"Defeat him, or you are no son of mine," Giesbach boomed from atop his throne. Watching Carla and Shin spar; dissatisfied with Shin's performance.
"But Father, he is so much stronger than I am!" Shin's voice quivered, knowing that his father was a hard to please man. It was near impossible for him to win against his older brother, Carla; his chin starting to crumple as he grew more frustrated at the situation.
Knowing that Shin sought approval from their father, Carla walked a closer distance to Shin, "I will play along. Throw one at me like you mean it."
"But brother, you can't. He will know," Shin whispered back.
"He won't, I promise!" Carla clarified. Nodding his head at Shin while taking a few steps back.
Shin mustered up his strength and sent a large burst of energy from atop the right side his head towards Carla. The spell was gaining momentum as it neared Carla. Within his hands summoning a small barrier spell to prevent damage to his body but allowing the force to knock him back. Carla now laid on the floor with Shin standing over him. Shin offered out his hand to help Carla up.
"Weakling," Giesbach blurt forward in disgust.
"Father, he won!" Carla stated.
"He will have to do better than that if he ever hopes to take the throne. My throne! Only a true founder can take my place! Come now Carla; I have something I want to show you!" Giesbach beamed with excitement, beckoning his first born up the stairs. Ignoring the effort of Shin and refusing to acknowledge his victory.
Giesbach was a tall but muscular man. He always seemed to have the effect of looming over everyone, even when they were standing near him; as often Krone did. Ruby eyes and rust colored hair pulled into a half ponytail while the remainder of his hair fell over his toned shoulders. Small braids ran the gambit of his hair, some in front and some weaved into the back of his hair. Multiple loops adorned each ear and wore a ring on nearly every finger. In an effort to remind everyone that he was the King and dominion of all; he always wore his family signet attached to his right shoulder. The material pinned under it a decorated sash to show his lineage but also importance to the other races.
Carla never saw his father in anything less than always formally dressed.
"So tell me, how have your studies been coming along?" Giesbach asked of Carla.
"They are going well," Carla replied.
"Eherm," Giesbach cleared his throat.
"They are going well, my King," Carla quickly corrected himself.
"That's my boy," Giesbach smiled brightly at Carla. Reaching up and patting Carla's childish shoulder several times before turning to a chest he had held near his throne. The weight alone of his fathers' hand was enough to make him tense up as the pain from the impact registered.
Carla reached up with his right hand and massaged the tender spot that was now his left shoulder. Knowing better than to complain, Carla watched on in wonder as his father opened the chest. Carla kept his commentary to himself while Giesbachs' hand came out of the chest but held something tightly in his hand; locked the chest up with his other hand before turning back to Carla. Opening his hand up to show Carla what he had, "Do you know what these are?"
Pausing briefly to observe the four items in his hand before him before speaking, "They are smaller versions of what you wear, my King."
"That's correct," Giesbach chuckled, admiring the wit of Carla. "Do you know what they represent?"
Quietly thinking to himself again to come up with a proper guess, "It's our family?"
"Correct again!"
"This one is you," Giesbach pointed to a smaller one that was the third smallest that he held in his hand. Pointing to the largest one in his collection, "This is me, and this one is your mother," as his movements shifted to one that was slightly smaller than the largest piece.
"Is this one brother?" Carla pointed to the smallest item.
"Yes, however, if I had my choice it would just be three," Giesbach muttered.
"Why is it not your choice?" Carla inquired, genuinely curious as to why it had to be four.
"A decree that was made for our race a long time ago that we always abide by. It is our duty to continue the founding race. Therefore, there always has to be minimally two children to succeed the parents," Giesbach explained dutifully. "So that means when you finally marry, you will have to have at least two children."
"What if I don't want any? What if my Queen doesn't want any?" Carla asked, somewhat disgusted by the possible proposition he would have to touch a girl at some point. Carla scrunched his face up at his father suggesting such a thing to him.
"I don't care; do you understand me? It is your job and duty as the next heir to the throne! You will take her by force if you have to!" Giesbach raised his voice, loud enough that the walls of the room began shaking as his fury became voiced. Irritated slightly by his sons' line of questioning, Giesbach took his hand to Carla's and dropped the ornaments into his tiny grip.
"Do what you will with the fourth one, I don't care if you wear it or not," Giesbach uttered in a disgusted voice. Motioning Carla to leave his side with a flick of his wrist. Carla clasped all four items in his hand and bowed to his King before removing his presence from the room.
