The Purpose, Rewritten, Chapter 31 Zeliths

June 4, 1961, Birmingham

Seth had always apparated or used portkeys. The cars paraded in front of him. Muggles were walking the streets by the dozens, talking or having a drink in a local restaurant. There were many, very many of them. Children were running, a man was talking about God. Some gave him a curious look, but continued on their way. Seth wore black jeans with polished pointed shoes. He wore a simple blue shirt with a black vest over it. He had simply refused to wear anything else, although his habit was to wear long tunics.

Galvin blended in well among the muggles, as did Danyck alongside him, although Danyck's style leaned toward Gothic. The temperature was around twenty degrees, and it was morning. He had apparated to London with them, before running the rest of the way, using their vampiric speed, and taking the paths among the trees. When they arrived in the city of Birmingham, they had been walking and Seth was looking around him, as if he were observing a city for the first time.

''It's different from Liverpool, but I've seen the changes over the years.'' Danyck mentioned from his side, answering silent questions.

"These humans are everywhere, and no matter how many vampires there are, it doesn't change anything, and since we kill our own..." Galvin said.

"Farn." Seth said in Venthyr. ''Farn as hi. Ha meth si. Where are they?'' Seth asked.

They crossed a street and walked on a wide sidewalk.

'Do you see this man? They're filming a film nearby, do you think?'

'I don't know, but the handsome dark-haired guy there, he looks like one of those rich men.'

'A bodyguard then? Do you see his size?'

'And their eyes? Blues like that, never seen before!'

Danyck turned his head towards the women who were commenting on their appearances and he kissed his hand and blew the kiss towards them. They started laughing and quickened their pace. Seth saw Danyck's thoughts where he was strangling one while he drained the blood from the other.

"Danyck." Seth warned with a mental jab.

Danyck narrowed his eyes but moved closer to Seth.

''I know you want it.'' Said Danyck.

Seth ignored him, just as he ignored all the thoughts Danyck often sent him, and all the situations he preferred not to know about.

''I don't know exactly where usually, but I do know that Don is very predictable and he stands in buildings that are quite... obvious when you know where to look. About a kilometer from here is some construction sites and I know it's there. During the last year, he changed locations, since he heard that I wasn't coming with your father. He ignores your... status, and even your existence.'' Galvin said.

Seth watched the humans go about their business as they headed to the construction site. It reminded him of the village on his island, but at least the humans on this island knew their places. He had to admit that he liked being someone important, where he could look down on others, and there, all these humans, these muggles, who were strutting and multiplying like ants, were giving him an indifferent look, albeit curious.

The site was surrounded by a thick cement wall and a large gate prevented intrusion. A plate with electronic buttons was on one of the walls. Signs read Danger, Do Not Enter. Seth saw through the gates several buildings with large roofs that extended beyond the walls of the buildings, blocking the sun. Cars were underneath. It was obvious that vampires were there, by the simple fact of such a construction. The buildings were quite tall, like very large warehouses and dump trucks, and a crane were parked nearby. Guards were stationed at one of the entrances.

A sort of magical aura on the bottom of one of the cement walls caught Seth's attention. He slowly walked forward and crouched towards this aura. He noticed a mark carved into the stone. It was barely visible to the naked eye. He placed a finger on the mark and felt veins in the stone.

Runes.

"What is it?" Galvin asked.

''A wizard knows there are vampires here and has marked the spot.'' Seth said.

He continued to touch the runes, trying to see what runic words were being used.

"Someone is coming." Danyck said.

Detection.

One kilometer.

Walking dead.

Number.

It was crude and poorly used, but Seth understood that the runic words were used to count the number of vampires present on the construction site and probably in a kilometer radius. He pointed his wand at the rune and whispered Revelio.

21.

Seth looked at Galvin, who was probably the twenty-first vampire detected.

"It's Donovan who's approaching, flanked by his guards. They are armed this time. Guns, your majesty.'' Galvin said nervously.

Seth stood up and waved his wand around Galvin, Danyck and himself. It was a shielding spell against muggle firearms. His wand slipped back into its holster on his forearm, hidden by his shirt.

"Corban. Try to see who works in the department of magical creatures, as well as any files that talk about vampires.'' Seth mentioned through his thoughts.

