They were in a very dark room. It was the same one. They had not moved.
They were too subdued to move and too scared to think. There did not
seem to be any point in doing anything. The door opened. Light came
from a lamp.
“Rowani, it has been too long,” said the shadowed woman’s voice.
“What d’you want this time?” Kiyor shakily demanded in defiance.
“You have nothing to fear Kiyor, you are quite ready. It is Rowani who needs to be prepared.”
“How do you know my name?” asked the quiet, suffering voice of Rowan.
“Do you not remember?” the woman seemed
quite curious. “I believe, that when we needed extra power we
took the life-force of Larees Rosa.” She walked forward, holding
her lamp up as she did so. Two men came in, held her and put a cup to
her lips.
“Don’t drink it,” warned the weary voice of Kiyor with fear.
But Rowan had to, she would choke otherwise. She
finally drank all of it. The cup was taken away and they let go of her.
She collapsed. She was shaking. The woman held up her sapphire. Another
lady comes to the table. I don’t like her; she doesn’t
smile and wears an ugly necklace.
Rowan gasped. “You killed Aunt Larees,” she cried out in a whisper.
“She was a very powerful Priestess,”
told the woman. “Her life-force was a vital energy for the
Twilight Coven. My name is Mazra and my dedication to the Twilight
Coven has been life-long. Tonight is a very special night. With our
spell, night will always reign and the power we gain from it will
demand all obedience.”
Rowan laughed a maniacal and desperate laugh.
“Well it won’t work. You needed a virgin. I’m not one
any more.”
Mazra kept her tone. “For our spell to work
Rowani, we needed to sacrifice a Light Citizen with the man she lost
her virginity to. We did have a volunteer but Kiyor will do just
fine.”
Desperation was all that one could see on their faces.
“And now, we all must prepare,” finalised Mazra.
She walked gracefully out of the room. A group
bustled in. They held Kiyor and Rowan against the wall as they stripped
off their clothing in the dark.
“Weddings are very formal, but everyone
attends them like funerals,” explained Zareen. She laughed
slightly. “Scythe and I had to have 2 Weddings because I wanted a
Light Citizen one with celebration.”
“And Scythe wanted one in the Dark Kingdom?” asked Midiro.
“Oh no, he had to have it because the Vilkon family expected it.”
Scythe and Korat, sitting at the front of the car,
had been very slowly looking at each other. When Zareen finished her
last sentence, they looked back in front. Scythe sighed.
“We’re about to visit a Vampire Enclave
to save our children, how can you two talk so trivially?” he
asked.
“When people are nervous, they think and talk of other things,” Zareen answered.
“Light Citizens maybe,” retorted her husband.
Midiro stared at her. “Did you say Vampire Enclave?”
She looked at him regrettably. “Yes.”
He stared back to the seat in front of him. “How can…he not be afraid?!”
“He’s gone in there several times,” Zareen explained consolingly.
Midiro contemplated this for a few moments. He dug
in his blazer pocket for his sunglasses. Zareen held his arm.
“Don’t,” she warned with concern
in her eyes. “The Vampires will only make fun of you for
cowering.” He stared at her, clearly at a loss. She let go of
Midiro’s arm. “You just have to look confident, it’s
what the Vampires respect.” Zareen turned away. She took a breath.
He settled in hands in his lap, fidgeting slightly.
“It seems like the Dark Kingdom is constantly in a power
struggle.”
The calmer Light Citizen nodded. “Yes. That is the way of things here.”
Midiro shook his head. “I don’t
understand how a society manages to function like that. No set laws, no
security, no structure…who represents the common man?”
“They represent themselves,” answered
Korat. “Of course, only if they’re brave enough to.
They’re generally braver to plead their case to a family if the
family who governs them is smaller and less powerful.”
Midiro sighed. “How rampant is corruption?”
“Very, but everyone knows who the most corrupt
are,” told Scythe. “I honestly believe that it is easiest
to hide a corrupt personality in the Light Kingdom.”
His passenger seemed outraged. “That is not true!”
“I’m not surprised at your
reaction,” replied Lord Vilkon coolly. “Think about it: the
Light Citizens reveal their emotions constantly. Underneath that
charade a corrupt personality is easily concealed. I bet you were as
shocked as every other Light Citizen was when the case of the thieving
bank manager in Tiscan spread through the newspapers.”
Midiro sighed in defeat. … “You don’t seem to want power Scythe.”
… “No. I don’t need it.”
… The passenger faced Zareen. “How does
your son cope, being part vagabond and part orderly?”
Zareen looked distant and smiled sadly. “He
found it very trying and confusing as a child, he could not properly
understand why adults treated him differently in the two worlds. Now he
is completely balanced. He seems to have two personalities, one for
each kingdom.” She faced him squarely. “The thing is
Midiro, though the two worlds fear each other-”
“Us?” he exclaimed incredulously. “The Dark Citizens fear us?”
