Flashback.
A thousand years ago.
The twenty meters tall, five meters wide wooden double doors broke apart.
A manly figure dashed into the large hall with hurried steps. The heavy breathing of the figure, definitely not that of exhaustion, spoke volumes of how vexed he is.
In the middle of the large hall was a large and long wooden table with wooden chairs around it.
Spread beneath the spot was a woven carpet that had the embroidery of a bat that had three eyes, the symbol of the Tribunals.
Four figures occupied the chairs and were having a tete-a-tete on the table. They all looked young and youthful and a deathly aura that had a pressure that could kill a normal human, emanated from them.
They are the Primordial Vampire family known as the Tribunals. They are the elders of the Tribunals. They are the true Primordials of the clan.
The figure that entered the large hall earlier stopped by the table. He looked like a young man. But he isn't just a man. He's one of the true Tribunals. He's one of the family.
One of the elders, a male and the one that looked older, known as Viktor, diverted his gaze to the young Primordial.
His face held amusement as he remarked. "Behold, the angry lion comes in."
"He's always angry." Another elder, a female known as Allegra, mused with a grin that exposed her dark and sharp fangs.
An elder with a bald head, apparently the oldest, known as Silvanus didn't take his gaze off his pallid hands that were on the rare table as he muttered. "What is it, Akotal?"
The young Primordial Vampire, identified as Akotal closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath. His hands, trembling beside him, clenched tightly as he reopened his eyes and replied. "My friend, Luca, is dead."
The expression of the elders changed slightly as they heard this. Even the fourth of them, Aaron, a male with thick eyebrows and a pair of deep set eyes, had a slight change on his face.
"What happened to him?" Silvanus asked.
Akotal's forehead ridged horribly as he pointed his right index finger towards the door. "The Skull Crawler killed him!"
"Uh?!"
"Uh?!"
"Uh?!"
"Uh?!"
Shock was visible on the faces of the elders as Akotal said this.
Allegra was the first to come out of the shock as she asked. "And why would the Skull Crawler attack him?"
"I don't care about that, Allegra! I want the Skull Crawler dead!" Akotal voiced, with his entire body shaking from rage.
The elders all kept quiet. They all exchanged glances secretly, with their expression unreadable.
Akotal saw this and his face took on a frown as he asked. "Why aren't you all saying a word?"
"Do you know that the Skull Crawler is the battle companion of the Lead Skull?" Aaron asked, calmly.
Akotal went all explosive as he growled. "To hell with Lead Skull and his battle companion!"
The elders all looked away.
However,
Viktor smiled and said, "Go and mourn your friend and rest, Akotal."
Akotal's eyes glared crimson as he snapped. "I'm not backing out until that monster is killed."
"You can do nothing about it and we can't do anything too." Allegra muttered.
"What?!" Akotal flinched. His eyes blazed as he asked. "Why?"
"Because we are forming an acquaintance with the Lead Skull. We are having a pairing between us," Silvanus said.
"No! No!! No!!!" Akotal shook his head vehemently then he slammed his hand on the table as he said, "I will have to do it the other way round."
"Don't try anything stupid, Akotal." Allegra warned with a grim look.
Akotal scoffed. "So now, you want to fight me. You want to fight your family because of a leader of another clan?!"
Viktor's figure vanished from the chair he sat in and in a split second, he was already standing before Akotal.
Akotal's flinched and terror flashed across his eyes. But it only lasted a few seconds before his fierce look returned.
Viktor can never hurt him, he's his brother, elder brother.
Viktor had a serious expression as he began to whisper to Akotal. "You try anything, you'll be hurting one of our family in the process and lastly, you will be bringing the wrath of the Skulls on us." Viktor placed his pallid hand on Akotal's shoulder and the latter flinched. Viktor's lips neared Akotal's pointy ears as he continued. "And you know very well that a war with such a strong clan will be disastrous now. So, it's better you let your dead friend go."
Akotal felt a breeze and Viktor was back on his seat.
Silvanus pursed his lips as he said, "definitely, your friend died because he was weak. Don't be like him. Let it go."
Akotal's eyes slowly gained calmness. His eyes shifted to Allegra's. The fierce look of the latter made him look away.
Akotal flinched and looked away too. His eyes flashing with complex emotion.
Allegra loathed him. But he didn't. Because he loves Allegra's daughter, Ava.
