Chapter 103: 101. Ancestor

With the formations gone, only crude stone walls and a medieval iron gate stood between a horde of Thralls and the city of Staedbergh. Damien passively watched from within the inner wall alongside hundreds of people as a Thrall gripped the iron bars with its pale veiny hands.

Its face was sickly, gaunt and ferocious, like a starved beast hungry for human flesh. Putrid saliva dribbled between shark-like teeth that gleamed like obsidian shards under the candlelight. 

The Thrall's gangly arms bulged as it tried to pry its way inside; the gate offered little resistance as it creaked under its strength. A long greenish tongue loosely hung from its parched lips as it drooled from the sight of many tasty humans.

Olympia stared at the creature with disbelief, "I-I created those things? With a bite?" She spat on the floor as if trying to remove some vile venom.

"That you did, my kin." Damien patted her on the head; touching her didn't disgust him. "And you will create many more... come let us leave this place."

Under the stares of the trapped humans, Damien and his small family left the compound and calmly walked past the hundreds of Aurel that aimlessly floated the empty streets.

"They aren't attacking?" A random male citizen cried out; his voice trembled as if in great distress. "We can escape too! Right?" 

Everyone screamed as the gate came crashing down, and the Thralls lept forward with the intent to maul the first juicy face they could find. The people were between a rock and a hard place.

"FUCK IT RUN!" A few shouted in unison and bolted towards Damien.

As expected, the Aurel floating harmlessly around Damien detected the humans. A screech similar to nails across a chalkboard made the terrified humans bleed from their ears.

"Blood." Olympia hissed softly, but Damien held her back, "Now, now, my kin, let the Aurel have their meal."

The male citizen who led the charge coughed blood as an Aurel rammed its ethereal tentacle fingers between his ribs and lifted him to the sky like a prize. His screams ceased as the Aurel promptly bit his head off, then slowly, as if the creature enjoyed defiling fresh corpses, it pulled the man's limbs from their sockets with its slithering hair.

Damien gave the group of humans a smirk as he calmly walked off. Their screams were like music to his ears.

Lazy clouds floated by as rich moonlight illuminated the way towards the Ravenhall estate. As they walked, the houses transitioned from simple grey stone to polished marble or red brick mansions with well-managed gardens out front. Shiny golden barriers protected the more exposed buildings from the Aurel and outside threats. 

With slight interest, Damien inspected the golden barriers, "These enchantments alone likely cost as much as the mansions." He shook his head as he gestured to one surrounding a two-story white manor with a small fountain surrounded by carriages, "They are so unbelievably inefficient and wasteful!" Damien felt like a master craftsman watching shoddy furniture being sold for a pretty penny at an auction to unsuspecting buyers. "It's a scam, I tell you! I could have just retired and sold runic formations for a living; it can't be that hard to learn..."

His two companions elected to remain quiet and let Damien have his moment until Fay pressed Damien for details on the next step of the plan. 

"Darling, where are we going?"

"Huh?" Damien stopped insulting the barriers and looked at his beautiful Queen, "We are going to the Ravenhall estate to eliminate the ruling family and seize their assets, including the Aurel in their service. With the main fort under attack from Thralls and hopefully the majority of this city's elite under Vanity's tender care. That leaves the Ravenhall barony as our final obstacle to complete control."

Damien and Fay smiled dangerously. Meanwhile, Olympia felt rather left out, "Who is Vanity?" 

"His bat shit crazy sister- ow." Damien pulled on Fay's ear with a grin, "Don't badmouth my dear sister. Even I can't save you if she hears your slanderous comments..."

Fay slapped Damien's hand away and pouted, "They are hardly slanderous... she is crazy. But in a good way, she just scares me sometimes."

The pair didn't see Olympia's face pale even further, 'There's someone more terrifying than the Queen?'

***

"Welcome, esteemed guest. Enjoy the party."

The gates to the Ravenhall Estate slowly parted along rails to reveal a lush garden surrounding a massive white french style chateau that dominated the centre.

Damien passed by the bowed guard with a complicated expression. 'I never remember there being a party here in the game...'

"Change of plans; this party may be hosting someone we can't mess with, so only attack if I give the signal."

They both nodded. Fay hooked her arm with Damien's, and Olympia followed behind at a close but respectful distance. Her heart was pounding from the uncertainty; never in her slave life had she been to a party and for her first one to be so suddenly pushed onto her was anxiety-inducing.

The walk to the enormous chateau took the group along a well-kept gravel pathway that snaked between lush flowerbeds and water fountains with marble depictions of naked women and men holding raven feathers.

Damien stepped up marble steps and past two fully armoured guards who didn't even react to them apart from a slight bow. Entering the entrance hall, the sound of casual chatter, fake social laughs and clinking glasses filled the room.

A few followed him with curious eyes as Damien casually walked past, but none dared to approach. Fay's grip on Damien's arm tightened as she leaned to his ear, "There's something wrong with these people... their actions feel... forced."

Damien watched a few conversations and agreed that everyone appeared rather animated. 'But aren't all noble gatherings like this? Etiquette and awkward relationships usually lead to rather lacklustre conversations...' The atmosphere appeared friendly to a casual observer, but upon a closer look, everyone seemed on edge. The various couples nervously changed their postures; others glanced over their shoulder toward the bar. Some repeated the same conversation over and over. 

