Disclaimer: I do not own the Naturals in anyway . I do own Karliah , the name Blood Harvest , the research on vampires and werewolves , the Coven , Valor , and Undead Vampires , the Collector , and the story itself . I have several OCs and my own creatures that may appear in this story , if you want to use them that ' s fine , but please give credit.

Chapter 12: Trek South

Arcania - Main Entrance

After Chase had his Beginner ' s Mages Class for the day and the last before Christmas Break started for the students , the group going out with Andy supplied up before their adventure in the wilderness . Ragon went and retrieved the medicine Chase ordered from the alchemist to help keep his magical irregularity from becoming a problem while away from Arcania , then they went to re-supply on arrows and bolts , then had all of their weapons sharpened before meeting at the Main Entrance of Arcania . Dimitri and Chase were a little shocked to see Tyson with them , but after being told that he was going to help out they understood and was somewhat relieved at having more help with the adventure .

" Chase , are you sure about not taking a food bag ? " Karliah asked uncertain .

" I was taught to hunt in the wild by Lex , so , all a food bag is going to do is weigh us down , " Chase said after putting Spark ' s warm clothes on him since they were headed back out into the wilderness before the fizz went into his pocket , Stevens had already put his own warmer armor on himself along with the boots that kept the cold , snow , and wet away from his feet . The Force Power Stone was in the wristband that Tyson had given him and the Vision Power Stone was hooked onto his belt once again to allow him clearer vision if he needed to use his bow in the wilds . The hidden blades were once again on his wrist with the fingerless gloves that would now keep the new fire spells he had in his arsenal from burning his hand , Savage was tied to his belt and Reaper was on his back with the bow and arrows with silver arrows in his quiver .

" Karliah , he can take care of himself now , " Lex said .

" You seem so sure , " Karliah said she was armored in leather again with her crossbow on her back with steel and silver bolts in a pouch at her hip along with a new sword on her belt .

" He ' s not a baby and it ' s Ragon ' s job to care for him now , " Lex said .

" Yeah , " Karliah looked at Ragon who had chainmail under her leather cuirass which was white with a red cross and angel wings on each side of the cross on the front of the cuirass , the rest of the armor was leather , long knives and a longbow with arrows were on her back as her only weapons as she primarily used magic , she had a supply of herbs with her to help deal with any healing in the group .

Tyson was off to the side talking with Lucas before he left his eldest brother at Arcania to deal with the black dogs close to the school .

" I ' m gonna stay here and help the battlemagisters and guards that Camden sent to help deal with the black dogs in the area and keep an eye on what ' s going on with the Scrying Globe . " Lucas said .

" Please don ' t go after the warlock while we are away , " Tyson said .

" That would be a death mission , Tyson , and I ' m not ready to die , yet , " Lucas said .

" Yeah , " Tyson said in the same armor of sword , knives , and bow with black leather and metal plated gear with his family seal on the chest and left arm of his cuirass that he had from their trip to Arcania .

Dimitri told his daughter Jasmine the night before that he was going off on a trip for a little while and she would be cared for by the mages at Arcania had on his families armor along with spears on his back , a war axe on one side of his belt , sword on the other side of his belt , and a long chain with a claw like weapon on the end attached to his belt where the sword was tied to his belt .

Andy who was speaking to Archmagister Saladira and Chief Officer of Magic , Marcel Carrington on waiting for them to get back before going after the warlock had similar leather armor to Karliah ' s with Nightshade on his back and Dragonstooth on his belt as his only weapons .

" We ' ll wait , sir , but please be careful out there , black dogs are out in our world , but along the Alps , undead have their camps and demons have been known to wander in the shadows . " Marcel said .

" I understand that , but I need to find Ethereal and if this is a lead then I need to follow it there . " Andy said .

" Understandable , just keep your wits about you within the Fairheart ' s Manor , it could be dangerous in the deeper part of the ruins , so , don ' t forget to be cautious . " Saladira advised the Vampire Prince .

