The world had already sunk into twilight by the time I stirred from my coffin. The air was cool, and the sun had finally surrendered the sky to the encroaching night. I pushed the metallic lid aside, the dim lights of the underground chamber flickering faintly.
Dusk. The one time of day I could wake without fearing the deadly touch of sunlight.
I stood, stretching to loosen the stiffness from hours of forced sleep. Even after two months, the transition from waking at dawn to living through the night still felt foreign. My body ached for the warmth of the day, but that was a comfort I could never indulge in again.
"My lord, nightfall is upon us," came a voice from the hallway. Thorpe is always punctual and alerts me to shift changes.
"I'm on my way," I called back, fastening my sword at my side.
Emerging from my chamber, I was met by the familiar chill of the stone halls. These lower levels of the citadel dark and untouched by sunlight had become my sanctuary. Above, the world bustled with life during the day, but for me, it was a realm I could no longer walk freely.
As I stepped into the courtyard, the last ember of daylight disappeared beneath the horizon. The first patrols were returning, and the town beyond the fort's walls began to quiet. The night belonged to my regiment now.
Norman approached me as I made my way toward my office. "Good evening, my lord," he greeted politely.
"Good evening, Norman. What brings you here? Shouldn't your shift have ended a few minutes ago, with John in your place?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yes, my lord, but there's a matter I needed to speak on before retiring for the night," Norman replied as we walked toward the office.
"Oh? And what's so pressing that John couldn't handle it?" I asked as we entered the room. Inside, I saw John, Thorpe, James, and Kalrick waiting for me.
I sat behind my desk, glancing at the gathered men. "So, what would be serious enough that both my night and day captains are present?"
"My lord, during the day, the lumberjacks had to retreat from the forest. They believe wolves were stalking the woods," Kalrick answered.
"Wolves?" I leaned back in my chair. "And you're all here because you don't believe these are normal wolves? Because if they were you wouldn`t be here. So then I suspect that you all think they might be Fanged Wolves?" I asked, testing their suspicions.
"Yes, my lord, that's exactly what we fear," Norman replied, sighing.
I turned to James and Thorpe. "You're my night guards, so I assume you're here to listen in, or do you have suggestions?"
James spoke up first. "My lord, we aren't certain of the situation, but we wanted to confirm it with you."
Thorpe added, "Shall we wait and observe, or would you send one of us to investigate?"
"I have no intention of waiting when it comes to those wretched parasites," I said, my voice firm. "James, Thorpe, after this meeting, gather a group of twenty and investigate the woods. The townspeople will need that lumber."
"Understood, my lord," they responded in unison.
"Anything else?" I asked, turning my attention to John.
"Yes, sir, your food supply is running low," John said, sounding concerned.
I waved off his worry. "John, note that I can go nearly a month without feeding. Don't be too pressed about it."
Thorpe then glanced at James before nudging him to speak. "My lord, James has a suggestion," Thorpe urged.
James hesitated but eventually spoke up. "My lord, why not contact other castle lords and suggest using those sentenced to death? We could ensure you have a constant food supply."
The idea, while pragmatic, gave me pause. What would happen to my already tarnished reputation? And who would dare serve as a proxy to propose this to the other castle lords?
"I don't approve of that," I said, shaking my head.
"My lord, we anticipated you would say that," Thorpe replied, his voice filled with concern. "But if you don't feed regularly, what do you think will happen?"
"If it comes to it, I will drink from animals," I answered sharply.
Kalrick, however, wasn't having it. "My lord, you know as well as we do that vampires can't survive on animal blood alone. It won't satisfy you. In fact, it'll only heighten your craving for human blood."
His words hung in the air, cold and unavoidable. The harsh reality of my condition was never far from my thoughts, but hearing it aloud made the burden feel even heavier.
"We could always follow my idea and buy slaves for the lord to feed on," Kalrick said, his tone matter-of-fact.
I shot him a look, one that said clearly, *Don't say that again.*
He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm just saying, my lord, we can't have you starving yourself."
"I'll figure something out," I said, my patience thinning.
"My lord, you have us as proxies during the day," James interjected firmly. "If you don't come up with a solution, we will act."
Thorpe nodded in agreement, standing by James.
I clenched my teeth. "You'd go against my orders, James?"
"My lord," James said without backing down, "when we joined your battalion nearly a year ago, my oath was to follow you. But I can't follow you if you starve yourself into immobility. Worse, if your urges get the best of you and turn you into a senseless killing beast, the Order will send directives along with another captain to deal with you. That's the last thing we want."
He wasn't wrong, and I couldn't argue with his logic. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine. If I can't come up with another solution, you have my approval to proceed with your initial plan."
"Understood, my lord," James and Thorpe said in unison. With that, they departed to gather a team for the forest investigation, while Norman and Kalrick excused themselves to retire for the night.
"Now, John, what do we have for the night?" I asked, turning my attention back to John.
"Well, my lord, I'm proposing we expand the city walls. The town is simply too small," John began.
"And how much will this cost in both supplies and coins?" I asked as he handed me a document.
"To complete the expansion, we'd need around six hundred lumber, eight hundred stone, and approximately five hundred coins," John explained.
I glanced over the document, then back at him. "And I'm assuming there's a reason you and Norman believe this expansion is so necessary?"
"Yes, sire. Currently, our town's way of living is limited. We have lumberjacks, quarries, and bakers, but little else. With this expansion, we'd be able to upgrade the barracks, build a siege and defense weapon shop, and create more townhouses. More importantly, it would allow us to expand our industries, which are sorely lacking. Right now, we're importing far too much from the other castle lords, and frankly, they're exploiting us."
I nodded, understanding the long-term value of his proposal. "I see."
I signed the document after thoroughly reading through it. John's reasoning was sound our town's growth was essential, not only for prosperity but also for independence.
"One more thing, my lord," John continued. "I believe upgrading the walls and gate should be a priority. We've been fortunate, but as tensions grow, we can't remain complacent."
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like an entirely different matter of expenses."
"It is," he admitted, handing me yet another document. "But this would mostly require stone and only minimal lumber for reinforcing the gates. We're proposing a thicker, steel-lined gate, and the cost for labor would be four hundred coins."
I reviewed the details, nodding as I processed the numbers. "It seems prudent."
After reading through it again, I signed off on the project.
"Thank you, my lord. I'll speak with the chief builder tomorrow to integrate this into the ongoing restoration efforts," John said before leaving the room.
I leaned back in my chair, turning to gaze out the window. The moon shone brightly in the sky, casting silver light over the land below. Another night in a life of eternal dusk, with battles both within and without still looming.