Through the dark forest, heading away from a medieval citadel in the dead of night, a group of five hooded figures ran, sprinting at such a speed, and with such agility, that any human who saw it would believe it impossible to do.
The group ran and ran, for hours on end. It was only when the sky started to turn gray with the predawn light that the group reached a clearing wherein they stopped for a moment. At the other side of the clearing was an old brick wall, built in years long past for reasons long forgotten.
??? : "From this point on remain on your guards... Lxnra scout ahead..."
A male, one of the three in the group, spoke up. The rest of the group nodded, one of the two females split off to progress past the wall while the other four remained in the clearing.
That female jumped the wall, slightly nervous about her actions.
She was entering the forbidden lands. A zone which had been off-limits for even class four vampires at the peak of their powers. It had always been that way since the beginning of the elders life-spans. Who knew what lay hidden in that forest?
She went a couple hundred meters before noticing that she could no longer see the clearing despite the small distance and her excellent eyesight.
She paused, looking around her surroundings carefully.
In her six hundred years of existence she had never known a feeling such as the one which was creeping into her very soul ever so slowly. It creeped up her legs and arms towards her chest, slowly crushing her under the pressure.
Her breathing steadily increased in speed.
Lxnra : *Apprehension? To think that the mere forest could instil such a feeling in a class three vampire... Disgraceful...*
She scoffed at herself, calming her still shaking body. She looked around for a tall tree, hoping to climb it using her extreme physical strength and see which way the clearing was. She spotted a rather tall one around thirty feet away from her, and started climbing it rapidly.
After reaching the top she looked around for nary a moment before she noticed the field where the rest of the squad was waiting.
It was still an extremely close distance, so close that it bewildered and amazed her that she was unable to see it from the forest floor.
She reaffirmed her direction and started jumping from tree top to tree top bee-lining it to the clearing, not wanting to chance a change in direction on the way down.
A few rapid hops later she was standing in the clearing once again.
??? : "Why were you---"
One of the men asked, pointing upwards.
Lxnra : "The forest is too thick to keep a sense of direction, and from roughly six hundred feet in you can no longer see the clearing. I didn't want to chance getting lost or missing the clearing, so I simply jumped from tree to tree. "
??? : "Interesting... Pultra, can you detect anything from the forest?"
Pultra : "Nothing sir, just a normal forest from what I can see..."
??? : "It is obviously not, for several reasons. The first being that it is forbidden to even the elders, the second is that a class three vampire cant tell which direction they are heading once inside and must then go above the forest to find a way out. There are others, but these are the two main ones. Now, can you find out what is wrong with it or not?"
Pultra : "Sorry sir, it appears that whatever is cast here is above what I am capable of detecting..."
??? : "I figured as much...
Well, no use in trying to go around the obstacle which you have to go through anyway... Group up tight, and travel slowly. If you discover anything out of the ordinary do not hesitate to warn the rest of us..."
Group : "Yes sir."
??? : "Good, now, I will take point, Pultra is second, Lxnra is last, Mantar is in-front of Lxnra and Knel, you are in the middle, cast a light spell above the forest in the direction which we are heading so that we can follow it..."
The woman named Knel nodded, creating a large horizontal pillar of light in a straight line, extending beyond the horizon.
After the trail was in place, they walked forward as a group directly under it, keeping within a few feet of each-other.
After a couple hundred feet, just like Lxnra said, they lost sight of the clearing.
They walked onward into the dense forest, as the first light of dawn showed through the trees.
Normally vampires would fear the light, but that is only true for class one and class two vampires, which are those under four hundred years of age. After a vampire attains class three, which is about four hundred years in age, they become powerful enough to stay in the sunlight with only minor effects as long as they are covered with thick clothing. And the class four vampires, the class of the elders at eight hundred years, are so powerful that they feel nothing from sunlight, even when their skin is directly exposed to it. They do not even have a feeling of being uncomfortable, or a loss of power.
Those are the extremely powerful vampires however, and the class threes do feel uncomfortable as well as incur a slight loss of power. These five people however were the peak of class three, on average aged around seven hundred years, so their weakness was almost non existent.
They walked for a short while longer, roughly half an hour, before one of them stopped.
Paltos : "I think we are being followed..."
Leader : "Are you sure?"
Paltos : "I said 'I think'... I am not sure, but I believe that ever since we entered the forest something has been watching us."
