Sorry this chapter is unedited and sorry about the long wait
Trinity Blood: Emperor's Mask
Chapter 12: Trusted Bloodlines
Blood dripped from the end of Abel's gun from the last auto-jager he'd destroyed. He straightened and dodged an axe of another. He flicked open the revolver. Spent shells clattered to the stone ground to lay by the others he'd spent during this fight. He replaced the clip and flipped the revolver closed. He fired on the closest enemy.
"Damn it!" Asthe cursed. She leapt to stand back to back with Abel. "There are too many of them," she growled, yellow eyes flashing. Her fangs bared in rage. "It's just like that time before."
"Yeah, only this time Baybars is with us already," Abel stated and jabbed his thumb to where the head of the yeniçeri fought side by side with Ion.
The other member of the yeniçeri was holding back near to Esther, Abel, and Asthe. There were well over a hundred of the auto-jagers. If Abel hadn't been too worried about harming those around him and revealing what he was to them, he would've used the crusnik. But the risk was just too great. He would never live with himself if he harmed Asthe or any of the other methuselah here.
The group retreated further back until they were near the mouth of the passage they had come through. At this rate they would be fighting in the tunnel again.
Abel fired. Another fell and he fired again. Each time he took down one.
Beside him Asthe took down more. Raw energy sliced through the enemy as she fired the Sword of Gae Bolg. It wasn't enough. Where the last time they had been outnumbered twenty to two. This time it was hundreds to six. These odds weren't something he could turn with the group. No – it wasn't even odds he could turn to their favor.
Light flashed through the darkness. A narrow beam slammed into the ground feet from Abel. Another followed. Each racing from the ceiling. And each took out several of the enemy in quick order.
Abel fired on the enemy. Whoever was here was helping them.
The enemy turned as another sound greeted Abel's ears. A sword slashed through armor. A blur leapt through the crowd. It landed beside Ion and Baybars. The man overtook Ion as he charged back into the enemy ranks. Blood flew through air. The man's speed was unmatched even by Ion. He shot between the corpses. His blade turned to a silvery blur.
More fire pressured the enemy from above.
Abel raced forward. This was their chance to push the enemy back.
The auto-jaggers were thrown off by the arrival of help. It didn't take long for the group to end up scattering.
Abel wiped the blood from gun and turned to Esther. The girl had made it through the fighting unharmed. He turned his gaze from her to the others. Baybars looked as if he had taken a few blows but the only blood on him held the wreck of decay. In fact, the only scent of blood in the space was wreck and foul. Not the scent of human blood, rather the one of the long since dead.
"Looks like we got here just in time."
Abel froze. That voice.
The light sound of someone landing echoed through the silence of the cavern. Abel watched as Esther's eyes widened and she lifted her gun.
"Sulayman!"
A sword was drawn. The sound of metal ringing pulsing through the air.
Abel turned. His eyes slid up Ion's sword to the face of the man he pointed it at. It couldn't be! It felt as if all air was sucked from his lungs, leaving him breathless. The cavern spun.
"Solomon?" The named fell from Abel's lips, a breath of a question.
"Her majesty did warn you someone would call you by that name. The woes of our descents turning traitor and you looking like him apparently." The second man smiled at Ion. "Hey, kid, he's not Sulayman, promise on my life."
"I am not him," Solomon's voice was light, smooth, and the words spoken with the hint of a forgotten ascent.
Both were speaking in the Imperial tongue.
"What's going on? Sulayman died. The Duchess of Kiev—" Esther whispered, left out by not being able to understand more than a few words in the Imperial tongue.
"Terran girl, I just said…" the second man frowned then switched to Latin. "He's not Sulayman, no more than I am at least."
"I assure you, I would sooner space myself than betray the empire let alone Seth."
Abel backed away from them, his feet making no sound against the stone. This was impossible. They were dead. Both of them had died centuries ago.
"Y-you're not? But you look just like him?" Esther eyed both men.
"Her majesty woke you?" Baybars asked, stepping forward. "Has the situation really become so dire?"
"Hmm," the first man, Alexander, frowned. "I'm not one to ask that question. My first question on waking was: did we get back to space travel and can I pilot the shuttles?"
Solomon sighed and shook his head. "The empire has been pushed back. Seth fears the worst and thus chose to wake us. Not only for the war but because she believes we can convince Abel to stay."
