The only news of the formation merchant that could be found came in the form of Trevor. Our room in the sewers is quite sparse, two beds, a table and a chair. Well, considering our surroundings even this little bit seems like a magic. All the others have to make do with their corners of sewers. Let's just say it is a damp and stinky place. The merchants have been showing quite the bit of patience staying down here.

I had been sleeping, which is against all of my impulses. To rest, to not think in enemy territory has been an activity that I have barely managed to accomplish. The entire place is enemy territory. You should hear Trevor speak about the organisation. The man speaks of it like a dangerous lion. I might not know much about the organisation, but the man was still calm (though quite anxious) at the snowwind empire. The man is still anxious, though now it is due to fear. The man looks like he is about to defend against a strike. It is the tightness of his movement, like a loaded spring.

Speaking of Trevor, the man almost caused my heart to fail. the man just sat next to me. Waking up the first thing that happen to me was looking at the old man's face from up close. I am not embarassed to admit my heart did fail for a second. Thankfully my sword is in the other side of the room, otherwise who knows what I would do in impulse.

"Cool, boy.", trevor speaks, with a voice that makes me feel as if he is talking to a horse. That is really annoying.

"Well, what happened. I don't think that I have seen you here in this room more than twice or thrice.", I ask.

"Well, I have been busy kid. The organisation would be kept at peace knowing the fact that I have been busy doing their work. They do not like to keep anything with them that doesn't benefit them.", he replies taking on a more comfortable position. "You have been a particularly costly investment for them. Costly is a word that really makes them uncomfortable."

"So are they the ones that is protecting me from the vampires. That is pretty strong magic if that is the case.", I ask. "And when exactly was i supposed to know about the vampires. Somehow I get the feeling that you already know about them one way or the other."

"Well, we have known about the blood heart gang and their captains shortly after they made a deal with whichever vampire clan that leads them now. Do you think that if every random person in the street has a doubt about them, the black mountain won't know about them.", he continues speaking. "Well, we still had only doubts about them. To think that they were attempting a descent possession right next to the hex mountain. That was certainly not in my imagination, I must admit. Then to think that you would be catch them in the middle of this process too. If only we could return to the hexmountain. The general might even get involved with this matter."

"Descent possession, what is that?", I ask, it is a new word for me.

"Well, there is a reason that vampires like to create their grunts, other than them being servants. A higher vampire will be able to temporarily posess the body of a lower vampire whenever it feels like it.", trevor replies. "It's a reason that most of the higher vampires are so hard to catch. They have a network of such vampires everywhere. Most of these vampires even tend to take on the shape of their master. At a moment there are always seven or eight of these guys in seven to eight different empires. You can imagine the chaos thay causes."

"Well, if that is the case, why would they not try that here. It's sounds like it doesn't have much consequences.", I ask, interrupting the man. He is entering a lecturing mode and I seriously have no desire to learn about the vampires at the moment.

"Well, we always keep a very strong eye on our surroundings. With a majority of the guard corps always deployed, there is always a risk of invasion. We cannot allow forces like this to exist in our surroundings.", Trevor spoke. "In short That means that the vampires must have found it very hard to even setup a little something like the bloodheart gang."

"So why would they be going around wasting them in such a flippant manner if it is so hard to create them.", I reply, completing the man's thought. "I don't even think It was for me, though I could be wrong."

"Yeah, that is the question at the end of the day. What required them to take such an action. To waste so much and to fight what. They didn't even know that you existed, so it wasn't to fight you. Anyways the blood heart gang could have quite easily ambushed you, they didn't need to call on their masters just to fight you.", he speaks. "There are too many captains of the blood heart gang missing for me to think it is a exceptional event. No they are fighting something else, I would assume the mayfires. My only question is why."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Maybe they want to take over the place. It is a solid piece of construction. They could launch an invasion from here if they wished too", I reply.

"They could be, but what would they gain. Firstly they would become completely stationery, a sitting duck for the black mountain. Secondly, they are no hidden faction of the vampires, so them taking over this place would make it the territory of vampires. Nobody will come here then and lastly, we are the people that mainly trade with mayfire castle. Us not doing so would drive down trade completely in this place.", Trevor replies. "And even if you discount all of that, the surrounding people would be the very first people to attack them. Nobody likes a vampire as a neighbour, captain."

