The city was enormous. I would estimate it is bigger than New York, but not as big as Platinum City. On the Outskirts – the area of Vrykolakas encircling the edge of the capital – are the more sparse settlements. Houses, shops, markets; all are more like shacks and small buildings, with not a lot of refinement. The streets are muddy, and there is little to admire. It is apparent that is where the less fortunate vampires and less privileged ones live.

Astor explained these were the areas he would most look after, while his family was in power. He hated to see his people suffering, and his family would often provide heaping financial support and resources to make sure the people in the Outskirts were taken care of and given a quality value of life. However, all their progress and aid had been destroyed since the day the evil warlord took power. Obviously, he did not think it was worthwhile investing in the improvement of the living conditions these vampires faced. The only good thing that came out of that was, the military presence was thin. After Astor found an old, beat-up cloak to wear, which concealed his identity, we were easily able to move around in plain sight. And as we did, Astor vowed to restore the Outskirts, after defeating the evil warlord.

When we arrived at the crossroads between the next part of the city and the Outskirts was when making our way to the castle was going to be much more difficult. Old Vrykolakas is a residential area with some shops and businesses, it seemed, and the streets were filled with vampires. There was also a much larger military presence there. Why so many vampire warriors were needed to police what appeared to be a predominantly elderly community was beyond me, but it was the reality nonetheless.

Astor quickly guided us to a specific home in Old Vrykolakas, and said if we were going to be successful reaching the castle, we would need help, and one person who could provide us with that assistance might still have lived nearby. I thought it unwise to trust anyone at that point of the journey, for Astor had been away so long, there was no telling where a person’s allegiances lied at that point. Furthermore, we did not even know if this person was still alive, or if they had passed. We could have been walking up to a perfect stranger’s door, and exposing ourselves. Astor assured me that if this person was still alive, they would have been an unwavering in their support of his family and their house.

Astor and I arrived at the abode, and looked inside the windows without being noticed. Then, Astor patted me on the shoulder, and moved towards the door. I took it the person we saw was the man he was looking for. He knocked on the door, and we waited for a minute to hear a response. The home was small, and through the windows I could see it had about three rooms: an area for storage, an area to relax and sleep, and a bathroom. Vrykolakas had a sewage system despite their society being antiquated, which was surprising. The Assyrian Empire had one as well, though, and vampires are highly intelligent. So, in the end, I guess it isn’t that surprising. In any case, the man answered the door after we waited for a minute, and when he did, his eyes grew as big as the moon. He murmured “the prince had returned”, and rushed us inside before closing and locking the door, and closing all of his drapes.

Astor and the man hugged for a good amount of time. Their embrace was warm and true. My vampire friend was right; this man was still a loyal supporter of the Rathegalia House. Then, they turned, and Astor introduced me to his friend. His name is Geaustier Betrois. He was a leader in the Rathegalia army, before the evil warlord defeated them. After the werewolves and vampire forces lost to their enemy, Geaustier said many of the remaining warriors were executed. Some were allowed to live, though, as they were not deemed to be a threat to the evil warlord. Geaustier was one such vampire. However, these survivors were stripped of all titles, lands, wealth, and made to live a life of poverty on the edge of the city. They were also restricted from coming within the vicinity of Castle Rathegalia, unless specifically granted permission by the evil warlord’s people. When we learned this, it was obviously a problem.

Astor and I were welcomed to sit, as Geaustier went to get some aima. When he returned, Astor drank a heaping amount. It had been a while since he drank my blood, and ages since he had aima. Geaustier then asked how it was possible Astor was still alive. My vampire friend told him all about his time since being exiled, and our journey from the day I showed up at his house in the swamps, up until to that very moment. Geaustier then inquired of me how as a hyper-human I ended up on Friki. I explained to him my own journey, and then Astor informed him we needed to get to Castle Rathegalia to use the portal to send me home. Geaustier said there was no way he could help, though, as he could not go anywhere near the castle. He was forbidden. However, Geaustier’s mind then went back to something Astor told him before, which shocked him. He could not believe Astor unlocked the Rathegalia blood power.

Geaustier went on for several minutes, saying it was impossible. The blood power of his house had not been available to any of Astor’s ancestors since King Belmont. We explained how drinking my blood infused with hyper-particles must have awakened it in his bloodline. We also told him our theory of how since King Belmont, no vampires drank blood but only aima, and we believe the blood consumption was the key to unlocking the power in Rathegalias that were blessed with it. Geaustier paced back and forth, his feet making the planks creak on the wood floor beneath him, and then he turned silently to Astor. He requested to see with his own eyes.

Astor stood slowly, took off his cloak, and quenched the flames on the candles near us. The room grew darker, and as it did, Astor slowly faded into the shadows and disappeared before our eyes. When he vanished, Geaustier was flabbergasted. He looked around to see if he could find Astor, but he could not. Then, Astor emerged from directly in front of him through a cloud of mist. Geaustier looked as if he wanted to explode with joy. Not only had the prince returned, but he was more powerful than any vampire in all of Friki.

Astor’s old friend then grew silent, almost somber. He remembered he still could not help us. And as he stated this again, he also informed us that the evil warlord’s men often do check-ins, to make sure the surviving Rathegalia supporters do not stray too far from their homes for too long. We were silent, too, for Geaustier was one of the only people Astor could think of to count on. The old vampire then had an epiphany, and jumped up quickly to gather his things. Astor inquired what he was doing, and he told us to follow him. Geaustier believed he knew how we could not only get close to the castle, but get inside of it…

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