The Phoenix's Legion

The five had been travelling for months with Labunka, the lands of Blooddrain were vast, so many cultures and people forced into a single land. The vampires lived in every class of society like ordinary humans only in these societies every vampire was welcomed to use human cattle as they see fit. Humans had no free will, humans raised to obey to no end, to be used as the vampire's sustenance even if it led to their death. The human escorts were the lucky ones, humans that didn't have a vampire owner in sight would be attacked by the more vicious new bloods that abused their new authority of being on the top of the food chain.

The five saw many types of vampires, there were vampires with no special abilities but carried a great deal of aggression and strength, these were the type of vampires that the legion had been fighting in the wall battles. The grey vampires could be seen in the thousands roaming the sky, the vicious and unclassed vampires feared them and the elder Labunka carried great respect for them. The five also saw vampires that could summon very dangerous magic that could kill a mortal being but for these immortals they only needed to endure the pain and from what the five saw the vampires had become very accustomed to that pain.

The five reached the capital and what they saw was a structure that man could not possibly be able to build, a castle that was so large that it covered an entire country, a beautiful castle that housed all the great vampires, attacking a castle that was the size of a country could never be conquered, not by man.

Finally, the great carriage reached the centre of the great castle and followed Labunka as he made his way to the elders gathering. As they entered the centre and walked through the large passage ways they saw the vampires that we're leading the attack on the wall battle, Ashling and Emrick. Labunka approached the two who were just as excited about Kali's re-ascension to the elder class of vampire as Labunka.

Labunka: "you two have been through a great deal but your loyalty is to be rewarded today, once Kali regains her powers you two shall strengthen as well, you'll soon see the benefits of choosing to be turned by Kali."

Ashling: "it will be good to see our queen regain her strength, the last few years have been filled with shame, I see you brought some new bloods with you, have you started to bore them with the past already?"

Labunka: "history isn't boring Ashling, if you paid attention to history you wold know that vampires turned by elders are almost as powerful as their master and has the potential to become an elder, you won't find yourself being defeated by humans ever again."

Ashling: "good, cause when we go back to Rovahn I'll have a few things to get off my c.h.e.s.t when I find that silver armed bastard called Dante."

Labunka: "Emrick, your unusually quiet."

Emrick: "I could have kept going, we didn't need to retreat but our queen chose to flee."

Ashling: "she faced Threant and Titus, those two aren't exactly weaklings and remember that we were all limited, the soldiers we brought were undisciplined and weak and our power was limited, at our best Hunter would have never matched you, not even with the aid of his crimson bitch sister."

Labunka: "I know you pride your swordsmanship; you will be rewarded for your patience today my student."

Ashling: "he should be, maybe he'll be able to finally best you, it's always been embarrassing to see him struggle using two blades whilst you best him with just one."

Labunka: "practice my child, all can be achieved with practice."

Kali: "enough of that!!! You all can gossip when we're done here, now it's time for me to regain my powers so that I can repay that Titus for all the humiliation he has brought me."

The vampires made their way to the gathering but the five kept a bit of distance from them all, it was a terrifying experience to learn so much while they ease dropped on the vampire's conversations.

Hotaru: "if Kali is planning another attack we must warn the creed and legion immediately, we can't plan an attack and a defence of Rovahn simultaneously."

Amelia: "as it stands I don't think it would be wise to attack this land all together, the soldiers we fought were clearly pathetic and the vampire my brother and I nearly died fighting is not only one of Kali's but he also has a superior. To think that there exists a vampire that can best Emrick with just a single blade, we need to seriously rethink our strategy, how will our forces get to the capital? It took us months to get here and as we travel we saw one vampire force after another, we're outmatched, outnumbered and clearly outclassed, how is a small country like Rovahn supposed to defeat a continent full of immortal bloodsuckers?"

Kill-shot: "what the hell is wrong with you people? We don't break character until we slumber, now shut up and get a hold of yourselves."

The five followed Labunka, Ashling and Emrick into a large round shaped hall full of vampire lords and elders with grey vampires standing at the roof of the great hall. The five couldn't recognize these vampires nor could they contain the absolute fear that they would be in the presence of the vampire king. At the centre of the hall opened a deep pool of water and underneath it was a large coffin where Raziel slumbered, standing above the pool was a young vampire boy no older than 12 standing above the deep water pool. Kiva decided to approach Labunka and get as much information as she could, Labunka was passionate about history, all Kiva had to do was ask the right questions and he would tell her everything she needed to know.

