"Master!" Rhett rushed forward immediately starting his Blood Healing Art.

You can't die yet, master. He thought as he looked for any sign of Eztli being alive.

The Blood Healing Art did its job maintaining the delicate thread of his Eztli's Life Force. Rhett sighed in relief. It was weak and fading, but if he hurried he could extract his soul before it perished.

Rhett turned and looked at Wes who was standing leisurely. "Wes! Help me move master to the Soul Extractor. He doesn't have long."

Wes did not move, in fact, he took a step back.

"Wes! I know you don't like me, but this is master's life we are talking about."

A laugh escaped from Wes' lips then he said. "Just let that old cripple die already."

Rhett's eyes widened in shock at his words. "Y-you can't be serious..."

"Of course, I am. He has ruled long enough its time he died. If you won't let him die then I'll end him myself." Wes said as he lunged forward, his hand aiming at Eztli's heart.

No! Rhett thought. His hands immediately forming a seal, activating the lab's defensive formation.

A golden barrier sprung up just in time to stop Wes' blow. It expanded and sent Wes flying back, but the sheer force of his punch caused the barrier to vibrate.

N-no way...he was serious. Rhett thought. He looked Wes scrambling to his feet, shocked.

"What! That shouldn't be possible. How were you able to activate the lab's formation? You shouldn't have permission." Wes said, his face contorting in anger and fists tightening.

"Master gave me full access as I needed it to operate the Soul Extractor," Rhett said. He paced towards Eztli, picking him up and carrying him towards the machine.

"Rhett, don't!" Wes shouted, punching the barrier. "No! Stop."

Rhett ignored his angry shouts and proceeded to place Eztli on the machine. He then turned to the machine's control and started it. Master, soon you'll be safe. He thought, turning his head to Wes, narrowing his eyes. His heart was lit in flames of anger.

"Why are you doing this Wes? Master treated you as his son. How can you betray him?" Rhett said, tears streaming down his face, he couldn't hold them back anymore.

"Son? He never treated me like that. He always sent me places to retrieve materials for his damned machine and body." Wes said calming down, his hands making several motions. "All he wants is to continue ruling for eternity. He would discard us soon after."

"You're wrong Wes. Master loved us both. He would have found a way to make us immortal too."

Wes laughed. "What do you know. How long do you think he spent building that body? You think he would spend his time—once he is immortal—creating bodies for us. You've only been his disciple for five hundred years so you wouldn't know." Wes took a deep breath then continued. "I saw what he is capable of, back in his prime.  The death he caused. His merciless attitude. Now he is but an empty shell. Relying on his puppets to rule.

"The last time he was outside he happened to pick you up from that place. After he never went back out."

Rhett remembered that night. He was out with his sister and they were attacked. He tried protecting her with everything he had but failed. When he was on the edge of death's door, Eztli descended from the sky, like a god. Saving him. Unfortunately, his sister was long gone.

"You idolize him too much Rhett." Wes said, breaking him out of the memory. "Have you ever wondered why he was there that night? How long he watched you struggle?"

What is he insinuating... Rhett thought.

Wes stared at him and continued. "He saw you fight to protect your sister and fail. He only saved you since he saw potential in you. He would groom you into his protector. And it looks like he succeeded."

No that can't be. Rhett thought, looking at Eztli. He couldn't have...

Rhett shook, his mind going in circles. Focusing on the possibility that what Wes said was true.

"Stop the machine, Rhett." Wes said, almost whispering." He doesn't deserve to be immortal. If he reaches his goal it's over for us. He will rather watch us rot like he watched your sister die than grant immortality to someone else."

Rhett stared at Eztli as the machine continued to work, extracting his soul. Did he really do that? Would he really throw us away? Watch us die? Rhett asked himself. His hand inched towards the machine. Towards the shutdown mechanism.

"Yes, Rhett." Wes said, eagerly. “End him."

Rhett stopped, memories of how Eztli treated him over the past five hundred years flowed into him. The smile he showed when he improved in Spatial Flutter. The warm, fatherly look in his eyes when he spent time talking with him. He remembered it all. It didn't seem faked. A memory of a night talk—about Eztli's worry of Wes—popped into Rhett's mind and he understood why Wes was doing this. Eztli really did care for him. For them.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The machine beeped, the soul container had filled halfway. It was nearing completion.

"Rhett, quick." Wes screamed, anxiously. "Stop the process. Help me become the new Blood Emperor I will help you gain immortality. I won't discard you."

"You are lying." Rhett said, standing to face Wes. "Master really cared for us he even told me he worried about your fear."

"What do you mean?"

"You know. Your fear of aging. Of losing the strength you are so proud of. Of ending just like him."

Wes stayed silent.

"He knew. He would have done something about it. He wouldn't allow you to go through what he did. You can still stop this. I promise not to tell him about this."

"Yes, Rhett I will admit I am afraid." Wes sighed. "But I am more afraid of him regaining his strength. Yes, the current him would do something about us but once he is immortal the old him would be back. The one who cared only for himself."

"But he took you as a disciple. He couldn't have cared only about himself."

Wes laughed hysterically. "You think he took me because he cared? He only did it because he needed my power. He needed me to reign over the world. And I was stupid to let him do it, but not anymore. I won't be left to rot."