We both sit there for a couple of minutes, me processing the information that I had just gained and he pondering on this topic for God knows how many times.

"Well, we won't be solving that puzzle until we breach the inner keep, kid. No point in wondering about that.", Trevor speaks suddenly. "What we need to do is instead focus on the man that has caused this much of a mess. This formation merchant of yours, that is going to be our present focus."

"So you have found the man's location. What was he doing.", I ask. That man has formations to unlock and knowledge to give. I will be getting those cells and the formation even if it kills him.

"He has somehow managed to get himself into a very tight bind, kid. He has somehow ended up being imprisoned in the headquarters of the blood heart gang.", Trevor speaks. "It is a dinghy old pub, almost as old as the fort itself. It is almost as durable as the fort too. The fucking thing is built of purely stone. Some bastard earth mage I have to presume."

"So direct confrontation is not an option. I can't certainly fight another captain in this state and I can't fight multiple captains even if they are not possessed.", I speak. "I can't use the sword against higher vampires. So that is an ace of mine gone. I might have a method of dealing with it but until I achieve it I can't tell."

"Now why would that be, something to do with the material, I assume.", Trevor replies.

"Something like that. It has to do in relation with the mana of the vampire. Feeling that mana greatly increases my thirst and there are other things. All of that is not considering the suppression. It is even hard for me to think in the presence of a higher vampire.", I speak. "And my transformation is only at the level of a half converted grunt of their kind. The kind that has not drunk blood. A fully converted grunt would not even be able to do that."

"Well, that will certainly cause a problem. Still, we might not need to do that. All we need to do is focus on getting to the man and getting him out.", Trevor replies. "How long would it take for you recover."

"Not that long actually, my transformations tend to have an effect even after I have cancelled it. I would have been fine in a few hours actually, but the vampire cause wounds that keep bleeding.", I reply. "It should still be fine in a couple of days. Most of the vital mana that I have absorbed will be wasted though."

"I think we can delay the rescue then. It is not like they will kill the man any time soon.", Trevor speaks.

"How likely is that actually", I ask.

"They could be killing the man at this instant and I would not know. I am relying on rumours for my work, it is not like those spread before the deed is done.", Trevor replies, quite nonchalantly. "Don't think about it, it is the man's luck until then. Thinking about it will just cause you to lose your head. I think you would do better by focussing on the process of linking your formation."

"How do you know about that.", I ask. I didn't know about it until my master spoke of it at the beginning of this mission.

"Well, kid. When the grand wolf makes you promise not to leak any information related to something to his disciple, people tend to take a notice of that. That is even more so if that person were to go to each person capable of doing so and giving them an warning. It caused quite a scandal too. I remember the legion had to intervene too.", Trevor speaks, his mouth opening in a laugh that somehow didn't sit well on that old face. "Also, supposedly the knowledge that he has restricted has become a field of research for those that work for your master. They are completely sure that there is some hidden knowledge or method hidden in it."

"Well, is there any.", I ask him.

"Well, kid. I have no reason, nor desire to piss of you master. That man is a scary bastard if he holds a grudge against you. Anyways, return to focus on more pressing matters.", Trevor speaks. "You should be able to manage atleast one level of linking at this level, can you."

"I think so, I havent really managed it yet.", I reply. "My master hasn't really given me more than a couple of weeks of studying this thing properly."

"Well, as long as you can do so. I have to assume that it has something to do with that sword of yours.", Trevor replies.

"Something like that. One last thing that I want to ask is exactly what kind of defenses do you have against an actual invasion. Even without the guard corps, the legion can still act, cant it?" I ask.

"Well, I can't say that I am particularly privy to that information. I dont think the legion will be involved in this expedition. The usage of the legion this close to home will have scary consequences kid.", Trevor replied. "You don't need to worry though, even if an entire clan were to end up here we have defences against that, I am sure. The general is still in the hexmountain."

"Still how are you planning to attack. It is not like we can just go and attack those bastards.", I speak.

"We ar......."

And thus here I break the conversation again. The head offices need to keep important information hidden is so annoying.