2126 Castle Keep (Part 2)

"The reason you managed to disarm the arrays so quickly is that master Orpal left some flaws that only his siblings could find. After witnessing your Solar Flare and your mastery over magic, we had no longer doubts about your identity and let you arrive here unimpeded." The butler said.

"First, that sleazebag is not my sibling. Dawn and Night are." Dusk said with a snarl. "Second, that sounds like one of the excuses that only someone as pathetic as Meln would use to cover for his incompetence."

"That's very rude of-" The butler opened his mouth to talk and an uppercut closed it, sending him crashing against the wall.

"I don't care what you think. Making me break your defenses was very rude. Forcing me to deal with a bunch of gluttonous idiots was rude. Even talking with you is beneath me, slave. Now, where are my people?"

The ancient Vampire bared his fangs for an instant in outrage before a second fist knocked him deeper into the wall.

'If only the Dead King was here I would never have to suffer such a humiliation.' He thought. 'But with the Undead Courts, the Mad Queen, and that accursed Organization hunting us down I can't afford to add another enemy to the roster.'

To the butler, Dusk seemed to be in possession of his full strength, but only thanks to the physical enhancing spells of the Scorpion armor. Without it, Kelia's power and mass would not be enough to make him turn his head.

"Who are you talking about? What people?" He said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Don't play dumb with me." The Red Sun grabbed the Vampire by the neck, freeing him from the wall and dropping him on the ground like a bag of dirty clothes. "While mother kept me imprisoned to teach me a lesson, several elders of the Dusk Court have disappeared.

"With all the mess that Night and Thrud did of the undead society, it took me a while to discover that my followers had been taken by your beloved Dead King. I'm here to take them back."

"Who are they and why did His Majesty take them?" The butler had no idea of what Dusk was talking about because the whole story was made up.

"Do you seriously want me to list hundreds of names?" Firebrand poking at the Vampire's heart emphasized the Horseman's annoyance. "As for the reason, ask your master the next time you see him. I neither know nor care."

The lips of the butler curled up in a small smile as he inwardly sighed in relief.

'It seems that the so-called wisest among the Horsemen isn't wise at all. He must have been recently released from Baba Yaga and hasn't bothered investigating the purpose of this facility.

'If Dusk just wants a few of his underlings, I just have to give them to him to send him off. The knowledge about the Golden Griffon is the only bargaining chip we have left with the Mad Queen and the only chance we have to free His Majesty were the negotiations fail.' The butler thought.

"I'll do everything in my power to help you, my lord." He actually said, giving the Red Sun a deep bow. "I'll have the people from the Dusk Court rounded up and assembled here in no time."

"Do you take me for an idiot?" The Horseman replied with an icy glare. "Why should I trust you? For all I know, you might just bring me the those you have already squeezed for information and keep the others prisoners.

"You'll give me a tour of this place and I'll make sure that your dear master didn't take just my elders from me. Some of my artifacts have gone missing as well and I wouldn't be surprised to find them here."

The butler gritted his teeth, knowing that Dusk was right.

After becoming the only ruler of the Undead Courts, Orpal and Night had raided the treasuries of their sibling. Some of the stolen items were on open display while others were kept in the Dead King's bedchamber.

Dusk had taken a few wild guesses to have the pretext to look around the Pleasure Palace, but they were all based on his knowledge about Night's behavior.

"Can't we reach a compromise?" The butler nervously licked his lips, afraid of the Horseman's wrath. "The master will skin me alive if I let you inside his private quarters."

"A compromise sounds good." Dusk nodded. "Here's my deal. Either you show me everything or I'll bring down this place and search the rubble."

At a snap of his fingers, the hybrids started to conjure massive amounts of mana while also taking deep breaths until their bodies burst with spells and Origin Flames.

The power they emitted was so great that even the ancient Vampire felt like a child meeting a wild beast in the night. On top of that, the mystical fire that filled the room was so strong that the nearby arrays started to unravel, triggering several alarms at once.

"That's not a compromise but an ultimatum!" The butler whimpered.

"You are wrong, it's the only form of mercy I'll offer you today. Accepting or refusing it is up to you." Dusk ignited his armor, giving the impression that he still had access to Origin Flames.

The Vampire found himself swallowing even though his undead body had no need for it.

"You are most compassionate. Please, follow me."

The Red Sun followed the butler around the castle keep, using Life Vision the whole time and even Invigoration whenever he suspected that something was off. The rest of the Pleasure Palace was as richly decorated as its hallway, making Kelia gasp in amazement every time they entered a new room.

The canopy beds had sheets made from the finest silk, the wardrobes were filled with jewels-embroidered clothes of all sizes, and even the bed stands were masterfully inlaid with scenes from Mogar's most renewed myths.

Dusk counted at least six more Chosen and several undead of all races. Contrary to his expectations, barely half of the inhabitants of the Pleasure Palace were women and none of them seemed scared.

The Red Sun collected both the artifacts that he recognized as his own and the members of his Court, asking them questions about their well-being merely to keep his cover intact.

Yet none of those he met was old enough to have lived during Arthan's time nor renowned for their knowledge of history.

The butler tried to make small talk with Xenagrosh and Kigan, hoping that the servants would let slip their master's plans for the future. He wanted to free Orpal and Dusk was an ally as valuable as he was a terrible enemy, especially now that he had such powerful creatures under his thumb.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Lorian Sider." He said with a small bow. "What are you doing with a Horseman? I thought you hybrids belonged with the Organization."

"We did." Kigan replied, fishing for information as well. "But the Master failed to keep his promises about fixing our bodies so we swore our allegiance to Dusk. He's the greatest expert on life forces. If he can't help us, nobody can. What about you?"