Chapter 39
Xavier whispered, "I'll give you a chance to save your lowly lives. Turn and leave this forest and no one will get hurt." His fist twitched when Lauxister, his archenemy, laughed at once.
"I didn't know you're funny, Xavier. We could have get along well if only you did not manipulate the result of the election. It was clear I would win. I shoulda known. Even the moment we first meet, I feel a fishy vibe coming off you." He shook his head.
It was Xavier's turn to laugh. "You're still under the delusion you've got a chance of beating me. After all those years, you're still grumpy over the fact that I beat you."
"We'll see who's the winner now, idiot! Attack!" he yelled. The ground shook at his booming voice, but Xavier didn't even wince. He just stood there, wearing the same confident look as though the fight wouldn't last long.
Deep clunks echoed as weapons after weapons relentlessly clashed. The Elite Guards were undoubtedly outnumbered-seven vs twelve-but their swift moves couldn't compare to the opposing team. Their strikes were becoming sharper as they became more desperate to win. One Elite Guard stumbled when the blue-armored guy ripped his chest. All at once, he turned to ashes and was whipped by the air. Furious, the remaining six Elite Guards threw their spears at once. Three blue-armored vampires were wounded, but they were yet to be defeated.
Louise's eyes wandered past the chaos. He's eyeing the former king who's yawning at the fight. He wasn't even bothered when one of his men died. He's an emotionless fool, indeed. It was so fortunate for Louise to switch sides even before the battle erupted. Eleanor told him that Xavier would never care if his army turned into a pile of smoke. In fact, he didn't need them at all. He's way too powerful to require a.s.sistance. Those Elite Guards were only formed because of his fondness of collecting gifted vampires. He remembered when he first meets the former king. Louise saw with his own eyes that Xavier would never hesitate to obliterate even his allies if he sees the need to do so. Before, he thought he's saving him, but the wasn't the case. Xavier did such a thing for this particular reason. To spark a war.
Xavier looked at him straight in the eye. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Seemingly conversing through their orbs. Until Xavier smirked.
"He's planning something," Lauxister murmured.
Before Louise could open his mouth, Xavier already slashed his hand in the air. A red-like string flashed towards the poor mortals. It
"W-what are-are those?" Louise murmured.
It was Xavier who answered. "No one knows what they are." There was a slight sneer in his voice as he watches the mortals leaped so high they seemed to be flying. "But flowing in their veins is my son's blood. The Royal Blood to be precise-"
"You sc.u.mbag!" Lauxister hissed, his face distorted with rage. "You dared use that blood for useless things such as these. It's sacred. Your son shouldn't have had it-"
"But his body accepted the blood," Xavier snapped, "That makes him a rightful heir of the throne."
Their exchange was distracted by the horrifying scene they've ever witnessed. The mortal seemed to be thirsty with blood that even the Elite Guards were trying to bring them down. The problem was the mortals' unbelievable strength. They were just six compared to the eighteen experienced vampires, but they're still winning. Lauxister could only curse as three heads flew in the air while Louise had to stuff his hand to his mouth, stopping the sudden urge to throw up.
Vladimir and Eleanor trashed in their chains, screaming for Lauxister to do something. However, he was just as rooted as them. He couldn't understand how the Royal Blood works, but he clearly had been stupid enough to underestimate its capabilities.
"What now, Lauxister? Are you just going to watch your men die in vain?" Xavier inclined his head with an evil smile.
"You're one to talk. Look at your Guards. They're dying one by one." Lauxister pointed, only three Elite Guards remained fighting the six unharmed mortals while five blue-armored tried holding them back. One of the blue-armored managed to slice a spear to one of the mortal's neck and just like how vampires die, he's reduced to ashes.
"Their neck," he yelled, "their neck is their weak spot."
The table had turned. One by one, the mortals were dying. The vampires weren't able to harm them earlier because their skins were as thick as gold. When at last, one blue-armored guy and Elite guard plunged a spear to the mortal's neck, he died with one last scream.
Breathing heavily, the remaining blue-armored guy and Elite Guards looked at each other. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Their laughter was infectious. Soon enough, even Lauxister and Louise were ma.s.saging their stomach as it aches with their continuous joy. They have totally forgotten that they'd wage a war.
Xavier's scarred face was flaming with rage. He snapped and the chain binding Zheira broke. She was falling to the ground but before her body could touch it, a force made her float in mid-air. All at once, everyone's attention s.h.i.+fted to her when she was surrounded by raging flames. Its warmth was tingling in everyone's skin.
Eleanor's brow furrowed. "Wh-what's happening to that filthy mortal?" She winced as another shot of pain traveled through her body.
"Simple. She's awakening." Xavier glared at Lauxister who's eyes were wide like some crackpot rhinoceros.
"Louise," Lauxister called, "kill that woman now!"
"What?" Louise, Eleanor, and Vladimir yelled all at once.
"She'll be killi-" He moved back when the fire danced around them, trapping them in a big circle. The orange and bluish tint of the fire seemed to float in their irises. All at once, all of their knees..h.i.t the ground. Even Xavier himself.
Oceans of memories started playing inside their head, making them scream as the internal pain inflicted by their past made them shed blood of tears.
The Elite Guards were screaming at the top of their lungs, wis.h.i.+ng for the memories to stop. Apart from that, deep wounds started slitting their skins. Their face hit the ground when a pain like no other weighed their body down. It was like their pains from the last time were starting to go back.
Vladimir was different. All he could see was his sister dying over and over again while Eleanor's and Louise's constant nightmare was when their parent's died. Lauxister turned out to have been battered by his father to death, and Xavier's deepest regrets were when he took Zayne for granted.
All of them were suffering constantly with the pain inflected to them by time.
Zheira's body was still hovering in the air. Her nails were growing bigger and sharper as her skin turned paler and paler. The golden strands of her hair tossed as the wind whipped it from her. Slowly, her eyelids opened. The first thing she saw was the bright red moon beaming down at her. Its perfect roundness and rough texture fascinate her. Gracefully, she stood, looking down at the vampires writhing in an unseen pain that kept stealing their strength.
Her golden eyes wandered about them dully. She seemed unimpressed with their lack of resistance to her gift. She slumped to the ground, resting her hand to her hips while rolling her eyes. The moment she blows some air to her forehead, the memory stopped playing inside the vampire's head.
They collapsed to the ground with a deep sigh of relief. The first one who ever raised his head was Xavier, smiling widely at her. "Y-you're alive."
"It's all thanks to you, your majesty." She slightly bowed her head. Even the simplest move looked like a dance when she's the one doing it. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be stuck inside that weakling. I'll do everything you want me in return for helping me survive the night."
A nasty grin curved Xavier's lips. "Excellent!"