Chapter 3

Swords and Fangs

Chapter 3

Freedom from the Pestilent Shackles

It has been 2 months since the vampires captured them. The children were on the cleansing room. Where the tube should be activated and a liter of blood will be taken from them.

“Darn, that hurts so much.” Ferron winced while Phrielle put her arms around Leo’s shoulder.

“Oh c’mon, pal. It didn’t hurt that bad. Anyways, I have good news. The commander invited me to a dinner, wanna come? “ She said while pursuing her unhappy friend.

“No thanks, I would rather die than have myself join those blood-suckers, and still you want to come with them? You just witnessed a vampire sucking blood from a human two months ago.” He warned her yet the damsel did not listened.

“Aww, at least I’ve got to taste good food there.” They started walking to return to their cavern.

“Seriously?“ Leo stared at her blankly. He sat on the bench near with the pole light.

“You know Leo, as your friend and sister, I’ll do whatever I can to not break us apart.” Then again, Ferron immediately looked at her with wide eyes, surprised after Phrielle said that she was his sister.

“You’re talking nonsense.” Ferron uttered.

“We have a family, together with the kids, we’re brothers and sisters, we will not fall apart okay?“ He dodged eye contact with her then went silent. Here goes their conversation flowing along with ‘Family' Ferron have always hated the word, itself.

“I have no family Phrielle, you know that.” He said in a low voice while opening his book and quietly flipped the pages.

“Ferron, I have something to ask you.”

“I’m reading, after this, you can start asking.” Leo responded.

“When we break out here with the kids, would you be happy?“

“Impossible to happen.” He glanced at her but was in awe while seeing her reassuring, twinkling blue eyes.

“C’mon, you should be imaginative sometimes.” She spoke while giggling.

“Well, yes I will be happy, but that’s quite impossible.” He faced her with quite a blunt expression on his face.

“Then, I will be working on that.” The damsel smiled at him. While Ferron just avoided her gaze.

“The day you entered the orphanage, you became part of our family.” She said while patting his back. His eyes went straight to kids who are playing marbles not far from them. He suddenly saw vampires walking.

“Hey! Look out!” Leo immediately shouted at the kids and the kids turned to him. The ignorant guard walked over the kid's hand and cried loud.

“Ahhh!” The kid hollered in pain. Tears started rolling on his cheeks. Ferron went furious and asked Phrielle to check the kid's hand, so she did but instantly looked at the angered Leo.

“Hey you idiot!“ He captured the vampire’s attention. The guards went closer.

“Say sorry to him! You freaking monster!” In one swing, the monster held his neck and the nipper flinched. The vampire placed Ferron at the edge of the castle where he could meet the ground after 50 feet of falling.

“Please don’t hurt him, I apologize for his behaviour. I can handle him, please put him down.” Phrielle smiled at them as she pleaded. The vampires just glared at her while throwing Ferron unto he ground.

“What’s going on here? “ All of them looked at the direction where the voice come from. A noble.

“Oh nothing Commander, it’s just my family member making trouble again, but I can manage.” Phrielle said at the commander. The nobel just smiled and eyes Ferron whom had just stared at him with a vengeful look. Ferron is compassionate when it comes to kids, he does not like seeing them hurt, for, they do not deserve such treatment.

“Are you ready Phrielle? Let’s go to the feast now. Does this trouble-maker wanna come too?“ The nobel turned his eyes on Ferron, scanning him while meeting his dark, green, glacial pair of eyes.

“Oh it would be better off without him. Hehe.” The young blonde said stopping Leo from saying a word.

“Aww. Next time then.” The nobel had a devilish smile before making his way.

“Phew. That was close, man. C’mon Ferron, what if the Commander Clyde saw that? You would have been dead!“ She chuckled.

“I was about to get that vamp’s butt.” The young boy rebuked.

“About that, why did that noble seemed to know you.yoHe suddenly asked.

“We have a trade, I give him blood and he offers me food. He even let me eat inside his manor whenever I get high scores on our tests. ” Phrielle said with a smile plastered on her face.

“It might seem wrong to you, but using your head for once over your own emotions wouldn't hurt.” What she retorted made Ferron upset. His fervent feelings he had for himself, the wall he made had just a crack letting his feeling burst and drip. He thought that it must've been better if he would not ditto this action. He reposted a backfire.