''Good excuse to try to tell them about my invention to see thestrals.'' Corban replied as he left the department of mysteries.

Seth's curiosity for the invention was taken, but the vampire Donovan, who was less than ten meters from them, brought him back to reality. The clicking of their rifles was heard and they pointed the guns at them.

"You're not Nate." Donovan said in a raw voice.

He threw his cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. '

'Gal, can I know why this guy with you is the spitting image of Nate? He's got a fucking heart beating, but he's wearing his crown, damn it."

"We need to talk, Donovan." Seth said.

''Talk? Or kill my childes, hm?'' Donovan asked before addressing Galvin. ''A year... more than a year of living in uncertainty, and here you sincerely believe that I have to believe it... believe you? I should kill you for everything Nate put me through!'

Seth didn't know what his father had said or done to him, or for how many years, but he felt that this time Donovan had had enough, but he was going to change that. The two guards were humans, and they were ready to fire at the slightest command from Donovan.

''It's not my intention to continue what my father was doing to you.'' Seth said.

Donovan frowned. "Your father?" Donovan said, stepping closer, off the roof and into the sun. "Give me a good reason why I should believe you? If it wasn't for this crown you're wearing, you'd already be riddled with bullets.''

Seth opened his arms.

''Go ahead. Afterwards, we'll talk.'' Said Seth.

Galvin took a step to the side, looking at Seth uncertainly. Donovan chuckled lightly and lit another cigarette. Danyck gave a wicked smile.

"Kill him." Donovan said.

Gunshots rang through the air, some ricocheting off the bars. The bullets that hit Seth fell to the ground in front of him. Danyck had used his telekinetic powers, and the two humans were now floating in the air, upside down. Galvin let out a curse, as did Donovan.

"Damn wizards." Donovan cursed before taking a long drag of a cigarette.

Seth apparated in front of the vampire and he screamed before falling on his butt.

"We need to talk, Donovan." Seth repeated.

Galvin jumped over the gate and Danyck flew briefly to join Seth, but not without first letting the humans fall to the ground where they groaned in pain. Arriving in front of the large doors of the buildings, where other guards were located, Donovan entered first, signaling the vampires present not to move. The gigantic room was dark, despite the lights. Vampires lurked in the darkest places and Seth had difficulty seeing their features. Thin walls separated spaces. High beams held several open-air floors.

Other vampires backed out of sight. Boxes, marked confidential, littered the floor and several places had dried blood on the walls and floor. A metallic and sulphide smell filled the place. Donovan moved towards another corridor further away and Seth followed him. There was no other magical aura at the scene. Humans, mostly women, slept on stained mattresses. Chains were either on their wrists or ankles.

"Charming." Danyck said.

They entered a large office which seemed to be the only maintained area. A scantily clad woman, sitting on a large couch, jumped when they arrived.

''Don! You forgot me, asshole.'' Said the woman.

Donovan grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the couch.

"Get out, you slut. Go see Viane for your fix.''

Donovan growled before sitting down on the couch where the woman was sitting before. The woman walked towards the door but came face to face with Seth. She had teeth marks on her neck and arms. Seth raised his eyebrows, surprised that vampires didn't bother to heal bite wounds. Seth heard the woman's heart speed up and she stammered an apology before walking around him and out of the office. The smell of flowery perfume seemed to linger in the air, the only thing that smelled decent in this place.

Danyck had obviously looked at her and imagined more scenarios to which Seth grunted in response and subtly moved his hand towards the door, putting on protective spells.

"These humans are probably full of drugs, Danyck." Seth said.

''Obviously, Mr...? Who are you exactly?'' Donovan asked, lighting another cigarette.

Seth wondered why a vampire would smoke cigarettes if, in theory, they had no breath.

''A habit from their old lives.'' Danyck replied through thoughts.

"Seth Vulken. I am the king of vampires, since my father was murdered last year.'' Said Seth.

Donovan coughed.

''No. You are a sorcerer and you have appropriated a title that does not belong to you...''

Donovan didn't have time to finish his sentence before Seth had grabbed him by the collar and thrown across the room, then grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall. His eyes had turned black and his nails were piercing the skin of Donovan's neck.

