The doors closed behind Viktor as soon as he stepped on the other side. There was no going back.
Fine by him, and he kept on walking.
The hallway was dark at first, but after walking a few feet the previously unlit candles and torches lining the walls flickered to light and Viktor no longer needed his vampire eyes to see in the dark. The tapestry around the windows was immaculate, with fine red silk curtains over large French windows that were open. The blue moonlight from outside was a comforting sight. The floor was black marble with a single red carpet on it. To be honest the place looked like it hadn't seen any activity in a long while.
Viktor went on his way and got into a run after passing the nude statue of a goddess. He wasn't foolish to think he'd find Sera as quickly as he would hope, but he also knew he wasn't going to find her by taking his time. So running was his best option for the moment.
He kept going, and stopped when he came into a larger area. It looked like a lobby but the largest he had ever seen. The amount of square footage in this one place could easily fit all of Princess Sera's. And there'd still be room for a dance party at the same time.
Yet that wasn't what got Viktor on his toes. The walls were lined with large statues of gods and goddesses, but also by suits of armor holding swords, spears, and shields in their motionless hands. His eyes narrowed and he warily walked on through the room, intending to get to the other side.
As soon as he reached the middle of the room, however, the trap was sprung.
A large metal gate cut off his exit, and the door he was intending to reach on the other side was also blocked off. Then, the suits of armor began to move. One by one and brandishing their various weapons, the suits of armor came to life in response to the unwanted visitor. These armors were sentries sent by the castle's master to prevent any foolish hunter from attempting to slay him or her. Through the use of dark magic they did as they were ordered without a qualm. Though the entrance had been clean and devoid of any evidence of recent activity, the magic of the castle merely hid it from view and from even Viktor's supernaturally enhanced senses.
A dozen armors approached the knight, who stood still in the center of the room. Though one would imagine he was stock still from intimidation, this was also a man who took on a giant wyvern without hesitation earlier.
In fact, Viktor was smirking, "I was wondering if anything was going to greet me-" While he spoke he made a sweep of his right arm, and as soon as he finished the move, his sword appeared in his gloved hand. It had appeared in a dim flash of black and red dark magic. The blade was long and had an elegant curve that was quite different from the typical broadswords knights usually used. It's most eye catching feature, however, was the hilt. A dragon's head was built into it and the base of the blade extended from its open maw, while bat-like wings extended from the head.
"Fear the night-Dragon's Fang."
With that being said, the blade's color changed to a bright red. The color of blood.
The suits of armor didn't hesitate as the pureblood powered himself up for the coming fight. Instead they clambered on towards their target. The first one approached Viktor with sword raised above its head. With a single thrust of his sword Viktor drove the tip right through the armor's chin and out the top of its helmet. Its arms fell to the side, but the body itself collapsed into a pile of metal. The helmet remained stuck to his sword.
Genuinely impressed, Viktor lowered his arm. "Must be spirits in those armors. Then this Carmilla really is strong if she can manipulate even that to do her bidding."
Two more armors came at him, one with a spear and the other a flail. Viktor moved to one side to avoid being gored by the spear, but instead of breaking the weapon with his armored hand or his own sword, he leapt up onto the extended handle and got behind the armor. The one with the flail had been in the midst of its own attack and had sent its own weapon into its comrade's chest. The force behind the blow was strong enough to send the armor across the floor and collided with the wall. It didn't get up again. Viktor took advantage of the mistake and sliced the second armor in half at the waist. The metal was cut cleanly, providing no resistance to the knight's blade.
He didn't have time to savor this victory. As there were many more armors coming to life to attack him. Gritting his teeth, his fangs barred, Viktor showed a rare case of irritation at the new foes. 'This will take longer than I want it to.'
He shook his head and prepared to do battle.
"Where am I?"
As soon as she awoke from her slumber, Sera Reinhardt got out of the luxurious bed she had found herself in and went about trying to find some answers. "Who brought me here, what is this place, where am I, and most importantly why am I here..."
