Ezekiel sit's in the mess hall alongside Rani and Princess Irene, who'd been alerted to their awakening by the maid's. As they sat eating an talking, a voice appears in Ezekiel's mind. "Master, can you hear me?" He freezes for a moment at the unexpected communication, before realizing the concerned look on the two women's faces.
"Is everything alright, Ezekiel?" Princess Irene's concerned voice reaches his ear's.
"Yes, Alice is just speaking to me through our bond." He explain's finishing his bite, before responding to Alice. 'I can hear you, is something wrong?'
'You told me to wait at the mansion until you returned, which you never did. How are you managing the urge's now?'
'They're much better after the events in the spirit realm, you can come meet me at the dining hall if you wish to. I'm eating with Irene and Rani at the moment.' Ezekiel respond's looking over at Rani as she bumps his arm "Did you not hear us?"
"No, I'm sorry. Can you repeat what you were saying?" Ezekiel responds apologetically as he continues eating.
"I suppose it's fine," Irene smiles wryly, "There was quite a large conundrum regarding everyone's absence over the past few day's so Father was thinking of holding a ball or a feast to showcase everyone's return."
"I'd much prefer a feast, aren't balls where all the nobles and people try to latch onto conversations and the like?" Ezekiel asks between mouthful's of food.
"Ball's are more of a social gathering, but most of the time feasts will have dancing and social aspect's as well." Irene explains, "Honestly until we know what you prefer the decision will probably be put off. Most likely there will be a large number of people wanting to dance with each of the hero's in any case."
Ezekiel runs a hand through his hair, "So basically either way there'll be a lot of posturing and talking, I think I'd still prefer the feast as I'll be able to eat." He smile's awkwardly, "When did Jacob want to have the meeting today?"
"Father asked me to bring you two to him after you ate, the other's should already be there, but they've expressed that they would let you explain." Irene say's as a maid takes away their dishes.
"Let's head there then, It's not like I have much else to do at the moment," Ezekiel smiles as he stands stretching out. "I'll have to ask the royal guards to spar, I need to adjust to my new body." he looks down at his arms clenching and unclenching his fist's. Feeling the mana teeming within his body, 'I'll need to begin consolidating my core again as well.' He thinks to himself sighing as they make their way.
"Father is in the garden area, with the other's," Isabella leads the way.
As they walk through the hall's Alice eventually appears from a side corridor, "There you are Master." She says jogging to catch up with them.
"It took you longer than I though to find me," Ezekiel say's glancing at her, "We're headed to meet the King in the Royal Garden."
"The other's left for there a while ago, should we not hurry?"
Princess Irene looks over her shoulder with a light laugh, "Usually, yes, but the hero's are viewed as equal to or above the king himself. Basically he can only request that they meet him, and not demand it as long as they haven't broken any laws."
"That outfit he was wearing might as well be an exhibitionist's though, maybe we should press charges," Rani laughs.
"It served it's purpose plenty well, or would you have preferred him naked?" Alice smirk's glancing at Rani as she falls silent.
"Alright, alright," Ezekiel says with a laugh, "We're at the garden, let's leave the discussion about my outfit to a later time." Voices filter through the large garden from the distance, carried on the light breeze along with the scent of the Queen's roses.
King Jacob looks to the side hearing their footsteps, "It seems they've arrived, I take it you slept well?"
"Yes, I got plenty of rest," Ezekiel say's as Irene sits to the king's left, sitting beside her Ezekiel follow's along with Rani. Across from them sit's Elaine, Raphael, and Isaac. Looking at Isaac in a questioning gaze he asks, "Where is Isabella?"
Isaac's gaze lingers on Ezekiel for a moment before darting to Rani, then back, "Isabella said she didn't want to come, something about not sleeping well."
Ezekiel blink's before letting out an exasperated sigh, "She should've come, I mean it's oblivious to everyone who was present what changes I went through, but there's some thing's I need to explain."
