The Last Vampire: A War of Worlds

26: The Emperors Tower, The Capital.

The stairs seemed endless, Alora's heart was racing. She hadn't been this scared since the invasion of Sarania. A time where her entire world of royalty and luxury came crashing down before her eyes. Everything she had known was burnt to ash and the ashes were now the foundation of something she is trying to fight against. She remembered the way her father was mercilessly killed in front of the people he dedicated his life to. She knew this fate awaited her at the end of the staircase.

They reached the end of the staircase and there were in a giant hall with walls of grey Mable and portraits of the Vallath's many victories over the fallen nations of the Western continent. One portrait was bigger than the rest, it took up nearly the entire wall. There was a massive battle field with dead soldiers everywhere. They were brutally killed and had their corpses cut in half. At the heart of the portrait was the emperor in full metal body armour in all his glory standing tall over a fallen Sarania.

In the hall, there was a long dinner table that nearly stretched out to the other end of the wall. The dinning table had a white table cloth and a boutique of wilting flowers in the centre. The enforcer walked over to the table and pulled out a chair.

"I take a seat?", Alora asked.

The enforcer nodded his head in agreement. Alora sat in the chair and the enforcer walked off into the shadows. She stared at the battle for Sarania portrait. She couldn't help notice the gory sight of her fallen brethren. She sat patiently waiting for something to happen or even someone to walk into and spare her the slow suffering. A man walked into the hall with a glass of cold water on a tray. He put the glass on the table. Alora and the man made eye contact and she could see the distress in his eyes. The man ran off and Alora was left alone again. She got lost in the water before her eyes. A lot of things ran before her mind, 'What if it is poison?, what if it this is one of Jade's tricks?, why the mind games?'

She stared at the glass before her for minutes on ends. Then suddenly she heard the door open behind her. She turned around to see who it was and it was Jade. She had changed the red cloth she wore over eyes to a white one. She wore a white long sleeved dress. She embodied the fullest form of purity. Alora couldn't help but stare as she walked into the room. Jade walked graceful to the table and using nothing but a swivel of a finger, pulled out her chair next to the chair at the head of the table.

"Why I'm I here?", Alora asked.

Jade turned her head to Alora. "Shut up!", she shouted viciously. Alora was stunned, she had never seen her this unhinged. "My father is about to grace you with his presence. So please do not try me or I will have you eaten by the dragon."

Dragons. A rarest of species on earth realm. Sarania had two red dragons before the invasion. One male and female, huge majestic beasts they were and for a hundred years the two dragons had been on Saranian soil. Then when the invasion happened, they were seperated from each other and take far away from their home. Alora knew that had to be one of them.

"So when Is your father going to grace me with his presence.", she said with a hint of attitude in her tone, "I've been waiting for a while now and just end me now if that's what I've been here to do."

Emperor Sebastian stormed into the hall. Alora had never met him face to face,not a lot of people had. She always imagined what he looked in person, a man who emulated darkness. When she saw him March in that room, he surpassed her expectations. He was a tall muscular man with dark eyes that stared right through a person's soul. His black hair ran all the way down to his shoulders and on his face sat a long full beard. He pulled the chair at the head of table and sat. There was a chilling silence in the hall. Alora turned her head at Jade and she had her head down. She looked at Jade's arm and it was shaking in fear.

"Hello father.", her voice was cracking.

He looked at her in disgust. He reached out his hand and grabbed her by her chin. He lifted her head up with the tip of his thumb. "Jade.", he said, "Before I deal with the guest I requested for, you know the rules."

He let go of her and she paused. She put her hands at the back of her head. She held onto the cloth and froze. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Alora had never seen Jade like this.

"I said do it!", he shouted.

She unknotted the cloth and it fell onto the table. Alora was stunned to see what was beneath the fabric. She had no eyes and the her eye lids were gone too.

"Good girl.", he said with a cynical smile across his face, "Now leave us! You've done your part."

Jade got up and left the room. Emperor Sebastian and Alora had their eyes locked on one another. "I believe let's get straight to the point.", he said, " Ever heard about the Three Keys of Legend?"

"My father told me about it once but that was a long time ago he didn't say much about it."

Sebastian chuckled underneath his breathe, "Well my friend a long time ago a powerful mage closed the boarders between our realm of existence and another of great power. The seal required three keys to perform successfully. The Vampires tried to open the gate once more in an effort to seek the ultimate power but everyone turned against them and made sure not even one vampire remained."

"So you want to use this ultimate power for yourself huh?", Alora asked.

"I'm doing this for everyone beyond those gates there is the secret to immorality. Imagine a world with no sickness and death. That's what I want to achieve for everyone."

"How sure are you this power even exists?", she asked.

"Ive seen it with my very own eyes. It called to me.", he said, "I know one of the keys were left to be entrusted with the Saranians. So let me make you this deal."

"What deal?", Alora was intrigued.

"Help me find the key and I will give your nation back."

Alora paused and the realisation of all the two years of hard work could finally come to an end. She looked into the Emperor's eyes and they seemed trusting. The Emperor reached out his hand.

"You have my word.", he said, "I will free all of Sarania from Vallath control if you help me find the key and rid the world of real evil."

Alora shook his hand, "I will help you find your key but I also want our dragons back."

"You have yourself a deal partner.", he said with a charming smile on his face, "It's a shame stupid daughter told you about the dragons but anyway I will give you."