Leaving the throne room, he began heading towards the hallway to visit his mother. Slipping the items into his pocket and taking out his gloves that he had tucked away. His mother, Krone, had been unwell for a length of time and didn't seem to be getting any better. Finally working on the last bit of his glove before placing his hand on the handle to her room and wiggling it open. He could hear the faint wheezing of her lungs as he made his entrance. Her coughs projected into a nearby piece of fabric that she held to her mouth. No longer embroidered with designs or fancy needlework, but instead ripped bits of cloth that the maids had worked up for her in a hurry.
Another servant stood nearby taking the cloths that had been soaked with Krone's blood and burning them into a nearby open fireplace. Ensuring that the fire ran plenty hot to burn through completely. Each of them wore masks that covered their nose and their mouths to prevent further contamination.
"There is our handsome prince," Krone weakly muttered, coughing several times into her current napkin before taking a deep breath to gasp a new segment of air. Reaching out with her free hand and tapping a nearby open portion of the bedspread, telling Carla to come closer.
As Carla stepped closer, he took a nearby fresh towel and wrapped it around his neck to cover his nose and mouth. Cautiously stepping near his mother's bed to spend some time with her.
"So did he give them to you?" Krone smiled from behind her blood soaked cloth that she held to her mouth.
Reaching into his pocket and pulling them out with his white gloved hand to show her.
"So he did, it appears he intends to go through with it after all. This disease must really have him scared," Krone asserted to Carla of Giesbach's concern over the spreading of the Endzeit.
"What does it mean, though?" Carla asked worried but still confused on why his father giving him the adornments was a special occasion.
"Don't you see? He's anointing you as the new ruler of our race in the event he can no longer fulfill his duties. You are our crowned Prince!" Krone explained, wheezing as she finished the last bit of the sentence before going into another uncontrollable coughing fit.
"Mother!" Carla stepped forward to grab his mother's hand before he was whisked away by one of the servants, "You can't be too careful! Especially on the night of your coronation. Now run along!" A servant spoke. The servant pushing Carla out of his mother's room and locking the door behind him. Contemplating her words, it was happening tonight. Carla knew his father would be displeased if he wasn't dressed properly, therefore began to head to his room.
"Carla! CARLA!" Shin yelled excitedly from a nearby room as Carla passed by it.
Carla poked his head around the frame of the door to see Shin in front of a mirror with a huge smile on his face. Carla turned his gaze up to see Menae crouched over Shin trying to straighten his outfit, "Hold still!" Menae giggled while trying to tuck Shin's shirt into his dress pants.
"See brother! I get to dress super fancy too!" Shin's tail is continuing to wag in tiny bursts of speed behind his body while Menae tried to grab hold of it with her left hand and center Shin's body with her right hand. Shin nearly bouncing up and down with excitement as Menae continued to try and dress him.
Carla smiled at the sight, deciding that despite his father's protest, he wanted Shin to be a part of his coronation. Walking up to him while giving him a smile, "I have a present for you."
"For me? What is it? WHAT IS IT!" Breaking free of Menae's grip while an exasperated sigh leaves her lips at her defeat. Carla opening his palm enough for him to pluck the smaller pendant out of his hand and moving his fingertips over to the collar of Shin's shirt. Reaching his fingers under the collar and firmly putting the backing on it before removing his fingers.
Shin turned around with such speed that Carla didn't even see him move. The bustle of Shin's tail moving back and forth so fast that it held its own movement of wind.
"It's just like fathers! But smaller! Thank you, Nii-san!" Shin exclaimed, beaming with the biggest smile Carla had ever seen.
Sighing and chuckling behind her grin, "You two. Are you just not the cutest things ever? I just want to gobble you up!" Menae teased, chasing both Carla and Shin around with her arms and hands above her head growling. Catching Shin in her left arm and Carla in her right. Growling into both of their ears while kissing each of their cheeks.
"Run along future Prince, I will get Mr. wiggle worm here dressed for your coronation," Menae jested with Shin, squeezing him tightly in a firm hug and kissing his cheek again.
"Heeeeeey! I'm not a wiggle worm!" Shin pouted at Menae, knowing it would get him more attention.
"Oh, you're not huh?" Menae quirked her eyebrow and began furiously tickling Shin's sides to prove her point. Giggling at Shin who was now on the floor squirming around.
