Chapter 10

"Oh, you're back."

"Yes. Any progress?"

"None. She has been sent to The Ward."

"Of course."

"Tell me, how exactly does she being alive prevent you from taking the throne?"

"More or less everything in the Azaylian household is enchanted. I cannot sit on the throne, wear the crown nor address anyone as ruler unless I am formerly crowned, and I don't just mean that figuratively. No. Arganon The Maker Of Kings is always watching and keeps those who aren't chosen by the throne from sitting on it."

"Okay. I'm not... suggesting anything, but-"

"Why haven't I killed her myself? Well, if it were that easy, my arrow would have found her head the second I left the womb. The Arganonic laws of rulership physically forbid members of the royal family from killing each other for the throne. We can still kill each other, but the reason must be devoid of kingly desire. Arganon knows what lies in the hearts of people. He dictates who here has a reason worthy of murder."

"I see. Well... what are you going to do about the queen?"

"I don't know, Vigil. You're the doctor, I should be asking you."

"What about that friend of yours you made whilst-"

"That creature is not my friend! It-it... it is a... a... a thing! A vile thing!"

"I don't think she'll be too happy to hear you say that."

"She's... it's miles away from me. And I will never beseech it for help."

"Then you're happy with not having the throne?"

Sampson responded with an unamused stare. "I dislike you."

"Look, either swallow your pride and visit your friend for help, or leave your sister and the throne like this."

"It's not pride. It's..."

"It's pride. You feel above the undead."

"No. Well, I am above the undead, but that's not the reason."

The doctor laughed. "Lets hear it then."

"She is strange, Vigil. Like, I've met other nightwalkers. They were people. The consuming of mortal blood for survival never bothered me... that much... I could get past that and have a conversation with them, sapient to sapient. But this one... this one is different. She is different, I tell you. She is strange. Like a... a bat... that is trying to be human. She is sick!" It took a while for the doctor's laughter to cease, but it eventually did.

"Does she scare you?"

"Scare me? Her very existence chills me to the bone!" The doctor subsided to laughter once more.

"Don't worry. Iva will still be here when you get back." The doctor was met with another unamused stare. "I mean it." Following a rather long sigh, Sampson arose and grabbed his enchanted bow. He looked back at the doctor and gave another, even longer sigh. "Just go!"

"Fine!" Off he went.

"That kid..."

-

~Arganon, please! Just let me kill my sister! I don't want to have to visit that thing! Ugh!~ A frustrated Sampson pulled out an arrow from his hip-mounted quiver and aimed it at the ground. He hesitated. He then returned the arrow to his quiver and stood there. "I HATECHUUUUU!" He pulled out the arrow once more and shot it at the ground, which it bounced off of and morphed into a large dragonfly.

"Damn nightwalkers! I hate them all!"

"But aren't you technically a nightwalker too?" squawked the parropix protruding from his robes.

"Thank you for your wisdom, Pipa. I vividly remember asking for it."

"You employ stealth and avoid fighting unless your enemy is barely capable of combat. Nightwalker! And coward!" Sampson's scowl turned into a frown as he begrudgingly saw the truth in those words.

The trip was long and required a few stops along the way. One of those stops was at a friendly fisherwoman's cabin beside a lake.

"Huh... oh, Sampson! Hey!" He took off his hood.

"Hey."

"Come by for your wonderful seasoned salmon steak?"

"As always."

"And calamari?" Sampson's dwarvish smile devolved into a crooked half smile. The fisherwoman laughed and handed over the seasoned, smoked salmon but sighed loudly when she saw him placing a bag of gold near her.

"Sam, I literally live alone in the middle nowhere, what do I need gold for?!"

"You're welcome." She sighed again.

"Get out of here, and come back sooner."

"Will do."

"See ya around, kiddo." Sampson waved and departed.

After about 2 more hours of flight and several more stops, he eventually reached the centre of Dysposia, standing atop mount Katarin. Whilst on the third tallest mountain in the region, he could see almost half of Sunless Isle, the dark half of Dysposia. The literal second his foot crossed the border and he stepped onto the other side, a very cold and uncomfortable chill ran up his spine, making him shiver. On he ventured, back... to the place.

-

His dragonfly had disappeared once he reached the border. He reached for another arrow from his hip-mounted quiver and aimed it forwards. This time, out came a rather large cockroach, which he mounted and proceeded on, shielded by its armoured wings. His current mode of transportation wasn't as swift as the dragonfly, but it still could never be caught up to by the fastest horse in all of Dysposia.

It was barely over half an hour until he arrived at the one place in all of Sunless Isle that he dreaded so heavily. Even whilst standing 200ft away from the castle, every bit of dark foul aura that emanated round it could be felt with great potency. His stomach turned just as it did the first time he came. This time however, he wasn't sure if he had it in him to even enter because this time, he knew what resided within.

~You know what? Changed my mind.~ Before he could think or do anything else he locked gazes with what was unmistakeably a pair of black and red, bloodshot eyes that slammed open the instant his mind made a noise. All he could see were the eyes, but he could tell. He could tell that those were the eyes of a creature that had been starved of blood for more than a week.

As his mind started racing, rather than expertly manoeuvring himself away from potential danger with his more than adequate athleticism, his rear quickly found the floor and he soon found his mind slipping away.