Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 555: Explain your intrusion!

•••

A carriage hurtled down the streets of the Capital. Inside it were four beautiful ladies, all looking tense, their eyes focused on the road.

"I knew something was going to happen," Aylin said, "I just knew it."

"Yes, yes. All hail your ability to predict the obvious," Kaya, who was in the driver’s seat, said snidely, "We all ’knew’ something was going to happen. We wouldn’t still be in the Capital otherwise."

"Oh, I don’t know," Eloise said with a shrug and an attempt at a relaxed voice, "The break is only for two weeks. When you account for the time of travel, many would opt to stay behind. It’s why the Lochxen dormitories are open to all who would like to stay for the holiday."

"Heh, I sure as hell would have stayed either way," Aylin said with a little scoff, "I want to be here when he gets back. I’d like to know where the hell he’s been."

The others knew who the ’he’ in Aylin’s sentence referred to. They also shared her sentiments, which had indeed contributed to their decision to stay behind at the Capital. Besides just keeping an eye on Aurelius in case their help was needed.

"You’re sure he said Aristide Manor?" Kaya said as she spurred the carriage on to drive a bit faster, but she was already going as fast as her Magic Circle allowed before she was driving them into a crash and didn’t even know it.

"It has to have been," Aylin said with a frown, "There’s no such thing as ’Aristide Man...’ is there?"

"Well..." Eloise started.

"You know what I mean," Aylin snapped, "’Aristide Man’ isn’t a location, is it?"

"Yeah," Eloise admitted, "Yeah, it’s not."

They drove on in silence for a while longer, and no one said a word as the implications of the situation seemed to dawn on them more heavily still. But, as though just to make it sink in deeper, Eloise broke the silence.

"Again, what happens if Aurelius loses... If we don’t get there in time?" She asked slowly.

Delia answered, speaking for the first time since the four ladies had entered the carriage and started this drive.

"According to Caius, Demonic hordes will troop out of Hell and lay waste all they set their eyes on. In other words, the world will end."

Another moment of silence, and then Kaya’s brows furrowed.

"But to what end?" She asked, "Why destroy the world? What purpose does that serve?"

It was Aylin who answered.

"It serves the purpose of the world ceasing to exist. That’s what demons do; They destroy. The stories say there is no rhyme or reason to the chaos and discord they sow."

All four ladies shivered, and there was silence again as Kaya went winding through streets, making sharp and hard turns.

"You know where you’re going, right?" Aylin asked then.

"I checked the map," Kaya said a bit defensive, "You’re welcome to take over, if you’d like."

Aylin frowned but didn’t accept the offer. She didn’t know the Capital any better than Kaya did. After they decided to stay at the Capital for the Semester break, Aylin had gone to Arlette, who didn’t dissuade them and, in fact, suggested a place they would be welcome; At a Mansion belonging to Professors Anne and Lea Gilligan.

Aylin and the others had been surprised at how warmly they had been welcomed by the Professors, and it had taken time to get used to it.

In any case, all four were at the Mansion when Aurelius’s message arrived and, together, they took one of the carriages in the Mansion’s courtyard and set off.

"Do you think they’ll mind that we took the carriage?" Eloise asked.

"We’ll take it back. Hopefully in one piece," Aylin added while eyeing the back of Kaya’s head as she took even more hard turns.

Neither Anne nor Lea Gilligan were at the Mansion at the time Aurelius’s message came in, or Aylin and the others would have asked for permission. Or even asked them to come along. An adult would have been very welcome, but there was no time to rally any.

"Also, we left a message for them with the Mansion workers," Aylin said, "And I sent a message to Arlette as well."

"You mean Professor Louvene," Eloise said.

"Given what we now know about her and Caius, do you think the honorific matters?" Aylin asked with a light smile.

"It’s just respectful, is all," Eloise said and shrugged.

"Well, she doesn’t mind," Aylin said with finality.

