║☓ Seventeenth Bloody Rose

- Sir! The soldiers are beginning to retreat!
- Are you sure?
- Yes sir. We do not know for what reason, but they are all returning to the North.
   After more than a week, Richard did not understand what was going on between that clan. Was this some surveillance to ensure that we will not suffer any other attack? He could not tell.
- They are like more suspicious than usual.
- That does not sound good. - Liam was worried - I'm not having a good feeling about them.
- Anyway, we can do nothing but prepare for whatever comes to pass. Have the soldiers who are guarding enter, there is no reason to keep them on guard around the castle.
  Liam did not want to leave Richard alone, however, he could not disobey a direct order. Before he had finished crossing the exit, he hears the sound of a body falling on the floor and glass being shattered.
- Where was this guy?
- I do not know, but certainly it was well hidden.
  He was right in not wanting to get away from Richard, however no use whining.
- Call all here immediately.

- What is it, Liam?
  The soldiers and generals would not stop whispering to each other about how it happened, after Richard would be strong enough to withstand the wound of an arrow.
- Listen, everyone. - Liam got up and went - there was a trap, and unfortunately we step inside. Richard has fallen because of this arrow, which was poisoned especially for him. Whoever has done it, certainly calculated it well, but we can not surrender.
- Liam, what do we do without a leader? It is impossible that we can win this war without Richard!
- Before he died, Richard asked me to keep this letter with my life. - He showed all - in this letter, Richard put the name of the person who will replace him to continue this war and that is as good as it was ... - Liam folded the letter and put it in the hands of Blake - Richard entrusted the clan leadership to you, general Allucard.
- What? Liam, this can only be madness! I can not accept such a thing!
- You must accept. Blake, you wanted to be free, right? - The boy nodded - So take the lead and put an end to this war as well as Richard planned. If we surrender, neither you nor your sister will come out here and be killed by the clans of the northern border. Also, we do not come this far to surrender because we are without a leader. That's exactly what that Belgian wants. Will you let him have power over everything?
  Blake clenched his fists, undecided, but he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.
- I promised I would not enter this war, but I'm breaking this promise to help you. Blake, you will never be alone, I will always be by your side.
- Thank you, Achila.

- Valentine, how do you do such a thing without telling me? I'm shocked.
- While you think of those brothers, I'm always one step ahead. You should be careful, Abel.
- I can think about it later. But what you, the noble strategist, plan to do?
- You should know that we have no reasons to delay the attack. Do what you want right now, but only follow a single statement of mine.
  Abel smiled at what Valentine said to the soldiers, unable to contain the anxiety of being in control of all lands and power to subdue the other clans, but what made him even happier was thinking that the brothers would not last much longer time than planned.

║☓ Sixteenth Bloody Rose

- Blake! Blake! Wake up!

- What happened?

- Do you know anyone called Valentine?

- Of course not, why did you wake me up to ask that?

- Because when I was taking a sunbath I saw a shadow pass at high speed in full sunlight and followed it. It was a pure noble blood of black hair and very red and bright eyes, as if they were jewels.

- And what does that have anything exceptional?

- He can stay in full sunlight without suffering any damage.

- This is an absurd.

- I saw it with my own eyes! When I asked his name, he disappeared.

- Achila, are you sure you still want to go out to sunbathe? It should not be doing you good.

- Do not make fun of me, okay? I know what I saw.

  Blake shrugged and went back to sleep automatically, with no response. Achila came out the hard steps down the corridor to cross with Liam, who stood waiting the approach of the hunter.

- Our general can not believe you, but I believe.

- So you heard.

- My hearing is keener than you think.

- This can actually happen?

- Yes. When a vampire spends his entire life feeding on only human blood, new features are appearing: one is strength and physical strength beyond the norm even for the standard of vampires and a speed that even our eyes have difficulty to capture and the rarest of all is the resistance to sunlight. I must say that Valentine was actually awarded luck.

- It would be an excellent example of reinforcement.

- Yes, but we can not rely on other vampires. We do not know his origin. Also - Liam looked out the window - I have not good impressions about this name, it is as if I had ever heard before.

- Lord Valentine? What are you doing here?

- Take care of your post at the time, but make sure that I'm not here to play. - Valentine shifted his gaze to the soldier, who was with the frightened expression and softened - Please focus on your business by now, soon I will trust you something extremely important.

- Yes sir. - The soldier's expression softened.

  While he was cold and calculating, Valentine knew how to treat the lower castes gently and complacency, which made him be respected and admired by his followers, just Abel's opposite, which spared no effort to get rid of soldiers and did not care to humiliate those below him.

  Valentine's eyes roamed the castle with incredible speed and began scribbling on a sheet of paper in seconds before handing it to the soldier.

- Take this and follow every instruction to the letter. I'm trusting you.

  The soldier glanced at the contents of the paper.

