The sky was darkened and dreary, just like how the rest of the isle was. Ghastly shrieks pierced the air as his blade sent the heads of ghouls tumbling down the haunted hillsides. Being a creature of the night, he was right at home, and his estate in Kurayo was not far off. Coming out and thinning the local corpse-eater population reminded him of days from centuries ago–back when he was human. There was some sort of cruel irony to it. By being a vampire, he himself had become much better positioned to destroy other creatures which abhorred the sun and thrived in darkness. Being undead, the plague-ridden bites of the hideous abominations were not a concern. Such damage would be restored without issue after sapping the life from the aggressor's own lifeless body.

However recently the packs of corpse-eaters had grown more aggressive. Normally they gave vampires and werewolves in groups a wide berth, acknowledging them as superior predators. But when half-mauled carcasses were appearing near the forest's edge, especially those with humanoid remains, there was the beginning of a greater underlying problem. Ghouls were not nearly intelligent enough to attack like low-grade militias. This would imply there was something or someone leading them. Though no longer a knight to any order, he was not going to tolerate anything that would grant him inconvenience. 

A cemetery should be close by now, and from there he would search for any unburied bodies. Destroying a few ghoul nests and taking out any he saw should carry the point across to the sickly cadaver-eating monsters. 

Kurayo, a haven for vampires and others like them. Or at least that's what Fenriz had been told. Despite being one himself, or perhaps because of it, the idea of an island full of vampires and other night dwellers made him uneasy. And yet, now knowing of it's existence, how could he not go? If there were ever a place he was more likely to find any of the answers he sought, he had yet to be told of it. With great hesitation he parted ways with his still relatively new angelic friend, with a promise to meet again at some point; a promise that Fenriz fully intended to uphold. But right now he felt that this was something he had to do. Maybe he'd bump into his vampiric mentor again. Or maybe even his long lost parents. Or maybe even just find a place to simply… be. Whatever might await him there, he felt a near overwhelming duty to seek it out.

Travelling on his own was nothing new for the child, but having traveled with a companion for so long, he had to be reminded the hard way of certain struggles that the solo lifestyle had brought. One such struggle being money. With no coin to afford transportation legally, he had to resort to more… resourceful methods. He had stowed away on a ship, one that he was certain was headed to Kurayo. The trip was far from a pleasant one. Between having to become accustomed to sailing for the first time, and having to keep his presence hidden from other passengers, not to mention still having to stay fed, the trip was understandably not a luxurious one for the boy. But eventually the vessel would come to a stop, and people would disembark. Waiting until he was certain everyone else had gone, Fenriz followed, slipping out without a trace of having ever been there in the first place.
Any discomforts he felt while aboard the ship however, paled in comparison to what he was greeted with upon leaving.

They hadn't landed in any sort of port, as he had been expecting, but instead on a shore sprawled out before a foreboding forest. What they're intentions were here was unknown to the small vampire, and even if he wanted to ask he was unable to as they were long gone by the time he left the ship. The sole thing he was sure of was his lack of desire to enter the woods, yet left with little other option, he pressed onward.

The interior of the forest brought him even less comfort than the exterior. Almost as soon as he entered, he was overwhelmed with a sense of unwelcome, as if the forest itself wanted him to leave the island. Cautiously yet hastily maneuvering through the towering trees, he traveled for what felt like hours, encountering nothing other than more trees before stumbling upon what appeared to be a burial site.

The cemetery was equally as unsettling as its surroundings, but something was different. He walked with increased trepidation, now feeling as if he was being watched, a feeling he was justified in having. In what seemed like an instant, the boy was flanked by several person-like creatures.

"H-hello? Do any of you know the way out of here?" He called out to them, to which they responded with silence. Yet they continued to approach. He called out again, and once more was met with nothing but their continued approach. It was then he decided it was worth fleeing. He spun on his heels and began sprinting the other direction, only to find that there were more, blocking his progression in that way as well. A frantic spin of his head confirmed his fears. He was surrounded.