"I think," Kaya said, "we’re here."

They had long entered the Aristide territory, a city in itself, and drove past the various houses and establishments with their sights now set on the massive sprawling Estate with buildings that towered over all else in the Territory.

They eyed men dressed in military wear trooping in and out of the Estate’s massive gates with urgency. Clearly, something big—something like a demonic invasion—had happened here.

"So where exactly are we headed now that we’re here?" Eloise asked as Kaya drove toward the open gates.

"Simple. We find Aurelius," Aylin said.

"Shouldn’t be too hard," Kaya said. "We should be close enough to sense the demonic energy."

At the fourth circle, their senses were limited in range, but thanks to their Divine Seed, the ladies had a better sense for demonic presence as it was such an abhorrent opposite to the divinity within them.

The militants who were agitated outside and inside the Aristide Manor turned toward the Carriage as Kaya drove closer and didn’t at all slow down.

"Hey!" A guard yelled, but Kaya ignored him, and before her path could be blocked, she entered the Manor compound.

Ignoring the outcry from the Aristide Militants, Kaya cried out.

"It’s this way!"

And then she yanked the steering of the Carriage to turn away from the paved road leading toward the collection of buildings and drove toward the very outskirts of the Manor, with the wheels of the carriage teeing through grass and foliage and occasionally colliding with ornamental decorations that rocked it but thankfully didn’t cause it to capsize.

Although they were all the same Magic Circle, Kaya had the sharpest senses of the group. Her being part-elf helped, but her sensory abilities had improved even more since her battle against the Malevolent Aura that once plagued her father’s estate.

As such, Kaya sensed the strong demonic presence before the others, but once they drew closer, the other three sensed it as well. A bit more and they saw it;

A gigantic cube of demonic energy that had been blocked partially by stone formations and trees came into better view, along with a massive collection of militants surrounding it and all striking at it with their magical might.

"It’s that sealing cube again," Aylin said through her gritted teeth.

"How are we getting through it?" Eloise asked. She, Kaya, and Aylin had failed to get through the cube the last time, and they had also been at the Fourth Circle then.

"I’m working on it," Delia announced, causing Aylin and Eloise to look over at her.

All through the ride, Delia had barely spoken. Her eyes had also been mostly closed. The others just assumed she was psyching herself up for the coming battle, but now it seemed like there was more to it.

Before they could ask what exactly it was Delia was working on, a blast of magical energy that didn’t give off any particular elemental signature—at least none that the ladies could sense right then—hit the ground right in front of their carriage with a *Bang!*, creating a deep crater while Kaya was forced to bring the carriage to a screeching halt.

"Explain your intrusion!" Commanded an authoritative voice whose source the ladies couldn’t clearly pinpoint.

Mages were surrounding the Carriage now, taking on stances while spell circles were stamped against their knuckles and the tips of their fingers, in preparation to attack.

"We mean you no harm!" Kaya said, taking her hands off the carriage’s steering.

"Out of the carriage!" Said the authoritative voice, "Now!"

The ladies didn’t argue. They opened the carriage doors and stepped out, unable not to take note of the look of surprise and attraction that flicked across the faces of the Male mages who had spell circles turned at them.

"Who are you?" The authoritative voice asked, and this time, the ladies saw the source: a man draped in brilliant noble robes, with golden blond hair and azure eyes.

"We’re here to help!" Aylin said in an indignant voice, annoyed at how she was being treated like some criminal.

"You have not answered my question," said the blond man with a sneer.

"Kaya Aeisling, Eloise Nightingale, Aylin Khione, and Delia Kragsten," Kaya ran through their names quickly and was not surprised to see looks of recognition flash on many of the Mages’ faces before she added with a thumb gestured at the cube the Aristide Militants were still struggling against,

"We’re here to help with that."

The blond man’s expression remained indifferent, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a thrilling female voice commanded,

"Stand down!"