Aldrin flicked his eyes back and forth, from Emir to his outstretched hand. He was offering Ebira up on a platter simply because his parents had helped his people. “What if I refuse?” He asked.

  Emir didn’t pull back his hand but let out a soft chuckle. “Then you refuse, and as much as I would hate to admit but that would put us in direct opposition. Besides, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Why would you refuse?”

  Aldrin thought about it for a moment, trying to see if this was just a trap. “Because what would you gain? You painted a pretty picture of the Scarab Sons and of my parents, who may or may not have actually helped your people. For all I know, you could be lying, trying to get me to your side based on the little information Moira fed you. You have already stated that you have contacts and that it wouldn’t take that long for you to gather information about me or my parents.”

  Emir’s hand dropped to the side as his gaze turned pensive, sharpening under Aldrin’s points. “Good, skeptical like your mother but bold like your father.” He took his seat and downed the rest of the contents of the wineglass. “I’m no fool, boy. I know war is coming. All I’m doing is extending a courtesy because your parents are both saviors of my people and old friends of mine. You have shown me an aptitude that would make both your parents proud if they were here to witness this. That being said,” he paused and rolled up the sleeve of his arm, showing a tattooed burn mark that was in the shape of a horned skeleton. “Itenye, I summon thee…” Emir said quietly, looking Aldrin in the eyes as he did so.

  The room got hotter as the tattoo on Emir’s arm ignited into flames and swirling smoke that rose above them, coating the room in a hazy ash. Aldrin showed no outward surprise, but inwardly, he hadn’t expected Emir to be so forthcoming with one of his hidden trump cards, but then again, he had already figured out his own from Moira. Aldrin watched as the swirling ash coalesced into a tall, lithe, feminine figure.

  Itenye reminded Aldrin a little of Kilinos, except where he had scales, she was molten rock that pulsed with lava-like veins, long curved horns with a fireball sat between them, with eyes that blared like a raging inferno, and hair to match that moved like a living flame. A thin but long tail of molten rock flicked back and forth behind her as she floated a few inches off the ground with her clawed feet.

  Itenye glossed a cursory gaze over Aldrin before turning her head to speak with Emir in a language Aldrin didn’t understand. Emir spoke back before Itenye returned her gaze back to Aldrin. It surprised him even more when she bowed slightly. “It is an honor to meet the spawn of Darius and Helene,” the Ifrit, Itenye, said in a smooth voice that contrasted her harsh appearance. “Though it troubles me to know what has happened to you and your family,” she said apologetically.

  “You’ve been listening the entire time?” Aldrin asked skeptically.

  “Only for the last parts, when your parents were mentioned. Most of the time, I give Emir his privacy,” Itenye flicked her eyes at Emir.

  Emir cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to him. “Ifrits can tell no lies based on the contracts they make with people on this plane, so if you do not believe me, then ask her.”

  “Is everything true then?” Aldrin asked Itenye, who nodded in response. Aldrin sat back, pondering if he should trust either of their words, but with nothing else to go on, he had no other choice. “Alright,” Aldrin began, rising to meet both Itenye and Emir, holding out his hand. “Since you have been honest with me. I will be honest with you. I don’t trust you, but I have no other way to check unless I go rescue my father from the prison he’s in. So for now, I will work with you for the sake of Ebira and the rest of the world when the time comes.”

  Emir held Aldrin’s gaze for a moment before giving a slight nod and then clasped his hand with his, sealing the deal. “Then Ebira shall be yours. Come on,” he said, dropping the handshake and leading Aldrin to the door with Itenye behind the two. Emir knocked three times slowly, and Aldrin heard clinks of chains and deadbolts unlocking from the other side before the door was thrust open. Two Scarab Sons in full gear stood at attention, ready to storm into the room if Aldrin proved to be a threat, but once they saw Emir and his Ifrit companion, Itenye, standing there unharmed, they visibly relaxed.

  “He is now our guest,” Emir stated, and the Scarab Sons wordlessly stepped aside, letting all three of them through before following in step behind them. “I will take you to your friends now.” Emir said.

  Aldrin stayed quiet as they walked through the bowels of the ship. Enchanted lanterns lit the hallway, and from the openings they walked by, he took quick peeks inside. The ship had a kitchen, crew quarters, and an armory that also doubled as a storage room for their loot. He figured the room they originally came out of also doubled as a cell for high valued prisoners, although it lacked a bed, meaning it was more for interrogations and backdoor dealings. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the lack of torture tools in the room, but given what his Undead Body skill did, he wondered if torture would even work on him until he remembered how they captured him to begin with.

  “How did you capture me? What Skill was that? Or enchantment?” Aldrin asked, wanting to keep aware of any weaknesses that remained hidden to him until he could get to the Progenitor continent and seek out the other Vampires.

  Emir chuckled before answering. “Concentrated sunlight that we learned to harness from our Artificers back home.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “How did you know it wouldn’t kill me?” Aldrin asked, filing that away since he wasn’t completely immune to sunlight yet, but he hoped and had a feeling he would be, given the track record of Daywalker so far.

