By this point I had already unsealed over 70% of the vampires who chose to serve me. My clone was still working on unsealing, but for now I needed a few days to think and make some arrangements.
While the addition of a human and two beast kin to the tower had been quite uncomfortable for a lot of vampires, they had no choice but to adjust to Rhea and her bodyguards presence in the tower.
Besides I don't think there would be a problem, she was my sister, and I think I've proven what the hell could happen if you messed with my family. The unsealing had slowed down by a lot, and that was because a lot of the vampires around had left.
The very idea that they could all be unsealed without having to give anything up or swear servitude was really too enticing. And even some of the vampires who I had already unsealed were regretting their somewhat hasty actions in serving me. It was upsetting, but at this point I've decided not to worry about it.
None of them knew what was coming, and knowledge of such events would only create chaos and tip off our enemies. We had to bid our time, and get stronger as fast as possible.
Which means I needed help, I couldn't do everything alone, which was why today was the day I was officially going to be handing over the power crest and adopting vampires as true members of the Cor coven/clan/family.
But only to a few. The bestowal of a power crest has to be on merit, as simple as it looked, the power crest was more than just a badge of identification of which family you belonged to.
It had all of the families accumulated knowledge, and special abilities to go with it. Power crests were divided into different grades depending on the number or the power of the abilities it contained. It went from [power crest> power crest II>noble crest>noble crest II>King crest>king crest II> Empire crest].
The Cor family had a crest too, and it was a king crest. However I was supposed to inherit the crest once I reached twenty three, together with full access to the Cor family fortune and assets. But with everything that's happened, it would be a lot harder for me to march into our ancestral family church, and inherit everything that's mine. Not with what's about to happen.
Anyway the bestowal of a power crest can only be done by the master of that crest, and as the crest evolves, it becomes possible for his subordinates pass down weaker versions of the crest, creating a sort of pyramid chain of command. Once the master crest evolves, if the master so choose, the subordinate crest below his would evolve too, gaining a new grade.
Whoever receives the crest, automatically becomes a part of the Cor family, and it was not just gaining a colorful tattoo with magical abilities, but rather experiencing a change that's rooted in your body all the way to the depths of your soul and DNA.
Which was why people who receive the crest are the most loyal to a family, because loosing it for any reason other than the death of the master crest wielder, would tear the person apart at a cellular level. So betrayal among power crest holders are rare, very rare.
Because apart from being a badge, it was also a failsafe. It was a slave collar that could kill you at the first sign of betrayal. But that was not it's use, a power crest was a good thing, because it promoted unity and strength.
"Master Kael? We're ready for you." I heard a voice say behind me.
I smiled and turned to see Teluna standing behind me in some sort of formal wear. With Dwayne's return, a lot of things had taken a better shape with the community. He had come back with a kind of cotton plant, and the schematics for the machine capable of processing it.
It was a simple blueprint, but Malek has improved on it, and now fabric could be processed as plants grew faster than normal under Nefisat's supervision. But that was just one part of it, he came back with a giant worm the size of a car, it was an Ecobian silk worm.
The monster was exotic and quite popular among designers for it's ability to spit out silk of different colors depending on the color of food it ate last. And believe me when I tell you, that thing ate a lot.
Since we've not been able to establish a functioning economy where things like buying and selling could be taken care of, we had to choose a few gifted vampires to learn how to make clothes from what was available. Their progress has been nothing short of amazing, which means that most of the vampires were now clothed in things other than rags.
"You're calling me master today Teluna, what's the occasion? Your not going to drop bat poop on my head are you?" I asked with a chuckle.
"For once can't you just accept a word from me without being suspicious. Do you always have to make it weird. But even so, after today you're going to be my master forever, fearless leader." Teluna answered with a shrug of his shoulder as we made our way down from the snazzy looking penthouse.
"are you okay with that? With me being your master and having your life in the palm of my hands." I asked him with a serious tone.
Teluna stopped then looked me straight in the eye before answering.
"No! But I'm choosing this because I know it's what's best for me and my mother. The future is completely uncertain, and some bastards out there think we're nothing more but attack dogs for their stupid war. Deciding our own fates and destinies for us, after the thousands of years, of pain and anguish they put us through. I rather die than have that happen to me. And the only way that can happen is if I get strong enough to fight back, but alone my strength won't be enough. I need you strength, I need Asare's, and Asha's and Xaseah's and every other person who's a part of our family of broken vampires. I don't like that my life is in the palm of your hands because you can be so annoying at times, but I don't mind. I like you, this is what I want to do. You gave me purpose, and you freed Nisi from the stigma of her past, your victory saved my mother. If I don't serve you, who will I serve, besides how many leaders are as easy going as you are. I rather not have my teasing privileges revoked."
I smiled and ruffled Teluna's head affectionately. Of course he ducked and threw a few curses my way, but that was enough for me. Because this was why I'm doing this. The reason I'm fighting.
Not just for a future for my children, but for the millions of kids like Teluna out there who had forgotten how to smile. Just like him, I want to show them a better way, a happier one. Peace was an illusion, but I had the power to make illusions reality. It would be a shame if I did not give this a shot.
We made our way outside the tower and I had to hold my breath. Nefisat had assimilated the towers in a ten kilometer radius around the tower and even now I could see some of those towers slowly being deconstructed, turning into essence that would be stored in Nefisat's matrix for further development.
