Not exactly, Aki spoke and floated out of Ileas arms. Sentinel of Akelion, Protector of the Accords, and Guardian of Iz. I greet you, Verillion Carn, First Vampire of the western Courts.
You replaced it. How? Verillion asked. For the first ti, he seed in disbelief.
Found the capital, Ilea said. Worked with the Cerithil Hunters. Walked through an insanely hot hallway. Thats most of it.
Verillion remained quiet for a while. Thats a lot, he said as a knock resounded from one of the many doors in the hall. He snapped his fingers, people entering with plates of food and drinks alike. An entire feast, made not for a vampire.
Theres quite a lot more, Im afraid, Aki spoke.
Please. Let us talk over a nightly al. You are my guests. Do feel at ho, he said and teleported to the other side of the table. I hope you brought your own seat, Ilea. Im afraid these will break.
A matter of fact, she knew, and still, she kind of wanted to test it out. Instead, she ford a chair of volcanic glass and took a seat, teleporting a few plates in front of her and filling a glass with wine using Fabric Alteration. Thanks for the al. Ill try not to interrupt too much, Aki.
The silver machine flew closer, the single eye focused on the First Vampire.
News of an ancient conflict, Verillion said as he swirled his glass of wine, his eyes unfocused for a mont before he looked at Aki. His expression had changed, the casual deanor gone. I appreciate your warning. And your offers. There is a lot to be gained, for your people and for mine.
An inclusion of the Courts, into your alliance, is of course impossible. You represent order and authority, where I always strove for sothing a little less strict and defined, he said and drank from his glass. He set it down. However. Trade and travel can surely be arranged. You may buy whatever technology is made by those within these lands. There are no rules against it, though I would appreciate consideration in any offers you may make in return.
We will have to discuss within the Accords, and have representatives et, before anything would be arranged. That isnt a concern, Aki said.
Verillion nodded, though it was clear he wasnt particularly focused on any trade or travel agreents. Ker Velor. I will help in your search, and I wish to be personally included in this endeavor, no matter who your allies may or may not be. The Ascended have taken too much from this realm already, and like once long ago, we will have to show a united front, if we hope to stop them.
Talks have already started in our lands. We will be ready to talk specifics in a few hours, Aki said. And we offer to et you here, in your lands. If that is what you wish.
If Erik brought you here, there is little need for too much caution, though it is appreciated. You will be guests, and no harm will co to you and yours. He sighed and shook his head. Two Four Marks in my land. Or three perhaps, he said and looked at Aki. I will have the Lords and Ladies inford. Those who wish, will take part in the talks. With how we are organized, youll have to make a lot of individual deals.
That is not an issue, Aki said.
The One without Form. It has eluded for so long, Verillion said. And still, it kept the Elves at bay. Have you seen increased attacks in the Plains?
There is more internal strife among their kind. So attacks, but no coordinated efforts or any three mark elves, so far, Aki replied.
You were there, then, Ilea said, looking up from her ongoing al. She wiped her mouth. A friend of mine told sothing a while back First Vampire are you the First Hunter?
He looked at her and smiled. What a peculiar question. How would you know that title?
It was my first Class Evolution for Azarinth Healer, she said.
He raised his brows. No the Order couldnt be around anymore. You are so unlike them.
I found one of their temples. Wouldve starved without the grass.
He grinned now, then laughed. Ah, now that crowns it all. It gives great pleasure, to know that you have taken from them, what they have guarded most. I hope you did not take their teachings to heart.
I honestly dont rember much. Mostly focused on the stances. So whos the First Hunter now? or you? she asked.
I do believe we have both vastly outgrown the Azarinth and what they stood for. I no longer hold claim to that title. Do you?
She drank from her wine, then smiled. I have so many titles by now, I think Im good, Ilea said.
Then let it be that way. From one forr First Hunter to a forr First Huntress. The Azarinth are no more. May they be forgotten, once and for all. He raised his glass, then drank.
Ilea shrugged and raised hers too. We did kind of create a new bluemoon grass though.
Of course you did. Of course, he murmured. They are no more though, are they?
We ford a new organization. dic Sentinels. Happy to show you around in the Headquarters and introduce you to a few of them, she said and smiled.
One day perhaps, he said. It has been thousands of years since Ive traveled east.