Ion's eyes widened as he finally lowered his sword. "You're Solomon and Alexander from the emperor's inner circle. Two of his closest tovarishes."
"Tovarishes?" Alexander tilted his head to one side. The word rolled from him, clumsy and unfamiliar. "I'm sorry, what the hell is that?" He turned. "Oh, speaking of Abel where—"
The next moment Abel was in a strangle hold.
"There you are!" Alexander's cry echoed off stone. "Abel!"
Abel staggered. He gasped in Alexander's strangle hold. The man had wrapped his arms around Abel's neck and legs around his waist having been too short to actually reach Abel's neck by normal means.
"A-Alexander," Abel gasped for air. He twisted, trying to break out of the hold. He fell to the ground.
Alexander gasped. His grip loosened. "Not," – he let out a long breath – "letting go," he gasped, "that easily."
Abel slammed his elbow as hard as he could into the soft flesh of Alexander's side.
A cry rang through Abel's ear. Abel rolled off Alexander, gasping for air, palms pressed into the hard stone floor.
"Bastard," Alexander panted. He clutched his side, eyes watering. "Freaking asshole of a bastard."
"Lumbering lummox," Abel retorted through long, slow intakes of breath. "You were the one who started it," he managed to state.
"You didn't have to elbow me."
"You didn't have to strangle me."
"Bastard."
"Lummox."
"Freak."
"What's new?" Abel managed to retort.
Alexander burst out laughing. He rolled on the ground, howling like a mad man.
Abel stood and brushed off his coat. His heart felt lighter than it had in centuries. They were alive. Two of his closest friends lived.
Solomon walked around Alexander, one eyebrow cocked in disapproval at the other man's behavior. He stopped before Abel and saluted. "Reporting, Sir."
"Solomon, it's just Abel now."
"Yes, and the world has imploded since we last saw one another," stated the ex-admiral. He held out his hand. "It's good to see you again, Abel."
Abel clasped his hand.
"And for the record, you will always be my commandeering officer."
Abel chuckled. "Though I've long since lost my rank?"
"You've never lost your rank." Solomon released Abel's hand. He turned to watch Alexander. "It wasn't that funny, Alexander."
Alexander stopped laughing. He lay there gasping for air and grinning. "When was the last time Abel cracked a joke? When hell froze over?"
"I can be funny," Abel retorted, defending himself.
The pilot pushed himself off the ground. He snorted. "You and funny don't belong in the same novel."
Abel scowled.
"Ha," – Alexander pointed at Abel – "now there's the Abel we all know and love."
A small sigh escaped Abel and he shook his head. Then another question wormed into his mind. "Why did you two enter cryo? Risk waking in a world you didn't know?" Pain pulled at his heart as he realized just how much time was really between them now. No matter how happy Abel was at seeing them, it didn't take back the fact they now suffered the same pain he did. Knowing they had outlived everyone they knew and loved.
"Simply put," Solomon started, "we all made a vow to fight together for a better world than one we grew up in. We stand by you."
"For all eternity if necessary," Alexander added, voice serious. "Really? After over a century with us, you think we would just up and abandon you? You should have seen Barrack's face when he learned you were in the Vatican territory."
Abel let out a long breath. "I can just picture what he did after learning. He wasn't happy."
"None of us were," Solomon stated. "But we understood why you did it and struck the deal you struck."
"Well, all but Athy that is. When she found out where you've been for the past eight centuries, she was rather livid. I think Seth was right in not telling her before now." Alexander frowned and nodded. "Yes, very right. I can just see her being the one to have convinced Barrack storming the Vatican was a good idea."
"I'm rather grateful Seth didn't tell her then," Abel stated.
Athy had always been determined to prove herself as good as her father. That she had a place in the group as her father had. If anyone had been able to convince Barrack to attack the Vatican it would have been her. She wasn't reckless, but her loyalty had been extremely strong to the empire and everything it had originally stood for.
"I am correct in presuming Athy is also with you?" Abel asked.
"Athy, Barrack, and one other," Soloman replied, sounding like the admiral reporting to his emperor once more.
Abel frowned. "Who is the fifth?" There wasn't anyone else from the old inner group. Not unless Abel counted those who were dead among them.
"I was asked not to tell you, Sir. Even if ordered I won't," Solomon stated.
"Solomon, please drop the 'sir.'"
"We've been through this already," Alexander stated. "Many, many times through our friendship. You are out leader no matter if you stand as a commander or a commoner."
