It’s a foolish thing to do you know it is and yet your curiosity drives you forward still. You’ve lived in this castle your entire life, you know the secrets passageways and hidden corridors like the back of you hand. So getting into the lower dungeons where they’re holding the supposed vampire wasn’t hard. Plus no one wants be down here with the beast so you didn’t even have to dodge any guards.

The cells are all cleared out, only the far cell is occupied. It stinks of mildew and stale blood down here, and you try to ignore the rusty patches still staining some of the cells flooring.

People whispered that this vampire was some big scary deal, an ancient vampire they whispered, but as you creep closer it hard to believe that. He looks… sad? The big crow wings on his back are disheveled and some of the feather look like they were torn out.

Before you can examine him more he speaks, startling you.

“Have humans really become so arrogant that they would allow a child to wander into the maw of a monster so carelessly? It’s been quite some time since I’ve interacted with this many humans at once but it used to be quite the opposite, children where hidden away from us lest they be stolen away to be turned into our unholy spawn as the Church used to preach.” The voice is rough and raspy like someone who hasn’t had anything to drink in days. What really stops you are his eyes, a piercing blue that almost seems to glow as the inspect you with a cold air of indifference.

“Oh…?” The vampire seems to sniff the air once before a glint lighten his eyes into something that seems more friendly almost, “unless you snuck down here and no one knows about it hmmm? Adventurous little thing aren’t? Well then brave little adventurer, introduce yourself. It’s only polite.” The vampire croons, turning to face you finally. His wrist are bound with thick silver manacles and you can see the way it burns his undead flesh though he doesn’t seem to care at the moment.

“I suppose I’ll start. I’m Phil, father of three and currently stuck in this dreary place after your hunters ambushed me.” The vampire, you now know as Phil, grumbles the last part a bit irritated.