She made that checklist and began to look about. Where she was she couldn't put a finger on exactly, though from the looks of it she was inside a fancy suite decorated from the 19th Century. She recognized a majority of the items in the room, and due to her upbringing she was required to learn about her country's history. Despite being seventeen she had a fondness for history.
There was a vanity nearby, and a large wooden wardrobe. She took a moment to fix her hair in the reflection, the length of ebony going down over her left shoulder and down past her elegantly buxom chest. A thick black choker around her neck held a fancy silver crucifix in the center, a gift from her father on her last birthday. A single candle on the bedside table was unlit, but thanks to the matchbox nearby she was able to light it. There weren't any other sources of light, so the candle would have to do. Sera went about the room, the skirt of the white night dress she wore swayed in the breeze from the open windows.
Well, while they were open, there were metal bars blocking them. The door was also the same, though those bars were made of silver. The answer to where she was didn't get easier, though she understood one thing. "I know now that I am a prisoner. This sucks."
Such language would have been unbefitting for a princess of her caliber, but as anyone who had known her would know, Sera often went on her own way. Though she was shackled to uniformity like her father, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and act like a normal teenager. She could be both a princess and a regular person whenever she wanted to.
She sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed, setting the candle on the bedside table. A cool breeze came in from the window directly behind her and she brought her hands to try and warm her arms, the straps of her dress fell down her slender shoulders.
Though the room was beautiful and pleasing to the eyes, the knowledge that she wasn't here of her own accord didn't set well with the princess. Yet she wouldn't let herself sink into despair. She was afraid, yes, but it wouldn't do her any good to cry. She was too stubborn for that. That, and she felt something deep within her soul. Something that made her calm.
'Viktor...he's nearby. Guess being his bride has its advantages.'
The term 'bride' was very different in the vampire realm. While a bride was meant as very loving to humans, in vampire terminology a bride was someone who shared a blood connection to a vampire. Typically this status could be shared with anyone, and its advantages were great, but for Sera it was something she was forced to have on principle. You see, a blood connection between Sera and Viktor was made because as her bodyguard if they were ever separated he would be able to find her no matter where she was. It was a supernatural tether between them. Right now, she could feel Viktor's presence somewhere, but it was faint. Yet she had hope that if he was in the same place as her, it would be a matter of time before he would find her.
But she wasn't helpless, as stated before. She would try to get out in the meantime. She got off the bed again and went to the nearest window. She could see a garden past the bars keeping her prisoner and tried to see if there was a gate or something. A clue as to her location.
Then she saw it. A small white object off in the distance got closer and closer to the window until she could almost make out what it was.
"Is that-?"
The object got close enough and Sera realized her initial guess had been correct.
"Bela!"
The creature on leather wings flew into Sera's outstretched palm. It was roughly the same size as her hand, though the wingspan of the bat was a foot from tip to tip. Unlike all other bats in the world, this one was unique, not just in the fact that it was all white save for the sapphire blue eyes and pink nose, but the fact that it was Sera's familiar.
The princess brought her arm back into the room. Bela's wings draped from her hand like curtains. "How did you find me?"
Despite appearing to be out of breath the bat clicked happily towards her master. Sera gratefully ran a finger along the bat's head. While it was spotty about what legends about vampires were true, there was one that seemed to be in most cultures. Vampires, either through spell or their own bite, could turn various animals into their slaves to do their bidding. These were called familiars, and they were as valuable as they were expendable. The exception to the rule was Bela, who had been gifted to Sera the night after her seventeenth birthday. A gift from her late mother. Bela's name had been the Empress' idea and, according to her father, she had deliberately named her after a certain actor from the 1930s.
Sera smiled at her little friend. "Suppose it doesn't matter, I'm just happy to see you."
The bat clicked at her twice before crawling from her palm and matching itself to the back of her hand. She had to be exhausted from the way she was breathing hard, and the way her wings went limp when she came to a stop.
