--- ???'s Point of View ---
"My Lady, the plan succeeded. The grey wizard has exhausted most of his mana due to the high-tier spell he cast. Shall we proceed?" one of my servants asked.
"Not yet. Those two rangers turned out to be tougher than I anticipated, and neither of them is wounded. If we attack head-on, we'll suffer needless casualties because of their archery." I said calmly.
Those two archers are dangerously skilled. I've been watching the battle from the beginning. Being a half-vampire has its perks. They can't kill me, but I don't want my handsome little blood bags to die. It's not easy to find such perfect men. I only have thirty of them — my cute, handsome little toys, my food supply, my collection. Unfortunately, elves are such stubborn creatures. They would rather kill themselves than become food for a vampire. And elven blood, especially that of high-purity purebloods, is so delicious that just thinking about it makes me aroused. A single goblet of that blood, depending on its purity, is worth a hundred — no, a thousand — human lives. I tasted it once, and I became addicted. But my goal lies elsewhere now.
"My Lady, the Oak Shield group has fewer numbers. Why don't we attack them? Two of their men are heavily wounded and the wizard is exhausted. Let us prove ourselves to you," said one of my servants.
"Ohh… sweetheart, you're just too adorable. But it's exactly because you're so sweet that I can't let you die. You might think we'd win if we charged on horseback, but those two rangers are professionals. I never thought human rangers could be this skilled, and now I have two right in front of me. If we attack from horseback, more than half of us might get killed. They're as skilled as Legolas Greenleaf… well, almost. They're not quite as agile."
My men flinched at the mention of Greenleaf. I had entered the Greenwood in hopes of capturing a few elves. The other elven kingdoms were out in the open and tightly guarded. Capturing elves in the open is impossible — especially in the kingdoms of that bitch Galadriel and the handsome Elrond. They'd never stop hunting us down. But Thranduil is different. Ever since losing his wife, he locked himself away in the forest and rarely ventures out, nor does he send his men far beyond Greenwood. There was ample time to snatch two elves and escape. Elves are so disciplined they wouldn't dare act without their king's permission. Rarely do they defy royal orders.
We raided an elven garrison and captured three elves alive. The rest we killed. That night, I feasted. But then that handsome bastard Greenleaf appeared with two brown-haired elven bitches. That's when I realized how dangerous rangers are. Twenty of my men died in that forest, and more than half of them were killed by Greenleaf himself. But he was incredibly handsome… and I managed to drink a drop of his blood. It was divine. Just a tiny drop — but it was so warm, so flavorful… it enhanced my aura and mana. I had never felt so alive, so warm, so happy.
"But my Lady," another servant said, "how could two rangers as skilled as Greenleaf have reached this point without gaining fame?"
"I don't know. Maybe they were in seclusion. But they wore matching outfits, like a uniform, and their archery styles were very similar. That suggests they're together — maybe even part of an elite unit. The bearded one never hid; he protected the dwarf and hobbit archers openly. But the clean-faced, handsome one killed almost all eleven Crimson Scorpions in the forest without being seen. Though they weren't top-level, their leader was the Venom Dagger — a gold-ranked scorpion."
Crimson Scorpions are ranked from Bronze – Iron – Silver – Gold – Diamond – Mithril. Each rank is further divided into three levels: Novice, Intermediate, and Elite. Their medallions are embedded with rubies according to their rank.
Venom Dagger is a famous Crimson Scorpion — not widely known among the people, but among those like me, he's renowned. That alone proves his skill. Strangely, the Crimson Scorpions seem eager for the Oak Shield group to die. I convinced them to kill the rangers instead, which intrigued me. They didn't come for money — they came to ensure the dwarves were dead. I wonder… why do the servants of dead Sauron want the Oak Shield dead so badly? It's laughable. An exiled king with no kingdom… how can he be a threat? The more I think about it, the more I want to laugh — especially looking at the trash around him. But I must admit: Kili and Fili aren't bad. Nor are that wise old Balin and his brother Dwalin. But the real threats are Oak Shield, the Grey Wizard, and my dear Igris and his companions!
My men were stunned and swallowed hard.
