Dumfries, Scotland
After some days crossing England, the girls finally arrived in Scotland, which is another part that determines that they are close to cross to get to Ireland and meet Hellene, but it won't be easy, they will have to deal with new dangers that will be around, mainly because this time Bernadette won't take so easy with the creatures that she put to face the same ones that will have to deal with big problems. The group crossed the border to the Scottish side the day after their stay in Manchester, from there they took the road to Carslile, rested there, which miraculously didn't have any creature of the night to the girls' relief, but that's because the next destination that would be more full of them.
Frank returned to Leeds and delivered back the letter to Daryl who was slightly annoyed by the same didn't bring his niece, just a mere letter, that she read a little bit annoyed, but then decided to snort and leave the city towards Ireland, to try to help the girls, kind of just to get them, buying a better boat, this way she followed a shorter way than them, going towards the west, while the girls went around the island to the nearest strait to make the crossing.
Being closer to the Cavendish family castle, it was already easier for the vampire
countess to spread the creatures and curse, kind of leaving all the ground ready for them to reach the city, so they wouldn't have an easy time dealing with a massive attack.
The day was getting late, the girls approached the city of Dumfries, this time having the luck of not having to deal with any creature of the night on the way, since it was still early for them to appear and it wasn't even in a covered place for them to attack even in daylight. The group was talking to each other all the way and soon they reached the city, what Akko makes sure to mark another X on the map and the same is very excited to be getting every day closer to the end of the journey.
Diana: We've arrived in yet another town in my homecountry, now let's hope there's nothing wrong here.
Croix: Yesterday we were lucky there were no creatures, let's see if in this town too.
They arrive there and notice that people are already preparing for the night, nailing their windows and entering the house, which gave them the impression that something is coming, they go to a stable where they pay a little to leave the horses and cart there, then they go to a tavern where there are also rooms and go with that already buying a stay for one night and are soon asked by the attendant if they are strangers.
Attendant: Strangers, be careful here in Dumfries, don't go out at night because we lock everything up for fear of creatures and monsters that come to attack us, they kill our families, they kill everyone, without any mercy, it's a pile of bodies that has been growing since you arrived.
Akko: Since when has this been happening? We might even think about working something out.
Sucy: If we are very well rewarded.
All: Sucy!
Attendant: For it is a path with no return, the whole city would reward them for the heroic act, but no one ever came back alive, those who always ventured to the Count's castle, never came back, they always appeared either dead or as a living dead creature of the night, wandering around the city, hanging out.
Croix: We are not ordinary hunters, we might be able to save this place, but it will be very complicated, we will need a good reward, we will leave tomorrow at dawn, the creatures are weaker in the morning and that way we can defeat them in a safer way.
The attendant just shrugged and then the girls went to their room where they talked about the mission, another one that they will have to do, which would delay the mission a little, but on the other hand they will get Scottish gold that can be useful for the crossing to Ireland.
But things didn't look so good as night was falling, the creatures started to appear, Cù Siths, they started to invade the city as well as gargoyles that were also going to the same, they were walking towards the windows and soon it was possible to hear the sound of wood knocking, they were the creatures of the night wanting to invade people's houses. What was giving a slight fright in the girls.
Marianne: I don't think these creatures want us to sleep well.
Diana: If they come to us and manage to get through the window, we will go on the attack ourselves, I will not hesitate to start this mission early, we will not give in either.
The knocks were getting closer and more intense, the group decides to go out closer to the entrance of the tavern where there the owner held an arquebus and also some people hold swords in case some creature risks entering. It doesn't take long and a group of gargoyles knocks down the door which ends up making the owner of a shot which is even quite efficient pushing a gargoyle back and this way the six girls find themselves forcefully in a mission start.
