Vampire Reincarnation

The days of seeing my kin die due to not being able to feed are long since gone. They can eat and drink in abundance now, and our army grows stronger every day. Although we have not yet gotten even close to where He resides, I look toward it with excitement… but also apprehension.

Onyx growled as the unknown figure stood within meters of them, baring his teeth and waiting as the deep footsteps beat like a drum. Kai clutched the hilt, his palms sweating profusely.

However, just as the sounds reached a peak, they hurried off into the darkness, with Kai still unable to see who or what rushed through these pitch-black alleys. Staring in the direction of the strong mana present, he let out a sigh of relief as he put away his sword, unable to sense what he perceived to be an enemy anymore. A wave of relief washed over him, and he held back his desire to fall to the ground.

They took a minute to catch their breath and shook off the experience as nothing more than a ghost. After all, Gods existed, why not ghosts?

Finally leaving the alley and entering the town center, he was greeted by a cacophony of sounds and smells. His vision filled with countless people of different types. Of buildings covered in plants, vines, and paintings. Trees were erected in front of a large statue of Lumiera, behind which lay the church.

The statue itself pictured the vague figure of a woman with large wings sprouting from her back, and a large golden halo floating above her head. The clothes were loose but well-defined, and they covered the statue’s body well. Kai stared at the large, fairly accurate depiction of the Goddess. The artist didn’t meet her himself, otherwise, that smile would be way less pretty. He chuckled to himself and slowly walked toward the church.

The path in front of it was smooth, unlike the cobblestone roads covering the city. On either side stood beautiful, rectangular, perfectly trimmed bushes, almost to a fault. Two towers stood parallel to each other, each of them having a tell lazily hang from their lapis ceiling.

Around the church, a few people stopped just like Kai did, and admired the structure before continuing on their way. Most of these people seemed to be visitors, as the locals seemed preoccupied with indulging their desires a few houses away. Kai stepped forward, his heart racing as he climbed the wide steps. Onyx followed silently, not understanding why his companion paid so much attention to this building.

The large staircase made out of dark material, or rather, a material that has darkened over time, led to a thick, arched wooden door. Its knobs and handles glowed with a gold-like hue under the polls, illuminating the intricately carved details.

Looking from below, the church was akin to a giant, towering over both people and buildings. Its immense, suffocating presence loomed over Kai, even as he admired the carefully carved white stone it was made of, despite its grayish coat. Higher above the door, a wide window made of colored glass pictured the image of Lumiera. Her eyes were shut, and her hands joined together in prayer. The holy aura spread from her azure-clothed body and pushed away what seemed to be creatures made of darkness.

Kai gulped, unable to take his eyes off of her, despite seeing the Goddess more times than he’d have liked. It was almost like some sort of magical spell drove him to worship the figure before him. He shook off that thought and continued forward. Pushing against the door, it opened without any resistance. The sweet smell of burning incense inundated his nostrils, making him subconsciously let his guard down as he stepped inside.

Jesus Christ… Kai gasped once he entered, the outside of this grandiose building not giving its actual size justice. Before him stood another door, much smaller than the one before, and much thinner. Instead of a window, it had a large hole filled with a metallic wire, allowing him to see just enough to be left in awe.

He reached for the doorknob and shook it back and forth, however the door showed no signs of bulging. Locked huh… I guess it’s to be expected. Kai looked around, searching for an alternative way to get inside. Surely enough, to his right was a hallway. He didn’t know where it would lead, but he wasn’t about to give up trying to enter. I still have unsolved business with her. Clenching his fists, he turned to Onyx and patted his soft fur, before saying. “Wait for me here. If I don’t return in thirty minutes come look for me, alright?”

“Woof!” Onyx replied and sat down, watching his partner enter the dimly lit hallway.

It stood tall, about twice Kai’s size. Actual torches with crackling fire hung from the sides, bringing Kai a weird sense of familiarity. He traced his finger along the left wall, a shiver running down his spine from the chilliness. Suddenly, his footsteps halted, and he brought his wand out. Quickly casting an illumination spell, he took a step back and looked at the walls with widened eyes.

