| Alucard |

As Alucard pushed the cabin door open, the boat jolted in response to Drac starting to pull it from beneath the waves. He glanced back at Zalith and his vampires, who were still out on the deck. He didn't want them going anywhere they shouldn't, so he latched the door against the wall so that he could keep an eye on them.

He made his way to his desk and lazily slumped down in the chair, exhaling quietly in relief. Although it hadn't taken very long at all, he felt utterly exhausted. He'd had been made to take Zalith, who was at least six hundred years old; the group was collectively over a thousand years old, and that had taken its toll. It drained a whole lot more of his ethos than he'd planned for, and he wasn't sure how long this exhaustion was going to curse him.

Alucard sighed, pulled his cape off, and placed it over the desk before resting his legs on it. He'd take these vampires back to his castle, and then he'd head home. Zalith obviously wouldn't stay here until next month, but Alucard had no plans to escort him back to the portal; he could get Rodney to do that. After this, he just wanted to go home and rest because he was sure as hell going to need it. Tomorrow, Tobias would hopefully deliver the information he needed about the werewolf which attacked Elvin. He wasn't sure of what to expect, but if there were more, then he'd have his hands full.

There was another month before the treaty came into effect, and he wondered, would Zalith's vampires stay in the castle that long? He'd have to run all the rules by them. The last thing he wanted was a rogue killing humans and shattering everything he worked so hard to build. He just hoped that the humans would welcome the new laws. Dor-Sanguis was his land, after all, and as much as he didn't want to, he would drive the humans out if it came to it.

Irritated, he rolled his eyes and took his feet off his desk; he turned in his seat to glare out the window behind him and watched as they sailed away from the rainy island. He couldn't drive the humans out; that would doom his people to starvation. He didn't want the land to return to how it once was—humans and vampires at war. No, he wanted something peaceful, an agreement between the two peoples, and he knew he could get it, he just had to keep trying—he just had to be patient.

"I assume you have a place set aside for the vampires to live," Zalith said.

Alucard turned to face him. "Did I say you could come in here?" he asked, disguising his startle with anger.

Zalith smiled. "The door is wide open."

The vampire sat up straight. "Yes, I have," he answered, tapping his clawed fingers on the table as he eyed the vampires standing behind Zalith. "That is where we are headed."

"And is it safe? Secure?"

"Why would it not be?"

"There wasn't much time to plan, so I'm being cautious. We're bringing them here so that they're safe, and I need to make sure that will be the case."

Alucard huffed and looked back out the window. "Don't worry; my castle is the safest place in the country, so long as they follow my rules."

"I'm sure they will," Zalith said, smiling.

Not in the mood for Zalith's arrogance, Alucard waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. Get out."

The demon scoffed condescendingly, turned around with a quiet scoff, and left the cabin.

Alucard rested his legs on the table and snarled angrily. The demon shattered his trail of thought. He scowled and crossed his arms but then closed his eyes and sighed quietly, sinking into his fatigue. His job still wasn't done, and he wasn't sure when he'd get to rest, so what better time than now to sleep a little?

The vampire relaxed, allowing himself to slowly drift off to sleep.

⤝❖⤞

| Zalith |

Out on the deck, Zalith stared at the sea. He didn't have the strength to argue with Alucard; he was so tired and just wanted to make sure that this plan would be successful. There was already so much on his shoulders—the war, the vampires, Damien, werewolves—not to mention his personal affairs and the fact that there were people out for his head. Helping these vampires was something he wanted to do before his inevitable capture, and if he had to work with Alucard...then he would. As insufferable as he was, he was the one Damien chose, so he had to trust that the Daegelus made the right choice.

He stared at the six moons; two purple, one silver, one red, one blue, and one gold. He wasn't sure how that was possible, considering the ocean's tides seemed much like those back in his world, and for a moment, it made him think about how remarkable these circumstances were. To think that his world was connected to this one—it was somewhat wondrous. The differences, the similarities. If only he had more time to spend here, he felt he might quite enjoy it.

He sighed and stared aimlessly, waiting for the ship to reach its destination.

"Feed Drac," soon came Alucard's voice.

Zalith looked at the cabin and watched Alucard walk out. As the ship slowed, the captain leapt down from the quarterdeck and followed Alucard to the ship's edge. The demon listened and observed his new associate, trying to get a good enough read on who this vampire was.

