Seraphina POV

I had been doubtful of visiting the Red Sorcerer for help. I mean, I was learning rapidly under Mr. Germaine's guidance. He had guided me to the sealed stronghold of my family, aided me in my training with the blade and studying the ancient journals and bestiaries accumulated by generations of my ancestors...supposedly.

Some days I still expected to wake from a dream back in the orphanage. Back in the days before the Merlin, Mr. Beuforlos, and Mr. Germaine had found me. I guess any doubts I may have had were gone now, the warmth flowing from Dawnbreaker was reassuring as I scanned the room. Large windows leading to outside were a possible escape if forced, or an entry for flying or climbing foes. There were two smaller entrances behind the Red Sorcerer, before the windows. I didn't know for sure where they went, but likely they led to personal quarters and the kitchens off the hall.

I glanced at the...not an argument going on between the three archmages in the room. Mr. Beurforlos was definitely yelling, Mr. Germaine was rushing to finish his plate and the Red Sorcerer...no, the journals called him...Crimson, Mr. Crimson was simply pouring wine into the black void where his face should be. If he helped, then it was certain that the attack would be thwarted. However, his help was not guaranteed.

The Red Sorcerer, The Crimson Lord of Despair, one time General of the Night, had a rocky history by anyone's standards. Said to be one of the oldest living wielders of magic, only matched by such as the Silver Lady and Drakule himself. He had stood against humanity itself on more than one occasion, though he appeared to have a soft spot for the Verains and had assisted them frequently throughout the family's history. It was said that there was no artifact wielded by their family that had not passed through his hands at one point or another.

A particularly loud explosion shook the castle, seemingly from the direction of the main hall. Of course, to get in Mr. Germaine had damaged the wards there before we came to the east wing dinner hall. No repairs had been made so that was the best place to attack. I turned my gaze from the direction of the explosion and tuned back into the conversation.

"What do you mean it is not your problem?!" Mr. Beuforlos

"Exactly that, it is not me they are after, as none but that brat..." Mr. Crimson gestured at Mr. Germaine "...know where I live, and guess who it was that compromised my wards so that such an invasion could occur?"

"You're saying you have no other wards here?!?!"

"Oh, of course not, at least none active, killing wards are troublesome when you have servants you know? And they've come prepared" Mr. Crimson poured another goblet of wine. I was pretty sure the pitcher would be empty soon.

"Prepared how?" Mr. Germaine interrupted, and Mr. Beuforlos huffed but waited to hear. That was good, as even with the damage it was clear that Mr. Crimsons wards were still providing him information of some kind. Information was vital in a battle. And it was certainly a battle, I could hear howls and screams, and now gunfire in the distance.

"Oh some kind of magic breaker, it is erasing my wards as it comes into contact with them and obscuring what exactly is coming this way."

"FUCK" Mr. Germaine cursed, and I blinked taken aback as Mr. Beuforlos turned from yelling and angry to quiet and seemingly emiting a chill in the air.

"What does that mean?" I asked, my voice a bit low but carrying enough to be heard over the approaching battle.

"It means young lady, that they are approaching with a weapon specifically meant to kill an archmage in a place of power" Mr. Beuforloss explained grimly.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mr. Germaine nodded, and I realized that he was now holding his sword, pulled from whatever space he kept it in usually.

"This will be troublesome if they're bringing such an item into the equation this early."

I swallowed and before I could speak the door to the room slammed open. Everyone turned to look as a handful of maids and caretakers ran into the room panting, none appeared to be injured and that made me take two steps back and ready my blade. Normal servants would not be able to escape from nightbeasts unscathed, and combatants would not be playing the role of panicked staff to burst into the room if they had no ill motives. My gaze shot to Mr. Crimson as he stood from his chair and with a click it slid backwards, revealing a staircase descending downwards.

"Head down the escape tunnel, wait in the 1st room until the head maid and butler arrive to escort you out" Mr. Crimson spoke as he calmly directed the new arrivals down the stairs.