??? : "Well you didn't exactly make it hard, with your giant wake up call in the sky. Everyone from miles around can see this pillar of light..."
An unfamiliar voice called out behind them. The entire group turned, ready for a fight, and looked upon a busty woman, with black and silver hair, and purple eyes. She was wearing a black leather top and a black skirt. She was propped up against a tree with her arms crossed over her extremely large breasts.
The man named Mantar leaned forward, about to throw his fist, but as it was about to begin traveling it was stopped from behind. Mantar looked behind him at Knel, who was restraining his fist with both her arms.
The leader turned towards this new woman, still propped up against the tree, and he bowed.
Leader : "I am Olnap. I was sent by the last vampire elder, Yunta, who has, by now, been defeated... I was sent here to seek help from whomever resides here."
Woman : "Oh? And why should we help you?"
Olnap : "The vampires have been pressed into a corner. This is the only planet where we still reside. Our numbers are dwindling, we are down to only a handful..."
Woman : "What you face is your own doing..."
Knel : "We face extinction, will you not lend your aid??"
Woman : "That has nothing to do with the residents here... As long as we live vampires shall never go extinct, now leave..."
Mantar : "I am afraid that isn't an option lady..."
Mantar broke free from Knel's grasp as he rushed toward the woman. She scoffed at him.
Woman : "I pity you, scum. A mere young ling challenging ME!! You are six thousand years too early to attempt this, fool..."
At that moment, Mantars entire arm was obliterated from existence, and his body fell to the floor, lifeless. The woman was still leaning against the tree, in the same position, except this time one of her arms was soaked in blood, as it lay at her side. A massively powerful aura enveloped them as disdain and anger showed in the woman eyes. The aura forced the group of elites to re-evaluate this mysterious woman.
Woman : "Too weak, if this is what vampires have deteriorated too, then perhaps you do need to be purged."
She emphasized the last word as she lifted her blood soaked arm, about to kill them all.
The woman named Knel knelt down on the floor and hurriedly started speaking.
Knel (hurried) : "Before we left the elder told me I was related to a man named Mintrax here, and thats why we were sent."
The woman paused, re evaluating her. She smiled slightly, a thing which emphasized her perfect face. A moment later she sniffed in the direction of Knel
Woman : "Yes, you do have some of his blood in his veins... Who was your mother child?"
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Knel : "My mother was named Inari..."
Woman : "Oh you are Inaris daughter? This changes things..."
The woman put a hand on her chin, her face distorting in thought. A moment later she came to a conclusion.
Woman : "Knel, daughter of Inari. I will allow you and your party into this forest, do not make me regret this decision..."
Knel : "I won't, Mrs...?"
Woman : "Ah right, my name is Yndra."
Olnap : "Did Mrs.Yndra perhaps know mistress Inari?"
Yndra : "Of course I knew her, she was my friends great granddaughter... You are fortunate to have such an ancestor, even more so to have the blood of my Master flowing through you, otherwise you and everyone here would be dead... May I ask, what happened to Inari?"
Knel : "My mother, she died on the Planet of Nalra in an ambush... Along with my grandmother..."
Yndra's face changed at this, from a smile to a scowl. She exuded an aura which made the elite group shiver.
Yndra : "Inari... is dead? So is her mother.... He will not like this... He wont like this at all...."
Yndra made a movement with her hands and the scenery changed around them, from lush and dense forests to an extremely extravagant room. With bright marble floors and polished granite pillars embedded with gemstones and inlaid with gold and silver.
The room was very long, and on one side was a pair of massive doors, thirty to forty feet in height, and on the other side, elevated quite a distance from the floor of the room, was a throne made of a strange substance, it appeared to be a mix of obsidian and water. The throne flowed and moved under the surface. The liquid was pure black while the container was a tinged red. The combination of the two entranced those who watched the strange flows of the liquid.
There were several people in the room besides the new arrivals. Along the walls were two dozen guards, each clothed in ornate red armor, similar to the throne but lacking the black liquid. Next to the Majestic throne were six other thrones, each awe inspiring, but not nearly as unique as the red and black one. Carved on each of these thrones was a large circular symbol.
Three of these six other thrones were filled. Seated in these lesser thrones were two females and one male. The females were seated on either side of the main throne, while the male was on the far side, separated by an empty throne from the female on the kings right.
The occupant of the red and black throne was a young man, appearing no older then thirty, but he exuded an aura of power which made one instinctively try to place his existence away from mortals and standard beings. This...
