April 9^th. Rainy late night. James was still lying in the alleyway, getting soaked from the rain and dirtied by the ground. James could only feel numb inside, he did not know what to feel, nor what to think. He could only see the bodies of his adoptive parents and his blood parents as they laid dead playing in his mind. The sound of footsteps breaks James’ thinking, making him slowly look to the opening out to the road, and sees a man wearing a purple waterproof robe with the hood over his head. A few other people followed him, also in robes but in red. The hooded man turns to his right, and sees James in the alleyway.

“Mr. Ruth?” The hooded man calls to him as he walks towards him.

James remembers the voice. It belonged to Duval. “Your… majesty…?” He struggles.

Duval takes off his hood to reveal his face, showing his bewildering shock. Seeing James’ clothes undone, and the state that he was in, Duval looks towards the direction of the cathedral.

“Something has happened!” He comments. “All of you, search the St. Lithe cathedral, and find survivors!”

At his command, Duval’s men dash toward the cathedral to search while Duval checks on James. He kneels to James’ level and holds him up, redoing his clothing. Duval then feels James was cold to the touch, and sees his skin is pale as winter. He looks at James’ face and sees his eyes were crimson, then opens his mouth to see his fangs.

“You’ve been bitten!” He concurs in shock. “Who did this to you?!”

James begins breathing heavily with seething anger, remembering her face. “… Delianna… Remi… She killed them… She killed Harland…”

James’ breathing then turns erratic as his eyes start to glow their crimson hue. Duval picks James up in his arms as he sees James going into a frenzy.

“Your majesty…” James struggles frantically. “What’s happening? I feel so… thirsty…”

“You need blood.” Duval responds. “I will give you something when my men come back.”

Duval’s men arrive back from the cathedral into the alleyway near him.

“What is your report?” He asks.

“There are six humans dead in the foyer.” One of the men answer. “The six include Father Nyris Dustine and the main two nuns: Theresa Faye and Deborah Lee.”

“And the other three?”

“The three we suggest are a witch and her two protégées’.” Another man responds. “There seemed to be a fight in the foyer since there was silver dust on the floor and the father’s cross was thrown across the foyer. The six worked together to fight but were killed in the process.”

“Were there any survivors?”

“There are still children and other nuns on the orphanage side.” A third man replies. “They all were in their rooms asleep.”

Duval nods. “Alright. Paxton, Simion, Reuben, go back to the cathedral, and send them to the St. Joseph cathedral, but guide them to the back way of the church. Once you have, preserve the scene, and come back to the castle. We’ll come back to investigate.”

He then looks at two other men in their robes. “Nikolas, Daniel, with me. We need to get this man stabilized.”

All five men nod, and the three walk back to the cathedral while Duval, and the other two men dash back to Duval’s castle.

.   .   .   .   .

Inside the castle, Duval lays James down on an operating table in a room filled with beds. As James’ breathing is still erratic, he starts yelling inhumanly, prompting Daniel and Nikolas to hold him down as he tosses uncontrollably. A woman with short platinum hair comes in the room as she quickly mixes ingredients in a bowl, catching Duval attention.

“Oriba!” He calls her. “Is it ready?”

“Yes, your majesty.” She responds and looks at Daniel and Nikolas. “Please keep his head still.”

Nikolas decides to hold James’ head still as he continued to scream while Duval helps Daniel hold down James’. Oriba puts the bowl into James’ mouth, and slowly pours a dark red liquid into his mouth. When James feels the liquid hit his tongue, his body relaxes and stops screaming, and starts holding onto the bowl, making Oriba let it go, and Duval, Daniel, and Nikolas unhand him. James drinks all of the liquid in the bowl that quenches his thirst, which makes him feel drowsy afterwards, and goes to sleep which prompts Oriba to take the bowl back. Duval then picks up James, and carries him towards a bed, and lays him down in it. Duval then sighs.

“Let’s let him rest now.” He suggests. “Let’s go to our rooms and do the same.”

Duval and the rest of his people leave out of the room, down a long hallway, and towards a door that leads into the throne room. Moments later, Paxton, Reuben, and Simion arrive back to the castle and walk into the throne room towards Duval, and bow their heads in respect.

“Report.” Duval commands.

“We’ve sent the nuns and the children to St. Joseph until the investigation ends at Holy St. Lithe.” Paxton addresses.

Duval nods. “Good. We’ll deal with it in the morning. Don’t forget your rings when we go out there tomorrow. Now, to our rooms, and goodnight.”

Duval and the others when to separate from the throne room to other areas of the castle, and into their rooms.

.   .   .   .   .

