While D and his companions are out battling their way through the rapidly growing forces—soldiers dressed in ash-gray military apparel who are roughly human except for their glassy green eyes and lipless slash of a mouth—they rescue a girl named Elene Slocum, then encounter the bank robbers. While all of these humans are essentially baggage to the Vampire Hunter, they end up traveling together anyway. As they make their way to the castle, they try to discover who has brought the enchanted troops back, and for what purpose.