Croix is the first to start giving a shot with the arqueabuz that is already much more accurate taking the head of a Cù Sith then Diana and Akko go together to the creatures, with the swords they go opening the way, Marianne also goes following the path and when they arrived in the street they noticed that it was full, They were creatures everywhere, bats, Cù Siths, gargoyles, skeletons, zombies, medusa heads, all accumulated in the streets of Dumfries City, trying to break the barriers of the same and with that the six take a deep breath.
Akko: Well it's time to go into action.
The girls are starting to gather, the creatures around them are trying to surround them and try to devour them, but the group formation of the same ones helps a lot to avoid that situation, that besides the intelligence of the girls that can avoid many of the attacks, hiding when necessary, besides Lotte was making a small army of summoned creatures to give the cover, since it was at night and the book was more powerful with the last time they met with some of the creatures, Yanson this time manages to summon an even bigger number of monsters to help them too. What some of the people that already had the windows broken are noticing is how the group can pass through the city with more tranquility, without many major problems.
Meanwhile away from there in the city of Santec, Chloé managed to escape from some guards and had some trouble on the way with some cities having castles beset by creatures of the night, which ended up pushing Deppailer to missions and delaying her a little, she arrived at the coastal town and soon at the local tavern makes a point of asking for information regarding Diana's presence there. Showing a portrait she made of Cavendish for better identification.
Chloé: I want information, have you by any chance seen this girl? I pay well for whoever knows the whereabouts of this person.
Person#1: I, I saw her with five other girls, they took a boat and crossed the sea, they must have gone to England if I'm not mistaken.
Person#2: They bought my boat when they left here, they just mentioned they were going to cross the English Channel to England, they must have made it I guess, it's kind of the worst way they could have gone, leaving from this side it's the furthest they have gone, but where they came from I guess they didn't know, anyway from here it's still the best way.
Chloé: You have one more boat, I will also need a navigator to help me cross the sea to the other side, I don't know how to navigate a boat, I will pay very well for whoever helps me.
Person #2: Then you can leave it to me, I know how to navigate these waters more than anyone, I accept your offers girl, whatever you are following these girls for, what matters is the fat reward that will come with it all.
Chloé simply shrugged her shoulders and then left the bag of coins with the owner of the boat as well as the innkeeper, where she would spend the night, already preparing to continue on her journey of following the group of girls, a somewhat complicated and quite troubled search, since she was still quite far away, but she did not give up trying to reach their trail.
Back in Dumfries, the group of girls was managing to open the way, soon they arrived at the door of the castle, which they noticed already had many creatures of the night, at the entrance they were faced with a group of werewolves that were going to attack them directly, but soon Diana and Akko opened the way cutting easily the werewolves and with that they opened the way for the others to gain access to the castle, where there were three separate corridors.
Diana: Let's split up into groups, each of us will go down a corridor, if we find the creature behind the other one's castle I'll leave this here on each of us, it will kind of light up when we find the creature behind all this.
Marianne: What do you mean splitting up? Who am I going with?
Croix wrapping her arm around Leblanc: Come with me, I guarantee you'll be safe.
Marianne swallows her saliva, but then she touches the middle and that way the group starts to separate in corridors, Leblanc goes with Croix, in a corridor where there are some flying creatures like bats and jellyfish heads, the Frenchwoman goes running with the whip swinging the same that miraculously hits the creatures and she goes doing this until they reach the end of the corridor where there is a door with a head ornament.
Croix: You remind me a lot of Chariot when I first met her, she was just as fearful.
Marianne: And how did she get the courage? I am simply a burden to the girls.
Croix: Chariot said the same thing, in our group of huntresses, she was considered the worst, they said she was ridiculous, but of all of them, only she and I survived, all this in a mission where it was the most risky of our lives, she was all inexperienced, I remember well everybody betting where she would die, but she was the only one in the school of hunters that survived, not even the teachers were left, after that we followed only her and me, you with the whip shows a lot of that. You don't need to gain courage, as Chariot always told me, courage is the first step for you to be killed by creatures of the night, fear is your best friend and your protection.
