Aodh forgot about visiting any of the other towns and villages along his route, they would have to wait. He was now more eager than ever to reach Tralor and discover once and for all what his contract with them was to be.

He moved well away from the Highroads, keeping instead to less used forest paths and mountain passes. Though the terrain was rough, Spring was already in full bloom, the worst of Winter’s chill already behind them. He didn’t mind so much having to sleep under the stars. He was used to such wild bedchambers in any case.

His nights had been thankfully quiet since departing Vies Diem, now only five days' ride from the Vampirii city he was close. He had left almost all settlements behind. Few if any dared or wished to live anywhere close to the nightfolk.

He was settling down by his fire for that fifth night when his nose picked up on new scents in the air.

Scents more than strange for a forest. Pretending to pick at the stew busy boiling over the flames he listened intently. He heard nothing for a long time. Then, a single whisper, too quiet to make out, but loud enough for him to be sure of its presence. Aodh closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. There were three of them. Three of the undead. Them being here now both confused and alarmed him. Thrall messengers perhaps? Sent out to meet me? He considered both options. Neither made much sense, nor then did their commitment to approaching both unseen and unheard.

He didn’t need to look to see how they approached. One from directly behind him, and one from either side.

He waited for them to attack, it was better to let them fully believe he was unprepared before he made his move.

They didn’t take long. Without any further sign or word they attacked as one. Aodh waited until all three were out of the forest growth before he launched himself to his right.

The thrall had clearly not expected him. Aodh was almost upon him before the Vampirii servant realised it. He whipped out a blade from his belt and rammed it into the man’s head. Deep into the brain, it and fire were the only means of killing thralls.

Even without an arm or leg they would not stop. Impervious to pain, they were strong but awkward, stiff. Aodh ripped his blade out and turned to face the other two. They only stopped a moment at seeing their comrade’s fate before they moved in. One circled to his left, the other to his right.

Both of them held the short spear so typical of the thrall legions. Aodh sheathed his knife and drew out his sword from his back as he spinned away from both of their thrusts.

His double sided blade was almost as long as their spears, when next they attacked he slid past the thrall to his left, ducking underneath before coming up hard and slamming his sword into the man’s head. Using his momentum to propel himself forward he continued to swing around before bringing the other side of his sword down on the final thrall’s arm. Cutting deep the undead slave was forced into dropping his weapon, not by pain but by necessity. Exposed Aodh had all the time in the world to plunge his sword into the last thrall’s head.

He didn’t relax as the man fell to the ground. Instead he whirled his blade back around and into a defensive position.

Where there were thralls there were Vampirii. They never acted alone.

The half blood took his time before finally emerging out from the forest and into the clearing, the moon shone bright behind him, further illuminating his pale face. It was rather odd that he had not attacked with the thralls, for evidently they must have been his.

Aodh took a step back, he sighed audibly.

“Oh thank the Gods, I thought for a moment you were a pure blood. I believed my time was at an end.”

His words had the desired effect. The half blood had been regarding him with the characteristic smug expression of his kind, it had now changed to one of anger. Relief was not an emotion one usually showed when meeting a Vampirii, even a half blood.

“I am closer to one than you know, and don’t speak of pure blood when you yourself are a mongrel. A step away from being an animal of this forest yourself.”

Aodh shrugged, “I am free.”

The half blood laughed loudly, “Free? You march to Tralor through your own free will then do you?”

“Yes, no one moves me but-”

“But Desra. The one who moves all of you Foxlings. Don’t play the hero with me. You are a contract for hire. Nothing more, nothing less. Which is why I am here. To prove how worthless you are.”

Aodh hid his annoyance at the half blood’s words.

“I do what I wish. And my powers are my own.” Aodh changed, transforming into his half fox form. “I am bound to no one. Whatever you might think. And if you have come to see my worth then let us fight. I don’t converse with slaves.”

The half blood half smiled, half growled as he unsheathed his sword, “So be it. You’ll beg before the end little fox.”

Aodh did not wait for him to attack. Despite his daring words he knew what kind of trouble he was in. A half blood was no thrall. He’d sooner have faced a hundred of their kind than one of these.

