily to attack again, only to be floored by a final strike.

"Ordinarily, we'd take the front gates; they are more scenic," said Saphra, walking up a set of steps. "But it will be far faster than us if we go through the slave pens. Clean yourselves up."

William quickly healed Larxe and the others. They were too knocked senseless to do anything else. Once done, he headed after Saphra, considering the best policy to take her. The truth was, he saw no reason Arraxia had to go against him in this. Events here would only serve to undermine her as well as House Gabriel.

"Where do you buy them from?" asked William.

"Our usual channels have been hit hard by the abrupt peace," said Saphra. "And dear Arraxia has stopped supplying us in her infinite wisdom. It has forced Neral Dinis to get slaves from elsewhere." So that was it.

Neral Dinis had been off from food and supplies, all but being put under siege. The High Priest had then been brought in to arrange to stock the larders. They would enslave Neral Dinis' own people and sell them back.

"Is there a danger of starvation?" asked William.

"Not really," said Saphra. "Vampires can drink any kind of blood. And they can sleep in hibernation when there is no blood available.

"But they have a natural fixation on human blood that gets worse. They can drink from corpses, but there aren't many. And the howls of sharpened famine aren't merely limited to this world. Everything is interconnected.

"And everything revolves around me."

"Arraxia wrecked everything," said Fayn. "Before she took power, the plantations and House De Chevlon got vast numbers of slaves. Usually from Seathorius. Dwarves, satyrs, and even some otters. As soon as she came to power, though, Arraxia shut it all down. She scaled back all raids and shut down all dealings with slavers."

"Why would she care?" asked William. "And surely she is you."

"It amuses me to sabotage my own plans sometimes. And because she realized how much the nation of Antion needed slaves," said Saphra. "If you want to wage war, my dear William, find your enemy needs. Then you deny it to them.

"Now vast reaches of fields go untended. Angry soldiers who have been robbed plan retribution. And all the nobility of Antion are turning on one another like rats fleeing a sinking ship. There may even be a civil war, and this sad little nation will be lit again by fire.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I couldn't have planned it any better myself."

"Then you approve of the destruction of human civilization?" asked William.

"Not in so many words," said Saphra, adjusting a glove. "And I am, technically, opposed to it. But, I just also like watching things fall to pieces for daring to cross me."

"Do you know about the elves showing up here?" asked William.

"Yes," said Saphra. "They landed in Sorn from Qur'Dana in small groups and came here by foot.

"I allowed them to hunt the undead while keeping an eye on them. After that, however, they began to increase in number. At this stage, there is a small army within my borders. And they began flowing in long before Arkan began his hunts."

"What do you think that means?" asked William.

"I believe they were seeking to be lauded as heroes for saving the villagers," said Saphra. "And they had to throw their support behind Arkan because he got there first. Your amusing trail of destruction changed the nature of the game.

"Before, no one was hunting undead or cared about Blackfear. Now several major powers are moving in."

"And Lamech?" asked William.

"A petty middleman with delusions of grandeur," said Saphra. "Of no real concern."

"Doesn't that apply to you too?" asked Fayn in amusement.

"Tell me about these slave pens?" asked William, eager to change the subject.

"If you wish," said Saphra. "Though there is nothing very interesting about them. All slaves were given enough food to survive and kept busy with important tasks. Those who perform poorly are ranked up in priority for being devoured. I also make sure some plants look threatening within the cells.

"All of them are sedated before being devoured to prevent escape or murder of vampires. I ensure their holding areas are kept clean and have some color to maintain morale. A few shrines to various deities. Not pleasant, perhaps, but they are cattle to us."

They went through several rows of empty cells. What struck William, however, was that even the occupied ones were clean. Straw on the ground was well kept, and everyone in them was clean, even if they had empty eyes. The slave pits here were better than any William had seen in Ascorn.

"What is it?" asked Saphra.

"These cells are larger than the housing for the plantation slaves. And far cleaner," said William.

"Yes, very few things are worse for people than a tyranny exercised for the good of all," said Saphra. "Food for thought, oh avenging angel and healer of the sick."