- Do not disappoint, my lord. I will bring news soon.

  Valentine smiled and disappeared through the trees.

- Valentine! You scared me. Where were you?

- Shut up, I do not satisfactions of my life for you.

- Okay okay. - Abel did surrender - At least you seem happy with whatever you have done.

- I'll be even happier in the coming days.

- What's the next day?

- Wait and see, Abel. Wait and see.

║☓ Fifteenth Bloody Rose

- It was exactly what I expected of them! Did you see it, Valentine?

- I do not understand what you see so extraordinary in them. For me, they'd be dead at the beginning of this war.

- Oh, do not do that. They have two interesting toys.

- We have more things to worry about besides them.

- Valentine, have you ever wondered how tasty could be the blood of that girl dripping down your throat? I would do anything to get that feeling.

  Valentine walked away, asking himself why he made an alliance with someone like Abel, however he had his utilities as like to appear in public as he could quietly plotting each strategy and ensure victory over the most influential as he did up now. Everyone was always so concerned about Abel to even know who the person with whom he made an alliance and this was a good thing for him, as it could get out and explore the enemy territory to map out their strategies more clearly without being noticed by others as a suspect.

- Abel, I will leave.

- What?! Valentine, are you okay? Are you ill? It's almost dawn!

- Leave me alone and finish doing what you started.

- But you do not even go out to hunt ... Valentine? Valentine!

  Unlike other, Valentine had some resistance to the sun and could study the situation more clearly while the others slept to have the perfect plan of attack.

  Achila took the sunshine for a walk in the neighborhood to find out what was happening inside the northern army without running the risk of being attacked by anyone. What was going on in that head Belgian to leave a part of his army in the castle surroundings? If what Liam said was true, then the war would be close to finishing if they won. Blake would be free and she too.

  She saw a shadow move with incredible speed in full sunlight not far from her. It could not be a vampire, as they would have been turned into ashes in the same moment that came into contact with sunlight. Could be any other human lost? No, no human being has a speed like that. So what could it be? Achila drew her gun and ran in the same direction of the shadow.

  That smell. Long ago he did not feel a smell like that. No doubt it was the only hunter left in the world and now was coming toward him. All humans are equal, even though it may be in danger insist on giving in to curiosity. Her footsteps were closer, making him notice that she did not make any effort to run over to him. He just would not kill her because it did not interest him at the moment.

- Who's there? Show up, or I'll be forced to shoot.

- I do not think that's necessary.

  Achila saw a tall shadow walking toward her slowly and with hands raised to reach the boundaries between shadow and sunlight. Was a vampire with pure and noble blood, without a doubt and that reminded her Blake. His hair was even blacker than the Blake and he looked even paler than the rest of its kind. The clothes were apparently heavy, as they were made of black and red leather with some loud silver.

- Who are you?

- I'm just passing through, miss, do not worry about me.

  His eyes were red like human blood, but carry unique beauty and nobility that no other vampire in the world would.

- What are you doing here? It's one of the Northern soldiers?

  He smiled for reasons that only he would understand and stepped from the shadows slowly walking toward her.

- I'm not one soldier, you should realize that I am part of the nobility for yourself. I am here only in passing to feed me.

- How could you do this?

- What? Ah, stay in the sun without turn into ashes? Say I fed me so much human blood absorbed certain features and resistance to the sun is one. Are you surprised?

 Achila analyzed him critically, but did not remember him at all.

- What is your name? I've ever seen anyone like you around here before.

- My name is Valentine. - He bowed slightly before disappearing.