''ENOUGH! THIS TITLE RIGHTFULLY COMES TO ME! THERE WILL NOT BE ANY PUNY VAMPIRE WHO WILL COME TO DISRESPECT ME! I CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE HELL! I CAN MAKE YOU SUFFER AND MAKE YOU HOPE THAT YOUR REAL DEATH IS COMING!'' Seth yelled angrily and on annoyed that no one would ever take him seriously.

Seth dropped him to the floor. He could hear a commotion at the door, but the spells Seth had cast after entering the room remained impenetrable.

''It seems that Graves has been keeping files on... Zeliths for several years.'' Corban mentioned weakly. Seth closed his eyes for a moment, seeing Corban speaking with a wizard at the ministry. Corban had been reading on the wizard's thoughts for several minutes and skirting the subject indirectly. "There are three locations listed, including where you are now. I think Graves was waiting for something before he acted. You'll have to decide quickly what to do with them. Their involvement with muggles is too intense... and if Graves sees that you don't act, it will create a scandal, or worse, control over the vampires.''

''What is he doing?'' Galvin asked Danyck since Seth hadn't moved for a few seconds.

"Corban found information." Danyck replied.

Seth clicked his tongue before calming down. His eyes turned blue again and his nails shortened.

''OK! OK! What do you want then?'' Donovan asked, getting up and rubbing his hand around his neck. "Ugh, shit."

"A way to protect yourself. This place is under surveillance by a wizard.'' Said Seth.

"What?" Donovan said before getting up.

''I don't do business with wizards. They don't want to know anything about us either!"

''You know Darthael, right?'' Seth asked.

Donovan made a loud noise and rubbed the dust off his clothes.

''Why do you think your dear father always left me alive, hm? Darthael is the one who made me.'' Donovan said.

''Are you linked to him?'' Seth asked, wanting to know why some vampires weren't able to go into the sun for long, even though he had seen Donovan go without a problem.

"What does it matter?" asked Donovan.

Seth twitched his face and punched Donovan in the nose. The latter backed away screaming and held his bloody nose in his hands.

"Oh." Danyck said, surprised. "Seth has never used violence before while questioning.."

He had never used the king's powers before, either, and he didn't want to start now.

"Don't answer me with any more questions." Seth said through his teeth.

''YES! YES! I have a connection with him... Damn... you broke my nose...'' Donovan sniffed.

Seth's wand slipped into his hand, and he pointed it at him. Donovan stopped moving, his hands hanging at the sides of his face, and Seth saw fear in his eyes.

"Do you know what it is?" Seth asked.

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" Donovan asked, still arrogant.

Seth narrowed his eyes: Donovan had responded with another question. He seemed to notice his mistake, because he began to shake.

"Episkey." Seth said.

Donovan jumped and cried out as Seth had just cast the healing spell for his nose. Seth gave another sniff and turned on his heel and went to sit on one of the couches. Danyck took a place next to him, legs crossed. Galvin hesitated before coming to sit on the other side of Seth.

"Tell me about your last years." Seth said.

Donovan didn't move for a few seconds, then wiped his nose with his forearm. He sat down in a nearby office chair and cleared his throat.

''You... seem connected with the person to your left, am I correct?'' Donovan asked.

''Yes. Danyck was a human on my island. I'm also linked to my husband, a wizard who works at the Ministry of Magic.'' Seth said.

A look of confusion crossed Donovan's face.

''Husband? Are you gay?' asked Donovan.

Seth raised his eyebrows, not understanding the surprise at this constatation.

"Your majesty… it is extremely frowned upon to love a person of the same sex among humans." Galvin explained. "The wizards…and the vampires on your island do not share the same opinions."

Seth let out a loud noise.

''I don't have a preference, but the person I'm with is a man, yes.'' Seth said. ''I don't see how that's relevant. Continue."