"Ever consider freeing them?" asked William, realizing he'd become an abolitionist.

"Buying and selling slaves is my only real responsibility," said Saphra. "Besides, if I didn't do it, someone else would. And they'd do something daft, like packing dozens of them into this cell or not keeping the place clean."

"And you, Fayn, what further part do you play in this?" asked William.

"A lot of the mines in the Border Hills have been shut down," said Fayn. "The undead and the plant creatures you saw have been spreading for some time. Many of them by the same monstrosities you saw here. I worked with Reginald and Varsus to purify one, and other mercenaries are trying their hand. But many of them are being killed, and most would prefer banditry.

"It pays better and is a lot less risky."

"Yes, I had intended to handle this myself, but I have many responsibilities," said Saphra.

"I thought your only responsibility was purchasing slaves?" asked William. He wondered if she was aware of her own contradictions.

"What do you think I am referring to, my dear golden-haired squire?" asked Saphra. "The entire market has become terrible. I have been traveling here and there to try and gain enough to satisfy the vampire orders.

"If I don't provide them the luxuries they want, they will do something ill-advised. And now Cirithil has tried to cut into my area of influence by going over my head. He didn't even consult me when he tried to rally an army out here. Instead, he went to Neral Dinis.

"Of course, I have gained an excellent supply of corpses for their use in emergencies. But they would consider that poor fair indeed."

They were walking through apartments now with many dark-wood doors. There were no servants of any kind visible. An air of fear was about, but from who William could not say. They went up several flights of stairs, wood-paneled, luxurious, and very old. They creaked audibly in an old wood sort of way, but they seemed well-built. William saw a chandelier decorated with images of skulls.

Until, at last, they came to a set of double doors. There was the image of a skull on the front, just between the two handles. It had a lock in the mouth, but the key was set within it.

Here, Saphra and Fayn halted.

"You are about to face the leader of House Dinis, a powerful vampire clan. Fear and respect are traditional," said Saphra.

"I will deign to speak to him as an equal," said William.

Fayn laughed. "Nice knowing you."

The door opened without a sound. William entered a luxurious-looking area with sofas he hadn't seen. He assumed they were from off-world. A window, far too large to be defensible, was looking out over the castle beyond. It seemed he was at the very top and had not realized it. Many kinds of wood were on the walls, well-read. There were also several lamps projecting the power of the sun's spirit.

On a sofa, in front of a table, sat Neral Dinis. A creature as black and terrible as any you could imagine. His flesh was pale like a corpse, though healthy, and he was completely bald. His eyes were utterly dark without pupils, and he had two horns coming from his head. He wore green robes, and one clawed hand held a book on gardening.

"I present, the Lord of Darkness and Light, haunter of shadows," said Saphra with no sarcasm. "Lord of the Castle, and Proginator of House Dinis, Neral Dinis." And at his beckoning, she departed without a word. What kind of person could hold such authority?

It did not matter.

This was no time to show weakness. As William thought that, he felt Elranor tell him what to say.

"So, you've parted company from Jehair and come here before me," said Neral Dinis, voice like a rasping wind of death. There was an echo in his voice as though his spirit spoke as well. "I wonder if you would not have been wiser to wander the crypts, boy."

"Such a decision will depend on your actions, will it not?" asked William. "I am certain you know your own mind." Neral Dinis was formidable and William was feeling rather afraid.

"That I do, but it is not wholly decided," said Neral Dinis. "Please, sit down."

Silence.

"Sit," said Neral Dinis.

William did so.

"I wanted to take the measure of you," said Neral Dinis. "Some among us think you a liar. So tell me, boy, how would you prefer to be treated?"

"As the son of a Duke and a chosen of Elranor," said William.

Neral Dinis halted. "...Well spoken. I must thank you for the amusement earlier, for both Larxe and myself. You have not made the people of this land lions, but they aren't corpses yet.

"Perhaps you can account for why you have been walking in the company of my most hated enemy?"

"Which one?" asked William.