"S-stay back!" he shouted, drawing a small dagger. He tossed it at one of his assailants, to no avail.

Even scavengers would abandon their typical habits of caution in large numbers. It gave them arrogance and a false sense of strength, even enough to challenge a lone predator. A newborn lion was no match for a pack of hungry jackals. That was the situation the young vampire found himself in this very moment. To his misfortune, the ghouls had already surrounded him in the cemetery. Out of all of them, there was one with bony protrusions along its skull. It was far larger and more aggressive than the rest–an alghoul. A ghoul which had developed a taste for warm flesh. 

Approaching the cemetery abandoned by the former owners of now ruined homesteads, Sylvain heard a cry. It was almost like the sound of the living…but it wouldn't be for long. Switching his heavy claymore for something lighter and more maneuverable, he had an Arriese glaive and katana in hand. The alghoul gave a guttural snarl, and the other smaller ghouls rushed forward to attack the vampire child! They had long yellowed fangs and nasty claws, with a sickly pallor over their skin. They were almost like the corpses they devoured–abominable and foul. Following the snarls of nearby ghouls, he came upon the scene. Whoever the unfortunate soul was held little importance–a group of this many ghouls had to be cleared.

Letting out a roaring battle-cry, his actions quickly aimed to draw away the corpse-eaters' attention. In their pack mentality, they would focus more on asserting dominance than hunting prey with his arrival, buying the person a few precious seconds. But this was no guaranteed victory; he had to behead the pack leader at all costs. Once the alghoul was felled, the rest would scatter. With their newfound boldness, the ghouls charged the vampire lord. Their movements were frighteningly fast, but so was he. A slash from his glaive sent one ghoul's arm flying off, and he used the polearm's reach to close the distance. His katana found its way through another ghoul's neck, and a dull thud followed as it rolled down the tombstone riddled slope. Brackish-brown fluid stained his weapons, and the stench of the gore reeked of decay.

The alghoul let out a shrill bellow, and the others began attacking the vampire lord with a frenzy. Armed with a full set of dragonscale armor, their claws were ineffective. Cutting them down was no issue, but he was growing impatient. The alghoul did live up to the myths after all. Possessing higher intelligence than the common grave-haunter, it had ordered its underlings to sacrifice themselves so it could run. He had to take the alghoul out or it would likely find itself a new band to terrorize the forest with again. A few of the remaining ghouls noticed their leader was fleeing, and they began breaking away. He hacked one last remaining ghoul before turning to survey the carnage.

"Sly vermin. It was clever enough to run while it still could." With no other signs of monsters about, he took off his helmet. He noticed a dagger on the ground, lying in the dirt. Looking at the person who he had inadvertently rescued, he narrowed his eyes as he called them out. "What were you doing entering a ghoul-infested cemetery alone?"

He continued to swivel his head around, terrified eyes jumping from creature to creature. Each step he took away from one of his would be assailants was, unfortunately, a step toward another. As they closed in on him, Fen curled himself into a ball, placing his hands over his head and squeezing his eyes shut, hoping naively that making himself smaller might cause them to pass over him without harm.Suddenly, a war cry pierced the night's sky. Fen kept his head tucked, fearing that it belonged to one of the ghouls. Then came another shriek, followed by a pungent, repulsive smell. At this point, he couldn't help but peak. Apprehensively he uncovered his head, daring to open only one eye. Another being had appeared, hacking away at the abominations like it was nothing. With their attention fully on this person, Fen found the "bravery" to pull himself to his feet, though not brave enough to convince those feet to move. Shaking slightly, he watched the remainder of the battle unfold, A few more fell, the remainder scattered, including one that looked a little… different than the others. Either way, the danger of these monsters had seemingly passed, for now.The danger of his "savior" however, was another story. The wheels turned in his head, as he debated momentarily, split right down the middle as to what his next action should be. This person had effortlessly slaughtered a small army of those… things, whereas he had failed to fell even one. If this person meant him harm, there was little he could do to defend himself.  And yet, fleeing meant running back into the woods, where more of those things, or even worse might be waiting for him. Since this was the first thing that thing he had come across capable of speech, Fen fought against his flight instinct, instead choosing to believe that if they wanted to see him harmed, they would have never rescued him in the first place."I didn't mean to!" he frantically explained "I-I don't even know where I am. I was trying to get to some place called Kurayo and… and…"

