Vlad stomped up the mountain. Behind him, Lucy and Mina dragged their feet.
The two women weren't used to such exertions.
Elder Miklos had insisted that Roland not escort them back to the castle. It would be too much generosity, he said.
For about an hour, Elder Miklos had walked beside Vlad.
Then, with a mischievous glance, the elder had used Shadow Merge to blend into the shadows and streaked ahead, skipping from shadow to shadow like a blur.
Judging by his speed, he would reach the castle in only a few minutes if he had the energy for it.
Otherwise, the slowest vampire with such a skill would take an hour.
Vlad knew this from experience.
He had been able to do it in under a heartbeat at his peak.
But now?
This body was weak. His vampire powers had barely opened.
With a growl, he realised he would be spending two days on the mountain with the women as his company. This because they would be unable to run the distance.
They were slow.
Trying not to snap at them, he adjusted to their absurdly slow pace.
The only thing keeping him from a sour mood was the sword strapped to his back. Old Geum had done a good job with what he had, Vlad thought. The blade was an inch thick along its spine.
It was heavy.
Ridiculously wide.
And so long he had to wear it on his back.
It wasn't an easy weapon to transport. But he would endure it for the advantages it would give him when using the Black Dragon Great Sword Art.
"Vlad?"
Which one had spoken? Lucy.
Glancing back, he could see the two women were reaching the limit of their endurance. Their faces were pink and both were wet with sweat.
Not very ladylike.
But he didn't sneer. Instead, he was surprised they'd lasted so long.
He'd been too sunk into his own thoughts and hadn't been considerate.
They weren't vampires. They were mortals with mortal weaknesses.
Looking around, he spotted a small clearing beside the path. It looked as though someone had used it before. A campfire had been smoothly covered.
"We'll rest," he said. "Over here."
"Thank you!" Mina groaned, staggering towards the clearing and the sprawling on her back on the grass. "My aching legs!"
Lucy limped to a large stone and sat on it, smoothing her long white dress.
She nodded in agreement. "I knew it was steep, but I hadn't expected this…"
"Steep?" Vlad grunted. "This isn't steep, girl. The path gets rougher up ahead."
"Vlad!" Mina whined. "Can you carry me? Please?"
Squatting beside her, he tapped her forehead with a finger. "Tch. Silly girl. If you want to be a Bride, you will need to learn how to run up and down the mountain every day."
"What?" She gawped at him. "Are you serious?"
"Twice a day at least," he nodded. "You are too lazy. I will tell them to make sure you can run up three times fast."
"Vlad! You wouldn't!"
Lucy giggled.
But her giggle froze as he eyed her with a gleaming gaze. "You, too."
"Me? What did I do?"
His quiet gaze chilled her heart as he looked at her like she was asking a crazy question.
"My brothers found it difficult to race up the mountain, too. Do you know how I teach them to be stronger?"
"N-n-no…"
His grin widened and this time he showed his fangs. "I beat them with a big stick until they get strong. Now they run up the mountain two or three times a day."
"You wouldn't d-dare!" Lucy gasped. Then, as his grin didn't falter; "W-w-would you?"
The grin faded. "I never hit a woman. Unless she is a warrior. You are not a warrior. Not yet. You will instead learn the way of the Bride."
"Thank goodness for that," she sighed.
But the grin only returned at his words. "Do you know how they will teach you to go up the mountain?"
She shook her head, not liking the grin on his face.
He held up a fist. "They use a big stick. And they beat you with it until you get stronger."
"What?" Mina cracked an outraged eye open. "That's ridiculous! We're ladies. They wouldn't do such a thing. You're just teasing us!"
"No man would beat a weak woman," Vlad agreed. "Which is why the Brides train themselves. What is wrong with a woman beating a woman?"
"What is wrong with it?" Lucy scowled. "Everything! Ladies don't resort to such… brutalities. It's barbaric."
Vlad shrugged. "You can't teach strength with weakness."
"That's such a man's way of thinking."
"If the Brides accept you, you will be Turned. Then you will understand what it means to crave power."
"That's an ancient way of thinking," Lucy insisted. "People are more civilised now…"
"Vampires are hated. Do you not know this? Outside of Transylvania are many bastards who will do their best to kill us all. We have survived this long because our strength was greater than theirs." He looked up through the trees at the castle far in the distance. "And it will always be so. I will make sure of it. What do you think of that, you sneaky little bastard?"