He walked back, meeting Onyx’s gaze briefly before turning his attention to the wall. The first thing he saw was the outline of a large, empty sphere sitting in some kind of space. Its vagueness didn’t stop Kai from recognizing the weird ball, and he inhaled sharply as he continued. That looks like Earth… The next picture over showed little spots starting to take shape on that sphere. And the next one over showed them getting closer and closer, until finally, the third one took the vague shape of the continent Kai was so familiar with. No way…

Advancing, the next mural showed the detailed image of Lumiera looking over the sphere with a gentle smile on her face. After that, the story progressively unfolded before Kai’s very eyes. She brought her finger to the bottom of the continent, giving it a gentle touch which created a mass of exploding light. Then, from the light grew a tree, which then spread its roots all over the continent.

From then, the only thing appearing were the trees growing more and more, until a layer of light appeared over the landmass, which quickly merged with it. Next, it depicted the first lifeforms. Animals guarded the original tree, feeding off of it and growing larger and larger as the days passed. More and more such beasts appeared all over the continent, taking control of it until…

The first intelligent species appeared. They learned how to control magic from observing the animals, from hunting down the weaker ones until they finally mastered the art of magic.

Kai continued forward, his heart racing as he quickly digested this information. His expression saddened, however when he saw that… there were no more carvings. Letting out a sigh, he looked behind him, above and below. Looks like that’s all they were willing to tell the public. Or is that all they know too? It can’t be… To know so little about how their world was created… Well, I guess it’s a pattern in all worlds.

He put away his wand and advanced through the hallway until he finally met with a staircase. Biting his lower lip, he climbed the first step and walked on his toes to not make too much noise, as even his breathing echoed. Around what he assumed to be the halfway point, he saw a door which he quickly tried. To his surprise, it opened, and quickly made his way inside the church. The smell of incense burned even stronger inside, his eyes almost watering from the intensity.

Moonlight hit him through the colored glass on the ceiling, slightly burning his hand. This roof window showed a similar painting to the one outside, except Lumiera’s eyes were wide open, and out into the darkness, fighting the black creature were four vague figures of what seemed to be angels. Kai stared at it for a good minute before turning his eyes away, toward the ground. On the floor, hundreds of chairs arranged in a circular formation pointed toward a large podium decorated with flowers. His eyes widened as he looked behind it, where a huge statue of Lumiera made out of marble stood tall. It almost reaches the ceiling… Kai thought as he walked forward, unable to take his eyes off of it.

Compared to this one, the statue outside was akin to a firefly, while this one was the moon. Its smooth skin was extremely detailed, without any flaw or stain visible on its surface. The clothes were realistic, their texture, folds, and flaws sculpted with much care and attention. Her beautiful face showed a mother-like, gentle expression as her large eyes looked over the entire hall. Its presence, much grander than the church itself, suffocated Kai with every step he took forward.

His heart skipped a beat, briefly halting in his footsteps as a shocked expression appeared on his face. Did she just… no, no way. However, it was obvious to him, the pupils had moved. He took a deep breath and advanced slowly until he was within meters of her.

It was then that an even more frightening presence enveloped Kai, and from up above where he was standing, he could see the marble statue glow brightly. He covered his eyes and reeled back in shock as a seemingly mechanical noise scraped his ears. Peeking through his mask, he saw the giant statue move and come closer to him, her deadpan expression sending shivers down his spine.

She stopped within inches of his face, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before Kai looked away. A soothing, ethereal voice echoed in the church, making his ears ring.

“Why have you come, soul?”

Kai gulped and took a few steps backward until he was stopped by a wall. His legs shook, arms trembled and lips quivered. However, he grits his teeth and says in a weak voice.

“I-I-I have some questions…”

The statue’s face leaned on her palm, her head turning slightly as the voice echoed once again.