"Heh! Just as expected from the Black Knight… even those around him are extraordinary. That group is worth roughly 400,000 gold — maybe more," said my right-hand and most loyal servant. But I chuckled at his bitter, tired tone.
"Haha… dear Anton, you still don't like Igris? Is it because of your eye?" I asked. Igris had gouged out poor Anton's eye with a finger.
"My Lady, when two knights fight, they fight with honor! But he gouged my eye out — with his finger! And in such a dishonorable way!" he said angrily.
I rolled my eyes. "Anton, don't blame Igris. We ambushed him. Even if he had defeated you, I wouldn't have let him leave. He must be mine. Or… are you jealous, sweetheart?" I said, holding his chin.
Anton looked at me but didn't speak.
"My Lady, why do you want that dog so badly? I'm enough for you. Even the ones here are better than that mutt!" said a harsh, arrogant, spoiled voice. It made me unhappy.
"Markus!" I said, releasing my bloodlust and my aura and mana, my men backed away in fear. "You are insulting me by insulting my chosen man!" I said, approaching him. He is my left arm, but he does not understand his position, but he is very loyal and worships me, otherwise I would have killed him long ago, and he has potential.
"BUT MY LADY! HE'S NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN YOU! HE EVEN CURSED AT YOU! WHY DO YOU STILL WANT HIM? CAN'T YOU SEE THAT EVERYONE HERE IS YOUR MAN?" he shouted furiously.
I approached him, grabbed his throat, and lifted him into the air. He wore heavy plate armor, but I'm a vampire hybrid — lifting him is like raising a stick.
"Markus! You're overstepping! You forget who your master is!" I said with fury and slammed him into the ground. The earth cracked and he coughed up blood. I leaned over him and kissed him, drinking the blood from his mouth. It was sweet… but still annoying.
"Why do I want Igris, you ask? So curious?" I said, looking at them all. They didn't answer, but their curiosity was clear.
"Because all of you combined are not worth a single drop of his blood," I said calmly.
They were stunned. As I expected, Markus lost his mind.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HOW CAN THAT DESPICABLE SON OF A BITCH'S BLOOD BE WORTH MORE THAN MINE!" I said, looking down on him with contempt.
"Markus, can you kill Igris one-on-one at his best?" I asked coldly. Markus opened his mouth but said nothing. I looked around; they were all staring at the ground. Then I turned to Anton.
"Anton, can you beat the current Igris?"
"Yes, my Lady, but I'd have to sacrifice an arm or die with him. His fighting is not normal; even his teacher, the Grey Guard, doesn't fight as wildly as he does. You never know what he'll do in a fight and…" he stopped. I got curious since Anton never likes to talk about Igris. I asked,
"And?"
"…My Lady, he's someone who enjoys fighting and is a madman, a wild man without discipline. Remember, my Lady, when one of our men captured him, Igris killed our man by biting his throat off." He said, and the others shivered. Even proud Markus went pale. We hadn't told them this; only a few witnessed it. I chuckled, even laughed out loud.
"HAHAHAHA! THAT INCIDENT MADE ME WANT HIM EVEN MORE! I AM A VAMPIRE! TEARING THROATS APART IS MY THING, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME, IT MAKES ME FALL FOR HIM MORE! HAHAHA!" I said and calmed down.
"For now, rest!" I said, snapping my fingers. The man who would feed me today made a cut on his arm and filled my goblet. I took it and went to my horse.
"Rosa, my dear companion, you want to see the shadowmane too, don't you?" I said, and she neighed happily.
"Smart girl, you picked the horse of the man I chose!" I said.
KYAAA!
HAH!
Pleug!
I looked toward the source of the sound. My druids had fainted, and I smirked. As expected from my man, he noticed. They were using animals common to the area, which made me even happier. I looked toward the oak shield group — they were tiny dots but still visible.
"Wait, my love, soon we'll be together. You escaped my grasp seven times, but this time it won't happen. Whether you want it or not, you'll be mine!"
—Igris's Point of View—
"Alright Igris! Uncle! We killed 22 animals wandering around, and when three of them died, they exploded — it was disgusting!" said Kili.
"Understood! Good job, Kili and Bilbo! Thanks to you, we now understand what's going on! Keep it up!" I said.
These two have improved a lot, and I'm really curious to see what they will accomplish throughout the journey!