Neral Dinis paused. "...All of them. At least among those present on the game board. For obvious reasons, Anoa the Bright does not count.

"But it would be good to start with Jehair."

"My association with Jehair is one of traveling companion and guide," said William. "She was selected for me by my mentors, Raynald and Rusara. I aim to go south to Gel Carn and participate in the Tournament of Kings.

"I am also to meet with Adrian Wrynncurth to smooth over certain matters."

"You seem to have become very sidetracked in that measure, human," said Neral. "If you had been heading to Gel Carn, you should have arrived a week ago, yet you are hardly halfway there from Ascorn. From what I gather, you seem to have disrupted virtually every plan in Harlenor."

"Yes, well, I am a paladin," said William. "So it is my job."

"I do not complain on that count," admitted Neral Dinis. "Most of your actions have served to injure my enemies. The worst you have done is speed up the loss of expendable assets.

"Most of the forces you've destroyed have belonged to my enemies. And slaughtering so many of Arkan's subordinates will be well worth it. Indeed, I've been able to drink many fighting men during that fray."

"You mean Reg?" asked William. "As an expendable asset?"

"I do," said Neral Dinis. "However, what concerns me is your presence with the Wood Elves. They have become far more active since you passed through there. I am concerned Jehair may be maneuvering against me through me."

"Then I shall reveal all that has happened in my time, and you may judge for yourself," said William.

"Well, the account may be interesting, at least," said Neral. "Would you care for wine?"

"I do not think being social would be appropriate in these circumstances," said William. He drank from his canteen and wiped away his sweat. He'd only just realized how thirsty he was.

"To each their own," said Neral.

And so William explained everything.

Again.

Neral Dinis was a good listener and interjected only very occasionally. He was very interested in the Furbearers. William's descriptions of Kata interested him a great deal.

"Which do you think was the stronger?" asked Neral Dinis. "Kata or Sokar?"

"I was hardly aware of Sokar's existence," said William. "He kept himself under the radar while letting Kata lead. She seemed to do well at it.

"However, I should warn you. You will face stiff resistance if you intend to push your claims to the Furbearers. Very few people in Haldren will be sympathetic to your beliefs. Spreading them there might lead to a crusade."

"A point worthy of consideration," said Neral Dinis. "Go on."

William did continue. Yet he rapidly began to think Neral Dinis had only a slight interest in this world. What interest there was came from recent events. Their meeting was a professional courtesy. Thankfully Neral Dinis did not seem to regard William as his primary opponent.

"So, Rius had his hand forced, then?" mused Neral Dinis thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked William.

"Surely you cannot believe that Rius did not know of the Babarassians and their outposts?" asked Neral Dinis. "Such arrangements would take many years of cooperation to justify. Nevertheless, I imagine he knew every location.

"No, most port cities and towns tolerate a certain amount of corruption. I do not think Rius enjoyed your liberation of him."

"My assessment was that he realized his error and chose to destroy them," said William. He did not want to speak ill of the dead, but it came out. "All we did was by his orders. It was strange that we should become his chief subordinates so quickly.

"I see now that he didn't have a real staff. Or otherwise, he was incapable of keeping their loyalty. All he knew how to do was call in foreign adventurers and turn them loose." It came about before he could stop it.

Neral Dinis raised an eyebrow. "An odd statement from a Paladin."

"Rius' principal job was to keep order in Ascorn," said William. "All he did was take bribes and let people do what they wanted. But Tanith is the sort of subordinate you have to keep in line. She needs clear boundaries and direction.

"Rius' gave her neither, so she took over the city by accident. She can't stop working and fighting; it's how she hopes with the war. When he realized he'd lost control, all he could do was invite others in to fix his problems. That was as good as treason and could have led to war.

"By the time he asserted himself, it was far too late.

"And Sokar had as much the right to his blood as anyone ever did. With no offense, he used a similar strategy to you." William worried he might offend Neral Dinis by this.

"What do you mean?" asked Neral Dinis, sounding more curious than offensive.