Overwhelmed with feelings of fear and panic, the child struggled to fight off the urge to burst into tears. Instead, he took a deep breath, which evened out his nerves long enough to start talking once more, though there was still a noticeable quiver in his voice, and a considerable shake this his hands."Do you know where that is?" Fen questioned. He kept a cautious distance, close enough to be heard, but hopefully not within range of the stranger's blade, which was dripping with blackened blood of the recently slain. Yet even at this distance he could tell that this person towered over him, seeming nearly as tall as the trees around them. This only served to make Fen even more nervous "I-I'm trying to find… someone I-If you can show me where to go, I'll get out of your graveyard right away, mister"
Even with his frayed nerves he made sure not to let slip the exact reason behind his woodland excursion. Him being a vampire was enough to raise suspicion. A vampire in search of more vampires? Even Fen knew that there were many that might kill him on the spot.

He spotted the dagger he had thrown earlier, resting peacefully between the two of them. As slowly as he could manage, he inched toward it, taking great pains not to move too suddenly "Umm… I'm going to pick up my dagger, I-if that's okay"

Sylvain was ready to reprimand them for their errant foolishness when he stopped. A child? No, a mere child could not have survived this long outside in these woods. Not a human child, at least. The boy began frantically stumbling for words. He must have been beyond lost to wander all the way into the cursed forest and into this cemetery. He crossed his arms, then a thought entered his mind. This boy, he reminded him of his own son. That pale hair, wan complexion, and crimson eyes… "Boy, you're a vampire aren't you?" That would explain how he had managed to steer clear from the stray ghouls in the woods. As a creature of the night, his senses were more acute than any average child. If he saw or heard them, he would be far enough away to avoid crossing paths with the corpse-eaters.

The boy shakily asked if he could retrieve his dagger. With a watchful eye, he gave a nod. "Go on and take it." The lord however did not lower his guard. Looks were deceiving, and this was especially true for vampires. Among the many bloodlines in Kurayo, there were many in which those turned had their progression of age halted from that very moment. Should he be attacked, he would not withhold his blade. "So you said you were searching for Kurayo? Your choice of direction could not have been worse. Yes it is situated in the northern half of the isle, however this is the southern half. If you truly are headed for the city, I suggest you retrace your steps and head as far from the trees as possible. There's been a minor issue of a ghoul infestation around the roads."

Glancing in the direction of where he last saw the alghoul flee, he intended to follow after it once his business with the boy was finished here. He still had to kill it before it amassed another pack of ghoul subordinates. As if there weren't enough beasts running rampant here, ghouls were the bottom of the chain so to speak. The sooner this was dealt with the sooner he could return. The matters of others hardly concerned him, but he would not tolerate the loss of flexibility in traveling. If he needed to send someone through the southern portion, he'd rather not have to consider hiring new servants. Finding the right people proved difficult these days. He was already thoroughly aware of the histories of his own maids and menservants. Being fully informed was how you kept your head on your shoulders in Kurayo. And one must absolutely never lower one's guard.

Fenriz was already considerably, and understandably shaken by the situation that he found himself in. Little was done to assuage this feeling when he was questioned about his bloodline. His first instinct, like any other time he had been pressed about it before was to deny his vampire heritage, but the still unsheathed blade convinced him that this probably wasn't a good idea.

"Yes, I am, Mister" he answered, voice still quiet and uneasy. It felt weird, to simply outright state it "How did you know?"

