How many years had it been..? How many battles had he been through..? How many had he slay..? How many had fallen by his side and in the fight for justice..?

Crad had lost count, and the aged Warrior of the Primes was surely not as young as he once was. Crad had served the Prime of War dutifully for all these years; all these years that had taken him away from the city he fell in love with and found his path. All of these years where he had been away from the woman he'd married, and the family he'd called his own. Whatever had become of Maise and Odin, and his daughter who he barely even remembered? He had always wondered, and he could only hope that the correspondence he had tried to send them reached its destination. Always did he follow the Voice of Light, and always did he do as the Prime of War had instructed him. It was his path. It was what he was sworn to do, and it wasn't always the thing he wanted most.

A recent visit from the Prime of War in his sleep had sent him back to the lands he had left so many years ago:

"Go to them..." he was told.

It had been too long since he had heard the name Atas'Cosita ring through his ears. Too long had it been since the thought of his old home had graced his mind. The time was now, and the time was perfect.

Arriving in Port, Crad took up a hefty trek to the castle that he once knew so well. The air was chilled, and the cascading bolts of lightning and dark, gloomy clouds gave a very ominous feeling as the wolf approached. This evil foreboding did not bring joy to the Light Crusader, the Warrior of Piety, and the grimm energy that coated the lands left him feeling unsettled and worried. Was this Atas'Cosita? Or, did some ill befall this place?

"HALT!" screamed a burly male, clad in his heavy armor plating. The pike-staff protruded forth, and pressed close to Crad's chest plate. Crad could barely see the entity under the shroud of darkness, though there was a particular smell and feeling that the Paladin had picked up on. Vampire... "State your business in Atas'Cosita! Or, be denied entry and cast from my presence!" further barked the male vampire.

"I am Crad, and I am here to see the Queen. It has been some years since..." he started to say, explaining himself.

"Nobody sees the Queen without consent from Lady Fellisandra or Lord Loferien," yelled the male.

"Fellisandra... Loferien..." Crad then said, low and under his breath. Those were two names he did recall. Where they holding the City hostage?!

"Yes! That's what I said! Lord Loferien or Lady Fellisandra are protecting the Royal Family, and nobody is to see them without their say! Move along, or face penalty!"

"I'm here to help. Please, let me enter. I was a citizen here many seasons ago, and I assure you that Queen Zaboo would know of this old warrior."

The gruffy male lifted up his visor, and gave Crad a good looking over. Though the Paladin was armed, it was obvious that he held no ill intent, even to the most hostile of creatures. "I will see you escorted into the City, and we'll see if you are known by the Royal Family. I would see you run through if your tongue is insolent and false, but that's not my decision to make," the Vampire finally said, spitting on the ground in front of Crad's feet.

It was then that Crad was taken into the city, and the true reality of things would be revealed...