║☓ Fourteenth Bloody Rose

  The help from the northern army made Richard lost sleep the next ten days. None of it made sense, unless they were quite sure of what they wanted. Anyway, he hoped that the war would not come so quickly.
  But what if something happened? Who would take control of the army and of that clan to that victory was guaranteed? Even with the decreasing amount of enemies, the tension grew more and more, as only one could emerge victorious clan of all that carnage that was going on. He rang the bell and the most trusted strategist knocked his door seconds later. 
- I do not think that's a good idea, sir. 
- Liam, I have no choice. If anything happens to me in the course of this war I want everything to be forwarded and decided. I ask you to keep this letter and I want you to promise me that you will support the new leader in the same way that you supported me during these years. 
- Yes sir. I would never betray my origins, though I have my doubts. 
- There is no place for doubt, I have decided and will not change my decision.
 - I completely understand, but I hope you know what you are doing.
 - You do not trust me?
 - I trust you, but not on what might happen after this new commander to take control of the situation. - He put the paper in his jacket pocket - but I still can not understand the reason you think about it now. For years and years you never thought about dying or losing, you prepared us for this war a lifetime. 
- Things change and I fear what might happen going forward. The enemies of the northern border have impeccable army and are the ones who are not yet in internal conflicts. All other clans who had entered alliances with each other and conflicts and ended up killing each other, but the Belgian and the other seem to be in harmony, as if they were brothers and that makes me worried. 
 - They may have intended to kill everyone and then fight each other to decide who will rule everything, however they are being careful with us because of what we have here. 
- The brothers Allucard.
- Exactly. By the time they are fearing their power, but I'm sure that they, especially that Belgian, planning to kill them first and then loot the castle. Therefore, leave them as they are so close together can commit ourselves, as they may end up being killed at once, making way for the enemy and for our defeat. 
- Blake made me promise not to separate them. In addition, they manage to fix things. They managed to escape withlife from him, they can do it again.
  Liam frowned, little confident with the statement of his master. 
- My Lord! South enemy movements are being detected!
 - Is there any kind of reinforcement?
 - No sir. Apparently their alliance was broken, since the soldiers are wounded.
  The soldiers and generals were ready to leave, though Richard saw that Blake was the controlling in the lobby.
 - What's going on here?
 - Richard, we can not let them out into battle, at least not now.
 - I understand you're getting at ... You all, lower your weapons and wait my commands.
  Achila was watching the movement of the window.
 - Blake! They are coming again!
  Richard and Blake rushed to look out the window and saw the same scene repeating itself: Northern soldiers came, eliminated enemies and simply walked away without another word.
 - My Lord! Northern soldiers were detected through the trees, do not say what they plan to do. 
- Continue watching and do not miss even a single movement, this indicates that they are up to something. I need soldiers around the castle for a while until they decide to do something.
  The soldiers who were dressed volunteered to stay around the castle until sunrise while Richard was thinking what to do. 
- It is clear that this is an attack movement. 
- Liam, we can not get ahead of ourselves. - Blake countered - And if they know of another enemy attack near and waiting for? 
- You are a very naive kid. The only clan that remain are ours, theirs, and the center-west border. Wondering how that Belgian is ornery, I suppose he has sent troops in that direction to put an end to that castle. 
- In other words, we are their only obstacle to the rule of the land.
 - Exactly. After they assumed power over all the clans, they have broken up the alliance and will fight to decide who will actually control everything. For this reason we keep the senses alert even while we sleep.

║☓ Thirteenth Bloody Rose

- Wake up! Wake up! Attack enemy of the northwest frontier! 
- We have to go.
  Achila looked out the window. This time it was not the same that the Belgian vampire had as his army. They had more soldiers and appeared to be in top form.
 - Blake! The sun didn't finish yet go down, you should wait. 
- Yes, but we can not run the risk of losing the land.
  They left the room and all the other soldiers were leaving for the battlefield. 
- Wait a minute.
  It was the voice of Richard.
 - What happened? 
- You do not go to the battlefield.
  Several soldiers began to murmur the reason Richard say that. Is he groove surrendering in full beginning of the war?
 - Feel the smell coming from the north. More soldiers are coming.
 - This is one more reason not to stay idle!
 - Shut up. Let's wait and see what happens.
  While the other swayed the decision of the leader, Blake and Achila understood what Richard meant. It was more than evident that both enemies would kill each other to decide who would take the castle and so they would not have to engage in combat at the time.
  The soldiers in the north came with speed never before seen exactly toward the clan that was coming from the Northwest, as Richard thought and before long they both clashed and the battle began.
 - Blake, can you see?
   He nodded. 
- They are the soldiers of that pure blood.
  Richard analyzing the battlefield to understand what was happening and to predict what the enemy would, as the soldiers of the North were with guaranteed victory.
  There were only a few enemies of the Northwest, but who were killed in seconds by the Belgian Army, which was intact and without suffering any loss. Richard's soldiers were tense, with weapons in hand to fight back against that army, who was retiring from the field with no hint of trying to attack the castle. Blake, Achila and Richard looked at each other when one of the guards shouted one of the towers. 
- They are pulling out, there is no sign of attack. 
- Are you sure about that?
 - Yes sir. There is no ambush, it is as if they knew the invasion and had just come to help us.
 - But I did not make alliance with anyone, who would appear some kind of help?
  The soldiers were retreating slowly with a sigh of relief. Richard was still looking out the window, trying to locate a trap or some sign that it still was not over, but failed. It was really like the sentry said. 
- That pure blood must be up to something. 
- He must be planning to protect our lands until only his army and ours. In this way, it will be the decisive battle.
 - It can take a long time. Maybe he's trying to eliminate all the threats in the region so that it can concentrate all his strength in us and thus dominate the entire province at a time. 
- Anyway, what he did was an unusual act, we must always be alert. 
- Why did you do that? 
- They were nothing more nor less than worms in our way.
- But they were going to attack the Richard's land; why did stop it?
- Because I want to rip the heads of Allucard brothers with my own hands. Until then, I will not allow someone else does, not even you. 
- I also have no interest in them. Do what you want for now.