April 9^th. Cloudy morning. James was awake, sitting in the bed still in his thoughts as he replays what happened last night. His mind then goes to Delianna to which he realizes the reason why he could not see her in his premonitions of Harland’s murder. Due to Delianna being a vampire, she must have had some type of power that blocked her out from James’ foresight, which he expected before he knew Delianna was the killer. He clenches his fists, wanting to take revenge for his family, and take out Delianna before she harms anybody else. He looks to see Duval walk into the room with a bowl in his hands. Duval sits in a nearby chair next to James.

“How are you feeling, James?” He asks calmly.

“I…” James starts. “I don’t really know how to feel right now.”

“Many things going through your head all at once?”

“Yes. I feel so… angry… so lost… and my head hurts so bad.”

Duval nods. “That is one of the issues when you become a newborn vampire. It’s going to be that way for the next two weeks. Or in your case with your head and your eyes. You have the power of premonitions and foresight, right?”

James groans as he holds his throat. “Yes.”

“Thirsty?”

James tries to clear his throat. “… Yes.”

He then looks at the bowl that Duval held, which Duval gives him the bowl full of dark red liquid. James then drinks all of the liquid from the bowl, and gives it back to Duval.

“What is that?” James asks.

“Blood substitute.” Duval responds. “It quenches the thirst for any vampire, but it doesn’t have the taste.”

“Do you… drink blood?”

“Yes, but only from animals.”

Duval then places to bowl onto a nearby side table, and holds his hands together.

“Now,” He speaks. “I want you to answer some questions about what happened last night, and I would like to make a proposition with you after.”

James nods in agreement. “Alright. Ask away.”

“You said someone by the name of Delianna Remi killed Father Nyris and the others?”

“Yes, and those other three people were my mother, my father, and my aunt. Their names: Elsa, Gad, and Ester Ruth. Elsa and Gad were my parents.”

“Okay, and you are most certain this Delianna killed Harland?”

“Absolutely.”

“And is she the one that bit you?”

“Yes…”

Duval sees that James’ hands were balled into fists at his response. Duval could see that James wanted to have revenge on Delianna, and puts his hand on James’ shoulder.

“You seek revenge. I understand that.” He speaks calmly. “But you should not let it consume you. Time will help with your pain, and karma comes to those that give pain.”

James nods in agreement. “So… what is your proposition?”

“How would you feel if I said I would be honored if you were to be my retainer?”

James looks at Duval in confusion. “What? Why? I don’t know how to fight.”

Duval chuckles. “Not as my guard, but as my advisor. Since you are now a vampire, you will have to practice more on your clairvoyancy. But there will be a time when you must fight, so you will be taught that as well. With that, you can live here. I can tell one of my maids to ready you a room today. How does that sound, James? It will be a step forward to make sure incidents like this never happen again to anyone else.”

James looks Duval in the eye, and sees he is telling the truth.

“King Duval.” He speaks. “You have been a well-respected and generous king to all of the people of Velorice City. So… I accept your offer, my lord.”

James then bows his head in respect. “And I thank you for taking me in after I suffered a loss. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Duval smiles at James’ praise. “With the praises aside, that is what everyone should do for one another in our lands, albeit human, wolfen, or vampire. Also, please, call me Duval.”

The men then hear footsteps coming towards their way, and see Paxton turning the corner.

“Oh, your majesty!” He speaks, bowing his head. “I have something to report.”

“At ease, Paxton.” Duval responds. “What have you discovered?”

“While we were recovering the bodies, we found some red hair in the cathedral along with a couple of footprints in there, and some outside in the mud; same size.”

“Do you know where they were leading to?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Duval sighs.

“Probably check the docks.” James suggests. “She would go there when it’s daytime. That’s my guess. Her name is Delianna Remi.”

Paxton nods. “Thank you for the information, Mr. Ruth. We’ll make sure to search there.”

“Also… where did you take my family?”

Paxton stares at him confusingly.

“The priest and the two nuns raised him, and the man and two women are his biological family.” Duval explains.

“Oh! Apologies.” Paxton responds. “My men and I placed them in the mausoleum.”

“…May I please see them?”

Paxton looks at Duval to give him approval in which Duval nods. “Follow me.”

James slowly stands up from his bed, and follows Paxton out of the infirmary. He then leads James into a side hall and turns left towards a heavy wooden door. Paxton opens the door for James to walk into the mausoleum. He sees that the room was made of marble with torches giving the entire room light, and notices six bodies lying on separate marble stands; they were the bodies of Nyris, Deborah, Theresa, Elsa, Gad, and Ester. James walks towards the bodies, seeing they were cleaned up, and touches Nyris’ shoulder, then the others in the same order.

“I promise by the Maker…” James speaks. “With this strength that I have as a vampire, I will avenge all of you.”