They weren't the first to discover his vampirisim without Fenriz disclosing it himself. But the only other person he had met up to this point that could was a vampire herself, one who had spent many years with their kind. Was it possible that this man was also one? A part of him wanted to outright ask, and perhaps in a different circumstance he would have done exactly that, but in the current situation he felt it better not to.

Fenriz reclaimed his dagger, all the while keeping his eyes locked on the man. The moment he had blade in hand he scurried back to his initial standing point, content to keep his distance. Despite it's ineffectiveness, having the dagger back in his possession made him feel at least slightly more at ease, but he couldn't help but remain on guard, or at least as on guard as the small boy could manage.

A noticeable grimace overtook his face, disheartened when he was told of his current destination. "I didn't choose to be here!" he exclaimed, his tone slightly, surprisingly, argumentative, his nervousness momentarily giving way somewhat to frustration. The boy immediately followed that outburst with a humble "I'm sorry", though his annoyance about his situation yet remained, He had a direction, at least. From the sounds of it, if he traveled north he'd eventually find his way, although which direction was north, he had no idea. Even the advice to retrace his steps was useless to him, as by this point he was equally as certain about where he had been as where he was going.

But the biggest obstacle was this ghoul infestation. Maybe it was minor to the man, given the ease at which he took out the ones he had stumbled across, but in that same "battle", Fen had failed to kill one of them. What might happen if he stumbled upon another nest of them; the idea made Fen shutter. Prior to the cemetery he had been fortunate enough to avoid them, although whether this was due to his own cautious nature or simply luck, he wasn't sure. But the knowledge that there might… no definitely were more out there made him less than excited to make an attempt to traverse the forest again. Suddenly this cemetery, a place where he likely would have met his end were it not for some stranger's intervention, started to feel like the safest place to stay. Yet, even he knew that wasn't an option.

The small vampire caught his savior glancing out into the darkness. He would do the same, although nothing caught his attention. His mind, however, had suddenly come into an idea.

"You're going to chase after that… thing, right?" he recalled a few of them had gotten away "Can I go with you? I'll try and help out… as best I can".He tried his best to sound confident, knowing that this was a gamble. Despite being the one to propose the idea, even he didn't like the thought of traipsing around the forest with someone he didn't know, hunting down the very things that had previously attempted to kill him. But the alternative, aimlessly wandering alone, was somehow less appealing. All he could do was hope. Hope that he would accept his proposal, and hope that it would lead him closer to his destination.

"My name is.. Fenriz, in case… you wanted to know" he hesitantly introduced himself.

"If you were a human child, you wouldn't have lasted this long before I arrived. The ghouls would have caught your scent far more quickly." The population of Koschei who weren't vampires, dark elves, or werewolves dwindled with each passing century. Most left if they could, if a forest cursed by the spirits of the dead and a city ruled by children of the night didn't provide enough reason. The boy was a fledgling, likely having little experience outside of familiar surroundings. If they had met a few years earlier, Sylvain would have denied him immediately and brushed him aside. But seeing Fenriz in all his naivete reminded him of his own son. He should consider himself lucky, all things considered.

"No, you should go on your way to Kurayo, as you originally intended. I will not allow anyone else to blindly enter corpse-eater territory." Knowing it would take more than a firm refusal to dissuade him, the vampire lord continued. "Even I am putting myself at a great risk remaining out here alone. A single vampire could easily be torn apart by a pack led by an alghoul. They've even been bold enough to go after werewolves. One swipe of their claws can rend off a limb. Their bite is corrosive and full of plagues. Their skin is more akin to a calloused hide making shallow cuts useless. Do you still insist on following me, directly towards a pack of those despicable vermin?"

Taking his claymore in hand, Sylvain began walking towards the direction the escaped alghoul had fled. Turning to look behind at Fenriz, he gave a few more words of warning. "An alghoul is several times stronger than the ones that surrounded you. And unlike the common corpse-eater, it has a taste for warm flesh. I have no intentions of leaving until I personally separate its head from its body. Problems like these must be dealt with before they grow further. But if you continue to persist with coming along, then ensure that you stay close to me." Despite the confidence he displayed, he knew this would be a difficult fight. The tough skin of the ghouls could dull a blade quickly, and he was going in with the bare minimum in preparation against fighting them. He wouldn't have minded having assistance–but he would rather not have to call on her if he could help it. 