Try to get a space magic Class. It helps, she said.
He raised one brow. Ill keep that valuable piece of advice in mind.
Ilea laughed. She supported her chin with her hand, then heard a slight crack from the table. Her ash fanned out to support it. Sorry about that. Still getting used to the weight.
He waved her off.
So you were human before? Ilea asked. You mustve been, or were the Azarinth actually vampires?
He gave her a long look, then glanced at Aki. I would answer you, but not the Accords. If you promise that you keep this knowledge to yourself.
I dont think he can intercept telepathy, Ilea said to the vampire. Not yet at least.
I will leave the room and find Erik, Aki spoke. Though I cannot open doors by myself.
An enchantnt lit up and the door swung open. Thank you, the machine spoke and hovered out, the door closing behind him.
The Taleen back, their machines controlled by a new owner. Another Four Mark, and the Architect back in this realm. You really do that forr title proud, Verillion said and summoned himself a drink.
Oh, thats that Wyvern one, Ilea said, pointing at his choice of beverage.
You know Zeriel? he asked.
Yeah, Ilea said with a wide grin.
Verillion raised his brows. Hes alive, I hope?
Hes fine. Finishing up a personal project, Ilea confird. Your becoming of blood story?
Yes. Well. Ill tell you for a drop of your blood, Verillion said and smirked.
Ilea rolled her eyes. Sure, she said and cut into her finger, hovering over the blade of glass. But if you lose your mind and destroy half your castle, dont bla . And if you use it against well, thats on you. She grinned.
I wont taste this here and now, he said. There is a ti and place. A small and decorated vial appeared in his hand before he let the drop of blood fall inside. He closed it and made it vanish. But it does sll potent. No surprise, from a being like yourself. You are still human, arent you?
Ilea took a bite out of a cooked monster leg. Ill tell you for a drop of your blood.
He laughed and drank from his cup. Why would I give my blood away so easily? The rituals one could conduct with it would be dangerous, even to .
Ilea looked up from her food, smiling.
Only a fool would share their blood with a powerful being such as you. Or I.
Try , she said and continued eating.
He laughed again. We will have our fun, Ilea, he said and bit into his arm. Again, he summoned a vial similar to the first and placed a drop inside, then offered it to her.
She teleported the thing into her hand and looked at it, then made it vanish. Im not a blood mage.
I figured, but Im sure the Accords has its fair share of powerful blood mages, he said. A token of trust, if you will.
Im human, if you were still wondering, she said. At least I think so.
If you believe yourself a human, then that is what you are, he said and paused, taking a sip from his drink. He grunted, then coughed. Your assumption about the Azarinth being vampires was not too far off.
Really now?
Its a little more complicated. The effort to invade what we later learned to be Kohr, was considerable. Only possible with the makeshift alliance of different nations and species. But of course our efforts were not coordinated, driven by revenge, by hate, and greed. It was an alliance based on need, not trust, or purpose. Splinters showed quickly, and many scrambled to gain whatever they could. We recovered much from Kohr. From facilities left behind, so trapped and others simply abandoned. Treasures the Ascended thought without value, for us, incomparable and impossible to understand.
One such treasures was a substance based on blood, from one of their research facilities. First, we thought it a biological weapon, but later study revealed the complexity and versatility of the agent. There was much of it, and the research conducted to create it mustve been extensive. It healed anyone and anything that drank it, but various experints revealed other options. Change. Induced on beings, similar to an elixir, but far more potent than anything we had known. He shook his head.
The Red Church, Ilea murmured.
What do you an? he asked.
Ive co across a substance like you describe. It ca from an Ascended facility here in Elos. North of the Plains, in the forr lands of Rhyvor. They experinted with it
So we werent the first.
Ilea shook her head. No. I encountered a starved vampire in that facility. So that wasnt one of yours?
He shook his head. Not to my knowledge.
We learned that it was a weapon. And a powerful corruption agent. It spread through the entire dungeon, infecting near every monster there.
It is possible, with it originating in Kohr, he said. Though the experints conducted by the Azarinth Order, never yielded results quite as effective as you describe. Not as a weapon. It was in that ti, that I started having doubts. About how the Order was led. About our purpose. The chaos preceding the invasion of Kohr, and the invasion itself we lost a lot of people. Despite the treasures we brought back, I started to question if it was worth it, but the Elders were consud. Most of our resources were soon focused on researching what we had found, on increasing our power, while the Plains descended into chaos and war, entire temples wiped out every week. There was no coordinated effort, no attempt at diplomacy.