The captain prepared the ropes for docking. "I told you, he's been fussy lately." The ship stopped, and the captain jumped onto the docks and started mooring the ship with the dockworkers. Once he was done, he and his colleagues attached the ramp.

Alucard headed down the ramp as Zalith and his vampires followed. "Try once more; if he still won't eat it, I'll talk to him."

The captain shrugged and sighed as Alucard led his guests along the cobblestone path that led up to his castle.

"I'm telling ya now, he's not gonna eat."

Irritated, Alucard waved his hand in dismissal, mumbling to himself.

Ben moved closer to Alucard. "Your snake isn't eating?"

With a concerned frown, Alucard glanced at him. "He is a dragon," he corrected, looking ahead again. "And no, he's simply fussy."

"What does he eat?"

A smirk appeared on Alucard's face. "I kill the werewolves here, and I feed them to Drac."

As the other two vampires chuckled, Ben laughed loudly. "I feel like you and I are going to get along well."

"Will we?" Alucard muttered, leading the way up a small flight of stairs.

Zalith watched them. Alucard's response was amusing, but he wouldn't laugh. He just wanted to make sure this plan would work. And once they reached the castle, he hoped that he'd finally get an answer.

He followed silently as Alucard led the way towards the huge black castle. A swarm of crows circled the tallest tower, cawing loudly, catching the demon's attention. He glared at them; their eyes shimmered as crimson as the vampire's hair, and their bodies were torn, burnt, and rotting. They weren't alive, and by the looks of it, they acted as sentries, watching over the castle.

The demon looked ahead as Alucard led the way to the castle's door.

Alucard looked over his shoulder at the vampires. "You can come in," he mumbled, granting them entrance into the castle.

They made their way into the entrance hall. The floor was dark oak wood, and the rib-vaulted ceiling was black, as were the walls with patterned gold engravings. Tall, arched stained-glass windows were lined along the left and right walls, lighting the room with an array of different, striking colours, and a long, rectangular table sat in the centre.

Against the right wall were two suits of steel armour with a dark-oak door between them. Another door was in the far-right corner and another to the left. The back wall also had a huge, circular stained-glass window displaying paintings of dragons, wolves, and what could only be vampires. The arched windows around the room had similar scenes: dragons, wolves, vampires, angels, and even demons.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

A curious smile appeared on Zalith's face. Clearly, Alucard had an eye for art. From what he could see and what he knew, the art might be historic, representing this world's past. The window to his left had Damien in it with a shimmering blue moon behind him—it looked much like the blue moon that sat in the sky. The window beside it possessed the image of the crimson-haired demon, Lucifer, with a blood-red moon, and the windows opposite them were painted with two women: one angelic-looking with a golden moon, and another demon-looking woman with a bright purple moon. While the angel possessed black hair, the demon's hair was ashen.

Was the angel a Numen? Zalith had only seen Lucifer and Lilith, so he wasn't sure what the other Numen looked like. The window beside them possessed the image of a wholly cloaked, hooded man and a silvery moon, and the window opposite that one was painted with the image of a tall, long-purple-haired man with a black-purple moon above him. Zalith wasn't sure who they were.

Alucard stopped beside the table and turned to face the group. "I have rules here. You will listen, and when more of your friends arrive, you will tell them. Understood?"

Ben nodded. "Yes."

"To begin, all vampires are classed, and some have more responsibilities than others," Alucard said. "Fledgelings: newly created vampires, Acolytes: vampires younger than a hundred, Adherents: vampires between one hundred and three hundred, and finally, Paladins: my strongest and oldest vampires. You won't see them around the castle very often. They are who I send out into the world to conduct my business overseas."

"So...will that be my job?" Ben asked. "I'm three hundred and—"

"No. You're new here, so you'll all be starting as Acolytes. I'll explain your roles later," Alucard said. Then, he pointed to the back-left door. "That is my half of this castle; no one is to enter that door unless I have said so," he said. Then, he pointed to the back-right door. "That will lead you to the kitchen—however, that is also where the human helpers reside. Don't eat them; that would piss me off immensely."

The vampires agreed.