Carla took a last look at Shin and Menae's smiling faces before disembarking to his room. Finally arriving, several servants were ready for him to begin dressing. Setting the remaining three pendants on a nearby table, he was quickly whisked from one room to another for bathing, dressing, and finally grooming. The servants had all but finished as Carla remembered he still needed to add the last touch. Pinning the three remaining adornments on a nearby sash that ran over his body, a smaller and less ornate version of the one his father wore. Satisfied with his attire, Carla proceeded to meander his way back to the throne room.
As he drew closer to the coronation, the crowd of people seemed to get louder. Individuals from all clans would be present – specifically at the King's request. As Carla entered the chamber, he was surprised to see his mother, Krone, in full dress and standing at Giesbach's side. Her sister, Menae, was also in full dress attire and standing firmly next to Krone. Menae's daughter, Cordelia, was busy attending a last minute courtship by a possible suitor, only Burai knew who it was. Shin stood with a firm smile in front of Menae, who had been nudging him to stand closer to his mother, Krone. Carla smiled to himself as he knew his father wouldn't tolerate the disrespect; Carla quickly walking up to in front of his mother and grabbing Shin by the hand and yanking him over to proper positioning.
"Aww," Shin pouted at Carla.
"Don't, not here, or else father will…" Carla was interrupted.
"Stand forward, chin up, shoulders back," Krone instructed Carla, gently nudging his back and shoulders into place as he stood in front of her. Shin taking note of how Carla was standing and doing his best to mimic it. Menae couldn't help but smile at Shin's behavior, her gaze turning to her sisters and winking at her to denote the adoration she had for the boys. Krone cracked a small smile but quickly returned to her formal features to face forward as Giesbach continued to talk. Doing her best to present herself in a regal manner despite being ravaged by the Endzeit just beneath.
"Tonight we honor, not only our next King but also the most powerful founder we have ever seen to grace our lineage!"
Carla stepping forward lightly at first, unsure if his father meant him, only to feel a firmer shove from behind his back as Krone pushed her son forward, "he means you. Go! Go-go!" Shuffling his body forward with his legs, finally arriving next to his father after what seemed like the longest walk across the stage. Giesbach placed his hand on Carla, "Our Prince!"
The mass of people broke in a roar of whistles, cheering, and shouting at the announcement. Carla was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in front of him. Just as he thought his task was finished, Giesbach had lowered a crown on top of Carla's head that hardly fit. Sliding a bit off of his head, Carla held it up with his left hand while continuing to maintain his smile to the crowd.
"He will grow into it," Giesbach jested. Causing a light laugh to come from the chorus of individuals before him. Motioning for Carla to leave the stage and return to his mother. "Now, the real reason I called you all here," Giesbach's voice grew deep and serious in the matter of a split second. The crowd had become completely silent as their attention was purely focused on their King.
"Our race… it's magnificent, beautiful, and glorious. We've spanned countless millennia as the creators of all other demons. We are the birth of everything around us… and yet…" His voice faltered. A sliver of trembling as he spoke his words.
Krone had paused in her movements of caressing the top of Carla's hair around his new burden with her gloved hand to quickly covering her mouth and leaning over to her sister Menae to whisper something. Shin's smile quickly turning to that of confusion and curiosity, Menae firmly taking him by the hand and dragging him off the stage. Krone similarly taking Carla and walking quickly towards the exit. Nearly there, throwing Carla's hand to Menae as her name had been called by her husband.
"Yet… my wife, Krone, Queen of all that she can see… is anything but magnificent, beautiful, and glorious," Giesbach spoke in disgust, glaring in the direction of her presence.
Krone had begun taking her place again alongside the throne of her husband, wondering why he had resorted to this. Contemplating his behavior over the last several weeks as she continued to grow more and more ill. Frustrated that she wasn't getting better, Giesbach had all but stopped visiting her; only Carla continued to visit.
"Please, don't…" Krone pleaded with Giesbach.
"Silence your filthy mouth!" Giesbach yelled at her, the ceiling letting forth small pebbles causing the crowd to tremble.
Carla had wiggled his hand free of Menae's grip and ran back to the curtain nearest to the throne room where his mother remained. Watching closely behind it at the scene unfold. Shin had gone with Menae to wherever she was headed. Gripping the curtain tightly as he watched his father belittle his mother before his very eyes.