Jacob raises a hand for a moment, drawing both their attention. "About the explanation, if you could wait for a time there's someone else who will be attending the meeting. Their quite interested in meeting you Ezekiel."
"My my." a voice calls out from the entrance to the garden, "Who am I to make the hero wait on account of me," A well poised woman slowly walks on the pathway Ezekiel had just walked on. Each of her step's seems to flow into the next gracefully. "Welcome to out kingdom of Esparia," The lady greets Ezekiel, with a bow. "My name is Tia, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"The pleasure is mine, may I ask why you wanted to meet with me?" Ezekiel stand's returning the courtesy.
"My apologies, but my name usually proceeds me," Tia smile's slightly looking at the king for a second. "For now let's just say I taught Raphael when he was younger."
Ezekiel smiles and simply nod's, "I think it's about time I started explaining what happened?" He turns his head to the king to make sure no more surprise company was planning to visit.
Jacob nods with a slight smile, "She's the one we were waiting on," he gestures with his hand to Ezekiel to continue.
"Well to put this simply, what I consumed was a Enhancement based medicine. After I took it I was locked in a deep slumber, during which I was locked into my own Spirit realm. When I woke up I'd turned into a Vampire." Ezekiel looks around the table, "Any questions so far?"
The king sit's resting his head on his folded arm's propped on the table by his elbow's, he responds with a slight nod after a moment.
"After that, the rest is a bit hazy," Ezekiel shiver's as he remembers bit's and pieces of the frenzy, his natural instinct's pressing against his restraint. His eyes glow a gleaming red as his fang's shoot through his lip. Rani places a hand on his shoulder, as Alice locks eyes with her. He groan's as he wrestles with the urge to fall back into a frenzy.
Rani rise's to her feet, pulling Ezekiel by the hand. Alice follow's close behind, "Please give us a moment," She says over her shoulder, a troubled expression on her face.
Tia moves from her seat to the king's side, watching the three walk away into the neatly kempt brush. "It seems he tried to remember something he shouldn't have." She smile's wryly, "Are you sure it's safe to allow the Saint to go with him, Your majesty?"
Jacob sigh's heavily, "It is her decision, at the end of the day she holds more power than even I do with the church's backing." He turns his attention to Raphael and Elaine, "Do you have any idea what it might've been?"
The two exchange a glance before Elaine open's her mouth, "I believe after waking up, his natural instinct to drink drove him into a frenzy. While we were traveling through the forest, there was brush and even spots where tree's had even been felled. There was also quite a few area's where blood was splattered, but not even bones remained."
Tia's firm gaze locks with Elaine's, "You're certain, not a single carcass was spotted?"
"Not that we saw, is that abnormal? I recall vampires would gorge themselves not just on the blood but also the meat of their prey."
"That may be true, but generally there would at least be bones. Also if there was enough kills for a strong scent of blood then there'd be dozen's of dead animals. If he not only drank, but ate entire being's then there's more to this then we're being told. Weather he hopes to hide the truth to protect himself or not is a different story." Tia respond's staring into the underbrush where the trio had gone.
King Jacob sit's back, tapping his finger's on the arm of his throne. When Elaine interjects, "He may be hiding it due to worry, as the leader of the summoned heroes. He's has the most knowledge about our history out of the group, so he's well aware of the church's and therefore the kingdom's views of the 7 Demon king's. He may be worried if he received a blessing from the artifact from a demon lord that the kingdom and the church would turn on him."
"That seems the most likely. If the church were to catch wind of a summoned hero possessing a demonic blessing then I have no doubt there would be conflict of interest." Raphael says thoughtfully, "There's also the worry with the fondness between him and Rani that they may try to use that against them. In my experience he's a deep thinker, and may be underestimating our belief in him."
"Truly it matter's what matter of blessing he received, we shall table this conversation until they return. There's no point in speculating when he is not present to confirm nor deny it." Irene say's straightening her back in the chair, her gaze locked on her father's.