Abel turned his gaze from them and looked to the others in the space. He took a deep breath. "I take it the others are waiting where this section rejoins the main path?"
"Yes, sir." The reply came as it always had from Solomon. Sure of the situation and filled with a certain faith Abel hadn't heard in all but a few voices.
"That's almost a day's walk through the city," Baybars chose then to speak. "We'll have to move the through the night if we're to rejoin the others by the next evening."
Abel frowned and looked at Esther. The girl was exhausted from the constant running from the Vatican then the trek down here.
"There's a Terren here," Alexander pointed out. "We can't move fast. Though, I assume that is the reason why you said 'through the night.'" He shook his head and looked at Abel. "What do you think?"
"I think Baybars is in charge," Abel stated.
Baybars cleared his throat. "You are her majesty's brother, by all rights that alone makes you out rank every methuselah here."
Abel scowled. "Can we just get moving? The longer we're here the more likely the auto-jagers are to return." Abel moved back to allow Baybars and Alexander to lead the way.
"You two are really from the when the empire was created?" Ion asked.
"We are," Solomon confirmed. His eyes were slid over to the sword on Ion's back.
"So you knew the emperor?" Asthe was the one to ask this time. She stood close to Solomon and Ion now, almost acting as much as child as Ion did.
Abel fell back a little ways and Solomon looked over his shoulder. Their eyes met. Abel gave the slightest shake of his head. He didn't want Solomon to reveal who Abel had once been.
"Forgive me, I must speak with Abel," Solomon said with a polite bow. He stepped back so he was walking with Abel. "They don't know?" he asked in a low voice.
"No one outside of the yeniçeri and Duchess of Moldova know," Abel replied in just as soft of tones. Both of them were now speaking in Solomon's native tongue so no one, not even Alexander could understand them. Abel was amazed he could even remember this language. "I would rather keep it that way for now."
"The moment Athina sees you, you know your identity will come to light, right?"
"Ah," Abel confirmed. The girl was too proud of who Abel was and she would see no point in hiding what her father had tried so hard to achieve.
"Why does the boy have your sword?"
Abel smiled a little at this. "He's rather proud of his history and didn't want a 'traitor' like me to tarnish the emperor's name."
Solomon raised an eyebrow at this. "He's in for a rather rude shock considering."
"Perhaps." Abel looked away from Solomon. "I know why Seth sent you," he switched back to Latin not wanting to try and continue in a language he barely remembered. He kept his voice low.
"Abel," – Solomon placed his hand on Abel's shoulder – "we need you to come home."
"Peace failed again," he whispered in response. Abel shook his head and looked at his brother-in-law. "Forgive me, I must seem like a broken record at times."
Solomon gave Abel's shoulder a squeeze. "You are the one man I know will give everything for his people, for the people he loves no matter which of the three groups they come from." There was pain in Solomon's eyes as he looked at Abel. "But you can't keep doing this to yourself, Abel. Lilith would never want you—"
"None of us know what Lilith would have wanted for me or not. But war is the last thing she wanted for the people," Abel hissed. He looked away from Solomon. Pain settled in his heart at the thought of Lilith. To see another war, start up between the Empire and the Vatican would have broken her heart. His hand wrapped around her cross.
With the silence between them, Abel took the chance to move away from Solomon. Or attempt to. His old friend raised a brow and flowed Abel. A small breath escaped Abel at this action. He hadn't really expected Solomon to let him slip so easily away from the group, let alone to move too far from him. He had been the ranking military leader of the empire.
Abel smiled a little at this before pain stabbed at his heart. He glanced from Solomon to Alexander. Two of his oldest friends – no, not just friends, they were his most trusted friends and they still lived. Both of them, Barrack, and Athy were here with a fifth.
Time wore on until a voice called, "We need to stop!"
Abel turned to Ion and Esther to see they had fallen behind. More over Esther had and Ion was staying beside her. Exhaustion coated Esther's face. The executions of the day and the past few weeks had taken its toll on Esther. She looked pale with her fatigue. Abel cursed himself for not having noticed how tired she and even Ion had become. He had been so wrapped up in the fact Alexander and Solomon were here, he had lost focus on the others entirely.
"Ion is right," Abel agreed. "We should try to rest for a few hours." If only for Esther's sake.
Both Baybars and Alexander hesitated. The moment Abel had spoken Alexander's eyes had softened a little. Abel was still his leader, at least that was what his gaze told Abel right then and there. The loyalty, respect, and friendship in his eyes and on his face was the same as the last time Abel had seen him.
