Wednesday, February 12, 2014

A Decaying World - Chapter 4: Remnants Of The Marble City [01]


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Chapter 4: Remnants Of The Marble City




The moment I died the world changed: All colors faded away, time slowed down to a crawl and Modera's laughter, as well as every other sound, was replaced by an eerie silence. Not an absolute silence though as I could hear something resembling rolling thunder in the distance, which made me feel uneasy for no discernible reason. It's hard to describe but something began to well up in the deepest recesses of my mind. It can't be! Why am I able to hear it already? But the moment realization dawned upon me pain seared through my soul and erased everything. Still, I felt compelled to investigate and stood up, leaving my body behind. I didn't seem to care though, as if I had already accepted my fate and was ready to move on. Maybe it was the only chance I had before Modera corrupted my soul and brought me back to life.

That is correct. Modera is too busy celebrating her victory, which gives you more than enough time to choose if you want to live on as a vampire or if you want to die,” responded a muffled voice to my thoughts, which should have been weird but something inside me knew that I wasn't alone anymore. I turned around and my expectations were met when I saw a black-robed figure bearing a scythe. “I'll never understand why mortals need to be afraid of death even after their demise. Wouldn't you prefer something that calms your soul before you move on?”

I've never actually thought of that.”

It's always the same, no matter who I ask,” he sighed, “But you might be the only person who should actually be afraid of me!”

I don't understand...”

Of course you don't and maybe you'll never remember, but I don't have to forgive you for your choice! Just don't screw up this time!” his voice was but a mere echo at this point as his form flickered out of existence.

What about my choice?!”

I don't care about your choice!”

Alone again and it seems that time had moved on while I wasn't looking. Modera was kneeling in front of my body now, certainly getting ready to transform me into a creature of darkness. Incapable of stopping her I went towards the balcony to bask in the light of the sun one last time. I failed to do so though as the beautiful ball of fire had been replaced by an ominous storm cloud in the distance. It should have been too far away to make out any details but I swear that I saw something resembling a face in its center. At that exact moment something began to pull at my soul.

Let me end your suffering!” demanded a familiar voice but before I could put my finger on it I was sucked back into my body.



Unimaginable pain began to course through my mind and body!

We were marching through the frozen wastelands of the north after having claimed victory at last! After centuries of war we would finally be at peace.

Modera's blood began to flow through my veins and my body felt like it was on fire as it tried to fight back in vain.

Night had already fallen and our party was about to call it a day when darkness descended upon our camp! I've never felt so much power before.

My whole body convulsed painfully as dozens of arteries exploded and mended themselves at the same time!

The corpses of our most magnificent warriors littered the ground, painting the snow red while he continued to rip them apart! Their dying screams echoed across the clearing and I ended up with blood all over my clothes without being able to save even a single one of them!

Something was eating itself through my brain and I screamed and screamed and screamed while the headache got so horrendous that I thought my skull would explode!

Only the two us were left alive when a sphere of pure energy erased every trace of the massacre! When I awoke I was all alone...

The pain subsided when my heart began to beat again, pumping the tainted blood through my veins.

My eyes have been opened! He will come and save us! Bring salvation and rejuvenation! He will! He must! He has to! Destroy him! You don't have a choice! It is your destiny!

The Savior! The Promised One! He who will vanquish the darkness! All meaningless if you fai—arghhh!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Drake shot up, gasping for air despite not needing any, pain still wrecking his body from head to toe. He was sitting on a bed in a small dingy chamber full of crates, barrels and kitchen utensils covered in spider webs. It should have been impossible to see any of this as there were neither windows nor the artificial lights he had seen on the upper floors but his transformation had sharpened all of his senses. He heard spiders crawling across their silky webs and recoiled the moment he focused on the noise as his eyes adjusted in a way that allowed him to see these tiny creatures as if through a magnifying glass. He could also smell the repugnant odor of rotting food coming from the crates, causing him to gag as his body tried to vomit, but vampires didn't seem capable of such a human reflex.

Calm down, Drake. Remember how it felt to be human and your senses will adjust! Try to block out the smell, though,” responded his fathers voice upon seeing his reaction.

Drake turned his head and noticed him sitting in a chair a few feet away, his blood-red eyes piercing through the darkness. His short graying hair had taken on a darker shade of brown and his wrinkles had almost entirely disappeared, cutting about 20 years from his actual age.

