The moment Lucian left. Richie sat their contemplating, he didn't want Lucian to deal with his family troubles again. Thus, he sent some guards to watch over him, although already knowing his strength, it may be useless, still he over thinked the possibility.
As the servants dealt with the wolves bodies.
Lucian walked through Cherry City, he scanned over the residents, some even fought each other destroy their remaining shops. He even saw down some alleyways, again people being killed similar to Ebonhaven.
Despite, all the benefits from Cassie voice and beauty she brought to the city, from the tourists. Her voice had energy resonance, making her songs able to subtly affect emotions and even weaken curses if sung under the full moon.
The "young mistress" Cassie was spoken of even in far-off cities for her kindness... but also seeked her ability "her ability to see things not yet born."
However, it didn't bother him to care about them right now. He focused on having to clear the Moongrave Pack, cutting off their return to the city. He tried sniffing out the smell of werewolves in the air.
Suddenly, he stopped he smirked grimly at a weatherworn sign nailed to a splintered post.
By order of the city guards… venture not after dusk, for the howls of moongrave wolves echo, and those who defy the night are rarely seen again. Walk not openly, lest you fall prey to shadows that steal more than coin. Kidnappings are frequent, mercy is rare. Stay indoors, stay unseen if you value your life.
Lucian hissed through his teeth, fist clenched. This city was really just becoming Ebonhaven. "They drained this city dry, used it 'til nothing was left, then tossed it aside. What kind of ruler does that? Is tearing it down just another way to make a profit?"
He shook his head, for now as he couldn't do anything about it… The faint, lingering scent of blood and wet fur drew him westward.
Although, as he continued down the streets again, he felt he was getting closer, as he overheard from people eating at a foodstand.
"They say the Church sent a priest last week... Took the half-bloods right from their homes. Said it was a cleansing..."
Lucian brows arched up. Priest? Need blood.
He didn't remember hearing something so weird. He knew there a large church in the world, that does cleanings he knew for sure they don't need blood.
Unless The Chapel of the Past. Changed there ways.
And, that's another weird thing about the city he decided to ignore for now.
Minutes Later…
Lucian arrived infront a rusted steel gate, it was a underground warehouse. He slowly stepped down, his body at ease inside faint orange bulbs, suspended by rusted chains swayed over him.
He opened some towering stacks of old crates, each one marked by some faded sigils… inside supplies, weapons, raw meat… some alchemical bottles.
But Lucian's focus wasn't on the crates…He smelled it, the air again… strong blood. Wet fur and heavy breathing. Closeby, maybe a hundred feet away.
Hiding… Are they using this place for their base to sneak in the city?
He descended a final stair deeper, his silhouette stretching across the cracked concretes walls. His hand slipped under his cloak, clenched his dagger glinting in the dim light.
The moment his boot touched the warehouse floor.
"Gurr!"
"Hurr!"
Multiple low growls erupted all around, dozen of blue pair of eyes glowed in the dark around the room.
Low, guttural growls erupted all around the room.
Massive shapes crouched behind crates and shadows, fur bristling, claws scraping. Eyes locked onto him, like they'd been waiting.
Lucian smiled faintly. "For a being that loves the moonlight you do love to ambush."
None of the wolves spoke, just continue growls able to smell his blood. Didn't care about being taunted just another opportunity to kill a vampire.
Instead, he moved his body blurred, shadow flickering on the walls, his dagger even flashed like a serpent fang.
The first werewolf lunged… he met it mid-air, his blade slicing clean through its throat... Black blood sprayed as Lucian twisted behind it before the corpse even hit the floor.
Another charged… Then three more.
He ducked beneath their claws, rolled past its snapping jaws, kicked off a crate and flipped… each movement was fluid. As he landed, his blade slashed some clean cuts… Carving through fur, tendon, and bone.
He never had a problem before fighting enemies in a closed environment. Despite him being weak this wad were he was at his best he needed to survive, it was him hurt more or them.
Lucian stopped, he stood motionless as they tried to surround him… Tried to overwhelm him with brute force.
But Lucian was death in motion… cold, controlled, unyielding.
His lips almost curled into a cruel smile.
"You bleed beautifully."