" We ' ll be careful , sir , " Andy said determined .

" You ' re heading south first ? " Saladira asked .

" Yes , to see Councilmen Camden , " Andy said .

" It should take no more than two days if the black dogs don ' t give you too much trouble and the pass isn ' t heavy with snow . " Saladira said .

" We ' ll deal with it when we get there , " Andy said .

" Then all we can do is wish you and your companions good luck , sir , and a safe return , " Archmagister Saladira said .

" Thank you , let ' s head out before nightfall and another blizzard dumps snow on us , " Andy said as the group headed out the door of Arcania into the snow heading south towards the camps that Camden from the Council of Vampires asked them to visit , so , Andy could see the military records .

The crew trekked through the snow for a little while happy to have sunlight as it kept the black dogs back from them as they traveled .

" They really don ' t bother you in the daylight , " Andy noticed .

" No , Lex and I had a few hours of daylight on our trip to the underground and it kept them away , but let ' s hope it doesn ' t get dark on us as they will quickly close in once the sun hides from us . " Chase explained .

" Good to know , but will you be alright when the sunsets ? " Tyson asked .

" Yes , I have a few new tricks up my sleeve this time , " Chase said .

" Hoo , " Spark said as he stuck his head out to see before going back in Chase ' s pocket to get away from the cold .

The groups continued on as they got to a rocky area that had snow covering the tops making them slick .

" Watch your footing around the rocks , " Dimitri said .

" Looks like the side of a cliff , " Tyson said as they got to a raised area that was a little to high to jump down .

" Chase is the only one who needs a lift , " Karliah said as they heard howling and looked behind them to see it getting darker .

" That ' s weird , " Andy said .

" There ' s magic in this storm , " Chase said feeling the twitch of the magical energy in the storm .

" What ? " Andy asked .

" I can feel the energy in the snowstorm , it ' s coming from magic , " Chase said .

" Elemental Control , " Ragon said .

" You did say this Scrying Globe that opened up the Gateway into the Kennels could also see things right ? " Chase asked .

" That ' s what Lucas said it does , " Andy said .

" It can see anything in the world going on , why ? " Tyson asked .

" The warlock could be watching us and using it to control the blizzard allowing the black dogs to move easier in the dark , " Chase said .

" Not a bad conclusion , but what should we do ? " Karliah asked .

" Get down the cliff before darkness covers and the dogs come , " Chase said .

" Alright , everyone down , I ' ve got Chase , " Andy said .

" Yes sir , " Tyson and Ragon were down first drawing their bows ready to shoot a black dog if necessary .

Karliah and Dimitri followed them down as Andy flew Chase down with Spark in Stevens ' s pocket . Once they were down it was like the darkness was closing in around them with the snow dumping on top of them .

" Chase , you ... " Karliah started .

" Don ' t start , " Chase said as he pulled Reaper from it ' s sheath on his back preparing himself as he put his mind at ease and let his spirit feel peace finally using the Illuminate spell in his arsenal to bring light to Reaper ' s blade .

" Chase ? " Karliah asked as Tyson and Dimitri looked at the blade .

" Well , you did pick up a new trick , " Dimitri said .

" I told you I was ready for this trip , " Chase said as howling could be heard from behind them .

" We need to get out in the opening , being up close to the cliff like this will make it harder to fight them . " Tyson said .

The group scattered as they moved out into the opening as the black dogs came , these were bigger than the group that had attacked them on the way to Arcania .

" There ' s not an alpha with them to organize their movement , so , be careful , " Tyson warned the group .

" Spark , I need you , " Chase said .

" HOO , " Spark said ready .

Once again a fight against a black dog pack was taking place in a clearing , this time south of Arcania , but it was different this time as the black dogs were disorganized and Chase had a defense strategy .

" We need to stop them and keep moving , " Andy said as Nightshade went through one of the dogs .

Ragon had a barrier up around Chase as he got ready for what he had planned for Illuminate flowing through Reaper ' s blade .

" Let it down , " Chase said .