How...am I supposed to remember...with all that pain?” his voice came in short bursts and was hard to understand due to him talking through clenched teeth.

You're still in pain after a whole day?” Glenn sounded worried now, walked towards his son's shaking figure and put a hand on his forehead. “Strange, it feels like you have a fever.” He rummaged through his trousers, finally revealing a small vial filled with green liquid. “Here, drink this potion. I never got to use it.”

Can a vampire even...drink something like that? Don't I...need blood?”

I'm sure Modera could give you some but I hope a potion will suffice for the moment. According to our...master we can eat and drink everything a mortal could, but if we want to improve our new-found abilities we will have to ingest blood eventually. However, let's think about that when the time comes,” and with these words he uncorked the vial and poured the liquid into Drake's mouth. A soothing warmth spread throughout his body and dissolved the pain. His muscles relaxed and he fell back onto the bed, falling asleep before he managed to utter a single word.

Relax, Drake. We'll get through his,” murmured Glenn while stroking Drake's sweaty black hair.



Hours went by before Drake awoke once more. A torch was burning on the wall and the rotting scent had lessened but with two of his senses relieved his hearing had gotten stronger. He could have sworn that he felt spiders crawling through the inside of his head, weaving their nets around his brain. Even covering his ears didn't make much of a difference.

Remember how it felt to be human!” his father's voice resounded throughout his mind, drowning out the noise for a couple of seconds.

Drake turned his head but the chair Glenn had been sitting in was gone. Remember how it felt to be human... He closed his eyes and tried to remind himself of the way the world had sounded before he was turned into a vampire. He imagined the chirping of birds in the morning, his father's soothing voice, Emily's beautiful laughter, the background noise of Arlin's tavern at night and somewhere along the way his senses calmed down and silence returned.

Thank god.”

For what? Turning you into a creature of darkness?” startled by the sudden question Drake's concentration slipped and the noise returned. Dammit, do I have to control my senses all day long to prevent them from going haywire?

Hello?”

Please, just shut up for a moment!” begged Drake through clenched teeth while he repeated the procedure.

His skeletal visitor scratched his head before he began to wander around the room, picking up spoons and ladles while reminiscing about the delicious meals he got to eat a decade ago. He had discovered his love for food during his childhood years and drove the servants insane by asking for a new dish every single day. They managed to satisfy his hunger for a few years but ran out of ideas eventually. As if to make up for the lack of originality he simply ate two, then three, then four warm meals a day, slowly growing fatter in the process. No one would have been surprised if his craving had gotten him killed but they couldn't have expected a vampire to intervene. Aramal despised Modera for turning him into a skeleton and robbing him of the only thing he really loved in life, especially because she had offered him food multiple times during the first year of her takeover. It wouldn't surprise him if the reason she had transformed him in the first place was just to make fun of him. It would certainly befit her sick sense of humor.

It took longer than before but Drake finally regained control of his senses and gazed at his visitor who was kneeling in front of a dusty old stove.

You're Ar..Ab...what was it again?”

Aramal!” he responded, his bones cracking as he stood up and turned around.

Oh right. Sorry Abaddo—?” Drake's hand shot towards his mouth, befuddled by what he had said.

Come on, the name isn't that hard to pronounce! A-RA-MAL!”

Abaddon!” he was utterly baffled by the strange turn of events. He could easily think about the name but the moment he opened his mouth only the one given to him by Modera sprang to mind.

Are you trying to mock me?” Aramal sounded angry and would have looked offended if his skull had been capable of showing emotions.

No, I assure you! It's just that every time I try to say your name it seems to get replaced in my head...”

Are you serious?” the skeleton's shoulders slouched, his voice sounding defeated. “Seems like Modera has finally found a new way to make fun of me. Why couldn't you just kill that bitch?”

I tried,” now it was Drake's turn to sound defeated, “But I couldn't land a single strike...”

Figures. Could have been worse, though!” he said while looking at his own body. “But Modera might have made a mistake in turning you and your father into vampires. Together you might be able to take her down!”

Yeah, maybe we can do that,” he responded with a fleeting smile.

Oh my, already planning a rebellion against me?”

Maniacal laughter filled the room, gradually getting louder whilst Aramal grabbed onto his head and bolted, barely evading the purple smoke descending from the staircase which billowed towards Drake's bed, engulfing it completely before it dissipated, depositing Modera right on top of him.

