Chapter 4 Capture

With the two vampire prisoners securely locked up, Ashina and her council of advisors wasted no time in interrogating them. Miguel and Santos were both seasoned warriors, and they had fought fiercely against the defenders of Zuih before they were finally captured.

As they sat in their cells, bound by chains and watched closely by werewolf guards, Miguel and Santos remained stoic and unrepentant. They seemed almost proud of what they had done as if they believed that attacking Zuih was a great victory for their kind.

Ashina felt a deep anger and frustration welling up inside of her as she looked at the prisoners. These were the monsters who had killed her parents and wreaked havoc on her city, and yet they seemed almost amused by the situation.

"Tell us, vampires," she said, her voice cold and steely. "Why did you attack Zuih?"

Miguel and Santos exchanged a glance, and then Miguel spoke. "We did it for power," he said. "We were promised great rewards by a powerful vampire mage if we succeeded in breaching your walls and attacking your city."

"A vampire mage?" Ashina repeated, her eyes narrowing. "Who is this mage, and where can we find him?"

Miguel shrugged. "We don't know his name," he said. "He contacted us through a network of vampire spies, and he promised us great power and wealth if we carried out his plan."

Ashina could feel her blood boiling with anger. These vampires had attacked her city and killed her parents for no reason other than the promise of power and wealth. She wanted to punish them, to make them pay for their crimes.

But even as she felt the rage building inside of her, Ashina knew that she needed to stay calm and focused. She had to find this vampire mage and put an end to his plans before he could cause any more harm.

With a deep breath, she turned to her advisors. "We need to find this vampire mage," she said. "We need to stop him before he can cause any more damage to our city. And we need to do it quickly."

Her advisors nodded in agreement, and they began to formulate a plan. As they worked, Ashina couldn't help but feel a sense of determination rising within her. She would find this vampire mage, and she would make sure that he paid for what he had done to her city and her family.

And as she left the interrogation chamber, the sound of Miguel and Santos' laughter ringing in her ears, Ashina felt a sense of purpose and strength that she had never felt before. She was the queen of Zuih, and she would do whatever it took to protect her people and defend their homes.

As the council of advisors continued their planning to find the vampire mage, Ashina couldn't help but think about the interrogation. The unrepentant nature of Miguel and Santos had left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she had struggled to contain her anger and frustration.

But as she made her way back to her chambers, she heard a commotion from the cells where the prisoners were being held. Running down the corridor, Ashina arrived to find the two vampires dead.

Miguel and Santos had killed themselves, their lifeless bodies hanging from the chains that had bound them. Ashina's heart sank as she realized that they had taken the truth of the vampire mage's identity with them to the grave.

Her advisors were equally shocked and saddened by the news. They had hoped to extract more information from the prisoners, to learn more about the vampire mage and his plans. But now, that hope was gone.

As they stood in the cell, looking at the bodies of the two vampires, Ashina felt a mix of emotions. Part of her was relieved that the prisoners would no longer be a threat to her city or her people. But another part of her was frustrated that they had taken their secrets with them to the grave.

She turned to her advisors. "We must continue with our plans," she said firmly. "We cannot let the death of these prisoners slow us down. We must find this vampire mage and put an end to his plans before he can cause any more harm."

Her advisors nodded in agreement, and they quickly got to work on formulating a new plan. Ashina watched them go, feeling a sense of determination and purpose that she had never felt before.

But even as she walked away from the cell, the memory of Miguel and Santos' unrepentant faces lingered in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder how many more vampires were out there, willing to do anything for power and wealth.

And she knew that she had to find them and stop them before they could do any more damage to her beloved city of Zuih.

As the people of Zuih mourned the loss of their king and queen and worked to repair the damages from the vampire attack, the prince of the Leaden Kingdom, August, was jubilant. He had long dreamed of attacking the city and now, with the help of the vampire mage, his dream had become a reality.

August was celebrating his victory with his courtiers, enjoying wine and music as they laughed and boasted about their triumph. The prince was particularly pleased with the capture and execution of the two vampires, Miguel and Santos. He knew that they had been important figures in the attack, and their deaths would send a strong message to the people of Zuih.

But even as he enjoyed the revelry, August couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that the people of Zuih were strong and that they would not take the attack lying down. He had to be prepared for their retaliation.

He turned to his advisor, a wizened old vampire named Marcus. "What is the situation in Zuih?" he asked.

Marcus looked up from his goblet of wine, his face grave. "The city is in chaos, my prince," he said. "The people are mourning their king and queen, and they are looking for revenge. They will not rest until they have found the vampire mage who orchestrated the attack."

August nodded. He had expected as much. "What do we do?" he asked.

Marcus hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "We must be ready for them," he said. "We must fortify our defenses, and prepare for a siege. We cannot let them breach our walls."

August nodded again. He knew that Marcus was right. He would have to prepare for a battle, a battle that he was determined to win.

As the night wore on, August continued to celebrate with his courtiers, but his mind was on the coming conflict. He knew that the people of Zuih would not rest until they had avenged their fallen king and queen. And he was ready for them.