”This is madness, Arcadeus.” Otho jogged behind the General who had stormed out of the hospital wing with fists clenched and half a mind to blow up the vicinity in which the strangely powerful man that had been plaguing him the last couple of days had last been sighted. “We have enemies everywhere! All around us! People who want to usurp your throne or kill you all to stop this war from happening.” Arcadeus carried on walking, reaching the staircase down before Otho had to physically stop him, holding his arm while risking his own. Arcadeus glared at the man he called his friend. “You must think clearly! You are the head of all of this! You go down there on a manhunt on your own and we are risking everything we... you... fought for.” “I will not be going alone. I’m taking with me Dashers and Shielders.” Arcadeus grunted. “Make a team and order them out but you cannot go there with them.” “I need to make a point Otho! No one can harm my family!” “But this could be what they’re after! Getting the leader out of the fortress and attacking him where he is weakest!” “I have already been attacked! My children are in danger!” “They are NOT!” Otho roared at the top of his lungs. “Marceus led this stupid expedition to find these people all by himself. They are not after you or your children!” Arcadeus stared at him with wild eyes. “You are not thinking straight!” “Otho... I must stop this.” “Yes you must but not in person.”
The doors to the fortress slammed open. Two men had Gallus in their arms, hurriedly carrying him up the stairs before they saw Arcadeus and Otho. “Gallus! What has happened to him?” “He’s alright sir. He just seems to be exhausted.” said one of the men. “Take him to the hospital wing.” Arcadeus looked back at Otho and waited for the two men to clear out of sight. “What is doing this Otho? Is there something more powerful than us out there?” “I am unsure. Perhaps... perhaps the answer lies within you.” “How so?” “Arcadeus, you consumed Tasia’s particle. You became stronger. What if what we are facing has done the same but on a larger scale?” The thought of such a being frightened the both of them. “Someone with more knowledge of what we are then...” “You still have no recollection of what you did to consume Tasia’s particle?” “I only remember it happening without my doing. I did not command it. It simply happened.” “There must be something about it. Perhaps only some can perform such a feat? Or a special occasion or bond or something.” “Otho, notify everyone. Paris has to be locked down. A city-wide search must commence.”
Arcadeus walked back into the hospital wing to see the condition of Gallus. They had put him in the same room as Marceus who was laying on his side as he watched his brother. A healer was present in the room, her hand on Gallus’s chest, glowing white as she healed him. “His condition, how is he?” “He just needs some rest. He looks worse than he actually is.” They looked at him, covered in dust and soot with blood on his left arm. The healer saw the worry on the General’s face. “The blood isn’t his sir. It most likely belongs to the man he was punching.” “Well done brother!” Marceus laughed. “He got a punch in did he?” Gallus suddenly woke up coughing frantically but quickly stabilized. He looked around and smiled as he saw familiar faces. “You good man?” “I’m good.” He replied. Arcadeus approached his bedside and began brushing back Gallus’s hair before kissing his forehead. “My heart has yet to find peace. You two have made me mad, unsettled. I cannot watch any of you die before me.” “I am quite alright father.” Gallus assured him. “I am not. I only recently got your brother back and now you come home in this state.” “Father, I was only exhausted.” Arcadeus stood up straight with a confused expression. “And how is it that you are only exhausted. Marceus came back half dead but here you are only trying to catch your breath.” “Yes, how is that possible?” Marceus jumped in. “I played it smart. It isn’t always about the brawn, is it father?” Gallus tried to seek approval on his father’s face but the man was still suspicious. “Marceus tells me the man is powerful... Godly powerful.” Gallus sat up, leaving a black outline on the white sheets of the bed, and looked at his father. “The man is definitely powerful. More powerful than anything I’ve ever seen or come across.” “Then how is it you’re alive?” “Because we’re not the targets. I had a little chat before I lost him. They’re looking for someone in particular. We have nothing to do with what they’re doing.” Arcadeus looked at Otho who was leaning against the doorway who raised his eyebrows in an I-told-you-so manner. “What do you mean by you lost him?” “I had him defeated.” “Bullshit!” cried Marceus. “Those guys were untouchable.” “Well either that or he was going easy on me and I believe it to be the latter.” “Why would he go easy on you but hard on me?” Marceus complained. “Because like I said, we aren’t the targets and apparently they have specific instructions to not harm us... well... kill us actually. He said they’re allowed to go as far as put us into a coma.” Marceus’s eyes shot wide open. “Put us into a coma? So they know they’re powerful and they’re willingly limiting themselves into putting us into a coma rather than kill us and I dunno, finish the job in a mere nanosecond.” “They don’t want attention. Not now at least. I believe they need to find whatever... or whoever they’re looking for soon. They’re on a timer.”
There was silence in the room. All eyes were on Arcadeus but he stared blankly at the wall. “Where is Alexis?” “She’s in her room.” Otho replied. “I’ve already posted guards outside her door. She’s safe.” “And Juleus should soon be out of Paris soon.” Arcadeus saw Gallus’s face drop. “No...” Marceus saw it too. “Juleus never left the vicinity.” Said Gallus. “WHY!?” “I saw one of the men that attacked us once I got out of the fort. Juleus and his men saw me running after him. He sent one of his bodyguards, Yahktarin, after me to keep watch while the rest of them trailed after us. Once I had defeated the man I was fighting, Yahktarin showed himself and tried to help me. At that moment, the man I had almost subdued stated that Yahktarin wasn’t on his no-kill list. That’s when I received the most powerful push-kick in my life out of the building we were in. I don’t know what happened after that but Yahktarin is probably dead.” “Arcadeus, Juleus’s bodyguards have active locators on them.” Otho pointed out. ”If Yahktarin is dead and the man is still there when he’s there...”
The doors to the fort opened once again. Two of Juleus’s men came carrying a body and a black plastic bag. They had blood all over their arms and legs. There was a commotion as the guards downstairs tried to get answers from them. Everyone in the hospital wing rushed downstairs to see what the commotion was all about. Arcadeus heart began to rush as he saw the body but the clothing was unfamiliar to him. “What is this? Where is Juleus?” “Sir, we were ordered to take this body back for further examination. He has a very special kind of wound on his neck.” said one of the bodyguards. “And the bag?” “Several remains of Yahktarin sir.” “Holy shit.” Gallus and Marceus exclaimed simultaneously. The bodyguards were surprised to see Gallus there. “Sir! We have been searching for you! We were afraid you too were killed.” “Where is Juleus?” asked Gallus. “They’re still searching for you, sir. We’ll radio them immediately about your status.” “Do so.”
The bodyguard pressed a small button on his arm where a radio panel with a small touch screen was installed into his bracers. “Sir, we have arrived at the fort. Gallus is here and well. Over.” Everyone waited for a quick response but there was none. The bodyguard repeated his message and waited once more. They finally started getting some kind of feedback. “We have found the one.” Said an unfamiliar voice. “Who is this?” “The world will soon be ours.” “Who is this? Where is Juleus Mara?” “Judgement day comes.” The radio feedback ceased. Arcadeus turned and rushed up the stairs. “Father, what do we do?” asked Gallus. Arcadeus stopped dead in his tracks and roared. “We go to war!” “We don’t know who we’re even up against!” yelled Marceus. “We might have an idea.” said the bodyguard. They kneeled beside the dead body and showed the teeth marks on the neck. “What the hell is that?” “We believe it to be a Vampire bite...”
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