“Is that so? Why then, must I answer you?”

“W-what?” Kai asked, taken aback by her question. Right, why should she answer me? He bit his lip and raised his voice, if ever so slightly. “You’re the one who brought me here… you’re the one who left me alone below the church in Nivero… you have some responsibility!”

“Ah? Fufu…” The statue chuckled, a smile creasing her dried lips. “I guess giving you another life wasn’t enough… would you much rather be recycled right now?”

Along with that statement, a huge pressure descended upon Kai, and his soul screamed in agony, just like back then when he was born. Although the pressure didn’t overstay its welcome, and soon vanished.

“Watch your words, soul, I am your Goddess now.” A warm breeze blew through the closed-off church, followed by Lumiera’s voice. “Yurman sent me a handful with you.”

Ignoring her remarks, Kai clenched his fists and built up the courage, the words he’d always wanted to say since that day finally escaping his mouth. “How… How can I get back the pieces of soul I lost?”

“Ha? Didn’t I tell you already? Go look for them, they’re all scattered around the continent.”

“Even if I were to begin searching now, finding one now, or in ten lifetimes is still an insurmountable task. Throw me a bone, please.”

Lumiera stood in silence, seemingly contemplating his request. Another gentle breeze blew through the church, and the statue’s hand rose, its index finger reaching toward Kai’s forehead. The boy froze up, both out of fear and respect, and endured the piercing coldness that he could feel through his mask.

“That should be enough, I made it so when you look at a map it shows you the vague location of the pieces.” She said as the statue walked back to its original position.

“Wait- What?” Kai gasped in shock. “So you already knew where they are? Hey! What kind of power is that?”

The statue’s expression turned to a frown as it glared at Kai, Lumiera’s angry voice echoing within the walls. “What? Are you not happy with that? I thought kids like you already knew this stuff. Do you want me to explain everything? I don’t know where your soul pieces are, your soul does, looking at a map just projects what the soul knows on the map. Oh my, so clueless, have you never picked up a ga-. You know what, never mind. Don’t bother me again, I’m not going to answer anymore.” With that, the statue returned to being just a statue… with an expression that changed ever so slightly.

“What the fuck was that?” Kai stared in shock, more taken aback by her reaction than the actual power She granted him.

…

Kai and Onyx walked out of the church with more questions than answers, however even he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what went through that Goddess’s head anymore. He sighed and pulled out a map, and, just as she said, small dots of light appeared all over the continent. Twelve in total huh… The closest one was somewhere inside the human kingdom, Aravia, while the rest were scattered in places with little to no documentation available. You gotta be kidding me…

Putting the map back into his ring, he sat down on the cold steps and looked toward the sky. Inhaling deeply and staring at the stars and moon, he ignored the pain on his retina and contemplated what his next steps should be.

I guess joining a guild, well, get a room first, then join a guild… Yeah. Well, at least I have another goal now… besides getting stronger. But had I known Lumiera would be so rude I… would have just gone to the Academy. He sighed and stood up, patting off the dust off his clothes, and strolled through the city center. The shops and stalls were nothing to write home about, especially in comparison to Nivero, whose streets were filled with merchants and amateurs. However, the smell of billowing smoke and heated iron, something which Kai had not felt, permeated the air as blacksmiths worked even late into the night to finish their commissions.

One such smithery stood a few streets away from the church, its open area creating a sort of stage as a dozen workers walked to and fro with hot metal and buckets of icy water. Sparks flew about as the sound of a hammer hitting metal echoed into the street, and Kai watched as a bar of metal turned into a sword. Of course, its quality was lacking in comparison to even the trashiest weapon made by a dwarf, but for humans who mainly focused on magic, it was more than enough.

Advancing past that little show, he passed countless bars and brothels, the loud chatter of the guests present gradually overpowering the sound of the ringing metal. The smell of alcohol permeated the air, accompanied by the alluring scent of fried meats. Onyx licked his lips and looked at Kai, yelping with a sharp sound as he nudged his partner toward one such food stall.

