However her eyes, they were different and melancholic, especially the way they seemed to linger on the dejected frame of the Naga prince. Was it just me, or could I actually see remorse and affection, rather than the expected anger and hatred. Something was wrong, and with my new sensitivity to magic, I would have known if something was wrong with her. God I could already feel a headache coming on, there seems to be a lot of complicated shit abound. I placed my focus back to the Naga King and said to him.
"They'll get a fair trial that much I can guarantee you. Or at the very least I will give them a chance to prove their innocence."
"Thank you, that's so comforting." The Naga king said to me, but even a child would be able to read the sarcasm within his words.
"You're welcome, and it's not meant to be comforting, I just told you the truth of what's going to happen. I suggest you make your peace and say your good byes."
As soon as I finished speaking to him, I turned ex to face the purist vampire faction. No matter how you looked at it these guys were a threat to my rule, and to the existence of my city. I had to find a way to deal with them permanently, and I would rather avoid spilling the blood of my people to do so.
"I take it you guys brought what I asked? Because if Cornelius Daneaitani is not here, we'll all be having a very different conversation soon enough."
There was a little bit of shuffling among their ranks, and then Cornelius was brought forth, bound and looking very angry. They pushed him until he was standing right in front of me, helpless and waiting for me to pass judgment. And so in that regard, I did pass judgment, I couldn't wait to get this over with; Cornelius was even more of a snake than Shamir, so I will treat him like one.
I shoved my hand into his chest, and felt for his heart. It was cold to the touch, empty and very much dead. But I could still feel the power interwoven into it, it was an intense3 feeling because this was the first time, I've ever gotten in contact with the darkness that made us vampires. It was like a cloth wrapped around his heart like soft sheets of satin and velvet.
But at the same time it wasn't just wrapped around his heart, but was also interwoven into the tissue and veins, making it seem like one whole big ball of darkness yarn. I gripped his heart a little tighter, and began to squeeze, keeping my eyes on him, so that he could experience the agony of dying at my hands and knowing there was nothing he could do about it, and his twilight has come calling.
But the fear that I was expecting and looking for didn't show up on his face. Instead Cornelius had on a smile of sinister proportions, like somehow, in some way, he had won. I extended my awareness all around, straining both my physical and magical senses to figure out what could possibly be wrong. But there was nothing out of place around, I couldn't figure out what it was that gave Cornelius so much confidence that he would actually smile in the face of death. It had me worried, but I couldn't very well stop at this point, I had to see this through. So I squeezed.
And I squeezed hard enough that his heart gave out like a tomato being crushed. His grin grew wider, and as his body began to desiccate and age, slowly turning to dust, he looked at me and said.
"You've won this round Kael Cor, I'll see you soon. I do hope you live long enough to see the day when I put shackles on the necks of your children, forcing them to serve me. Your son will be the attack dogs of your enemies, your daughter their fuck toy! And as for your wives, the women you love so much, that you would die for them. I'll take them, I'll take their bodies, and it would be right over your cold corpse or your desecrated grave, so that the whole world can see and know that I destroyed Kael Cor, and ruined his legacy. Soon young king. Very soon."
And then his body turned to dust, and was blown away with the wind. But right before my eyes, I could see Cornelius's soul being ferried away by some sort of wraith. And the thing was so bloody fast; I couldn't even muster the strength to chase after him. Seems Cornelius was right, there was another round to this fight of ours, but it's not going to be the way he expects it to be.
Because regardless of wherever the fuck his soul has been taken to, I will be ready for him and whatever he has to throw at me. Because I won't just sit around waiting for him to come hang a noose around my neck. Ill grow stronger, faster and smarter, until it gets to the point where the very Idea of hurting my family would get my enemies killed. I was not scared of his threats, because to be honest that's been most of my experience with my enemies, threats upon threats, each one fixing to end me and everyone I love. But all my previous enemies, if it's a fight he wants, then it's a fight he going to get.
"Thank you for keeping to you own end of the deal." I said to the purist faction vampires
"Ethernalia Leonis would not bother you, as long as you don't bother us. However, you all still have to answer to your former master, and as her friend, I'm obligated to lend a hand. So one of these days, we'll be paying you guys a visit. And believe me, it won't be a social one. Well I guess we're done here, Farina will take care of the trial procedures, you're all welcome to watch and be a part of it, because just for one day, the gates of Ethernalia Leonis would be open to everyone. Any other decisions to be made will be carried out one week from today, and I expect you, former king of the Serpentis to show up for work all bright and early. Then we can decide what to do with your people."
