Laying awake in one of Bagnion's many city homes, Cassiel and Albus stay holed up with all doors and windows shut, doing their best to recover whatever they can of themselves.
As they lay bloody and battered, Cassiel gets into his meditation position while Albus begins bandaging himself, drawing his attention.
"My king, why is it you meditate with that hole in your side?" Albus questioned, confused.
"Albus, I have deemed you as my hand. You can call me by my name, boy." Cassiel chuckled.
"As for your question, simple bandages won't help me. It's best if I heal using my own means."
"Of course... Cassiel." Albus said, continuing to bandage himself.
…..
While the two stayed inside, lying dormant for hours, the mist outside finally dispersed, revealing the night sky as moonlight shined through the cracks in the windows.
"Alright, it's time to move." Cassiel said, standing up.
"What for?" Albus responds.
"We need to scour the city for any remaining vampires. We'll need every survivor we can get after our land has been purged." Cassiel says, ending the conversation as he walked to the door.
With Albus close behind, the two leave the now-vacant house, splitting off as Cassiel headed straight towards the city castle to look for the lord of the city.
…..
On his way to the castle, the things Cassiel had seen were increasingly worse than that of the last, with bodies being burnt to a crisp, some exploded from within, and others being so terribly mangled they couldn't be described in words.
Upon reaching the castle, however, the gate stood tall and proud where the guard outside did not.
With no one left to defend the castle from intruders, Cassiel expected the worst as he jumped up and over the gate, darting straight towards the castle entrance, where nothing stood but bodies sprawled out in dented and cracked armor, oozing blood like fountains.
With a small sigh, Cassiel enters through the castle doors, only to be met by the most horrifying sight the city had to offer.
A single body was strewn across the dark floor of the castle.
Just one body—and it covered the entire floor in a line.
Words written in blood just above it read: "CITY CLEANSING COMPLETE"
Disgusted, Cassiel turned to leave, realizing the horrid sight was more than likely made with the city lord himself.
…..
After scouting out the entire left side of Bagnion's lowest section, all Albus could do was vomit profusely, the sights he had seen were so terrible it'd make any normal person take their own life from grief and disgust.
On his hands and knees, shuddering as he vomits, Albus begins to feel drowsy, imagining the pain each and every one of the vampires before him had to go through.
Thinking about it deeper and deeper, he remembers how just hours before he watched as one of the mercenaries had taken the one guilty of all this away.
He began banging his head on the ground in his own self wallow.
Feeling like he was responsible for not achieving vengeance for his fellow vampires, that if only he was stronger he could have taken the life of the perpetrator then and there, so he continued to bang his head on the ground despite its bleeding.
As he charges up one last bang, one that could've possibly had him kill himself, he stops.
It's not himself that makes him stop, but a hand on his shoulder, Cassiel's hand.
"Get up, Albus, this is no position for a warrior." Cassiel says, turning around and motioning that it's time to go
Albus turns and stares at Cassiel, and without a word, he looks back once more at the blood spot where he had just banged his head before he turns to leave, following Cassiel out of the castle.
…..
…..
As they walk on Rampiel's infamous grass again, Albus stops walking by Cassiel's side.
"Cassiel... what happened there... we... we need to avenge them-"
"Enough, it will all be dealt with in due time."
"How? How can you say that? Are you not grieving inside? Do you not feel ashamed we didn't kill that man then and there?" Albus exclaims, baring his teeth in anger.
In just a moment's time, Cassiel turns and slams Albus into the ground, holding him by his neck.
"I said enough, did I not?" Cassiel says, gritting his teeth.
"No, I am not grieving inside. Those vampires all died simply because they were weak."
With those words alone, Albus finally realizes who the man is that he's following.
He is no warrior and he is most definitely no leader... he can only be described as a bloodthirsty demon.
Albus isn't even sure anymore if Cassiel wants to free this land, or if he's simply looking for an excuse to fight and shed blood.
"...I will have vengeance, Albus, but not for the people that died here today, only for myself, only because he had gotten away from me." Cassiel finishes, ending off the conversation as he'd let go of Albus' neck.
"We will be heading to Altanisar tomorrow morning, you best be prepared."
.....
.....
It was late at night.
Dark clouds covered the sky, making the area around pitch black.
Cassiel was still up, meditating as he had the day prior, as Albus was turned over in his bedding, facing away from him.
Despite needing a clear mind to meditate, Cassiel's head was plagued with thoughts.
Thoughts of his fight with Barakiel, thoughts of what he had seen in the city, thoughts of what he had said to Albus earlier in the day.
He had also thought of another human.
It was a woman he had met before he was imprisoned in Abdiel.
However, the thoughts all disappeared within a flash, making him wince for a moment before his mind was finally clear for meditation.
Albus didn't get any sleep this night.