This is an edited chapter in case you are confused. Re-reading it will refresh your memory. While the changes aren't exactly substantial, I would still recommend reading through the chapter again. Before we start, here is the portrait of Nicholas that I have recently drawn:

Sânge Beznâ Onoare - Blood, Darkness, Honor.

Somewhere in the dark deep caves, where no pony ever dared to go, a monolithic door of black stone stood, untouched for a millennia. It was covered in dust being long-forgotten in the flow of time. The door was carved with ornaments and ancient symbols of arcane; They pulsed with power and age. Behind the door, there was a large room with carved black stone columns. In the center of the room stood a black coffin made of ebony wood. There was an ornament on the top of the coffin: a moon with unfolded black membrane wings. One word was written under the ornament, barely seen under the many layers of dust — Nicholas.

Glowing orange symbols started to appear on the coffin, illuminating the room ever so slightly in dim light. Absolute darkness of the room was pierced for the first time in centuries. The coffin walls creaked, someone or something was coming to life. The coffin's cap slightly rose and slid across the wood of the base silently as if it was hovering mere millimeters above it.

As the coffin opened, the light shone upon a pony-like being inside. It looked like a rather tall and yet slim stallion. His fur was short and pale-gray, almost white; it reflected the glow of the light, revealing itself to the world. His black mane was combed back and tied into a ponytail.

Sharp white fangs peeked out of the stallion's mouth, glistening in the light. His flanks were emblazoned with the mark of a full red moon with unfolded membrane wings, just like the carving on the coffin's top. His pale and narrow tail was almost as long as his hind legs, ending with a brush of black hairs.

The stallion had his forelegs crossed on his chest, his head was propped with a soft white pillow with a silk cover. The stallion's large leather-like wings wrapped him like a cocoon; almost as if he was a bat himself, sleeping away in the homely darkness of the cave.

His eyes shot open; they were crimson red with black slit pupils. The eyes had a slight glow to them, a dim one but clearly seen in the dark of the room. The stallion inhaled slowly, breathing in deeply. He blinked once... twice... then exhaled; vapor escaping his mouth and soon dissipating into the air. His forelegs and hind legs tensed as senses came to him. Muscles under his skin started moving, it almost seemed painful for him.

The stallion slowly got up from the coffin and stood up on his four legs, revealing to be about two meters tall. He unfolded and stretched his wings, and they almost touched the walls of the room for how big their span was. He stretched out, feeling popping inside his joints. The stiffness of his limbs went away, the flexibility of his slender body returned with every slight movement he made.

The stallion turned to the door and closed his eyes, concentrating, knowing what to do as his memory came back to him. The door started to glow red and then suddenly shattered into pieces. They quickly turned to dust and covered the floor, joining older specks of dust.

Before leaving the room, one thought flashed in the stallion's mind.

Awakening, at last.

For the first time in thousands of years, this vampire was able to see the soothing moonlight. It engulfed him and brought the calm he so needed, healing his soul from the madness of isolation that was brought upon him so many years ago. Millenia of constant pain, perpetual loneliness, and insatiable hunger haunted him, awakening a feeling deep inside him that he almost forgot.

The vampire deeply inhaled the night's cool healing air. He closed his eyes and smiled as he tasted the air, taking in every scent that it could give him. A smell of wet ground and wood after the recent rain, many scents of different animals that inhabited the area, everything flooded him like a wave of the ocean crashing against the shore. He did not resist, enjoying the sensation of life once again.

He looked around. The place was more or less familiar, yet so much different from when he had seen it last. It was like everything was just slightly moved out of place, something was multiplied, something disappeared completely.All those subtle changes were subconsciously noticed by the vampire. However, the scenery as a whole was still the same. He began thinking of just how much time he spent underground, bound to his coffin. He wondered if decades or hundreds or even thousands of years passed since he disappeared. Losing the track of time is easy once you are completely isolated from the outside world, bound to a piece of wood deep underground.

"My name is Nicholas. The First Vampire... and I have come back," the vampire spoke confidently, reminding himself of whom and what he was. Hearing his own voice, remembering his name and hearing it, he gained confidence. With that confidence, anger gushed in as well. He remembered what had happened to him; he knew whom to blame for his long time of madness that seemed like it was never going to end.

He glared into the distance where he could see the city of Canterlot. Even in the dark of the night, it was the place where light never went off completely.The only place that had stayed the same through thousands of years, the only place the vampire recognized instantly.The view of the city brought anger to him. It flooded his veins, clouded his mind, intoxicated him in a very wrong and yet satisfying way.

