221 The Sealing Array I : Plans and Fangs

"So you said you're going to tell me how to increase my rank. Whatever it is you have to tell me, I hope it's not to costly." I said to Baeki as I finished breaking about a dozen of the seals around her castle.

"Well it is costly, but not in the manner that you think of. Remember I once said that vampires were creatures of the supernatural, just as much as science. There's much about us that hard facts and research can't understand. And one of these things, is the method to evolve, or as you say grow in rank. To do so, you only have to one thing."

I raised an eyebrow as I dusted my coat, and gave Baeki all of my attention.

"You have to take the power of your enemies, you have to drink the blood of the people you defeat, and to do so, you have to learn to use the power of your fangs." she answered me with a smile.

If I looked confused, that was because I am. There were so many layers to being a vampire, that I felt all I've been doing so far was coasting and living at the edge of my teeth. Surviving one disaster after another due to sheer luck and fate. That needed to change.

"A vampires fangs are weapons, tools of the hunt, and the medium that connects you to the life stream of a living thing when you bite someone. But in truth, out retractable fangs are made from a biological material that acts like a magnets. While drinking blood, this magnet would draw on the essences, of energy of whoever or whatever you're drinking, using it strengthen and evolve your vampiric body to new heights. However that magnet only works under two conditions. One you have to consciously choose to do so, and under the excitement and throws of the feed, it's really hard to concentrate and make such a choice. Two the bloodlust. When you've lost every form reason and control, and all that's left of you is a primal beast that lives only for the warm yet rapidly cooling flesh beneath your claws, and pulsating vein you have your fangs dug into.Everything about your body, works automatically, they activate themselves as a sort barrier to prevent you from being attacked during the feed. Those are the two ways you can use to advance in rank, unless of course you choose to live for a long time and let it happen naturally."

As with all things vampire, all the solutions had to be bloody. But I was gradually becoming numb to such things, I think by this point I've fully accepted the reality of what I am and the great amount of destruction and pain I'm capable of. I think that's what being a vampire means, pain. It's the price we have to pay for our immortality, to live eternity causing pain and feeling it in equal regard. That was probably why we learnt to channel our emotions in our aura, that way life becomes not so painful anymore.

I gave Baeki a simple and nod and a barely whispered thanks for her lesson before I left her castle. The meeting had gone off somewhat smoothly, though someone lost and arm, I believe we've all come to an agreement of sorts. Now we could all focus on a host of different things to prepare us for the war to come. Collectively our biggest priority would be to get stronger, and making sure we have the tools, resources and weapons to fight an extended war with the council of light.

They will be coming for us, and at the moment all that we were, was trapped. The pit wad just one giant big box that's keeping us contained until the council comes to pick us off one by one. So in regards to getting prepared for this war, a couple of things were needed.

Number one being allies: the Serpentis could not be trusted at this point, not when it's become known that they were relocated here by the council of willingly and with skilling faces for reasons no one knows. But they could not be completely counted out either. The next would be the Nephilim. No contact has been made with this race of winged beings, but that would be rectified soon enough. The remnants of the old bloodline council has been tasked with making contact with the rest of the races. This puts a few playing cards in their hands, but I didn't mind, I was confident in being able to sway the Nephilim to my side should the need arises.

As for the dragons, that's a big no. They're the wild cards, and if history has thought us anything, both on Earth and Shearath, is that dragons could not be reasoned with...…..most of the time anyway. Either way, my destiny is waiting for me within that prison, the true power that was supposed to be mine from the moment I was born on this world, and in this universe. It was so close, yet I couldn't go get it, not without Baeki anyway.

Apart from needing allies, number two would be weapons. It was time we transitioned from swords and spears to guns and cannons. Though a sword and a spear in a Vampire's hand could be just as effective as guns in the hands of humans of elves.But still we had to be prepared and have weapons capable of dishing out massive amounts of damage on a wide area and against lot's of enemies.

All of a sudden, it just seemed as if here were too many things to do, and so little time to compete them. Malek was stretched thin, and even though he had his entire coven helping him, there was still a lot to be done. The construction of the city and the palace was almost completed, wellabove ground that is. For some reason Malek and Nefisat were busy building something underground, and Asha was actually in on it.

They refused to tell me on account of it being confidential and a surprise, but whatever it was they were doing down there, it has to be huge. People could hardly sleep as there would deep metallic groans and freaks accompanied by random quakes and power outages both during the day and night. But no one could complain, since whatever is being built was all for our own good.

So we were all really busy, at the moment I was completely occupied with breaking the seal around Castle Sarang, and also finding the dealing array, and destroying it. It would make a lot of things easier if I didn't have sealed vampires outside the city begging to be set free. And refugees kept pouring in.

Apart from Ethernalia Leonis, members of other races weren't really accepted in other locations of the pit. With the tables now turned, and them being trapped here, they were all victims of the vampire's different brand of revenge and justice. And to be honest, it was not that different from what the guards have been doing to vampires in the pit for years. And the guilty were justifying their actions with revenge, and karma. Unfortunately this makes them exactly like the cancer we just chased out of the pit.

I've given orders that such display was not allowed within the vicinity of the city and the blue district as a whole. And that if anybody didn't like it, they could leave. And those caught would be punished accordingly. To be honest I'm not the most popular guy around because of that order, but regardless, in whatever way possible; I'll still try to do the right thing.

Kodak, Gus and Teluna have been keeping busy since the funeral. Focusing on other things just like I've done, seems to be easiest way for us to handle our grief, so I gave them as much leeway as possible, and even put them in places that would help them escape. I don't know if it was the right thing or not, all I know is that I was looking out for them.

Kodak should be on his way back to the black district with a contingent of soldiers, from the armored division. They will be attempting to take control of another canyon pass, killing the monsters that have made their home within it, and sending the blood back to serve as food. As an added bonus, Teluna went with him.

Gus had already returned to the green district to continue with his training. He was no where near okay, but he was the most focused of the three boys. He had a bester grip on his emotions than the rest of us, but I still worried for him; he was taking on a lot of responsibilities, we all were. But this was the only other option we had.

But responsibilities aside, right now all I wanted to do was go home to the women I loved. Because regardless of how hard I work or fight, going back home to them was the thing that made the most sense to me in this world, because I knew no matter what, they'll be there for me.