Kael Cor: A Vampire's Awakening Chapter 270 War Of Serpentis X : Long Live The King, Departure

Its always worse after the war ends, at this point, I think I could very well claim that I was an expert in war and its aftermath. Especially with how broken it would leave a person, and it's only until the fight is over would you notice and see the damage that's been caused.

Ethernalia Leonis was completely untouched by this war, in fact we had the smallest casualties and could be said to have only been let off with a simple slap on the wrist. But that didn't change the fact that lives were lost and homes were broken. And with some of the Serpentis moving in, the tensions were at an all time high.

It would have been incredibly foolish of me and short sighted to think that my people would just accept their enemies. h.e.l.l the members of the other races that lived in the pit before the fall of Adein and the guard tower were still being segregated and discriminated against. It's going to take a lot of change, healing and forgiveness before Ethernalia Leonis becomes the haven for all races that I'm hoping it would become.

There was no reason to behave and act like our enemies, if we couldn't be better than them, then everything we've fought for and experienced would have been all for nothing. But in the end I might just be delusional, peace was a novelty, even I knew that. And no matter how hard I tried to foster it, I knew without a doubt, that there would be something or someone out there who would stand against that peace. And with how human every race around me was, I didn't hold out much hope that we could transcend our selfishness and self serving agenda to think about the collective, rather than the individual.

But today, I hoped to change that, the first council of Ethernalia Leonis was going to be born today. While I'm still the ruler of my city, and as many have taken to calling me, the king of the vampires( not sure how I felt about that though), I couldn't very well do everything on my own. And with how much the city has grown, and is still growing. I knew I needed help, and a lot of it.

This council meeting was going to be an open one, which meant that quite a significant amount of vampires, humans, elves even werewolves were in attendance. The grand hall of the palace was packed and filled to the brim, and for the first time since it was built and made; I finally had a use for that throne. It was almost as if Nefisat had known that a council was going to be formed, as there were five sets of platforms, arranged like stairs. And each of the platforms going up, had six seats, making for a total of twenty four seats, and one ma.s.sive throne on the fifth step.

This was very familiar to me, it reminded of the bible, and how it spoke of G.o.d sitting on a throne and surrounded by twenty four elders. Well I'm not G.o.d, but I believe the arrangement is a goal that I could work towards and implement. This was a mission all on my own, to someday have all twenty four seats filled. And it would be with members of different races, making it so that Ethernalia Leonis became not just a city of vampires, but a city of all races.

I made my way across the grand hall, went up the stairs and sat on the throne. It was comfortable, but I felt unsettled, heavy. Like somehow, I just had the weight of the world dropped on my shoulders. It was a rather weird feeling, but seating on this throne gave me the startling realization. That every word I speak from now on, every choice and decision made, would affect the lives of millions of people.

I had to understand that there would be hard choices, mistakes, my good days as well as the bad. But above all, I could no longer be Lord Kael of house Cor anymore. I had to become King Kael of whatever name my very obviously growing future kingdom would carry. It was time to be king.

"I welcome you all here today, and thank you for your presence. I know most of you are still grieving our casualties from our war with the Serpentis, so I'm honored that you could put your grief aside and be here for this important occasion."

I paused and took a moment to inspect their reactions. So far there wasn't any, they were all listening to me attentively. However it didn't help one bit, in fact that was when I realized that I was really nervous. I took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"Ethernalia Leonis is growing. And even after all of our struggles and suffering, we've prevailed and grown stronger with each strike. Our adversities forging us into something better, into something great. Ethernalia Leonis has and will always be a refuge, a place for redemption and safety. Sure it was built by a vampire, but a year prior that vampire was a human. And I think that speaks volume of the vision I have for Ethernalia Leonis, this place, our home, can not belong to one race alone.

Because just like us, there are many lost souls and forgotten people out there. We can be like our captors and enemies, claiming that we're a superior race, and then we'll be no different than they are, or we could be better. To live by example and show the rest of Shearath, that we're better, that we're stronger than they are. That we can accept what they can't, and be all the stronger for it.

I know what I'm asking you to do is hard, but from this day hence I would like all of you to stop thinking of yourselves as vampires, werewolves, Nagas or elves and gnomes. I need you all to see yourself as one thing and one thing only. And that's a citizen of Ethernalia Leonis, my people, my family, my kingdom!"

I did not expect them to take it just as I laid it out for them. This was supposed to be a bitter pill to swallow, and quite frankly a test of their faith and belief in me. There were no loud screams or chants, just resolute gazes that tried to understand why I would make such a choice. I honestly didn't know what else to say, before Asha made her towards me with Xaseah in tow. I didn't even know they were here, much less with Ca.s.siel and Michael. Asha looked ahead at the people and spoke to them.