Talking of Ava.
Akotal's eyes flashed up, his forehead creased and formed a very tight string of ridges as he moved his gaze amidst the elders. His heart was literally banging as he asked. "Who is the matching we are having with the Skulls?"
Having a pairing between Primordial clans meant that forming acquaintances with each other by having a couple formed by both sides. A female from the first side and male from the second side.
And as far as Akotal is concerned, there are not many females in the Tribunals.
The elders exchanged looks as Akotal asked. They felt hesitant to talk.
Of course they know what could happen if they talk. Silvanus was about to talk, lie rather, when Allegra interrupted.
"Ava. She's pairing with the Lead Skull himself." Allegra replied with a look that showed that she intentionally said this.
Akotal's face crumpled. His eyes trembled and his lips shook hard. "W- what?"
Everyone in the Tribunals knows how much Akotal loves Ava. It wouldn't be called love anymore, if one looked at the intensity. It can be called obsession.
Akotal loved her so much that he would kill an elder for her.
But unfortunately, her mother, Allegra, isn't actually in support of that.
Silvanus casted Allegra a fierce glance for what she just did, despite knowing that it'll hurt the young Primordial. His gaze turned to the devastated Akotal as he began. "You should know, we can't do that knowing it'll hurt you. We had to do it. War is raging amidst us Primordials and our best shot is the Skulls, because no one can face them. They are strong and powerful."
"That's a lie!" Akotal flared. His fangs and claws, dark and long, erupted. His anger is getting too much and he's losing control over himself. His eyes blazed as he gazed at Silvanus. His right index finger pointed at the eldest elder as he muttered. "You are all cowards."
Bang!
Aaron's seat flew off from where it was and in a blink, he was right before Akotal.
Akotal couldn't even blink when Aaron gripped his neck. Akotal's eyes flew wide as he struggled. Right under his disbelieving wide eyes, Aaron's sharp claws pierced his chest and found his heart with ease.
"Aaron, stop!" Silvanus ordered.
Aaron paused his move. He grinned and turned his neck back to look at Silvanus as he said, "This kid is insolent, he has to be taught a lesson."
"And that lesson wouldn't be death."
"He will wake up again. I'll only destroy one heart." Aaron grinned mischievously.
Silvanus' serious gaze persisted.
Aaron, seeing the leader's demeanor, sighed. His teeths gritted hard as he released Akotal.
The latter staggered back a few steps before steadying his stance.
He casted the elders a menacing glance before zooming outta the hall.
.
.
.
Akotal sat on the top of the stone Castle of the Tribunal.
His sharp eyes gazed down at the vampire armies of the Tribunals, who were sparring.
They are not one of the real families, they were turned but are still part of the Tribunals, the lower caste.
But there's one in their midst. A female with Auburn hair. She's one of the original Tribunal family.
Her name is Ava, Allegra's daughter.
Akotal's eyes were fixated on her.
As she flashed around the training field, defeating the warriors in practice and smearing their bodies in dirt, all Akotal could see was the one who would bring him the joy of his life. The one who could make him a complete man.
His soulmate.
But now, she's to be matched with the leader of the Skulls, the vampire whose battle companion was the killer of Akotal's friend.
'Ava will marry another vampire? Never! I will never let it happen.' Akotal thought silently. His teeths gritted as he added, in his thoughts. 'Lead Skull will pay for Luca's death.'
*
*
End of flashback.
Akotal's Castle.
Akotal was standing before the ceiling to floor glass window, gazing beyond it at the water that surrounded his castle, as he reminisced about everything.
That was the reason he cursed and annihilated the Skulls.
The reason his face is burnt like this, the reason a powerful Primordial like him has a near death experience every three hundred years, the reason he can't do without a sacrifice every three hundred years, the reason he can't go back home again because Allegra would kill him.
It was for a woman and also for revenge.
More dominantly, it was for love.
It was for a love he never got back.
Excruciating!
Akotal felt a presence stop behind him. He knew at once who it's and what he's here for.
His melted lips moved as he asked. "Is everything ready, Adama?"
"Yes, my Lord."
Akotal turned back. The vampire that bears the staff of the Tribunal was before him.
His deep red eyes fell on the wooden three-eyed bat on the staff. His eyes flashed with complex emotions as he muttered. "Then, let's begin."
***********