“Coming from you, you also should use your head for once, selling a part of you in exchange of luxury is not going to change the fact that we'll be rotting here.” He picked up the book, leaving her and kids. He walked straight to the cavern with no say.

“Touché" Whispered Phrielle.

‘Tsh, yeah right. As if befriending an esurient noble would let you live.’

“Oh, joy! You're back Ferron, come now, I made carrot stew.” Erika wore her glorious smile. The kids were shouting in excitement. Erika acted like the mother of the house. She has this amiable personality that makes everyone around her, love her.

“Have Phrielle told you?” The girl with the braided hair asked him through a whisper. He simply nodded. He sat after feeling fatigued.

“Where is Phrielle?”

“Does she not want stew? “

The children asking about Phrielle's whereabouts turned their heads to Leo.

“I-I’ve got no idea” He answered. “Hey kids, you know it’s my birthday today.” The brunette named Erika said.

“What is a birthday Rika?“ The child with curly dark hair asked.

“It is the day you were born from this majestic world.” She replied. Leo suddenly cringed when he heard her utter ‘majestic world’.

“I wanna have a birthday!” The little girl squealed.

“Me too!“

“Yeah! Me too Rica! “

“Okay, okay, settle down now. I have no choice but to declare that this day will be our birthday! All of us!“ The brunette smiled while holding up the stew. The kids hooted, singing a birthday song Rika had taught them.

Ferron, in the other hand, just half-smiled, watching their joyous smiled is enough for him.

“Happy birthday.” He retorted and made his way upstairs. The night was pretty silent. The moon was the only source of light they had. The twinkling stars served as night light with the cool breeze matching up their body heat.

A squeek from the door was heard by Ferron so he stood up and turned there.

“You finally arrived.” He mocked with his arms crossed. Phrielle just shrugged her shoulder.

“Aww, you’ve waited for me. I’m so touched.” She smiled and acted like there was a tear in her eye.

“Tsh. Whatever.” The lad hissed at her and made his way downstairs.

“I’ve got a souvenir, and what is that on the table?” She pointed at the table while facing him.

“It’s just stew Rika made as their birthday celebration.” Leo said coolly. He noticed a paper rolled on Phrille's left hand.

“Aww, I missed the party, have I? I’ll just greet her when she woke. Now, let’s go down to business, this is the map, this is the key to our freedom Ferron.” She said as she opened the map. Ferron was astounded and stunned.

“Where did you get this?“ Ferron asked the latter.

“I sneaked in the vampire’s lounge and found this and I already have a plan on how to get out of this miserable place.” She explained with a smile not wearing off in her face. She handed out a gun.

“And this is for you, for your safety.” She winked at him while Leo was seriously looking at the gun.

“Are you sure that this gun would have pure silver bullets in it? Who would think that a vampire is keeping this thing in their salvation?” He chaffed at the same time proving a point.

“It is made of silver, I am quiet upset of the thought that you think lowly of me. Just so you know, I made the bullets. I took the measurements of the gun's chambers to make them. I happen to just have the opportunity to steal it.” She winked while scribbling curved lines and arrows on the map.

“Then we should move now! Wake everybody! Quick!” He half-shouted and started waking them. While the kids are recovering from their sleep, the two had planned for the escape.

“When escaping, we obviously need a plan. So, here I am sure that there are guards guarding here but they are not stationary. There's a huge statue here,” Phrielle pointed at the box in the map. “We'll hide there for the guards to not see us.” Ferron read her strategy since he knew her for a few months now. It was a reckless act.

“No. We should move separately, our group would be too big for that statue and remember, they are the lowest degree of vampires, their sense of smell is weak, but once a group of us are gathered, they will sense us.” Ferron pointed the other location wherein they have to change directions in order to pass quietly and safely from the guards.

“Oh yeah, nice idea.” Phrielle came to realization. “We have lots of guards on our side, so I will be taking about four of them with me. We will get slowed down because of the number of guards in action. Let's just meet by the palace’s large gazebo near the gate.” Said Nikayla while readying her knives in her pockets.

“The possibility of having this plan turn out as a success is 14%, we have to do this now before they could find out that the map is stolen.” Ferron added while checking his gun.

“Now’s the time to do or die.”

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