My head snapped back to the door as a burst of gunfire sounded right from beyond it. The reason the servants had made it here safely presented itself as a figure in a maids outfit slid backwards into the room, A canine like nightbeast, its bluegreen hairless skin slick with black blood held at bay by the heavy machine gun in her hands, her green eyes utterly calm as its fangs snapped where her head had been seconds before.

There was no way for her to recover from such an attack though, it was already a miracle she was able to hold the beast at bay. But before I could move to assist, a long silver gun barrel appeared from the side of the door, pressed itself against the beast's head...and blew it away.

The butler casually strode into the room, his blond hair a contrast to the black of the maid. But his expression as equally unconcerned, though he was far more bloody than the maid it did not seem that any of the blood was his. He shut the door behind him as he stepped through, having to shove the foot of the nightbeast aside to do so. Only a moment after the door shut, I heard a cascade of explosions.

My heart was beating in my ears and my grip on Dawnbreaker loosened slightly as the two of them bowed to Mr. Crimson. The sudden silence outside showed that whatever that explosion had been, it had cleared out the nearby nightbeasts.

"I apologize sir, the other escape routes have been cut off by hostile forces" The maid spoke, and Mr. Crimson waved his hand away as if brushing aside the issue.

"It is fine, you two did well in getting the others here. Please do escort them safely away."

"Sir" both spoke and bowed again. As calm about the situation as if it was a daily occurrence to face a horde of nightbeasts in a fighting retreat. For all I knew, for the servants of the Red Eyed Sorcerer it was.

"Oh, and do expect company at the end of the tunnel, Veronica..." He spoke to the butler, who I was sure was a man. "...you may go wild, Belladonna..." and now he addressed the maid. "...please ensure Veronica takes their medicine afterwards".

The cold professional look on the butler, Veronica, had been replaced by a vicious smile as he drew a syringe from inside his coat "Thank you sir." Belladonna, simply nodded and checked her gun with rapid efficiency, dropping the current mag and inserting a fresh one from a bag she carried strapped across her back, before the two proceeded down the escape tunnel. I looked around the room, no one else made to head for the tunnel and it began to close as Mr. Crimson stepped on a specific part of the floor.

"We aren't going?" I asked.

"No point is there?" Mr. Germaine asked.

"We are going to have to face the forces of the Night in battle one day or another, running here will only have us fight tired" Mr. Beuforlos added.

I gulped and squeezed Dawnbreaker tighter. I mean, it was what I was training for, but wasn't this a bit sudden? I hadn't even faced a single nightbeast in battle yet! And now this was a battlefield meant to kill...I stopped thinking about it. The sound of claws on stone was audible just at the edge of my hearing now, but closing fast.

"What do we do?" I asked tentatively as the horde outside reached the door, runes lit up on it as I heard things bashing against it. Clawing, Scratching things.

"Stick close to me girl, I'll make sure you get through this alive" Mr. Beuforlos spoke and to my surprise Mr. Germaine nodded in agreement.

"Aye that'll be for the best, I'll try and find who is behind the horde and cut them down, that'll help disperse it"

"And...what about Mr. Crimson?" Both of them turned and looked at the figure back in his chair.

"Don't mind me, I'll just be observing the first use of Dawnbreaker this century" He spoke casually.

With a huff Mr. Beuforlos swung his hand out at the door as a crack sounded, the dimming runes vanished, and the mere wood exploded across the room. Before the splinters could reach us or the beast who broke it fully entered the room, fire turned it and those behind it all to ash. Mr. Beuforlos closed his outstretched hand cutting off a stream of flame and his other hand came up, fire streamed from the tips of the candles along the wall. Purely for aesthetics as the electric lighting kept the place well lit, but now it simplified things for the archmage who skipped the step of creating flame from magic and simply amplified it.

A mini fireball floated at the tip of each finger as he flung a barrage of fireballs into the hallway beyond. My chest THUMPED at the explosion that followed as each fireball that left his hands quickly grew in size as it flew away from him and nimbly darted through the door and around the corner out of sight. One fireball remained at each thumb and from it quickly more spun off to his other fingers. With a look back at me I found myself staring into the cold eyes of the Archmage of Incineration.

"Follow me girl, it is time to see if that blade is worth dealing with this red eyed menace".

----------------------------------------