"We must show them that we are the superior race! We must purge this filth from our sight!" As Giesbach finished his sentence, his hand went to his hip and pulled his claymore from the sheath. Walking over to his wife who was begging for mercy before her King, Giesbach reached out to grab a handful of her hair. A quick grunt escaped her lips at the pain she could still feel on her scalp. Her hair slowly falling out as Giesbach continued to hold her hair firmly in his hands. Krone couldn't speak for long before she began to cough up blood into her hands. Slightly elevated beyond resting on her knees, the pain keeping her upright. Krone's body continued to collapse as it lost its strength from the Endzeit.
"This is how you can tell if they are no longer one of us," Giesbach demonstrated to the mass. Pulling a large chunk of Krone's hair and slowly moving it between his fingers to show how easily it came off of her. "Their skin also shows signs of the disease…" Reaching down and ripping Krone's dress off of her frail form. Reaching down again and ripping at her undergarments until she was completely bare.
Krone fell the rest of the way to her legs, wrapping her arms around her body while starting to cry at the way she was being treated. Her arms shivering over her black veined breasts and diseased skin, closing her legs to conceal herself to avoid further embarrassment at the fact her groin had lost any protection it once had. Her body beginning to shiver as the cold air hit her skin, her eyes turning up towards her husband as she wondered what had caused him to do this. He was no longer her husband, the man she loved, or the person she pledged eternal embrace to; he had become something else entirely.
"Be purged from this world, creature of filth!" Giesbach declared a final time, raising his claymore up high and bringing it down to end Krone's life.
"STOP!" Carla screamed, a boyish rasp escaping in the undertones of his voice. Tears streaming down his face, his arms open wide and his body standing in between Giesbach and Krone. "Don't kill her! We love her!" Carla attempted to remind his father, "We love her! Don't do it!"
"Who could love something as pitiful and weak as that," Giesbach spat while looking down upon his wife.
Krone continued to weep on the floor, her right hand coming up to the back of Carla's shirt and tugging on it as a means to try and steady herself. Her tears had stained her dark skin intermittently where her skin remained intact. Carla doing his best to not stare at his mother, but instead taking off his jacket to give it to her even though it would be of little use given his small stature.
Giesbach annoyed with the display between mother and son, pushed Carla out of the way; his oversized crown tumbling off his head and sputtering across the floor until it hit the back of the room. Giesbach picked up Krone with his bare hand and held her up off the floor as she gasped and choked for air. Blood spurting from her lips as her naked black veined stained body was now in clear view for everyone to see. The crowd falling completely silent as they gazed upon their Queen. As she gasped for the last breaths of air, Giesbach spit in her face and dropped her to the floor. "Not even fit to be my Queen," he said coldly before slapping her across the face so hard that it sent her tumbling backward.
Carla quickly picking himself up and running to his mother, trying to help her up but only able to place his jacket under her body so he could slide her along the floor and off the throne area. Yanking on the nearby curtain to get it off of the rings and wrapping it around her body to warm her up. Finally pulling her back into her room, the maids rushed to her side to help her into her bed.
"It's no use, it's too late for me," Krone coughed into the blankets that Carla was quickly trying to pull up over her bed.
"Leave us!" Carla yelled. The maids jumping at the sound of his distressed voice, quickly leaving the room.
"No, it's okay! It will be okay; it will be okay… I promise mother it will be okay!" Carla sobbed while frantically looking around the room for something to help her. His face growing with concern as his mother's breaths became even more erratic.
Smiling at Carla's efforts, moving her hand under a thin sheet and pulling it up to Carla's face to attempt to give him affection without spreading the Endzeit. "Bring me that box over there, will you my darling?"
Carla's tears wouldn't stop. He did as instructed and ran over to the box, picked it up, and ran back. Wiping his tears on his sleeve, sniffling as he tried to focus on the box. Hoping that perhaps it had something to help her get better. Glancing at his gloves, they were stained with dirt and tears from the endeavor.
"It was supposed to be your coronation present from the Queen, but I guess it's a little late for that now, isn't it?" Krone reached into the box to pull out a small, but very decorated dagger. The sheath in which the dagger resided was done up with gems and gold of which Carla had never seen. He'd trade it all if it meant he could save her life.
Krone took the blade out of its sheath and ran it across her now black skin. Blood so dark that it too matched the shade of which the Endzeit had feasted upon.