Because of that, there was an open field, five to eight kilometers wide and long within the radius of the tower. And the vampires were spread across it. They had pitched their tents, but now they were all gathered to watch this ceremony.
Because that's exactly what this is, a ceremony. Asha had advised me saying an appointment ceremony was not something I could do in secret, which was my initial plan. I had to let them all see it, to improve morale among my people.
Of course most vampire's wouldn't care about morale as all they respond to is a show of power, well in this case this would be a perfect display of the power at my disposal. I was about to speak when I heard Nefisat's voice, and I didn't have to be inside the tower to hear it.
[Power Crest alignment and bonding completed at 110% functionality. I'm online now master!]
I smiled. With this out of the way, I didn't have to worry about choosing primary and secondary users. Nefisat would make that judgment based on the posts being assigned today.
And with her connected to the crest, communication with the tower can be carried out at great distances. I don't know how far yet, but I'll find out eventually. I moved forwards until I was standing in front of the huge crowd of vampires and a dwarf, two humans, two beast kin, and a gnome. We also had a visitor in the form of the devil Lukas.
"We've come a long way since the sovereignty of the blue district. It's not been an easy road, but we've endured! And achieved something really great! Something good! But in the end everything we've achieved is nothing in the face of our captors. We're no longer hungry...….but that could be taken away!.........we're no longer weak! But that could be taken away! We have our children beside us! But they could also be taken away! Is that what you want!?"
"Nooooooooo!"
"It's not, right? Well I don't want that too. We need to fight! For a very long, long time, we've been locked up down here; under the earth like rats. With no protection from the cold, from the heat, from the wind, or from hunger, sickness and death. But now there's a chance for us to do something different, to be better than before, and have a future that's completely and solely ours. To have a life where we make our own destinies and our fates are not decided by selfish men who have no idea what it's like to experience the burn of silver on their skin, or the hunger pains from a lack of blood, or the horror you experience when a mixture of silver and Ionite is shoved down your newborn child's throat. I'm sure you all agree with me when I say, it's time for a change. And that change starts today!"
"Yeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
"Today we stop being a rabble of defeated vampires, we stop being the unfortunate among a crowd of unfortunate. We stop being the beggars among beggars. Vampire's of the blue district, today we get to be more than a coven, or a community. Today we become a family, each person working together to make a future that works for us and our children! So my brothers and sisters, look to your elders, and look to the brothers and sisters beside you. Have each others backs, protect your brother's child as you would yours, do not be a group or a community of vampires. But rather a family of vampires."
There was electricity in the air that charged me, I felt adrenaline pumping in my veins like hot lava and my mind was so hyped I felt like breaking something. I felt a part of something greater, and it was as if this moment was the birth of that something, an entity that would shake the very foundations of this universe itself.
At this moment I was not Jason who died and reincarnated into another world, I was not Kael who was sentenced to prison as a vampire. At this moment I was nobody, but the brother to that vampire in the crowd, and that vampire close to the gate.
"Elder Farina Warren. Ever since you've been here, you've taken care of everyone, arranged and settled the vampires in a manner that would make them as comfortable as possible. Like a true mother. Step forward and take a knee."
Asking an elder to kneel was pretty bold of me, but I was making a statement. They had to see that I was in control, to know that I had the power to command an elder when I was only a BloodChild. It wouldn't bring down the eligibility of their elders, these guys were respected to the point of fanaticism, it just raised my reputation to an all time high.
Farina came close and knelt with her head bowed in front of me. I took her right hand, and covered it with mine. Then an intense blue glow came out from the point of contact, and I felt her shudder as power flowed from me to her.
I was close enough to her to know that she may have experienced sudden spike in sexual emotions, it made things a little weird and awkward. I let go of her hand really quickly, watching as countless blue lines etched themselves onto the surface of her skin on the back of her hand, until the head of a lion etched with exquisite script appeared on it.
It glowed and pulsed for a bit before settling down as a tattoo on the back of her hand. She got up, and turned to raise the glowing symbol on the back of her hand up for everyone to see. Most of them had no idea what that was, but they cheered none the less.
"Farina you're now in charge of management and logistics of every vampire here today. I hope you can take care of us in the future." I said to her.
She bowed in response and gave me an answer, her words flowing like silk as her voice pulled and enthralled the crowd. Just like a true politician.
"My lord, it would my extreme pleasure."
I nodded at her, and called Malek out. The really handsome leader of the Ausolon coven looked completely out of place here, his hair was in disarray, and the lab coat he was wearing had blood stains at the collar. He looked like he has not had a good sleep in weeks.
"Malek Ur'julai Furioso Ausolon. You've struggled to improve the life of every vampire here since you arrived, your struggle to take us out of a veritable bronze age to a modern one has been noted and I commend you for it. And so from this day hence, you would be in charge of research and development. Please take care of us."
A similar scene to Farina played out before Malek went back into the crowd. The next and last person I called out was Asare. As for the others. I would give them their own crests later and in secret.
"Asare Solaga, you're a human. And one of the best to have ever lived. You have fought for, and bled for vampires, you've trained and protected them and it's not too farfetched for me to say that you are one of us! So in that regard, will you please take the responsibility of making us stronger, of teaching us to protect ourselves and protecting us as we learn. Are you willing to accept this request?"
"I am."
"Then from this day hence, you would be known as General Asare Solaga, and you will run and handle every military operation that we will have to face and carry out. The power to protect, train, attack and judge has been given to you. Please take care of us."
"To my dying breath Master Kael!"