The morning went by without any accidents. The sun was shining on the Crusaders from the cloudless sky. The air was dry, causing them to drink more water than usual. There wasn't any plant or animal nearby. To put it shortly, it was just a regular desert. They were packing up their things when a man arrived. He had five camels with him.
"Who pays for them?" the man dressed in a light red robe asked.
"I will, how much is it?" replied Gladius, looking in his sack.
"Two hundred-fifty."
"Right. Here," the paladin continued, handing him the exact amount.
"Thank you. Give them back at the city gate to a man named Tariq. Farewell," he responded.
The renter whispered something. Two huge wings appeared on his back, similar to an eagle's. Foosh! — he rapidly flew straight upwards and then to the North. The three of them watched him, marvelled, caught off guard by this kind of magic. On the other hand, Gladius and Dantenium weren't unfamiliar with it.
"The transformations are pretty common outside Luxiars. It is because those people were prohibited from using it inside the country. They had to give up their powers or migrate," the knight responded to their reaction.
"Isn't transformation a regular spell or some kind of aura?" wondered Laudis, recalling the information he was familiar with.
"No. Transformations are strictly connected to a bloodline. There are many kinds of them, ranging in effect. Some give you just a property of an animal, while others completely change you into one. For example, a lineage of Animalius. They're able to receive or change into a creature they were marked to be. At birth, one is marked with bones of an animal, which bond with their soul."
"Oh, that's something new..."
"Is everyone ready? If so, then we should get going."
They were riding for a few more days. The nights were cold and windy, while the days were hot and dry. Sand, sand, and more sand surrounded them. They didn't encounter a single variation in terrain, causing some to feel dizzy. Despite the strong wind during the night, the dunes were in the same place. The Republic of Carola covers most of the north-west part of Mundusia. Still, the vast majority of its territory is uninhabitable. During the meetings with the Marked Ones, Laudis didn't receive any more valuable information. The conversations he held with Aamir were mainly focused on his lack of a dominant element.
The Crusaders noticed the sandstone walls and the gate to the capital. Gladius ordered them to put on their head coverings. They returned the camels to Tariq. They entered the Zachira. Merchants set up their stands throughout the whole city. The items they were selling varied greatly. From simple flat breads or clothes to curved swords and perfumes. The houses were built with sandstone. They didn't have any windows. Some of them hung curtains for more privacy. Jewellers had red doors, with bodyguards around them. Only about half of the residents could read, thus the colour of the doors indicated the purpose of the shop. Red for jewelry, blue for food, and yellow for clothes. The rest wasn't written in their law. The smell of lavender accompanied them for the whole walk. As they were getting closer to their hotel, Laudis noticed something. On the notice board in the city center, four posters were hanging down.
"Udania Laqua; aliases: Heart of Ice; age: late 20s; height: ~175cm; weight: ~63kg; country of origin: Regime of Terminara; dominant element: Water; wanted dead or alive; reward for the alive: 4,000 golds; reward for the dead: 2,500 golds.
Solisia Petronia; aliases: Star of Piscaria, the Prodigy; age: 16; height: ~170cm; weight: ~58kg; country of origin: Kingdom of Piscaria; dominant element: Earth; wanted alive; reward: 400 golds.
Dantenium Infernatus; aliases: Warrior of Hades; age: 34; height: ~185cm; weight: ~81kg; country of origin: unknown; dominant element: Fire; wanted dead or alive; reward for the alive: 5,000 golds; reward for the dead: 7,500 golds.
Gladius Lucius; aliases: unknown; age: early 30s; height: ~180cm; weight: ~76kg; country of origin: Realm of Luxaris; dominant element: Light; wanted dead or alive; reward for the alive: 10,000 golds; reward for the dead: 7,000 golds," the boy read out loud the bounties. He felt uneasy about the surprise.
"Damn, my bounty didn't go even a bit," stated Dantenium, looking at them.
"Why didn't you tell me you all have bountry beforehand? I would become a Crusader if I knew," the boy responded, filled with uncertainty.
"That's exactly why, also, these posters are present only in Carola. Legally, I mean," replied Gladius, leaning on a nearby wall.
"Don't worry, you will be there too," declared Solisia, with false cherishment.
"Still, they're missing two pieces of information. Dante's country of origin and Galdius' alias or aliases," he continued, trying to comprehend the unexpected news.
"Yeah, though they won't tell you that," murmured Udania.
"Why is that?"
"Ask them."
The youth looked at them, but as soon as they made eye contact, the men turned away.
"Two last questions before we can leave the notice board. Who put these bounties? And why the old man's dead reward is higher than the living one?"
"Vampire King, Sangiusius Tenbrenum. He's the one paying up for the rewards and setting them up. I have a higher reward for being dead, because, as vampires call me, I am 'the most unpredictable'. Thus, they would prefer to kill me rather than capture me," the crimson-haired man answered him.
"Thanks."
The Crusaders left the sight without any recognition. They were wearing head coverings for a reason. The hotel they were staying at was located around the city center. To cut costs, they rented one room with five beds. The interior was kept in a typical Carolar style. A long, red carpet, filled with geometric shapes, was laid out on the floor. A sandstone table with wooden chairs was located in the living room. The bathroom, on the other hand, wasn't common to the outsiders. It consisted of the bath carved into the floor and a small washbin. Three big buckets with water were put in the corner of the room. It was good that Udania could summon more water. So, the Crusaders didn't have to bring it from the well.
"Pack your things out, then wait in the living room. We have to visit the president," stated Gladius.
"Why is that?" asked Udania.