"Mother!"
"It's okay, little prince," Krone smiled at Carla. Finally dragging enough of her blood across the blade that it was positively drenched in it. "You have to stop him before he ruins everything," Krone instructed to Carla.
"You know how death for our kind works, right?"
Nodding his head slowly as he carefully took the blade from Krone. Doubling up on his gloves, and wrapping a scarf from a nearby table around his neck and face before picking up the entire dagger.
"He won't be easy, but for you, I am sure it will be like practice," Krone quickly spoke before coughing more blood up onto her hand. "Hurry!" Krone felt her life slipping away, she wouldn't get to see Carla grow up, or Shin steal his first heart. Crying further to herself, draping her blood stained hands over her face as the tears continued to stream down.
Carla left the room hurriedly that the door was left open as Krone continued to sob.
"Sister?" Spoke a voice from the door.
"Menae?" Krone wiped her blood stained face against the further darkening crimson sheets as her body continued to bleed out.
"It is done, they are safe."
Krone nodded at her sister.
"Only time will tell if we were successful," Menae asserted to Krone.
"Watch over them for me?" Krone begged a last request of Menae.
"I will do it as long as I can," Menae frowned while pulling up the bottom hem of her dress to show Krone the further progression of the disease.
"Does he know yet?" Krone asked, her breaths becoming raspier.
"Burai? No. But he knows to watch over Cordelia, Shin and Carla if Giesbach…"
"I've sent Carla to deal with him," Krone mutters.
"WHAT? But he's merely a child!" Menae shouts, worried that Carla is too young.
"He won't be expecting Carla. He will succeed. He is, after all, our prince," Krone softly smiled before laying back into her bed. Her body growing weaker, her skin starting to dissolve into fleshy tissue that stuck to the sheets.
As Carla left Krone's room and began his walk back to the coronation ceremony, his heart sank to his stomach. The room was littered with corpses upon bloody corpses of seared flesh, lacerations the length of tables, intestines spilling out of torso's as Giesbach was slicing open every attendee. Convinced that they were all infected and that he was impervious. Everyone was wrong, and he was the only one that was right. Carla, at that moment, had made up his mind that his father was no longer fit to rule. He had gone insane!
Quickly moving with a little effort across the piles of bodies his father had left in his wake, delivering a quick and decisive blow to his father's chest with the tainted blade. Abruptly taking the freshly inserted blade from his body, Giesbach instinctually moved it towards the individual that placed it there not realizing it was Carla.
As Carla gasped as the knife slipped into the left side of his stomach, Giesbach paused in surprise.
"So, she sent you?" Giesbach asserted as if angered but surprised.
As his father clasped at the knife in Carla's body, Carla reached up around Giesbach's throat and channeled a spell that sent serrated lines of energy across his shoulders, quickly cutting off his head from the rest of his body. As his body fell to the floor, his crown went tumbling and stopped when it hit a nearby pile of corpses that had their skin peeled off, and their limbs dismembered. His father was truly a monster.
Satisfied with the results, he began to turn around to report the completion of the job, lightly gripping his side as he continued towards his mothers' room. Opening the door to see Menae taking the bedsheets and adding them to the fireplace. Carla's glance quickly moving to the bed for his mother to find that she wasn't there. The bed where she lay had been stripped clean, and an odor reminiscent of death was left in its place.
"Where is she?" He called to Menae, tears filling his eyes while the pain in his stomach still present. Carla could hear quiet sobs coming from Menae as she dropped the last of the sheets in her hands into the fire.
"She is gone. You're mother. My sister… she is gone," Menae continued to weap.
"I don't believe y-oo," Carla attempted to finish before a twitch of pain hit his body from the stab wound.
Menae turned around to see Carla gripping his side. Shuffling her feet around and moving towards Carla, pulling his shirt up from his pants to inspect the wound. As she finally got to his flesh, pausing as she could see small black veins along his skin, but so small that they were almost unrecognizable.
"What did you get stabbed with?"
"The blade mother gave me," Carla sighed as Menae poked around the wound trying to figure out what to do based on how deep it was.
The remaining color drained from Menae's face as she realized Carla was also infected. Quickly moving her hands to Carla's face to look at him closer, noting that it would take longer to kill him than it did Krone. "We've got time, but hopefully just time enough. Come, we need to clean this."