He heard a angry snarl to his left. And, a flicker movement to his right.
He stepped forward… then vanished. Shadow Moon… The wolves collided, they weren't very smart like the other he encountered.
When he reappeared, he was behind the last two.
"Slow. Why do you waste such power, under such a mysterious weak leader." he whispered… and drove his daggers into the base of theirs skulls.
Pulling back, flickered his blood off… the wolves collapsed.
"You were guarding something," he said quietly. "Not anymore."
As he said, the remaining wolves at the back, stumbled away their instincts screamed for them to retreat after hearing his words.
Lucian stepped over the bodies and shattered crates, his eyes narrowing as he approached a reinforced vault door. He pulled it snapping the lock effortlessly.
He peeked inside, were supplies… But something else.
He heard breathing… He got ready to strike.
As from the shadows stepped a smaller figure. A werewolf… but leaner, matted fur shaking, golden eyes wide with fear.
It didn't growl… It didn't lunge.
It raised its hand… and tapped its chest twice, then pointed deeper into the warehouse, passed a line of crates.
Lucian had saw something similar before. Not rage for the other death, nor threat… A plea.
They didn't ask to be made. They just did it.
Ripped from the womb of a dying mother, blood still warm. Fused with the essence of something other… a corrupted spirit beast, bound with chains and runes and rage. They remember screaming. Not with a voice, but with the marrow of their bones as they reshaped me.
The Moongrave Pack watched from above, cloaked in silver and shadows, their eyes hungry… not for life, but for the weapon they would become.
They called it a "blessing." A gift of balance, they said. Balance between man and monster.
Their's not soldiers. Their sins.
Lucian's gaze narrowed, his grip on the dagger tightened. Every instinct screamed for the kill… One clean strike and it would be over… this pathetic creature would fall like the others.
But he didn't move… a memory surfaced.
"They don't want to... Look outside… They're being forced to fight."
"Death doesn't fix this… The creatures just want to survive."
Cassie voice echoed in his mind, causing him to clench his dagger tighter… then lowered it.
"…Fine," he muttered.
The werewolf flinched… but did not run. It gave a small nod, then limped toward a stack of crates. Behind them, a hidden door creaked open, revealed a tunnel carved into old stone.
Lucian followed in silence… The air grew colder as they descended, not for him but the little wolf… Water dripped from cracks above. Eventually, the tunnel opened into a small chamber lit faintly by glowing moss.
He glanced around, he eyes widened briefly.
Cages connected to the walls… broken, rusted.
And in the corner… three small figures. Not quite werewolf? Not quite human?
Hybrids… Children.
He stared at their malnourishedz shivering and hollowed gazes.
Half-bloods!
He turned to the small werewolf beside him. It had dropped to its knees, head bowed.
"I see…" Lucian murmured. "You weren't guarding supplies… You were protecting them."
The wolf gave a soft whimper.
Lucian stood still… his heart raced to kill but then he slowly, sheathed his dagger.
"I won't kill you…
The wolves looked up… stunned. He remembered something, Halcyon said… He couldn't help but use it now.
Halcyon stood by a cracked window in one of the castle upper rooms, overlooking the broken streets of Crimson Sanctum. Lucian stood behind her overlooking the city to.
"I don't forgive what happened," he said coldly.
"Mercy isn't weakness, Lucian. It's defiance. Against the world that tells you to kill first and forget second."
"And if it gets me killed?"
"Then I'll mourn you. But I won't stop believing it matters."
… He turned, cloak fluttering behind him, and began walking back through the tunnel.
"I'm not here to save you. I'm here to end this." He said loud enough the little wolves heard.
Outside he exited a small old steel gate.
The small werewolf remained kneeling for several moments, shoulders trembling… not from fear, but from sheer relief. For days, it had expected death to come from above… whether from the Moongrave Pack, from the city guards, or worse… from someone like Lucian.
But this time, death passed them by.
Werewolf rose and approached the hybrids in the corner… three children, barely old enough to shift. One of them, a little girl with matted auburn fur and sorrowful green eyes, stepped forward and tugged gently at the werewolf's tattered sleeve.
"Is he gone?" she whispered.
The werewolf nodded, then crouched down and tapped its chest again.
Safe.