[Before the Fall of Az'Talon...]
Location: Ma'at (The Immortal City)
"You are not supposed to be here." A female voice cut through the air. "This is a restricted area at this time."
There was only one person the voice could have been aimed at. The brown haired man who, looked too young to have a full beard yet, was sitting by the window reading a thick book. His red eyes and handsome face looked up at the person that had spoken.
The source of the voice was a beautiful six foot woman with beige hair and four books tightly held in her arms. Her tan eyes focused on the man in front of her. The man looked at her, his eyes narrowed then he looked around as if he had not seen her at all then went back to reading.
"You heard what I said?" She asked. "This is now a restricted area."
"I heard you but I know you cannot be talking to me." The man said, indifferently.
"Why is that?" the woman was unfazed by the man's tone but bothered by his utter disregard.
"I am your better. I am a vampire and you are..." the man looked up from his book, "...hmph...you are inamatus, unloved, barbarian."
"I may be a barbarian as you say but I am also a librarian here. Please leave or I will call the Praetorian Guard."
"The Guard protects His Dark Radiance. They do not settle library disputs." The man said calmy. "Should a librarian not know this? Nevertheless, go away, barbarian. You are disturbing me."
The woman put the books she had on a nearby desk and took something out of her light green robes. It was a rose-gold billet with the seal of a Marquis noble house.
Vampires were first-class citizens alongside dragons. They were the original occupants of the Empire and the other, weaker races, were too weak to mistreat or make solid contributions.
The vampires and dragons treated them fairly but it was hard to see the higher circles mix with the lower and the classes mingle together.
The longer lived races, acquired wealth, status, blood and glory. The state provided for those who had less. The average incomes were great but benefits such as free two-story housing for new couples or a starter fund for Imperial graduates was nothing compared to the lavish lives of the long lived races who lived in mansions and held high positions.
Even among the higher races, there were classes. The most important were the Vampyre Nobilitas. The vampire nobility were direct descendants and blood inheritors of the Elderborns.
The Elderborns were said to be the first and last to receive the gifts of vampirism and immortality from the from the Emperor himself but limited immortality to the Elderborns and none of their descendants.
As for the Elderborns their efforts were the result of the current population of vampires which numbered in the millions.
Normal vampires could live up to ten thousand years easily. Highborn vampires, the warrior chaste of the race, had double that vitality but the Truebloods, who held titles as honorary noble and acted as the emissaries of those above them, could trace their lineage to Elderborns and had a guaranteed minimun of forty-thousand years.
The real heavy hitters were the Purebloods, whose blood inheritance was truly fierce could live up to two-hundred thousand years. They made up the nobility as direct descendants of the first vampire elders.
Vampires had ways to show trust and friendship. One of these were the Imperial billets. They were small, precious metals that belonged to the Heads of families in Highborn up to the Pureblood famillies. They granted special privileges, information rights, monetary benefits and favours depending on how high ranked the family that the billet came from was.
Black-bronze billets were for Highborn families. Each Family head had only fifteen, they could give out.
Blue-silver billets were for Trueblood families and they had twenty-five to give out.
Rose-gold billets were for Pureblood families and they only had five. The reason behind this was that the benefits behind Rose-gold billets were too many to have them in the hands of multiple people.
The billets were enchanted. They were impossible to steal. They had the blood of the giver in them so each family was constantly aware of where their billet was. Billets radiated power. The age, strength and rank of a vampire could be felt from these precious metals and the sigil let others know exactly which vampire family it belonged to.
"With this, I can summon the Guard." She said confidently. "You are in the Imperial library. To transgress here is to go againt the First Patriarch. The Guard will not be kind. I am offering you a chance to leave peacefully regardless of how arrogant and racist you are."
The book the man was reading was immediately slammed shut. The vampire stood up, he was eight feet tall with a handsome face and a threatening scowl.
"Firstly, I am not racist. I just do not like barbarians. Your people are new to the Crimson Empire. Your race is new to this world as well. Your people come from evolved beasts. While your ancestors were humping in burrows and caves, the Crimson Empire had already established three-hundred thousand years of supremacy and stability.
Your race has done nothing to enjoy the benefits of this nation but here you are and here you have been for a year, enjoying the benefits.
Secondly, I do not appreciate being bothered while I read. It is annoying. It does not register to whether you are the subordinate of a vampire noble or not. And lastly...." The man took out a different billet from his blue robes and slammed it down on the table.
He turned his back and walked to his chair. The girl looked at the table and the billet on the table. The billet was crimson. It was not a friendship token. It was a Kinship token and crimson meant this man was related strongly by blood to a Duke! No one would face of a Duke on her behalf. No one had the power to do so.
A Duke could not be offended. Only three positions were above Ducal vampires. The Elderborns who held the ranks of Archdukes. The Seraphim, the Superior race who could look into the eyes of the Absolute being and obeyed His every command. And lastly, the Absolute existence Himself.
"I apologise...I...am truly sorry." The girl said. She bowed and tried to turn away. She dared not pick up and return the kinship billet to him. She had no right to touch a kinship token that high.
"Be careful how you use your billet. It grants privileges but it also means those who gave it to you can be held accountable for your actions." The man said. The woman's back stiffened.
"Do not worry, I will not pursue the matter but I must ask, what your name is? The Nobility are a bunch of stuffy geezers. To hand out a high-level billet to a new race...you must be someone skilled."
"Evelyn...my name is Evelyn Fenrir." She said.
"I am a little annoyed but I am also intrigued. I am not racist. I am merely waiting to see what you will accomplish. I am Rio Alexi Baptiste. It is a pleasure to meet you."