Making her way down the long hall with Cassius resting in her arms.
Sweeping a door open with a heavy push, the Dhampir followed just behind her.
Shalltear craned him down onto a bed so gently that it was as if she thought he was a fragile doll.
''Are you Certain that you saw nothing?''
The Dhampir's head shook slowly.
''No…. one moment he was fine, the next his body was covered in white particles.
She stares at the Dhampir, her eyes gaining glimmers of disapproval.
''And why wasn't I informed about this earlier?''
Her trembling lips remained closed, but after some time had passed they'd had opened.
''I wasn't in the right state of mind.'' She responds, her voice straight as a board, surprisingly enough.
''Very well, make sure to not hide anything else from me or the consequences will be dire.''
She threatened the Dhampir as if it was second nature for her.
Pulling her gaze back to Cassius. ''I believe it's your time to take your leave, Dhampir.'' As she sensed that the girl was going to argue she spoke once again. ''For what I am planning to do next… I will need space and concretion… if it were to fail…. who knows what would happen.''
Even if the Dhampir didn't give a vocal response the door slam made it obvious.
Her pale hand rolled up Cassius sleeves, fingers skiing up his arm.
His arm was thick, unusually so — it was boney as well, but that wasn't what her eyes were trapped upon.
There was a white dragon tattooed on his arm, it was small enough that you'd have to be consciously looking for it to spot it.
Shalltears eyes closed and her gut churned.
As it turned out, one of her greatest fears came true.
Sure, the possibility was always there, but the chance was so low that she barely paid a mind to it.
His blood was diluted, but… her blood had practically hidden that fact.
Her blood was so pure that it made a Dhampir look like a full-blooded vampire, there wasn't even a trace of his muddy human blood in his appearance.
He's practically a spitting image of her, the exact same facial structure and all
Her hand jumped off of his snapped arm, moving towards his peaceful face.
A chant boomed from her throat.
Shalltears hand fizzled with black particles just before she vanished from sight.
The clear sky was drenched with a bright blue, like the ocean itself. Snow hailed down like a storm. And the icy landscape was practically empty, excluding two figures.
''Look at what we have here… Shalltear… it's been some time, hasn't it?'' A dragon says, its body the purest of whites and its frame which could dwarf mountains,
''Albion, I can't say that it's a pleasure to meet with you once more.''
A laugh came out of the dragon that sounded more like a bark. ''Here to thank me for saving your son?''
''No, it's quite the opposite.'' She admits with an ounce of distaste in her voice.
Albion's wings flapped and those sharp teeth could be seen.
''Albion, we both know that you aren't going to do a thing.''
Albion threw a snarl out that some might consider menacing and his wings flapped fast enough to pick up the wind.
After a while, Albion subsided all of his attempts at being seen as a menace.
''Why?''
Just like usual, her face was no less dead than her complexion.
''Why?'' The Dragon's voice came down like a lightning strike ''Why I saved your son?''
''You did no such thing.''
The Dragon snorted.
''I am almost certain of what you did.''
The dragon chuckled. ''Tell me, little princess, what did I do?''
''You pumped his body with power, I'm not certain to what degree, but it was certainly quite substantial, his body wouldn't have snapped like a twig if it wasn't.''
Albion eyed her as if she was some sort of animal. ''I saved his life, if it wasn't for me he'd be a rotting corpse.''
''Unlikely, from the information I have gathered Cassius was winning their exchange.''
Silence cracked on, but eventually, a laugh came, it wasn't a chuckle like last time, it sounded far more sinister.
''So I am correct.'' She muses, mainly to herself. ''If I'm correct in assuming you took that action because of your vendetta against me.''
Albion lips twisted into a crooked smirk. ''I did.''
If Shalltear was affected by the casual admittance she certainly didn't show it.
''I will give you a single warning.''
''Warn me from what? You can't don't jack! You're gonna kill me?' Albion did it again, his laugh sounded more like a bark. ''Even if you killed me your son would die as well.''
''I am aware, but who said anything about killing you.''
After she finished her sentence Albion gave her an odd look.
''Your descendants.''
Albion's confused gaze was swapped out with a burning gaze.
'' I thought my dragon-slaying days were long behind me, but you've ignited something in me.'' She says this, her voice was cool as ice.
The dragon's tail spun, running into her, but the strange thing was it seemed to go right through her.
''DON'T YOU DARE, BETRAYER!'' Its voice shook, almost cracking the landscape.
''I am in dire need of a new thrall, a mindless thrall, perhaps your descendants could lend me a hand.''
If looks could kill she would certainly be dead.
''Do we have a deal, Albion?''
The Dragon in question didn't cease his Growling straight away, around a minute afterwards silence caught him.
''Fine.'' The Dragon finally Conceded with a grunt.
''If there's even a notion of my Son being in danger because of You….'' Her words sung in the air.
''I said fine.'' Albion's words skipped through clenched teeth.
Glued to a chair, his eyes aimed down a thin stack of paper, pen in hand.
''Another marriage proposal for a Daimyo's daughter?'' A familiar voice hits his ears.
Gently rolling the pen onto his desk, staring at the slim man in front of him. ''Thankfully not, those have already been dealt with for the month.'' He takes a short break. ''So, what can I do for you today, Shikamaru?''
Shikamaru takes a few steps forwards, each slower than the last, all while his hands were stuck in his pockets. ''Everyone is getting together tonight.''
His eyes returned down to the stacks of paper, the thin stacks of paper. ''I would… but the answer is going to be the same as last year… I'm just a bit too busy.''