Kiva: "pardon me elder Labunka but may I ask who that boy is? I have never seen a vampire so young."

Labunka: "nor should you, it is the oldest law that a human be not turned into a vampire until they have become fertile."

Kiva: "then why was he turned?"

Labunka: "take a good look at his eyes my child."

Kiva: "his eyes, he has the eyes of an elder, eyes like yours."

Labunka: "yes, I was still a mortal man when I first met Damien, he was one of Raziel's first vampires, back when our king was still searching for strength to reclaim his throne."

Kiva: "so his stronger than most of the vampires in this room."

Labunka: "yes, his carries many abilities, one of his abilities is the Raziel clone, once he puts on anything worn by our king he completely mirror's our king, even going us far as summoning dragon fire, I do believe one of your comrades had an interest with the matter of the first wall battle."

Kiva: "so the vampire in the ink blue armour was Damien posing as Raziel?"

Labunka: "yes, the young blood he is called, Raziel found him bleeding the streets, left to die. Apparently some sell swords had killed his parents and took him as a slave, when the boy refused to submit his body to the knights he was stabbed in the c.h.e.s.t. Our king spared his life and turned him, Damien went on a ten-year rampage and when his anger was calmed he aided Raziel in reclaiming the throne. The kingdom of vampires had been established and all was good, at least for a time, before the mind of Damien slowly started to slip and make the man a very unpredictable being."

Kiva: "how do you mean?"

Labunka: "he may appear young but his mind and d.e.s.i.r.es are of a fully grown man, when Damien realised that his body would never be able to satisfy his d.e.s.i.r.es it frustrated the man. At first it was just a joke that we all laughed to but immortality can do a lot to one's mind, he slowly started to hate his own existence and before long grew a deep hatred for Raziel, he tried to end it all many times but Raziel would not part with his oldest friend so compelled him to live on and serve. It kept him around but it was the final nail on the coffin that would burry Damien in a world of madness, if you look closely at him you can sense a great deal of instability."

Kiva: "so a vampire I should well avoid."

Labunka: "clever girl, now hush young one, the queens approach the pool."

The other two queens had approached the pool, they were both beings of great beauty, Karmilla was a blond haired beauty that wore a beautiful dark golden dress that appeared to be made of glass. Such a dress couldn't possibly exist but the golden dress was undoubtedly made of glass, Ursa was an equal beauty whose skin was more pale than most vampires. Her hair was black and she wore a deep black dress with black lipstick to match her hair and dress, when she walked passed others the room would grow cold and ice would cover the surface, even her very breath chilled the air, these women summoned a very powerful presence, one that none of the five had ever faced before. Kali began to walk towards the pool and slowly the clear water had begun to turn red, as Kiva looked around her and saw the grey vampires on the roof of the great hall that was made of clear glass reaping out hearts from human slaves and pouring their blood into small empty fountains that connected to the deep pool.

Soon the pool of water was nothing more than a thick blood bath that was impossible to see through, a ring of fire surrounded the blood pool and the blood had begun to boil. A skinny corps like man ascended from the pool and the blood soon turned into fabric and clothed him, the blood begun to rejuvenate him. His skin became clear and flawless, his muscles mass had grown and his hair had been fully restored, long grey hair that slightly kissed the ground and blood red eyes as that of a dragon, it was he, it was the king of vampires, it was the mighty Raziel.

Kali: "my love, I have returned to you, I have served my punishment and now seek your forgiveness. It was wrong of me to harm your children, restore me my love so that I may re-join you and my sisters Karmilla and Ursa.

Kiva whispers: "children?"

Labunka whispers: "be quite little one."

Karmilla: "the years have been unkind to her my king and she has loyally served you despite this, forgive her my love."

Ursa: "I was greatly angered at the attempt on my children's lives but I the long years have helped me understand her motives, she only had our best intentions in mind and our children still live, forever asleep beneath your resting pool. I have long forgiven her my king, now I beg of you my love, swallow your anger and forgive her, reunite our family."

