It had been a long time.It had been a long time since Fenriz had been forced to set out on his own, though exactly how long since that fateful day he wasn’t quite certain. In his nocturnal, nomadic lifestyle, keeping track of the passing days wasn’t exactly a high priority, and dwelling on that day wasn’t something he was keen on doing.It had also been a long time since he had traveled alongside… anyone really. He had met many people since his 10th birthday, most of which he would consider friends. But as time tends to do, their individual destinies sent them on their own paths, and Fenriz on his, and at present the whereabouts of any of his former companions were yet another unknown to him.Indeed there was very little about the young vampire’s life that he was certain of. Chief among them were the location of his parents. Almost every action he had taken since they had been separated were to reunite the two parties. Today, however, was a bit different.Tiny footsteps echoed through the main chamber of the Highland Crypts. The Fenriz of old would have taken each step with a great deal of trepidation, hunched over to make himself seem smaller to any other potential lurkers of the night. However this Fen stood upright, each step still landing with a measure of caution, but certainly not the fear that was characteristic of him. Since his being turned into a vampire, a lot of changes had occurred within him. First it was the cravings for blood. Over time, he had learned that he had possessed a certain control over the shadows surrounding him. This was likely the cause of his renewed confidence. Not only did this provide himself a means of defending himself should the need arise, Fen had to admit that even if nothing else about being a vampire was, this aspect was begrudgingly… fun. Over time he had gained a fair measure of mastery over his abilities, though the shadows still seemed to have a mind of their own on occasion.A more worrisome side effect was the effect he seemed to have on the undead. On a number of occasions, if there were dead buried in his vicinity, they were certain to not stay that way for long. Even now he couldn’t rule out the possibility that this was all merely coincidence, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was much more to it.Thus his journey led him here. Standing in front of the archway that separated the primary chamber from the depth of the crypt, he slid his hood from atop his head, allowing his messy white hair to spiral in every which direction. This pause allowed time for the all to familiar fog of doubt to seep into his young mind. Was he really about to do this? Were any answers he might walk away with really worth the danger? After all, he had barely escaped his previous encounters with the undead with his life, and each of those times he had help. Who was going to come save him if things turned sour this time?Crimson eyes stared beyond the magical gate. Despite his natural ability to see in low light, even his vision couldn’t pierce the darkness ahead. Suddenly, his true nature came flooding back to him. Every single part of him wanted to flee. To turn around and leave this place behind him permanently. And flee he almost did. Instinctively, one of his feet pivoted, turning toward the entrance he had passed through. But in defiance of his common sense, the small boy squeezed his eyes shut and charged through the gate, which to his surprise provided a small amount of resistance before allowing him to appear on the other side. After stumbling over himself due to his unexpected change in velocity, he lifted himself up and began his slow descent down the stairs.Entering the catacombs almost seemed to confirm his worst fears, as the moment he stepped of the final stair, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread. One small comfort was his regained ability to see in the encompassing darkness, though at first there wasn’t much to look at aside from the musky walls lined with decaying coffins. Once more thoughts of doubt and dread began to cloud his mind, but he ignored them, pressing on into the unknown. Unnoticed by Fen, where the shadows stirring wistfully, and the coffins beginning to rumble.