''Yeah, so... I don't know exactly where you want me to start, but when Darthael made me, it was the start of the First World War, almost fifty years ago. In those days, being a vampire meant not being afraid of death, of injury... and blood, blood as much as you wanted. I didn't know about wizards until many years ago. They never interfered in Muggle affairs, I understood that, and even today, they prefer to... ignore us. The day I turned, I had just come out of a bar... I was going to fight the next day and all Darthael told me... was to have fun. Hunger…hunger quickly took over. I heard him whispering to me in my head, what to say, what to do... bite into a rat when the urge was too unbearable or inappropriate. I wasn't sleeping, maybe it was...my redemption, not needing sleep...diseases took the soldiers, and here I was, taking them to death to satisfy my hunger.'' Donovan licked his lips. ''The generals didn't understand how I could enter the bunkers so quickly, but very quickly... they understood that the preferred soldier on the ground... it was me. Eventually, soldiers saw the massacres that I was carrying out, that it was not bullets or grenades that killed the enemies. I was confronted... who could believe that a human would be as wild as an animal? They were afraid... even the soldiers I was with were almost begging me to stop, but others... others saw me and in their eyes, I saw their desires, and mine, and It was quite quickly that I created my own childes, even though I was only a baby.''

''With a link?'' Seth asked.

Donovan shook his head.

''No... and that's when I realized maybe my mistake, but I didn't want another voice in my head. In the same evening, I created two... and both died of sunburn after several hours of agony the next day.'' Said Donovan.

Seth knew that the vampires on his island were bothered by the sun, but they would never burn from it. Did the mental link have something to do with it, then? Gellert lived in Egypt where the heat and the sun reigned supreme... but again, Gellert had been created by the king himself. Had that changed anything?

''Darthael wasn't talking to you?'' asked Seth.

''Oh yes. He often told me I shouldn't make vampires, but I was stubborn and beyond his control anyway. Young and carefree... powerful... the ecstasy of donating blood was too intense... you know what I'm talking about, right?'' Donovan asked.

Seth wondered if he was talking about how he felt when Corban took his blood during his dealings with him, or the two times he created vampires, but then Seth remembered the immense pleasure he had gotten when Gellert took his blood. He had lost consciousness that time, but it was under the influence of giving his very essence of magic... right?

''Of course we know.'' Galvin said. "Why do you think we have so many problems with…Zeliths?"

''Do you think that's a reason?'' Corban asked through his thoughts.

''Maybe... he's telling the truth after all.'' Seth admitted.

''I tried not to stand out more than necessary, but even among my exploits, I couldn't save everyone, nor kill every human within my reach. When my entire battalion had died, and I was the last to hide among the bodies of those I had shot down... I had to try to return to England. Going back in the opposite direction was not easy, but despite the threats of wanting to kill me, which didn't work, I came back.'' Donovan got up and poured himself a glass of wine which he took from a cabinet.

"What did you do after coming back? I don't dare believe that Darthael or my father left you alone?'' Seth asked.

Donovan took a gulp of what he had left and licked his lips again. He then lit another cigarette, the last in his pack, and pouted.

''Your father was not there... it was in... 1923 that I returned. Darthael was not there, no one was there. I don't know how to get to this... uh, wizard bank, or how to get to the island.'' Donovan said before taking a long drag of a cigarette.

"Darthael never told you?" Seth asked.

''Do you really believe that the bond between vampires is the same as the king has with his wife? Or in your case to you, with your husband? Or even him there?'' Said Donovan, pointing towards Danyck.

"Danyck." Danyck replied, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, you, Danyck. No, it's not the same thing, and Darthael ignored me most of the time anyway. All vampires ignore each other and don't care about anything that concerns others, after a while... Well, that probably doesn't concern you, I don't know! I don't know you, I'm talking to you about what I know. I worked as a blacksmith, sailor, cleaner... for several years, and when the second war arrived, I returned there, and I met François. Do you know him?' asked Donovan.

Seth remembered the French vampire very well with his haughty demeanor and pretentious manner. He nodded.

