Vampire Reincarnation

Just like a pebble thrown in a calm lake, the image rippled and distorted as they stepped in. Onyx watched the thing with caution, but in the end, closed his eyes and followed them as well. The portal slowly faded away, disappearing as if it was never there in the first place.

A brief flash of light greeted Kai upon entry, making him squint. His blurry vision returned to normal a few moments later, and his mouth dropped open as he looked around him.

To compare the South Gate Public Place to the area he found himself in was like comparing a firefly’s light to the moon’s - impossible.

As soon as he stepped in, an intoxicating blend of natural scents invaded his nostrils, and he coughed as he adjusted to the air. The trees, although shorter than the ones outside, had thick crowns forming an emerald canopy that shone brilliantly as the moon’s light bounced off its verdant surface. A tranquil sound reverberated through the air, the wind breeze running through and crashing against the leaves. Accompanying it, the bird’s beautiful melody echoed through the forest, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.

The beautiful night sky covered the kingdom’s lush vegetation, its stars shining upon it like countless eyes casually observing Evicario’s beauty.

Buildings of different shapes and sizes, made out of a luscious pale wood carved with several intricate symbols decorated the trees. Within them, crystals that shone like a firefly in the night were embedded, adding a luxurious tinge of beauty. Some of the buildings even spanned several trees, all of them blending harmoniously with the trees they warped around. Gargoyels depicting different sorts of animals, some of which Kai didn’t recognize, were placed on the roofs of the more important buildings. Inns, shops, governmental buildings, trading alleys - As far as Kai could see, each tree served a purpose, and, regardless of which type of building it was housing, at least ten elves were going to and fro.

All of them however had launch pads, similar to the ones outside, which the elves used to travel through the magnificent landscape. Down on the ground, hidden among the lush vegetation, were a few buildings. Although it lacked the intricate design of those atop the trees, they did their job - To house and help the non-elf visitors travel through the different zones. Both male and female elves helped the different races travel through the trees, and a clear difference became immediately obvious. The guests that looked more important had upwards of five elves guarding them, all of them as beautiful as a rose regardless of gender or build. In contrast, the more ordinary guests only had one elf, which lacked in appearance compared to the others. Of course, there were exceptions, but very rare.

The flora covering the ground, however, seemed ripped off of a painting and dropped on the earth. Beautiful, glowing flowers covered the ground, their soft, comforting light illuminating the vibrant grass. Joining them, thin, long flowers with silver petals covered the surface like vines, and wrapping around these veins were crimson flowers that resembled vipers.

At the base of the trees, mushrooms of all shapes and colors fed off their trunks like parasites. Some of them glowed, some of them were nearly invisible and some of them fed off the insects roaming about.

Kai’s mouth remained wide open as he struggled to take all of it in. He had never witnessed such scenery before, and even Onyx’s eyes widened in surprise upon glancing at the city.

“It wasn’t easy, to get all this,” Aina said a trace of melancholy hidden in her voice. “My house is right around the center, let’s go.” She beckoned Kai, walking toward one of the launchpads designed for guests. Upon arrival, the elves and other races stared at Kai with widened eyes and began whispering amongst themselves as they stepped inside the launchpad.

Onyx stared at the two with anxiety, seeing that his size didn’t allow him to get in even if it was empty. Letting out a low yelp, it looked toward Kai with begging eyes.

“Take the Obborik to my house, we’ll meet you there.” Aina pointed toward two bulky elves, their well-toned and developed muscles bulging as they grunted in acknowledgment. “Kai, get ready, the first time you launch isn’t the prettiest, fufu.” Laughing, she gestured toward one female elf who stood a distance away next to what looked like a controller. She waved her hand above a crystal, and a strong gust of wind suddenly appeared from below Kai’s feet.

“Hold on tight.”

Aina grabbed Kai and pressed him tightly to her body, and in turn, Kai hugged her waist as they got launched into the air. His hair and robe flew backward, and he almost started tumbling were it not for Aina holding him tight. Suddenly, a warm light enveloped him and the woman. He felt his body turn lighter, but, despite that, the air surrounding him turned gentler, and he almost seemed to be able to control its direction.

A soft smile creased Aina’s lips, disappearing as they landed atop a platform. “How was it?” she asked, letting go of Kai’s body.

“It was… interesting.” He stumbled, only replying after regaining his footing. “What was that toward the end? The light and…”

“That was my magic, I modified the energy around our bodies. I’ll teach you how to do that later.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the next launchpad before Kai could even process her words.

As they flew and traveled through the air, Evicario slowly revealed itself to Kai. What he had seen from the ground could not compare to actually being in the painting, floating like a fairy amongst the verdant branches. The buildings, commercial, industrial, or housing, turned even more beautiful as he walked past them, his mouth agape. Aina purposefully slowed down, letting Kai take in all the new information.

