"Well, that was some show you gave them there..." Josh laughed as Kace joined him on his ship.

"Well, they had to know it would come sooner or later." A smug grin spread across Kace's face as the crew surrounded them.

"So... When are we leaving?" Josh let out a toothy smile as he glanced at the walls of Stonefall. It secretly elated him to be sticking it to the vampires who had been the cause of his transformation into a wraith. Even if it had turned out better than he had expected.

"Soon, we'll wait for the others to join us." Kace smirked as Josh's eyes narrowed.

"Others? I thought it was only going to be you?"

"It was supposed to be. But there was a change of plans." Kace's expression turned serious. "The others are going to cut ties with their factions. Once we leave... We'll be a group of our own."

Josh bellowed out with laughter as he heard that. "That's great! Don't tie yourself to this lot! Come! We'll sail this world together! Going wherever the winds take us!"

"Do the winds even affect this ship?" Kace chortled as he glanced around.

"Fair point. But you know what I mean." Josh chuckled as he had Brenden prepare a few more cabins for their guests. Not that the crew needed them anyway because of their condition.

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Kace turned his gaze on Stonefall. Shadow had snuck off to contact Sophia secretly. However, because of her duties as a princess... There was no telling if she would join their group. 'Despite how we met, she's turned out to be rather reliable...' He hoped that she would choose to come with them. But for now, all he could do was wait.

Kace settled in on deck as he waited for the others. There was no point in locking himself in a cabin when they were likely going to have to make a quick getaway. However, it troubled him that Shadow had failed to return and let him know of Sophia's decision. Grugda appeared first... Soon followed by Lilly. However, Shadow and Sophia were still nowhere to be seen.

Kace's eyes narrowed as his sights turned to Lorget. "Go check the shadow dimension. Find out what's going on but don't reveal yourself."

Lorget shivered under the authoritative voice of Kace. For some strange reason, he performed a curtsy while gripping the edge of his frilly dress. Lorget could have sworn he saw a flash of light behind Kace's golden eyes, as he quickly turned and dove into the shadow realm. 'Why the heck is it always me, huh? Shadow will be fine! And if he's not, well... I can always take his place! I'm much prettier anyway and Vaskra clearly prefers me!'

All sorts of strange thoughts passed through his mind as he swam through the murky waters. Now and then he would take a look through the rifts that allowed him to see the material world. But nothing seemed to be amiss on the streets. There were monsters celebrating Kace's return while others seemed to wear dark expressions as they glanced towards the towering figure of the Freedom.

Lorget snorted, as he guessed that these were the ones who had hoped that their council members would have been able to take control of Kace. Although he was sure that not everyone in each of the races was aware of the games being played behind the scenes. He pressed on, making his way towards the manor where the vampires had taken up residence.

This was where he decided to move cautiously, even if he was in a different realm. He circled the entire perimeter and glanced through each rift to get an idea of what was going on in the manor's grounds. However, all was silent. Apart from the two guards standing at the gates, nothing appeared to be moving. Of course, he was aware that the vampires were skilled in stealth, so it would not have surprised him if there were some hidden that he could not detect.

Lorget took a deep breath as he made his move. He swam through the open gates undiscovered and across the neat lawn. 'Where are you?' Lorget sighed as he wondered what had been keeping Shadow. So far, there was no sign that this was a tough mission from their Lord. Lorget cursed Shadow's name. If he had just been held up, then there was nothing stopping him from reporting it to Kace.

Just as he was trying to find an entry point, two additional guards came out of the main doors. Lorget heaved a sigh of relief as he slipped past them and inside before the doors could close. 'They're probably taking over for the other two. What good timing!' He cast his eyes around the hallways and staircases that led away from where he was. It was only now that he realised he had no idea where he would find Sophia in this manor!

'I just need to confirm that Shadow is alright. There's no need to panic...' As he peaked through a nearby rift to see what was going on in the material realm, he let out a gasp. It seemed as if every vampire in the manor had been gathered and was fully armed! 'What the heck is going on!'

His eyes went wide as he studied them. There was no mistaking it. The vampires appeared to be gathered for war! At the top of the staircase where they were all facing stood Sonja, with her daughter Sophia next to her. But Lorget's eyes focused on another figure. Dao! To be more precise, Dao was off to the side of the royals and was holding thick black chains. At the end of these chains was Shadow. He looked unharmed it was clear at a glance that the vampires had a way to stop them from using their innate abilities!

'Did that bitch sell the Lord out!' Lorget trembled with anger as his eyes narrowed on Sophia! 'I need to let the Lord know right away. I can't save Shadow, but by the looks of it, they intend to attack the Freedom!' Lorget gulped as he solemnly turned his sights away from his captured leader. 'It was nice knowing you... I'll take care of the tribe for Lord Kace in your stead!'

As he moved towards the doors he realised a problem. Unless someone opened them he would have to find a new way out! 'Damn! I can't afford to wait around! If I take too long, then Lord Kace will never escape Stonefall!' Lorget groaned as he glanced around. 'Should I materialise and make a run for it? No.... That's probably what happened to Shadow. they must have done something right away to cut off his escape.' His eyes became frantic as he wondered what his best choice would be.

However, that was when the two guards who had been on duty at the gate strolled in. Lorget thanked his lucky stars as he slipped outside and swam at breakneck speed towards the open gate. 'I should make it in time!' He could not explain why, but he felt a dangerous sensation. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong, but he had no idea what!

'It's right there!' The moment that Lorget's hand touched the space between the new guards, he felt a sudden shock! His mind became disorientated as he felt his body strike hard ground! 'What the...'

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" One of the guards growled as they turned to face Lorget's figure.

'They can see me?' Lorget's mind went into a panic as he realised what happened. Something had forcefully dragged him out of the shadow realm! 'Fuck! That's how they caught Shadow!' The only question remaining was how did they do it? But this was no time to be concerned with that! It was more important to find a way to slip around these guards and report to Kace!

"Get out of my way or I'll gut you!" Lorget growled towards the two vampires, who suddenly had comical smiles on their faces.

"Sure you will miss... Now behave yourself and nobody will get harmed..." The vampires laughed as they approached him with their swords drawn.

'Are these guys idiots?' Lorget rolled his eyes as he raised the hem of his dress. The vampires wanted to avert their gazes before they witnessed something that would scar them for life. As it just so happened, life was an extremely long time for their kind and it was an image they would rather not have to suppress every day. However, Lorget pulled a different kind of weapon from what they were expecting from beneath the skirt!