The Phoenix's Legion

The journey was very unpleasant but eventually Ragna and Dracula had arrived to the immortal lands, the sea creature had surfaced near a market were Ragna and Dracula were able to enter Blooddrain undetected. The markets weren't like anything Ragna had seen, back home markets by the sea were wet, filthy and smelly but on Blooddrain the markets were clean, clear and the very ground they walked on were smoothed with pearls and white stone. The buildings were large and old fashioned but were well maintained and most of the population was human, it was like a paradise, would the people Ragna found here really want freedom from the vampires?

Ragna: "I expected the people of this land to be living in terror but all I see is joy in the eyes of every single one of them."

Dracula simply smiled when Ragna said this and began to walk to the direction of a very fancy looking bar, in the bar there were two floors, the bottom floor served wine, beer and spirits to the humans whilst on the upper floor the vampires were served the same with a few humans on the side. Ragna witnessed how vampires would aggressively bite into the throats of their local humans, some of which would be killed in the process and quickly replaced as if they were ceramic plates. When the dead bodies would pass by Ragna and Dracula our young hero could still see a smile on the faces of the dead bodies, they serve the vampires with absolute loyalty, even if that loyalty leads to their death.

Ragna: "you brought me here on purpose, didn't you?"

Dracula: "yes, Blooddrain is a magical place but it is ruled by a violent and heartless race, humanity here has been raised to worship the vampires as gods, here most of humanity has lost its free will, only a few still choose to rebel the vampire influence."

Ragna: "the saber brotherhood."

Dracula: "yes, and luckily for you I can easily spot one, they are an old faith that doesn't tolerate change so they should still have the one thing that no human here could have, defiance."

As Dracula said this he noticed a brown skinned woman looking at a couple of vampires having their way with a human woman on the street, the victim's blood slowly flowed on the clean roads and made its way to the brown skinned woman's feet, she turned in disgust and began to walk away but as she passed by Dracula he was able to see the blinding rage in her eyes, she was what he was looking for, she was with the brotherhood.

Ragna: "something you like about that woman?"

Dracula: "I haven't been attracted to a woman since I was turned into a vampire but what I will tell you is that it is time to finish your wine and get moving, we're going to follow that woman."

Ragna: "you found a member of the brotherhood already?"

Dracula: "the brotherhood can be found in all the social classes, one needs only the right kind of eye to spot one."

The two began to follow the woman, they walked and walked to the point that Ragna began to believe that all the woman did was walk without end until she slightly turned to look behind her as she was walking, Ragna saw that her eyes had become as golden as his, in her eyes he could sense a great hostility.

Dracula: "she's been luring us this whole time, nice to see that the brotherhood hasn't dulled its senses, keep your guard up my prince, it will happen in a blink of an eye but make no mistake Ragna, that woman is going to attack us."

The woman took a turn to the right, Ragna and Dracula quickly followed and as they made the right turn they saw the woman standing with her hands together whilst facing their direction. She was wearing the white of the brotherhood with the metal c.h.e.s.t plate and on her right arm was the saber gauntlet which had a diamond on its palm. Her eyes were as golden as Ragna's, in her eyes was a strong killer intent that even made Dracula uneasy but Ragna felt a great deal of excitement, she was the first person he had seen who actually had a similar scent to his.

Ragna: "what happened to her attacking us in a blink of an eye?"

Dracula: "when a man leaves his home for a couple of years' changes are bound to happen my prince."

Strange woman: "the brotherhood has no need to hide from your kind."

Dracula: "no need to hide? That's funny, coming from the woman who did nothing while her fellow woman was killed on the streets."

Strange woman: "she was not of the brotherhood and so for that she was worth nothing."

Ragna: "fight me."

Dracula: "what? This is neither the time nor the place for…."

Ragna: "Dracula, no matter what happens you are not to interfere with this, where were you planning on leading us, if I may ask?"

Strange woman: "to the sewers, you would be amazed how large they are."

Dracula: "such a comment, one would assume that you think us foreign."

Strange woman: "the young man is the foreigner but I recognize you, Acheron."

Dracula: "my, my, beautiful and clever, you're quite a rare gift indeed?"

Ragna: "to the sewers then, am eager to see what you can do."

The three made their way to a large tunnel that led to the sewers, the sewers were large, spacious and private enough for a battle among savage beasts. The woman looked to Ragna and finally noticed his golden eyes, she was greatly confused because he possessed such eyes without wielding a saber gauntlet nor did he wear the white of the saber brotherhood.

