Kael Cor: A Vampire's Awakening

"Seriously boss do you think this is such a good idea, I mean I'm all for an adventure but this is hell we're talking about! Sure I can't seat this one out." I rolled my eyes at Soren's complaints, I knew for a fact that the celestial lion was not afraid of anything, and that in and out of itself has been a bone of contention between the both of us a couple of times. But all I could do was urge him forwards, heading steadily towards the portal, taking point and the lead in this expedition, a leader had to lead by example after all.

[Don't go! Please Dad, don't go]

Her voice in my head made me pause, Cassiel asking me to stay and calling me Dad was almost enough to make me pause. But I knew the reason why I was running away, and while I did not feel the need to tell her why I stay, at the very least I felt that I had to be open to her, of all the things I owed my daughter, being a transparent parent was one of them. I wasn't sure 8 was right, but perhaps the reason why me and Cassiel haven't had such a good relationship was because she had no idea who I was as a person and that was seriously affecting us. Perhaps if she knew everything, saw my darkness as much as my light she would be able to understand truly what sort of person I was and love me like she should. It was pathetic, but I understood how hypocritical I was being right now, i wanted love but above all else I should be here for my family, but looking at them was just a reminder of my failures. This was the reason why I was going after Gus, perhaps saving him would be me doing something right for once, but who knows.

"I'm sorry Cassiel, I really want to stay but I have to go, I have to find a way to make them pay for what they've done… I don't know what else to do child. And staying here is doing nothing more than increasing my guilt, I'm drowning in it Cassiel, I can't even breathe. I want to be here for you, to be your father but the monster in me is calling for blood, it berates and blames me for the loss of your mother, and it's right. I need to exorcise my demons and then look for the first god of Shearath. I don't know any other way to save your mother, but perhaps he knows a little bit more about the singularity that took her away from us, so trust me and at the same time please have mercy on me and let me do this, I need answers and I need someone to pay… someone has to."

This was probably the only way that I could deal with my grief and guilt, if I just sat back doing nothing I would probably lose my mind. It would be darkness and despair allover again for me and that was definitely not something I wanted for myself. I have to fight for more than what is in front of me, because whether I would want to admit it or not, I felt very lost, and as I am I'm no good to my family. I have to focus on something else, perhaps if I'm able to find her brother, the first god of Shearath, in would have all the answers I need, I might be able to figure out if there was something special about the singularity that was created during their fight and see if it can be recreated, and a path to my wife's soul found. Not just for me, but for our family.

"I don't understand, an I don't want to, but… I know there's just some things that you have to take care of yourself, so please don't be gone too long. Even if Michael is too hurt and angry to say it, we can't afford to lose any more parents, so please, don't die." And then she was gone, I had the feeling that this would probably be one of the few and rare times my daughter would be able to open up to me, and I cherished the memory, even if it was coming at a period of extreme darkness and despair for our family. I guess there really is hope for the future, maybe much more than I ever realized. I couldn't help the small smile that crept across my face as we crossed the threshold of the portal, leaving Ethernalia Leonis and Spero behind, and welcoming the ruined landscapes of the hell dimensions.

<… … … … … … …>

Michael watched the sun rise over Ethernalia Leonis, for the first time in a very long time he had slept in his royal bedroom. There was a warmth to the rising of the sun, but Michael felt cold, extremely so, the last vestiges of Spero's new moon seemed to be disappearing into Horizon, it's cracked surface exposed for the world to see, even when it's soft silver glows bathed the legendary city in essence. A broken beauty, a shell, substance without essence, a husk. And a reminder that their Goddess Queen was gone, probably for good. It was harrowing and painful.

"He's gone you know… you didn't even tell him good bye." Cassiel's voice came from behind Michael who had his hands folded as he looked out the balcony of his princely tower.

"What if he doesn't come back, what if all of a sudden he's gone… like mom." Her voice was just a whisper at the end of her sentence but Michael understood, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. By virtue of being part vampire and part dragon he mȧturėd pretty fast, even if he had all eternity to grow up. But even in the midst of all that maturity he knew he was just being a child, and with how quickly and suddenly they lost their mother perhaps it could cost him and he would not be seeing his father again, his last words to him being particularly harsh.

"Our father is a ċȯċkroach, the best of his mind. There's nothing he can't survive, and with everything that he has gone through, the hell dimensions would be child's play. You should know he's not going there to look for answers or demand reparations for what has happened to our family and our city, he's going there to take it. It's the demons that I'm worried about, they've invited a butcher into their own home and one that's extremely pissed of at the moment. So don't worry, now do you need help with anything else?"

"As a matter of fact I do; those portals could not have opened up from the side of hell with the accuracy that they did. I've listened to the researchers and forensics investigating the scenes. There were anchors made here along with pylons that would stabilized the portal and summon it in a specific location. All of these was made and installed under our noses, even the city itself didn't notice it was being fuċkėd with. Not to mention people within the city itself started riots, which means we were infiltrated and many of them had gone underground when the demons arrived. The police are good, very good, but compared to you and your rabble of a Warband they're a joke. I need you, I need all of you. We need to find the people who did this, those still left infecting our city like a cancer, and we have to make them pay! Will you help me brother?"

"Did you even have to ask Sister… let's go hunting."