Minutes later, the young woman finally returned to her room. The large orc was patiently waiting for her; Trill remained hidden. Word had already spread throughout the ruins about her escape, but in order not to inconvenience the guest, Victor Van-Cov—a noble vampire with centuries of history preserving the purity of his lineage as a member of the second generation—conducted himself with discretion. Van-Cov was to be granted the privilege of being the first to usher in a new era of vampires through union with the most coveted prize among their kind. However, before proceeding, the final commercial agreements between both parties had to be sealed.
Upon seeing the large orc, the young woman gave her a desolate smile before throwing herself into her arms. The orc responded with an embrace. The girl began to sob, letting out her anguish, until Trill's unexpected voice cut through the moment.
"Hello," he said, making the young woman flinch slightly.
"You…? How did you get in here?" she asked in an accusatory tone.
"It's normal for the boyfriend to have a copy of his girlfriend's room key, isn't it?" Trill replied sarcastically as he slowly approached.
The young woman frowned, clearly confused."If you're here… then you already know my situation."
"The basics, I suppose," Trill answered with a shrug. "You're a vampire who could start a new era of monsters, and your uncle plans to sell you to the highest bidder or something like that." He crossed his arms and added in a more serious tone, "Tell me, what do you plan to do? Are you okay with this? Whose side are you on? I don't have all the time in the world to guess."
The young woman clenched her fists, anger twisting her features."I hate my uncle! Even before my father died, he always looked at me strangely. And he never hid his ambition to take my father's place. When he died, it didn't take him a moment to seize his lands and… me." With a cry of frustration, she grabbed a pillow and hurled it to the floor.
"I'm sure—no, I could swear—he had something to do with my father's death. And to be honest…" The energy and determination she had shown vanished in an instant. She sank slowly to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks as she murmured, almost in a whisper, "I just want to leave…"
Trill looked at her with some disbelief before responding, his tone laced with sarcasm:"Leave? That's curious. Do you know what direct sunlight does to a vampire? Caput. Game over. You die, you turn to ash. And if you're lucky, it'll be as painless as possible."
"I know…" the young woman said in a trembling voice, "but still… I've been locked up here for years. I haven't gone outside once since my father died." She glanced toward the ceiling, as if she could see the outside world through the thick walls. "How much will the region have changed? Will they still love my father? Or will they only remember the tyrant who demanded blood every nightfall?"
Frustration overwhelmed her, and she slammed the floor with fury."I hate him, I hate him, I really hate him! But tell me, what can I do?" she cried, full of helplessness.
"How should I know?" Trill replied, shrugging. "I came to kill you all, not to sympathize with the princess of the castle. But, I'm in a good mood, so I'll see what I can do to put an end to all this. After all, an old man hired me."
"Mr. Trill… thank you," said the young orc, making a graceful bow to the hunter, who could only scratch his head awkwardly.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Without hesitation, Trill hid once again. Moments later, the door opened, and Minea Cel-Rua, accompanied by Victor Van-Cov, entered the room.
"Welcome, Mr. Van-Cov, to the chambers of my star," Cel-Rua said with a grand gesture, pointing toward the young woman.
"Hello again, Mr. Victor. I thought you had already left for the day," the girl said, expressionless, her gaze cold and distant.
"Oh, of course I was leaving, but I couldn't go without saying goodbye to my beautiful winter flower," Victor replied with a smile meant to be charming. The man took the young woman's hand and kissed it. She suppressed the disgust she felt.
However, Victor did not stop there. In a wholly improper gesture, he began to kiss her hand slowly, moving from her fingers toward her wrist. Just as he was about to reach her forearm, a cry of pain escaped him.
The old vampire recoiled, clutching his lips, which were beginning to burn."What the hell is the meaning of this?!" he exclaimed in alarm, pointing at the young woman's hand. "The goddess's emblem, engraved into your skin!"
In her palm, the cross of Trill was still marked like a scar. Although some time had passed, its effect was still strong enough to harm a vampire. The young woman quickly hid her hand, trying to avoid the accusing stares.
"You! What did you do?!" Cel-Rua roared, advancing toward her.
With terrifying speed, he grabbed her wrist and lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. The large orc, frozen in fear, did not dare to move.
"How dare you damage your perfect skin like this?" Cel-Rua shouted in rage.
With a contemptuous gesture, he hurled the young woman to the floor as if she were a rag doll."We must fix this immediately," he said in a voice that brooked no argument.
"Fix it?" the young woman asked, lifting her face.
Without answering her, Cel-Rua grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her through the halls of the ruin, followed by Victor, who was still recovering from the damage, quickly regenerating his lips.
From his hiding place, Trill muttered:—Looks like things just got complicated.
He stepped out slowly, glancing at the big orc, who remained frozen, hugging herself and trembling.—Hey, you. If you want to help your dear lady, you'd better get up —he said, not bothering to hide the severity in his tone.