  “Oh, we didn’t. If you died, then that would have confirmed you to be a regular Vampire and if you didn’t, well… you’re here now, aren’t you?” Emir turned to give him a half smile before walking up the steps that led to the deck of the ship.

  Aldrin could only shake his head at that before ascending the steps. The early rays of daylight breached the horizon as the deck was in its chaotic motion. Seagulls made themselves known as they flew out to sea for their breakfast. Crewmates rushed around, hauling crates that were being loaded from the ramp that linked them to a warehouse along the dock. Emir effortlessly weaved himself around the bustling hive of the crew as he made his way to the ramp. Aldrin was nudged from behind by Itenye to keep going when he stopped and stared up at the massive three-masted ship and the large deck they were on. He wondered how big the ship actually was, knowing he had only seen a small fraction of it just from the deck they emerged from.

  Aldrin tried his best to weave around the crew, but everywhere he looked, there was something new to see. Caged animals and beasts were being unloaded and loaded onto the ship, weapons were being carried as were sacks of food and barrels of water. He even saw a crane from the dock loading a row of cannons onto the ship, where workers then swarmed over it before wheeling them away towards the opposite end of the ship. He nearly bumped into someone when he turned back around from sightseeing, causing the crewmate to curse at him until he saw Itenye and the two Scarab Sons escorting him. The crewmate quickly fumbled out an apology to Aldrin before doing his best to scamper away with the crate he was carrying.

  When they reached the ramp, Aldrin saw Emir at the bottom, talking with the same man with the long black dreadlocks, weathered grim face that evolved into a sneer from whatever Emir was telling him. When the man saw Aldrin crest the ramp, his sneer only grew as he threw furtive glances at him. Emir placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in the man’s ear before turning back to Aldrin with a wide smile that reminded him of a merchant who was trying to sell something overly priced than what it was supposed to be.

  “You’ve met my brother already, but to formally introduce you, this is Hatem Edran,” Emir pushed his brother forward. “Hatem, this is Aldrin, son of Darius and Helene.”

  “Who he belongs to means nothing to me, brother. He is a parasite. You and I both know they only bring bad fortune, and you have allied yourself with one that is supposed to be the start of them all.” Hatem spat, crossing his toned and muscular arms.

  To Aldrin, it was both relieving and humbling to see that Hatem treated him as if he weren’t something to be coveted. “Pleasure to meet you again, Hatem,” Aldrin said with a tight smile.

  Hatem only glared at Aldrin before speaking in their native language to Emir and then said something to Itenye, who hovered around to stand beside Emir again. The Scarab Sons that escorted them turned to follow Hatem back up the ramp but not before bumping shoulders with Aldrin on his way. Aldrin felt the urge to tear into Hatem but did his best to temper down the beast that demanded blood.

  “What’s his deal?” Aldrin asked Emir, watching Hatem go up the ramp and disappear among the deck.

  Emir sighed and looked away. “It is not my story to tell, but once he sees what kind of man you are like I have, he might come around. I can’t promise anything, but you do have a 50/50 shot of him at least being tolerant of you.”

  Aldrin winced. “That bad, huh?”

  Emir nodded and didn’t say anything else about the matter. “Now shall we go see your friends?”

  Aldrin returned a nod of his own before they walked into the warehouse, where more workers wore the colors of the Scarab Sons. Some were still armed and armored.

  Once inside, Aldrin reached out with his mind, finding the Ghoul Baron first and the three ghouls that were left alive. “Master! You return to us! This servant humbly requests your forgiveness for failing…” it said sorrowfully.

  Although it was still a monster, it tugged on Aldrin’s undead heart to hear such genuine regret from it. “It’s alright. You did your best against an enemy we knew nothing about, nor were we prepared for. Are you and your pack unharmed? And safe?”

  “We are! Just say the word and we will come to you when night falls once more,” the Ghoul Baron replied, hope and relief laced within its tone that Aldrin picked up.

  “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. For now, heal and grow your numbers. Turn those that prey on things weaker than they are. We have work to do.” Aldrin sent back and was met with extreme elation coming through the bond.

  “By your will, my Master!” it replied before cutting off the link.

  Next, Aldrin reached out to the Servant Bonds linking him to his friends. “Guys?! Is everyone ok?!”

  Floods of relief and worry filled their hive mind space.

  “Oh my god! You live! Pierre, you owe me three bronze coins!” Jared said, making a ghost of a smile appear on Aldrin’s face as he was happy to know Jared was alright.

  “We are alright, a little banged up but nothing that can’t be healed with my potions,” Pierre said, ignoring Jared’s comment.

  “The Orcs are also fine. The Scarab Sons only knocked us out and chained us, but other than that, they have done nothing else. But the question is, are you alright?” Evie replied within the hive mind space.

  Aldrin mentally sighed within their shared hive mind. “Yeah…. About that…”

  Jared cackled. “Pierre, bump me up another three bronze coins for whatever diabolical news he’s about to share!”