"My apologies, my prince and princess! The Dandy Muse is ablaze with screaming patrons running for safety. The guard captain is on his way now, my liege!"

"GADZOOKS!" Prince Birch shot up from his chair in complete disbelief, "If The Dandy Muse is ablaze, then you will need more than just the guard captain. Summon the city's fire brigade to put the blaze out before that whole district burns to the ground! Also, call for any and all clerics and healers to attend to the patrons of that establishment. Some of them may be badly burned or worse!"

Prince Birch turned towards his wife, "My dear love, I feel I must deal with this matter personally. I shall return as soon as the blaze is out, the patrons are safe and the district is secured."

The princess merely nodded in agreement as the prince ran out of the room yelling, "A HORSE! A HORSE! MY PRINCEDOM FOR A HORSE!"

The crowns guard mounted up and followed their prince down to the market district of his city. By the time he reached what was left of the Dandy Muse, it was half burnt with large beams leaning down or broken by remained of the side walls. The ashen remains of a dozen vampires littered the broken floor. The stage was destroyed whereas the bar was untouched and there sitting back in the corner was the very same gentleman sitting there with a smirk on his face. He raised a glass of wine to the Prince of East Port.

At the head of crown guards rode Prince Birch high in his saddle and barking out orders, "Clerics! Help the injured! Mages! Pour more water on that fire! Guards! Assist my people out of this area! BY GODS, LET'S GIVE THIS FIRE WHAT FOR!"

Madeous and Quake looked at each other for a moment at the sound of the approaching Prince of East Port. While Alyson couldn't face palm enough to keep him from not noticing her and the others.

And suddenly Birch spotted them! The Bronze Man! Lady Alyson! Lord Irzen! Serna! Caliaphy! And two new companions he did not recognize.

Quickly dismounting, Prince Birch cried out in wide-eyed disbelief as he ran towards them, "NO WAY! LADY ALYSON! BRONZE MAN! LORD DROW! OUTSTANDING! HAIL AND WELL MET, HEROES OF NORTHAVEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY PRINCEDOM?!"

"Well at least someone his happy to see us!" Irzen quipped as he waved back to the prince.

"Some rest and relaxation or so we thought," Madeous swung his great sword over his back and it disappeared. The sounds of people and vampires rang throughout the upper levels of the damaged inn.

"Which we could have had if we just went to the palace in the first place." Irzen reminded everyone present, "But NNNNOOOOOOooooo, we had to relax in a vampire den that made The Hellmouth on Buffy the Vampire Slayer look like a Girl Scout meeting!"

"OH SHUT UP! IRZEN!" Alyson shouted at the swordsman.

Quake spied a vamp trying to bail and with a quick stomp, she flipped up a piece of broken post and impaled it in plain view of the prince, "Yeah and apparently we were almost dinner for these blood suckers."

"YOU'RE HERE TO KILL VAMPIRES IN MY PRINCEDOM?!" Prince Birch clapped his hands atop his head, "NO WAY! OUTSTANDING!"

"And this day just keeps getting better and better!" Irzen sadly shook his head.

"We are many, mortals! We are everywhere! Not even you, you poor excuse for a prince can stop us!" The vamp sneered despite being nailed to the building.

"The devil we can't!" Prince Birch turned towards Lazheros, "O GREAT WYRM! Your skills as a Grand Cleric are renowed throughout The Fire Sea! Your honor and mercy are beyond reproach! Some say you are even worthy of being an Avatar of Bahamut himself!"

Madeous felt like he stepped into an awkward situation.

Seizing Lazheros by his shoulders, Prince Birch begged, "I beseech thee, O GREAT WYRM, smite that evil doer and all his ilk, consecrate this ground in the name of Bahamut himself, and help me rid my princedom of this terrible scourge which threatens all within my domain! What say you, O GREAT WYRM?"

The Bronze Man pulled himself free of the panicking elven prince, his voice booming over the people, "Prince Birch! Restrain yourself! Or I will do it for you! Two, I am not old enough to be called a Great Wyrm, nor am I an avatar of the platinum dragon. I am but one of many servants, and the one you should be asking is the platinum knight, Madeous Khyng to smite this vampire!"

"THE PLATINUM KNIGHT?!" Prince Birch turned towards Madeous with childlike enthusiasm, "NO WAY! OUTSTANDING!"

"Watch your arm, Madeous," Irzen quipped under his breath.

Prince Birch raced over to Madeous, seized his hand and began to shake it up and down vigorously, "It is an honor to meet you, noble sir! A great and cherished honor indeed! Your deeds, your valor, your courage and your adventures are of equal, if not greater renown, than that of the noble dragon, The Bronze Man, himself! It is an honor to shake your hand, sir Knight! An honor indeed!"

Madeous took it with grace and pride despite the looks of pure disbelief from both Alyson and Lazheros. "Likewise."

Prince Birch continued to shake Madeous hand in sheer enthusiastic gratitude.

The platinum knight placed a firm grip on the prince's shoulder and squeezed just enough for Birch to let go and step back, "Now that everyone knows everyone here, there is the matter of this vampire infestation to deal with. Consecrating the ground will not be enough to root out the master vampire--"

"Heeheeaarh!" The vampire screeched over to them, "Oh I'm afraid to say there's more than one master here in East Port! You'll never find all them and by then it'll be too--"

Madeous reached behind his back and in one fluid strike, his vorporal great sword separated the vampire's head from his body, "That's what happens when an enemy cuts me off and starts mono-logging. Anyone else?" He looked around at the crowns guards and the others, "No? I didn't think so."