But it was no use. The orc stayed on the floor, paralyzed by fear. Without giving her another glance, he picked up his suitcase and headed toward the door.—Save her! —the orc shouted, her voice breaking.
Trill froze mid-step, barely turning his head.—What? I didn't catch that.—Save her! Don't you understand… —the orc's voice was desperate— They'll cut off her hand and expose it to the sun so it won't heal. —Her tears fell uncontrollably as she clung to the floor— Please, I beg you… save her!
Trill stared at her in silence for a few seconds before replying in a deeper tone:—Leave it to me.
The castle's main hall, the only place with a skylight —presumably designed to tell the time of day— had become the stage for a grotesque ceremony. There were Cel-Rua, Van-Cov, and the young woman, ready to perform what they called a "healing."—Please, uncle, don't do this, it will fade away —said the girl, struggling, holding her hand up in front of her.—Don't be ridiculous. The holy never disappears once it marks our bodies. Perhaps you, being so… unique, have been able to withstand touching a cross, but the fact that it's engraved in your flesh is a danger to your husband, to me, and to your future children. You wouldn't want to hurt them while stroking their little heads, would you? That's why, this will be quick —Cel-Rua said, raising an elegant knife with a solemn gesture.
With a firm and precise movement, the knife came down, slicing the girl's hand off in one clean stroke. The limb fell lifeless to the floor but, in an instant, began to regenerate, as if ashes were slowly shaping a new hand. The girl had no time to scream from either pain or shock.—Look! It's healed already and… the cross has reappeared! —Cel-Rua bellowed, frustrated, hurling insults into the air while pounding his fists in a shameful tantrum. Finally, he inhaled deeply, composed himself, and proclaimed in a calmer tone:—I have no other choice.
—No… It can't be. Is it really engraved? —said the girl, her eyes brimming with tears.—I'm sorry, my dear. But for the good of our kind, we must seal your wound. —Cel-Rua dragged her toward a thin beam of light illuminating the floor.—If you only burn it, it will grow back sooner or later. To make sure you never have that horrible mark again, we'll have to cut and cauterize the wound with sunlight. It will hurt a lot, but after that, you'll have years of happiness. So please, endure it. —With a cruel smile, Cel-Rua raised the knife again, ready to finish the job.
Before he could deliver the final blow, the knife went flying through the air, knocked away by an unknown force. A sudden impact hurled Cel-Rua away from the young woman. Dazed, he quickly turned to see his attacker.
There, standing under the sunlight, was Trill, the rays illuminating his back. He lifted his arms in a mocking gesture and, in a taunting tone, exclaimed:—Aren't you jealous I can do this?
Cel-Rua immediately got to his feet, while Victor stared at Trill, perplexed. Something about the young man unsettled him: his features were far too similar to his own kind, yet his ability to stand in sunlight made Victor's stomach churn with disgust. Unable to bear it any longer, he left the hall, vanishing into shadows.
The girl, still trembling, looked at Trill with admiration as he moved her away from the beam of light.—That strength… —Cel-Rua muttered behind them— That speed… You're no Sirmn. No Sirmn could hit me like you just did. What are you?
—I'm just a simple hunter hired to cut off your head, and I'm very pissed off by your lack of hospitality. So, either you apologize, or I'll have to beat a good apology out of you. Oh, and about your head —the only question is whether you'll lose it before or after you apologize —Trill replied with a sly grin.
The hunter set the young woman aside and, for the first time that night, opened the suitcase he had carried so carefully. A blinding light, rivaling the very sunbeam, burst from within. When the darkness returned, Trill was holding a sword shaped like a feather, with a silver blade and a gold structure, along with a navy-blue shield that looked like a turtle shell. Together, they formed the hunter's secret gear —two weapons symbolizing his tenacity, resilience, and courage.
Cel-Rua, frantic, charged at him, but Trill stopped him with his shield, completely absorbing the impact of the attack. Without wasting time, he countered with a precise thrust of his sword. As he swung it, the blade was engulfed in flames, flooding the hall with its blaze.
Cel-Rua barely managed to dodge by creating distance, but it did little good. With a sweeping motion of his arms, Trill hurled the flames at the vampire, who transformed into shadows to try to evade them. However, the damage was done —his fine clothing had been completely ruined.
—What curious artifacts you carry, young one —said the vampire, standing up and wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand— The Fomalhaut shield and the Rigel sword, two of the 127 objects abandoned by Creation. "The Legacy of the Abyss"… That's why you're so strong. You've defied fate more than once, you damned bastard.
At that moment, the vampire unleashed his monstrous form. Four massive bat wings burst from his back, and his once-human face twisted into a grotesque hybrid between bat and man. In the blink of an eye, his wings slammed into Trill's chest with crushing force. The blow sent him crashing to the ground, and as his vision blurred, he barely heard the girl's desperate cry calling his name, tears streaming from her eyes.
