Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Assault on the mansion

Any doubts she might have had had evaporated along the way. He had pretended to be asleep during the trip, while listening to his companions. One of the topics they had discussed had been the failure of the attack on the mansion.

They had lamented that they hadn't captured and stolen the treasures, as well as losing many companions. It wasn't that they missed them, but that there were more work to do.

They had also mentioned that the countess was frustrated, as she hadn't been able to get hold of a handsome demihuman. She knew he was in the mansion, as someone had sent a portrait of him. This had infuriated Gjaki more than she would have imagined, and it took her a long time to calm down.

Therefore, when he innocently approached the countess, one of those who had tried to attack her family, and who wanted to take HER Chornakish, her only thought was the fastest way to kill her.

"First of all, let me see you up close, let me see what kind of adventurer you are," she called seductively.

The countess wanted to bite him, taste his blood, mark him. Then, she would play with him. What she didn't expect was that her fangs weren't the first to sink in.

She felt how her body was paralyzed. How her blood seemed to stop obeying her. How a deep terror invaded her, due to Bloodlust, that Gjaki had stopped Disguising her level, and the difference in lineage.

Her death caused a mixed reaction. Some wanted revenge, others just to run away. For their part, the Blood Hounds that came out of the bathroom caused real terror, in addition to preventing most from escaping.

Meanwhile, the bookshelf was much cleaner and more cared for, but the enslaved youths knew which book to push. They followed the vampiress, certain that their lives couldn't get any worse with her. Although she didn't seem so, the countess had been very cruel to them.

They watched in amazement as she took over the control room using a strange device. After that, they stayed there, hidden, waiting for her to finish whatever she had to do.

As in the other mansion, many of the lesser vampires were slaughtered. The vampiress was especially affected when she entered the countess's room and found her toys.

They were all chained up, some just sitting or lying down, but others were being tortured even without her there. Some had spikes piercing them. Others were bleeding out. One was tied up in a kind of cage, where some ugly little animals were biting his foot, which was already missing several toes.

She untied, freed, and healed them before heading to a tower, the gate of which was locked. She didn't have the key, but she did have the power to break it down. Although it took a few minutes for the corrosive power of the dark mana to do so.

"Mother, if you come to convince me, you are wasting your time. I'm not going to marry that monster, much less to do you a favor. Better kill me, so I can get rid of you... Who are you!? You aren't mother!"

The biological daughter of the countess, also a vampiress, had sensed someone powerful near. Apart from the servants, her mother was the only one who entered there.

She hated her, as she had separated her from her father, and also her loved one. Her mother wanted to force her to marry someone she hated, and whom she also considered a monster.

The countess' daughter had quite loved her father. As a child, she had felt very close to him, even accompanying him many times on his walks through the territory. Her mother was more distant, but back then, the girl who she had been would have done anything to make her mother proud of her.

However, one day, her father had died in an ambush. Over time, she had discovered that her mother was to blame for it. She had confronted her, and had ended up locked. Since then, she hated her with all her soul, and refused to collaborate with her.

Now, the countess' daughter was looking at two red eyes that seemed unreachable. She didn't know why. At that moment, she didn't understand that it was due to her lineage, to Gjaki being an ancestral vampiress.

"Your mother is dead. I have killed her, and many of her collaborators," Gjaki said.

They were harsh words, but also the truth. She wanted to know how she would react to it. What Gjaki saw were tears of relief, along with a smile.

"At last... That monster has gotten what she deserved. Thanks. Do whatever you want with me. Now, I can die in peace," she knelt down.

The silver-haired vampiress looked at her in surprise, as she didn't expect such a reaction. They had told her that she hated her mother, but she hadn't expected it to go that deep. Although, it was convenient for her.

"I need a new countess. One that prevents Krovledi from taking over this territory again. Are you willing?" she offered.

The daughter of the deceased countess looked at her incredulously for a few long seconds, while processing her words little by little. She then knelt down again.

"It will be my honor. I, Kilthana, promise not to let that Krovledi monster ever again have dominion over the lands of my ancestors."

Gjaki decided that she not only wanted those counties to be out of the clutches of her enemies, but to collaborate with each other. If there was trade, and hostilities between them disappeared, both would benefit, and they would get stronger against their enemies. For that reason, she summoned Solodkro.

Kilthana had been elated when Gjaki had explained that she had killed the previous count, the one her mother wanted her to marry. On the other hand, her attitude towards the new count's arrival was somewhat strange, reserved, it was impossible to know what she was thinking.

Nonetheless, the silver-haired vampiress hoped that there wouldn't be any serious problem. She soon realized how wrong she was. As soon as the count arrived, and the three of them were alone, the first thing he did was glare at the new countess.

"So, here you're. Where were you when I needed you?" he reproached her.

"How dare you!? You fled like a coward and abandoned me to my fate!"

"You were the one who turned your back on me!"

"Lies! It was you who...!"

"Stop! Can you tell me what's going on!?" Gjaki interrupted. She was between irritated and confused.

They were both many years older than her, but they were behaving like kids. Her head was beginning to ache.

"He's the problem! He's a coward and a traitor!"

"How can you say that!? She is the one...!"

"SHUT UP!!" Gjaki interrupted again.

Both of them snapped their mouths shut. Gjaki had even activated Bloodlust half unconsciously.

She approached them, who didn't dare to put up a fight, and dragged them into another room.

"I'll be back in an hour! Settle your differences! You better behave by then!"

She slammed the door, and walked away from them, somewhat surprised herself at her own actions.