The Duke assessed me with a stern gaze, "Before we begin any strategizing, I must request that you provide us with a token of trust."

I nodded, "Of course, what did you have in mind?"

She leaned back and steepled her fingers, "You mentioned informing us of the weakness of Vampires. Please, do not be offended when I ask that you provide proof of any such claims."

The Bishop stroked his beard and cocked an eyebrow, "Indeed, you come to us claiming to be the most feared necromancer in the past two millennia reborn as well as proclaiming that you are now a species that has never been seen before."

Asha tensed, her brow furrowing in annoyance but settled back when I waved her down, "I completely understand. I am making not pulling your legs. Before I begin, I must confess that I am no expert. I am new to this reality, much more than the two of you. Therefore, Asha here will take the lead on this subject. Asha, if you'd please?"

Asha took a breath that suspiciously sounded like a suppressed sigh before standing, "Yes, my lord. First and foremost, we are Vampir Noblesse, Royal Vampires. We are the original and most pure Vampires. This means we are not only the most powerful, but also the most durable. Most of our weaknesses are diminished compared lesser Vampires. In terms of ranking, it goes from Royal Vampires, Noble Vampires, Elder Vampires, Common Vampires, Lesser Vampires, and finally Thralls. Each is formed by the previous rank creating a Vampire and therefore dilutes the bloodline."

The Duke asked, "So your species' weaknesses become more prevalent the further down in ranks you go?"

Asha nodded, "Due to the unique nature of Vampires being in an odd state of life and death, we have equally unique weaknesses. The most obvious weakness is divine magic. For us, only pure divine magic will do us harm. Which is to say, blessings, holy sigils and the like will do next to nothing to us, but a Lesser Vampire and Thrall can be warded off with a simple holy symbol that hasn't even been consecrated. Also, it is a good bet that most things that can affect the undead can affect Vampires."

The Bishop raised a hand, "And how do Vampires differ from undead?"

"For one, healing magic simply does not affect us, rather than hurt us. Though many support spells will still assist us. Also, Vampires cannot be revived with necromantic magic like undead. We can also be killed like living beings as well, although with much, much more difficulty. Common Vampires and below can be harmed and evil killed by exposure to sunlight." Asha replied.

"Earlier, you said that a lower form of Vampire is created by a higher rank. I take it by the odd phrasing that you imply Vampires do not reproduce like ordinary people?" perceived the Duke.

I smiled, "Good catch. No, Vampires reproduce by converting a living person into a Vampire."

The Duke's gaze hardened, "In what way."

Asha answered, "For Royals and Nobles, it can only be done intentionally by the host Vampire, called the Sire. First the Sire bites the Progeny drinking their blood, draining them of life force. Once the life force is diminished enough, right before death, the Sire feeds the Progeny their own blood, transferring what's called the Gift. However, for Elder Vampires and below, the Gift is merely transferred through a bite and there is a chance of failure, which is a very painful and slow death. Failure is increased with each lower rank and Thralls cannot convert anyone and are little more than mindless beasts enslaved to their Sire."

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With a look of outraged disgust, the Bishop shouted, "That is horrifying! This sounds little more than a plague."

I smiled softly, "Calm down Bishop. As of now, we are the only two Vampires on Midgard and we are far from creating any more Vampires."

Asha continued, eager to be finished talking, "Yes, yes, we are monsters, and you can get your torches and pitchforks later. Let me finish. There are two final ways to create a Vampire. Two Royals mate and can produce another Royal offspring, or a Royal or Noble can mate with a mortal that their original species could procreate with. Mating with a mortal has an extremely small chance of working. Though, if the pregnancy does take, there is a miniscule chance of creating another Royal Vampire. It is much more likely of being born a Dhampir, or a Half-Vampire. Two Nobles mating is the only way of having any chance of producing a Royal but is a one in a billion chance. Anything lower down the ladder cannot mate."

"I must say, this is much more disturbing than I was expecting." Said the Duke, who looked slightly pale.

"I am sorry to say that I agree. Unfortunately, this is our reality, and we have the good fortune that the only two Vampires on this planet are on the side of good, for the most part. However, you asked for a token of trust, and I will provide that olive branch. Bishop, please cast a holy spell on me," I smirked, "Though I'd prefer one that won't turn me into sanctified dust."

Asha jolted, "Lord Sanguine, I cannot let that happen. Please, let me be the one to-"

I cut her off, "No Asha, I will not use my subordinates, let alone my friends as test subjects. I need to be the one. Now sit down." I shrugged off the top part of my robe, exposing my chest. I extended my arm and nodded.

The Bishop glanced to the Duke who in turn nodded as well after meeting my eyes for a moment. With a look of concentration, he extended his arm to me and I felt mana begin to flow. His hand was wrapped in a veil of holy light that made my skin tingle like being exposed to the sun on a hot cloudless day. Upon touching my arm, there was a sharp sizzle.

Smoke curled from my arm as I flinched and cursed. My eyes briefly flash red as a swiftly fleeting but powerful instinct to lash out and escape came over me. I was thankfully able to get it under control, though my feral expression caused the Bishop to release my arm and take a step back, his guard raised. I gave him a grimacing smile, "It's alright. That was my first dose of holy magic, and it affected me more than I thought it would. Geeze, talk about a sunburn from hell."

The Bishop appeared perplexed, "Hel is a very dark place, it has no sun."

"Earth has a religion with a similarly named place where sinners spend their afterlife. It's spelled with an extra 'L' and is a very hot and fire filled place in most renditions." I explained.

"Intriguing, I would love to discuss the theological beliefs of Earth later on."

I smiled at the Bishop, "Another area where I'm no expert, though our camp has a priest of one of the largest religions on Earth. I'm sure he would love to share."

The Duke stood, "A discussion for another day. I think that is enough information for now and we must turn our attention to more pressing subjects."

I nodded, "The Gnolls."

"Indeed. Our primary external defenses have been destroyed due to the... event. This means many of our early warning systems and deterrence are no longer operational. Thankfully, even if all the Gnoll tribes somehow decided to ally with each other, there would still be no chance of them posing any danger to the city. Nashville on the other hand is quite vulnerable from what I understand. In addition, any scouting party we send out will likely be decimated as you had seen. The Gnolls have home ground advantage in the hills."

"So, what? We take out the closest tribes?" Asha asked.

The Bishop replied, "By the grace of the Gods, there is only one tribe whose territory extends to the surrounding area. Your city, Sanguine, is where a smaller tribe once lay. With any luck, they are on the other side of the planet, if not dead entirely. Unfortunately, this particular tribe is one of the most powerful. They have multiple shamans along with a terrifying witch doctor. I am afraid that as of now, your strength may not be enough to deal with her."

I thought for a moment then grinned, "Maybe not, but I've got an idea."