"So that's how it's going to be?" —a voice echoed inside his head. It was Aldebaran, the Time Skipper— "Don't let your guard down, idiot!""Skipper, just in time," thought Trill as he deftly dodged a blow from the vampire's wings —an attack that, in another timeline, would have killed him."For the last time, my name is Aldebaran.""Whatever you say, Skipper," replied Trill with a grin as he regained his footing.
The young hunter charged at his enemy again. However, the vampire flapped his wings with such force that it created a shockwave, hurling furniture, dust, and debris across the hall. Trill barely managed to hold his ground and, with a precise slash, severed one of Cel-Rua's wings. The vampire let out a deafening roar but took advantage of the opening in Trill's guard to strike him violently with his remaining wings, knocking his weapons from his hands. Both shield and sword clattered to the floor, far from reach.
"You've surprised me, but you're still a weak Sirmn," the vampire said with a sadistic smile. With a single blow, he sent Trill crashing into a pillar, breaking several ribs."I must admit, this has been fun. It's been a hundred years since I enjoyed a fight like this. For that, I'll grant you the honor of dying by my hand."
The giant bat advanced slowly toward the wounded young man. Trill, gasping and with broken bones, couldn't move."Trill, don't give up! Please!" cried the girl in desperation, but her words seemed useless.
Then something unexpected happened. A shadow solidified and struck the vampire with force, making him stagger back."I won't let you hurt Mr. Trill!" the young woman shouted, standing defiantly in front of the battered hunter. She spread her arms, determination blazing in her eyes. "I've kept quiet long enough, but I've had enough. This will also be for my father —do you hear me, Minea Cel-Rua?!"
Now surrounded by tentacles of shadow, the girl lunged at her uncle. Cel-Rua, though surprised, deflected her attacks with ease."Don't be foolish. Can't you see this is for the good of our kind? You are the key to our evolution, and this fool has only meddled. Besides, darling, you're no match for me.""That's true, I'm not… but what about the sun?" she retorted, striking the skylight with a shadowy tentacle. The structure shattered, letting a beam of light pour into the hall.
"You idiot, you'll be burned too!" the vampire roared as the wall crumbled, allowing the light to envelop him."If this brings me to my father, that's fine with me," the young woman murmured, her gaze shifting briefly to Trill, still lying on the floor. A small tear rolled down her cheek. "I would have liked to go outside… at least once…"
She closed her eyes and clasped her hands, bracing for the burning light. She felt a strange pain in the cross engraved on her uninjured hand, but that pain reminded her she was still alive. And yet… something was wrong. She was still alive.
The girl opened her eyes quickly. It was no longer daytime; the light flooding the hall came from the full moon. A gentle light for the kings of the night. Realizing this, Cel-Rua spread his wings to their fullest, doubling his size."Ha… This will be easy. How convenient for me," he said with a savage grin.
Losing all hope, the girl fell to her knees. For the first time in her life, she prayed.
"How pitiful… to see a vampire pray," said an unexpected voice.
The young woman looked up in confusion. Before her stood Trill, completely recovered. His hair shimmered under the moonlight, as if the night itself had blessed him. He once again held the Rigel sword, its blade burning with the fire of a star."This… this is impossible. This can't be happening… Why? Who the hell are you?" the vampire asked, his voice trembling between disbelief and fury.
Trill stopped in front of him, his gaze calm yet defiant, and answered:"Very well, I'll introduce myself. My name is Trill Noc-Tepex, illegitimate son of Vlad Noc-Tepex, a dhampir, star hunter of the Crimson Witch, Carmen. It's been a pleasure… and now, farewell."
Without giving the vampire a chance to react, Trill dashed forward at blinding speed and pierced the monster with a single blow. The celestial fire consumed Cel-Rua's body, leaving him unable to utter even a final scream of despair.
Silence filled the place as the vampire's ashes fell to the ground, the crackling of flames the only sound marking the fall of the castle's master. At his side, the girl struggled to stand, still dazed by the events. Trill, breathing deeply to catch his breath, calmly stored the great Rigel sword back into his case with almost insolent composure. Then, he turned to the girl, looking her over shamelessly."Well, you know my name now. The least you could do is tell me yours, right?" he said with a mischievous smile.
Without taking her eyes off her uncle's ashes, the girl replied quietly:"My name is Spica Cel-Mare, only daughter of Rudo Cel-Rua."
Trill nodded, satisfied, before pointing at her with his case and making a declaration that left her stunned:"Well then, Spica Cel-Mare. From now on, you are captured and bound to serve me as my slave.""What?" Spica exclaimed, turning to him with wide eyes.
Trill flashed a dazzling, wicked grin —as shameless as he was— while adjusting the case over his shoulder.
And so, with a mix of horror, confusion, and the promise of an uncertain future, Trill and Spica began their journey across Tiamat in search of the object that leads to the Chakal.
End of Act One – "The Most Precious Treasure of the Vampires."