The Elders soon realized the potential of the blood substance, and hired blood mages to conduct experints, soon starting to employ dubious thods, when progress slowed, he said and looked at her. I didnt do anything, Ilea. I watched. I let it happen. And I fought those who opposed us. He took in a deep breath. I thought that if we reached our goal, it would stop. That we could restore balance in the Plains, with the power and knowledge gained through the atrocities we committed.
And then, the first vampire was born. A wild creature then. Nephar was his na. An Azarinth Juggernaut who had fought in the war, who had fought by my side. He was gone. Replaced by this fanged monster, of blood. He killed two before we could put him down. I thought it madness, thought that this, surely, would convince the Elders to halt their experints, and to focus back on the lands we had already lost. But it only spurred them onward.
Many had died, to fine tune the new elixir, and when it was perfected, the highest ranking Azarinth beca vampires. Empowered by blood and healing. I too, was changed, beca what I am now. I rember the day. Rember how I felt. The power in my veins, the blood I could now wield. I was elated. I knew that we had achieved sothing great. The next chapter of humanity. We could fight back, against the monsters plaguing our villages, could heal from the worst wounds. We could live off blood alone, and change our entire species into sothing more resilient. Sothing more powerful. He paused, eyes unfocused.
Ilea took another bite and swallowed. Let guess. They didnt stop.
They did not. And it broke . Everything that I was. I could no longer deny what I had buried deep within. The Order I loved. The Order I wouldve died for. He drank from his wine. I slaughtered them. Everyone that I once revered. All those who had taught . Who had given shelter. Who had given purpose.
Thats pretty fucked up, Ilea said. Fits with the First Vampire, I suppose.
He smiled. I suppose it does, doesnt it? At the ti I was devastated. I thought that I would be the last. That I would finish it, leaving only those not yet changed. But one thought kept going. I had been there, had seen the pain and death brought on by this blood. It was still there. Would everything be for nothing? All the knowledge gained by the Azarinth. All the death caused by the new elixir? Another cult, corrupted by power, its mbers found, dead and devoured, sowhere in a cave. The legacy of the Azarinth Order. He paused. I could finish it, or I could find another way.
Im glad you chose this path, Ilea said.
It was often close, he admitted. And it took years. I gathered those who remained and those few I trusted outside of my forr Order. rcenaries of the Hand, like you. Healers from other Orders. rchants. Scholars. And I built sothing new. I had to. But we were known. Sooner or later, I knew, we would draw too much attention, we would be hunted down, to stamp out what remained of the Azarinth Order. Perhaps it was cowardice, or pride. A fear of death. A bit of everything, I suppose. I wanted to build sothing new, but already, history was catching up. What I needed was a new start. In a new place.
I used all the favors that I could. Connections that I had made during the invasion of Kohr. The Taleen, before the One without Form took over, agreed to teleport and those I had gathered far to the west. Past the Elven domains, into a land that had been changed by the removal of the third sun. It was a great risk, and the first decades were difficult. But slowly, we built sothing new. We agreed on the Four Rules, and settled, bringing with us knowledge gathered over millennia, our bodies changed to near immortality, and a purpose, to do what our forefathers could not.
A selfish dream perhaps. Running away, from what I had done. From what my Order had done. Running away instead of sharing this new creation we had found. By the ti I had co to accept most of my past choices, my history, my regrets, and my failings, we had built a new ho. The Taleen no longer communicated, instead replaced by their machines waging a war against Elven kind. It took centuries until the first of our people managed to go east and return. And by that ti, the world had changed. The Azarinth were all but forgotten. New kingdoms and Orders had ford. Wars waged for people and purpose unknown to . A land faraway, with people I no longer knew. And I was here. Among those that I loved. Those who I wanted to protect.
And so I chose. To remain. Perhaps now, with your arrival, with history once again, finding its way to my ho, and with the Taleen technology soon available to our people, I may work to make ands. For what I have let happen. For what the Azarinth had done millennia past. And for my choice, to leave it all behind.
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