- Well, that is the story – stands up Richard relieved.

 - I promise if we find him, or hear anything about him, we will let you know – stands up Lucas, too.

 - Thank you. But wait a little more, before you go. I would like to give you a farewell present.

 He steps to a cabinet, in which two orphan swords stand crossed, with their hilts upwards. They are almost the exact copies of each other, just like the twins. Beautiful balancing weight, with a ruby in the middle, and crimson velvet scabbard. The seemingly thin, but strong weapon now seems to get free from its glass prison, where it has been tossed years ago, into the blur of oblivion.

 - Lucas, as you are the older from you two, you deserve the sword of the elder brother. Bear it proudly, fight honestly with it – says he, as he pushes the weapon in the hand of the boy, then turns to his sister -. And you, as the younger, you deserve the sword of the younger brother. Use it fairly and wisely. These two masterpieces once belonged to me and your father. We had them made when Walter was at your age. Since my son disappeared, mine dusts here, and when your father…when my brother… - his eyes get teary.

 He doesn’t finish his sentence, just turns away. Waves to the twins, that they can go, and they obey quietly, leaving the tower. As they walked past the courtyard towards the stables everyone was looking at them. The young lords and heirs of the castle were preparing to leave, perhaps, for ever. In the direction of the gate a horse whined up, a few young men pounded into the middle of the court. They stopped right beside of the brother and sister.

 - Pretty good day, my sirs! – greeted the boy from his horse in the foremost, then letting his horse dance a little.

 Although they were all young, they were descendants of hunter clans, which they could never forget nor wash from them. If once the beasts remember the name of their enemy, even generations later they will hunt and exterminate the family. So it was soon that they all learned they can’t show their back to their enemies, only the edge of their swords and the white of their teeth.

 - My greetings, knights – answered back Lucas laughing -! Is everyone here?

 - Edward, Simon, Pierre, Antoine, Arthur, Wilhelm and Maximilian. Do we need more?

 - No Charles, we don’t – responded now the other-. We will be ready soon, we just saddle our horses.

 Cloud Dancer and Beast were waiting impatiently in their stands. They always anticipated when they headed off to fight. The two horses lifted their heads excitedly, pinning back their ears for every little sound. They watched who’s been walking there, and when they recognized the footsteps of their owners, they fiery whinnied. They could hardly wait for being saddled and get out.

 When everybody got on their horses, Richard one more time went out to his adopted children, to finally say goodbye to them. He was confident; not a single feeling could be seen on him. Not even his eyes moved as he shortly, dryly said goodbye to the young children, who, perhaps, he will never see again. Not even his so beloved brother’s children could evoke any feelings. In no time he vanished, so the joyful young people galloped out of the castle on their horses with loud shouts of farewell.

 Ten young warriors, with easy, travelling armor, in colorful, gentleman clothes. They were not real knights, but real nobles, both in origin, both in heart. One of them pulled his hat deeply down and turned his cloak tight around himself, like he would guard a secret. No one of them reached eighteen years, but they were preparing for a great battle. It was the possible most selected young team, whom you could not find stronger hunters in far fields. Young, strong, reckless, experienced, clever and agile they were. The battle seemed a children’s play for them. Naturally, it had a price, too, as all of them had been raised as a hunter, since their birth. Instead of rattles, dolls and wooden rocking horse they had a wooden sword and shield to play, they rode the horse earlier than they could walk on their own, and all their previous life was sacrificed for fighting. Never had they had ever a single thought that they could choose another life, too. They were born in this, they loved this, and they chose this. They wanted it for themselves. It was the bond tying them up.

An hour before twilight they reached a small village that was the closest to the castle of the monsters. On their way there they decided not to enter it, but they would spend the night outside of the village, hiding on the edge of the nearing forest, with surveillance and patrol. They even found a small brook where their exhausted horses could drink, and they could refill their water supplies. They let the animals grazing around, whilst they chose a campsite and built it up. After they tied their horses, they decided the order of the watchmen, and who will be up with whom.

 By the time the fire lit up, the sun went down and everybody nodded off, wrapped up in their cloaks and resting their heads on their saddles, except from the two watchmen sitting next to the fire. They could not fall asleep properly when Charles and Maximilian alarmed their partners: two suspicious figures approached them in the darkness, obviously trying to avoid the éclat. The group thought that they could be bloodsuckers, so the members of the party moved closer, their weapons ready to be used at any time. From outside nothing could be seen, just like all of them would be sleeping around the warmly cracking fire, but it was not that way. Inside everybody waited tensely, resting their palms on the hilts of their sword under the cloaks, ready to attack.

 The watchmen didn’t miscalculate. There were really two young, torn-clothed, dirty vampires in front of them. The nauseating odor of the scout monster could be smelled from far. The lower title one had the more disgusting look he had. The ones like these two scouts stood on the bottom of the ladder. The greatest and strongest ones were almost like the human nobles. It could be told only by their look that they are not human beings, but living dead. The Children of Midnight.

 The team caught and tied up fast the two people, who, previously, were just about to attack a little group sleeping so deep. But now they were lying on the ground, a little bit crashed, and tied up tight. They could not even think that their enemies were born hunters.

 Finally the group decided to leave them alive for that time, so that the next morning they can grill both. Perhaps they can learn useful information about the dark emperor of the castle, and his subjects. After they had made sure that there were no other possible assaulters, they lied down again, this time changing the sentinels.

 At dawn, before sunrise, one of the warriors woke for a terrible sight. He dreamed that during the night other beasts attacked their group, searching for their lost peers. As they found them as captivates of his group, they killed the ten young men in their sleep, before they could reach the castle.

 Fortunately, this didn’t turn out to be true, but what really had happened was worse as a nightmare. The captivates wanted to break free, which was almost successful. Simon and Wilhelm were the watchmen on duty, whom they managed to stun and attack. Wilhelm was already dead, and Simon was seriously injured. Their just-awoken peer jumped fast from its place, stabbing one of the bloodsuckers. The other, who by the time got injured, was no big deal for him. He just cut its neck. Then, he adjusted and fanned the fire and woke the two next sentinels. Arthur and Edward wondered why Walter was shaking their shoulders, but when they noticed the two bloody corps near the fire, they immediately became wide-awake. They threw the bodies of the beasts on the fire, while Walter covered Wilhelm in his cloak, so his peers wouldn’t have to face the sight of their dead friend, and after he did his best to supply for the wounds of Simon , then went back to sleep. Though, in the morning only eight of them woke: their injured partner silently bled. However they didn’t make it to the castle yet, their little group started dangerously to run out on members. Their fighting instinct just grew stronger, strengthening their strong decision, wanting to win, and their stubborn will, too. They knew there was no turning back. One had to fall, and they could only hope it wouldn’t be they.