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FOUR DAYS LATER
ETHERNALIA LEONIS
KODAK
If this was what heartbreak felt like, then Kodak would very much rather be dead. He had seen the signs from the moment she was released and the Naga prince was handed over. She felt cold, distant, and the bond they had between each other was gone. Even though the bond was still fairly new, at the very least, Kodak knew there had to be a tether between the two of them, regardless of what she might have gone through, or how long they were separated. But it wasn't just faint, or strained, the entire bond was gone. Broken.
At first he felt as if the Naga prince had somehow broken the bond, and even before the trial Kodak had confronted him. His assumption was spot on, what he never saw coming was the fact that Neva actually bonded with the Naga prince to protect him from execution. Kodak didn't just loose the woman he loved, he lost her to his enemy, the very person who hurt her and separated them during the heat of war. No matter how you looked at, this was not fair, especially for someone like Kodak who was loved and respected by many despite his young age.
To some this might have been the complicated love story between a couple of teenagers, but for a vampire that was bonded, this feeling was worse than death. But a woman's heart was as fickle as the wind, yet as solid as the oldest mountain and unbreakable as steel. Once she loves someone, then she's loyal to the end, but regardless of the universe all girls could not resist the bad boys, and Zartan was one of the baddest there was, until he also fell in love with his captive.
It all made for sickly sweet love story, but this was reality, the pain was real, and so was the hate and the anger that now ran rampant in the heart of the once innocent and kind Kodak, this general and hero, forged by war, was breaking apart, he was losing his way. And after so many misfortunes after another, even Kodak himself knew that his heart was turning cold.
"I'm sorry little brother, if I knew, I would have killed him the moment he was placed on that platform." Kael said as he walked towards Kodak, who was resting his back on the roots of the world tree.
"And that would have killed a part of Neva's soul. This if you ask, is just as black as her name. I don't think you could do that to one of your generals Kael." Baeki said to him as she took a spot besides Kodak, looking down at the dejected young man.
"You're only 17 Kodak; you still have an eternity to find love with a woman who won't betray you like this. Of course if you asked her, she would tell you that she couldn't help what her heart was feeling, that she fell in love with a rapist, and saw a chance to change him for the better through love. If you love sappy romance stories, then this would be right up your alley, but the pain is very much real, and you need to find a channel for it, or things could go horribly wrong. Kodak, we're here to help you." Baeki said as she took a seat beside him, looking forwards into the night as a crisp and cool breeze blew.
To be honest, at this moment Kodak was a little angry at the both of them. Because seriously, what part of 'I want to be left alone' don't these people understand. He couldn't be around people right now, as he was filled with so much anger he could set the world on fire. All of them would try to comfort him, saying they understood what he was feeling, even that fucking Zartan had the nerve to say the same thing to him, but none of them understood what was going on, none of them could understand the pit at the bottom of his stomach that was ever so slowly turning into an all consuming black hole.
Kodak just wanted to get away from all of this, to find his balance, and rediscover himself. Life has been hitting him and his siblings with one roll of misfortune after another, and as the elder brother, it was his job to keep together, to be strong so that his younger siblings won't have to worry about anything, but so much for that, seeing as he could barely hold himself together.
"You need to get away from all of this drama and heartache Kodak. I could tell a whole lot of things, but I doubt it would help in calming you down. So I'm sending you away, just so that you don't do anything stupid and you would regret later. But just leaving won't be enough; you need a purpose, something that would take your mind of the shitty hand that life has dealt you. Would be willing to give it a try." Kael asked Kodak with a soft voice.
And this was the reason why Kodak respected and loved Kael as his leader and as his family. He might not understand, or be able to relate to your pain, but he always tries his best to make sure you're okay. And more often than not, every decision he makes for you turns out to be the best and what you really need at that very moment.
"I'm willing to try anything Master Kael, as long as it gets me far away from Ethernalia Leonis, for as long as possible. Everything here just seems so suffocating." Kodak replied as he hugged his knees closer to his body.
"Very well Young vampire. We have a task for you that are of the utmost importance. You can do if for as long as you want to, and when you feel you've done enough, your home will still be waiting for you. Do you understand?" Baeki asked him.
"Yes I do." Kodak replied with a resolute tone.
"Good. I'll be handing over a couple of my old contacts to you. And along with the imperial dragon Shao Tie, you're both to scour the whole of shearath for any of our vampire brothers and sisters still living under bondage and oppression. Your job is to set them free, and send them back home, here. It would be a hard journey, and you would mostly have to rely on yourself, but can you do it?" Kael asked.
Kodak looked up at him, his eyes blazing furiously as he answered.
"When do I leave?"