"My husband has hardly ever asked you people for anything. If he asked you to fight, it was just so that you could survive, if he asked you to forgive your enemies, it's because he doesn't want your children, our children carrying on a torch of hatred that would create, and span across multiple millennia of bloodshed, death and war. He has cried with you when you lost family, blamed himself for not being able to keep you all safe. He has bled with you when you've fought, and even ate from the same table as you. So tell me, has he stolen from you?" Asha asked, pointing at vampire with a missing arm standing at the front of the crowd.

"No Lady Asha, he has not, he could never do such a thing." The vampire answered and looked at me with eyes I had no idea what to do with; there was just so much respect and reverence. Then Xaseah stepped forward and started speaking, this time pointing at another vampire.

"Has he ever failed you, has he ever promised and failed to keep his promise?" she asked

"Never lady Xaseah, he's a man of his word. He's a good person." Xaseah nodded her head, as she turned to Asha and nodded her head. Asha stepped forward and raised her voice.

"If he's never failed you, and loved you all regardless of race of history. If he never turned any of you away when you needed shelter and protection, and even fed and clothed you in the process, then I ask you. Is he worthy of being your king?"

Asha had whipped the crowd into frenzy. Right now all I could see was blind trust and believe, like I was some sort of G.o.d to them. I felt uncomfortable having this much power over the lives of this much people. It was a big responsibility, but in the end I don't think I could deny this outcome. This is what's supposed to happen, and I'm not going to shy away from it. I had to be the best man I could possibly be, for however long I have to live. Because after all, as of this moment, Kael Cor has Become King.
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THE GATES OF ETHERNALIA LEONIS
ONE DAY LATER
KODAK

Kodak could still hear all those screams and chants. It was etched deep into his soul because he also joined in, swept in the frenzy and excitement of the moment. 'Long live the king' I mean come on, Kael was a freaking vampire and dragon, he was probably going to outlive everybody in that hall combined. But Kodak was happy, this was a good thing. The war with the Serpentis had united the vampires in a way that they've never experienced before. And that was because when they needed help, Ethernalia Leonis answered, not at all caring who belonged to what faction or bloodline coven. It showed that in the end, they were all stronger together than apart.

But that was all good and fine; however it was time to leave. Kodak tuned his head to look at the airs.h.i.+p in front of him. It wasn't really that big, only about the size of a small boat, but it was enough for four people to travel comfortably for a very long time. The dull metal frame it had, was an obvious sign that this was a prototype, and the soul that's going to be inhabiting it, was that big a.s.s golden dragon staring at him like a piece of meat.

"Big brother, please done leave." Kodak felt his heart break.

Maybe leaving was such an easy decision to make when you consider the pain in his heart, but his siblings were still here. Lynn was just four years old, Nyssa was fifteen and Gus twelve. They were all still kids, he included, and they were all they had left in this world. If he could he would take them with him, but he was throwing himself head first into danger, there's no way he was going to put his family through that.

"Lynn you dont have to worry too much. I'll be back soon, and I'll get you lots of toys and gifts. But you have to do something for me little tiger crane."

"Oh me? Okay, what do you want me to do?" She asked with her tiny voice.

"I'm leaving you in charge Tiger crane, you have to look after Gus and Nyssa for me. Make sure Gus brushes his teeth every night before bed; you know he doesn't like doing so. Make sure Nyssa remembers to put away her books after every study session. She's careless and a klutz, which means she's going to end up tripping over her own books and waking everyone up. Also make sure they both remember to clean their rooms, since mom and I won't be around, you guys have to do it yourself. You understand." Kodak said to her as he smoothed her red hair back.

"I understand big brother, but what of mom. You said she's really busy, and that it will be a while before she comes back, now that you're leaving is she going to come back now?"

Kodak did not even know how to answer her, and it was taking all of his strength to not start crying. That would betray the entire point of being strong for his siblings. However Asha came to the rescue as she pulled Lynn by the hand whispering into her ears, as the four year old nodded with a look of understanding and a smile on her face. Kodak was grateful, so he turned and pulled both Nyssa and Gus into a hug before saying to them.

"Keep each other safe, do your part and help the city grow as best as you can. Make friends, but be careful when falling in love, and you have to be sure about the people you can trust. Nyssa I would ask you to act more like a girl, but you would probably break my arm. So try to be less of a tomboy. Gus, you've gotten your voice back, so please talk more and make some friends. Keep each other safe, I'll see you soon."

Kodak made his way towards the airs.h.i.+p, and as he was about to get into it, he heard his name being called from a distance. But he didn't stop, not even for a second in fact he hurried himself along; as he went into the c.o.c.kpit of the airs.h.i.+p he had helped design. He started the engines, and said his goodbyes through the crest to Kael and his family. And then he zoomed away into the night with the dragon Shao Tie following besides him, and the voice of the woman who broke his heart trailing and eventually fading behind him.