Get away from me!” he tried to push her off the bed but she was already holding onto him with her iron grip.

Why? Don't you find me attractive?” her voice sounded disgustingly sweet as she leaned in closer, pressing her breasts into his body once more.

Are you kidding me? You turned me into a monster!” he spat at her before trying to turn his head away but something compelled him to move it closer instead.

Don't fight me! I can control every servant I create, regardless of whether they're a gargoyle, a skeleton or even another vampire!” a threatening undertone was audible in her voice as she leaned in even closer, her mouth only inches away from his.

Okay, I get it! Would you please get off now?”

Do you really hate me that much?” she sniffled playfully before her body evaporated, releasing her grip on Drake's mind whose head smashed into one of the bedposts in the process.

Ouch! You could have at least warned me!”

But it wouldn't have been as amusing! Now get yourself cleaned up in the pond behind the tower! And don't mind the sun, contrary to popular belief it doesn't turn us into ash. How would that even work? It's not like sunlight has some kind of sacred properties. Human stupidity is just priceless,” she didn't seem to be talking to him anymore, even snickering at her own words. ”Anyway, you're leaving in an hour!”

Where to? And why?”

Pagan! I've already told your father everything you need to know. No point in repeating myself. And please, don't think about running away. You'll get an escort worthy of your status and trying to get rid of them would prove futile! Now get up!”

Before he even managed to oblige his body was flung into the air but his subconscious seemed to be more aware of his abilities than he was as he managed to land gracefully on his feet like a cat.

Would you look at that? You're already getting used to your new body!” her voice was ecstatic and she solidified in the blink of an eye, grabbed onto his face and pecked him on his lips before departing.

Drake wiped his mouth in disgust, trying to get rid of the sickly sweet taste on his lips.

Just you wait, Modera! We'll defeat you somehow!

I'd like to see you try!” she responded despite being nowhere to be seen.

Huh? Must be my imagination...

If you say so.”

He spun around in circles but his master seemed to be gone for good. In the end he just scratched his head and ascended the stairs.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Hours later Drake and his father were riding in a noble-looking carriage on their way to Pagan. The vehicle was flanked by six majestic knights who resembled humans from a distance but, as Drake experienced firsthand, they seemed to be nothing more than living suits of armor. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to these creatures though as Modera's words made it sound like they were be stronger than the Gargoyles his father had dispatches so easily.

Why didn't you tell me?” Drake's sudden question cut through the silence like a sharp knife.

Glenn tore his eyes away from the darkening landscape beyond the window and looked at his son, all the while trying to adjust his formal jacket for the umpteenth time. He was apparently supposed to play a businessman but the look didn't suit him at all, especially in combination with the top hat he was twirling in his hands.

You would have been nothing more than a burden, seeing as you couldn't even land a single hit!” he answered matter-of-factly.

I'm sure we could have defeated her if you'd prepared me for such a fight!”

Maybe, but I couldn't risk getting you involved. How did you even know where to find me?”

Well...someone told me.”

Was he wearing white robes that concealed his appearance, by any chance?” Glenn's facial muscles tensed as he eyed Drake curiously.

He was wearing such robes, as a matter of fact, but they were gray instead of white. Do you know him?”

Grey robes? I suppose he could have changed them but I don't think we're talking about the same person. The one I'm talking about told me exactly what would happen and assured me that this outcome would be unavoidable. I didn't believe him, of course, but it seems he was right all along. If only you had killed me...”

You didn't want to die!”

Of course not! Who'd want to be killed by his own child? Nevertheless, it was the only way to avoid your fate! You are Modera's only hope but she would have let you go regardless, sealing her own fate in the process!”

What's so special about me anyway?”

I'm not entirely sure,” Glenn's voice wavered as his eyes wandered towards the window.

Well, there has to be something in Pagan that only I can do, right? Why else would we be going there without Modera?”

I don't think you being special has anything to do with our current task. According to Modera the city is warded, however, which means that powerful creatures like her can't enter without alerting every soldier and mage in the vicinity”

I doubt she'd even break a sweat.”

You sorely underestimate the might of Pagan and overestimate her power. She might have been one of the strongest vampires in existence but that was ages ago and she has been on the run ever since, that is before she holed herself up in that tower.”

It's only a matter of time till I regain my power!” Drake raised an eyebrow upon hearing Modera's voice inside his head.