"You two, tell Halt and Gilan that we're increasing our speed; we need to put some distance between us!" Thorin said.
The pair nodded, and Bilbo left, but Kili stayed behind, hesitating to say something. I didn't speak; Thorin was the leader of the group, and he was Kili's uncle.
"Say it, Kili, what happened?" Thorin asked.
"…Uncle… are we really going to take refuge with the elves?" he said.
Thorin's brows furrowed, and he sighed reluctantly, "Yes…" he admitted.
Wow! I was seeing Thorin struggle like this for the first time… no, wait! I'd also seen him make this face while struggling in the bathroom! How do I know? I ran into him once on my way to the toilet; he was behind some bushes. But thank Shadow Knight, my sword, and my honor—I didn't see below the waist! I only saw his face; otherwise, I would've had nightmares!
"But Uncle, you told us the elves aren't good! What if they do something to us?" Kili asked.
Thorin looked at me, and my face darkened. Why should I be the one to explain? He's your nephew… wait, this is an opportunity!
"Öhm! Well then, my dear NEPHEW!" I said, and the two of them flinched. Thorin's face darkened; he opened his mouth, but I quickly stuffed some meat into it, making him cough. I hurriedly poured some beer down his throat. Kili stared, stunned.
"My dear nephew, we have much to take to Rivendell—ammunition, medicine, poison, and the map must be read. Lord Elrond can do that. Besides, we have two seriously wounded and many cuts and bruises. We have no choice; otherwise, the expedition to Erebor will fail!" I said firmly. "Nephew?" Kili muttered in disbelief, but I ignored him and continued.
"Besides, with Gandalf here, nothing will happen to us!" I said, stepping closer to him. "Gandalf has some very suspicious relations with Lady Galadriel!" I added—and then got hit on my head, or rather my helmet, and I looked back to see an angry Gandalf!
"IGRIS! DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO BRING THIS UP AGAIN?!" he growled through his teeth.
"What topic? Kili, what did I tell you?" I said, giving Kili a stern look. Finally, Thorin swallowed the meat in his mouth and smiled, opening his mouth—but I shoved an apple in it. He gave me a glare as if he was going to devour me alive! Shame on you—I'm feeding you like this; where else would you find a brother like me?
"He was explaining to me why we're going to Rivendell! Why are you so angry?" Kili said innocently. Good job, Kili! I swear I'll fix things with Tauriel! Actually, if I pull out a high elf bow from the system, it'll be an engagement gift—promise! I looked at Gandalf and shrugged.
"You're getting old, old man! Or maybe you're just hearing what you want to hear!" I said calmly and innocently. Gandalf glared at me and cursed! Gandalf cursed!
"I hope so, Igris. I don't want to hear this again!" he said, spurring his horse forward.
Phew! That was a close one—wizards are dangerous beings!"Alright Kili, tell Gilan, we're speeding up!" I said. Kili nodded and left.
Suddenly, a shiver ran from the top of my head down to my toes. My whole body trembled like a building shaking in an 8-magnitude earthquake—and Shadowmane shuddered and trembled as well.
"...Shadowmane..." I said, my voice trembling.
"...Yes, my knight..." she replied, her voice just as shaky.
"We must be shivering from the wind, right..." I said, still trembling.
"Yes, we must be shivering from the wind!" she answered, trembling as well.
"What wind! The wind hasn't blown since morning!" Thorin snapped irritably, clearly still angry.
Shadowmane and I glanced at him, then at each other, and swallowed hard—our tension was almost unbearable.
"Shadowmane, sniff the surroundings! RIGHT NOW!" I ordered, and Thorin looked stunned. Shadowmane, like a wolf, sniffed the air, and the whole group fell silent in astonishment. Shadowmane comes from the lineage of Firemanes and can detect vampire-like creatures, but their senses vary depending on their age and the amount of blood they've drunk. After finishing her investigation, Shadowmane stopped and looked at me.
"They're here... I can feel them!" she said, trembling.
"Oh no! That crazy woman found us!" I said, my voice shaking as I buried my head in my hands.
"...And her insane mare!" Shadowmane added, trembling.
"What's wrong, Igris? Did something happen?" Thorin asked, frowning.
