Solomon was whistling quietly to himself as he worked away in the empty shell of a house that fronted on the main avenue that ran through the city. There were other roads of course but this one ran directly out from the castle and was the only one large enough to accomodate the vampires carriages for the first block or two. It made completely probable then, that at some point, this Prince Edward would travel along its length. 

The house Solomon now sat in, along save for his thoughts and a large leather square covered in various tools, lit by four heavily shielded lanterns, was of heavy stone. It would take an earthquake to bring the building down. Thankfully, Solomon knew something about making an earthquake. Not an actual earth movement mind you, but he knew how to make gunpowder and so here he was building an explosive device that would essentially blow the front of the house onto anything passing by. It was a tediously exact science and one that often killed its own maker.

He had been making the black powder in the home of his mistress and it was so unknown here in these hell shaped lands that no one, not even she, thought to question what he was doing. The small package he had obtained a day or two previously had been the final touches, bought from a merchant who clearly had no idea what he was carrying. Only exposing the "Wonders of a burning and sparking snake". Idiot. He had been worried he would have to make his own fuses but some enterprising fool had saved him the trouble. 

The house was empty save for his workstation and a bedroll in one corner that held his pack, food for several days, and a very comfy blanket and pillow he had taken from his mistress. No doubt she would not require them now that she was nothing but dust. He had taken the stake he had used to kill her before he slaughtered the servants. Not that it had been difficult. Most had been old and the younger ones were all hobbled so they could not flee far. Means to an end, and he did not need his identity to be revealed by anyone until his work was done. 

He carefully began to pour the black powder into a ceramic jar he had purchased, one of a half dozen. He would stack extra stones around them when they were ready to try and direct the blast outward. Much of the force of the explosion would be lost in the empty house but there would be sufficient to send the entire facade of the house flying across the street, blasting the carriage off of its wheels, killing any human guards. He would be on hand of course to finish off Edward, just as he had the miserable brother. 

His gaze drifted to a pair of small plain wooden boxes. Each looked large enough to hold a big apple. But inside them were his most valuable weapons and he hoped he would not have to use them. They would be the ideal tool for killing the Vampire King. Nothing, no beast of evil, no undead dragon, could survive such a weapon and only a select few existed. 

He smiled to himself. His time would come. They would all die. Even Ulrek.