"We are only on a permit; we have to declare our arrival and departure. They value freedom a lot, so we have to respect it," he replied, walking to his room.
Despite having five beds, there was only one bedroom. The Crusaders put out their belongings and left the hotel. Hidden from the bystanders, they walked to the Presidential Palace. Before the main gate, there was yet another bounty, but the government put this one out. Danetnium stood for a second.
"Vampire's Butcher; alises: none; age: ~15-40; height: ~170-185; weight: ~60-70kg; wears: a white mask, head covering, and an unicoloured coat possibly in various colours; country of origin: unknown; dominant element: unkown; charged for: unlawful tortures, abductions of prisoners, upholding vampires, execution of unlawful experiments on humans and/or vampires, theft, and criminal damage of public goods; wanted alive; reward: 15,000 golds," the crimson-haired man read out loud.
"Damn, fifteen thousand for that guy? He broke some laws, but still," he continued, trying to understand such a high price for a criminal.
To enter the building unnoticed, they used a back entrance. The place was filled with guards. They were holding battle axes. Anyone who was walking through the corridors was observed by them. A servant led them to the main room. The Council of Six, with the president, was awaiting their arrival. The room was simple, yet sufficient at the same time. Six sandstone chairs and a wooden one coated with a deep red material. It was also gilded and filled with three rubies in the top part.
"Welcome to the Zachira, my dear friends. My name is Omar, Omar Zabadeen. The men around me are the Council of Six. Every time I make a new law or delete an old one, more than three of them have to agree with me. As you may know, I find your presence, how to put it simply... An inconvenience to the freedom I value. I only agreed for you to stay, because Leopold paid for it. You can do anything as long as it isn't illegal, so you can kill vampires, as your name suggests. We don't find their life as valuable as a human," the man declared swiftly.
"I acknowledge your power, but only here. Outside your country, you are no better than a peasant," replied Gladius, irritated by his attitude.
"Ha! And they say that paladins don't have a sense of humour. Nonetheless, I heard that Sloth is hiding somewhere in Zachiria, isn't that right?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Still, didn't you notice more vampire accidents lately? After all, it's a new operational province for him," said Dantenium, trying to acquire unknown pieces of information.
"No, not really. Especially when the Vampire's Butcher does his thing..."
"Who is he?" murmured Laudis.
"A criminal charged with multiple felonies. He kills vampires, which is, I guess, not awful. We value every conscious creature, but vampires kill them. They can live in Carola, yet we don't find crimes committed against them as bad as those done to other creatures. He is a vigilante who abducts prisoners. Do you think I put up a bounty this high for nothing? This motherf—, I mean imbecile, puts out his experiments in front of my office! The latest one was put out two days ago."
"Do you mind sharing with us what it was?" the knight asked, surprised by the sudden burst out.
"A man cut in half stitched with a half of a vampire, there were two displays. No guard noticed anything, which is the worst part of them all! Those weaklings couldn't see him!"
Thuck! — the man struck the table with anger. The visitors flinched slightly.
"There is only one account of someone who saw him. It was a child who was playing outside. She saw the strange man appear out of the blue. The girl described him as such: pretty tall, thin, dressed weirdly, in a white coat, a mask, and a head covering. She said that he was holding a needle filled with a light green substance. As soon as he had noticed her, the man disappeared. We know he may wear different coats, because we identified strands in various colours. So, if you notice him, catch him. I will be thankful," stated Omar, ending the meeting.
The Crusaders walked out of the office. They entered a nearby cafe to talk over the plan. A smell of freshly baked cake caught their attention. The women bought it for themselves. The rest chose regional tea.
"Omar isn't helpful, is he?" stated Udania, trying to start the conversation.
"I suppose so... Still, it's hard to blame him. He's just another president who was influenced by liberty from birth. Nonetheless, we have to focus on the Sloth. I don't know who that Vampire's Butcher is, but it isn't our priority. We will only intervine in their politics if he will be interrupting our mission," replied Gladius, drinking from the decorative cup.
"Oh, I see," she said, munching on the cake. It was filled with orange skin and dried fruits.
"Don't we need money?" wondered Laudis.
"We need, yet we prioritise neutrality. If we get into the internal politics, we can, for example, be called a traitor by the Regime of Terminara, banning our entrance to it. After all, their relations aren't great," the knight replied, finishing the drink.
They left the restaurant and headed to the hotel. Exhausted by the long travel, they fell asleep in no time.
It was the night; therefore, vampires were walking around freely. Guards' patrols were increased. Not to protect the citizens from them, but to find him. Some of those creatures live only on animal meat. Those are half-blooded, because their genes are different from the full-blood ones. In that darkness, the man, the myth, the legend appeared again.
"June the second, year five hundred ninety-three vampire era. Time, seven minutes past midnight. The target is slowly moving away in the direction of his house," a quiet voice whispered, writing in a notebook.
The figure was hiding on the rooftops. He was covered in a dark material to blend into the night.
"Zabeer Moun, a secretary of the previous president. Crimes committed: corruption, taking bribes, and an intimate relationship with a minor. Punishment: selection for the experiments."
The man was plump and balding on the back of his head. The drunk was walking from side to side, trying to catch his balance. After some time, he met his destination. Now, the male was trying to find the keys to his home. He was checking every pocket of his tight clothes.
"Finally! I need to rest and I will be good to go—"
"Not so fast, fatso," the abductor murmured, injecting a substance into his neck.
The man lost consciousness. The politician began to fall, but he was caught mid-air. Despite his weight, Zabeer was dragged to his own house. A smell of burned papers filled the building...