Strolling through the bustling platforms, which almost resembled a street but not quite, Kai felt a sense of being a fish out of water. All kinds of people of different races, heights, occupations, and status walked past him. Some of them with wide eyes, and some with disinterest, awe, reverence or simply curiosity. Regardless of which it was, the large variety - from dwarves to elves, to lizardmen and humans, but also countless Mnatu people.

Most of the buildings they passed by were shops or inns, however, there were also a few personal homes that stood out like a sore thumb compared to the other lodgings in the area. They were grand, tall, and majestic despite the similar materials. Intricate designs covered every inch of the wood and glass panes, and a large garden could be seen every so often. The flowers within seemed to have been taken out of a book and carefully placed inside the soil, as their beauty made all others pale in comparison. Likewise, some yards had one or two magical beasts, the aura and pressure they emanated made Kai shudder slightly. So strong?! Are they keeping them as pets or something??

After a few minutes, Aina suddenly halted in her footsteps, stopping in the middle of what resembled an intersection. To his left stood a relatively large building decorated with gargoyles, flowers, magical beasts statues, and several trees. The material it was made of differed greatly from all others, as its white surface shone like a pearl in the night. A multitude of people gathered around it, most of them with various wounds covering their bodies, All of them seemed to be in pain or discomfort as they waited outside, creating a seemingly never-ending line. Situated just above the entrance, right in the middle, stood a green cross made out of glistening emeralds. The symbol looked terrifyingly familiar to Kai, however, he had no time to think about it further as Aina’s voice rang in his ears.

“Let’s enter, my house is just around the corner.”

Kai didn’t stand on ceremony and turned around, following Aina a few dozen meters before stopping abruptly. His eyes widened in shock and awe as he stared at the building before him, its appearance resembling a castle more than a house.

At the end of the street-like platform, placed between nine trees, a tall, shining, majestic building surrounded by a beautiful purple fence, was a… manor. Its brown exterior, although weathered by time, left one in awe. Vibrant green grass filled its courtyard, on top of which stood several smaller shacks, greenhouses and workshops. Weirdly shaped yet gorgeous purple and pink trees lined up along the centrally paved road, which led toward two circular staircases. Standing opposite each other, their trajectory met in the middle, right in front of two giant doors, which had the symbol of a snake wrapped around a staff engraved on them.

The Serpent of Epidaurus?! The Staff of Aesculapius? Kai’s mind reeled in shock as he looked at the symbol which signifinied medicine, small snippets of his memories, along with Rodney’s flooding his brain. His eyes widened in shock as he remembered the green gross etched onto the building as realization suddenly hit him. This… it can’t be a coincidence, right?

He looked at Aina with a deep, profound gaze, his body shaking briefly as he tried to regain his composure. Elizabeth’s mother noticed this but didn’t pay it any mind as most people seeing that building had a similar reaction. Looks like this brat can be impressed after all!

He shook his head and followed Aina toward the manor’s gate, which seemingly opened by itself as soon as they stepped in front of it. What the fu…- Kai exclaimed internally, however, he kept walking nonchalantly as the gates quickly closed behind them. He took a step backward and took in a deep breath as he adjusted to the new atmosphere. The air seemed to have become thicker, and the mana permeating it turned denser, to the point that even Kai, with his broken veins and core, could feel it.

“What is this?” A question involuntarily escaped his lips as he felt his entire body ache, the mana forcefully invading his body, coursing through his broken mana veins. He grunted, his arms trembling as the pain became more and more excruciating. With a racing heart, he fell to his knees and tears dripped down his cheeks as he struggled to contain a scream.

Aina’s expression immediately turned to horror as she watched Kai tumble to the ground. “Kai!” She yelled while dropping to her knees, immediately grabbing one of his arms. A painful scream escaped his lips as she injected mana into his veins, and he almost fell to the ground were it not for Aina holding him up.

“Boy, what… what happened to you?!” Her faint, broken voice fell on deaf ears, and Kai’s head rang as if a bell struck it. Aina’s pupils constricted as she immediately pulled out her wand. Waving it, a small barrier encompassed both her and Kai, cutting off the mana from the outside. With a gesture of her fingers, the leftover mana rushed toward her hand, safely entering her body. She laid Kai down on the ground before running her hands over his chest, her fingertips glowing with a faint green light. The horror on her face intensified as Kai’s broken body slowly revealed itself before her as she felt the movement of the mana through his veins.

“How could this be…” her vision seemed to turn blurry as she inspected the hole-riddled mana veins, countless thoughts and questions appearing in her mind.

Kai’s pained groan awoke her from the daze, and she immediately got to work, moving her fingers up and down in the air, forcefully extracting the mana from within.

A wave of warmth spread all along his body as the pain began to subside, however, he felt himself losing consciousness as his muscles began to relax. The last thing he heard was Aina’s horror-filled voice, however, her words turned incomprehensible as he fell into slumber.