" Yes sir , " Ragon said doing as Chase told her .

" Chase ? " Karliah asked .

" Everyone drop , " Chase said as they did so he spun himself in circle unleashing the light within the blade allowing a ring of light to go through the black dogs with a yelp all of them fell to their deaths .

" Well , that went much quicker , " Tyson said .

" Chase , " Andy said as Stevens extinguished the light coming from Reaper ' s blade as the sun came back out .

" I told all of you , I ' ve got this , " Chase said sheathing Reaper .

" I ' m a little shocked , " Karliah said .

" Don ' t be , I ' m not going to let black dogs or anything else hurt our worlds , " Chase declared .

" Chase , " Karliah said .

" I ' m not a child , Karliah , I ' m a man with loved ones to protect from this darkness coming to both worlds , let ' s go , " Chase looked at Andy .

" Yeah , " Andy said as they continued to move on towards the camps .

The group traveled on very pleased to not see anymore black dogs on their way as they found themselves traveling next to a stream .

" It is a bit warmer south and further away from the said area that the warlock haunts , so , it could be that the black dogs don ' t come further south or that the warlock doesn ' t want more of his dogs destroyed so easily . " Tyson said looking at Chase .

" Then let ' s keep going until we can settle down at nightfall , " Andy said as they kept moving south .

As they moved further south part of the stream had icicles hanging from where the water moved over small rocks down into larger parts of the stream .

" Despite the cold , there ' s a beauty around this area of Reverant , " Chase said as they moved on .

" Yes , it ' s not always , so , cold in our winters except in the far northern areas and even those areas are not always very bitter with the freezing temperatures . " Dimitri said .

" Really , " Chase said .

" You should see my family ' s estate sometime and you would see what I mean , " Dimitri said .

" Hoo , " Spark poking his head back out as the group found a small cave just as the sun was going down .

" This should work as shelter and it ' s not that deep , " Tyson said sniffing not smelling anything inside not even from animals living in the area .

They set up camp with a fire rather quickly and a way to block the cold from reaching Chase and Spark who had a new sleeping bag from Lex that was lined with extra fur for warmth .

" So , we will go hunt while Chase ... " Andy said .

" Will go hunt his own way , " Chase said pulling his bow out stringing it .

" Okay , " Andy said .

The vampires went out to hunt with Karliah and Andy stopping to talk .

" Are you sure about this with Chase ? " Karliah asked .

" Karliah , I ' m only gonna say this one more time , quit trying to treat Chase like a newborn child , he ' s grown since he was bit by the alpha , black dog and went into the underground with Lex . " Andy said .

" Okay , " Karliah said .

When the vampires in the group got back from their own hunt they find that Chase had found a couple of pheasants and winter herbs that grew in the area , allowing him to cook something for him and Spark .

" And he ' s learned how to hunt , you are full of surprises Chase . " Dimitri said .

" Need these , " Chase laying three blood packs down for them .

" Hang on , Sir Chase , " Ragon said taking the bags opening them and sniffing .

" And ? " Chase asked .

" It ' s clean of human blood , those gloves probably protect your hand , but better to be safe than sorry . " Ragon said .

" Not a problem , " Chase said as he made sure to wrap the leftover herbs and kept the feathers from the pheasant putting them in a safe place within his bag .

" You ' re doing good , brother , " Andy said .

" Thanks , you ' re not so bad yourself , " Chase yawned as they all stretched out for sleep as Chase got into the sleeping bag with Spark happy for the warmth as the vampires settled down where they were at not caring about the cold .

Soon the group was asleep , resting up for the trip ahead of them to the camps in another day or so as long as the pass wasn ' t blocked .

Next Morning

The group had breakfast with the vampires settling on blood packs as Chase and Spark had the leftover pheasant from the night before .

" Alright , let ' s move out , " Andy said after they had packed up camp and put out the campfire .

" Another day and we should be at the camps , " Tyson said .

" And this pass the archmagister talked about ? " Andy asked .

