Master Vampire Kirain Yith

  Adventurer Level: N/A

  Drow Master Vampire - Balushenian

  The drow sank back further as its sizzling flesh slowly melted back into its true, daemonic appearance. The human instinctively reached for his weapon, but one of the conditions of the negotiation was that we were all as disarmed as it was possible to be. Though he was weaponless, he still had magic. Worried that he may inadvertently ignite the dining hall, I held up a hand to urge the human to keep his distance and grew my fingernails into claws.

  "We were wondering if you'd turned traitor," the drow-disguised daemon chuckled. "Guess we know, now."

  I used my speed to get close to the daemon and swung my claws, expecting him to fall back to avoid the strike. However, he surprised me by rushing forward and trying to grab my throat. The attempt was thwarted with a swing of my arm, and I stepped back defensively.

  "Go ahead and kill me," the daemon chuckled at my confused expression.

  A lot of thoughts flooded into my mind simultaneously.

  'What happened to the drow that he mimicked? He's a spy, his masters will want to know what he learned. They'll know I turned against them if he doesn't return. Destroying his physical form will send him back to the hells, and he'll be able to report faster. What should I do?'

  My original idea had been to capture him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was foolish. He was able to fool me, Ulurmak, and even the drow that knew the one he copied. If he were to escape from my dungeons, he'd be able to integrate into my staff and I'd always have to watch my back. Either way, I wouldn't be able to stop him from reporting back.

  'Oh well, fuck it.'

  "Die!" I shouted, lunging at the daemon.

  He held up his arms, but the claws on my left hand glided straight through them. As the freshly severed limbs fell to the ground, the follow-up strike with my right hand caught him in the chin and pierced upward into his brain. I lifted him from the ground as ichor flowed down my arm, dripping from my elbow.

  The daemon twitched, trying to grab my arm with his nubs. His liveliness was short lived, and he gave up with a final gurgle. Before I could send his shuddering corpse to the floor, the door to the dining hall burst open and the human's compatriots rushed in.

  "What in the hells?" the orc demanded.

  "MURDEROUS SON-OF-A-BITCH!" the fairy shouted.

  The little wylder brought its hands together as if concentrating a spell toward me, but before I could react the human jumped between us.

  "TIX! STOP!" he cried.

  "GET OUT OF THE-"

  "It's a daemon spy! It was self-defense, not murder!"

  "WHA- Huh? What do you..."

  The fairy trailed off and looked at the corpse hanging from my claws. I turned my hand so that it could get a better look at the daemon's features, such as they were. Mouth agape, the fairy looked back and forth between the dead daemon and I a few times.

  "Oh..." it said.

  "What happened here? Where did the daemon come from?" the bald orc asked.

  "One of the drow, Altix, was a shape-shifted daemon," the human explained. "When I got close, my crucifix hurt it, causing it to change back into its original form and attack us."

  "And I killed it," I said, dropping the corpse to the ground with a resounding thud.

  "Will that not expedite its report to its masters?" the lich asked.

  "Yes, but that's the lesser of two evils. When dealing with something that can alter its physical appearance to flawlessly imitate anyone it pleases, one must be extra cautious. If I had imprisoned it and it escaped, it could have taken the form of one of my guards," I explained. "Now, whilst your attempted intervention is appreciated, I desire to speak to the human. Alone."

  The rag-tag group looked at each other and then turned to look at the human simultaneously. The human glanced at me, then turned back to them and shrugged. They said their farewells and left from whence they came.

  "Apologies for the interruption," I chuckled as I took my seat and gestured for him to do the same.

  He stared at me for a moment, but took his seat as I picked up a napkin.

  "You were about to say something about my quest," he said as I wiped ichor from my arm.

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  "Yes," I replied "You're trying to return to your home."

  "I am, what about it?"

  The human's tone was borderline accusatory. He was suspicious of me, as if he believed that I were attempting to harm him. What a fool. If I'd wanted to cause harm, I'd be far more direct about it.

  Still, I bit my tongue. When one considered the fact that we'd nearly killed each other in the past, a little distrust was fair enough. In fact, said distrust flowed in both directions.

  "Let me make something clear, first," I said, leaning toward him. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will do anything it takes to destroy you. Do you understand?"

  "I... Yes," he replied.

  I examined his face closely, but due to my unfamiliarity with humans, his expression told me nothing except that he was concerned and nervous. If he spread the knowledge that I was a touched, it would make negotiations that much harder. Nobody wants anything to do with the puppet-masters, and that extends to their puppets.

  "Good," I leaned back. "I have been told by the higher beings to accompany you on your quest so that I may find redemption."

  "What?" he exclaimed, taken aback. "You're a-"

  "Yes," I interrupted. "And I am in a currently in the perfect position in which that knowledge can be used against me. As I said, if you tell anyone, you get destroyed."

  "Uh... Okay, I get it. Why do they want you to accompany me?"