I don't suppose you heard that?” he asked uncertainly.

I did, actually. It's called telepathy. Due to her being our creator she can listen to every word we say and respond by transmitting her thoughts directly into our minds.”

Great...”

Don't be like that! You can try to block me out, you know? Just kill some humans and drink their blood to strengthen your abilities!” her words were once again followed by laughter and none of them bothered to respond.

So what exactly are we supposed to do in Pagan?” asked Drake before the silence got too thick.

We're going to arrange a meeting with the king, who'll hopefully agree to have dinner with us, and once our little present starts to take effect,” he knocked on a small box sitting next to him, “We're going to kidnap the royal knight Maximilian and meet Modera in a cave near the bridge to plan our next move.”

If you happen to run across a magical artifact that makes you feel uneasy, please smash it! It might be inside the tower that belonged to the court magician Salazaar. I have no idea how that fool acquired such a powerful object but it should be the source of Pagan's protection.”

And what do you need this Maximilian for?”

He'll join our cause, if he wants to or not!”

Drake's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he stared at his father in disbelief.

We don't have a choice,” was all he said as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky.



The carriage was driving through a torrential downpour of rain as it began to approach the perimeter of Pagan. Long ago the city had been surrounded by a magnificent marble wall that was too big to be scaled and withstood countless attempts to tear it down, but the forces at work during the war obliterated it in the span of single week and most of the districts followed soon after. The king back then wanted to rebuilt the city according to its original design but the survivors needed shelter as soon as possible and thanks to the disappearance of the dwarves they barely managed to scrape enough marble together to repair the walls around the castle. A millennium might have passed since then but at the rate things were going they would need another one before it even resembled the Pagan before the war.

Would you look at these ugly stone walls?” said Glenn while pointing towards the city. “And why do most of the buildings look the same? It really is just a shadow of its former self...”

But you were born here. It couldn't have looked much better back then,” responded Drake mildly confused.

You're right, it's been an unsightly place for a long time now. I've seen illustrations of how it looked during the Golden Age though, and this is nothing but a joke compared to the beautiful city it once was. Over there, for example,” he pointed towards the western side of the city, “Was a marvelous park so big that you could spend hours in it without walking in circles. A perfect place to have fun with your friends or to meet the girl of your dreams and confess your feelings in the light of the evening sun,” he sounded like an ecstatic child although Drake seemed to detect a tinge of sadness in his voice. “And over there,” he pointed towards the eastern side, “Was a church so majestic that some children actually believed they could walk right into heaven if they managed to scale one of the towers.”

You've learned all that through illustrations?”

And history books, of course. Yes, history books...” he stuttered, his eyes glued to the window.

Is something wrong?”

No, nothing. Apart from the fact that we work for a vampire, of course. Anyway, it shouldn't take long now. I don't think we'll be able to get an audience today but I'll try my best. You can look around the city if you want, not that there's much to be seen...”

Aren't you worried that someone might recognize you?”

I don't think there's anyone left who could remembers me. And even if that were the case: do I look like a 50 year old man to you?”

No, more like the brother I never had. That's kinda disturbing, actually. Can't you do something about that?”

According to Modera vampires can alter their physical appearance, so I could theoretically return to my older body. But I doubt I'll be able to accomplish such a feat without drinking blood first. Furthermore...it feels good to be young again. Just bear with it for a while.”

We're here,” interrupted a deep and hollow sounding voice from the window, which belonged to one of Modera's knights. “You have one week to fulfill the task our master has given you. We will watch you from the shadows and if you tell anyone about our plan we will cut him down on the spot!” with that threat hanging in the air the knights were swallowed by the storm.

Thank you for these nice escorts!” responded Glenn sarcastically.

My pleasure!

I thought powerful evil creatures couldn't enter the city.”

Only if the spell can detect them, but I've seen creatures like these before and they don't have any presence to speak of.”

And they aren't exactly powerful. I could have summoned something far worse. Try to escape my grasp and I'll introduce you!” Modera's laugh resounded through their minds once more but it was cut off the moment they passed through the city gates.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



A few hours before midnight Drake found himself wandering the streets of Pagan. At first he thought about visiting the nearby Pub but decided against it after hearing the deafening noises seeping through the doorway. He had no intention of going mad when his concentration slipped so he resigned himself to walking around the central district despite the fact that the storm had gotten worse since their arrival.

Father was right, this city is hideous.”

