A memory resurfaced, and Velrossa could still clearly picture his life before now.
He had hope back then, before his humanity ended.
He remembered lying on the ground, with a deep wound that surely meant he would die.
Because he was a 「Dark Child of Azazoth」, it was a taboo to be buried after death.
Their bodies must be left to rot; people believed burying their kind meant corrupting the earth itself.
That in its own was an insult to the Earth god.
On the ground, with blood pouring out in excess amounts, he saw the sorrowful face of his friend-turned-brother, Archibald, who cried his eyes out.
He tried to tell him there was no need in crying, but his mouth couldn't project words, and his blood ran cold.
As darkness crept upon him, he remembered seeing Archibald's parents - Michael and Amara - taking him away as he lay frozen in terror.
Archibald might blame himself for Velrossaʼs death, but Velrossa never did.
He simply cursed the fact that he wasn't strong enough to support Archibald.
He lay there, having no regrets, he was happy he got to spend the little time he did with someone as kind as Archibald.
In a world where he was insignificant and despised by the majority, Archibald made him feel special.
Velrossa lay on the ground, his eyes slowly closing shut as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Another failure," one of the cloaked figures said. "We couldn't save the dark child before he was killed by the Orc Lord."
"What's even worse is that the other one is gone, so we have no one to recruit," another one added.
Suddenly, a slightly high-pitched feminine voice spoke up.
"The other boy isn't important. I've taken a particular interest in this one."
The group turned their heads and saw a girl emerge from the darker half of the large room in the caves.
Elegantly, her heels walked past the mangled corpses of the orcs previously slaughtered by the redhead.
She had long blond hair, red eyes, slightly pointy ears, and a petite size.
She wore a short black attire that revealed her legs and heels that made sounds with each step she took.
"Who's there?" one of the cloaked figures asked, unsure who it was at first.
It was until the girl completely came into light, that they clearly identified her.
The girl smiled.
"If you've forgotten who I am, I am Fetoria Vin Klaus. Daughter of the Third Progenitor, and a Seventh Progenitor myself."
The trio bowed and paid their respects to her.
"Your wish is our command," one of them said.
They couldn't fathom what the Vampyre god's daughter could be doing here.
Still, there was the possibility Silvana (Vampyre god, Third Progenitor) sent her here.
Fetoria then surprised everyone by going on her knees and sticking out her moist tongue, which she used to lick a bit of blood off Velrossa's chest.
"He's a delicious specimen," she said.
Velrossa's curiosity was piqued, and he tried to struggle to his feet so he could see what was happening.
"What are you going to do with him?" a servant asked, barely able to get the words out.
"I haven't decided yet," Fetoria said, standing up. "But he interests me."
The cloaked figures looked at each other in confusion. "What do we do then?" one of them asked.
"I'll bring him with us for now," Fetoria said. "I want to keep him close."
Velrossa didn't know what was happening, but he knew that his life had taken a strange and dangerous turn.
He was still alive, but for how long?
Fetoria leaned in closer to Velrossa, who was struggling to hold onto the little life he had left.
"Dark child, do you want to live?" she asked him in a demanding yet calm tone.
He couldn't speak, but somehow his thoughts reached out to her and she could hear his inner voice.
He didn't care if he lived or died, he thought.
"Why do you say that?" Fetoria asked.
"People like me don't have a choice," Velrossa replied. "Whether I live or die is insignificant."
Fetoria nodded several times, with a smile on her face.
She then told him that she would give him a choice - either to live, or to live.
"Once you drink my blood, you will no longer be on the same level as these semi-intelligent creatures known as humans," she said as she bit her tongue, causing blood to trickle down her mouth.
Then, to Velrossa's surprise, Fetoria sat on his crotch and kissed him.
It was a slightly passionate kiss that showed her instant attraction to him.
As their tongues twisted and intertwined, Velrossa suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck.
Fetoria had bitten him, and as her blood flowed into his veins, Velrossa could feel himself changing.
It was in that moment he had gone from a human to a Vampyre.
The transformation was agonizing, but giving up his humanity was the only way he could cling onto his life.
As the transformation came to an end, Velrossa realized he was now a part of a dark world he never thought existed before.
He looked up at Fetoria and saw a shimmer in her eyes, and couldn't help but feel that he was only a pawn in a game he didn't understand.
...
"(That was how I became a Royal...)" (Velrossa)
He could still remember everything that transpired in full detail.
「In the world of Vampyres, there is a social hierarchy with four distinct classes.
The highest class is the Progenitors, who possess the ability to turn normal individuals into Royal Vampyres, the strongest and most powerful kind of Vampyre.
There are twenty ranks of Progenitors, with the top five having the ability to turn a normal person into a Progenitor.
Silvana, the current Vampyre god, is a Third Progenitor, while her daughter is a Seventh Progenitor.
The lower fifteen Progenitors are sired to the upper five Vampyre Progenitors, and their main responsibility is to turn ordinary humans into Vampyres.
The Upper Five Progenitors do not give their blood as readily as the others.
Those ranked Sixth Progenitors and below have the ability to turn normal individuals into Royal Vampyres.
These Royal Vampyres, in turn, can turn normal individuals into Vampyres, but these individuals would belong to the third highest class known as Nobles.
Finally, Nobles have the ability to turn normal individuals into Basics, the lowest and least powerful class, who do not have the ability to convert people into Vampyres.
Conversely, you can say they're foot soldiers.」
"Now that we're finished with the Velsion deal, we should head back home and prepare for the next step," Velrossa suggested.
"Before we go, we should feed on some humans to be ready for the journey ahead," Arkannar suggested with a sly grin.
Velrossa was immediately against the idea. "Absolutely not," he said firmly.
Arkannar chuckled at Velrossa's reaction while Nes chimed in. "But, according to the rule, we can feed on one human each," Nes reminded them.
"That rule doesn't apply when I'm involved," Velrossa said sternly.
"But this rule was set by the council themselves. If they find out, they'll be furious," Arkannar pointed out with a smug look.
Velrossa raised an eyebrow, "What did you say again? I didn't quite catch that."
Arkannar placed his hands on his waist, "You heard me," he said confidently.
Velrossa spun like a tornado, delivering a forceful kick into Arkannar's chest.
The impact sent him flying, but he landed on his feet again with a cunning smile, trying to frustrate Velrossa even more.
As Arkannar was about to attack, Velrossa vanished from his spot, reappearing right before him.
Arkannar was startled, thinking that Velrossa had teleported, but in reality, he had just moved with incredible speed.
Within range now, Velrossa sliced off Arkannarʼs arm with his sharp claws and then delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that threw him to the side.
Nes watched in shock at the intense battle between his fellow Vampyres.
The drama continued, with Velrossa attacking with great speed and precision, while Arkannar struggled to keep up and defend himself.
Finally, Velrossa landed a critical blow, leaving Arkannar lying on the ground, defeated.
The difference in power between a Royal and a Noble Vampyre was clear.
Nes rushed to his fallen comrade's side, but Velrossa was already walking away, leaving them both behind.
"Now, let's get going.." (Velrossa)
By the end of the one-sided fight, Arkannar was without a right arm and leg.
But he could still reattach it although the regenerative time of Basics, Nobles, Royals and Progenitors vary.
A Progenitor could regenerate almost instantaneously.
Royals would need some extra seconds or minutes depending on how fatal or ghastly the wound was.
Nobles like Arkannar and Nes required three to four minutes. And Basics would require an hour or so.
"You're lucky all I ripped off was an arm and leg," with an unfeeling voice, Velrossa relayed this fact to Arkannar.
A stark reminder not to challenge a Royal's authority.