I don't even need to look at the door to the room, to know that the captain is in the room. I can feel my body shiver as if I am standing in front of a lion. As he speaks, I feel like pissing my pant.

"What is it that I see here.", he speaks, his voice smooth as silk. "My favourite grunt being played around with like this. By a mutt no less."

I control my impulse to look at the man, now is not the time to lose my mind.

"This one has his wits about him at least.", he speaks, moving into the room. The place is getting a bit crowded. "Ah, I see. How did you achieve it, young man."

"Achieve what, I wonder?", I reply. I can feel myself want to look at the man in front of me. I ball my left hand into fist. It literally feels like somebody is hitting it with hammers now, the pain pulsing with my heart beat.

"Use a grunts bone like that.", he speaks. "I know of know of no bone smith that would be able to achieve such a transformation with a mere grunts bone."

"what grunts bone.", I lie. I honestly don't know what I am speaking at the moment. Resisting him is the only thing in my mind.

"Fine, you don't want to speak about it.", he speaks. "The youngsters nowadays, so rude. Look at me."

As he commands me, It feels like my head is being pulled in that direction like a magnet. No matter how much I try to stop myself I can't stop it. As my eyes fall on the man next to me, the only thing I can do is to grasp my left first tighter. I almost don't even notice the pain as the man looks at me.

Well, how do I describe it. Feature wise the man is nothing impressive. I have seen even more handsome men, but looking at him I simply can't remove my eyes away from him. There is something that makes the man so easy to look at. As I push my hands the pain finally clears my mind.

"You are doing well for that pseudo transformation of yours.", the man speaks, praising me. "Must fully transformed grunts would have prostated themselves for something this intense."

As he praises me I can feel myself getting happy at this. Screw this, I clench my injured fist so tight that the pain radiates from my arm like it is on fire. I am going to regret the damage that I have done to my hand. Other than that I notice other things about the man. He seems to be very pale and I swear that he looks a bit thinner from when I saw him in the corridor.

"Well, I don't see how that makes a difference. You don't seem particularly strong", I reply, without turning back. I can't have them focus on Trevor now. "Trevor, if you would be kind enough to get near the window."

The man actually doesn't look too strong. He is very thin, like he has been starving for a few weeks. That should be impossible since the man has fed right in front of me.

"Lady Erica, if you would be kind enough to introduce the two of us. We shall speak of your disobedience later.", he speaks, now speaking to me "I had commanded her to tail me like a ghost, you know. That took quite a bit of my energy as well. That sword of hers is quite precious to her you know, enough to resist my commands it seems."

I can see Erica (nice to have a name finally.) Visibly contract in fear at this. She still speaks.

"You damn mutt, meet the master of the bloodfire family, Matthew. Master, this damn mutt is the half converted grunt that had damaged lady Erica's possession ceremony."

"Well, it is nice that I have met you. What would your name now be, young mutt. I can't keep calling you a mutt now, can I?", he speaks. Listening to him is enough to make my spine chill.

"My name is Alfredo, great vampire.", I reply.

"Well lied, young Alfredo.", the man spoke, his arm looking thinner all of a sudden. "I shall ignore that insult for now. All I really need is your master's name, if you have one. I personally don't like to enforce my will but seeing you lie so freely what can I do. I have a reputation to maintain."

As he speaks, the world around me grew stifling. It feels like somebody has drained all the color in the world. The pain in my hand and feet disappear like had never had them. It is not pleasant though. It is like the world has suddenly become blank like somebody has thrown me inside a void bomb.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"My brethren use the blood hierarchy to enforce their commands. That is like using a hammer to break an egg, don't you think? What I do is more elegant. I have just cut out your ability to process the world around you.", the man speaks, his voice like a ghost in haze. With how pale he looks, he might actually have been one.

I can feel the sword lying right next to me, pumping vital mana and blood mana into me like a heart. I had not even realised when I had begun to channel it. The damn thing was absorbing my own vital mana by the second. I would have been empty in a few moments if I had not stopped it.

As I shut it down, The difference is almost immediate. The pounding also stopped as the world came back into focus. Matthew also seemed to be quite surprised.

"Now how did you do that, Alfredo. Is it related to that sword of yours.", he speaks as he understands my swords importance in an instant. This is no ordinary vampire.