"I HAVE COME BACK!" Nicholas bellowed in a fit of rage, standing on his hind legs. A bawl came upon the silence of the night like a thunderstorm, crashing against the serenity and calm, blowing it away with its sheer power and will. He didn't hold back, dark memories fresh inside his mind; all the years of pain, decades of being trapped between the world of struggling and the realm of eternal rest filled him with powerful emotions. In his mighty bawl, he expressed all his misery and hate that had built up inside him during the long years of torturous imprisonment.

Creatures of night hid from the terrifying vampire, fleeing away from him. He bared his sharp teeth in his powerful bawl, his eyes burned with red as they glared at Canterlot with blazing hatred. No wild beast would dare to challenge Nicholas on that night. They all knew whom to fear and whom to obey.

He calmed down and stood on his four legs. With his rage gone, the calm washed over him, reminding him of the deeds he had to do. He needed to suppress his emotions for a time being, remain calculated and thoughtful, mindful of himself and what surrounded him.

Nicholas unfolded his wings in preparation for his flight; using just one powerful flap, thrust himself into the air. His huge wings easily pushed the air, making him rise higher and higher until he was well above the clouds.

He knew where to go.

Nicholas glided across the sky, flying towards the mountain chain known as Crystal Mountains. It was far-off to the north, situated in an area uninhabited by ponies. It bordered the Frozen North, a dangerous wasteland of ice and frost; this land was completely uninhabitable and unfriendly to any and all visitors.

Feeling better than ever, Nicholas glided slowly, flapping his wings from time to time to keep the altitude. He basked in the soft glow of the moon, its soothing dim light helped him relax, helped him feel real, and most importantly — helped him feel alive. The moon's pale glow was as needed for a vampire as all creatures needed water. However, Nicholas was more than a vampire. Despite not needing moonlight to survive, he enjoyed it and felt better in it, much more so than in any other situation.

Catching his eye, a village that Nicholas didn't remember seeing before was situated below him, right near the Everfree Forest. He eyed the village carefully, descending so that he could take a better look; he observed it while staying unseen by the local population.

Nicholas could see that there were ponies in the streets, dressed in different costumes. He didn't understand why would they do that, though. He knew what masquerades were but he had never seen anything like this before. He wondered what it was until he saw a statue of Nightmare Moon, far into the forest of Everfree.

He landed silently, unnoticed by the townsfolk as they celebrated the Nightmare Night. The night was still young and the ponies were still celebrating it among themselves, enjoying the time together.

Nicholas walked up to the statue looked at the alicorn of nightmares with interest, eyeing the statue carefully. He walked around it, keeping his eyes on it, his steps soft and yet tense.

"So... what Luna feared most hath happened," Nicholas muttered to himself, something appearing in his eyes for just a moment, a glimpse of sadness. Facing the statue, he noticed how well-detailed it was. "Could it be..."

The Vampire King reached the statue with his hoof and touched it. The cold stone was unresponsive, nothing happened. Spending a few moments holding his hoof in place, he frowned but his posture relaxed slightly.

"Perhaps not," Nicholas retracted his hoof. One his ears twitched as he heard someone approaching from behind. He turned his head and saw glimpses of ponies appearing from behind the tree line. Looking at the statue for the last time, he silently took off into the night once again.

"Did you see that?" one of the ponies asked. Nicholas was already far from the group but he could still hear them. He hovered in the air, just above the trees, hidden by the leaves.

"See what?" another voice replied. The Vampire King recognized both voices as very young.

"The... uh..." the first pony stuttered, "that thing! it was like, a really big bat!"

Nicholas hissed slightly, his eyes narrowing. He landed on a tree top and observed the group from there. It consisted of a few foals dressed in different costumes.

"Stop being a sissy!" a third voice spoke. "Giant bats... Maybe that was, a, uhhh... Bat pegasus? Batasus? Begasus? One of those things, and you scared them away!"

Surprised by the mentioning of a certain kind of ponies, Nicholas continued to observe and listen, his attention turned fully towards the foals. He eyed them carefully, watching as they looked around but didn't notice him.

"I... I didn't think about that," the foal hung his head in shame. "Maybe we should leave?"

"I guess..." the second foal shrugged. "C'mon ponies, let's wait for a bit somewhere else."

The Vampire King watched them as they disappeared behind the trees. After they were gone, he unfolded his wings and took off once again.

