Dalk'tov de Monrozal
'Tch- I can't believe those fools were so easily defeated! There were supposed to be proud warriors, yet they fell so easily!'
My encounter with my grandfather was a disaster that I did not foresee. The man is old and feeble, and even Zokin is no match for time. However, they killed my warriors with ease, and now I was forced to retreat. I will grant those useless men one sentiment of praise. They allowed me to escape, and I am more important than any of them.
After retreating from the Elder's Halls, I returned to the fortified caves of the Bloodstone Citadel. There, the remaining forces that I gathered stood. We were two hundred fifty-six strong, more than enough to seize Azorth's throne by force if needed. Each warrior was dedicated to change, and with Nadivo's death, I found his followers ripe for mobilization. I stood atop the balcony of my citadel, and the horns of order erupted for my proclamation.
Lines of my trained men shifted into formation, with each man dutifully giving me, their true leader, their undivided attention. It was glorious. The banners of my previous house were torn down and replaced with new ones. Ones that were lost due to Azorth's tampering.
Torches line the wall, bouncing the light from the crystals of power that hang from the wall. Their glorious aquamarine hue blazes with their ambitious power. As I surveyed the sight, one sole thought filled my mind,
'This is it. I will claim what is mine!'
It has always been my birthright to lead our people to greatness, but Azorth was content to leech from the stories of the past. Everyone knows of his previous battle with the Great Beast centuries ago and how he was chosen to be our leader due to his actions and bravery. However, not many people know the truth of that encounter. It was not Azorth who battled the Great Beast, but Zokin!
That is what disgusts me the most about Azorth. He is a man who can't stand on his merit. If there was one positive about my dullard younger brother, it was his ability to uncover the truth. For well over a century, Azorth lied to our people that he was the one who fought the Great Beast to a standstill. Generations of our people were misguided and tainted with complacency due to his slothful inaction.
With this war against Azorth, I will unseat his inaction and place a proper ruler on the throne. The length horns ceased, and with it, I stepped forward to address my men,
"As many of you know, I bring news of failure. Much like Nadivo, I went to speak sense into Azorth inside Elder's Halls. As expected, Azorth can no longer see reason. He is dying, and yet, he is determined to drag all of us with him. He is not the hero that you once knew. It is a fact that Azorth is no hero at all!"
My words boomed across the citadel's grounds, igniting the flames to burst. I turned and faced my trusted advisor, Neleon, and opened my hand. Much like myself, Neleon is a man who could see the grim future of our people. His sharp expression was only matched by the sharp horn in the center of his forehead. He pulled his collar and stepped forward to address the crowd.
"As many of you may know, this is the noble Neleon de Phasma!"
The crowd below began whispering amongst themselves. That is what I wanted. Those who appeared reluctant to be here stiffened with admiration. Some of the men took their helmets off and placed them over their chests. Each of them was dying to hear the words of their current lord.
"Lord Dalk'tov speaks the truth. For years, Azorth has filled the heads of children with lies about his strength! He's deceived us all into believing that he was the most qualified amongst us. However, one day, Lord Nadivo came to me and delivered a chilling revelation! He said, and I quote, 'Look beyond what is in front of you, Neleon! Our hearts and minds beat for freedom, but freedom is not in the future of our people. I have come to realize that our oppressors are not solely on the surface. The Humans and Elves bore down on us, but it was Azorth, who continued our decline! He is an agent of our oppressors and has forgotten what it means to be a Primordial!' I did not believe him at first."
Neleon's face became sorrowful as he reflected on his next words. While his grief at the loss of my brother was felt by our men, I couldn't help but smirk with glee. It had been difficult to convince Neleon to join me in my ascension, but thanks to Azorth, I was finally able to achieve it. While talented, Neleon, unfortunately, was a bigger fool than my brother, as he believed in the nonsense he was spouting.
Azorth may have been complacent, but we were nowhere near the path of damnation that Nadivo predicted. Our people were not properly invested in, and they were too loose for proper control. You can thank Tharagos himself that I was born into the de Monrozal bloodline. Our people need structure and order, not freedom.
The problem that Nadivo was flawed with was simple. He chased ghosts of the past rather than offering a solution to a proper future. The heads of several of my soldiers nodded, and a few beat their shields in agreement to Neleon's speech. He spouted the same toxic garbage, but he wasn't half as good as Nadivo was at it. Neleon gestured with his arms, flailing with exaggeration as he rallied the men against Azorth.