"WE'RE SPEEDING UP! WE'RE RUNNING! WE'RE BURNING RUBBER! RUN OR I'LL STRANGLE ANYONE WHO FALLS BEHIND!" I shouted, accelerating, and shock rippled through the group. Thorin and Gandalf rushed to my side as the horses galloped on, asking,
"Why are we running?" Thorin demanded.
"FROM KATARINA! CRAZY, INSANE, MAD, SADISTIC, OBSESSED, AND CUNNING KATARINA!" I said, panicked, and the others around us looked shocked.
"AND HER INSANE, CRAZY, MAD MARE!" Shadowmane added in panic, but only I understood the depth of her words.
"Which Katarina, Igris?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes, why are we running? Who is Katarina?" Thorin pressed.
"KATARINA, KATARINA SCARLET! THE RED LADY AND LEADER OF THE BLOOD ROSE KNIGHTS! SHE'S AFTER US!" I said, trembling.
"WHAT!?" came the shocked exclamation from the group.
"Are you sure, Igris? The vampire chasing us is the Red Lady?" Gandalf asked seriously, and the onlookers grew curious.
"ABSOLUTELY SURE! 1,000%! NO! 1,000,000% SURE THAT CRAZY WOMAN IS HERE!" I affirmed.
"AND HER INSANE MARE!" poor Shadowmane added.
"I ESCAPED THAT MADWOMAN SEVEN TIMES! I SWEAR ON MY LIFE, SHE'S THE ONE AFTER US!" I said firmly.
"AND HER INSANE MARE!" Shadowmane repeated, and I increased our speed—but honestly, I didn't have to push; Shadowmane seemed like she'd downed a ton of energy drinks! She hit turbo! I can't blame her—both Katarina and her mare Rosa are obsessive lunatics wanting to make us their men, husbands, or servants! WE'D RATHER DIE THAN LET THAT HAPPEN, GIRL! I'M STILL YOUNG! I HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH ADVENTURE! AND I'D NEVER MARRY YOU! THAT MADWOMAN ROBS AROUND 50 GUYS AND CALLS THEM HER PRECIOUS COLLECTION! I'M AGAINST HAREMS, BRO!
"SPEED UP! I'LL SEND THE ONES LEFT BEHIND TO DURINE—THREE TIMES!" Thorin said, determined as we kicked our horses into full gallop! We went full Dominic Toretto! BUT ON HORSES!
Don't think I'm exaggerating—Katarina Scarlet, the Red Lady and leader of the Blood Rose Knights, is a strategist and powerful leader active for 400 years! That's right! A 400-year-old grandmother is chasing poor me! Katarina is extremely dangerous! With her 100 knights, she utterly crushed Gondor's 1,000-strong army! And she's an elite—professional! A troublemaker that even Elrond and Galadriel found headache-inducing! She uses both mana and aura! She's an expert in blood magic and necromancy! Gandalf is exhausted right now, or she would have burned him, but his mana is depleted! I'm nursing an arm injury, cracked ribs, and I'm tired! This woman used attacking groups as bait and wore us down! Her main goal was to exhaust Gandalf because he's our biggest threat! Damn it! If I had known, I would've called the Swadian militia and imperial elite crossbowmen! But they would've slowed us down! I wish I had summoned the Kuzait tribe warriors immediately! Katarina's biggest weakness is her collection! She doesn't want her men to die—not because she cares or loves them, but because they belong to her!
Katarina's men are famous and legendary warriors! She never takes ordinary ones with her, and whatever she's done, men worship her—does she have a love potion or aura? Or some hocus-pocus? Abracadabra? expecto patronum? Nope! The latter was banishing evil! Anyway, keep running! I want to take the head of the guy who said vampires can't walk during the day! VAMPIRES WALK DURING THE DAY! THIS VAMPIRE WITCH IS COMING STRAIGHT FOR ME! Vampires walk during the day, but their energy consumption increases and their strength is halved! So it's better not to wait for the evening!
"Igris, what's going on? Why did we speed up?" Halt asked.
"Halt! The Blood Rose Knights are after us! The Red Lady herself, Katarina Scarlet, is here! Her alertness is doubled, no, twenty times, no no—make that two hundred times!" I said.
