Arthur and Dany retrieved Nathan and William.
Though alone with Al, the latter slept all through the morning, and he took a short walk along the wall.
There was no scaling it, and aside from the square with an old altar there was no sign of which direction to go. One side or the other, and he considered knocking the walls down until the stones and granite. A century swinging his flail, and he'd be lucky to leave a dent.
While returning to the square, a cry rang out from beyond the wall.
Whether a man or woman he couldn't tell, but it was human. Whatever in the gods' name one could do to end up as vampyre livestock he left to his imagination.
"I'll find out soon enough," he said, eyeing William and Nathan through the trees.
Everyone, except a waking Al, greeted him as he returned.
"Sneaking off without us were you?" Arthur said, nudging him. "I think we're starting to see why one'd become obsessed."
Dany, though silent, nodded with a bright smile.
Even Al, her bow arm wrapped at the elbow from overuse, readied her arrows for a hunt.
"Far as I can tell, no way in nearby," he said, rubbing his hands above the altar. "Though we're not alone here."
"You heard someone?" William asked.
"Aye. Someone having a far worse day for certain."
Hands tucked within his armpits, William shivered before speaking of Eldreth's prime source of blood.
Livestock many were known as, pits on all sides of the palace. Some were alive, others were undead, and a handful were what was known as rejuvenators.
"They're often young, many no older than fifteen," William muttered, gripping his cross. "Their adolescence can be extended, as much as fifty, or even a hundred years, and their blood stays ripe as Eldreth's aristocracy desires."
"Any idea who four arms was?" He asked.
William shook his head. "This altar is old. Dare I say forgotten by most. Whoever was guarding it must've been as renown in such relics, old as the first age."
Dany examined the altar, running her fingers along its brim.
She tugged on its crack, then removed her hand.
With no hint of where to go the party split up, Al and Arhtur north, himself and Dany south. Nathan wanted to go, almost demanding, yet he was stern being so far gone within a potential breeding pen.
"Not once, but twice I've gotten you further than you'd have got alone," Nathan griped, standing toe to toe with him. "I've not died yet, something more than you can say!"
A clout sent he lad to the ground.
Yet the wiry kings guard sprung back up.
"Are you really no different than those Pyr bastards?" Nathan snarled. "Making promises ya' can't keep?"
"You wanted to serve me, you serve."
"I thought we were brothers!"
"Not here! Not in this place, there's too much fuckery here," he sighed. "You said it yourself, I can barely keep myself alive, much less someone else."
"We're not going far," Al chimed in, putting a hand on Nathan's shoulder, "just keep William company until we return, kay?"
Still a stern face, Nathan threw down his scabbard and sat beside the altar.
William stayed by the lad, who glared as the square warmed. It felt to be as if they were beneath a summer sky in the afternoon, though the sky was still dark with glitters of stars unseen in the main lands.
For the next hour he stalked the walls southern side, which had no end in sight.
No screams. Shadows were still shifty, a few rising and falling beside their own. There was a slight stifling in the air, making their breaths cold.
Chains rattled. Heavy footsteps approached the wall, something sniffing on the other side.
GRRRRRRR! GRRRRRRRRRR!
He and Dany stood ready. Flail up, sword raised, both eyeing the top of the walls, what little they could see. Whatever was within the palace scratched the ground, then stomped away.
Sword still raised, Dany leaned towards the wall.
"We should leave," she suggested.
"What? You know what it is?"
She shook her head, stepping away from the wall. "There's more of them."
Growls touched his bones, several at once. Footsteps pounded the earth, rocks chipped from atop the wall, and light shined from within the palace.
While Dany hurried north, he stayed close behind, keeping his shield raised south.
Granite cracked, the wall shattering hundreds of paces down.
Dany took to his side, sword pointed out against his shield.
Smoke engulfed the air, though heavy snorts cleared some of it. Nostrils large as an ogre's head, it was a beast with a black coat, a rusty chain collar, and stood over thirty meters high. Its eyes were thin, so thin it didn't even appear to have them. Through the smoke it charged, revealing its muscular frame, front paws like a pair, rear legs like a bull. A lone horn atop its head, it raised upon its hind legs, howling towards the sky.
Two more beasts, one a darker coat, the other brighter, just like itself charged through the smoke.
With Dany at his side he charged. A swing at the beasts paws slowed one down, and it whined upon spike bleeding its palm. The other swatted them into the woods.
Oaks splintered, Dany crashing through, losing her sword.
He didn't get another glance at her, the light coated beast crushing her in a single bite.
The other remaining dogs, or bulls, whatever one could call them, towered over him with drool leaking jaws. Hot saliva fell on his helm, and he swung his flail. They staggered back, the one with a bloody paw whining at him more than growling. The other lashed out, fangs the size of wagons, crashing down on him.
He held open its jaws for a moment, trying to maneuver his flail. It hoisted him up, then slung him around, breaking his spine. Against the wall he slammed, blood running from his head.
Head on, the beast charged, its thin eyes opening a bit.
The eyes of a feral creature of darkness, black with red pupils.
Paws smothered him in granite, then rocks tumbled atop him, crushing his skull.