Wes started making hand seals. Blood pooled on his fingertips, forming two spheres. It was a Blood Art Rhett had not seen before.

"No matter what Art you perform. You alone won't be able to break the barrier in time. The extraction is almost complet-"

"Who said I was alone." Wes said, grinning. The blood spheres flew through the entrance, leaving the lab. "I have all these high-level servants around." An explosion followed and the two dozen Blood Guards guarding the entrance came rushing into the lab.

"N-no way. Master's Blood Guards. How?" Rhett was shocked. The Blood Guards could only be controlled by Eztli.

"Well, I have long surpassed him in Blood Arts. It was quite easy, actually. Breaking his bond and replacing it with mine only took a drop of my blood. If formed seeds of my bond long ago. I just needed to activate it."

So that's what the blood spheres were for. Rhett thought.

The barrier vibrated and shook as the Blood Guards attacked with everything they had. It wouldn't hold long.

Rhett turned to the Soul Extractor, worry on his face. It felt like an eternity he could hear the barrier begin to crack.

Hurry up! He thought.

Several seconds later, the machine finally completed the extraction. A crystal tube, roughly two feet in height, was ejected. Rhett grabbed the crystal. This is master's soul, he thought. I must hurry. The crystal won't hold his soul for long. I just need to reach the bod-

The barrier finally broke. The combined force of the guards was enormous, it was surprising that it managed to hold that long.

"Just give up, Rhett. He has reigned long enough. It's time for a new Blood Emperor." Wes said, as his hand landed on the crystal holding the immortal body.

Rhett was completely surrounded. He looked at the body only a few feet away, Wes at its side. He could reach it, but he wouldn't be able to fight and use the Spatial Flutter to infuse the soul into the new body. Dammit. Rhett thought, looking down on the crystal. No. I need to escape and find a temporary vessel for master before his soul dissipates.

Rhett calmed himself, a wicked idea entering his mind, before he placed the crystal into his spatial ring. He ignited his life force activating his Spatial Flutter Art. He knew the backlash from this would be strong. He would probably lose a hundred years of his life, but it would worth it. He couldn't let Wes succeed. The energy concentrated around him—forming a shield—then expanded, pushing the guards back.

"It's useless you can't teleport out; the void stones won't let you. You are just wasting your life." Wes mocked.

Rhett's stayed silent. He had gained a few more moments, but Wes was right. There was no way to escape. Not unless he discovered a fault in the stone.

Taking a deep breath, Rhett closed his eyes, fully concentrating—looking for a crack—on the void stones. That was all he needed, a tiny crack to escape. Come on, there has to be one...There! Finally, he felt a minute imperfection within a void stone. He teleported out.

His view changed, he was in his room. I don't have much time. He thought. The disruption was too big and I couldn't teleport far. They will find me soon. I need to look for a vessel. Cracks appeared on his skin, his muscles weakened and he collapsed. He aged rapidly, the spatial jump had taken a bigger toll on his body than he imagined.

Rhett inspected his spatial ring, taking out the crystal. He watched as the light faded slowly. "Master, I am sorry. I could not save you..."he whispered. "There is not enough time to find you a vesse-" That's right! He remembered. The rabbit. He took out the sleeping Sepir Rabbit.

Rhett looked at Eztli's soul. "I'm sorry master, but this is the only way to save you." He placed the rabbit near the crystal and started his Spatial Art.

The space around the crystal distorted. A small tunnel of energy formed—linking it with the rabbit. The soul, sensing a new vessel, rushed towards it. The rabbit contorted, its eyes opened and blood dripped from them. The vicious screams lasted a couple of seconds before the rabbit fainted.

Before the spatial tunnel collapsed Rhett sent a strand of soul force leaving a message of Wes' betrayal.

"Success..." Rhett said his voice weak. “Now, I need to teleport it out of here." He stimulated his life once more. This could kill me...but at least if that happened Wes won't become immortal.

The door broke open as Wes walked in. His gaze landed on the empty crystal then the rabbit.

"I can't believe it. This is great." His laughter filled the room. "The great Blood Emperor now a low rabbit. It will be so fun to kill him now. No, better yet, I'll keep him as a pet. Caged, unable to do anything."

"You won't get the chance to do so..." Rhett said, smiling.

"What do you-"

The rabbit glowed. Spatial energy surrounded and swallowed the rabbit—creating a rift in space. Then it vanished.

"He's gone...You will never...find him." Rhett said, growing weaker, his life fading.

"Well it's too bad that I won't get to kill him, but what can he do as a rabbit." Wes said, using his Blood Healing Art on Rhett. "On the other hand, I can't have you die, I still need you to transfer my soul to the immortal body."

"I will never help you." Rhett shouted, feeling his wounds healing. His eyes filled with anger.

"I like those eyes," Wes said, praising him. "But no one said you were going to help willingly." His mouth turned into a wicked grin as blood extended out from his fingertips. He approached Rhett's body and place the bloody hand on his face. The blood tentacles entered Rhett's body through his ears, eyes, nose and mouth making their way into his brain. “Become my puppet"

Intense pain and fear bombarded Rhett, realizing what his words meant. The fear—enhanced by the evil laughter—filled his mind as darkness embraced him.