With a tired sigh, Alucard pointed to the door between the suits of armour. "That door will take you to your part of the castle. It's daylight-proof, and there are several safe ways in and out other than this door. However, the city is not yet ready for us. I have been working on an agreement with the council. Next month, you will be free to walk around and feed off people so long as you don't kill them, and so long as they consent. I will make sure to get my bard to write you all copies of the agreement. Does all of that make sense?"

No one had anything to question or disagree with.

Alucard frowned and looked at the silent demon. "Well?"

Zalith smiled. "I'd like to see their part of the castle, please."

The vampire sighed but didn't argue. "This way," he grumbled, and as Zalith and his vampires followed, Alucard led the way through the door.

⤝❖⤞

| Alucard |

Alucard just wanted to go home. But he'd show Zalith what he wanted to see to avoid an argument; that was the last thing he needed. He led them through the dark hallway; every window was boarded up so tightly that the moonlight couldn't shine through. The walls were black and patterned with gold engravings, and a long red rug stretched down the corridor.

They reached a small lounge, where Alucard turned left and led them down another corridor and up several flights of stairs, showing them the entire east wing, pointing out every room where vampires slept.

The tour felt like just moments for Alucard; his tiredness helped him zone out as he showed them around. To his relief, Zalith seemed content, so the vampire took them back to the entrance hall. He made his way to the table, leaned back against it, and took a moment to wake.

He looked at Zalith. "If that is all, I would like to bring this to an end."

Zalith glanced around the room and then looked at Alucard. "I'm satisfied," he answered. He looked at Ben. "This is where we part ways," he said, holding his arms out, inviting Ben closer. As he and Ben embraced each other, Zalith swiftly kissed his right cheek. Ben then stepped back as Zalith placed one hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay with everything?"

"Yeah," he answered with an assuring smile. "It's a little different, but I can get used to it—I'm sure we all can. I really appreciate what you're doing for us."

The demon smirked. "Stay out of trouble."

Ben nodded as Zalith let go of his shoulder. Then, the demon looked at Alucard with an expectant expression.

Alucard exhaled quietly, stood up straight, and escorted Zalith out of the castle. When they stepped outside, Zalith stopped and faced the vampire.

"Thank you, Aleksei—truly—for helping us. I wouldn't have ever suggested this to Damien if things in Eltaria weren't so dire."

Alucard shrugged. "They'll be safe here." Then, he went to head towards the forest.

Zalith smiled slightly. "So, tell me about this city," he requested, turning towards the path to the docks.

The vampire hesitated for a moment...but Zalith was probably going to need this information for the vampires that were still in Eltaria. He followed behind him. "What about it?"

"A treaty with humans?"

Alucard sighed as they made their way down the cliffside. "This land was empty; the only people that lived here were the people that raised me. I left when I was five and came back when I was twenty-one to find that humans had built their villages throughout the land. I wasn't too bothered back then, but once I was done with some business, I wanted my land back—but I'm a vampire, so I need humans. The next best option was to see if we could cohabit, hence the forming of this treaty," he explained, reaching the bottom of the cliff.

Zalith nodded.

He continued as they boarded the ship, "Our kind once stayed hidden from humans as best as possible—they thought it was safer for everyone. But then Letholdus wanted to be known and worshipped—all the Numen did—so we came out into the light. People call it Year Zero. The world basically reset when the Numen showed themselves. Ever since then, there has been a constant struggle for humans to live alongside those of us with ethos, but I am trying to make it work here.

"It took a lot of convincing. I asked them what I can do to prove that I can be an ally. They have me killing werewolves; they hunt humans for sport, kill their livestock or whatever. They said, kill the wolves, and we'll form a treaty. So, I kill the wolves and feed them to my dragon to keep them from turning into hellhounds."

Rodney called to him, "I guess you need me to take you back?"

Alucard replied, "Da."

Then, as Rodney prepared to disembark, Alucard led the way into the cabin.

"I've been killing them for six months. I spoke to the council yesterday, and they told me the treaty will be in effect next month. They made me wait long enough; the werewolves haven't killed a single human since I got back. Either the humans are dumb or don't want to accept the fact I lived up to my end." No one had been killed yet, but since that wolf tried to kill Elvin in Wrodiff, he'd been worried that might soon change. Once he was done with tonight, he really needed to look into that.

The demon smiled in response as Alucard sat down and invited him to sit across from him.