  "From my understanding, you're a touched yourself, right?"

  "Y-yeah."

  "Have the higher ones ever explained their motives to you?"

  "Yes," he said coldly, his nervous demeanor melting away. "Entertainment."

  It was my turn to be taken aback. The candidness in which he spoke was almost as shocking as what he had said. Things began to click into place which hadn't previously occurred to me. I wanted to argue with him, to find a way to make a falsehood out of what he had just said, but I knew deep in my heart that he was speaking the truth.

  Our cold, hard reality was all just a silly little game to the higher beings. They didn't care about my redemption, nor for the human's return to his home, only that watching us strive for it was amusing. The moment that my bored them, they would move on to something else and leave me to my own devices, regardless of whether or not further condemnation awaited me.

  "I see. Entertainment," I sighed.

  Anger began to froth within me, but I took a moment to reason with myself and calm down. Ultimately, it didn't matter if the higher ones genuinely cared or merely saw my situation as amusement. The only thing that actually mattered is that I had the chance to put this accursed existence behind me and start anew.

  Did I really want it, though? I'd finally found the power that I'd desired for so, so long. I'd finally become king and brought the Night Kingdom back under vampire control. It wasn't the ideal scenario that I'd hoped for, but failure after failure had finally led to success.

  Yet, it felt hollow. Did it feel that way because of interference from the higher ones? Or was it because the power I'd strived to achieve was, in fact, pointless?

  Even with my strength, there were still threats. The kingdoms along our borders, the daemons, and even the potential for another rebellion from the drow loomed over me. What would it take to finally feel secure? World domination?

  A logistical nightmare. We would have to fight multiple wars on multiple fronts, and even with my powers that would be impossibly difficult. The ability to completely control the minds of my vampires didn't do me any good when I couldn't focus on everything all at once.

  I also had no doubt in my mind that the higher ones would interfere at every turn. One alternative, though, was to ignore this redemption business and simply rule over the Night Kingdom as its king. But again, what was the point?

  I'd get to order people around, but was I really so petty that such a thing would be fulfilling? Would it be enough to make life worth living for centuries? And what would become of me once this life of mine ended?

  It struck me that being a carefree wylder sounded a lot better than being a concerned king.

  "So..." the human said, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "If you do accompany me, what would happen to your kingdom?"

  "My goal with these negotiations was to create enough stability to pass the crown to someone else," I explained. "My hope is that they form the Night Kingdom into a place that other vampires can find their own paths to redemption. But, to be blunt, that's their problem."

  "And how is accompanying me supposed to... Redeem you?"

  "I was not given specifics. Honestly, I would be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts," I shrugged. "It is simply my best chance to become a wylder again."

  "I see."

  The human stared at the table while I finished wiping down my arm. Count Hesseth had entered at some point and was watching my progress nervously. I wondered if he'd heard the conversation, and what he would think of my decision.

  I'd found myself becoming rather fond of Hesseth. Perhaps it was because I was a sucker for blind obedience, or maybe it was because he was the first vampire that actually acknowledged me as someone worth following. Either way, I would have to have a conversation about my abdication with him at some point.

  Hesseth was likely the only vampire that would enforce my will in my absence, especially if he were under the impression that I would return at some point.

  "I'll have to discuss this with the rest of my party," the human said.

  "That's fine," I replied nonchalantly. "We have time. I expect that you'll have to be persuasive, though, as I recognize the fact that I've tried to kill each member of your party at one point or another. Oh, and just to be clear, I'll be accompanying you regardless of whether or not they consent."

  "Wha-"

  "I'm selfish and stubborn by nature. I want my redemption, and I will absolutely do whatever it takes to get it. They can either accept this as the inevitability that it is, or they can try to fight me off. If memory serves, I had the orc on his knees and the lich as a skull back when I was still unused to my power. I've become significantly stronger since then."

  "You can't ju-"

  "Yes, I can," I chuckled. "The higher ones said that I'll find my chance at redemption by following you, and I WILL follow you whether you like it or not. The only way you can avoid this is to try to escape at some point. You won't be able to do that during the negotiations, of course, because that would be betraying the wylder. You can't simply slip away after the negotiations, either, because I'm already prepared for that eventuality. I don't even care if you or your companions enjoy my company, though I'll do my best to be as pleasant as possible. My goal isn't to be your friend, it's to become a wylder again."

  "I-"

  "There's really no use arguing. Selfish and stubborn, remember?" I asked with a grin as I rose from my seat. "I have other matters to attend to. I hope you enjoy explaining the situation to your party."

  The human spluttered a bit more as I joined Count Hesseth near the door to the dining room. He bowed low, and when he rose his eyes were fixated upon my ruined sleeve.

  "Save the daemon's body," I ordered. "We will need it as evidence when the others notice the drow's disappearance."

  "Yes, your majesty," Hesseth said. "Shall I fetch you a new outfit?"

  "Yes, and meet me with it in my office. We have something to discuss."