Firing off one of the throwing discs from his belt he launched himself forward, using an old tree trunk to leap into the air and drive down with his blade. The half blood swatted away the disc and used his own sword to slide and deflect away Aodh’s heavy attack. Aodh had hardly landed when he was forced on the defensive, the Vampir coming back at him hard with a series of strikes. It was fast, Aodh was forced into allowing some blows get through to deal with the ones most deadly to him. He made sure they landed on those places where his armour was strongest. The dwarven made steel was light, but incredibly strong, its extreme price and value more than equal to its quality.

Though pushed back Aodh was managing to hold his own until the Vampir surprised him with a kick, disguising it under a chop. The force was enough to send him spiralling backwards. He tripped and fell hard yet had no time to hesitate as the Vampir followed up. He only barely managed to roll out of harm’s way as the onslaught continued.

The half blood pushed ahead, unrelenting and ferocious. Still on the ground Aodh met each blow as it came, the half blood laughing over him all the while. Focused, Aodh waited until he finally caught a downward thrust before lashing out to kick and sweep the Vampir. It was not enough to knock him, but it was enough to falter the attack and Aodh was finally able to get the space enough to jump back to his feet. The Vampir seemed content to let him.

He waited and titled his head to regard Aodh.

“I’m surprised you have lasted even as long as you have. Though it seems I am already starting to break through.” He pointed his blade at Aodh. “It won’t be long now.”

The half blood was right. Aodh wiped a hand across his nose, a trickle of blood came away with it. He smiled. He could not remember the last time he had been so tested. Probably not since his training days.

He was enjoying it.

He whirled his blade around and took up a fresh stance.

The half blood mimicked Aodh’s whirl and adopted the same stance. He really does believe me an easy kill.

Aodh came slowly forward, it seemed the Vampir was happy to let him come. Waiting until he was almost in range Aodh suddenly lunged forward and went on the attack. He twisted from left to right, trying to keep the half blood constantly moving but his attacks seemed to be having little effect. The Vampir blocked with relative ease, and he emphasised the fact with a permanent grin on his face.

He waited for Aodh to unleash a series of strikes before finally attacking himself, with a violent parry he almost knocked the blade from Aodh’s hand. Stumbling Aodh was forced into spinning away from danger.

He breathed in deeply, the action drawing fresh laughter from his opponent.

“Already? It is just as well they sent me, you are not fit for purpose young Foxling.”

Aodh grimaced and circled. This time he waited.

The Vampir circled opposite him before leaping forward into attack once more. Diving over the flames of Aodh’s fire he crashed into his defence. They battled, each pushing against the other but soon Aodh was forced once more into retreat. The prospect did not panic him, he focused on ensuring his retreat seemed exactly as before, natural and unwilling.

From what little he knew and had seen, half bloods were always high on arrogance. Given a great deal of sudden power, they embraced it, totally. They answered to Pure Bloods, and pure bloods only. All else was inferior to them. Weaker. Their confidence was not unfounded, for they were indeed powerful. But it could be used against them.

Aodh continued to be pushed back, he waited until there was a movement of brief respite before he attempted an attack of his own. An attack just like the one he had tried moments earlier, again the Vampir parried easily, and with force enough to knock away Aodh’s weapon.

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This time Aodh did not resist when he felt his blade slipping. He could almost sense the Half blood’s feeling of triumph as the sword went flying from Aodh’s grip. But he let it.

He was ready, with both hands now free Aodh slipped aside and threw himself forward, recklessly and without hesitation. The Vampir for once seemed surprised by Aodh’s move.

Landing atop the half blood he immediately went for the neck.

Biting down hard he locked his jaws onto the Half bloods neck. Then without pausing began using his claws to hack and slash across its face. Neither teeth or claws were overly long, but they were sharp. The Vampir tried to heave him off but once his teeth had locked in it was difficult to move him. Aodh kept his entire weight fully pressed down on the Vampir. He struggled hard for almost a minute before Aodh felt the life finally begin to drain from him. The half blood did not stop but continued fighting until its last breath. Even still Aodh did not release until some time after.