It was well-known that the Crystal Mountains separated Frozen North from the rest of Equestria. Not much more was known about the mountain chain or what surrounded it, even less was known about the creatures that inhabited that mysterious territory. From snow ponies to ice giants, many myths arose about the inhabitants of the Crystal Mountains but any of them were yet to be proven true.

Nicholas was flying straight to the base of one of the mountains. There was not a single settlement in many kilometers, the railroad was far away as well. The place was isolated from the civilization, hidden from prying eyes even after so many years.

The moon began to set, the sky became brighter, stars faded one by one. The horizon tinted itself pink, with the sun slowly rising to take its position in the sky. Nicholas quickened his pace, not waiting for the sunlight to shine upon him.

Soon, he saw what he was looking for; it was an oval-shaped valley surrounded from all sides by high mountains, leaving only a narrow path for those who walk the ground to enter the valley. Secluded, it was a perfect place to hide from others.

There was a small entrance in one of the snowy mountains, barely noticeable from high above and almost completely unseen from the ground. Nicholas narrowed his eyes, seeing hoof marks on the snowy path that led to the cave. He landed and looked closer. Hoof marks were small, smaller than any vampire's could be.

"A pony is inside..." Nicholas thought and then proceeded to the cave's entrance. He stopped near it, pausing for a second before he moved inside, soon disappearing into the darkness of the empty cave.

His body was tense, his ears swiveling around, his eyes scanning the surroundings thoroughly as he inhaled the air, noticing a faint scent of a pony. He took another deep whiff. He could smell it, the unique scent each creature had. There was a faint scent of natural oil found on wings and so the Vampire King figured out that the pony was a pegasus. Another scent helped him to determine that he was looking for a mare. A smell of her pheromones told him that she had no fear. Instead, it was something else... Curiosity, perhaps? The Vampire King was surprised. The cave was dark, barely any light shone into it, it was silent, empty. And yet, the mare who ventured inside wasn't afraid.
He knew that an average pony was of little danger to him, but his powers were only in the process of returning. He must be very careful and not take any chances. He must be cautious and ready for anything. After all, he caught something foreign in the air, something he had never smelt before.

In the floor of the cave, steps were carved in, leading further into the mountain base. Nicholas slowly descended the stairs, his ears aimed forward. No sound was made as he moved, carefully placing his hooves, seemingly levitating above the ground ever so slightly. He continued to scan the area, now looking for ambushes and traps. The walls, ceiling, and the floor seemed undisturbed aside from the steps made by the unknown mare.

After descending for what seemed like an eternity, Nicholas finally came into a much larger cave. It was immense, astronomically gigantic, no eye could see the whole cavern from its entrance. The whole mountain that hosted the cavern was hollow; only giant stalactites and stalagmites could be seen, as well as a colossal hole high above, covered by tons of snow. Under a lot of pressure, the snow turned into ice through a very long process, years after years, decades after decades. The cave became brighter and brighter as the sunlight began to glow through layers of hardened snow, filling the cavern with a soft white, albeit slightly bluish, light.

Carved into the stone were buildings, towers, and a huge castle that stood above everything else in the cave. A dim light was visible, it shone from one of the windows of the said castle. The Vampire King looked there, seeing a shape moving around, but the distance made it hard for him to see the exact details of the intruder.

The road to the castle lay through two big opened gates. In front of the first gate stood a giant obelisk, pointing at the cavern's ceiling. A myriad of symbols was carved into it, reflecting any light that came upon them, making it seem to glow with a blue hue.

Nicholas didn't stay there for long, proceeding to go inside the castle to finally catch the unknown intruder.

The Vampire King hid in the shadows, closing in on the mare that he was searching for. He could hear the clop of hooves against the marble floor of the castle, he could see a scintillating light coming from ahead, but he had yet to see the mare in question. Her scents became more prominent the closer he got to her and yet a few of those scents were unrecognizable. The Vampire King was cautious not to reveal himself before he knew the trespasser and what she could do.

Old tapestries of dull dark-red color hanged down the ceiling, depicting the king of vampires himself and the motto of his kind: Sânge Beznâ Onoare. A depiction of a red moon was in every tapestry as well.

The gothic halls were empty, abandoned ages ago, but still intact. No cracks on the stone surface of the castle could be seen, all windows were still whole; the glass wasn’t shattered or even cracked. Overall, it seemed like the owners of the place suddenly vanished, leaving everything behind. Even a broom was left lying on the ground, covered in dust it used to swipe so many years ago.