Feeling defeated, Kai gave in and walked toward the stall filled with a familiar smell. It was small and sold a variety of grilled delicacies, one such thing being skewers. Kai paused and looked at the man, squinting his eyes at his familiar features. Do I know him from somewhere? Nah, no way.

After ordering the man’s entire grill, as per Onyx’s begging, Kai stored away most of the food and gave his companion a few large steaks to chew down before asking directions for an inn, which the man happily gave. Turns out one was so close, nice.

He walked inside, the lobby being part bar as well. He found that to be the case in most lodgings in this world, but he couldn’t do anything about it nor about the gazes focusing on him as soon as he stepped through the door. The receptionist, who was also a bartender, looked at him with furrowed eyes but didn’t say anything as her expression turned into a smile.

“Welcome dear Guest, how may I be of service to you?”

“I’d like a room for me and my partner.” He said with an expressionless voice, pitched a few octaves lower to mask his age.

Hearing that, the receptionist bit her lips and said with a tinge of regret. “I’m sorry but we don’t have any available rooms, most of them have been reserved already.”

All of them? Kai thought, feeling suspicious about the whole thing. There’s no way. Fine then, I’ll try this.

“I’m willing to pay a ‘small’ premium.” He didn’t wait for the girl to answer as he pulled out a gold coin and sneakily placed it before her, making sure to hide it and annunciate the small part of his sentence. I don’t wanna get robbed by some losers trying to make a quick coin either…

The girl’s pupils widened, however, she placed the coin back in his palm, even as her heart screamed in regret. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any more rooms.”

“Hmm… alright then.” Kai didn’t take the coin, and left together with Onyx, looking and asking around for other inns.

However, no matter where he went, the answer was the same, regardless of how much he insisted. After the sixth rejection, he sensed that something was amiss, and after the eighth, he knew it for sure. Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here? He sat down at a bar and ordered himself a drink he didn’t intend to finish, hoping to pick up some useful information. Perking his ears, he listened carefully to the people around him.

“Did you hear? Fala’s daughter is going to get married next month…”

“Aye, business has been bad recently, the monsters in the West have been wreaking havoc.”

“Some green little shit destroyed my garden the other way, I wonder where these pests came from?”

“Ho, look at that guy with the mask, he thinks he’s being sneaky.”

Kai shot to his feet, and left the table with a few coins under the drink, clicking his tongue. Was I that obvious? I guess these things happen often so people are wary. Damn it! I’ll go to the guild first and worry about it later.

He followed the roads and eventually arrived at the building where all the guilds gathered. It was big, large in width and height, but still not as big as the church. Clear windows decorated its sides, with large staircases leading toward a large door made out of weird metal. The gate was wide open, inviting anyone and anything inside. From outside, its splendor shone through the water fountains, statues, and flags decorating the large entrance. Flags with each guild’s sigil flowed freely in the wind, even though there was no wind anywhere else.

No gate or wall surrounded the building or anything related to it, showing how sure of themselves the people residing within were. Besides all of that, their biggest show of power and wealth had to be a large statue made out of magic crystals sitting proudly in the middle of the entrance. Its bottom was transparent, not obscuring the overall view, which gradually turned red and green, which then mixed with the other colors toward the top. It depicted a man with a large frame- Big chest and arms, wearing armor and wielding a sword. A crown decorated his head, and a large beard his face.

Kai gasped as he walked inside, barely able to calculate just how much mana existed in that singular space.

As he stared at the statue with widened pupils, a cold hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, sending a cold shiver down Kai’s spine as he felt the immense amount of magic emanating from the person behind him. Onyx yelped, frozen in fear as well, and Kai couldn’t even turn to see who it was that locked him down.

His heart raced madly as a deep voice echoed in his ears, and a pit formed in his stomach as soon as its words rang in his mind. “You got an interesting animal there.”