Carla looking on at Menae as she grabbed his hand and took him into a nearby bathroom to clean the wound, stitch it up and finally dress the wound. Grabbing another clean shirt from nearby and taking the blood soaked one off of Carla. Cleaning his face and brushing his hair and dressing him in a new jacket.
"There!" Menae stated, satisfied with her work, "I may not be her, but I know what a King should look like." Menae sweetly smiled after her statement while placing a hand on her affected leg, "It's time for us to leave, we can't linger here."
"Why not? Where is Shin?" Carla inquired.
"He's safe, and you need to be with him. It's not safe for you to be here. We are going to pay a visit to your uncle! You can tell him all about your coronation!" Menae bit her lip, cursing herself for the last part of her sentence. Carla would not be likely to want to talk about what he witnessed and what happened to him.
Leaning down to kiss Carla's head, Menae did her best to put forth a soft smile with her next set of instructions. "Wait for me out in the marigold field, okay?" She continued to pet Carla's hair on his head in a tender manner, "I have one more thing I need to do. Oh, and Carla… this…" Menae touched her hand softly over the wound on Carla's body, "Is just between the two of us. Our little secret." Winking at Carla and kissing him on the forehead before sending him out the door to wait for her.
Sniffling at the thought of his mother vanishing, never getting a chance to say goodbye to her. His mind fluttered to how much Shin adored Menae and how heartbroken he would be if she didn't come back either. "Shin needs you. Make sure you make it."
Menae turned her head towards Carla as she picked up a log that had been burning brightly at the other end. An unburnt portion of it held within her hand, "Yes, My King," She smiled at Carla before she began walking around the room, touching the fire to parts of fabric to start a larger fire.
Carla waited a few moments before seeing Menae appear.
"See? Nothing to worry about!" Menae chirped to Carla as she leaned down to grab his hand and pull him towards their destination. Carla could feel something on her hands as she held his, looking over at her hands her flesh had been regenerating from what looked like burn marks. Rubbing his fingers lightly over the tops of her skin as it shifted and contorted underneath his.
"It's okay, it always heals," she reminded Carla.
"If it always heals, then why did you put stitches on me?" Carla inquired, finding her behavior odd.
Menae paused in her movements and stopped to look at Carla, "It won't heal the same as it did before. It's important that you speak to no one about what happened tonight. Do you understand?"
"But, if uncle knows, isn't it okay?"
"NO ONE MUST KNOW!" Menae shouted at Carla. Taking a deep breath and lifting the edge of her dress so Carla could see the mark on her leg. "He mustn't know." Dropping the dress back down she continued to walk with Carla. He had so many questions for her, but only a limited amount of time to ask before they would arrive at where Shin and Cordelia were.
"Is there a cure?"
"We hope. Only time will tell," Menae replied.
Carla thought dutifully as best as he could given the situation, still silently sniffling at the loss of his mother. His head heavy, his heart broken, and his mind in disarray. "What do you mean?"
Sighing as she knew Carla wasn't the type to drop it once he was on a path of logic or discovery. Part of the reason for his abilities and strength was that of his intellect. Taking another deep breath and kneeling in front of Carla, "I don't know how you do it."
Peering inquisitively at Menae while wiping his eyes of his tears that were still falling.
"So precious," Menae chimed while deciding to tell Carla what the Vampire Lord, Karl Heinz, had planned as a means to attempt to cure their race. "There is a plan for a cure. One that will take time to see if it was successful or not."
Carla continued to give his full attention to Menae as she explained what the plan was.
"Your mother sent me to the Vampire Lord to see if his magic could cure us. Your father wasn't strong enough, and your magic is still developing. The only other person that possesses such strength is Karl Heinz. He wasn't able to cure your mother. However, he suggested a plan. I was sent to a human to breed a child. I didn't know it, but I was already carrying the Endzeit. Karl Heinz knew I was infected already so his proposal was to birth a child that would be a cure. In which case, we could feed on this child, and its blood would cure our race."
"But a single human would die," Carla stated as a line of inquiry.
"We had to see if it would work. It didn't work, unfortunately. We tested the child for the first few years of its life to find that there was no change in its blood and drinking the blood of that child did nothing for us."
"What became of the child?"
"It lives. Humanity, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be the answer."
Nodding his head in contemplation, Carla began to think of the timeline. Knowing that Burai would not have taken Menae had he known about all of this. "What else did the Vampire Lord propose?"
