Danah repeated. "I don't know about you. But I am not staying here to die. So I am leaving."
Her assistant pleaded with her. "Please don't leave us your majesty. What would we do without you?"
Her dukes became afraid immediately. Without a pillar to hold up the sky for them, they will be crushed when the world falls down. They asked her hurriedly, "Where are you going, your Majesty?"
She gave them an indifferent glance and said, "I am going to the surface. I will see you there if you make it."
Danah left her throne. She picked up the ghoul by its head. Then she picked a direction. And then she ran for it. She plowed through walls, doors, and any obstacles in her path like a bull. Nothing could stand in her way when she collided with it.
Her dukes scuttled after her immediately. She is their only hope so they can't let go of her. Of course, they won't be able to keep up with her but that won't stop them from trying.
They trailed after her like chicks following a mother hen. They saw her pick a spot in the walls of the cavern and break through it with a smash. They filed through the hole she left behind but they couldn't find her anymore. She was gone from their senses just like that.
"Damn it. She is too fast." One of the dukes said.
One of them asked. "What do we do now?"
She is a female vampire. But you wouldn't know that because she looks no different to the other buff vampires. She has the same barbarian physique as Danah their Primogenitor.
"What's there to think about? The answer is clear. We continue towards the surface. That's where salvation is."
"What about the Ghouls? They could be around right now."
"Then some of you will die. As for me, I am going to the surface. Staying here means assured death. The surface is our only hope."
Most of them agreed with this sentiment. There is no salvation here in the Underdark. They kept all the Vampires away from the walls earlier. It was to prevent the Ghouls from locking on them and warping into the territory. That would have failed if a Ghoul with a very wide detection range came near the Cavern. It would bypass the defenses and start to hunt them.
Staying in the city meant waiting for death. It is uncertain when their death will come. All they know is that there is death beyond the city. But at least, they had the Primogenitor to take most of the danger from them. Things have changed now. The defenses have been breached and their Primogenitor is gone. The Vampires that were locked out can come in. They will also bring along with them their troubles and woes.
Most of the dukes agreed. So they left for the surface. They bemoaned their fate and some even felt bitter about being left behind by Danah. But they didn't give up just yet. There is still a chance to survive so they took it.
If it is any consolation, their Primogenitor Danah who left them behind hasn't reached the surface. She was delayed by someone who held her back. In fact, she never stepped foot outside of her territory. Instead, she was fighting for her life while her Dukes ran to the safety of the surface.
It is not for the lack of trying. She too wanted to go to the surface but a domain engulfed her as soon as she broke her outer defenses. She was scooped into a dark world immediately by the person who had been waiting for her just outside her territory.
Danah assumed a fighting stance immediately after she appeared in the dark world. She appears to be ready for a fight. But there was no one to fight. She couldn't find anyone in this dark world so she was looking around vigilantly.
A voice said, "It seems I was expected."
She swiveled in the direction of the voice.
"So it really is you, Ragnarok," Danah said with a scowl.
Ragnarok bowed briefly. "It is me. And I must say that it is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all yours. Now let me go if you don't want to die." Danah threatened.
Ragnarok shook his head in pity, "I am afraid that I cannot do that. I would like to spend more time with you. At least until the sun comes up."
She said confidently, "I know what you are doing."
"I am sure that what I am doing is pretty obvious. I have done it twice already and you have witnessed it both times. It will be negligence or lack of foresight on your part if you don't know what I am up to right now."
She maintained her courage and said, "Well, it won't work."
Ragnarok wasn't discouraged. He said, "I am fairly certain that it would. It didn't work the last time, but it should work this time around."
The two of them stood looking at each other in the black empty world. They said nothing. Only the ghoul that Danah had gripped by the head was making a fuss. It wants to eat her but she has it at arm's length.
Danah asked in irritation, "Is your plan to bore me until sunrise?"
Ragnarok smiled. "Far from it. I was hoping we could engage in spirited conversation till the sun came up. I have a lot of issues that I would like your input on. It is most especially about..."
She interrupted him, "Surely you must have something better planned. You can't have waylaid me just to chat."
Ragnarok wagged his finger at her. "Let's not go falsely accusing me for something I didn't do. You ran into me. Not the other way around. And it was completely by chance too. I didn't waylay you."
What he said made her roll her eyes. It is obvious that Ragnarok is not treating her seriously. There is no way that she will believe that he didn't actively try to nab her. Not after his recent fights with Primogenitors.