Born in Blood

As they ascended, Usan gave Liam a tense side-glance as he looked up towards the approaching plateau.

The Citadel below them grew smaller and smaller, and the sounds of bat screeches dimmed.

[I don't like this,] Usan said mentally. [I have a feeling he knew we were here all along.]

Liam's face grew a little dark. 

Vampires didn't have mental energy or known methods of deduction.

Nor did they have any sort of detection abilities aside from the Magical Formations they made. 

But then again, Liam didn't know the full extent of the higher ranks. 

Not even the Archives helped him there.

Liam was a little fish swimming in a big pond.

Thus, Usan's feelings were probably correct, but still unconfirmed.

[At least he didn't give himself backup,] Liam responded, but it sounded like he was reassuring himself. [He easily could have, too.]

A short pause.

[Or maybe he's just confident in his own abilities enough not to need any support,] Usan added grimly.

Nevertheless, they were here. 

Besides, they both had their fail-safes. 

If at any point in the meeting Usan sensed a sliver of danger, he would teleport both of them out in the blink of an eye. 

But in that case, the Vampire Pasha himself would be an enemy of Ilali. 

This entire meeting was a double-edged sword.

That outcome was to be avoided at all costs. 

Soon enough, the pair poked through the shroud of dense fog. 

Nothing happened.

There was no pain of any kind that assaulted them.

Either it was harmless from the start, or the vampire king made it that way just for the two.

Either way, it unnerved both Liam and Usan.

Then, both of them peaked over the plateau.

What awaited them past the dome of mist was a massive, mighty grey castle made of ashen brick.

It was several hundred kilometers wide, and the only word Liam thought upon seeing it was 'mighty'.

And it really was.

It was a medieval style building, menacing and eerie all at the same time.

Torches of blue fire illuminated the walls of the mighty palace, casting azure hues over the barren ground.

There were no windows there whatsoever, making it seem like some sort of impregnable fortress. 

The bottom of such a fortress was rooted into the ground. A testament to how ancient it truly was.

The stench of blood had faded away here, despite the little veins of blood that were transported towards the castle.

In fact, it smelled like modern perfume, which was disturbingly strange.

Right ahead was a massive gate that provided an entrance to the castle. 

It was closed. 

But as soon as Liam and Usan left the platform and stepped onto the plateau ground, the gate slowly descended.

BOOM!

As it hit the ground, a slight shockwave spread across the dome.

Then, the platform itself descended back to the city.

'Not creepy at all,' Liam thought.

Sharing a look between themselves, Liam and Usan took wary steps towards the entrance.

The inside was vastly different to the outside of the castle.

Warm chandeliers lit up the interior. 

Red carpets and ornate wooden furnishing decorated the entrance. 

Surreal paintings of landscape and seemingly random colors of crimson were hung on the walls. 

Bats flew by here and there, chirping as they hung from the ceiling. 

Long hallways led to different parts of the castle.

But as the pair entered, the illuminated corridors went dim except for one specifically.

A hallway that led deeper inside.

All in all, it looked more like a museum compared to a human-eating powerhouse's home.

But then again, Liam ate humans too, so he wasn't in any place to judge.

Usan, on the other hand, had a cryptic, firm expression on his face.

Liam was not anxious.

Well, deep down, he was.

But that didn't show at all in his thoughts or expression.

Both went deeper into the fortress, passing through several corridors and hallways.

Eventually, there were two massive double-doors that a giant could pass through.

A dark aura radiated from behind the doors. 

Something sinister.

Usan's shadows darkened around him. If there was a battle coming, so be it.

Using both hands, Usan pushed the door open.

Inside was a vast, rectangular hall room lit by a bright, crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

Instead of being a grim room made from skulls and fresh corpses, it looked more like a politician's decorated office. 

Tall shelves filled with all kinds of books were placed against the wall.

From the left and right, spiral stairs made from marble connected the hall to an upper floor.

A spacious mahogany desk was placed at the end of the hall, paired with an ornate, throne-like chair.

On top of the table was an inkpot with a quill-pen inside. 

Behind it was a portrait of the Pashah himself.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Someone was descending from the staircase, their footsteps tapping crisply against the marble stairs.

"I wasn't expecting visitors at this time," a crisp voice echoed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" 

The raspy voice sounded like a perfect mix of authority and menacing gentlemanliness. 

The king of vampires took his time descending the stairs.

The first was the shoes.

They were black, clean, crisp shoes a business man wore, not someone who drank blood and devoured humankind.

And his following attire further cemented the businessman look.

Alucard wore a silky black suit for the occasion. 

His tie, tucked underneath the black blazer, was pearly white, contrasting against the black.

The king of vampires himself had the appearance of a handsome old man with deep, menacing crimson eyes.

Short, snow-white hair, slicked back and glistening, along with a perfectly trimmed beard of a similar color decorated his ashen face.

...And yet, the chilling aura the man radiated was well beyond Liam's expectations. 

It felt like he was staring at death's physical form.

Beads of warm sweat formed on Liam's forehead.

From the side, Liam glanced at Usan.

...Just to see him with a similar bead of sweat running across his temple.

Wordlessly, Alucard walked over to the mahogany desk and took a sit on the throne-like chair, then steepled his fingers on the table.

"Now," Alucard said with a cryptic smile, flashing a set of pearly teeth. "Let us talk."