Marianne is all delighted with Croix's advice, she keeps opening the way full of fear whipping like crazy, which ends up leaving the Meridies all amazed to see the French having a progress while she was attacking those creatures, showing how lucky she is, but also how the whipping is also improving a lot, since many are intentional of Leblanc herself.
In another corridor of the castle both Diana and Akko were dealing with a corridor full of Cù Siths and also Buers, that were coming towards them and together they were attacking in the greatest synchrony, as if they were in a real dance, both were on each other's back supporting each other, managing to cover every corner, including the Cavendish is giving a strength with her vampire magic that ends up leaving the creatures even weaker.
Diana: It's not that bad, I'm having a good time.
Akko: With you around it gets quite fun, I never thought it would be something like this on that level.
Diana: I don't know what you're implying by that, but let's get on with it soon.
The two go continuing, in their formation, avoiding the attacks of the monsters and also protecting the backs of one another, there was no creature that could surround them, few of the attacks gave in something, the creatures simply died for the sword of the two that finish passing for that corridor after managing miraculously to sweep the same, in that way they go arriving in another part, a corridor all opened in that one did not have many creatures, only some gargoyles hung in stairs, observing the girls.
In another corridor Lotte and Sucy were hitting distance attacks on creatures that were mostly bats and buers, but nothing worked to try to stop them, mainly because Lotte summoned her army of skeletons that opened the way and that way Sucy could save arrows at will while the same skeletons served as a barrier, where later the Manbavaran would throw a bomb towards them when they accumulated many creatures, causing even a slight tremor.
Lotte: Sucy! Don't overdo it, we might bring this castle down.
Sucy: It's not my fault if all these creatures join our bait, now let's get on with it.
Lotte just nods and this way they go on the same strategy with an army of skeletons carrying shields protecting the girls from the front pushing everything backwards, while what was passing by was slaughtered by Sucy's blessed arrows that are being very efficient they were the ones who are using the strategy the most to open this same way, when they come across a door and from there Sucy throws a potion of holy water that ends up dissolving all the creatures in front, the Bueres simply didn't survive those holy waters and then the two opened, pulling the doors.
From there they come across the same hallway where Diana and Akko were looking at the hanging gargoyles watching them without attacking or anything, Lotte and Sucy simply appear on the balcony of that place, jump up to the girls and stand beside the duo, gathering themselves and simply standing also in front of that staircase.
Sucy: Why are we standing here?
Akko: Diana who put her arm around us to make us stand still.
Diana: Jump back!
The four jump back and this way a stake comes out of the ground, which this way they go dodging others that come up and this way Lotte lifts them with help of a Glyph that creates a platform holding them upright and leaving them out of the stakes zone. Soon they go hearing sounds of steps, steps given for a person using boots, a girl of spiky hair that later reveals in one of the sides of the face to have a wing of demon, which she then put away and she is only observing the girls, the same walked in a way very intimidating, with the heel of the boot making noise in each walk, she was only with the hands in the backs laughing and observing the girls.
? So you are the ones who dare to take on the mistress? I believe you are being well honoured to be introduced to one of her subordinates, I am Elizabeth Lancaster, you had better watch out for me, I am one of the most powerful vampires in all of Scotland and you will not want to meet with me.
Akko: So what? We don't give a shit whether you are powerful or not, since you know how to talk, why don't you leave the people of this town alone and get out of here, nobody cares about a creature of the night around here killing people.
Elizabeth laughing: Ye'r pathetic, honestly, that's nae howfur th' band plays lassie, if a've bin ordered tae terrorize th' toun, git yer attention 'n' then murdurr thaim at mah mistress's request then a'm aff tae carry thaim oot.
Diana with her hand on her chin: What kind of mistress would that be? Is my mother Bernadette alive by any chance? Why did she turn to evil? And I never saw you in the castle as a child, you are very suspicious of allying yourself with my mother.