Shikamaru's eyes seemed to inspect him for a few seconds. ''I thought you'd say that… you know where to find us if you change your mind.''
Shikamaru's body turned around, heading towards the door, but he said one last thing before the door swung open. ''You know, it isn't your fault.'' And just like that, he vanished from view.
Slumping into the chair as a weighty sigh heaved from his lips.
''I know it isn't, I know.''
His eyes opened, after trying to get his bearings they squinted, the light stabbing into his eyes.
''Cassius.'' A vivid voice comes.
The shining light left his eyes, letting the darkness in. ''Cassius.'' The voice appeared once again, only this time it was clear as the dark sky.
Rolling his eyes in the direction of the voice.
''Mother?'' He called out, his eyes widening slightly.
Right as her hand wrapped around his own his chest tightened.
''Cassius.'' Her voice wasn't as it usually was, it seemed stern and just a tad worried.
''W-Where am I?'' He croaked out, sounding like he smoked for half of his life.
''My room.''
He pulled his gaze on his hand, it looked fine, as if nothing had happened. He squeezed his hand, half expecting it to crack in two, but nothing came.
''Your body is fixed.''
Forcing his eyes upon Shalltear.
''Your fractures have been fixed.''
His shiny eyes blinked at her. ''Oh.''
Now that Naruto inspected her a bit further, her stony expression was momentarily being swapped out with something that seemed like displeasure… it didn't last for long.
''Do you wish to tell me about the events that took place?''
Okay… the silver-haired woman certainly knew something, probably a lot, too.
''How'd I get here?''
His eyes skipped along, it was certainly bigger than his room, although the colours were as dead as his own.
''Cassius.'' That name rang in his ear. ''I am aware of what you're attempting to accomplish… it seems like you're aiming to gauge how much I know, there's no need for that, Vampire slayer.''
His back straightened like a ruler and his back slumped into the surprisingly soft headboard.
''Yes, I am aware of that little detail… in fact, I'm aware of everything. Though, I do have to wonder how you were able to defeat two High-Class Vampires.''
He couldn't help but crook an eyebrow. ''They were High Class?''
''In strength, certainly, in status… their blood was far too dirty.''
All High-Class Vampires were either a part of Nobility or flat out Royalty, the furthest the quote on quote ''Commoners'' could achieve was being acknowledged as Middle Class.
Even then, a ''commoner'' achieving middle class was rare, perhaps once every hundred years.
Even rarer was a ''Commoner'' turning into a full-on Noble, apparently, when a commoner had proven themselves they'd go through a ritual, polluting their ''dirty'' blood.
It had to be done by one of the leaders of the Royal families and even then apparently they still got looked down on by the Nobles for a few hundred years before they were treated with a portion of respect.
''Well, I only fought them one at a time, the first one underestimated me, he didn't even go all out. And the second one… well I had help.''
Shalltear didn't give a response straight away. ''The Dhampir?''
He nodded his head. ''Yeah.''
One of Shalltear's many abilities was that she was able to tell what type of Vampire it was, whether it was a hybrid, full-blooded or any other variant.
Shalltear told him about it a few months back.
''How was she able to help you?''
Shalltear's eyes practically stood on top of him.
Naruto's voice halted for a while. ''When I was fighting the second one, she revived the vampire I killed before.''
''Are you certain?'' Shalltear questioned, leaving no room to ask a question of his own.
''Yeah, I'm sure.''
Resurrection. He could definitely see why they sent two mildly powerful vampires after her now.
''Did you come across a golden flask?'' Shalltear practically demands.
''Yeah… you know what it is then?''
Shalltear pulled herself off the chair and began making her way to the door. ''For the foreseeable future, you will be staying in here.''
Naruto's eyes blinked slowly. ''What?'' Throwing the blanket off and jumping up from his bed.
The door had already slammed shut.
His hand pressed down on the door handle, but the door wouldn't sweep open.
Well, shit… am I grounded?
He couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation.
Storming over the room like an uncontrolled hurricane, smashing everything that brung his ire.
They were dead. The brothers were Dead.
Every Master knows when their Thralls had perished, he felt it, he felt it in his veins.
Vanishing into a flock of bats, reappearing onto his chair.
But, how? Valerie wasn't powerful, she certainly was never going to reach her siblings in power.
Valerie's blood was polluted and her Sacred Gear wasn't a combat type.
That only had a single option, she had help.
Dracula's fist slammed down onto his desk.
Alaric may have not unlocked his true form, in truth, that was the only thing stopping him from going through The Ritual.
Dracula's eyes closed and he took a long breath breath.
Reopening them, his long fingers snaked along a small picture frame, picking it up to eye level.
A smile grows on his lips, a blond woman that was the spitting image of his daughter.
His smile drooped, fingers tightened, forming a few cracks along the picture.
Dracula threw the cursed picture on the floor, glass shattering.
Vampires.
Yes, Dhampirs are weaker than their full-blooded brethren, but they also don't carry any of their weaknesses, so it's kinda an even deal.
Naruto would be weaker than a full-blooded child of Shalltear, but his potential is still leagues ahead of any other Vampire alive -- apart from Shalltear.
Of course, this is without Divine Diving... but with it, well... he has the potential to be pretty fucking powerful.
Yes, I know it wasn't this way in canon, I'm changing it so being a Dhampir isn't just a way better option than being a full-blooded vampire.
Both opinions have pros and cons.