He aimed his last words at the trees, confusing the two women.
Until shadows flickered and a band of men emerged, carrying cudgels and daggers.
Their leader, a broad-chested giant of a man, cracked his knuckles as his face was bathed in moonlight. A few scars ripped down his cheeks. Sign he'd fought a wolf and survived.
Not a bad bragging point for a mortal, Vlad thought.
And they were mortals.
All of them.
He counted twelve. But there were definitely more hidden further back. Most likely they carried bows.
"Hmph," the leader grunted. "I told you, Varkis, to be more silent. Blooddrinkers have good hearing, I said."
A skinny little man slumped. "I'm sorry, Mihai. I tried my best."
Lucy gasped, scooting off the stone and hiding behind Vlad.
Min craned her neck without moving.
Counted them.
Then settled back in the grass and yawned. "Is it okay if I stay here, Vlad? My butt is too sore to move."
The vampire thought about kicking her.
But reminded himself she wasn't yet Turned.
She was still weak.
But she'd done well to come as far as she had without complaining.
So he rose slowly to his feet and stepped past her to get closer to the armed men. "You rest," he said. "We'll leave when we're done here."
"Pleased don't get blood on my new dress? Lucy paid a lot for it."
"Leave?" Mihail chuckled, stretching his neck until a bone popped into place. "Who gave you permission to walk on our mountain?"
"Your mountain?" Vlad's cold eyes drilled into the man. "What bullshit is this? The mountain is the home of the Black Dragon Court. Bow to me five times and I might let your men live. I will take your arm, though."
"A fledgling take my arm?" Mihail sneered, holding out his hand. Varkis quickly pulled out a large thick knife which looked more suitable to butchery than fighting. "I will take yours instead. And then I will take your women."
Mina laughed. "If you kill him, I will give myself to you willingly!"
"Mina!" Lucy gasped.
"Relax," Mina yawned again.
Mihail's cheeks flushed red with anger. "You dare mock me, girl? I will make you regret it."
"I bet you will," Mina called, holding up her hand with her finger and thumb barely an inch apart.
One of the men snickered, but the sound cut off as Mihail whirled towards the sound. He spun back to the Mina, his eyes glittering dangerously. "Girl, you will beg for death.
"Who are you bastards?" Vlad demanded, cutting off any words Mina was about to speak. "And why are you here?"
"We are the Dragonbound Clan. The Cunning Woman has declared it was time to return to our mountain home." He pointed the knife at Vlad. "So, you see. You are where you are not welcome anymore."
Vlad blinked.
This man was one of the Dragonbound Clan?
And he had the guts to point a blade at him?
"Tch," Vlad growled. "So, your clan has also lost its way. Another thing for me to fix."
"We are the Dragonbound! We never lose our way. We make our own way!"
The men behind him nodded and mumbled their agreement.
A few had their attention on the women, but most were eyeing Vlad warily.
One man, larger even than Mihail, spoke up. His voice was heavy and deep. "Mihail, this isn't what Old Janko told us to do…"
"The Cunning Woman spoke clearly," Varkis hissed. "She said Mihail would be key to bringing power back to our clan! Do her words mean nothing, Sandu?"
"She said we would remember our place," Sandu growled. "You are twisting her intention."
"I am remembering my place!" Mihail snapped. "And our place is not under the heel of barbarian savages! My brother might think the Dragonbound should stay meek and hidden. But I say this is foolishness! Who here is with me?"
Mostly silence answered him, which he took for agreement.
"You see, Sandu?" Mihail returned his attention to Vlad. "Times are changing."
Vlad nodded at these words.
He could understand them.
Much had indeed changed since his previous life. He'd struggled with this knowledge greatly since waking in his new body.
"Time flows like a great river," he said, remembering something Gregor had told him. "It is unstoppable."
"Like the Dragonbound," Mihail said, holding up his knife. His thick meaty fingers were tight around the hilt. "We are unstoppable now. I, Mihail, swear from now on that the Dragonbound will no longer be reduced to the role of beggars and thieves."
"The river flows," Vlad continued. "But only those who can fight the waters will be able to steer through the waves. All else will be dragged along with it. You do not look capable of swimming to me."
"Wretched blooddrinker," Mihail sneered. "Your time has gone. Your people live worse than us! You skulk in the castle's nooks like beetles. Be a good little thing. And die. We will take your mountain and use it to-"
"Noisy," Vlad sighed. "You talk too much."
Then he attacked.