Silently, Nicholas crept into the throne room. It was a hexagonal hall ten meters in height, supported by six decorated columns with continuous lines forming curves and sharp turns making round designs. Two windows were made on the further left and right panels, leaving the frontal one windowless. There, a throne of ebony wood stood proudly, its seat covered by a red pillow, big enough to host Nicholas in a lying position. Royal crest and the flag of the Vampire Kingdom adorned the stone wall. They looked like they were made yesterday, and yet they were covered in layers upon layers of dust.

The royal crest consisted of a shield with a winged red moon in its center, and four inscriptions, first three of which were Sânge, Beznâ, Onoare — written in a crimson red, while the forth — vampiri — was written in a darker red, all of the four inscriptions were written with great calligraphy skill, and utmost care was put into them.

A certain adventurous pegasus mare was there, examining the interior with fascination. She wore a warm wool coat that covered all of her body, a set of warm boots, and goggles, which were currently on her forehead, not obstructing her view. From under the hood of her coat, sand-colored fur could be seen, along with a pair of rosy eyes, and a strand of grayscale mane. A flashlight was attached to her shoulder, and a camera was hanging on a strap at her side.

"Amazing!" she spoke to herself, inspecting the royal crest, light from the flashlight illuminating it. Unbeknownst to her, the polished surface of the shield reflected the vampire behind her, "These must be..." she paused to think as her eyes went over the crest once again, "Over three thousand years old! And in such pristine condition!" Daring Do took a few photos, the flashes of her camera making the vampire stop and blink in confusion, "The museum won't believe that I found a city of vamponies!"

Nicholas frowned at something that the adventurer said. He kept moving behind the columns, staying in shadows, watching the pegasus closely and yet carefully, not revealing himself to her just yet. He could pounce at any moment but he decided to wait and see what would happen next without his intervention.

"Hm..." the pegasus walked to the throne and looked at it, "Where is the crown?"

"I took it," a Spanish-accented voice sounded from the entrance. Both ponies that were inside the throne room looked back and saw an earth pony stallion dressed in a similar outfit as her. His fur was pale brown in color, and a pair of green eyes looked at the pegasus triumphally. His hood was down, revealing bluish dark-gray mane. And lastly, there was a crown atop his head.. A huge victorious grin was spread across his face as he looked at the mare. At his side stood four muscular stallions, smug looks on their faces.

"Good thing that I found it before you did, Daring Do. It will auction for a cosmic amount that I will be spending the rest of my life without any need at all, as well as my children and grandchildren!" he paused, his eyes fixated on the pegasus. "See, I haven't forgotten what you did to me... And Ahuizotl will pay me a great fortune if I bring you to him in one piece."

"You again, Caballeron!" Daring Do growled, stomping, "That crown belongs here!"

"I believe it would, if those shiny, glowing... Wait, glowing?" Caballeron stared at the three rubies that the crown was adorned with. They were glowing in a crimson hue.

"The crown is mine," Nicholas proclaimed, stepping out of the shadows. His quiet, yet steel voice carried authority and power. The crown flew to his head and landed on top of it, the blood red glow darkening and intensifying, casting peculiar shadows on his face as his bright red eyes glared at Caballeron.

The castle's torches abruptly alighted; the chandelier in the center of the ceiling became lit as well, illuminating the hall and the throne room. The big double doors on the other end of the hallway closed shut, cutting the only known way out.

"In the name of Celestia..." Daring Do muttered, her eyes wide in shock. "The Vampony King..." she took a few steps back from the large figure of the vampire.

"Vampire king," Nicholas calmly corrected her, then turned to the five stallions, "Well, tomb raiders..." he glared at them but his voice was cold, freezing even, "This place belongs to me. This crown belongs to me."

The five gulped in unison; the giant vampire that was closing in on them, a menacing frown on his face. His steps were silent, seemingly relaxed, but still filled with malice. His ears were aimed directly at the stallions, ignoring Daring Do. Meanwhile, the mare looked around, hoping to see some kind of exit or something else that would help her.

"For I believe that you are no more than mere robbers, the punishment shall be severe," Nicholas's eyes flashed red, his blazing glare unceasing, "I could cut off one of your legs from each of you. However, this action may render you completely useless," he paused, letting his words fester in their minds, "All your legs shall remain in place while one of your friends will not."

