Wretches and Angels.

[Sage]

Ed shook his head, defiance and anger in his tone as he spoke. " I will not be responsible for bringing more vampires to Algeroth. We are accursed, should we be attacked we should fight back, but if it is to be our end, we should embrace it. I would welcome an end from anyone who could best me after the wars I've survived. "

His words gave away his age somewhat, revealing that he might not quite as young as first assumed. In truth he was closing in on his thirties, and he anticipated his maximum lifespan to be somewhere around two to three hundred years. He had all the experience of a hardened soldier, the talents of a deadly mage, and the mindset of an abused youth. Edicius was as dangerous to any threat as it was to him.

He spoke at Angel without facing her as she asked her question. " Because I'm the one who destroyed the house and it's foundation, when they Turned my friend. "

[Herald_of_Fate]

Edicius's contempt for their kind as a whole was understandable, but given the extent of what they now faced, useless. Eijin himself didn't truly enjoy much of the depravity and decadence of the Court or the behavior of many of Anabel's court. The vampires of Kalmarden were alot as Edicius had described: weak and disgusting fools who felt too high and lofty in their perches next to the Mother to treat other forms of life with the respect they deserved.

"You hate us...and you have every right to. We are monsters, killers who strike without remorse or mercy," the Ambassador whispered with a grimace. "We may deserve the destruction that comes. But I like to believe myself beyond that. That I've attempted to live with honor. I have been the sword of the Mother because she was the only being alive who knew of my father...who was ash by the time I journeyed here."

He crouched and gathered a handful of soft earth in his hand, let it fall to the ground again in a slow cascade.

"You were taken into this by force. But I was born into this state and cannot help my lot beyond living and carving out a fitting world with my blades. You have seen the glory of a sunrise, the beauty of a meadow on a summer day...and that has been stolen from you," he continued with a grim smile. "I'm sorry for that. Truly I am. But I tell you now that despite whatever feelings you must have about what you are, the nature of your person has not changed. Your fate lies in your hands. If you despise us so much, live for our destruction. My position in the Court has allowed me to cull the most unfavorable of Anabel's children. And allowed me to keep my secret."

He stood, dusting his hands. "I am no monster. I am a warrior. True, vampire blood runs in my veins, but human blood does as well. I will fight for my own survival and those I care for."

He looked at Angel. "You may not know me or not trust me. But I will prove my words and intentions..."

Slowly he rose, pushing his way through the sand and into the sky above. He soared westward, preparing for the battle ahead.


Meanwhile to the Southwest..

The Mirairi, as the metallic dogs were called, flowed through the forest like feight trains, toppling trees underfooot, subtlety a thought unworthy of such beasts. They pressed for Anabel's palace. The monsters sensed their quarry vaguely, drawn by the residual energy of her entry to this world. Why did not matter, what their master meant for this being was inconsequentioal. His will was their command. And they would bring her to him, ripping anyone who stood intheir way to threads.

[Skylar]

She sat and said nothing. Eijins’ words angered her in a way she could not even vocalize. Surely he would see the distaste in her eyes, because her face held no emotion.

For a moment, everything went black, her body became rigid and the memories flooded if as if someone broke a damn in her mind. This time however, it was not as brutal as before. They came slower, making it easier for her to grasp the information that was being given back to her.

It lasted minutes this time, and with a quiet gasps, she was brought back to the here and now. She reached out for Edicius, leaving it up to him if he took her hand or not. “We are not all monsters who kill needlessly without remorse. Yet some of what Eijin says is truth. Your fate, is still yours, and while much has been taken from you, you must harness the prowess you have now, and decide what kind of man you want to be.”