Finally he felt it time enough to relax. His jaws felt numb after such an intense use. He had been taught how to use them, the same as all Foxlings. But they were rarely if ever actually needed.

Spitting and wiping his mouth clean, Aodh hurried over to the fire and lapped down water from his cup. The taste of the Half blood was bitter, rotten. He knew already it would take time to wash it from his mouth. Still his triumph made the horrid taste a bearable one. There was a sort of satisfying irony to having killed the half blood in the exact manner with which it had first gained its powers. Poetic in a way. The half blood had been given his strength by his Master’s pale kiss. Now his life had been taken in much the same way.

A half blood was no easy foe. Yet he had managed to kill one. That in itself was an achievement. Now he just had to figure out just why he’d been targeted by it and the three thralls.

Why would the Vampirii wish to see me dead when it was to their very city that I was heading, Aodh thought.

Desra wouldn’t have sent him this far if he didn’t think the Vampirii’s offer a real one. Unless, Desra had openly admitted to him that should he fail he would be declared an exile and traitor. It might have all been a ploy to get rid of me? No, Aodh shook his head at his thoughts, Desra would not have gone to such complicated means so far from the Manor just to despatch him. Any Foxling could have easily walked up to him under the pretence of giving a message and he would have suspected nothing. No, Desra wouldn’t have done that. It was not in his nature. There was no hint of insincerity in any of his words back at the manor. This was not his doing.

So then the Vampirii? Aodh didn’t believe it. Why would they care so much about a single Foxling? Having him come all this way just to have him killed. No, it was not that.

He thought back. There was something else to the attack. The way the thralls had moved first, and it was only once they were defeated that the half blood came at him. He frowned, what was it the Half blood had said. “It is just as well they sent me.”

A test. The realisation came on him suddenly. They wished to test me. Aodh felt sure of the fact. It was a test. One that he’d passed. Drawing out a knife he went back to kneel down beside the body of the half blood before pulling out one of its pointed canines. It seemed a little strange, but taking the head would be too dramatic. He wasn’t even sure why he needed the tooth. He looked back down at the pale face.

It had not been easy, and there were likely far greater tests ahead. Still, a half blood lay dead at his feet, dead by his hand. A drop of blood fell from the cut across his nose. Aodh smiled, since departing the Manor he’d been plagued by lingering doubts. For the first time since he’d left those doubts were quietened somewhat. Extinguished no, but lessened. His contract, as he settled back down to his fire he felt more certain of it. It was his. He would complete it. No matter what or who stood in his way.

Aodh had thought Vies Diem impressive. He knew that Tralor would be just as spectacular, but even still he was left speechless as he first glanced upon its large black walls. Built atop an ancient mound the city rose mountain-like before him. For miles around the land had been razed and left bare, only serving to add to the sense of awe-inspiring size and majesty offered up by the city walls. Theys covered all, the black so deep it seemed to drown out what sunlight fell on it. Unlike Vies Diem no one knew its walls' true size, the Vampirii shared little on what it was they had or built, but as he looked upon its structure Aodh thought it even bigger than the Dwaelven's.

They had only been on the continent for little over 150 years, but that time had been spent almost exclusively on their one great city. Using magic and methods only known to them they had taken what was once a barren land and made it into the majesty Aodh now saw before him. What few other settlements they actively governed had been taken from human hands without much in the way of alteration. All of their focus had been on Tralor. In taverns all over the continent it was said it was the blood of innocents that had seen them build so fast and so well. Rituals and sacrifices of humans to supplement the knowledge they already had. Looking on it now there was clearly some magic in its construction, and founded as it was during a time of constant war and bloodshed, it was not hard to imagine rituals and sacrifices having played some part in it.

A single wide road led up to the city. Though barely past noon not one person could be seen. The city was huge, twice if not more the size of the next largest cities on the continent, whatever the Vampirii needed was provided for within its walls. Little wonder then that they so rarely left its confines.

Aodh approached slowly, but had not made a great deal of progress before the sound of the great doors opening creaked and reverberated around the sparse countryside.

They were monstrous things, the gates seemed wide enough to have eight four horse chariots pass through it side by side.

Indeed it took some time for the gates to open so wide and large was their structure. Aodh stared hard at the feat of engineering all the while it did.