Being courteous Sera went over to the bed and gently set the bat down on the blanket. She'd let her rest right now, while she went and dealt with another issue. The cold air from outside was starting to make her skin numb, so she decided a change of clothes was in order.
"I need to get into something better than this...wonder if the wardrobe has something my size?"
Though she wasn't holding her breath for an exact fit, Sera went over to the wardrobe and opened its doors. Inside was at least a dozen black dresses in gothic style. She immediately rolled her eyes. "I'm not fond of black colored dresses...a bit cliche in my opinion."
Still she knew if she wanted to be better off she might not have a choice. Holding out against hope, the princess cycled through the dresses. It wasn't until she got to the last one that her heart soared.
"Viola."
The last suit of armor fell to the ground, leaving Viktor the last one standing. Finally.
"That was almost fun," he said, not putting his sword away. He felt like he would need it before too long. At least a dozen suits of armor laid in piles or were scattered around the floor. Viktor himself had only suffered a tear on his right coat sleeve. A careless mistake on his part, but at least he wasn't wounded.
He went on further through the room, knocking over any armors he came across. Just in case. Then he got to a destroyed lobby. It looked like a huge battle had taken place in it, unlike the rest of the entrance where the place looked like it hadn't been touched.
Yet something wasn't sitting right with Viktor.
"This seems like the perfect place for an ambush."
The heavy clanking of rusting armor gave him the answer to his assessment. He turned his head int he direction of the sound, and what he saw made the armors he had fought before look like toys in comparison. It was another suit of armor, but this one was over twelve feet high, and carried a mace in its right hand and a spear in its left. Its armory was black and gold and it moved not unlike a machine.
Before Viktor had fully turned his body, the armor had already charged at him like a raging bull!
He managed to get out of the way using only a fraction of his supernatural speed, but even he cursed the armor. "That thing is faster than it should be!"
Turns out running wasn't the only thing it could do. It also hopped around, driving its weapons into the ground in attempts to stab Viktor. Using the remains of platforms the knight went and tried to fight back. In terms of strength the big armor was better than the smaller armors from before, but its erratic movement kept the knight on his toes.
It attempted to thrust its spear into Viktor, but the knight deflected it with his sword and sliced the head off with his own counter. A flash of red was seen as Viktor spun around and made an upward swing with his sword. The armor's arm had been severed at the shoulder. Much like the smaller suits from before there was no blood, nor did the being react to the loss of one of its limbs. Instead it swung the mace arm at its opponent and Viktor skillfully dodged it and got to the other side.
"Time to finish this." The knight stood with his sword arm down and waited for his foe to make the next move. It came predictably so. The suit turned around and charged at him without heeding the obvious trap it was about to fall into. At the last second Viktor before would have felt the mace smash his head in, he sped up his own movement and went through the armor's legs. As he did so he spun in a complete circle with his sword out. The armor was easily cut at the knees, and it fell forward. That wasn't all. As soon as it crashed onto the floor Viktor leapt into the air using his wings to propel him and he came down on the armor's head with his blade.
Unlike before the armor's helmet did ooze a black substance, and the rest of its body went limp. Turns out there was a brain in that helmet after all.
Having defeated the armor Viktor wiped the ooze off his red blade with his gloved hand. "There's that. Now, to find Sera-"
He turned around sharply, feeling a sudden new presence not too far from where he stood. Turns out he was right. Standing on the far side of the room was a woman in a bright red and black gothic dress. She was no doubt very beautiful, but she also gave off an aura that was otherworldly. Viktor knew she was a vampire just by the way she stood with an arrogant look on her lovely face. That and the stench of blood was strong from her even from the distance that separated them.
He wasn't intimidated by her mere presence, but he remained cautious. "And who might you be?"
"Congratulations on defeating the Crazy Armor."