Strange woman: "who are you, foreigner?"

Ragna: "I am Ragna of the phoenix's legion."

Dracula: "for the love of god!!!"

Strange woman: "the legion? Since when does the legion walk on the immortal lands, you cowards chose to flee this place, why return now."

Ragna: "to destroy the nightmare tower and end the long darkness."

Dracula: "might as well tell her your favourite colour while you're at it."

Strange woman: "a bold mission, pity it will fail, Lilith's power cannot be matched, destroying that tower would be destroying the one thing that bounds Lilith's wrath."

Ragna: "and yet it shall be done, now how's about you give me your name."

Strange: "I have carried many names in my long life but only the faith carries my true name, I am the brotherhood, I am Saber."

Dracula: "oh no."

Ragna: "what?"

Dracula: "the brotherhood only carries four ranks, there's the faithful, the warrior, the priest's and priestesses and finally the true faith that leads the brotherhood. Only the priest's and the true faiths can have the honour of being named Saber, that means she's a lot older than she looks and is well above the warrior class, in my time as a man she would have been my superior."

Saber: "so you were one us? Now that just gives me a greater reason to kill you all!!!"

Saber charged towards Dracula and Ragna, the saber gauntlet she wielded gave her the same powers as Ragna. The golden eyes, the animal like movement and actions and even the strengths that Ragna has become famous for, she was undoubtedly just like Ragna but with just one limitation, she needed the gauntlet to use that power. Ragna had never needed a special gauntlet to use his abilities, they came naturally to him, the young warrior unleashed the song of war and showed Saber just how powerful he was but her reaction wasn't as Ragna would have expected it to be.

She smiled at the sight of Ragna's song of war and unleashed her own, hers was made of a blue mist and it took the form of a giant wolf with golden eyes, Dracula could not believe that the brotherhood could do such things. The battle between Saber and Ragna begun and it was at the very least one sided for Saber used all her strength's with great discipline and class but Ragna's rage was not something to be underestimated.

The longer the fight lasted the greater the damage he took from Saber, each blow wounding the young heroes pride, he didn't know why but he felt as though he was being man handled by a lesser being. When his rage had reached its limit Ragna had ceased moving, he finally took his sword out and waited for Saber's next attack, when she did Ragna grabbed her blue song of war with his b.a.r.e hands and shattered it at glass, doing this put Saber in such cripple pain that she screamed and even began to weep tears of blood. Ragna approached a crippled Saber and placed his sword across her throat, the young warrior was demanding the priestess's submission.

Saber: "how did you do that!!!? No one can touch a beast phantom so how are you able to?"

Ragna: "oh no, you no longer get to ask questions, you will take me to the brotherhood or I will send my blade through your c.h.e.s.t and find another Saber who can be of use to me."

After making such a bold threat, Saber manoeuvred through the great sword, grabbed the arm that Ragna was using to wield his sword and forced him to the ground, she then plunged her saber gauntlet through Ragna's heart and realised a violent venom, the same venom that would be used by the faithful to commit the suicide bombings.

Saber: "victory is mine bastard; this is the fate that waits for all those who would dare challenge the saber brotherhood, now choke on your own fluids and watch how flesh is turned into light."

Saber got up on her feet and turned her attention on Dracula but before she could make a move on him a large heart beat sound began to echo around the sewers. Ragna's heart had begun to beat as loud as a canon, his body was covered in veins and his muscle mass had begun to grow.

Dracula: "what exactly did you do to him?"

Saber: "I poured a concentrated portion of the gauntlets tainted beast blood into him, the gauntlets venom, it should be tearing his body apart."

Vampires are a race that have a powerful six sense, their intuition is always sharp and certain, when Dracula began to see the changes Ragna was going through all his instincts were telling him to run, something very violent and powerful was about to attack and it wasn't some freak explosion. Dracula chose to follow his instincts and quickly made his way to the surface, as he fled he could here Ragna's bones crack and break, what on earth was happening to the young warrior?

