The darkness had fallen over the dusty and cracked road leading into Rosas. The gates were already shut and the majority of the people sought safety indoors. Most of them went inside the Wandering Sisters to eat and drink.

Adrian stood by the usual tree with his lantern shining brightly from one of the branches. He was playing with an illusion spell, making a purple butterfly flutter and transform into birds and then back again.

Leaning against the tree trunk were his two blades. One steel sword and one made of silver, crafted to slay any night creature which might be stalking the area. 

A few groups of people had assembled on the cobblestone, discussing anything ranging between adventure and gossip. Not caring about the cold howling of the wind or the beasts which might have been watching them from the trees.

"Shahermerite." The deep and proud voice reached Adrian before the owner had even properly materialised. The man who emerged from the shadows was tall, dressed in black and red with long claws of silver on his black gloves. He corrected the ring that sat, sunken, around his finger and eyed Adrian up and down as the wizard lost concentration of the spell and it fizzled out into mere glitter as it fell upon the ground.

"Alistair, good evening." Adrian's voice was stoic and strong, yet he hid one of his hands behind his back to conceal the shaking of his fingers. Cold sweat became beads on his forehead and he was lucky that the blue hood covered most of his features and the fear which displayed itself behind his eyes.

"You're alone tonight, I see?"

As Alistair spoke, the rest of the heroes, standing around Rosas' outskirts as they did, slowly started to notice him and created quite the crowd. They kept their distance, but stood close enough to be able to listen in to the conversation.

Emerging from the well with the damp stench of the sewer stuck to her, Lysithea walked out from behind the wall of people, and attempted her hardest to see whatever they were all looking so hard at. The familiar voice got her first and her eyes grew wide.

"Dusk…" She whispered and quickly hurried towards the crowd and attempted to get past, but they blocked her path and didn't seem interested in giving her any space.

"What a pleasure to see you again, my friend." Alistair smirked from behind his hood and placed his hand behind his back, mimicking Adrian who still tried his hardest to keep his cool.

"What is it that you want, DeLaine?" By speaking the vampire's true name instead of the Redferne's, which had been given to him at his conversion, the dark skinned man attempted to show some form of confidence. His voice stayed strong yet he had to swallow down the anxious feeling which wanted to build up and evolve into dread as soon as he had uttered it.

"I was merely out for a pleasant walk, hoping to perhaps have a pleasant talk." Alistair waved a hand in the air and the howling of wolves reached the streets before the beasts emerged from in between the trees and placed themselves around the crowd, stopping them from getting involved.

The watchers hunched up closer together, some grabbed their weapons, unsheathed and prepared their spells, yet no one wanted to be the first to strike so instead they stood there, ready to defend themselves.

This only made it even more difficult for Lysithea to get past. One of the men grabbed her and pushed her past him into the large huddle of people which trapped her even further.

"Alistair!" She shouted, but her voice was drowned out by nervous screams, loud voices of worry and the growling of the dogs.

"As long as I get what I want no one will get hurt."

"And what do you want exactly? Surely it's something more specific than just a 'pleasant talk'"

"Not at all." Alistair grinned, tauntingly towards Adrian who frowned in turn.

"Very well, what do you wish to discuss?"

"Hm-..." Alistair hummed to himself, tapping on his chin with one of his claws.

"Perhaps the reason why you don't wish to join me and my harbingers and fight for a proper cause, instead of protecting sheep who can't count past two." He gestured towards the crowd of heroes and watched as some of them grew angrier and was about to lash out but instantly stopped in their tracks as the large wolves barked and showed their teeth.

"We have spoken about this many times before."

"Mhm, but I still don't understand. Why do you follow a god who believes no action should ever be taken?"

"No violent action should be taken in vain. We only fight if we have to, and to protect."

Alistair gestured with his arms to the side. "Then attack me."

"I cannot."

The vampire grinned from ear to ear and tilted his head to the side. 

"But if you did you'd protect my future victims, wouldn't you?"

"Kill him!" A woman from the crowd shouted. 

"Slay him before it's too late!" Screamed another.

Lysithea spun around, she looked from person to person with her hands pressed towards her chest. Her eyes were filled with slight panic and she continued to try and press herself past the people blocking her path.

"Don't! There is no need for-... for bloodshed! He hasn't done anything!" 

The wolves moved even closer, making the crowd squeeze together tighter, nearly crushing her frail frame. She raised her hand into the air, attempting to get Alistair's attention but was too short to reach above people's heads. 

"I simply don't understand you people." Alistair gestured towards Adrian and then the crowd.

Then, a man rushed forward with a battle axe in hand. Adrian looked over his shoulder at the location of the battle cry and his eyes grew wide. The large burly man rushed past the wolves and leaped through the air. He held his weapon above his head, ready to swing it down against Alistair's skull. 

The vampire stared at the man and with a snap of his fingers a large wolf jumped from behind him, materialising like a ghost through a wall, and bit into the man's neck, shaking with its head from side to side until the head of the man went flying into the crowd that screamed out in fear and anger at the scene. 

The animal growled and snarled,  showing its bloodied fangs.

"As I said…" Alistair dusted his shoulder off with a frustrated expression. "Why do you folk follow a god that allows no fun? You're all in shackles, not just by your own fears but by values that bind you into a docile life."

Adrian slowly turned his attention back towards the taller man, his face now pale after witnessing what his pets could do. 

"...but you-...” he swallowed and coughed. "You follow the Tyrant. He doesn't have followers, he has slaves. You have no free will. You're forever moving around in terror of what he might do if you fail him."

Alistair glared towards him and raised his head high. 

"The weak are to be used, to be on their knees while the strong stand tall, in control." The vampire gestured towards the wolves and the hunched up squad of people. "Just like this."

"You're all the same to Tyrun." Adrian argued and Alistair peered towards him, crossing his arms. He didn't rise to anger, but instead remained strangely calm which made the Shahermerite even more nervous.

"And you are a slave to your values all the same… reaching for a better life without the ability to touch it." He flashed his fangs towards Adrian who swallowed hard.

"I will not join you, Alistair."

"Oh, you will." The vampire pointed towards him, the point of his claw inches away from his dark skinned nose. "Either you choose to join me and do so with dignity or you will do it in shackles…"

He lowered his arm and took a step back towards the shadows. The wolves backing off in union. When he took a step so did they, as if they were all part of him.

"Or in death."

Lysithea pushed herself past the group of people as they finally started to separate once the wolves started to give them some leeway. 

She fell past the last row and ended up nearly stumbling to her knees.

They then locked eyes. Alistair's red with her own in gold. They looked at each other for what felt like eternity. Her cheeks reddened and her mouth fell open slightly as she took a wobbled step forward, her hands pressed towards her chest. 

Alistair took one final step back and vanished into the darkness and she rushed forward. Running past Adrian who reached out to stop her but failed by an inch. She flashed past him and in between the trees.

"Alistair! Alistair!" She shouted and spun around, trying to look into the darkness of the woods which slowly began to burn in the rebirth of the sun as the dawn broke through the branches and leaves, casting orange warm light over her.