Swallowing thickly as she was confiding in Carla. Granted he was now their King, but as soon as news of Giesbach's death arose; Karl Heinz would become the new Demon Lord as none of the other leaders of the clans would be able to challenge him. It would be unlikely that even if someone did find out about the alternate plan beyond Carla that it would be problematic. "The other possible solution is Cordelia."
"My cousin?" Carla asked, curious as to how she could have anything to do with all of this.
"She has a resilience against the Endzeit. Her blood is already showing signs of improvement against it, but she is too young to grant it to us in any quantity. If we chose to use it now, it would kill her." Turning her gaze towards the burning blaze behind her, "It's likely you will need her to rebuild our race after the stunt Giesbach pulled tonight."
Carla nodding his head in acknowledgment of what exactly she was telling him. It was a lot to take in. Straightening his posture a bit to continue the walk, Menae refused to move from her kneeling position and pulled on his hand a bit, "Don't let this be the end of us."
Keeping his lips silent of speech while looking over Menae's face, he had never seen her like this. Always so happy and cheery compared to his mother who was Queen. Usually spouting something about propriety and manners while keeping up on his studies. He loved his mother dearly but also loved Menae as she was Shin's happiness and accepted him for who he was without question or secondary motives.
"As my first act as King of the founding race, I promise to rebuild our race," Carla affirmed for Menae; bowing firmly but softly at the hips. Leaning back up to face her as she wiped her face on her sleeve.
"We better be going; your brother is waiting."
Carla held Menae's hand firmly, looking up at her flowing hair behind her feminine shoulders. Her dress flowing softly, the fragrance of her skin tantalizing Carla's nose as he followed her through the field of marigolds towards the house that he would now call home.
"Carla…" a soft voice spoke.
Looking up at Menae, he watched her as he followed expecting her to turn around instead only to see her visage disappear from sight. He stood in the middle of the field now by himself. Turning in circles slowly wondering what was going on, Carla looked over his attire and his hands. He was older, and dressed in his usual attire.
"Tough bastard," another voice spoke, masculine, firm.
"Shin?" Carla spoke, looking around to see nothing other than orange marigolds in every direction. His head feeling light, grabbing his head with his hands and then slowly moving his hands away as his view changed to that of the clouds.
Looking around, his body had somehow changed position, and he was now lying flat on his back. The bright blue sky above him and the marigold field seem to be laying all around him.
"Carla…" a feminine voice spoke again.
Lifting his head up to above the field, he was surprised to see Yui stepping towards him. Her eyes lit up like vibrant starbursts, her form adorned with a light material that swayed easily to a breeze that surfed across the tops of the flowers; the material was light transparent allowing Carla to see her feminine features tucked just below the cloth. Her nipples perked from the breeze and her intimate places on display. Her platinum locks wisping around wildly as she tucked part of it behind an ear, peering down at Carla, positioning her body on top of his. Straddling his body, her eyes and hands quickly finding the buttons on his shirt and moving through them with ease. Pulling his scarf from around his neck and moving it aside. Her hands wandering up the inside of his chest and up to his shoulders in an affectionate manner.
"I need you," Yui whispered to Carla before planting a playful kiss on his lips. Caught up in what was going on, Carla felt his body flush and his cheeks burn with a sensation he wasn't accustomed to.
"What is this?" Carla asked aloud.
Yui looked at him briefly amused, "This is love…" she whispered to him, sliding her tongue into his parted lips and locking him into a deep kiss. Adjusting her body on top of his, her blush rising to her cheeks as her body moved on top of his with lewd moans coming from her lips. Carla could feel his heart beating faster, his body responding instinctually but his mind fighting what was going on.
"Love?" Carla inquired, his hands wrapping around Yui's tantalizing hips, moving her around to hear her moans grow louder and her breaths quicker. His eyes wandering down her face, tracing the lines of her neck with his eyes before venturing further to her collar bone and finally the heave of her chest as she rocked on top of him.
"Don't you love me?" Yui asked with her starburst golden eyes peering through Carla, a beautiful color of blush brandishing her cheeks. The scent of her hair flooding Carla's nose, his eyes intoxicated with what he saw before him. The brightness of the environment lighting up Yui's platinum strands with a vibrancy that filled his core with warmth.
"This can't be real," Carla uttered while pushing Yui's affections away.