A blood red lightning bolt shot from the crown and turned one of the four muscular stallions into ashes, leaving others stunned and shocked as a few drops of blood fell on the ground. The Vampire King inhaled loudly, a pleasant expression appearing on his face as the smell of fresh blood reached his nostrils.

"The rest of you shall stay in the dungeons for some time until I find some use for you," he declared his judgment. "And believe me when I say that death is not the worst thing that can happen to you."

In a flash of bright white light, the four remaining stallions disappeared in an instant, leaving only two ponies in the throne room.

"The only one left here is thee," Nicholas turned around, his eyes fixating on the pegasus. Daring Do was standing on her hind legs, barely holding a big halberd in her front hooves, using its rear end as a third stability point. The sharp point of the halberd was pointed in the direction of the vampire. However, such a position proved difficult to hold, and so the halberd began to shake as the mare struggled to keep herself stable.

"Thou canst not defend thyself against me," the vampire king said and the halberd was yanked from the mare by a bright-red aura, almost making her fall. However, she managed to land on her hooves and stabilize herself. Tossing it behind himself, Nicholas looked right into the eyes of the daring pegasus. Her eyes flashed with gray and grew duller. Her once more or less brave expression turned into one of complete fear. The king addressed the mare: "Tell me, pony, what art thou doing here, so far away from any settlement? Surely it is something important, and if it is somehow connected to this place..," he stepped closer, a curious expression on his face. "I would very much like to know."

"I... I..." Daring Do found herself deathly afraid of the vampire, frozen in place, unable to speak clearly. His eyes were enthralling, taking up all her vision. His inquisitive, interested look pierced her with such an ease, seeing her through without difficulty.

"Do not stutter, speak!" Nicholas bared his fangs, growling in irritation. He had no time to deal with sudden speech impediments.

"I am an adventurer... I was s-searching for relics. I b-bring them to museums so that everyone i-is be able to see them," Daring Do replied, her ears drooped as her eyes tried to break away from the gaze of the vampire. She was always brave and she couldn't understand why was she glued to her place, her body seemingly paralyzed.

"But didst thou not know that the things thou find'st at those places might belong to someone?" the vampire king asked, circling around her.

"I thought vamponies were extinct!"

"Vampires!" Nicholas corrected her angrily and loudly, making her fall on the floor from the sheer power of his voice as the word he so angrily shouted reverberated and echoed through the halls. "Do not call my kind like that. We are vampires!" he took a deep breath to calm down. He spoke in a few moments, his voice calmer: "We are not thy kind, even if we look mostly alike, and thou better learn it."

"Every s-single book that r-refers to you has name 'vampony'."

"Books that ponies have written are untrue, filled with lies," the king snorted, "Before coming here, thou shouldst have read books that my kind hath written."

Nicholas took his place on the throne, almost melting into the pillow. He sighed in relief, calming down completely.

"Well, what should I do with thee?" he asked tiredly once he was comfortable, "I cannot just let thee walk away."

"W-why?" Daring Do's eyes shrank to pinpricks. She still couldn't get her fear under control, her mind scared and confused.

"Thou hast crossed the borders of my kingdom," Nicholas explained it, some anger flashing in his eyes as he spoke, "And no pony doth it unless I say otherwise."

"B-but what have I done?" she took a step back, unfortunately stumbling on her own hoof and fell, breaking the flashlight. Without its bright light, the throne room became significantly darker, even with the chandelier illuminating it.

"Thou hast tresspassed," Nicholas replied. His menacingly glowing red eyes were fixated on the pegasus, seemingly trying to burn her to ashes. But the face of the vampire remained calm, his attitude collected.

"I had no idea that any vampires were still alive!" Daring Do said, her voice becoming less shaky as her fear transformed into wariness and curiosity. "This place was abandoned for longer than a millennium, and… I came here to see if it can be used as a museum."

"How many years have passed, then? Tell me, pony," Nicholas ordered, his powerful voice allowing no disobedience.

"Um, it is stated that two thousand five hundred thirty-three years ago the king of vampires Nicholas was defeated by the Royal Sisters, then all vampires suddenly disappeared... Wait, you are Nicholas!" she gulped nervously, realizing who was before her. Not just a king of vampires, but the king. It finally clicked in her mind, "Oh gosh, I was so stupid to come here..."

"Indeed thou wast, pony," Nicholas bared his fangs slightly, "Tell me, what dost thou know about me?"

"You... You are the Lord of Blood, the Deadly Shadow," Daring Do spoke fearfully, "Known among your kind as Întâiul."