“Yes, they feel insecure about revealing their
emotions,” Zareen calmly explained. “But you should realise
that be they Light or Dark Citizen, everyone has light and dark
elements within themselves. They just often fear what they hide. Those
two things will never change.”
“You haven’t explained how you managed to raise Kiyor in the Dark Kingdom.”
… “Well, Scythe and I made sure Kiyor
was raised to act in the Dark Kingdom with honour and consideration-not
necessarily compassion, that can get a Dark Citizen hurt. Pretty much
how Scythe was raised.”
A chilling, maniacal laugh resounded in the car.
Even Korat tensed. Still laughing, Scythe turned around and looked at
his unnerved wife. He grinned widely and his eyes looked mocking. He
reminded Zareen of a man ready to kill in an instant.
“Me? Raised with honour?” Even his voice sounded mocking.
“You don’t know me as well as I thought you did.” His
face then changed to a solemn expression once more, but his eyes did
not look at Zareen sharply, but softly.
… Scythe faced the front once more. …
“We’re here,” announced Korat. He
slowed the car down. The rest of them took off their seatbelts.
They jumped out. Scythe marched up the stone steps.
The grand building resembled a temple, complete with columns on the
outside. A building like this would usually be used as a library.
Scythe marched up to the big wooden double doors. He pushed.
They swung open. Their heavy thud echoed throughout
the large hall. Middle-aged Vampires sat around tables. Children
crowded with the older ones. Younger Vampires were sprawled along the
stairs and walls. A procession of Vampires, led by three elderly ones,
were entering a main chamber, through the central doors of the hall.
They turned around when they heard the echo.
The sight overwhelmed Midiro. He felt some of the
Vampires accusing him of something, or deciding how to hunt him. He
gradually slowed down. Zareen grabbed his arm.
“Keep moving,” she commanded quietly. “Do not make eye contact with any of them.”
They followed Scythe. Midiro caught sight of Vampire
children. They stared at him menacingly, greedily, curiously. Scythe
marched down a side corridor and turned left. He walked down this one
for a while. One door opened on the right and a snappy command ordered
several youths to rush in. Vampires supposedly in their 60s walked
along with grace. Scythe had no choice but to stop and squash to the
side. The three waited against the wall for them to pass. They took
their time. It was not until they passed Midiro the three carried on.
Scythe marched past a few more doors before stopping
and turning to his right. A teenage Vampire blocked his way.
“Move!” snapped Scythe.
The Vampire reluctantly slouched away. Scythe flung
open the door. This corridor was more dimly lit and Vampires apparently
in their 30s stalked alongside walls (with a few children). Scythe
stopped in front of one of these Vampires, who leaned comfortably
against the wall. Her hair was the same colour as Manar’s but it
was kept in a ponytail.
She grinned. “Evening Scythe. Zareen, you look lovely in trousers.”
Zareen smiled weakly. “Thank you Rasheliss.”
Rasheliss wore black lipstick with charcoal-coloured
eye shadow. Her eyes had been decorated to make her look exotic, almost
like a dark fairy. A male Vampire, the same age and with long, mahogany
hair, lounged beside her.
He leaned over. “Conversing with them at all will anger the Council,” he warned.
Rasheliss stared at him in the eyes. “Go
away,” she commanded. He walked off, shaking his head. She turned
back to her visitors. “I don’t know you.”
“Meet Midiro Kirilian,” introduced Scythe blankly.
The Vampire smiled pleasantly and held out her hand.
“Rasheliss, pleased to meet you.” Keeping a straight face,
Midiro shook her hand. “You’re gentle, I like you. And
before you say anything Scythe, I can sense you’re raring to go.
So what is it you want?”
“I need you to grab some members of the
Sorcerer’s Guild and meet us at the Silver Cathedral,”
Scythe told her in a firm tone.
Rasheliss frowned. “You’re more emotional than usual.”
“Please Rasheliss,” pleaded Zareen. “Kiyor and Rowan will be sacrificed.”
Empathy flashed through the Vampire’s eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but don’t you usually sort
these things out with the Guild yourselves?”
“Even finding our contact will take days
Rasheliss,” Scythe almost hissed. “We don’t have that
time.”
Rasheliss shook her head. “I do too much for your family. Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you,” relaxed Midiro, with a sigh of relief.
The Vampire looked at him strangely. “You’re welcome.”
Scythe wasted no time. He grabbed Midiro’s arm
and began marching out. “Come on, we have a disaster to
prevent.”
“I’m staying,” told Zareen. The
men stared at her. “I have an idea of my own,” she
explained.
Scythe nodded. He resumed his march.