Smirking at Carla's behavior, "It's real, my love. Let me give you a taste of how real this is…" biting into her wrist and taking a pull of blood. Holding it in her mouth, leaning into Carla while moving up and down on him. His length filling her with excitement as Carla's breathing continued to elevate. The blood passing from Yui's lips to his as the warming sensation filled his mouth. The taste was very real, the sensation he felt from it sliding down his mouth and into his system was exceptional. Carla couldn't believe what he was seeing and feeling.
"I don't deserve this, after everything I've done to you," Carla murmured while nuzzling his face into Yui's soft breasts. His hands wandering up her petite frame to pull her closer. Licking at her flesh, as his mind continued to battle with him about the situation. His skin tingled with the overwhelming sensations he was experiencing.
"But you do deserve me, you just have to want it…" Yui's spoke.
The last bit of her words hitting a part of his body that caused him to refocus. Opening his eyes to see his hands grasping at air. The brightness of the day completely gone, and the scenery void of everything. Pitch black was now all that he saw; his heart beat slowing and his breaths returning to normal. Pain in his chest as the realization that Yui was no longer in front of him making love to him. As he was about to open his mouth, a glimpse of light pierced the dark. Walking towards it at first slowly, he could hear his name being called again.
"Carla-san…" a soft voice spoke.
He knew that voice, it was Yui's. Taking his walking pace to that of a jogging pace, the light seemed to get closer. Yui's voice continued to call out to him.
"Carla-san…"
"I'm almost there," Carla thought to himself. Running a little quicker, but finding himself short of breath.
"Don't leave us," Yui's voice spoke, a twinge of sorrow present in her voice.
Picking up the pace best he could, he finally reached the destination, only to find himself back in his room lying in bed. Squeezing his left hand as he felt something warm in it, Yui was holding his hand. Her head resting on the edge of the bed while she sat on the floor; her eyes closed as she slept quietly. Carla turned his head to a nearby table to find golden marigolds in a small vase with something familiar resting next to it. It was the pendant that Shin had given Yui, a green gem inlay in gold metal work.
Licking his lips, Carla was tasting something that was recent. Lifting his right hand up to his face and running a finger along the edge of his lips; dried up blood was displayed on his skin. Licking his lips further to get the remainder of it up as it was still delicious even in its dried state. It was Yui's blood, she must have given him more while he slept. Rubbing the thumb of his left hand along her warm skin slowly as he contemplated what he just went through.
Looking around the rest of the room, Shin slumped into a chair in the corner of the room but nearest to the door. Curled up on one of the armrests, his tail tucked into the side of the chair, but a blanket was neatly folded over his body. Likely Yui's doing before she settled into her current position. Squeezing Yui's hand softly and muttering, "Thank You, my beloved." Softly smiling at her behavior despite everything that she had been flung into. As he thought about her, his chest began to grow tight, and his breathing pitched. This sensation was different from that of the Endzeit, instead of pain, it was a warmth that spread over his being and a sense of calm that he hadn't felt in a long time.
"It's because of her that you are here," Shin spoke from his chair. Looking at Carla while maintaining his position on the chair.
"Yes," Carla agreed with Shin, sensing a bit of jealousy in Shin's voice.
"If you love her," Carla began to say to Shin before being cut off.
"Don't give me that bullshit, Nii-san."
Carla paused and quirked an eyebrow at his brother, it was rare that he took that type of tone with him, "be with her," Carla finished.
"You can't lay there and tell me you don't care for her," Shin stated, pointing out the obvious.
"I know she means a lot to you, and she makes you happy," Carla reiterated.
Shin was ready to bark something back to Carla before his words caught in his throat and blush rose to his face. He still had a hard time admitting it to himself despite everything being laid out for him in plain sight, "I don't know what she means to me," Shin finally added turning his head away. Deciding that it would be of no use to sit there watching Carla dote affections on Yui in her sleep.
"She's almost fully awakened," Shin clarified to Carla, "but she still needs more pulled from her. It will require both of us working on it before the blood moon tomorrow. Are you up for it?"
Carla took Shin's words into consideration carefully, knowing that Yui's blood was resilient to the Endzeit, it was likely safe for him to feed on her without transmitting it.
"It begins when she wakes," Carla confirmed to Shin. Taking his hand from her grip and moving the sheets back so that they could prepare the room for the final stage of Yui's awakening…