" We should be coming up on it today , but it ' s a place with a large rock wall that ' s split in two by a crack called the Great Gap . There ' s normally a patrol posted there to man the tower and gate that was put in place years ago to allow people a stopping point between Arcania and the camps . If we are planning on stopping for the night , then it should be at the inn there in the small village this side of the pass . " Tyson said .

" Then we will stopped there , " Andy said .

The morning proved uneventful as none of them worried about black dogs with the sun out as they got closer to the afternoon the group stopped for lunch , Chase proving that he could also fish as he caught something from a much larger stream that had opened up as they traveled . Karliah drew some of blood off of it for the vampires as the others settled for blood packs and Chase cooked fish for him and Spark who was quite pleased with the fish .

" You seem to like the fish more than the pheasant , " Chase said .

" Hoo , " Spark said .

" Fish are found in underground rivers , so , the ooze feed on them more than other things since they are easier to find . " Ragon explained .

" I see , so , even though you will eat other things you prefer fish , " Chase said .

" Hoo hoo , " Spark said smiling and rubbing his head on Chase .

" I ' ll make sure you get it when we are able to get fish , buddy , " Chase said .

" Huu , " Spark said .

" He ' s happy since we are further south and getting into warmer weather . " Dimitri said .

" Yeah , " Chase said .

After lunch they continued on their path with the stream beside them that quickly opened up into a frozen pond .

" It ' s not solid , Chase , be careful while crossing , " Dimitri said .

" Thanks for the warning , " Chase said knowing he and Spark were the only ones who could freeze to death if they were to fall beneath the ice .

The group continued along on the ice pond being careful to not crack the ice as they got about midway , Chase saw something move beneath the ice .

" Uhm , there ' s something below us in the ice pond . " Chase said .

" Looks like a Frostlite , it ' s a icy salamander like creature that comes out during the winter months , at night they glow from eating a special algae that also grows in the frigid water . " Tyson said looking at the creatures below the ice .

" So , they are not a problem ? " Chase asked .

" No , they tend to keep to themselves and benefit the world during the winter by eating the algae that makes normal fish sick and can even make some people sick . " Ragon said .

" Useful creatures , " Andy said .

" Yes , you should see the ones at the London Office in the winter , they come in a variety of colors since the algae comes in a variety out there . " Karliah said .

" Let ' s keep going before the ice gives way , " Andy said as they continued on their path across the ice pond .

" You are learning more away from the school , Sir Chase . " Ragon said .

" Seems that way , " Chase said still at awe with the different experiences Reverant was giving him .

They were relieved to make it across the ice pond in relative safety as the afternoon was a little warmer meaning the ice would melt becoming unstable for them to walk on .

" No one fell in , " Chase said .

" Hoo , " Spark agreed .

" We have a ridge up ahead that we must climb and then you will see the Great Gap and the village we could use as a stopping point for the night . " Tyson said to Andy .

" Then let ' s keep going without incident , " Andy said .

The group soon started up the incline that was some hill to the unexperienced hiker , luckily for them everyone was quite fit and the walk wasn ' t much trouble for the vampires or Chase for that matter .

" Good work out , all of this walking , " Chase said .

" Hoo , " Spark said .

" Then maybe you should carry me for awhile , buddy , " Chase joked making Spark do something of laugh .

" It ' s not that bad , " Andy said .

" Newborns have an abundant of energy , " Karliah said .

" Funny , " Andy said .

" We should be at the top of the ridge pretty soon , just as long as we don ' t get attacked in the process . " Tyson said .

" Yeah , " Andy said as they began smelling a campfire .

" Someone is in the area , " Dimitri said .

" Let ' s be careful , as we don ' t know if they are friend or foe , " Andy said .

" Very well , " Tyson said .

As they got closer the vampires began to smell humans in the area along with the campfire making them wonder if this was a human camp .

" Even so , we need to be careful as they could be bandits or vampire hunters . " Karliah said as they informed Chase of the human scent .

" Would humans normally be out like this ? " Chase asked .