After having spend all of his life in a small village Pagan appeared like a maze to him. If he hadn't noticed different street signs along the way he could have sworn that he was walking through the same area over and over again as nearly all the buildings looked the same. Not even the shops had any distinguishing features apart from partially rotten signs above their entrances. It's surprising that he actually managed to locate a bakery, especially at this time of the day.

A few minutes later he bit a huge chunk out of his bread and swallowed it with a single gulp. He took a few more bites out of it but something didn't feel right, apart from it being stale. He stared at it for a couple of minutes before the gravity of the situation dawned upon him. Modera claimed that we could eat and drink everything a mortal could but she never said that it could satisfy our hunger...

Goddammit!” he screamed at no one in particular as he threw the bread into a puddle and turned around, trying to find his way back to the pub to drown his sorrows. If that's even possible. However, thanks to the city's layout he never got there. Instead he arrived at one of the few buildings that actually looked unique. The central structure was made up by a dome-shaped building with stained-glass windows and a tower in it's center. On the left-hand side was a small corridor connecting it to another building that seemed to contain living-quarters, judging by the beds Drake spotted through the windows on the ground floor. On the right-hand side was an empty square lined by statues, with wooden boards on the far side that seemed to be used for target practice. There was also a wooden shack behind the square and the entire building was surrounded by a small park. According to a sign hanging above the building's entrance this was the Adventurers Guild. There was also a billboard next to the door which read:



Are you looking for an adventure or new people to meet?

Then come inside and join the Adventurers Guild! No sign-up fee required!

Our headquarters are scattered across the globe and every member is eligible for free lodging as long as the guild halls capacity is not yet met!

Search for relics left behind by the Seraphim, recover lost artifacts, clean out rat-infested cellars, rescue kitten from trees or get terribly drunk with your fellow guild members!

So what are you waiting for? Everyone's accepted!



It's good to see that not everyone has lost hope in these dark times. I heard they're even planning an expedition into the world below to re-establish contact with one of the dwarven kingdoms,” Drake's heart skipped a beat upon hearing such an unexpected response from an old man who had shown up beside him. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.”

He stared at the strange figure standing next to him. The man had to be about 80 years old, his beard was drenched by the rain and half as long as his entire body and he was wearing something resembling a nightgown. His words were very clear though and he didn't seem to be mentally unstable, as might be expected of a person of his age.

Isn't it a bit chilly to walk around dressed like that?” Drake asked confused, receiving a smile in return.

Yes, I suppose it is. I like it, nevertheless. It makes me feel alive, you know?”

You won't be feeling alive for much longer if you don't warm yourself up!

I'm not sure I understand, but I'd advise you to go home nonetheless. I could accompany you, if you wish.”

That won't be necessary but I appreciate the gesture,” he patted Drake on the shoulder and began to walk away, only to turn back seconds later. “You shouldn't look so depressed, boy. No matter how bad the situation may seem, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. There's nothing that can't be fixed as long as you work hard!” he seemed to be saying something else before he left but it was drowned out by the sound of thunder.

Sure, as if I could get rid of my vampirism by working hard. He glanced at the sign once more while the rain continued unabated, never noticing the person observing him from atop the guild halls tower.



When Drake finally managed to find his way back to the Inn it was already close to midnight. As he closed the door the soothing warmth of the building should have greeted him but he didn't notice much of a difference. Water was running down his forehead thanks to his dripping wet hair, but as soon as he wiped it away he noticed that his body was still as warm as the moment he had left the building. He still rubbed his hands together to keep up appearances, even though the room was nearly deserted.

The Inn's employees had apparently gone to sleep as the desk was manned by two soldiers who eyed him curiously while talking to each other in hushed voices. Another pair of guards was standing right next to the door but they only glanced at Drake for a moment before their gaze returned to a couple of shady looking guys sitting by the stairs.

As Drake walked towards them his heightened senses allowed him to see and hear what they were doing without having to watch over their shoulders. They were playing a game of dice and the winner would be awarded with a room key while the rest of them would have to go back into the storm. None of them looked like they could actually afford a room so it was doubtful that they had acquired the key by legal means.

Having grown up in a village without poverty he would have liked to help them out but they didn't look like the kind of people who'd appreciate such a selfless gesture and would rather use it as an excuse to slit the throat of anyone who actually believed in the good in man. In the end Drake tried to ignore them as he ascended the stairs, but someone grabbed him by his foot.