"WHAT!? IS THERE A VAMPIRE AFTER US?!" Gilan shouted.
"Not just any vampire! She forcibly recruits handsome and strong men! She has a harem of over a hundred!" I told Gilan, and both he and Halt were stunned.
"She was behind that ambush! And she definitely watched the battle from a high vantage point! There are very few archers in her cult! You're targets too, congratulations! Also, she's 400 years old!" I added.
"WHAT!? NEVER! I HAVE A WIFE! MY DEAR PAULINE! AND I'VE GOT MY YOUTH BACK! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CHILDREN WITH HER!" Halt said seriously.
"I AGREE! I HAVE MY JENNIFER! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CHILDREN WITH HER! WHAT WOMAN! WHAT GRANDMOTHER! WHAT HAREM, DAMN IT!" Gilan said angrily and panic-stricken.
"You're exaggerating!" Thorin said quietly.
"WHAT EXAGGERATION! THAT WOMAN TRIED TO CATCH ME SEVEN TIMES! I'VE LIVED THE MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE! AND OF COURSE, YOU GUYS ARE ALL COZY! BECAUSE THAT CRAZY WOMAN DOESN'T TAKE DWARF MEN!" I snapped angrily.
you don't even know what I'm feeling! In my previous life, I was single too! I couldn't understand women! And they stayed away from me, while I was too shy to talk! Whenever I tried to speak to a woman, my tongue would cramp up! And now, here I am, being wanted by a complete lunatic! And she's four hundred years old! Someone with over a hundred men! Age differences happen because of interspecies differences! But over a hundred men? And a female vampire! They want my blood!
Thorin looked at me silently and said, "Should I take that as an insult? Or a compliment?"
"A compliment, man! You're handsome, but a dwarf! She sees dwarves as scruffy and greasy! She says their blood's no good!"
"…I think you're insulting me!" he said.
"Come on Thorin! Look at me! I'm running away! Running away from a woman!" I said angrily.
"That woman is the Red Lady! Running away isn't a crime, it's a necessity!" he said coldly, then smirked.
"Maybe you should just surrender! I heard she's very beautiful! Has skin as white as milk!" he added, laughing.
"WHAT MILK-WHITE SKIN! THAT'S DEFINITELY THE SKIN OF A DEAD BODY! A GHOST! A WRAITH!"
"Don't be like that, Igris! Let's stop and wait. I'm a king, I have the authority to marry you!" he said, his laughter growing louder.
"He's right, I'll be your witness!" Gandalf said, smirking.
"Is that you talking, old man?"
"Look, even Gandalf agrees! The grey wizard will be your witness!" Thorin laughed.
"THORIN! I HAVE TERRIBLE THOUGHTS ABOUT MY SWORD AND YOUR BACK! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"THOOOOORRRIIIIIINNNN!" I clenched my teeth.
Someone hold me back, or I'm going to cut this guy down!
— Katarina's Point of View —
I'm so impatient! Igris, my Igris! I wonder how much stronger he's become? Has he thought about me? Has he missed me? I've missed him so much... and the taste of his blood!
"My lady, they're speeding up!" Anton said.
"Ah… you felt me, my one true love!" Katarina said, while Anton and the others fell silent.
"My lady, they're running away, they're not coming to us!" Markus said angrily.
"That's fine! That just makes me desire him even more!" I said, not lying — run and flee, Igris! I love prey that runs away.
"Speed up! Let's catch them!" I said, licking my lips. I'm so thirsty, but today I won't drink any blood except Igris's!
"Come on, Rosa! Let's both catch our men!" I said, and Rosa neighed joyfully and picked up speed. For the first time in 500 years, a man excites me this much. My vampire heart is pounding fast — usually, our hearts are frozen and don't beat! This is pure love! And I will taste it!
You won't escape today, Igris! Today, I will hold you in my arms! I swear on my name.
(Igris: OH GOD, GRANDMA! PLEASE LET ME GO! THERE'S AN AGE GAP HERE! I'M MUCH YOUNGER! WE'RE NOT COMPATIBLE! READERS, HELP! THE MC IS GETTING KIDNAPPED! IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, THE STORY CAN'T PROGRESS!)