"I believe Abel is right," Alexander said as he turned to Baybars. "There are a few in the group who look like they need to sleep for a night. We can hold off on rejoining the others for a few hours at the very least."
Baybars nodded. "Very well, we can afford a few hour delay."
"Thank you, Baybars, Alexander." Abel bowed his head to the two of them.
The group set to work with setting up a small camp. Soon a small, smokeless fire was brought to life. Ion and Esther settled near to it. Esther was a sleep in the next instant, not even waiting for the food to be brought out. Ion was settled near to her, his breathing also the slower one of sleep. The day must have exhausted the count as well.
"Seems the two kids are too tired to even eat," Alexander chuckled.
Abel knew he wouldn't be able to help the young yeniçeri girl as she passed out food and glasses of water. He moved to one of the buildings just in the light of the fire and settled himself there. He looked up towards the buildings, eyes unable to pierce the darkness thanks to the light of the fire. Yet, he knew the buildings even hung down from the ceiling. The design such that as many of the people could fit into these massive cities as possible, room to expand the population as it had been back when Abel had helped construct the plans and even worked on the cities themselves.
"Majesty."
Abel's gaze fell to the girl. "Please, don't call me 'majesty.'" Abel then smiled at the girl. "Forgive me, I've yet to ask your name."
The girl flushed a little. "I'm Evera," the girl gave Abel a little bow. It was then Abel noticed the similarities between the girl and Baybars. She had the same dark skin and hair, but this wasn't what he meant. Her eyes and nose were the same shape as Baybars.
"You're Baybars' daughter?" Abel asked.
A blush appeared on the girl's face. "It-it's not—" she took a deep breath. "Yes, he's my father," she whispered. "Which is why I know who you re-really are." Her gaze slid away from Abel. "And why I will never stop calling you by rank, your majesty." She bowed to Abel and passed him the water and dried meat. She bowed again and left, returning to her father's side.
"We need blood," a familiar voice hissed in Abel's mind.
Abel shoved aside 02's voice and tore into the meat he had been given. It was just for a little longer. He could make it a little longer without blood.
"It's strange being down here again." Alexander settled himself beside Abel. "Stranger though are these." He held up a blood tablet. "If we had these back when the Terran-Methuselah War broke out, can you imagine how many lives would have been saved?"
"Many would have been," Abel agreed. It didn't change the fact donated blood made most of the blood tablets in the empire, all but the ones solid on the black market that was. Those were still make from the blood of those massacred.
"Have they figured out how to make tablets like this out of methuselah blood?" Solomon asked as he joined Abel and Alexander. He leaned against the wall, inspecting the tablet he'd been given.
"What nonsense is that?" Asthe looked up from where she had just placed her own tablet into her water.
"Nonsense?" Solomon asked, looking at the girl. "It's far from nonsense. Crusniks require our blood to live. I had assumed tablets were being made for her majesty." He frowned.
Abel stiffened. The knowledge Seth was crusnik let alone what a crusnik even was, wasn't something which was wide spread. He saw Baybars mimic his own reaction beside his daughter.
"'Crusniks'?" Evera asked, she looked at her father. "Duke Baybars do you know what that is?"
"I've never heard something that eat us." Asthe sniffed. "Well, outside of the ridicules tale the Vatican spread around about their monster."
Solomon and Alexander gaped at the two girls. "You mean, the knowledge of the crusniks is being kept from the people?" Alexander choked. He looked at Abel. Then Alexander sighed. "Though, I suppose it does make sense considering."
"My apologies, Baybars." Solomon bowed his head to Baybars. "If I had known the knowledge hadn't passed to both your daughter and Arthur's descendent, I wouldn't have spoken so plainly about it."
Baybars let out a heavy breath and rubbed his eyes. "I suppose there was no avoiding it, after all, the first generation of methuselah were all aware of the crusniks existence. Besides," – he looked at Abel – "I doubt such knowledge could be kept from the world much longer." He hesitated. "Majesty, if you would be willing?" he started to ask.
Abel sighed. "I will need a small amount of blood before showing them," he stated. "Or I might attack out right."
Solomon picked up Abel's now empty cup. He placed it on the ground before him and without hesitated, slit his wrist.
"Solomon, that's not what I meant," Abel stated.
