Chapter 248 - Serene Balthazar

"Settle down, majesty," from behind the Sabbath's protection, Balthazar came forth. 

"Don't do it," asked their leader worriedly. An open palm thrown towards the left gave the signal for the guards to stand down. It included lady Fawn.

"Give me a reason to settle down, lord Balthazar. What is it that stops me from taking this weakling's life?" a murderous gaze fueled by wrath; the thirst to kill grew strong.

"Heh," Alaric laughed, "-I knew from the first gaze that you were strong, Staxius Haggard, King of Arda," he stared up, "-WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR," the head turned, "-GET HIM," instantly, the five nobles who had accompanied him sprouted wings and pounced. 

'Better fall back,' he thought then jumped. The five made a wall between Staxius and Alaric. 

"Serene's intel stood true," from knelt, the man stood, "-you sure are powerful," he walked nonchalantly toward the sliced off arms. Not much effort was required for it to be reattached. 

"Alaric, is this really the path you chose?" asked Balthazar, "-do you wish to be traitor to the four clans?"

"Yes, I'll be a traitor if it needs to be. I shall never bow down to someone weaker than you, Balthazar. The one who took control and ruled using sheer strength and power. The ideal leader for our kin. Little number as we are, if the people are to follow a weakling, we'll go extinct in mere years," he stared at Staxius, "-in no way do I crave power. What I crave is a strong leader – one who can guarantee our survival. Serene is the perfect fit, she has the blood of the progenitor in her veins – the true leader of Nox, not Aurora."

"Alaric has a point," Fawn voiced, her hand seemed to grip her sword tightly, "-I acted on emotions as opposed to logic. If it's survival of our race, then I can't help but switch sides, I apologize," from guarding Aurora; they stood behind Alaric. 

"What about you, Lady Gabrielle," Balthazar turned and asked her who had tried to remain inconspicuous. 

"A-as a council member of Arda, I'm duty-bound to side with my king," she walked over and stood beside Staxius. Clans versus clans: Nox and Tied by Blood against Onyx and Sabbath. 

"Be that as it may," Balthazar took a strong step in front, "-as long as I hold this ring," their crest shone, "-I'm still the leader of Nox. All who opposes my will shall perish without an ounce of mercy."

"W-what do you mean?" Alaric asked the nobles who gave him their support. "Don't listen to him," a special kind of blood arts, one that allowed the user to transmit thoughts and utilize telepathy. 

"It's simple," said Staxius with a smile, *Ancient Magic: Teleportation,* a blueish dim turned into a blinding light. "You were outplayed from the beginning," Serene reappeared. 'A plot that I had no part in. Her words were vague, her smirk and wink, she truly wanted me to kill her. It felt wrong from the start, her words and action sometimes were incohesive. The two major lines that told of this scheme were, her yearning to go back and the resolve to serve the royal family. Many blank spaces were left,' he stared at Serene, "-you wanted to find out any traitors. Tis was the true purpose; a selfless play with thy life as collateral," Staxius voiced, no one else knew what she had done, "-her majesty the queen would be proud," a pat on back to congratulate her efforts.

"Serene, what's the meaning of this?" Balthazar asked while the others could but stare and watch.

"I wanted to go visit mother and father's grave as well as bid you farewell, grandfather. This grudge I've held in the end had no purpose. I met new people and made new friends, Queen Shanna gave me a home and a new goal. Never can I turn my back on her, she's done so much I could spend an eternity repaying and still come short," she faced Staxius, "-I made it painfully obvious that I had used my king to accomplish a selfish goal. I remember the first time I heard about King Staxius, it was decided that he would be the perfect candidate. A scheme that relied on one factor alone, the mercilessness and a thirst for killing," she bowed, "-I apologize for having used thy in such a way, majesty."

"There's no need. It was very well executed, the strike I gave was true and meant to kill. However, the words you whispered before dying, take care of Shanna, and lead our kingdom to eternal happiness. Parting words that changed the whole ordeal," he stared at Alaric and the nobles behind. "Drop the act and give up, you have been defeated by the wit of an exiled vampire."

*Slash,* four strikes aimed at Alaric's limbs. "Can we remove these disguises now?" asked one of the nobles.

"Yeah," another one agreed. The skin decayed and revealed half-demons. "Guess the pawn has accomplished its purpose, what you say One?" a lady asked.

"Gullible and wanting to protect his race, how chivalrous," said the lady named One.

"Those ancient marking on thy forehead," the aura around Staxius changed, "-there are in demon tongue, aren't they?" *Death Element: Unleash Aura,* "-numbered One to Five, do you serve the demons who attacked the late King of Hidros?" 

"So dense," complained Serene, it nearly forced all who stood on their knees.

*Tap,* the real Orenmir uncloaked and remained sheathed.

"Scary…." laughed the boy named Three, "-Five, can I please slay him?" he licked his lips.

"Not yet, Three," said Four.

"King of Arda," the leader, one with the number Five tattooed onto his forehead walked forth, "-strong as one might be, we've got two of the vampire clan's noble as a hostage," he referred to Alaric who bled and Fawn who remained dumbfounded. 

"Heh," *Death Element: Unleash Aura x2,* "-hostage you say?" a black mist emanated from the floor upwards, it formed a head that had its skin burnt perpetually. *Ancient Magic: Teleportation.*

"Yes, Hostage, the ones that stand behind us," the boy named Three voiced and pointed, "-where are they?" he asked confused by the sudden disappearance. The unleash Aura had no visible effect on the five half-demons, though it did put their guard up. 

"Teleportation without touching the target, how impressive," the leader clapped.