Elizabeth: Ye mist be diana, th' mistress's eldest daughter, aye she wis alive a' thae years, she juist gaed dormant, wha ended up taking care o' th' castle a' thae years wis ursula callistis, wha is noo th' richt haun o' th' mistress wha finally woke up, a'm juist yin o' they wha kin ca' themselves, ursula's partners, a'm 'ere wi' th' mission tae finish ye aff, noo if ye mynd me noo a'm aff tae hauld yer horses fur yer ither friends' tardy ones tae finally turn up.
Soon Marianne and Croix arrive at the door on the other side and notice that they stopped at the same corridor where the rest of the group was, besides Elizabeth is watching them with an intimidation expression in relation to the rest of the group, even smiling a little, then she goes towards Diana flying and hiding in the cape and the Cavendish tries to defend herself with the sword but ends up being thrown against a pillar, with the impact almost knocks her down.
She stays sitting on the floor and Elizabeth gets right on the face of the Scottish woman, which with that Akko reacts trying to attack the vampire that ends up breaking into several bats and then give a basic slap from behind the Japanese woman right on the back of her head that makes her fall fainted on top of Cavendish and then she raises her hand to try to give a direct attack with her nails, but ends up having her hand being hit by a shot given by Croix and this way Lancaster crumbles into several vampires creating this illusion and even smiles at Diana in an intimidating way, going flying with this form all undone towards Meridies, but she is hit by potions thrown by Sucy, and also a glyph spell that holds her used by Lotte, this way she returns to normal, but not for long, as again the vampire dematerializes and the Manbavaran is hit by a slap on the back of the head that makes her faint, just like Yanson, the two simply did not have the same luck what astonishes Croix while Elizabeth stares with a smile on her face. And Meridies is simply left preparing another shot to be fired.
Elizabeth: Ye kin prepare at wull, ye kin shoot, they shots o' yers wull be boggin'.
While Croix was preparing a shot, Diana was simply getting a little devastated when she saw that Akko was fainted and collapsed on the floor and Lancaster was slowly walking towards Sucy who was lying on the floor, but Cavendish took the Japanese woman's katana and it could be noticed that the red glow of her eyes intensified a lot.
The dhampir goes up to the vampire that dematerializes in several pieces and goes dodging, as always appearing in several shadows in bat shape, only that Elizabeth didn't expect that Cavendish's speed was so fast, to the point that she had managed to hit a very precise blow that made a cut in Lancaster's chest that propels herself even back and hangs over one of the balcony's pillars like a gargoyle just watching the girls.
Elizabeth: Nae ill cabbage heid, ye'r nae slow, bit noo let's see howfur ye'll deal wi' mah gargoyles, ye kin attack they damn hings!
The gargoyles that were waiting go to the top of the only three remaining and they go soon making a point of defending themselves, Croix shoots against Elizabeth that simply dodges undoing herself in several bat shadows, she even looks at everything with a smile on her face, that smile of who is enjoying and on top of that judges the girls as if they were a mere amusement. Marianne and Diana fight against the gargoyles which is an easy job for Cavendish and a little bit complicated for Leblanc who has her difficulties and even tries to escape as one of her tactics.
Lancaster crumbles into several shadows and goes all out towards Croix, making a face right in front of her face and then hitting Meridies on the back of her head who faints on the floor and with that only Marianne and Diana are left conscious.
Elizabeth: That wee gun o' yers wilnae fash a'body.
Diana finishes the gargoyles and looks at Elizabeth with a bit of anger when she sees that both Akko and Croix, two people she holds in great esteem as well as her other friends, are passed out on the floor and she just keeps laughing, leaning against a pillar, while Marianne gets scared and with that the Lancaster disengages herself and just keeps watching them.