As the ship started moving, Alucard exhaled deeply and shrugged. "I think they know that if they don't agree and come through, I will turn hostile. This is my land; if I have to rid them from it like vermin, then I will."

"Humans are a repulsive species; I have no doubt that they may try to work their way out of it; this often happens to be the case with them. I advise you keep an eye on them, be persistent, and remind them of their place."

Glancing at him, Alucard nodded. "I know."

Amused by his response, Zalith laughed.

The vampire scowled. Why did he find everything so amusing? If he wasn't staring and smiling, he was laughing at something that wasn't funny. Alucard didn't care. He rolled his eyes and glared out the window, but he couldn't see through the thickening fog. The sound of rain wasn't too far away, so it wouldn't be long until they reached the island—until he could finally go home and rest.

He glanced at the demon; to no surprise, Zalith was staring, and it made Alucard feel uncomfortable. He frowned and tried ignoring Zalith's expectant gaze by thinking about tomorrow's plans. Werewolf hunting, as usual, and he could speak to Zalith's vampires and make sure that they were comfortable. He also had to be adamant about them not feeding on humans. They would have to do what the rest of his resident vampires did and wait for him to bring them blood.

"What is the Nosferatu?" Zalith asked him.

Alucard glared at him. "It's what I was known as a long time ago; it stuck, and I decided to keep it. I named my empire after it."

"I see."

"Next month, are you coming back here or staying there?"

"I'll stay behind."

Alucard didn't have more to say; the demon still stared, the silence was awkward, and he was tired. The island was fifteen minutes away...and that was plenty of time for him to get more rest. "Go wait outside," he grumbled, waving his hand.

Zalith scoffed amusedly. "What?"

"You heard. I have things to do that would get done faster without you staring at me."

The demon laughed quietly as he stood up. "Fine."

Wasn't he going to argue? Alucard frowned skeptically, watching Zalith leave and shut the door. That was easier than Alucard imagined. With a relieved sigh, he slouched in his seat and closed his eyes. The night was almost over.

⤝❖⤞

| Zalith |

Zalith stared at the moons again. To his relief, this plan might just work. Ben and two others were already safely transported, but he wouldn't relax until more vampires were in Alvenguard. Although he initially thought Alucard was incompetent and an idiot, this first night had already swayed him from that assumption. Alucard was arrogant, but Zalith found himself almost liking him in some strange way. Perhaps a friendship may form one day; there were a few things he had come to realize about this man that he could relate to, and he also enjoyed their conversation. He had certainly enjoyed looking at him, too.

He'd miss Ben a little, but his pursuit of that man was over. It was only a temporarily amusing distraction pursuing a man who wasn't interested in having sex with him; however, Ben now lived in an entirely different world, and Zalith had also begun to grow bored of him. Whatever he'd been seeking was over.

Alucard, on the other hand, caught Zalith's attention from the moment they met. Of course, it wasn't a surprise. Zalith was an incubus. His life revolved around having sex; he needed it to sustain himself, and it led him to a life of promiscuity...and loneliness. Nobody he slept with remained in his life for long. He always got bored of them, and he was sure that Alucard would be no different.

Zalith was keen to get to know Alucard more first, and maybe the world he lived in, too. He hadn't failed to notice the fish swimming in the sky, and he was sure that Alucard would have an explanation. He'd be sure to ask him when he joined him again.

After a while, the ship stopped.

Zalith looked over his shoulder and watched Alucard emerge from the cabin with a tired look on his face. He headed over to Zalith and sighed quietly—

"What are the fish I saw swimming in the sky?" Zalith asked before Alucard could speak.

Alucard frowned slightly. "Fish," he answered tonelessly.

"But fish swim in the sea—"

"Not here. Well...they swim in the sea and sky. When it rains or snows, they can move using the moisture in the air."

"How fascinating."

"Let's go," Alucard mumbled, leading the way down onto the island the moment the captain lowered the ramp.

They walked to the portal, but before stepping through, Zalith turned to face Alucard.

"I shall see you next month, then."

"Da," Alucard replied tiredly.

Zalith actually enjoyed his time here. But it was time for him to get back. There were people waiting for him and there was no time for him to stick around and flirt with Alucard tonight. So, he turned around and stepped into the portal, heading back to his own world.

And he hoped that he wouldn't be met with his enemies on the other side.