"Who said I didn't touch them," *Blood-Arts: Crimson Thread,* the thin, almost invisible line that traveled through the floor came out and sliced the lady named One's head clean off. No regeneration nothing, her body turned into mist and vanished. 

"SISTER,' screamed Two, "-HOW DARE YOU," wings sprouted from her back and charged without warning.

"WAIT," Four tried to reach out but came up short, another thin line appeared. From head to toe, said thread used the lady's momentum to slice her body horizontally for she flew. A slump of organs and blood fell to the floor, *Blood-Arts: Bloody Mary,* now readied, Adete stood atop Staxius's head and turned all their blood into crystals. Not turning into an orb, the blood now shining, levitated, and formed a halo. 

"Stand back everyone," the leader, now shaken up by how easily One and Two were killed, halted any presumptuous attacks, "-using your blood to touch the hostages and then teleporting them away. We might have bitten off more than we can chew here boys," with a smirk, he glanced over, "-how about a trade, information on who sent us for our lives?" 

*Death Element: Magical Barrier,* summoned to cover any escape, the leader got his answer. "It was fun while it lasted," he turned to Three and Four then charged. 

"Fools," *click,* the cursed sword unsheathed, a projectile of miasma flew straight towards him. The pressure from said weapon sufficed, the screaming souls manifested and blocked the attack then proceeded to attack the assaulter. 

"Thanks for falling for the bait," whispered Three, the tip of a blade stood mere millimeters from Staxius's head, *clang,* faster than the eye could track, he seemed static. Behind, the vertically sliced body of Three fell on either side. 

"Four, we're officially f.u.c.k.i.e.d," said the leader, "-even so," they held hands, "-if we die, we're taking you all with us," their markings lit, a heavy sound echoed. *Slash,* the nails on both thumbs grew sharp and sliced off Staxius's index fingers. *Blood-Arts: Bloodied Gate,* an oval-shaped barrier engulfed the duo, *Spell: Augmented Mana Output x2, Death Element: Magical Barrier,* hands pressed together, the pentagram on the palm lit vividly. Simultaneously, a pair of ethereal hands pressed against the scarlet-colored barrier. *BANG,* the muscles around his elbows and arms blew open as the explosion got contained. *Dispel,* with a sigh and bones out for all to see, the attackers' corpse, now mist, fell to the floor peacefully. Time taken was three minutes. Most of the moments didn't register even for a nightwalker. In their eyes, Staxius remained untouched till the last moment where both hands were pressed.

"Adete, how's the quality of the blood?" 

"Meh, not worth the time. It has the texture of part Monster and part demon," she got to take a bite from the halo that turned Orb. "What about you," she hovered before his face, "-how was the fight?" she held a smirk.

"Entertaining," he winked, "-now then," regeneration kicked in, "-what is to happen to the succession?" now facing a crowd of nobles; his eyes narrowed. 

"Are you serious," Serene knelt instantly, "-I apologize for sending that assassin earlier today," her voice filled with fear.

"This is a first," Balthazar laughed, "-to witness the Protector of Arda in action," he bowed, "-such power and skill deserve the utmost respect."

"About that sparring match," Fawn bowed in turn,"-I humbly refuse."

"Can we get back to business, what is to happen to the succession?" Staxius got all on track again.

"Yes, the thing at hand," clearing his throat, Balthazar spoke, "-all the traitors have been taken care of. It's shameful to see that some of our members were killed as if insects," he headed back onto the podium, "-even so, my decision remains," the ring was now handed over.

"N-no…" a faint whimpering disturbed the silence.

"Have you not learned thy lesson?" asked Fawn for it was Alaric, he breathed.

"Lord Alaric," Aurora, now officially the leader of the Nox's clan, took strides and stood before Staxius, "-what you said about us needing a strong leader holds," she knelt with her gaze at the floor. "Lord Staxius, I, leader of the Nox's clan, wishes to pledge my alliance to thy crown." 

"What's the meaning of this?" Fawn asked, a little confused by her choice of words.

"Could you kindly?" Balthazar whispered.

"As you wish," he took a deep breath and sprouted the wings. "As the true heir to the First Progenitor, I accept thy pledge as the Blood-King," she took his hand and kissed his palm. A ceremony to show one's allegiance. 

"Before questions are asked, let me recount a tale," interjected Balthazar. He told the story of the birth of vampires, his goals, Staxius's involvement, and much more. It gave more context to Aurora's actions. The fate of their kind remained in one person's hand – the hand of the Blood King.

"I, Alaric Eoin of the Onyx's clan, pledge my clan and my name under thy rule, Blood King," healed thanks to the blood from the table, the one responsible was second to accept Staxius. 

"I, Julia Fawn of the Sabbath clan, pledge to serve and protect, Blood King."

"I, Gabrielle Izora of the Lié par le Sang clan, pledge to support the Blood King any way thou desires."

The birth of the Blood King's faction and backed by the influential clans of Noctis's Hallow, a new rule fell in place. There exist more vampire clans out there in the world, concerning Hidros, there were a few here and about. Hidden for the most part; none paid heed. 

'It's done Xula, the vampires shall soon rejoin the Ardanian crown soon. The half-demons did seem a bit out of place. Rumors about Balthazar's half-demons and half-vampires does fit their involvement. If that's the case, both grandfather and granddaughter have an uncanny talent at conspiracies. I might have just played into their hands, first Serene, and then Balthazar. Best be on the look-out, can't get complacent for at every turn there's a conspiracy brewing. Else, I might be looking at this the wrong way,' he stared at Balthazar,'-things might get humorous soon.'