From those black gates rode out a company of riders. All were mounted upon jet black horses and all were garbed in the same black armour of the Vampirii legions. It made for an impressive sight, Aodh tried his best to look composed as he waited for them.

As they got closer he was able to make out just who it was that was coming for him.

Four Half bloods led the way, with twenty thralls following up behind them.

One of the half bloods came on a little further than the rest.

“You are Aodh Rua. Sent by Desra of the Foxling clan.”

“I am,” Aodh answered, though the half blood seemed to be stating the fact rather than questioning it.

“You are expected. The Princes await your presence. You will follow us inside.”

“I suppose I will, yes,” Aodh saw little other choice. He was just pleased to not be attacked immediately. So it seems I won’t die. At least not outside Tralor’s walls. Inside is certainly still a possibility.

A large black mare was brought out from amidst the thralls.

“Ahh, I would prefer to walk. I am not in need of your beast. Fine as it may be.”

“You will follow us inside. On horse.”

Aodh looked up at the pale half blood’s face. He thought about refusing, but only for a moment. It was important to make a good first impression.

Sighing he made his way up to the horse. Thankfully the beast seemed well trained, it didn’t seem to move at all as he went up to it. In fact it didn’t make any movement at all, nor noise nor anything as it waited for its new rider. Well trained did not do it justice.

Horses were quite unfamiliar to him. As a Foxling he was never in need of one, glad always to use his full fox form instead. So it was with no small amount of struggle that he mounted himself on the mare. Only when he finally steadied himself enough to grab the reins did the horse move again.

Vampirii magic? Aodh was sure there was much and more that was still unknown when it came to their kind. He wondered just how much he was going to find out inside the city.

The horse thankfully seemed to have a mind of its own, and Aodh was happy to oblige, it took off after the half bloods, with the thralls then following on behind.

Once inside Aodh looked around confused. Though Desra had written extensively about the Houses and their rulers, he had not mentioned anything regarding the city itself. He was not sure what he expected to see, great palaces perhaps, wonders alien to anything he had heard or seen of before. Splendours far beyond his imagination.

Instead there was nothing, no palaces, no great temples, no forges, blacksmiths, armourers, grocers, nor merchants of any kind. Just a single wide road heading directly straight ahead. The only constructions he could see were the foundations of what appeared to be huge towers, rising high, high up into a shrouded sky. Yet they were not like any tower he had ever seen. No windows nor doors revealed themselves to him no matter how much he looked as they passed. They were made of the same black stone that he had seen on the wall, and there were many of them, all around on either side of the road, neatly spaced to allow for the colossal size of their bases. Aodh strained his neck to try and see the closest peaks but even when he looked to the heavens he saw no sign of anything other than the smooth, black stone, without opening nor adornment.

It did not take them long before they had reached a second gate. The walls around this second gate were almost as large as the first, though the gate was hardly a quarter of the size.

Inside Aodh saw yet another of the curiously constructed towers, but this was not like any of the others. For one it was far less wide, and unlike the others it did have a stairs leading up to a door.

Here the thralls and even the half bloods stopped up abruptly.

“You are to continue alone. You will enter and there find that which awaits you.” The same half blood as before addressed him.

“Alone?” Aodh was a little surprised.

“Yes, the Princes have requested you, and you alone. The horse you will no longer need.”

Aodh was happy about that at least, even the brief time in the saddle had been enough to make him stiff.

“Well then I guess this is goodbye. I suppose I shou-”

Aodh’s words faded as the half bloods turned and the thralls again followed. It seemed his thanks were not required.

He stood, somewhat awkwardly in front of the tower steps.

Aodh frowned. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find inside the Inner Gates. But he had believed whatever it was it would be splendid. So far he was more confused than impressed.

He looked back around but he was alone, the thralls and half bloods already departed. He turned around to analyse closer what was inside.

On closer inspection what he could see was not all that much. Within the doors he could make out only darkness.

Sighing, and seeing little else in the way of options he made his way up, counting twenty seven steps up to the doors.

The door lay open, but Aodh felt no sense of welcome as he passed inside it to the all consuming darkness within.