"To each of you I ask, 'To what end?' If you continue to allow Azorth to remain unchecked, then we are doomed to fall behind the Vampires, Pixies, and Foul Beasts above! If you roll on your back for a coward, then how can any of us expect to reclaim our lost homeland?! We were not meant for the caves! We were not meant to bow and beg for scraps from a beast who imprisoned us! A beast that kills our bravest for daring to return to our true place under the stars!"
That was my cue to interject. I stepped forward, brushing past Neleon's impassioned speech. His green eyes brimmed with pride and ambition, and his gray skin reddened.
"We were meant to be rulers and not rats! Our ancestors would weep at how far we have fallen! It is embarrassing! So I ask each of you not 'To what end?', but 'What are you going to do about it?!' I know what I am going to do about it! We went to Azorth to talk, but he murdered our brothers in arms, and he murdered my younger brother! My father once said that the measure of a Primordial is not in his bloodline, but in his actions! Nadivo's action was to talk, and I followed! Never again! We will not talk to a mad coward any longer!"
I reached for my sword at my waist and unsheathed it. The blade gleamed in the firelight, and a thunderous cheer erupted from my warriors. My lips curled with pleasure, but I fought back my desire to smirk. I had to finish my task. Neleon unsheathed his blade, and he joined me in my action. Our blades met, forming an arch uniting our houses, and I continued with fervor,
"Henceforth, I cast aside our reliance on de Monrozal and the weakness that it represents! Today, we are each known as the Last Loyalists of Drakonheim! We will rebuild our lost legacy and build upon it to form a new one! Not one under the caverns where rat-faced beasts coexist, but an improved way of life under the stars!"
The army roared to life upon my declaration. Chants and calls for Azorth's death were music to my ears. I loved it; those words fed me. This is what true power looks like, and I didn't need to slaughter nineteen men to prove it. That smirk dared to creep up again, but I fought back again. My face drenched in sorrow, as I lowered my blade to my side.
I waited patiently for the army to contain itself, and sheathed my blade at my side. Neleon was confused, but he followed suit. It took ten minutes for the people to settle down, a length I will fix in time. The fact that they kept me waiting that long was disrespectful. However, I will graciously overlook it this time.
"Is there any action more justified than the one you are taking to restore the honor and power of your people? Is there any path one could take that would be considered unfathomable? I do not believe so! Any action taken to restore the prominence and resurgence of my people is an act of justice itself! Tharagos wills it! Panchis desires it! That is why..." I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. "I, Dalk'tov of Drakonheim, declare his independence!"
The silent crowd lulled for a moment as if they couldn't believe my audacity. To declare independence was a harrowing maneuver that I haven't mentioned to my advisors. Neleon's eyes flew wide as he considered the ramifications. Doubt lingered briefly as the silence dragged longer than I anticipated, but my bailout arrived soon.
"Tharagos wills Great King Dalk'tov! Panchis desires him!"
A single voice slashed through the silence. It boomed with energy, igniting others to continue to chant. The warriors of my clan cheered and stomped. They made bold declarations and pledged their allegiance. They cheered my name and stood at attention. Many unsheathed their swords and pointed them in the air. Each syllable uttered at that moment was to praise my name, my glorious name!
I couldn't fight back that smirk any longer. This was my moment, and I will use it to drag Azorth down and claim what was mine. I nodded towards Neleon, granting my permission to continue his desired speech.
He jumped at the opportunity, spewing that same rhetoric that he was prone to. However, this time I did not mind. His rhetoric was used for my benefit. Having heard enough, I moved to exit the balcony. The impassioned words of Neleon faded in the backdrop as I traveled further into the citadel.
'A splendid display. I will not fall short this time. My dream of sitting on that throne is near. I can taste it!'
The decor of the citadel was not to my taste, with the simplicity befitting a common Primordial. I am not a regular Primordial anymore, but a Great King now. I should be treated as one. As I waved to my servants, many of them greeted me with grateful smiles. My words had touched them, and I was appreciative. They look like they would fight for me, too.
I did them a favor and waved back. I ordered a maid to deliver a meal to the meeting room for me. The sweet thing smiled and obeyed the command. There was no malice, no distrust, just the subtle swaying of her hips as she walked off. That was a sight for a Great King.
'I may need to learn her name for the future.'