"Knowing you, you've not had blood in some weeks. You were always stubborn about it." Solomon gave Abel a soft smile and held out the cup to Abel. "It's about half full."
"Yeah, knowing Abel he's not been taking blood," Alexander sighed. "But we're now here to force you to." He grinned at Abel.
"Pass."
"It's not something you're passing on!" Alexander snapped.
Abel took a deep breath before taking the cup from Solomon. "Thank you, Solomon, but that really was unnecessary."
"I will be the judge of that," Solomon paused and smiled, "Abel."
Abel returned the smile. He then looked at the blood. The scent of it made his stomach churn. He took a deep breath before downing the blood.
Abel stood. "I am one of the four crusniks," he started. "Nano-machine, crusnik 02, release of restrictions forty-percent, activate."
His silvery hair swirled up around the crown of his head as Abel felt his fangs grow of his lips. His nails elongated, hardening as they blackened into talons. He turned his gaze on the two girls.
"I am the rumored monster kept by the Vatican," he told them.
A hint of fear passed over Evera's features while Asthe stared, wide eyed at Abel.
He released the crusnik form. His hair fell back around his face and he tied it back once more. He returned to his place between Solomon and Alexander.
"The crusniks and the methuselah were together at the dawn of the empire," Solomon explained. "I had thought Seth would have revealed this fact to you by now Astharoshe, considering the fact the Asrans have always been close to the emperor and thus to the empress as well."
"You never once said anything," Asthe whispered.
"No, it's not something I go around announcing to people," Abel stated. "Out of the AX only Caterina, William, and Tres are fully aware of what I am while Esther knows only that the 'crusnik' is a power I possess."
Asthe's eyes widened. "That's why the professor asked me that day if he could draw some of my blood."
"That would be why. I had asked him and Caterina to not do so, however and I apologize for it." Abel bowed his head to Asthe.
"Within the empire, there are generally five us who are made aware of the crusniks existence as well as certain facts within our history," Baybars started. "Each is the descendant of one of the four tovarishes of Emperor Nightlord, generally the current head of the family. The knowledge is only passed on once the empress believes the head of the family is ready for such knowledge. Currently only Mirka and myself are aware of her majesty being a crusnik. She believed you weren't ready for the information do to your encounter with Abel almost four years ago."
Asthe frowned. "So the Barvon family is also the other one which is made aware of this information?"
"Not all of them. Radu was considered too young for the information before he passed, as were you before you left for Vatican territory by order of the empress," Baybars explained. "Master Ion would be another who is yet too young for the knowledge to have passed to as well as the fact he's not head of his family."
"Tovarish is such a strange word," Alexander muttered. "Whatever happened to just saying 'friend' or something like that?"
Abel shrugged. "My understanding of the word was that it was deeper than just friendship."
"Ah, well, I suppose that makes sense. Still like just saying friend, my friend," Alexander said with a small smile at Abel. "I take the information that is passed on related to the history parts is the knowledge we erased and I passed to my son before entering cryo?" Alexander asked.
"It is," Baybars confirmed.
"So Seth kept those books we worked so hard to make then had to hid away." Alexander smiled. "I'm glad for that."
"Was this information also kept from me because of my meeting Abel in the outer world?" Asthe asked.
"Her majesty didn't want the views you gained while working with Abel to tarnished. She also views, it's Abel's right to tell you in his own time," Baybars explained.
"That he's a crusnik?" Asthe asked.
"He speaks of the history of the empire, Asthe," Abel stated. A history he still wasn't ready to reveal to her. His past was something he wasn't certain he ever wanted to reveal. Yet, he was well aware Solomon was correct. Athy would see no point in keeping Abel's identity a secret. Neither would Barrack or even Alexander.
Evera stood. "I should check ahead to see if those things are really gone."
"I'll go with you." Alexander downed the rest of his life water and meat before he stood. "I'd be damned if those things came back while the others slept."
The girl flushed. "Y-you really don't need to come, Founder Alexander Barvon."
"Drop the founder nonsense and I'm still coming." Alexander walked over to the girl. "Let's go."
She just nodded and the two of them moved off.
"You should get some sleep," Baybars advised Abel and Asthe. "We'll be heading out soon enough."
Solomon nodded beside Abel.
Abel just let out a small breath. In the end Baybars was right. They should all try to get some rest before trying to regroup with the others.
(Author's Note: I think next to Arthur, Solomon has to be one of my favorites from the old group.)