" Some come out to hunt from local settlements and travelers still wander in this world even during the cold winters . " Dimitri said .

" Okay , " Chase said as they moved closer to the camp .

" Who goes there ? " A male voice called out .

" Just travelers on the road , good sir , " Tyson said looking at Andy who allowed him to take the lead with the campers .

" Come , we have plenty of room , " The man said as he led them to the campfire where three other guys were , one of them skinning a wild goat .

" Thank you for the hospitality , what brings you and your companions out into the wilderness like this ? " Tyson asked .

" We ' re hunters and skinners from a small community to the east of the canyon just beyond the trees , " The man said .

" And what about you ? Five vampires and a human isn ' t a chanced meeting , sir , " A younger man said .

" We ' re heading south to the military camp , " Andy said .

" You came from Arcania ? " The older man asked .

" Yes , " Tyson said .

" We ' ve heard of trouble up that way from the council , something about black dogs in the area . " The older man said , he appeared to be the leader of the camp .

" Your council isn ' t wrong , sir , it would be dangerous for all of you to go venturing up that way right now , " Dimitri said .

" Thank you for the news and warning , we will head back across the bridge heading east then instead of heading north . " The leader of the camp said .

" Then we will take our leave , sir , " Tyson said .

Andy and his companions left the hunter ' s camp continuing their trek south as they finally reached the top of ridge they saw a huge gap between two walls as if splitting the mountain in half .

" The Great Gap , " Tyson said .

In front of the Great Gap was a village sitting with a large guard tower to the back of it and a gate blocking the entrance between the gap .

" Undead have been known to try to come through the gap , so , the guards are in place to provide protection for the village . " Dimitri explained for Andy and Chase .

" Then let ' s go , " Andy said as they saw the sun beginning to set towards the west .

The group continued on following the road towards the village until they came up on the main entrance with a vampire guard out in front .

" Identify yourself , " The vampire guard ordered them .

" Andy , you may need to take charge here , " Karliah said quietly .

" How ? " Andy said .

" Show him your markings on your arm , " Tyson said .

" Right , " Andy said pulling the covering off of his arm revealing the bat and dove markings .

" Honored Prince , sir , forgive me , I didn ' t realize it was you , " The guard got on his knees trembling .

" Please rise , it ' s not a problem , you ' re doing your job , " Andy said .

" Yes sir , Councilman Camden said you would be coming this way , but he also instructed me to keep watch for anyone causing trouble in the area since the warlock and his black dogs are causing trouble in the north . " The guard informed the group .

" Don ' t worry , son , you ' re not in any danger or breaking any laws , " Dimitri said .

" Does the inn have any vacancy ? " Karliah asked .

" Yes , it should be quite empty except for the attendants as not many are traversing this area until the warlock is dealt with , " The guard said .

" Then we will get a room there , " Andy said .

" Enjoy your stay in the village , sir , " The guard said before Andy and his companions moved on .

" Poor kid was scared out of his wits , " Chase said once they were away from him .

" Some realize that Andy is the strongest authority amongst the vampires and one of the three strongest authorities in this world , so , some of the younger ones and even some older would be quite nervous to cross him . " Dimitri said .

" Still , he was doing his job , so , there ' s no reason to bother him , " Andy said as they walked into the inn , just like the guard had said it was reasonably empty except for the keeper , cook , and maid service , two other people were in the inn and both were lycan from the smell of it .

" Can I help you ? " The innkeeper asked .

" We need rooms for the night , " Andy said .

" All of you ? " The innkeeper asked .

" Yes sir , " Andy answered .

" Very well , would your human and fizz friend need food services , too ? " The innkeeper asked .

" Just for tonight and in the morning , sir , " Chase said .

" Then I will inform the cook , " The innkeeper said before showing them to their rooms .

" Chase , we will go hunt before the night gets too late , " Andy said as he walked into the room he and Ragon were using .

" Okay , " Chase said .

" And then I will see to your excess magic , " Ragon said .