Elizabeth: Ah will hain th' silly yin, she'll be th' lest yin left alive, a'm waantin' tae see her huvin as th' lest scene she'll watch, seeing a' her mukkers bein' devoured by me, anaw ah will loue tae taste th' dhampir blood o' th' mistress's daughter, it wid be a stoatin buzz, wha kens sae ah become even mair powerful.
Diana: Heh, now that you only have the path clear for me you have made the biggest mistake of all, damn lassie your accent is almost incomprehensible
Diana goes immediately to Elizabeth who then goes crumbling into bat shadows, but that attempt to cut Cavendish only served to support her on the ground and give impulse since she hit a kick that made Lancaster leave the shadow form and caught her right in the stomach, and that time she almost took a cut, but managed to crumble again when Cavendish was going to give a cut and that way the vampire hits with everything the face of the dhampir that falls to the ground but she doesn't give up, she goes to the bat form, propels herself to the wall, and then jumps with all her strength towards Elizabeth, catching the sword on the floor and giving a cut that grazes the Lancaster's face that goes on the defensive and undoes herself until arriving at a pillar of the balcony, where she passes her finger on the bleeding face and then licks the blood.
Elizabeth: 'til ye'r nae slow diana cavendish, nae ill, ye kin even hae th' got somehin tae match th' master, nae fur hee haw ye hae her blood 'n' that ah lik'.
Diana: Get out of here before I kill you at once, I'm serious and I won't hesitate to go all out against a creature like you, I won't let you kill my friends.
Elizabeth: 'n' wha says ah care aboot that.
Elizabeth undoes herself in shadows again and flies towards Diana, trying to hit her, but the Cavendish simply dodges, is hit, but ends up giving a punch that gets the vampire's stomach and that way she punches the dhampir's face throwing her against a pillar. On the other hand, Marianne was slowly taking Croix's arquebus, she was preparing a shot without the vampire noticing. Elizabeth with that hit gets slightly irritated when she notices that she was left with a perforation and takes out that sword that was Akko's katana from her belly, continuing with the wound slowly closing up. And she walked all intimidating towards Diana, who was feeling the impact of the blow on her body, but she didn't give up.
Elizabeth was crumbling into shadows and dodging the Cavendish who was trying to hit her, but this time she was using her spirits to throw some of Sucy's potions towards Lancaster who wasn't expecting such an attack and was dodging, but she wasn't expecting some traps the dhampir was able to plant as well.
Elizabeth: Clever ye diana cavendish, ye pure dae hae yer maw's intelligence, bit a wullnae tak' pity a' th' identical.
Elizabeth shreds again and goes to Diana, she goes trying to dodge, she even tries to counterattack, but she is caught by the neck, being put against the pillar by Lancaster who goes looking all bloodthirsty to Cavendish who gets scared, but she looks to Marianne aiming the arquebus, quickly turns into a bat and for a fraction of a second Leblanc shoots with everything against the vampire's back that goes shredding and stays on top of one of the balconies, while Diana thanked Marianne.
Elizabeth: Ah will let that yin gang, ah dinnae wantae shite mah time wi' ye, ah cuid murdurr ye baith richt noo if ah wanted tae, 'n' then sook th' blood oot o' ye, bit ah dinnae wantae shite mah time, sin that's th' wey it's, a'd ower ye bade alive, a'm waantin' tae see if ye git gey far, or ye'll die easily.
Diana: You're just going to walk away just like that? Without explanation, after all you've caused, without even paying for what you've done, you've caused death and destruction.
Elizabeth: 'n' wha says that's mah kinch, ah will see ye in a few days, ah hawp ye survive, a'm waantin' tae be able tae hae some fin.
Elizabeth then undresses and flies towards one of the windows, Diana goes to watch her, she even takes Sucy's crossbow aiming well at the vampire, but she simply goes disappearing in the middle of the darkness the forest below her, even with the excellent dhampir vision of it Cavendish just let it go and come back to the girls, the creatures of the night strangely stopped appearing, remaining very few that were without much control and were killed even by the inhabitants of the city. Inside the castle Cavendish went desperate to Akko who was lying on the ground and in that she cut her own wrist and used magic in the blood to heal her and try to wake her up.
