When morning dawned, Giorno and Fugo woke up, ate breakfast, and headed to the stables afterward. They got on the horse and rode to Leyawiin, arriving in two hours. Once there, the two made their way to the castle and questioned the count and countess.
"Greetings, Your Excellencies." The blond bowed. "I am Giorno Giovanna, a conjurer of the Mages Guild. The man next to me is Pannacotta Fugo, the Grand Champion and a magician of the Mages Guild. We are searching for a vampire that was once here and hoping you may know more about her."
The count looked at his wife. "I believe you know her well."
Alessia gave a soured expression. "Yes, I do know Ashley. She was once the jailer and a dear friend until an Argonian prisoner accused her of being a vampire."
"What happened after?" Fugo asked.
Count Marius furrowed his brows. "If I remember correctly, my dear," he said to his wife, "you said there will be a trial held tomorrow of that day. Then the jailer vanished when morning came."
"And what of it?" she argued.
"She's a vampire! You let her escape!"
"But the count of Skingrad—"
He quickly placed a finger on her lip. "Shush, that's different!"
"Where can we find this Argonian prisoner?" Giorno asked.
"He's dead and buried," the count answered. "He was a murderer. Once he escaped and returned, I had the guards execute him."
"I think we should leave," the Breton whispered to Fugo.
The countess looked angry. "Did you say something?"
"We shall take our leave, farewell. Thank you for your assistance."
They got out of the castle.
"That was a waste of time," Giorno commented. "Come. I guess we'll find out ourselves."
It began raining heavily as the two blonds approached Fort Namore. They left the horse on the road. Two skeletons were guarding the front until Fugo handled them with his bow.
"Didn't it rain yesterday?" the golden blond complained.
"Yeah, and it's raining again. Let's get inside before we get wet."
Even though they wanted to approach Ashley stealthy, they quickly and quietly killed the skeletons and rats roaming the hallway.
"Giorno, when did you learn how to kill enemies like that? You know, you remind me of an assassin," the Imperial commented, hoping it didn't sound like an insult.
"Well," the Breton said, unsure whether he should reveal his secret, "I'm—"
"Hold up." Fugo spotted a skeleton wielding a battleax and shot at it with his bow. While one of the bones flew off, the rest fell to the floor. "There, what were you about to say?"
The two were getting close to the second floor of the fort.
Giorno took a deep breath. "I'm from the Thieves Guild."
"Oh, like my friend Narancia and Mista? Do you know those two?"
"Kind of, but not much. Wait, are you secretly in the Thieves Guild?" Being in the Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, and fighting in the arenas seemed too much.
"No, but I should've joined. Ugh, why am I an idiot?"
"You're not."
"I had a choice." Fugo would've said more, but he bit his lips. I will reveal my secret to you one day.
They entered the next area with two zombies guarding the chamber. Giorno took care of them with a bound bow. "Once we defeat Ashley, maybe you should head back to the Imperial City and see how Trish is holding up. I'm sure she misses you."
"What? Are you crazy?" Fugo raised his voice a little as they snuck across the hallway. "Vicente is an assassin. Let me deal with this." I need to quit changing my mind so much.
Giorno remembered what Polpo and Bucciarati said when he joined the Thieves Guild. Never steal from members of the guild, never kill anyone on the job, and do not steal from the poor. Since he knew Fugo's secret, he was sure their rules were similar. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, Giorno, I'm sure. Let me deal the final blow to Vicente."
They approached another chamber with more zombies, and Giorno took care of them, but Fugo was in deep thought. He wondered if the Night Mother knew about everything. Maybe Fugo could let Giorno deal the final blow, but would she send an assassin out to kill him in revenge? No, he needed to make up his mind. He'll deal the final blow to Vicente and live with its consequences.
They were at the end of the hallway now. A plump Imperial with blonde hair looked away from them, picking something from her chest. She drank from them and threw the empty pink bottles behind her, almost hitting Fugo.
Since Giorno still had his bow, he aimed for her head and shot at her. Now, only a large pile of ash stood where she once was.
"That was easy," the Breton commented. "To the left of us is an exit. I think this will lead us to the entrance."
Once they got out, it began raining heavily, with lightning almost shocking them.
"Run for it!" Fugo shouted.
"I hope Star didn't get spooked," Giorno said.
Luckily for them, Star ran toward them, and the two hopped on.
