The Last Vampire: A War of Worlds

9. The Capital, Vallath Imperial State

"Come on my boy.", his father said, "It's the night." 

Azarian got out of bed, he grabbed his favourite warm winter coat on the rack. His father lit a lamp and they left the cottage. It was cold that night, like most nights during that winter. The snow fell underneath the sky full of stars and the glimmering moon. 

The cottage was in the middle of the forest away fifteen miles away from Sarania. The forest itself wasn't to pleasant, every night ever since he was born Azarian heard a rumbling growl. It scared him everytime. 

Azarian and his father walked into the forest. He heard the growling beast from the far distance. He was shaken and was on heels. His father looked down on him and saw the terror written all over his face. 

"Give me your hand.", he said. 

Azarian reached out his hand and his father placed it in his. His hand was small and soft, not a wound on it, it was innocent. 

"Where are we going papa?", Azarian asked underneath his breathe.

"I haven't been honest with you.", he said, "So there's something I need you to see." 

Azarian put his head down. They walked in the forest for hours. The snow covered their feet and a chilling fog covered the entire forest. The howling beast cry was getting louder everytime they heard it. 

"Papa I'm scared." 

His father didn't say a word and continued walking. 

"Papa I want to go back home."

"We are almost there.", he said, "Nothing can hurt you while I'm here." 

They continued their walk up the forest. Azarian could feel the harsh cold through his furry coat. They came across a snowy hill that was as twice as tall as his father. 

His father treaded back and leaped at the hill. He caught the edge of the hill and pulled himself up. 

"Papa!", Azarian screamed, "Papa!". 

"Come on climb up.", he said. He laid down on the snow and reached out his hand. 

Azarian took a few steps back and took a deep breathe. He ran as fast his little legs could take him and leaped for his hand. Azarian's father pulled him up effortlessly. 

The hill was vast and filled with decaying trees. They walked through the dying forest and stumbled upon a mammoth crater. It was steep and the sides had been covered by the long winter snow.  

"We are here.", he said

He picked up Azarian and laid him In his arms. He slid down the snowy crater. He put Azarian down and there it was the beast that had been howling for years, a dragon. 

Not just any ordinary dragon, the rare Ebony Dragon. It's hardened scaly dark midnight black skin that matched the night's sky. A menacing long tail with venomous spikes at the edge. Long and wide majestic wings and eyes of the match the stars. A beautiful but majestic beast it was. 

Azarian hid behind his father shaking in his boots. He tugged onto his father's coat and laid his head on his back. 

"Don't be scared my boy.", he said, "She won't bite. Go ahead touch her." 

Azarian let go of him and walked up to the dragon with his hand. The dragon laid down her head. He put his hand against her head. Her tail wiggled and snow went flying into the air. 

"She likes you.", he said, "Her family and my family have been intertwined for thousands of years. Both at their apex of their realities." 

"What's her name?" 

"Hellstorm.", he said, "We were shot down here ten years ago and she got hurt real bad. Wing was nearly completely torn off but luckily I met your mother and she helped with the healing process. Then a year later we had you." 

"Mama must have been something huh wish I got to meet her.", he let go of the dragon, "Will Hellstorm fly again?" 

"I hope so.", he said, "Dragons have hard skin and naturally it would take years or even decades before she could fly again." 

"Why are you showing me this papa?"

"Because one day you will need each other because the vampire and the ebony dragon are always and forever intertwined. Even when lost you will always find each other.", he unbuttoned his coat and took off the ebony dragon necklace. He placed it in Azarian's hand.

"Put it on.", he said.

Azarian put the necklace around his neck. It draped all the way down to his chest. It was way too big for him and just hanging on his neck. The necklace shrunk to his size and fit like a glove. 

"Other Kings wear crowns and hold septures.", he said, "This symbolises everything we are as a people. I don't know what's going to happen over the past few days to me but papa has to go away and you might not see me for a while but I promise you I will come back."

"Where are you going papa?", Azarian said softly, "Are you leaving me?"

"No no no", he assured Azarian, "They are bad people trying to take away my home and I need to go back to protect my home." 

"Take me with you papa. I can fight too."

"You aren't ready." 

"But I am ready."

His father swept him off his feet and pinned him against the ground. He growled in his face fangs out and all. Azarian was petrified and went into shock. 

Azarian woke up from his slumber. The sun was on the verge of rising and Humphrey was sleeping. The Capital was hours away. He got up from the grass he had spent the night on and picked up Humphrey. 

He had been walking for hours and finally saw the Capital from the distant. It was bigger than anything he had ever seen, there were buildings as far as the eye could see. It seemed endless. He could see the Emperor's Villa that sat up on a hill isolated from the rest of the beautiful city. 

He put Humphrey on the ground and placed his bag at his feet. He scaffold around it. He removed the Hope poster, it had shriveled up over the long journey. He stretched it open and memorised the address. 

Humphrey woke up and tried to remove the plate again. He pulled and pulled but it was screwed on tight. 

"We are here my furry friend.", Azarian said, "It's a big place to search but we will find him. We just have to."