That had been the big armor Viktor had just killed. Even the woman's words seemed smug. He nodded once. "I'm guessing it was a minion of yours?"
"Not mine, specifically, but the castle's. It was supposed to kill all it saw coming through here, but alas it wasn't indestructible."
Viktor moved cautiously. "You related to Laura, I take it?" She certainly had a similar aura to the vampiress from before. They had to be related, he thought. If they were it would make his task simpler.
The woman smiled eerily. "She is my older sister. I am Lady Orsolya, daughter of Lady Carmilla."
Viktor didn't respond.
Orsolya narrowed her eyes. "Its common courtesy to introduce yourself to a lady."
"...Viktor." While his body was facing the woman, Viktor's eyes were looking around the room. This was for two reasons. The first was because he felt the woman didn't deserve his full attention, and the second was less obvious. He felt something further was off. There was no way a woman like Orsolya, with her status as the castle master's daughter, wouldn't be alone confronting an armed man. So he raised his guard without it even being obvious. "Knight to Sera Erica Reinhardt, the Princess of Germany. She's here somewhere."
"So you're here for that...thing. Why would you want to protect a half-breed? Aren't you a pureblood?"
Viktor finally faced the woman, feeling a tinge of anger at how she described Sera as a half-breed. "She is higher rank than you, so mind your tongue."
That statement obviously bothered Orsolya and she sneered. "She is beneath me, as are you. Yet I will give you one chance, as a fellow pureblood, to leave this castle. Forget the half-breed."
Viktor didn't hesitate in his answer. "No."
Before she could reply Viktor made his move. In a red aura Viktor moved faster than the eye could see and got within sword's length of the woman. His attempted attack was thwarted by a bright flash of steel. That steel clashed with the steel of Viktor's sword, revealing itself as a blade. The one holding the sword prevented Viktor from harming the woman.
"So you weren't alone," said Viktor acting not at all surprised. He had felt another presence in the area after all.
The other man wore a world-eating grin that showed a pair of pearl white fangs. "It is never a good idea to strike a lady, friend."
Viktor turned his body on the newcomer until their swords were pushing fully against each other. The steel on both blades held despite the superhuman power behind them.
The man's white armor was faintly recognizable to Viktor. It took him roughly a second to realize it fully. "You're the one who took Sera."
Sera had been kidnapped from her room in her palace despite Viktor's best efforts, and yet all he got out of the perpetrator was that it had been someone in white armor.
"I did. Name's Reidoe, guardian of Lady Orsolya," said the man, never losing that grin.
Viktor's eyes narrowed and glowed red, "Damn you." Cursing the man, as well as himself for letting Sera be taken, Viktor forced Reidoe away and swung at Orsolya. Reidoe recovered quickly, as expected of a pureblood, and with a single swing forced Viktor to put some distance between himself and his adversaries.
"I will kill you, Reidoe," said Viktor as he held his sword so tightly in his hand the seams on his glove were stretched to the breaking point.
"I don't think you will, not so long as the half-breed is in our possession," said Orsolya. "If you wish to continue your pointless mission to rescue her, then go ahead, but just so you know...the castle will not make it easy."
"I don't care." That simple reply was all Viktor had to say on the matter. Words wouldn't do him any good right now, that much he knew.
"Good! Because I want to see us duel properly in the future, sir knight. Please stay alive until the proper time, would you?" Said Reidoe, for some reason finding enjoyment in crossing his sword with Viktor. The lady seethed with rage judging by the look on her face.
"Let us be off, maybe he will wise up and leave if we let him to his thoughts." Orsolya waved her arm out in front of her, and in a red mist she vanished. Her guardian followed in a similar matter.
When he couldn't sense the presence of his enemies, Viktor allowed his sword to vanish. He didn't care at what the woman had said, but at Reidoe's words he answered the challenge.
"Count on it."
His eyes turned towards the doorway leading deeper in the castle, and with conviction to find Sera, he moved towards it.