It felt as if the sky would darken further with each step closer the warriors would take.
As the warriors would get closer, it wouldn't take long for them to notice the lord's surprising features.
Despite his entire face being covered in a mask of metal, his dark ruby eyes felt as if they were piercing through their very souls, striking a fear inside of them none had ever felt.
It was almost indescribable, yet, they all felt it with each step, as if they were walking straight to their deaths.
However, knowing very well that their true king's life was on the line, the troupe marched forward, none giving off so much as a sliver of hesitation in their march.
'These people... they have an immense amount of gall to walk towards me like this... such insolence.' The lord thought to himself, the smile under his mask fading.
"One step closer and I'll begin cutting each and every one of you down!" The lord yells harshly.
"Announce the reason behind your visit." He'd continue, awaiting an answer impatiently.
Albus would step forward to speak, surprising the lord.
"We're here as reserves, my lord."
This catches the lord off guard further.
"What are you speaking of?" The lord probes Albus further.
"Ah, my apologies. There was supposed to be a messenger to arrive here days before us, but it seems the guards stationed at your western gate hadn't let him in." Albus continues with his false story from before, demonstrating clear wit in skulduggery.
"I see, well then, let me welcome you all in." The lord says calmly, smiling, before turning around to walk inside.
'These rats... how much of a fool do they take me for.' He'd think to himself, walking through the doors opened by castle guards with the troupe following soon after.
.....
As time passes, the troupe is eventually situated.
The commoner warriors spread across a couple different mediocre rooms within the castle.
The royals, however, were given their own rooms, each fit for one of their status.
.....
"I think I'm starting to like this place." Ophelia says to herself out loud, smirking as she puts some of her stuff down.
"Don't get too comfortable now." Albus says, walking past her room laughing, making Ophelia blush in embarrassment.
As the rest of the warriors, including the royals, were getting situated in their rooms, Albus was taking his time to stroll down the halls, attempting to shake the uneasy feeling he's had since entering the castle, but to no avail.
Continuing to walk around, Albus was making sure to take note of each room that had warriors from his troupe in it, while also finding the best possible way to get to each room in case of an emergency.
This was when he figured that the uneasy feeling he had wasn't for just no reason.
Each of the rooms the troupe was put into were several doors apart from each other, which would make it harder for them to converse, but also to group together if needed.
"This is bad... I need to talk with Kislev and Elysia..." Albus says to himself, turning around to see the city lord standing behind him.
.....
As the back and forth chattering amongst the warriors finally began to burn out, it was instantly reignited when a loud bang was heard, shaking the halls of the castle.
.....
'What the hell is happening out there?' Kislev would think to himself, darting straight out of bed to his door, only to be stopped by two tall, hefty vampires blocking the way out.
With only a moment passing, Kislev immediately figures out what's going on.
"Do you understand what it is you're trying to do?" Kislev warns, glaring at the two.
Visible sweat drips down their faces with his warning, but they hadn't yet budged.
"I'll give you one chance, move."
The weight of his words felt as if the moon was crashing down onto them, yet even still, they hadn't budged.
"Very well then."
.....
With the loud sounds of banging continuing to ring down the halls, Ophelia quickly gets up, grabbing her bow as she walks towards the door, ready to use the knife she has strapped on her leg at any given moment.
Reaching the door, she grabs the handle to turn it, before stopping.
Not in fear, but in caution.
Squatting down, she brings her head to the floor, peeping under the door for shoes, only to be met with another pair of eyes staring right back at her.
With a loud, ear piercing scream coming from her mouth, she launches herself away from the door as five men barge in.
Releasing two arrows from her bow, they each find their way into the skull of a man, leaving just three left.
.....
With Elysia's way out being covered in blood and blocked by fresh bodies, she finally escapes from her room after slashing down the wall closest to the hallway.
Panting a little after getting through the wall, she begins to wonder for a second why the walls inside are so sturdy, before recomposing herself.
'Damnit... I should've caught onto the signs before, now due to my incompetence everyone's lives have been endangered because of me.' Elysia thought to herself, believing she's the only one at this time that should have been able to catch on.
Thinking for a moment longer, Elysia decides the best thing to do now is to find the weaker warriors belonging in the Thirty Sanguine Blades, knowing that Albus, Kislev, and Ophelia can take care of themselves.
Darting down the halls, it doesn't take Elysia long to figure out she's lost, never taking the time to map out the castle halls.
"What have I been doing..." Elysia mumbles under her breath, disappointed in herself.
.....
As the screams of survival spread across the halls of the castles, guards on the outside are stationed all around, making sure no one goes in, or out.
Thern, the troupe's strongest, besides Albus and the royals, was stationed in a room with four others, all in varying ranks.
With the screams getting closer and more drawn out, Thern begins barking orders, shocking the four other warriors in the room with him.
"WE HAVE NO TIME TO DAWDLE AROUND! GET YOUR GEAR ON NOW, WE HAVE LITTLE TIME!" Thern orders harshly, his sword being hilted on his side.
As the four warriors stare blankly at Thern for a moment, it's broken when one of the warriors, Esk, who is considered the weakest in the troupe, rushes to his side of the room, putting on his gear to whence the other three follow suit soon after.
The screams are heard just next door of the warriors after they've fully geared themselves, and, instead of waiting, Thern orders the warriors to get into a formation taught by Albus himself.
Moments after the screams stop once more, the five warriors burst down their door, coming face to face with just a single vampire.
A single female vampire dripping in the blood of the Thirty Sanguine Blades.