THE KINGDOM OF ARGANI.
Weeks later.
The scent of salt and sea air welcomes Alan as he walks through the cobbled streets of Argani, a stranger in a strange land. His gaze sharp and observant returning the vile looks cast at him by vampires.
He came here in search of his sister, Griselda, but the clues have been scarce, the whispers of a Gilmorsh girl in the royal court nothing more than rumours. The vampires of Argani are cold and unyielding people, with their pale faces and eyes devoid of warmth. They are not his people, and he feels their animosity like a physical weight on his shoulders whenever he walks among them.
He passes a small tavern, its windows glowing with a soft, inviting light. A group of men sits outside, their faces shrouded in the shadows' dark coats. Their laughter are low and a little too familiar. He pauses, his ears straining, as he hears a word, a word he hasn't heard spoken outside of Balcroft: "Goddess."
