Both Xander and Muka were invited onto the large ship to have a look at the tombs that were currently present. While on board the ship, they noticed a few things. For one, some vampires wore a mask covering most of their faces. It was quite strange, but they first chose to observe the situation.
There were slots for their eyes to show, and the mask was completely black with two pointed ears similar to bats. From their smell, it was clear they were all vampires, but Muka wondered why all of them had concealed their faces.
Muka wanted to ask, but she wouldn't dare ask a question that would offend or put the Great Hero in an awkward situation. The ship was also quite grand, with different hallways and sealed doors, it was almost similar to any vampire castle.
Eventually, they entered the under compartment of the giant spaceship, and here, they found all of the chambers of the past vampires in perfect condition.
"As I said, I hadn't been doing anything, rather, I was busy searching everywhere for these tombs, and they were spread all over the place. I have no idea why and how it happened, but I believe perhaps it has something to do with that dhampir." Jim added, "Either way, we will be waking up the leaders individually. Your task is to gather the blood of those that belong to the same family line and wake them up.
"But none of them can be woken up without my presence, do you understand?" Jim asked.
Xander and Muka nodded, but there was a question on Muka's mind that she shouldn't contain.
"Forgive me, Jim, but I have to ask if we have Layla's input on this?" Muka stated. "After all, this settlement belongs to her. You two are close, so don't you think you should discuss this together?"
Hearing a particular name for the second time, Jim turned his head. His eyes were glowing slightly red.
"The leader of this settlement…ah, yes, her. I believe this place belonged to a group called the Red Vampires. Was there anyone else that is particularly close to her and this group?" Jim asked.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtXander then stepped forward.
"I guess you could say I have always been with Layla since she created the Red Vampires with Laxmus."
Jim smiled as he placed both hands on Xander's shoulders.
"Great, congratulations on your promotion."
Xander didn't understand, but Jim was already walking away after giving his order and remained on the ship as he went to check on how other things were going.
"Don't you think that Jim was acting strange?" Xander asked.
"You're right. Let's try and find Layla before we go ahead and wake up the other leaders." Muka suggested.
The two of them were off, and when exiting from the ship, they entered the settlement in search of Layla. While at the same time, Layla kept an eye on them from the shadows with her cloak and disguise, wondering what they had just been ordered to do.
A few moments later, as they twisted and turned their heads, everyone felt a familiar sensation throughout the entire settlement. It was a severe headache. The vampires were holding onto their heads as they felt great pain. But the headache only increased in intensity, and they were forced on their knees as they tried to bear it.
However, this time, Layla was feeling nothing at all.
'What is happening again…is it the ability? Is it the same thing again? Are they going to lose another memory?' Thinking this, Layla thought it might be best if she went out.
Maybe with the power of her sword, if she made a small cut on Muka and Xander, they wouldn't be affected. But, as she stepped out and stood in front of the two of them, the ringing soon stopped.
When they looked up, Mukla and Xander both stared Layla right in the face, the cloak was blocking most of what she looked like, but if one person had known this disguise well, it would have been Xander.
Standing up, they ignored her as they walked around her.
"Come on. We should be quick with the task and wake up the others. Maybe then we can solve this headache issue." Xander stated.
After walking a few metres though, some of the vampires noticed them.
"Xander… it's so good to see you. Please take this trinket as an appreciation for helping us." A vampire said.
It wasn't just one vampire, but soon many vampires gathered around Xander, bearing him gifts and more. Layla, standing off to the side, had realised what had happened. She pulled her hood down and took off her hat, yet not a single soul went up to her.
Everyone had forgotten about Layla, the leader of the Red Vampires, and now it was Xander who had once led the vampires.
Putting her disguise back on, Layla knew what she would do next.
'I have to confront him…I have to find out what the cause of this is!'
Particular vampires had soon been gathered and were lined up as they got ready to enter the ship. Those on the inside had been informed. She saw Muka and Xander leading the vampires up the ramp into the large vessel, and there were several guards in the area and two standing right by the ship.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWith her skills, she could sneak in easily and wait for all of the vampires to walk up the ramp. And when it started to close, she knew it was her chance. So she quickly ran forward and gripped the back of the vampire's neck with the strange mask, breaking it in a single snap.
Then, going straight to the next vampire, she had done the same before they could even react.
'I have taken lives all for the sake of pretending I was a Red Vampire, but this time I have a lot more to lose, and there's much more on the line.' Layla thought about the life that was in her belly. Doing just this was a considerable risk.
Layal grabbed two vampires with a single hand, leapt up to the ramp just before it closed, and managed to enter the ship.
Vampires moved fast, which was to her advantage as the group that had entered was already moving to wherever she needed to go. The good news was with guards on the outside. There didn't seem to be any inside the ramp door. Layla was ready to fight now if she had to, but her time just didn't come.
"Maybe I can walk around this place if I use their masks." So Layla thought as she pulled it off the body of the guard she had just killed, but seeing the face underneath, she felt the unnerving feeling.
This situation was similar to another one once before. Using her telekinesis powers, she pulled the mask off the face of the other vampire, and as she suspected, they were the same. The guards and the strange masks were because all of the vampires on board the ship were clones.
Layal took a deep breath and soon stood up. Then, looking back and forth in the hallway, she pulled her sword out, and the markings of two wings on it started to glow slightly.
'I might need your help in this.'
'It's a bit late to ask now, but I was already planning to help you, but be warned, although the side effects of using me aren't as severe as they were before, there still is a limit to how long you can hold the borrowed power I give you.' The sword replied.
Layla nodded in understanding and then turned her head to the side at the dead guards on the ship again.
"Well, the bad news is I can't disguise myself as one of them if they all look and sound the same. With them having the same height and everything, it would be a dead giveaway." Layla paused and added, "But the good news is, I don't have to feel bad about killing them anymore."
From listening to Xander and Muka's conversation, the vampires they had brought with them, and the questions they asked the vampires, Layla already knew that the tombs were on the ship, and she knew they were planning to wake up all the ancient vampires.
If someone could change the memories, or remove them, then Jim could easily become not just the hero of Vampires in the settlement but make it so he could even control the Originals.
"I have to stop Jim from waking them up."