"Well, Rius thought he was necessary and unassailable," said William. "He viewed his dominions as a distraction from his real interests.

"The difference is that you are respected and feared. You have legitimate reasons to take the actions you do. And the losses you've suffered here really are minor.

"Undead do not care about casualties. You can safely detach yourselves for a decade. Your use of Reg was quite skillful."

"You mean to say that Rius was trying to be me?" asked Neral Dinis in amusement. "Without understanding why who I am makes me powerful."

"In a way, yes," said William.

Neral Dinis nodded.

Eventually, they'd gone over the entire story together. William rapidly realized Neral Dinis was deducing much from him what he told him.

"And what do you deduce from all of this?" asked Neral Dinis.

"The plague was a result of the Healer's Guild failing miserably," said William, thinking it over. "The enslavement of the Furbearers kept the Paladin Order occupied. Andoa is getting old; that's natural.

"Sorn profits a lot by it and has nothing more to do with things. So they know better than to directly meddle.

"The nobility are discredited while the common people are devastated. And I'm given the destiny to normalize corruption that a lot of foreign goddesses push me toward.

"The weakened remnants blame you or the nobles; your people are starved from Arkan's siege. So they storm the place. Antion falls, and Escor loses support, but this can't be Lamech. He's not that smart and powerful. The Heir of Kings, at best, salvages what is left and accepts help where they can get it.

"You'd need some sort of manager for all this. Someone very helpful, who hated you and has people everywhere. I think that the manager was Jehair. She knows everyone and is clearly trusted in virtually every area. She never breaks a contract; that's why I'm still alive.

"But, if she chose who she helped properly, she could enable the right people to set all this up. And with all the elves that mysteriously filtered into Blackfear and Faras engaging in battle with the undead..."

Neral Dinis smiled. "Jehair turns Blackfear into an elven homeland."

It all fit in perfectly. Yet William had not seen that last part, he hadn't wanted to.

He'd been traveling with her all this time, trying to figure out what she gained by it. William had all the information from near the beginning. Yet now he saw the pattern weaved since he'd left Gel Carn.

Kiyora had been forced to get out of an arranged marriage between Kiyora and Ictargo. The seizing of the Furbearers, the plague in Antion, the subversion of the nobility. That had all happened within the gaze of elves. They had observed all of it, and pulled the strings to make them turn out how they desired.

All done without direct responsibility for any of it.

And all this time, William was supposed to be unknowingly shielding her. Someone to vouch for her while she was with him every step of the way.

"Jehair..." said William, voice furious.

William paced back and forth, quiet anger coming over him. His hand clenched, and he looked at the dim light out the window. What if Kiyora had married Ictargo? Alchara would control Seathorius.

"Jehair..." said William, voice furious.

What if the plague had gone unchecked, and Antion had fallen? The plague Jehair knew and planned around. It would have all been divided among criminals like Arkan and Lamech.

"Jehair..." said William.

What if the elves had liberated Blackfear by force of arms and pinned the blame on Neral Dinis. As Antion collapsed around them, who could complain about them coming into their own? And with the Sornians pleased by a tidy profit from selling weapons.

Lamech and Cirithil would have seen the population of Harlenor sold as slaves to their own kind. And William would have provided cover for Jehair as his homeland was divided and given back to the elves. The dream of Anoa, of Harlenor Reunited, consumed, and bartered away. The birthright of his people had been squandered.

William would have vengeance for this. One way or another.

"Well, we've seen them all now," said William. "The priests are pigs, the elves vultures, and the criminals a pair of serpents.

"And this serpent is finally ready to seek its vengeance."

Neral Dinis nodded. "Indeed.

"And we have a common cause in this. I do not like having my kind starved to death by thieves. Nor was my title as a Lord of Antion treated with contempt. You and I have much work to do."

"I have only one condition," said William. "It must be a just revenge." And he knew it was Elranor speaking now.

"Well spoken," said Neral. "Yet first, we must choose our moment and method. In this matter, your revenge and my revenge must be one and the same."

So it was that William found himself in the heart of Castle Blackfear in alliance with a vampire.