Upon reaching my destination, I gestured for the guards to open the door. They saluted and quickly obeyed. I also enjoyed the sight of that, but I would have to train them more. A Great King shouldn't have to issue such an obvious order. My presence should be enough.
I took a step toward the entrance when I gazed into the eyes of one of the guards. They were crimson and gleamed, but other than that, he was a dullard. One could see a person's intelligence in their eyes, and my intuition told me that he wasn't the brightest.
If he was willing to fight, then I suppose it only matters how well he swings his sword in my name. I nodded to him, and the man's eyes lit up in pride for my acknowledgment. As the doors closed behind me, I was greeted with the sight of one figure.
His frame was lean and sinuous, but perhaps a touch less refined than my own. The skin, a familiar pale with a subtle violet hue. His eyes, unmistakably crimson, held a similar piercing intensity to Azorth's, though perhaps lacking the ancient mirth I had just witnessed. Dark hair framed his sharp features. A hint of fangs showed through a smirk that promised a hunter's satisfaction.
His movements were fluid, predatory, leaving no doubt as to his nature. He wore dark, functional clothing, lacking the distinct ornamentation of royalty. However, it still carried itself with an air of lethal purpose with those subtle crimson or silver accents. A dangerous creature, certainly, but one that shared the blood that ran through his unique clan.
That man who stood in front of me was unequivocally a vampire. He was a confident one at that. He leered at me briefly before cracking a poisonous smile.
"Drakonheim, huh?" He asked, chuckling darkly. "I knew you were ambitious, but to declare that you are Drakonheim is taboo even for us."
"Vampires have taboos? My people have no restrictions, Lysander."
Lysander was the name of this vampire, and he smiled at its mention. He flipped his bangs and stepped toward, then suddenly vanished into mist. When he reappeared, he was lying atop the table as if it were a bed.
"I would hope so. My legion has dedicated twenty to your cause, and we hope you make good on our investment," Lysander said after yawning.
"Only twenty?" I asked. Lysander raised a single finger in response.
"Well, twenty-one, including myself. If you manage to take your throne, my father is prepared to join your court. He shakes in Azorth's presence, but I will not."
"Azorth isn't the issue. It is Zokin and his men," I replied.
"Zokin is Azorth's strength, I already know that. Which is why I have made preparations for our mutual friend to deal with him. He will send him beyond the threshold into sealed territory with the Great Beast. The Rat King will bury him for us," Lysander explained.
'The Rat King?! That pathetic excuse of a king is his best option?! These cursed vampires are incompetent!'
"You plan to rely on the Foul Beasts above? Zokin has slain them once. What makes you think he won't cut his way back here?!" I snapped, and Lysander sat up. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"He won't. Trust me when I say this. Our God has warned us of the great upheaval that will occur in the Great Beast's absence. If you wish to grab the reins, then I suggest locking down this cave until our task is complete."
"You want me to hide? My men seek blood, not more cowardice," I reminded him, but he shrugged.
"Your men should follow their Great King's instruction. I am not the one who needs to convince them. I only need to complete my task to ensure your ascension," Lysander explained. He faded into mist again, before appearing in a chair.
He propped his feet onto the wooden table and stared at me intently. Scratching my head, I attempted to see what benefit I could have from continuing on this path. These Vampires aren't ideal, but as long as they flash their fangs for my cause, then I will allow them their plans.
"You may proceed with your plan then, and inform your father that I look forward to your house joining my court. Together we will rebuild Drakonheim anew."
Lysander yawned before fading again, but this time appearing beside me. He leaned against my shoulder and flashed an immodest smile. It disturbed me, but I played along with one of my own. Anything to keep these damned beasts on my side. His lips drew close to my ear, sending a chill down my spine,
"We will. Your Elder was a fool when he snapped your brother's neck. Little did he know that doing so would create a spark. A spark that would ignite the fire that would consume him, and out of the ashes of Azorth and Zokin would be... Dalk'tov, the first Great King of Drakonheim."
The first Great King of Drakonheim has a ring to it, one that I enjoyed thoroughly. If Nadivo were still alive, I would have thanked him. However, it was thanks to his sacrifice that our people would get the leader that they deserved. As Lysander faded, a smile appeared on his lips. A smile that was poisonous and bloodstained.
'One shouldn't trust venomous vampires or foul beasts, but I suppose I should do anything to gain power for my people. Yes... power for my people.'