Maya and Magic.
"Humanity's fate?...."
Not me nor Ragnar extended the topic further the man.. no, the creature in front of us knew the horror we were about to face.
As we kept walking alongside the streets of Maya, the eyes of the vampires grew in numbers. Different age groups of vampires began to enter your vision.
The male vampires looked just like normal humans just larger in size and possessing overwhelming strength which showed as one crushed a rook in anger while his gaze tried to pierce me through.
The female vampires were no different. Extreme similarities between their human counterpart. However, I made a special observation during our walk, their teeth were much sharper and their fangs much longer than the male vampires we fought.
"We were lucky," Ragnar whispered to me. It seems we were already aware of the observation and I was thinking that it was very special.
" If those kidnappers were females, I doubt she would have survived until we reached that cave. Those females look too dangerous." Ragnar was right, Levi had really good luck.
Wait!, If she had good luck she might not have been kidnapped in the first place.
"There is another thing they have in common." Okay, Ragnar had also seen something else.
"What?"
"Look at their hair, it's all black not a difference for any age group or sex. It is black for everyone. While the shade of the skin is inconsistent some people vary from pale yellow to brown. Also, look, there isn't an old grandpa like Vampire here, just younglings."
Hmmm.... I guess it wasn't strange that they shared the same traits, like hair as they are vampires but the skin colour variation surely made it strange and now you think that there wasn't an old vampire in the entire crowd which was coming out of the shadows.
But I was sure of one thing, Every vampire besides the kids whom the female held in their hands shared a sense of fear or anger against the three of us and the reason was unknown to me.
"Stop." Suddenly Alucard stopped in his tracks and ordered us to do the same. He looked at his surroundings gazing at the emotions his people were feeling and then he began to speak once again.
"Everybody in this region, whoever is hearing my words. Appear around me this instant. Women with kids under 25 and kids up to the age of 40 are free to roam and the rest shall join me."
Alucard turns towards us after the announcement,
"I would like the three of you to keep walking and enter the castle. Your escorts will present to guide them to your chambers. We will have our discussion during the feast at midnight."
Nothing to say that I and Ragnar kept on moving straight without ever turning back. It felt like we never wanted to know how high their numbers were but I understood things.
"Vampires age very slowly." As I saw the kids earlier were running towards Alucard instead of going away to play.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
" I've been purified of all curses."
The wonderful bliss of a warm bath is unmatched. As I soak my body into the steamy water all the tired muscles relax and the pain vanishes. The magical water of Maya is a wonder of God.
It was 6 hours since we had arrived at the Castle's gate. There were exactly three servants standing at the door for your reception. They asked each of us to move with one servant only.
At first, I refused to let go of Levi. They assured me it wouldn't be any harm, when I resisted further they simply said, " The Ritual of Connection must be not broken or you will suffer the wrath of both Alcards and the gods themselves."
How could I not let go of Levi after that, I don't understand what is going on but I am enjoying the special treatment.
I received three massages and a delicious meal which I don't know was made of what thing but sure it was really tasty and then this blessing of a bath was the very best.
"Sir Artious, Please Wear Your attire from the Wardrobe and join the other Participants in the hall."
"Yes, Sure. I've been waiting for this and also my name is Phoenix, not Artroius please stop forgetting it."
The servant did not say anything further and exited the room.
"Wait."
When did he enter the room in the first place I didn't hear any noise. Creepy world and creepy residents.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wear the best clothes I find in the wardrobe, the robes are woven with pure silk, which makes me wonder are silkworm moths present in this place. I wore one of the purple robes and left for the main hall.
It was a long hallway before I reached the main hall, there were a million rooms in my way but not a soul to see. It seems the castle has been vacated or was it always this empty?
They finally reached the large gate of the main hall it was made of iron and I wondered if would I ever open it. I tried touching it with my hand.
"What? This is some new form of magic."
My hand just seemed to phase through the door as if it had never been present there. I breathed a sigh and moved my entire body through the door and entered the room ahead.
"Sloth."
"OH NO!"
The voice which I heard in the dark room where I cried, was back and it wasn't alone the room I entered was dark it was the same as before.
I tried to enter the door again but it had vanished and I had nowhere to go and I began feeling despair once again. I was again trapped with this voice in a void I didn't know how to escape.
"Help me, Please. Fulfil your trial and end this curse forever."
I was wrong it wasn't the same which sent shivers down my spine, it was the voice of the person who was feeling such great pain and sorrow, I could not imagine. It begged me for help and I couldn't understand the meaning of its words.
Soon the darkness around me began to vanish and the walls of the castle became visible, I was the in the main hall of the castle now and sitting on the table I saw my two companions.
"Levi, Ragnar!!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------