Diana: You were amazing today Marianne, if it wasn't for you we would be dead, you don't need to be a skilled hunter to be great like you were today, you faced fear head on and tried every way you could to try and defeat that damn thing.
Marianne: I won't let them hurt my best friends, I'm having one of the best journeys of my life and it's not going to be that vampire with the weird hair and the demon wing on her head that's going to get in the way of our mission.
Next the Cavendish was using the spell also on the other girls that were waking up what soon ended up leaving all the blood of the pot drained, then she closes the wound of the cut and little by little each one of the girls were waking up, still wondering what had happened, Akko even looks at the hands then looks at Diana holding her and had no idea.
Akko: And so you managed to defeat her? Just waking up alive already shows that you did heh.
Diana: Elizabeth just ran away from here, that damned thing played with me the whole fight, she is powerful, but lucky Marianne saved our lives, she took Croix's arquebus and shot the damned thing in the back that should have weakened a bit and cowardly ran away, I'm sure she did it because I could turn it around, I was already starting to feel my vampiric powers coming in for good, I would get more out of control, lucky Marianne is always there.
Then Diana hugged Akko and the two got up, the others also got up feeling a slight headache, picking up their weapons left on the floor and then followed the path towards the exit, attacking the remaining creatures of the night of the castle, returning to the city of Dumfries after the encounter with the mysterious but extremely powerful vampire.
Hours later, Elizabeth returned to the castle of Countess Cavendish, when she landed there she returned to her human form and bowed to Bernadette, Ursula, on the other hand, showed an expression of anger and displeasure, while the elder Cavendish only had a neutral expression, which gave Lancaster to understand that she didn't end up fulfilling her mission well and even left her with the impression that she could be punished.
Ursula: Simply ridiculous, you just ran away after being shot? You could have killed them both and then brought their bodies back to us, you had only one mission and you failed, you are incompetent Elizabeth, in all these years you have always been relaxed and worked for yourself, don't you realize that we are in a situation where we have to be obedient, you can't disobey an order from the master!
Elizabeth: Amurnay an eejit, lik' ye, ah wull nae rammy tae th' death a rammy ah ken ah cuid lose, yer a mere human, ken yer steid 'ere tae command me foremaist o' a', ah ainlie 'greed wi' ye fur this is a castle, bit ah ainlie wirk fur masell 'n' th' mistress nae fur ye, tae ye ah owe na obedience.
Bernadette: Shut up you two! Elizabeth, you should have killed them all, but I understand the strategic retreat, I hope this won't happen again, you have one more chance, don't fail me, for you know I am not one to accept mistakes, I deserve respect and obedience from my subordinates, now go, I will call you sometime for a mission.
Elizabeth: Mistress tis nae mah fault yer daughter is extremely powerful, she cuid tak' advantage o' th' gap ah wis hurt 'n' caw it aroond, ah sensed her getting mair intae her vampiric senses sae wha kens whit cuid happen, ah didnae wantae risk awfy much.
Bernadette: Whatever, but you are not to disobey my orders, one more chance, if you waver with me I will show no mercy, or I am not the Countess Cavendish, I am not one to break my promises, so even if my daughter is powerful, you must fight to the death, you owe me your allegiance, or do you really want to question this allegiance to me? So you are dismissed.
And one more town the group of girls went through, having to face more monsters and this time this rather strange vampire that almost got to defeat the whole group, only this time with ability and powers never seen before by the group that was even in shock with the defeat they suffered in relation to the successful missions, although with Elizabeth Lancaster's departure the city of Dumfries can finally live a momentary peace away from those damned creatures of the night that so haunted the place.
See you, Vampire witches...