"Where to?" Fugo asked.
"My spell tells me we need to head north, a bit to the west."
They made their way north, almost approaching Bruma, but Giorno stopped the horse near the water as if he wanted to go across the Niben bay. The Breton got off Star and petted him.
"Why did we stop?" Fugo asked. He heard the thunder. "Now's not the time to stop."
"I'm calming Star down so we can get across. You see that fort over there?"
He looked at the fort on the island. "Fort Grief? What about it? Don't tell me we're swimming there!" What are you doing in there, Vicente?
"Of course not. I'll cast a spell on my horse to walk on water."
"You can do that?"
"Yeah, I could make you walk on water too, but it'll be quicker if I cast it on Star."
Giorno cast the spell, got on Star, and rode on the water, heading to Fort Grief. Upon arriving on the island, a man stood there, shouting and waving at them behind a gate. The handle to the entrance was on the side, and Fugo turned it, opening the gate. The man was an elderly Breton with balding hair.
"What are you doing here?" Fugo asked.
"I could say the same to you," the old man said. "I am Aleron Loche, but my name is not important. You need to get out of here! This place is a hunting ground!"
"We can't. There's a vampire inside."
"A vampire? I'm here because I have debts to pay. I thought he was killing us just for money, but this?"
"I'm not sure if the vampire has always been here, but he'll die, and you'll get out of here," Giorno assured him.
"Wait, Giorno," Fugo spoke, "let me deal with Vicente."
"Alright, while you deal with him, I'll—"
Somebody closed the gate behind them. "What was that?" Giorno asked.
"Oh no, now you're stuck here with me. Great," complained Aleron.
Fugo looked at the iron door beneath the stairs. "He'll be in there, but I'm going to make sure I get the drop on him first."
"Fugo, are you sure you don't need any help?" Giorno asked.
"Yes, I have potions. Don't worry about me."
Before entering the fort, he removed his heavy armor—causing Giorno to look away and blush—and equipped his shrouded armor. The outfit felt uncomfortable since he hadn't worn it in a while.
"Where did you get that?" Giorno asked.
"Somewhere," Fugo replied, trying to avoid answering truthfully. "I'm going in."
Fugo went inside the fort. Once inside, he looked left to see a switch behind a locked gate. It seemed he needed a key, so he ran ahead, bumping into a dead Imperial's body. He knelt and inspected the body, checking his neck and his pockets. Two puncture wounds were on his neck, and no key was there.
Bodies littered the hallways, but in the next chamber, traps were all around, and since it was dark, more probably hid. Fugo sighed, realizing this might take a while.
Fugo reached the end with a few scratches. He wasn't as nimble as when he was a teen.
Before sneaking to the large chamber, he drank a potion of detect life since he wasn't good at casting mysticism spells like Giorno. He could see a purple aura ahead behind the pillar surrounded by water.
"Fugo?" Vicente called out. Of course, he spotted him with his vampiric sight. "Did the others send you? I tried to make a deal with Kurdan gro-Dragol to supply us with blood, but he tricked me into playing this game of his. These two keys don't open the door to the handle, and I think he might've carried the real one with him. By Sithis, I'll drain his blood!"
The golden blond looked at the bodies around the vampire. They had no chance.
"I see you've killed many people here," he commented, approaching him closer.
"Indeed, I did. It's annoying when they're all trying to kill me. We'll have to wait for the orc to return to this island. Say, what have you been up to lately?"
"Murdering."
"In the arenas or completing contracts?"
"Vampires!" Fugo answered, slashing the vampire's face with his ebony dagger, hitting near his left eye.
"Fugo, what's gotten into you?" he said, covering the wound with his hand.
"I decided to do a little vampire hunting."
"Sithis won't forgive you for this."
The two turned invisible, the vampire using a spell while Fugo took a potion. Regardless, they both could see each other because of life detection.
"Aren't you a mage? Cast a spell. Why rely on potions?" Vicente questioned.
"I was taught by the best," he replied.
Vicente used a bow and arrow and struck Fugo's shoulders. It hurt, but he felt sick and slow; it was poison. Fugo winced as he took it out and tried to use the same arrow to strike the vampire. However, since his arms were shaking, he missed.
"Missed. I expected better from a prodigy like you."
