17: Capital Vallath Imperial State

Azarian woke up the following morning in his hard bed. His finger tips were drenched in blood and so was everything he was wearing. His yearning bloodlust had been satisfied.

He got out of bed and walked into the washroom. He stared into the mirror and his appearance told the story. His bloodshot eyes, his blood drenched shirt that was white merely hours before his meal but what was frightening the most was his mouth. His fang had popped out like a dragon in a sheep field.

Azarian stared at himself for a moment that felt like a lifetime. He could see the monster he was always meant to be, no matter how hard he tried to hide from it, this monster was what he always was and all he would ever be.

He stuck his fingers in his mouth. He clinched onto his fangs and pulled onto both of them. He pulled and pulled, the pain was getting the better of him. His gums began to drip his cold blood onto his fingers.

"Damn it!", he screamed in agonising pain.

He let go of his fangs and took a good look in the mirror. He saw it again, the monster he was. He held onto his fangs once more and pulled with all his unholy strength. His sharp fangs popped out of his gums and blood poured out of his gums.

He was unphased by the bleeding, he had gotten used to pain over the many years of defanging himself but he never got used to the mental scaring it left. The bleeding slowly stopped and his gums healed.

Humphrey stared at him with eyes doing the talking. Azarian saw the sympathy in his pearly eyes.

"I know.", Azarian said, "It is not easy to look at it but we all have demons to fight. Sometimes you are the demon you fight."

Humphrey nodded his head but his eyes still had that damned sympathy.

"There's no time to feel sorry for me.", Azarian walked out of the washroom and into the living space of the apartment. The room was a mess, clothes everywhere, blood stains on the white walls and the hard wooden floor.

"Let's not lose sight why we came here.", he sat on the bed, "We need to go down to the imperial office again. I know it was a dead end last time but that's the only dead im willing to jump over at this point."

Humphrey nodded.

"So you agree with me.", he stood up and walked up to the door, "I'm glad we are on the same page but I have to leave you out on this one buddy."

Humphrey shook his head and his eyes lit up. He was fuming, Azarian could see he was disgruntled. He threw a tantrum and kept on stomping.

"Its just that you are causing me unnecessary attention and I don't want that.", Azarian said, "We don't need that at the moment. I will be back. I promise."

Humphrey cooled down and stood still. He was as calm as he could possibly be. He nodded his head.

"Good.", Azarian opened the door and walked out the room and made his way to the imperial office.

The walk wasn't far but his memories of the night before played in his mind for what seemed to be an eternity. The bloodlust rush he felt was ecstatic but yet terrifying and hard to tame. The feeling triggered more than just ecstasy but trauma of a day he strived everyday to forget for two years.

He reached the Imperial Office and there was a crowd of people surrounding the office. It was complete madness. Everyone was screaming at the top of the voices, Azarian could barely get a word anyone was saying. He went into the sea of people and was jammed inbetween the masses.

He kept on bumping shoulder with everyone with every move he made. It was suffocating and ear deafening but he found himself at the doorstep of the office.

He reached for the door and then suddenly, an enormous hand blocked nearly half of the door. He looked to his right and to his surprise was a man-giant in standard imperial uniform. Man-giants, a rarity in Vallath, a cross breed of a man and giant. This one was no different than the rest of them, an enormous figure and tall structure but never easy on the eyes.

"Where are you going boy?", the man-giant asked, "No one is allowed inside."

"I've come to see the captain."

"He isn't taking any visitors now buzzoff.", he pushed Azarian and he went staggering into the crowd. Azarian was pushed back and he went up to the man-giant.

"Please let me see him. It's important."

"I said..... buzz off!"

The man giant had enough of Azarian. His ugly face had turned red and he was ready to pounce on him then suddenly the door opened. It was one of the other officers, she was easy on the eyes, nice dark black long hair, at shoulder length, and beautiful blue eyes.

"What's going on here?", she asked.

Her soft and calming gentle voice eased the man-giant as soon as she spoke.

"Uhm Lady Zelda.", he said, "Don't you worry I have this under control. This one is just causing a lot of unnecessary problems nothing you should deal with. I have this."

She turned her attention to Azarian and they locked eyes. It was like time paused for a moment.

"Sir.", she said, "What do you want here? We have a bit of a crisis on our hands at the moment."

"I have a bit of a crisis of my own and I need to speak to the captain."

"I believe my colleague has expressed to you the information, rather violently I may add.", she looked at the man giant, he blushed and turned away. "That the captain isn't available at the moment."

"Is there anyone else I could talk to?" Azarian said, "A deputy captain?, An enforcer or even a dog I don't care at this point. I just need someone anyone who can help me."

"You are the persistent type huh.", she said, "I respect that. Come with me."

She opened the door and let him in the imperial office. They walked around the large halls but yet small halls of the office stuffed with imperial officers and enforcers. They all had a war face on, a face that Azarian could recognise anywhere and any day. There were armed with all sorts of weapons magical and man made alike.

Lady Zelda opened her office door and took a seat behind her desk. "Please take a seat.", she said, "I didn't get your name by the way."

Azarian took a seat in a chair in the corner of the room. "My name is Azarian ma'am."

"Azarian?", she was perplexed, "That isn't a Vallathian name. Are you from the colonies?"

"Yes.", he replied.

"I'm sorry to drift astray. Why are you here Azarian?"

"My nephew has gone missing, he was kidnapped or at least I think he was. It was a few weeks ago and I've been searching for him and I can't find him."

"Is this your first time reaching out to the imperial office?", she asked.

"I've tried and nothing.", Azarian said, "I honestly don't even know why I'm here again. I guess I'm desperate."

"And your nephew,", she said, "What was he? A human like yourself or something else?"

"He was a mage. ", Azarian said, "A really good one for his age."

Lady Zelda was silent. She stood up and walked to the door. She peeped into the hallway and rushed back in her office. She slammed the door shut and locked it. She went to her office desk and opened a drawer. She handed Azarian a white envelope with nothing written on it.

"What is this?", he asked.

"I can't say much because if I do neither of us will live but read what's in the envelope when you are alone."

"This doesn't make sense but I-"

"Take it and leave.", she said, "Your first step in the right direction starts now!"

Azarian left her office and as he was about to leave the imperial office while he had his hand on the door, he heard a band of enforcers right at the doorstep facing the masses. They loaded their sun weapons and held open fire at everyone in the crowd. They were screaming for their lives, the sound of pure sun energy penetrating their skin and breaking their bones was hard to hear. Blood splattered all over the door. The screaming went on for minutes and it got harder to listen the longer it went on.

The screaming suddenly stopped and so did the shooting. Azarian heard the enforcers march away. He held onto the door knob quivering. He opened the door and there was nothing but dead bodies as far as the eyes could see. He walked through the valley of dead bodies. He couldn't help wonder what was going on.