"'Tis true what thou speakest," the vampire king nodded in satisfaction, "And dost thou know what I crave?"

"Blood..." the pegasus replied shakily. After a long moment, her pupils shrank to pinpricks, her heart skipped a beat. And she started to run away.

"Foolish decision," Nicholas stated, following Daring Do with his eyes, not even moving from his throne, "There is no way out of here unless I let thee go. All thou shalt do is hurt thyself."

But the mare continued to run for her life. As a last resort, she tried to break one of the windows in the hall. Unfortunately for her, the window remained unbroken, and only a painful thud was the result of her escape attempt. The pegasus groaned and fell to the ground.

"Told thee so," Nicholas chuckled in amusement at her actions, his voice carrying through the hall to her ears, "Thine attempts at escape are... amusing to me. Anyway, I am not planning to drink thy blood... yet."

"Ugh..." Daring Do groaned, standing up, "What, then? What waits for me? Slavery?"

"Slavery is disgusting!" Nicholas growled. He stopped for a few moments, calming down, "However… I shall find a use for thee either way. Until then, thou shalt stay in the dungeons. But worry not, thou shalt be placed in another cell, not with those stallions."

Daring Do was walking through the halls of the castle, Nicholas following her close behind. The vampire was like a shadow, keeping the same distance from the mare. He walked without making a noise, seemingly gliding across the floor as if he were a ghost. Daring Do didn’t turn around to check on him, sensing it that he was not going to leave her until she was in the dungeon. The pegasus wasn’t restricted, wasn’t locked, and yet she didn’t dare try to escape. As the two walked, certain doors opened before them, letting them through. There was only one path for the mare to take, no deviations allowed. Even if there was another way, she doubted her escape was possible at the moment.

She looked around, noticing different eye-catching things in the halls. Carved columns, arches, tapestries, painted walls, the castle was obviously well-decorated, time and effort was put into it. Daring Do remembered seeing and visiting the famous Canterlot Castle, and this one was at the very least an equal to it if not better. The contrast was apparent: Canterlot had a theme of warm colors like golden and white, while this castle had a darker theme, using shades of red and black. One of the most common imagery the mare could see there was a red moon; it was almost omnipresent. No matter which hall she was in, there was always an image of it somewhere, sometimes more than one.

Finally, they came to one of the lower floors of the castle. They were less decorated, simpler, and more practical. The dungeon was made of stone bricks, nothing covering them, be it paint or just simple plaster. However, it didn’t mean that the dungeon was poorly made. In fact, the bricks were of the same size, perfectly fitted together, and even time didn't make a ruin out of them.

Daring Do didn’t have much more time to look around as she came to one of the cells. Without disobedience, the mare entered it, the door locking behind her. A short metal screech resonated through the dungeons, making both the vampire and the pegasus wince, the former more so.

“I shall leave thee here for now,” Nicholas said, glancing at the rusty lock, the oil of which dried a long time ago, “I hope thou likedst this small tour of this part of the castle. Thou shalt be staying here… for a while.”

With that being said, the Vampire King turned around and left the dungeons. Daring Do sighed and visibly relaxed, glad that the vampire was gone and she could think more clearly. Perhaps, she would even be able to escape.

After this long day, Nicholas went to his bedchambers. They were just like he remembered them: a single large bed stood near the window, a table was nearby, and a few bookshelves on the wall. The walls themselves were a nice dark shade of red, their color dominant in the room. There was a small detail not many would notice — a red disk hanged above his bed, the patterns on it representing the craters on the moon.

In the corner of the room, there was a wardrobe. Nicholas opened it, revealing a few sets of clothes, as well as a separate place for his ceremonial armor. The armor was almost purely cosmetic, not forged for fighting; it was a symbol of status. Carefully crafted from steel, forged by the masters of the art, it was fit only for the Vampire King. Its black, polished surface reflected the light well. The armor didn't restrict his movements but granted them more weight, making his steps heavier and louder as his hoof guards clicked again the marble floor of his castle.

After retrieving his armor, Nicholas went outside his castle and headed to the big obelisk that stood in the center of the ancient city. The houses were abandoned and gloomy, and the streets were completely silent. Once a center of life, it would soon reemerge back into reality. As he came closer, the obelisk started to glow yellow, humming softly. After reaching it, he touched the surface of the obelisk, the glow intensified, a beam of light shot straight into the ceiling, lighting the whole cavern.

"Awake, my subjects. The time hath come for us to rise once again."