Raziel: "I have heard the cries of my wives and they have pleaded for mercy, Kali, you have served your sentence and have been forgiven for your sins, come forth and receive what was taken from you."

Raziel had cast a large shadow that consumed the entire room, soon all in the hall could see creatures of all shapes and sizes surround them and above them all were two large dragons that roared and unleashed their fire on Kali. Kali was burnt to ash, the ashes then turned to oil and lurking in the oil was a large serpent that turned the oil to fire and from the fire Kali had emerged reborn as an elder. The shadow had cleared along with all that it summoned, the ritual was complete, Kali had regained her elder form, she appeared more beautiful than ever and even gained a third red eye on her fore head. Ashling and Emrick could feel this great power flow through them, the queen's strength had strengthened her loyal subjects that were willingly turned by her, Labunkas's years of waiting had finally been rewarded. Raziel embraced his youngest wife and the other wives soon followed, the red robes of Raziel then covered them all and turned into a large red thick mist that flew away to the summit of the great castle, the gathering had ended.

Labunka: "it has finally happened, all those years finally bore fruit, now I must act quickly while the king walks among us, little one, go and tell your four friends that for the next few years they will be committed to listening to the tales of many of the great vampires and you will have the honour of listening to our king's tale, have a charm that am sure he'll just adore but beware the queen's wrath. Take these books with you, all you have to do is listen to the tales while holding the books and all will be written but you must listen to every word, can you and your friends do this."

Kiva: "yes my elder, I believe we can."

Labunka: "excellent now go, I have much to do, there's going to be some changes around here, I think am going to enjoy the next century or two."

Kiva reunited with her four comrades and told them all she had learned as well as all she was instructed to do, the five finally got to their private rooms and slumbered, they reunited in the dream room and gathered their thoughts and begun to strategize their next move.

Kill-shot: "if all kiva has told us is true then we won't physically see each for some time, these vampires were going to be with her more dangerous than anything we have faced, we must be cautious with everything we do."

Hotaru: "these vampires are always drinking blood and if we start getting close to them they will surely insist on us drinking with them, that cannot happen."

Amelia: "but if we refuse then we will appear suspicious and will start to attract the wrong kind of attention."

Dante: "the truth of the matter is that so many things can go wrong, we only made it this far on luck but we have come too far to retreat now, we must push on."

Kiva: "we can use our free time to master the castle, having an encyclopaedic knowledge of this castle could prove useful to the legion but it will take a great deal of time. To think that an entire country could be turned into a large castle, many won't believe that such a thing exists, attacking these lands will not be an easy task."

Tessa: "easy was never going to be a part of your mission but you five have gained a lot of knowledge and have been gifted a great opportunity, act with caution and continue collecting as much as you can. That reminds me, the king and Ryoko have insisted that you attempt to take whatever rare artefacts you can get your hands on."

Kill-shot: "this is an information gathering mission; we can't be caught stealing they'll kill us on the spot."

Tessa: "we have recently opened a communication channel with Threant and he has insisted on this, the vampires don't bother with technology because they rely on very powerful magic as well as charms and objects that can be used against the vampires."

Kill-shot: "we will stick to information gathering not stealing, if we have a chance we will take what we can but we promise nothing, this mission is dangerous enough as it is. Where does Threant expect us to take these artefacts?"

Tessa: "when you have something to offer you'll know until then, be safe."

Amelia: "I think we're well passed that."

Kill-shot: "enough, we have our orders and we have our objectives, stick to your roles and establish a convincing enough background to keep up the ruse, look out for yourselves people, this mission just got a hell of a lot more complicated. Be smart be careful and don't get yourselves killed, closing dream channel."

Kill-shots log: "it's not how I wanted things to go but we have no choice but to enter the vampire elder's world individually, I have no intention of blowing my cover just to steal immortal artefacts but I can understand the legions d.e.s.i.r.e to want them. We will learn who our true enemy is and we will hope to gain as much knowledge as we can but make no mistake, we are locked in a dangerous dance with death. One miss step and it would lead to our deaths or worse, vampires have never been known for being merciful, we don't praise gods anymore but if there is anything out there beyond our skies, we need your aid, more than ever, Kill-shot signing out."