There was still bad blood between him and that woman, despite her relaxing the short leash she had him on. That deity always knew how to get under his skin.

It made his skin crawl, to know how narrowly he avoided the ghouls en route here. Never would he imagine himself even thinking such a thought but for perhaps the first time ever, he was at least somewhat grateful of his vampirism. Somewhat, considering he likely wouldn't even be here were it not for that very same vampire blood. 

Fen had offered the man his name, but instead of a name in return he got a warning. If the intent was to scare him off, it was to some degree working, as with each detail about the ghouls Fenriz was given, the less he felt confident about the idea of chasing them down. Perhaps it was safer to make his way to his destination. Despite not knowing where he was headed, it was certainly less dangerous than heading directly into a nest of the fiends. But there was still the what if. What if en route his luck finally gave out, and he was surrounded and this time, alone.

While he pondered his predicament, Sylvain had begun walking toward his destination. Although he was clearly against the idea of the young boy tagging along, he had instructed Fen to remain close if he did insist on coming along. Insist the younger vampire did, and quickly did he he catch up to him, walking alongside him as close as he felt comfortable being. Between the man and the ghouls, Fenriz still wasn't completely certain which one was less hazardous to his well-being, but in allowing the boy to accompany him, Sylvain had at least slightly tipped that scale in his favor, even if there was a considerable reluctance to his company. Noting that his new companion still kept blade in hand, Fenriz kept a tight grip on his dagger as well. Despite it's proven ineffectiveness so far, he could only imagine it to be better than nothing.

When an uncomfortable silence descended upon the two, Fenriz fell back on his typical tactic. Ask questions

"So um… Mister" he started hesitantly. This person didn't seem like the likes-to-answer-questions type, but filled with a naive hope, he rambled on anyway "Do you hunt these things? These ghouls? And do you always do it alone? Seems kinda… dangerous. Don't you have a friend that could help? Or maybe the town guard. Are you a part of the town guard?"

"In Kurayo, it is every man for himself. If you want to stay alive, you learn how to keep your head attached to your shoulders. If someone chooses to help you, they want something in return. Do not make the mistake of believing in goodwill when you are in Koschei. I am merely clearing out the vermin because they might affect me personally. If it wasn't for an alghoul stirring things up, this would be none of my concern." Sylvain still had no desire to make small talk with the child, but he truly was unfamiliar with Koschei Isle. If he didn't give him a fair warning, the boy might never know until he ended up dead from a territory dispute or from having poor timing when the werewolf clans decided to paint the streets red. "You on the other hand, are an exception. I cannot fathom why someone like you would insist on coming here, so it would only be fair that you are duly informed. And yes, I do hunt these ghouls alone–a personal preference of mine."

Killing ghouls was an easy way to vent any frustrations without drawing unwanted attention from other families of influence in Kurayo. His own house wasn't anywhere close to holding enough clout to be recognized, and he intended for it to stay that way. Let the other hunters go at each other's throats. As long as they were occupied, they would pay no heed to the Albaret estate. With his wife and son far away, he could focus on matters without worrying for their safety. He couldn't very well give the impression that the master of the house was away, so he would stay here for months at a time before returning to Railoch. 

The trees grew more twisted and grotesque the deeper the ventured into the forest. Some clearly had humanoid features like faces and hands. All were contorted with the looks of pain and agony. Normally there would be wails of the restless dead, but it was oddly quiet now. Following the scents in the air, the lord began to slow his pace. Inspecting the nearby surroundings with greater care, he had to change his approach. They were in ghoul territory now, and an ambush was expected sooner or later. As long as that alghoul was alive, they had to be alert and guard against being swarmed. As the boy had mentioned before, this task would have been easier with assistance. But he stubbornly refused. This was his hunt, his prey. He could no longer feed as freely as before, so the hunt took to fulfill his need to spill blood. She would overlook it if she found out. He'd learned the boundaries by now.

