John was running down the road trail, his grandfather Leonidas perched firmly on his back, his arms wrapped tightly around John's shoulders. John was consumed by a singular, fierce determination: reach Crimson Castle as soon as possible to warn his family and friends of the impending danger. With each step, he propelled himself forward, taking huge, purposeful strides. If someone were to look at how John was running, they would surely think the boy was possessed by the speed and energy of a wild animal.
While John was running at full speed for an hour, he felt his legs start to burn with fatigue. He couldn't help but ask Leonidas. "Are we there yet?"
Leonidas took a few deep sniffs, his senses returning after the infusion of hybrid blood. He instantly confirmed they were quickly approaching a group of people. "Yes, we are getting closer."
John felt a wave of relief. He didn't want to waste any more energy running in the wrong direction. The sooner they could find out which direction the castle lay, the better.
"Old man, what are we going to do if they are bad guys, or what if they can't help us?" John asked, the worry about the deadline gnawing at him.
Leonidas was worried as well, but he maintained a calm exterior. "You recently killed a troll, boy. Even though there was a little bit of luck involved, are you really afraid of some weak humans? And to answer your other question, we just have to find somebody else who can help us. We have no other choice."
John lightly nodded his head and began picking up the pace. After a few minutes of sprinting, John ran up a steep hill. His heart pounded with desperate urgency. He had run at full speed for quite some time without resting, and the strain on his legs intensified dramatically running uphill. The added weight of his grandfather did not help the situation.
Leonidas could see the sheer physical struggle John was enduring. "Don't tell me you are getting tired, boy; this was nothing to me when I was your age; you should be twice as strong as an ox."
John ignored Leonidas's comments. He clenched his teeth and forced his legs to propel them upward. Beads of sweat started glistening on his forehead; his friends and family members were the fuel that kept his tired legs moving ever forward.
"Move faster, boy; put your back into it," Leonidas said, urging John onward.
John was getting dangerously irritated by his grandfather. "I am already trying my best, you old fart; if you don't keep your mouth shut, I will drop you down this hill."
Leonidas did not say anything else and clenched his teeth. "This fu**ing twerp; just wait until I fully recover," he thought, the bitterness palpable.
A little over twenty minutes passed, and they finally reached the pinnacle of the hill. John's arms were aching from holding onto Leonidas, but a profound sense of relief washed over him after reaching the top.
John and Leonidas looked ahead. They saw a wooden bridge, but there was also a small group of men who had made a camp a few meters away from it. The men were in a cheery mood—all smiles and laughter. The sun was up, making it a good day to drink ice-cold beer under the shade of a tree. John and Leonidas could clearly hear the men as they walked closer to the camp.
"Old man, I am getting a bad feeling. Don't you think we should slip past them and cross the bridge? Maybe we could find somebody else," John suggested, instinctively wary.
Leonidas did not think evasion was a good idea. "Nonsense, we are going to walk up to them and ask them where we are and how to get to Carmine Town, which is the town near Crimson Castle."
As John moved closer to the camp, he readjusted Leonidas on his back to prevent him from slipping and falling. While the four men were talking loudly, they suddenly heard a tweak breaking beneath John's foot. Sensing there was something nearby, they all immediately grabbed their weapons.
A moment later, John came through the bushes with Leonidas on his back. "Excuse us, we mean you no harm; we are lost. Can you maybe help us find our way home?" John said.
John quickly noticed the four men sitting by the fire, their wooden cups filled with beer, white foam visible. He saw a pot on the fire, indicating they were preparing a meal. Leonidas had already observed everything John was noticing, and he turned his head and saw that the men had four horses near their tents.
The four men looked at each other and nodded. The one with short brown hair, Cory, stood up. "Do not fear us, my boy; we thought you were one of the wild animals that inhabit this area. My name is Cory; please take a seat."
"I am sorry, we are really in a hurry; our flying boat broke down, but we managed to survive," Leonidas interjected immediately from John's back, prioritizing the objective. "We do not know where we are and urgently need your assistance. Can you kindly give us directions to Carmine Town?"
Cory looked skeptical. "I am afraid that you are probably ten hours away if you go on foot." He then took out a magical map in the form of a small cube with a round button in the middle. Cory pressed the button, and something akin to a hologram appeared above the cube, showing their current location, as well as the locations of other towns and cities. The map was almost like a GPS found on Earth. John was instantly fascinated; he had never seen anything like it.
"Is it possible that I can maybe buy this map from you, kind sir?" John asked Cory.