Nifdy armor you've god dere. Some kind of wader-resisting enchandment, e? 'ow much do you want for dat?” asked one of the guys with a slurred voice.

It's not for sale! Not that you could afford it anyway!” Drake tried to sound as nice as possible while trying to shake the man's hand off.

Come on, you don'd need someding like dat!”

Is there a problem here?” asked the harsh voice of one of the guards who had walked over to them with his sword drawn, prompting the beggar to let go off Drake's trousers.

No! No problem, sir! Jusd admiring 'is boods, is all!” he responded while pointing at Drake's muddy shoes.

It's okay! There's no need to interfere,” said Drake hurriedly before the guard could reply to such a stupid excuse.

The soldier looked at him in disgust, as if he couldn't believe that someone would stand up for scum like that. He sheathed his sword nonetheless, all the while muttering some unintelligible curses as he walked back towards his post.

Danks,” uttered the beggar angrily while his comrades laughed at him.



Drake knocked at the door to their room but there was no response.

Isn't he back yet?” he asked himself as he fished the key out of his wet trousers and unlocked the door.

A sharp pain shot through his right leg as someone plunged a knife into it, splattering blood all over the carpet. He was kicked forwards and hit his head on a dresser as the door was slammed shut.

You sould have jusd given me your armor, assole!”

Drake barely heard the gruff voice of the beggar as the impact had ripped a hole into his head. Blood was dripping from the wound like water from a waterfall and his consciousness was quickly fading away. The knife was pulled out of his leg just to be plunged between his shoulder-blades.

Wo do you dink you are, e? You dink you're bedder dan us?”

The man gripped the knife handle with both hands and turned it counter-clockwise, eliciting painful screams from his prey. That went on for nearly a minute before he pulled the blade out once more and rolled Drake onto his back, only to plunge the knife right back into his body, nearly cutting through the carotid artery this time. Drake tried to say something but all that escaped his mouth was blood.

You sould have dold de guard to kick me out, bud no, you 'ad to play de nice guy! Goddamn idiod! I'm sure your family will be glad to be rid of you!”

Drake!” the stern face of his father screamed at him but his body was already going numb.

You wand to play some more? Or do you wand your pain to end?” asked the beggar sarcastically as he pulled out the blade again.

Drake, do something!”

The knife descended directly above his face. With his remaining energy Drake managed to move his upper body out of the way, causing the blade to sink through the wooden floorboards. The attacker's hands slipped and he screamed before he punched Drake in his stomach over and over again.

You dirdy bidch! Your pain could be over but no, you have to evade my glorious finiser! Look wad you made me do, assole!” he screamed as he held his bleeding hands in front of Drake's face.

Do you dink dat's funny? I'll rip your goddamn 'ead off!”

The beggar clutched the knife handle with both hands and pulled but thanks to his wounds he was unable to get a good grip on it. In the end he had to get off of Drake to find something to wrap around the handle.

De seets will do nicely. Just wait a momend, your deads coming up sordly!”

The blanket and pillow fell to the floor as he pulled the sheets off of the bed. It only took him a few seconds but the moment he turned around Drake was already standing in front of him. The scleras of his eyes had turned from white to red, which made them look like portals into a bloody abyss. A diabloic smile crossed his face upon seeing the beggars bloody hands. And the he plunged his fangs into his opponent's neck.

Wad de...” but his words trailed off into nothingness as a vampire's kiss paralyzes it's prey.

The door was flung wide open as Glenn stormed into the room.

Drake, stop it!” he screamed but there was no response. Realizing the futility of his words he tried to pull them apart, only to be swatted away like a fly. He might have been able to stop his son but he had switched places with the primordial beasts slumbering in the deepest depths of every vampire and it would never let go till all the damage had been undone.

Glenn stared at his son with a pained expression as he began to unsheathe his sword, but the moment he was ready to strike the room darkened and six shadowy figures blocked his path.

You will not kill the savior!

In the end all he could do was watch till the lifeless body of the beggar fell to the floor while Drake just stood there with a blank expression on his face.

We'll get rid of him,” with these words Modera's knights disappeared and the corpse followed suit. “But don't think we won't keep an eye on you! Lay a hand on Drake and your life is forfeit!

Glenn spent an hour cleaning up the room but the moment he was done he smashed a hole into the wall as he burst into tears.

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