''Well, if you know him, then you know that he was one of the people close to the creators of this Second World War? Hitler? Me and François, it was the dream… pools of blood, every day. Executions, torture...wearing that shit badge on our arm and instilling fear everywhere we went...this human war..." Donovan took another drag of his cigarette. ''...ah yes, and then the war was going to end, François knew it, he drove Hitler crazy and incited him to commit suicide by whispering hypnotizing words as only he knew how... and I stayed for a while in France with him, but I wanted to see people here again... I started working again, making horse bets... it's funny... the number of times people tried to execute me, and the number of time I only had one request: don't shoot me in the head.'' Donovan gave a light laugh before continuing. ''The next moment, they were dead, and I left with their eyes. They nicknamed me… the visionary.'' Donovan went to the cupboard and took out two glass jars filled with a liquid containing the eyes he had just spoken of.

"Charming." Danyck replied.

''I have enough. I want to see these Zeliths.'' Seth thought.

Danyck got up and went towards the door.

''Hey! Where are you going?' asked Donovan.

Danyck opened the door, and several people were arguing while waiting for their boss, apparently. They fell silent at the sight of Danyck.

"Boss?" asked one of them, pushing the door open.

"It's okay, Viane." Donovan said.

Danyck spotted one of these vampires behind Viane and pointed at him.

''Hey, you. Come in.'' Danyck said in a firm tone.

''Garry? Why?' asked Donovan.

Danyck lost his patience and raised his hand, using his telekinetic powers and Garry floated in the air for a few moments before being thrown into the office to which Danyck closed the door brutally in front of the guards who did not have time to react. Garry fell to the ground, but got up quickly enough, backing towards Donovan in fear.

''Don't kill him!'' Donovan said, stepping in front of Garry.

Seth stood up and Danyck crossed his arms.

"Daka." Seth said to Donovan in Venthyr, sweeping one hand in the air.

Donovan suddenly stiffened and took two steps back. Garry no longer dared to move, and Seth was now a step away from him. Seth looked at him for a moment. Garry had a pale complexion, almost white. His eyes were bloodshot and the veins in his face appeared darker than normal. His hair was short and black but combed back like the Italians. His face was thin, and his cheeks were hollow. He wore ripped jeans with a sleeveless black shirt. Seth wondered why his parents had described these kinds of vampires to him in a way as if the features of the vampire in front of him were heightened. Seth grabbed his chin and opened his mouth. Garry closed his eyes and swallowed. His teeth were perfect, white, and straight, like any vampire when he became one. His canines were all slightly longer than normal. For a moment, Seth wondered what might happen if he gave his blood to a vampire, Zelith or not. Seth let go of his chin and brought his own wrist to his mouth. Danyck reacted, approaching Seth quickly and grabbing his wrist, where blood was already flowing, and onto Danyck's hand.

''What are you doing? Is your head not okay?'' Corban almost screamed.

''What are you doing?'' Danyck hissed through his teeth at the same time.

Seth pushed Danyck away and silenced him with a look before extending his arm towards Garry. Everyone seemed to be in suspense and eager to drink his blood.

"Let me see what I'm worth." Seth replied.

Garry hesitated only a fraction of a second before taking Seth's wrist and covering it with his mouth, swallowing the blood eagerly.

'Melda mìr.'

The words Gellert had whispered before drawing his blood resurfaced. A great warmth spread through his body and a euphoria took hold of him. He held back his laughter at the feeling he felt. A dominant power towards another, feeling that Garry was dependent on him at that precise moment. He thought that he was taking something from him, not the other way around. Seth opened the shutters with the back of his other hand, filling the room with sunlight. He removed his wrist from Garry's mouth and took him by the throat and brought him towards the window.

Garry made a cry of surprise, his hands on Seth's wrist, and his feet in the air. Seth pressed him against the window and watched him. Garry's complexion was now less white, and no veins seemed to appear under his once almost translucent skin. Garry's eyes were icy blue, like any vampire he knew. The sun no longer seemed to reach him in any way. Seth smiled at him and laughed, he knew now that he had always been the solution for his nation, no matter what his father told him, no matter what Lazarus advised him. The Zeliths will finally be able to blend in with the muggles and no longer cause this false war with the wizards.

He let Garry fall to the ground, but Garry knelt down and kissed the bottom of his pants.

"Nin Aran." Garry whispered.

Translation Venthyr

"Farn."

''Enough.''

''Farn as hi. Ha meth si."

''Enough with that. It ends now."

"Daka."

"Move."

"Melda mìr."

"Beloved jewel."

"Nin Aran."

''My king.''