A snarl caused him to snap his head in its direction, blades at the ready. He spotted one of the stragglers that had escaped after the alghoul was threatened, and stopped in his tracks. "They know we're here. Be on your guard. They'll be calling in the rest of the pack soon enough." Under the command of the alghoul the lesser ghouls acted as scouts, not unlike a group of bandits. They were in an unfavorable position, which could possibly draw the leader out to partake in the frenzy. If not, then they should be prepared to endure a siege on all sides.

He couldn’t really blame the man for being skeptical about his presence on the island. The more he talked about Kurayo, the less certain Fenriz was certain his goal was even a feasible one, nevermind a worthwhile one. He had been on a bit of a lucky streak, in some cases quite literally stumbling upon kind people who were willing to help him for little in return. Never did it really occur to him that someone might wish for something in return for their assistance, and he had very little to offer. Even in this situation, the boy couldn’t help but wonder what the aid and information he had already received might cost him.

“I’m looking for my parents, Mister. I was told that a lot of vampires come to Kurayo, so I was kind of hoping that I could find them there…” If Sylvain wasn’t genuinely curious as to why Fen found himself on the island, the child had completely failed to realize, explaining his reasoning all the same. “Have you ever heard of the Hallowthornes? I’m one of them”

Usually, Fenriz had to be exceptionally careful when giving out his family name.If he had learned one thing from his parents, it was that the Hallowthorne name carried a great weight, known, feared, and respected by both vampires and non-vampires alike. Though someone more perceptive than Fenriz might notice that this was a bit of an exaggeration in these days,, occasionally this proved to be true, and occasionally someone did recognize the name. This wasn’t always a good thing, however. Vampire hunters knew the name well, and even among other vampires it wasn’t always a title that was revered. Though Fenriz thought them saints, his parents had made more than their fair share of enemies in their day. And even now, it was more than possible that the man he shared company with was one of those very enemies. Or maybe, as he had pointed out before, there would be some sort of theoretical price he might have to pay for such information. But he also seemed to know a great deal about the island. Even if he had never heard of his family, it’s possible he might know something that might help him. Either way, he had come this far, and it was much too late to turn back now. If he was going to get anything out of the risk he took to be here, even more risks would have to be taken.

When his makeshift tour guide slowed his pace, Fenriz did the same, remaining close as previously instructed, though doing his best not to stay so close he might be a burden. The boy could tell from his change in demeanor that something had changed, and not for the better. But whatever Sylvain was sensing, he hadn’t initially picked up on it. His small ears filled with nothing more than a tense silence, and crimson eyes only seeing the nightmarish trees that surrounded them. It wasn’t until a low growl caught his elder’s attention that he realized what exactly was happening.

He had been instructed to remain on his guard, though it took most of his willpower to not simply flee. What little of that willpower remained was dedicated to remaining as quiet as possible, not even daring to breathe too heavily. The boy spun around, standing back to back with his companion. The entire stroll he had racked his brain how he could be helpful. How he could be more useful than their last encounter with the abominations. The vampire still wasn’t certain, but being an additional pair of eyes was at least a start. With a hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his dagger, his head swiveled around him, glancing out into the darkness for any signs of movement. Though it was likely only seconds of scanning, it felt as if hours had passed before he laid eyes on anything. Lurking in the shadows, caught notice of a few ghouls, slowly shambling toward the two. Just behind them, he felt he could just make out the silhouette of another. What exactly it was, he couldn’t tell, but something was different about this one. It didn’t seem to move like the others, instead seemingly content to observe.

“Mister, look!” Fenriz exclaimed, pointing in the direction of his discovery. The boy unsheathed his blade, though would cautiously take a couple of steps backwards. Though unnoticed by him, the shadows around him, including his own, seemed to began to move, almost as if they were dancing in anticipation.