Choices

Right, we are with Yassik, Darius, Valencia and Korith here... lets see if we can learn more about them.

I don't own YD.

Chapter 24: Heritage

"I hate this," Valencia complained as they looked around the archives of Salem's castle, they had snuck in following Terra and Vlad. "Using Terra and Vlad as a distraction to find out my heritage is sooo... wrong."

"Terra betrayed Vlad," Yassik reminded her putting an arm around her. "And Vlad is now stuck in this castle. They cannot help us now. We cannot trust them anymore. They will be married in two weeks, then a week later Vlad will transform... We have to stick our plan... if we are right; this could be the key to our victory."

"Terra's middle name is the name of the Greek goddess of victory," Darius added. "She has a reputation for always being the winner; we know that better than anyone. We cannot let her become Queen; this could usurp her from achieving that goal."

Valencia sighed. "I wish that we hadn't had to do this. Terra was like a sister to me."

"She's my cousin," Korith looked over his shoulder to Valencia. "I love her, but sometimes you have to go against family for the greater good."

Valencia faked a sigh. "Terra... Vlad... they aren't even vampires yet... we might be able to spare them."

"We plan on that," Darius said flying up to grab a scroll he could reach and then flew back to the floor. "But first..."

Darius went to the archive table opened the scroll and blew on it to get rid of the dust. "Fascinating..."

"Darius," Korith chimed. "We don't have time for a history lesson. Just tell us what the wretched thing says."

"So impatient," Darius muttered and Yassik gave him a dark look; Darius sighed and gestured to Valencia to come and look.

"This is the Salem family tree," Darius said. "He's related to various kings, princesses, emperors... but there is an issue with this."

Darius pointed at one of the brothers to one of Salem's descendants.

"Sethius..." Korith read, and put is elbow on the table, thinking. "I know that name."

"So do I," Darius said. "I read it somewhere; he has something to do with the Chosen One... But that's not the interesting bit."

"Then what is?" Valencia asked and Darius pointed to a family further down, a sister of one of the Grand High Vampire's direct ancestors... "She died... during the time of the Blood Slaying War." She muttered.

"And she was married with children, she was married to an ancestor of Ramanga's," Darius said nodding at the surname that had been added. "The children aren't put as dead, here, just assumed dead... as if they were some of the ones who disappeared."

"Your point?" Valencia said.

Darius went to the side and picked up a painting without a frame. "I found this..."

It was Valencia... or at least it looked like her... "Sophia Salem-Galore." She read. "You don't think..?"

"She looks exactly like you," Darius said. "You transformed without a reflection..."

"You think my reflection might be here?" Valencia said. "In the Salem blood mirror?"

"More than that," Darius said. "You're related to Terra and the Grand High Vampire... if I am right. That's no coincidence Valencia..."

"The Galore mirror was one of the last mirrors to be smashed," Korith remembered. "Sophia would have been linked to it through her marriage and died when it smashed... I'd forgotten that. I forgot the Galore's existed."

"My surname is Galore," Valencia stated what they all knew. "You think I am related to one of Sophia's sons?"

"You have to be." Yassik said. "You have her hair, her eyes, you have to be related or she's been resurrected in you."

Darius laughed. "I doubt that... it's more likely that part of Sophia exists in the Salem blood mirror or something, it triggered Valencia being a vampire and looking exactly like her."

"But why?" Valencia asked. "Why now?"

"Because of Salem," Korith said. "The prophecy says about the Chosen One coming when vampires and dying, they are doing so now... it also says about the Grand High Vampire dying. The mirror has likely done this intentionally, this way the Salems survive through two vampires."

"A defence mechanism," Yassik said. "Ensuring the bloodline carries on."

"There's only one flaw with that," Darius pointed out. "Both Valencia and Terra are girls, if both of them marry, they won't be tied to the mirror anymore; it will be obsolete."

"Maybe... one of us is meant to start a new line of Salems," Valencia suggested. "Say I have a boy and a girl at some point... one carries on the father's line and the other my line."

"That's a good idea," Korith agreed. "But it doesn't matter now, all that, matters is that we know the truth. We were right. You're an heir like Terra, a threat to Salem's reign... you might be able to usurp him and Terra."

"It's so nice to be outside again," Valencia said once they snuck out of the castle. "That place was a little spooky."

"It's supposed to be your home technically Valencia," Korith reminded her from in front of her, and fiddled with his bluey almost black leather jacket; he was walking in front with Darius leading the way away.

"Take it easy on her," Yassik told him, he had his arm around her waist leading her away from Salem's castle, following their friends. "This is a lot for her to take in... and it is for me too. Bats... what is my father going to say when he learns I am in love with a relation of the Grand High Vampire?! He'll either disinherit me or throw a party!"

Valencia laughed putting her head on his shoulder noticing how her red hair made a nice contrast with his black leather jacket. Rely on Yassik to cheer her up by going on about how he might end up in trouble for this.

"He likes Valencia," Darius reminded him. "He'll throw a party."

"Great..." Yassik muttered. They all laughed.

"Stage two done," Korith sang, going into one of his artistic modes. "We are the champion vampires... we are the vampires who win..."

"Shut up!" The rest yelled covering their ears.

I didn't do as much there as I expected. But I thought it would be good to see Valencia's history. We'll be with Ingrid next

Thank you for reading and please review!

C

xx