He hated when others called him that. It reminded him of the wizard he killed in the Mages Guild. It was why he barely cast a spell and used potions and poisons instead. And since the poison on Fugo damaged his health, he took a bottle to cure himself and felt much better.
Less shakey, he tried to aim for the vampire again and missed. Vicente jumped all over the walls and pillars, also shooting at Fugo, barely missing.
Fugo took a potion of healing to recover health. Nothing was working. Every time he made his shot, he missed while Vicente collected arrows on the ground. Desperate, he began casting fire spells.
"I was wondering when you were going to use that brain of yours," Vicente commented.
On his right hand, Fugo cast fireballs at him while the other conjured a flame atronach. It took up most of his magicka trying to summon it, but hopefully, it drew Vicente closer to him.
The flame atronach had a better shot than he did and caused Vicente to rush into the water once he caught fire. Fugo charged with his glass sword out, but the vampire cast an ice spike, aiming for his sword, causing it to fly off. Wherever it was, it was likely chipped and beyond repair.
"You're like Carne!" Vicente commented, exhausted and kneeling in the water.
Fugo had his dagger and approached the vampire.
"You're done," the golden blond commented.
"Wrong."
Vicente feigned fatigue and lunged toward the former assassin, wrestling him in the waters. They fought, but the vampire was stronger and sunk his teeth into Fugo's neck.
Fortunately, Vicente forgot about the atronach, and it cast a fire spell while he had his back turned towards it, saving Fugo.
Fed up, the Imperial tired of fighting and slit the vampire's throat with his dagger. His ashes ended up in the water mixed with blood. He got up and returned to Giorno. Time to tell him the bad news about this place.
Giorno panted, looking at Kurdan's body.
"Are you alright?" he asked Aleron.
"Yeah, thanks. I don't know what would happen if you weren't here."
He looted the corpse and retrieved the key. "Come with me. Who knows who else might show up? Besides, I believe Fugo has it all under control."
The two went inside the fort, and to the left was the lever. Giorno unlocked the gate and pulled it.
"There. Kurdan's boat should still be there."
Before Aleron could thank him, the elderly Breton's eyes widened and focused on somebody else. Giorno turned around and faced Fugo, who was bleeding and had wet clothes.
Giorno ran towards him. "Is everything alright?" he asked while healing him. He spotted the puncture wounds on his neck and cured him of the vampiric disease.
"Yeah, yeah," he said tiredly. "I had a long fight."
"Aleron, you may go now," Giorno said.
"You could rest at my house. Maybe I could reward you or—"
"I can't rest at your house," Fugo interrupted. His eyes started to water. "I can't."
"What's wrong? Tell me," Giorno said.
"Let's rest at the Inn of Ill Omen, please," he whispered.
Trish looked outside the window, watching the rainstorm. She was supposed to study the spell elemental burst, but she worried about what Giorno and Fugo were doing, causing her to lose focus. She could feel it in her heart that something was wrong.
"Miss Una," a man's voice spoke to her, startling her.
The man was a blond Imperial with his hair tied into four tiny knots behind his head. His eyes were blue. Trish could smell him, and he smelled like tobacco.
"Don't you think it's rude to startle strangers," she said.
"Forgive me, Una, but Raminus Polus instructed me to tutor you in the art of alteration."
"I told Raminus I was interested in alteration, but I didn't think he'd send for a tutor. Who are you?"
He paused for a second as if he were thinking. "I am Caroco Plebena. Follow me into the archives."
"But it's almost dark out, and it's still storming!"
"Now. And why are you reading that book in the mage quarters? The books are to be in the archives. Put that back."
Oh, you're one of those strict instructors, she thought.
Once they stepped outside, they put on their hoods and quickly headed to the archives. Nobody was there except for them. Not even Tar-Meena nor Boderi were there, possibly eating dinner.
"Is there a specific book I'm supposed to read here?" Trish asked.
He didn't answer.
She looked at the book she still had in her hand. "Oh, right. I should put this book away."
Before she could put the book away, Caroco grabbed her from behind, trying to strangle her.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"My special spell against you is useless, and since Fugo would've refused to kill you, I have to do it since I can access the Mages Guild."
She summoned a dagger to slash him with, but he was stronger and overpowered her, pushing her against the bookcase. She tried to let out a scream, but he covered her mouth.
"Such a pretty face," he commented. "A shame I have to burn it."
