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to the nearest guard without even
looking at it. His mind was already rushing a castle in Poland.
    Sophia wasn’t surprised Viktor ignored the
importance of the decree. She sensed he had no interest in
diverting to Nyberg. No, his mind was already in Poland, already
rescuing his beloved Crimson. But the path from Finland to Pinsk
was in hostile territory, so she secretly pulled the two guards to
the side and instructed them to; “drag him, kicking and screaming,”
if he ignored her order. “The trip is three or more days over
hostile ground. He needs to be prepared. You must see to it that
you and he are trained by Johan in Nybergor or you will all be
killed the first day.”
    Later that night, Viktor silently collected
his sword, wooden stake and silver cross plus the krona Sophia had
given him and left under the cover of darkness. He left his
assigned guards behind as they slept in the nearby barracks. When
he was outside the palace walls, he stopped to see if anyone had
noticed. When convinced no one had, he made his way east. He stayed
on the beaten path as he headed east towards Stockholm, there he
planned to board a transport ship, cross the Baltic Sea and embark
from the safe haven of Riga into hostile Poland.
    An offshore breeze cooled the night air, and
snow flurries whirled about. Within days, winter would roll over
the land. He allowed his horse to loosen its muscles before
demanding more speed as he tried to put as much distance between
himself and the palace as possible.
    His departure wasn’t unnoticed and his
assigned guards were alerted. They quickly mounted their Finnish
horses and tracked the young prince.
    * * * *
    Caspian was waiting patiently in the bow of a
tree. Having clandestinely listened to the conversation between
Sophia and Viktor, he knew Viktor would rush out in the night. Knew
he would have his revenge, all he had to do was wait for
Viktor.
    “You’re a fool,” Caspian whispered to himself
when he saw Viktor alone on the path.
    Caspian jumped from the tree, wrapped himself
around Viktor’s shoulders and pulled him from the horse onto the
ground.
    “Hello, Viktor. You burned and marred me in
yesterday’s light, and I intend to do far worse to you this night.
I’m going to beat you to within an inch of your life, turn you, and
then kill you again.”
    Viktor got to his feet and saw the horror
quickly darting about in the shadows, he was little more than a
blur. He stepped backward feeling behind him for the reins of his
horse and looking for his weapons. The vampire was behind him in a
burst of wind, grabbed his wrist, and twisted him to the ground. He
instantly slashed Viktor’s chest and drew blood.
    Then in a matter of seconds from deep in the
nearby woods, Caspian shouted, “You should’ve listened to the
princess. If you had, you wouldn’t be about on a night like this.
She should have warned you about me during your little talk. Death,
my friend, has found you.” The shouts bounced off the trees and
Viktor was unsure where Caspian was, but quickly realized he had
eavesdropped on the conversation at the Palace. Viktor was about
the stand when Caspian grasped him by the feet and began dragging
him toward the woods.
    Viktor struggled, turned on his belly and
began clawing at the ground. He kicked his left foot free, made it
to his feet and began to run. Caspian was in his face faster than
humanly possible. Their noses almost touched, and Viktor could see
his fangs as they glinted in the moonlight and smell his wretched
breath.
    Caspian spoke as a person in full control,
“Die with honor, Viktor. Don’t run in fear, stand and fight like a
man. Wouldn’t Crimson want that? She would wouldn’t she? Want you
to die like a man?”
    Viktor swung and missed badly. Everything was
silent, Viktor could only hear his own heavy breaths then a
swooshing sound and a thunderous blow to his back that knocked him
face first into the ground. The collision was so hard it left