Saber watched in amazement as she saw the simple man gain the body of a super bodybuilder, his nails became large and sharp and his teeth quickly followed. The sounds Ragna begun to make were no longer the sounds of a human, his sword turned to liquid metal and poured itself into Ragna's mouth. The song of war had been summoned only this time it was a more intense and violent power, Saber got down on her hands and knees and begun to beg for Ragna's mercy, "forgive me my lord", she cried. As Ragna walked towards her he looked to the waters and saw his reflection, his facial hair had burned away and his hair had grown so long that it brushed the back of his knees, he then begun to see images of a man with long black hair as long as his and with the same golden eyes, father? That was the first thing that had come to mind when he looked at the face of this stranger.

As Dracula finally made it above ground he felt something bypass him in blinding speed, it was Ragna, the young warrior somehow managed to catch the frightened vampire despite him having a head start. Dracula looked and saw Ragna holding an arm, as Ragna run past Dracula he had reaped off Dracula's arm without him noticing.

Dracula: "my prince, why have you turned your wrath on me? Has this Saber woman robbed you of your sense's?"

Ragna did not respond to the wounded vampire, all he did was growl at Dracula, realising the red mist of the reaper blade from his mouth. After getting Ragna this far and offering him so many answers one can't help but ask, why? Why is Ragna attacking Dracula?

Saber: "you're a cursed being, the great beasts that once ruled this world cleansed the land from all cursed things, it doesn't matter what you promised him, you have no place in his world vampire!!!"

Dracula couldn't match Ragna's strength or speed and neither could he reason with him; Ragna had once again become more beast than man. Dracula took the form of a hundred bats and attempted to flee, the form split his soul so he believed that it would make it impossible for Ragna to track him especially if the bats dispersed but to no avail, Ragna could sense the king bat that was carrying Dracula's consciousness. Flight was the only advantage Dracula had but everywhere he turned Ragna was there, chasing him to no end in sight, not until Ragna leaped to the sky and ripped the king bats wings off.

Dracula fell to the ground and took the form of a black dog and made his way to a thick forest, with Ragna's new, large and muscular body there's no way he could catch Dracula but again the young beast's power was not to be underestimated. Ragna smashed through the trees and brutally beat Dracula to a bloody pulp, Dracula laid on the ground beaten and helpless as Ragna calmly walked towards him, as the vampire waited for his death he thick fog appeared and shielded Dracula from Ragna's gaze. A voice then begun to speak to Ragna, Ragna had never heard the voice before nor did he recognise its owners scent and yet he slowly fell into a calm state. A man of the brotherhood had approached Ragna, his white robes were of the brotherhood but his c.h.e.s.t plate was golden, this was something that only a true faith could wear.

True faith: "we have waited for you for quite some time my lord and I know your impulse is to kill that cursed creature but I ask that you spare him my lord, his knowledge might prove to be useful, isn't that right, Threant."

Ragna couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Threant standing next to the true faith, with all the danger Dracula claimed would be following Threant anyone could have easily assumed that Threant would never be seen again and yet, there he was. Seeing Threant was enough to calm Ragna and bring him back to his normal state, he fell to the ground and the red mist poured from his flesh and the reaper blade had reappeared in Ragna's hand.

Dracula: "how did you…"

Threant: "believe me Acheron, Dracula, whoever you are, I have lived a lot longer than you and have faced individuals that are far much better at stealth magic than you."

True faith: "you do not disappoint Threant, his just as you promised but that was not the form I was expecting. There should be a full moon beyond the dark cloud, perhaps the dark cloud may be an issue that the brotherhood should bring to consideration."

Threant: "so you'll help us? you'll stand with the legion?"

True faith: "patience Threant, you should be grateful that we didn't kill you when you just walked in on our gathering, still not comfortable with how easily you were able to find us but you haven't been false so far. First we must leave this place, all this violence has attracted too much attention but not enough to link the destruction to the brotherhood but we must leave now. There's a lot that needs to be done and I think the brotherhood has waited long enough, it's time for the prince to come home."

Dracula's log: "I am a faithful member of the Saber brotherhood but I am also a vampire, a vampire who has served too blindly, I cannot forsake my own safety. I was not freed by one forced loyalty only to join another one, am not entirely sure what the hell just tried to kill me but it is a threat to all vampires that walk Blooddrain. I must gain more power, I must look to ascend from my current station, perhaps maybe being so bold as to aim for the summit of the vampire society. Yes, I must gain strength outside the brotherhood whilst maintaining my bond to Ragna, at least for now, for I fear that one day the creature that attacked me today may very well become the vampire race's greatest enemy, Dracula signing out."