" Sure , " Chase agreed before the vampires left to hunt as Stevens went down to the dining room to get supper for him and Spark .

Vegetable stew , roasted goat leg , two bread rolls , and a red looking drink was delivered to Chase and Spark .

" What ' s in the drink ? " Chase asked .

" Mulled cranberries , black cherry , and frostmint , it ' s useful around here for warming up travelers after they spent a few days in cold wilderness and it boosts moral . " The cook told him .

" Thank you , " Chase said after tasting the drink , he found it was very good and definitely warmed him up on the inside

Spark seemed quite pleased with the stew himself as he wandered into his own eating what was around him .

" Is it cozy doing that ? " Chase asked Spark .

" Hoo , " Spark said in a yes manner .

" Okay , " Chase said since the little fizz was enjoying himself he decided not to bother his buddy .

After the two ate , they went back up to the room to wait on the others as Spark was quite satisfied with the meal he quickly went to sleep .

" Good night my tired little friend , " Chase said quietly as the others came back up .

" I see he couldn ' t hold out until we got back , " Andy said .

" No , his little belly is full and the trip probably tired him out , " Chase said .

" How are you feeling ? " Andy asked .

" I ' m good brother , it ' s definitely different than the trip to Arcania from Hawthorne , but since some of the lessons at Arcania and the trip with Lex and Spark to the Gateway of the Kennels , I feel much better handling the troubles out here . " Chase said .

" Yeah , you ' ve amazed some of us for sure with your new abilities , " Andy said .

" I never realized that I had a purpose out here other than helping you when we first ventured into Reverent , but now I realize that I represent the people of Mundance and not just a Sanctified Knight in the making . " Chase said .

" So , you are doing this training and improving yourself for home just as much as you are for Reverent ? " Andy asked .

" Yes , we still have people back at home that could be hurt by all of this , Andy , " Chase said .

" I know , just don ' t get strained by everything , Chase , you could end up hurting yourself in the end . " Andy said .

" I will , be careful , but I ' m also going to fight like hell against any evil that we come across . " Chase said .

" Alright , " Andy said .

" I ' m ready to siphon off the excess energy from , Sir Chase , " Ragon said coming into the room .

" Okay , " Andy said looking at Chase .

" There ' s also a bath ready for him , " Ragon said .

" A bath ? " Chase asked getting another look from Andy .

" Spoiled child , " Andy teased before heading into the other room .

" Come on , " Ragon said as Chase put Spark where the little fizz could sleep comfortably while he was taking a bath seeing that Ragon had put minerals in it that helped the siphoning process .

Chase had to admit it felt good as Ragon pampered him by rubbing his back , neck , and head where it normally ached him .

" You know , you don ' t have to do this , " Chase said to Ragon .

" I know , but I want to , I like taking care of you , " Ragon said .

" Really ? " Chase asked .

" You seem quite honorable and you are sure about what you stand for which is the safety of those you care about and those who may not have the strength to fight for themselves . It ' s something this world hasn ' t seen in along time and it ' s something that will help deal with the darkness coming for both worlds . " Ragon said .

" I ... " Chase wasn ' t sure what to say to her about the compliments she was telling him .

Once he was done in the bath and dressed they went back up to the room where he laid out on the bed for her , she gave his head , neck , and back a massage first which made him relax before having him lay on his back so she could siphon off the excess energy .

" What are you going to do with it since we are not at Arcania to take it to the infirmary ? " Chase asked .

" We ' ll hold onto it and use it if you run out of energy , since it came from you , it can go back in you without needing to be molded to your magical attributes . " Ragon said .

" Okay , " Chase said yawning .

" Go to sleep , Sir Chase , the siphoning will be through soon . " Ragon said .

" Sure , " Chase said as the siphoning process felt good as he closed his eyes going to sleep .

Ragon finished up giving him a slight massage of arms and chest before covering Chase up , storing the excess energy from Chase in a protective vial , putting it in a secret part of her bag for when they may need it , and going to bed for the night herself .