"Maybe you can let me go. I can give you the secret of my sword.", I reply.

"Well, if I wanted to I would figure it out in a month or two. You have pissed of erica and that lady will always hold a grudge. She especially hates being forced to possess a man. That means your safety is a costly thing to ask for", he replies. "I would say the knowledge of how your sword works is enough to cover such a favour. Sadly the only problem is that I don't trust you. Knowledge such as the one you offer would be guarded by blood curses strong enough to hurt even me. I have no desire to become a puddle of blood now."

"Well, a man has got to try. You never know", I reply. "How about this, I can leave you my sword. You can study it yourself with no. Involvement from me. I just want to live."

"I would trust what you were saying if could not feel the mana gathering in your hand.", he replies. "What spell can you cast that you think can harm me."

"Well, a man has got to try, doesn't he?", I reply again. As he speaks, a fireball appears in my arm. I throw it immediately at my target. The man jumps back as If I am about to attack him. The fireball splits into four separate parts and lands in many spots in the room. The wooden bookshelves and the paper books catch on fire in an instant. The room goes up in a blaze as I turn and run towards the window in this room. Trevor is already standing there ready to escape with me.

"Naughty kid, would you stop for a second.", he speaks.

As he does so I can feel my body lock up as the sword in my hand start again at its full speed. I am pushing my damn foot forward, but it does not move an inch.

"Did you really need to start a fire.", he speaks. "Do you know how many explanations I will have to give for this. The statue of the moonless lady is in the next room."

"Well, if it causes you a problem why will I complain.", I reply.

"You arrogant brat. If that statue is damaged you know as well as me that the moonless lady would take her revenge on everybody in the vicinity.", he speaks. "That is your master's goal isn't it. Well, whoever he is certainly crazy. I wonder who told you about the trap in the next room. It was supposed to be such a neat surprise too."

I can feel the heat of the flames, which has begun to spread already. Soon enough this room is going to be completely covered in flames. esmerelda has already disappeared leaving only her master behind.

"Look at the damage you wrought.", he speaks, his tone getting annoyed for the first time in this fight. His body looks like he has not been eating for half an year. "You completely ruined all of my plans you know. Not even once at that. Three times at that. You killed my favourite underling and botched an summoning about to succeed. Now I will need to deal with lady erica."

As he continues, I can feel the fire finally reach me. The burning sensation at my legs is painful enough to compete with the pain in my left arm.

"Will you listen you brat.", he speaks, his body getting thinner. "The you released all the people that were meant to feed. Look at how thin I have gotten. You know how hard it is to find good quality food in this god forksaken place."

By now the pain has grown so much that I am sure that my legs are ruined completely. Still I can't get myself to move.

"Finally, this fire. I expected you to be crazy enough to destroy this room. Who would have thought that somebody would have dared to mess with the moonless lady.", he speaks, his body steadily getting thinner and thinner. Right now he resembles more like a skeleton than a man. "Look at me, it took me quite a few decades to prepare this body."

"Aren't you over reacting a bit?", I ask. "It is not like I set fire to this statue of yours."

"You brat, you know about the moonless lady.", he speaks at me, anger appearing in his voice for once, as my body feels like somebody is throwing it . "No, no. Even a fool would not make such a taunt. You are not of the court are you."

"Whatever do you mean.", I reply, suddenly feeling a sense of fear.

"Interesting, interesting. If you are of the court then you would be able to tell me my title.", he speaks. "Go on, prove me wrong and tell me my title."

As I stare at the man, growing steadily thinner and thinner with his inquisitive glances at me. He speaks finally.

"Well, I wish I could chat a bit longer with you, but this body of mine has limits. I have remembered your scent, outsider. I will find you.", he speaks, as he literally begins to crumble. "Well, things are going to get intersting. One word of advise human, try and stop using that sword of yours for the next couole of weeks. Live until I find you. I will rip these secrets out of your mind, human."

As he completes saying this the man crumbles into dust. The moment he does so I can finally move. More importantly, I jump back finally escaping my fate of being roasted alive.

Well, both trevor and me look at each other as we realise what is the only move we can make. I don't even stop to speak as I run towards the window. I can feel the sting of glass as I jump through window, holding trevor as protectively as I can.