"I am sorry, young man, but this map is really valuable; I do not think you can afford it," Cory replied, his gaze calculating.
John carefully placed Leonidas down near the shade of a tree, then walked a little closer to where the man was standing. John was still cautious, acutely aware of his grandfather's warning not to trust strangers. John then took out a leather pouch and showed Cory a gold coin. "Can I buy the magical map in exchange for a gold coin?"
Leonidas, watching the transaction from the ground, noticed the men grinning at each other—a look of naked greed. "The greed of men," he thought to himself.
"Do we have a deal or not?" Leonidas quickly demanded, pressing the issue.
"Of course, young man, but I have another deal for you," Cory replied, his smile widening unnervingly.
"And what might that be, kind sir?" John asked, his hand hovering near the dagger hilt hidden beneath his shirt.
Cory grinned evilly. "Unfortunately, I am not a kind sir, nor is any one of these men. We are bandits. So why don't you leave everything behind, and we'll kill you quickly, without any pain. But if you resist, you are going to wish you were never born. Make your choice."
John backed up slowly, his eyes locked on Leonidas. "You see? I told you, stupid old man."
Leonidas clicked his teeth. "It does not change a thing, kill them."
John was in disbelief at his grandfather's casual command. "Old man, I don't kill."
Leonidas was stunned by the statement. "What?"
One of the four bandits, armed with a pernach, looked at Cory for the signal to attack. However, John acted first, deciding to use the same strategy he used to escape the troll. He quickly retrieved a Fire and Water Elemental Stone and, utilizing them both together, instantly produced a massive amount of steam that enveloped the entire camp. The four bandits halted their planned attack, choosing instead to defend and observe the blinding situation.
While the men were distracted by the white fog, John quickly ran to Leonidas. He noticed the Fire Stone had dimmed, indicating it was running low on magic energy. John stored both elemental stones and, without hesitation, picked Leonidas up and started to run away from the camp.
"Where are you running off to? We need the map! Kill the men and take the map so we can get home," Leonidas demanded, furious at the retreat.
"Old man, are you dumb, stupid, or dumb, huh?" John shot back.
"What?!" Leonidas roared in an angry tone. "Are you afraid of four lowly humans?"
"Yes, I am afraid. They are four grown-ass men with who knows how much battle experience."
Leonidas became increasingly angry and irritated. "What grandson of mine is afraid of their prey?"
John then snapped at Leonidas. "But I am not your grandson; you tried to kill me because I am not a pure vampire, remember…" John's voice hardened as he ran. "Besides, I just thought of a plan to reduce their numbers."
Tsk. Leonidas gritted his teeth, his anger warring with the necessity of silence. He closed his eyes for a moment and decided not to engage further in the conversation, keeping his mouth shut to observe the situation.
As John ran out of the bushes and onto the road trail, he saw the bridge and sprinted toward its entrance, picking up speed despite his exhaustion. His only immediate goal was to cross the bridge. However, the four bandits had slowly walked out of the steam, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a straight line to block the entrance. John came to an immediate stop.
"Hey kid, why don't you just quietly surrender? I promise it will be over in an instant," Cory said, folding his arms confidently.
Leonidas smirked from John's back. "You see, kid? They want to kill you. It's only fair if you kill them first. This is kill or be killed."
"Listen, nobody has to die; stand aside and let me and this old man pass. We need to get home urgently. If you let us go, then I won't have to hurt you."
The four bandits looked at each other before erupting in loud laughter. Cory thought the boy had a strange sense of humor. "You are really funny, kid; did you know that? But for interest's sake, why should we be afraid of you?"
John grinned and pointed at himself. "It's because I am a vampire."
The four men then looked at each other again before erupting in loud laughter. "Hahahaha, Kid, are you a comedian?" the man with the pernach said, whipping a tear of laughter from his left eye.
"Hehehe, and he said that so proudly, like we were going to run away."
Leonidas covered his eyes with one of his hands. "Idiot," he thought, his frustration absolute.
"Listen, kid, if you really are a vampire as you claim to be, then your teeth are going to sell for a good price, especially if you come from a prestigious family, so thank you for sharing that information." Cory said this, signalling for one of his men to move forward. The man who first walked forward carried a knife in his hand, ready to strike.
"Are you happy, kid? Is this your so-called plan?" Leonidas asked John, his voice thick with annoyance.
John ignored the question. He walked to the nearby tree and carefully placed Leonidas on the ground. "Then I just have to use Plan B," he said, a faint smile touching his lips.