This diving being had a presence which demanded respect, a face which demanded love and loyalty, and the power which demanded total obedience.
His bright golden eyes glanced at the new arrivals with interest.
Yndra knelt instantly before the person on the throne. The group which was behind her stood in a daze at the rapid developments around them. A moment later, they froze and were forced to the ground by a massive pressure. The aura of this pressure was the sameas that which they felt earlier when Mantar's arm was destroyed, except this time it was far stronger.
The unstoppable will of Yndra crushed them to their knees and they knelt with no other choice.
Man on the throne : "Yndra..."
He spoke a single word, except every person there was dazed by the extreme malevolence and majesty of his voice.
Yndra : "Master..." She said, clearly, with her head still down. Her voice sounded happy, but still it had slight traces of regret at the news which she had to break to her lord.
Master : "You may rise Yndra..."
Yndra stood up at that point, and flashed a smile at the man on the throne. He smiled back.
A moment later, the woman on the throne to the mans right spoke out, curiosity prevalent in her voice.
Woman to the mans right : "Yndra, why did you bring the trespassers here?"
Yndra : "They bring terrible news, our king is being hunted by the humans."
The man on the throne cocked his eyebrow up, and then nodded to Yndra.
Yndra motioned to Olnap, allowing him out of her pressure.
Olnap : "We face extermination outside of these sacred halls your majesty. This is truly the last bastion, for we are all that is left. The last vampire elder has fallen and there are no more then twenty of us left in this solar system. Other worlds do not fair much better, most colonies have been purged. We were sent here to request aid before the damage is irreparable!"
Man on the throne : "You wish for me to defeat the entire human army for you? All of them? Their armies stretch across the stars, they outnumber us at every turn, they could destroy this planet as easily as squishing an ant, and you ask that I join with my three hundred family members? What use would that give?"
Olnap : "The elder has told of your powers, he said that you are at least a class six vampire!If that was true, you too could just as easily destroy this planet as they could! You could travel across the stars and best them at every turn, you are a legend, an almost forgotten legend but the elders have placed their faith in you.
Man on the throne : "I could do that, yes. There are things which you do not know of however....
A long time ago, I would have helped you, with nary a second thought. In fact that's what I did, the last time vampires aggravated the humans
However, actions have repercussions. My family at the time was weak, and were in danger of being killed while I was away fighting the humans. The humans took my family away from me, without my knowledge.
As I was about to destroy their armies once and for all, a human messenger told me that the human leaders had proposed an agreement. A blood oath, between myself and every empire in existence.
I would no longer join the war efforts, and in turn my family would be safe. I have kept my side of the bargain. Why should I endanger my family to help people I do not know, nor care for?"
Olap : "If it is family members, we brought one alone as well."
He moved to the side, gesturing to Knel, who was still kneeling along with the rest of the group.
Yndra : "This girl here, is the daughter of Inari, your great granddaughter, Velencia"
Valencia : "Well what a wonderful surprise... What is your name child?"
Instantly the seemingly cold woman, who was on the left of the throne turned kind. She glanced at the man on the main throne, a slight blush on her face. He smiled at her and tapped her leg. She smiled back, extremely radiantly.
Knel : " My name is Knel, my lady..."
Valencia : "Oh no need to stand on formalities child, I am your great grandmother. How is your mother doing? Or my daughter?"
Knel : "They... They died, in an ambush..."
Valencia's face turned sour, as did the face of the man on the throne.
He looked at Knel, then spoke a moment later.
Man on the throne : "Rise child..." Knel rose to her feet, her face still looking downwards.
"My daughter... is dead?"
Knel nodded, tears starting to fall from her face. At the confirmation from the child, the Kings sour face turned even worse
The king : "This... changes everything..."
His voice filled with rage, and all of his anger channeled into his fist, as he clenched it a shockwave rang out in the throne room. He slammed the fist down on the armrest of his throne in anger, and the throne shattered, unable to bear the strength of the fist.
The black liquid surged outward from the shattered red crystal, but instead of falling, it circled around the man. A moment later it formed a set of armor, pitch black and extremely devious in nature. Although it appeared solid, if one looked closely one could see that the armor was in fact still a liquid.
After the man stood up, everyone else in the room stood up, readying themselves for war.
The mans rage once again spilled onto his face, his voice raising into a snarl and then a yell.
The King, Mintrax : "FFFFFFFFIIIIILLLLLLLTTTTTHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"