Overall the men and women in the massive entrance hall that doubled up as a ballroom were neatly dressed in black suits and dresses. Some men wore a cloak of raven feathers that loosely hung from their shoulders, and the pretty ladies hanging off their arms donned feathered dresses. All of them had the same pale skin and similar facial features. A quick sniff confirmed they were positively human as their poorly disguised smell of filth and cattle lingered in the room, masked by overpowering perfume and cologne.

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The door beside the bar opened with a bang that seemed to silence the light chatter.

Two men wearing the most majestic cloaks of raven feathers strolled in a step behind a man who looked like an aristocrat from an ancient painting. Damien's blood ran cold as the aristocrat stared at him. The noble's gaze was measured and icy, and his actions felt refined with a hidden side of arrogance. 

The noble wore a tailored grey suit tightly around his thin, tall frame. A black tailcoat with an intricate white logo completed the outfit, along with a wide-rimmed top hat and monocle that obscured his stern face and grey eyes.

Damien froze. He recognised the white logo and this creature's features, and if that didn't confirm his suspicions, the stench of ancient blood and midnight musk confirmed this man was a VAMPIRE.

Putting his arm in front of his chest, Damien gave a light bow, "Greetings, Lord of the Akeldama." 

"Oh?" The man smiled sternly as a silver rapier materialised in his empty hand, "You know the ancient tongue and of my origin... speak, young vampire. What is your name?" A pressure like no other descended on the room. Even breathing became difficult, and Fay helplessly used Damien's arm for support.

"Respectable Lord, my name is Damien. Damien Nightshade, third in line to the vampire throne-"

"Silence." The man raised his gloved hand; his slight frown terrified all who dared to look at him. "I am delighted to complete my mission so soon as I despise needless work... but you must understand the creatures that reside within those caves are a DISGRACE!"

The sudden change of tone startled everyone.

"Listen well, young vampire, while I finish my task." Unimaginably raw arcane power flashed around his arms and struck out like a viper at the Ravenhall family. Despite his low and measured voice, it sounded loud and clear over the humans dying screams.

"My name is Vincent, one of the Lords of Akeldama. I am surprised a country bumpkin such as yourself has heard of one of the Vampire Conclaves on the central continent. However, I can see why Lady Inara is desperate to meet you..."

As blood flowed from the fallen corpses and gathered above Vincent, he clicked his fingers, and reality broke. Then, as if the gods constructed the world from glass, the air shattered around Damien and fell away to reveal an endless dark space.

As if nothing was going on, Vincent continued his tale, "Vampires are one of four mystical races that have defied the world and obtained immortality." Vincent's voice echoed from all directions, far and near, all at once, "Angels obey the system, Dragons rule the skies, Vampires the night and Leviathans the endless seas."

"But my ignorant friend, you may have noticed something. Undead are immortal, and so are slimes and other monsters. So what makes them different from us? Souls. We have souls." Vincent appeared before Damien like a floating god; blue light shone from his eyes, "Souls grant us access to the Arcane, your sorry excuse for Vampires are merely broken undead with half functioning brains and an obsession with blood. They can't even reproduce without a living partner." Vincent chuckled to himself, shaking the world, "Unlife can't create life after all; you need a living vessel. But enough about such trivial matters."

Vincent raised his arm, and a portal of darkness appeared like a swirling vortex to the bottomless abyss. From within the abyss emerged a woman; she would be beautiful with her flawless face, ash-coloured hair and black feathered wings if not for her one massive golden eye that dominated her entire face and four arms ending in clawed fingers.

"You found him already, Vincent? Excellent job! Marvellous!" The woman's mouth remained closed, yet all heard her words.

"Yes, Lady Inara Elaine, my mana is limited, be brief."

Lady Inara's single eye glared at the stern Vampire, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, he focused more on the insane amounts of mana surging out of his hand to maintain the portal.

"Very well, I will be brief. Listen here, my KIN. My time is short; I presume you have many questions to ask me. If you gain control of the dimensional tower within the eldritch valley, we can speak more, but I will give you a gift for now. Your mother may have perished alongside her husband, but that does not affect your claim to nobility. Henceforth you are welcomed into the Elaine family of the central continent."

The fallen Angel floated forward; her lower arms grabbed Damien's sides to stop him from moving. Her upper left arm's hand grasped his skull, and her other hand gripped his chin and pulled down with surprising force.

Before Damien could even react, his mouth was pried open by Inara and forced onto her tender neck. The Fallen Angel's golden blood felt like molten lava burning through his insides. HE SCREAMED AND SCREAMED, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. GOLDEN WORDS SHOT PAST HIS EYES-

[Angelic blood consumed]

[NOT COMPATIBLE WITH BODY]

[Searching for a solution...]

Damien could feel Fay desperately shaking him, she was trying to fry the Angel with hellfire, but Inara did not relent. 

"BITCH BITCH BITCH GET OFF HIM!"

Damien felt his vision go dark.

[Solution found]

[Bloodline evolution in progress...]

[Aquired resistances to Holy and Fire type magic]