Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

The group warped into a large chasm chamber alight with green flamed magical lanterns. Sandy earth shifted beneath their feet as they took in the coliseum. In the stands were the Fallen Jade Carvers, silently watching and judging them.

"It's been so long since one of your kind has graced my presence," a wizened voice said. The group turned their heads to the center of the coliseum, where a bald floating man sat with his legs crossed and pouring himself a cup of tea. He wore ocean blue robes with one shoulder laid bare. A green dragon motif worked its way from his right leg up, resting its head on his clothed shoulder. A bo staff with two shimmering metal balls at each end floated next to him.

He raised his teacup, took a sip, then gently placed it back down and waved it away with one hand. "Shall we begin?" He said, opening his eyes to reveal socketed jade stones. He uncrossed his legs and stepped down, eliminating his levitation.

Aldrin quickly read through the prompt as senses screamed at him to be alert. He warily watched the monk, never taking his eyes off him. He could feel his teammates in his sphere spread themselves out, but what really set Aldrin on edge was the fact that the monk smiled and took a step forward. Subconsciously, Aldrin took an involuntary step back, forcing a snarl to escape his mouth.

Xi Lin chuckled and took another step that made Aldrin take another step back. "You are smart. A warrior at heart, I see," he goaded, then twirled his bo staff once, making it whistle in the air.

"What are you? You feel wrong," Aldrin demanded, tasting the words.

"Ah, a newborn? No. You're past that.." Xi Lin said hesitantly, his jade eyes igniting with a soft fire when he looked at and through Aldrin. It clicked as his features bloomed into one of recognition. "Tell me, does my mistress, Jiang Yun, still live?"

Aldrin looked puzzled at the name. "Who?" he asked, readying himself for any sudden movement.

The monk's features softened when the fire in his eyes slowly died. "That explains it," he said dejectedly. "I haven't felt her pull in a long time," he sighed heavily.

Aldrin sniffed and realized the monk carried no smell, making him stand stock still. He only knew of three others that held no smell and they were standing beside him. "You are a Servant," he stated.

Xi Lin chuckled, "So not so new after all? Perhaps you can answer a question of mine?" Aldrin gave a stiff nod, his eyes never taking off the monk.

"What are you in the hierarchy?" Xi Lin asked.

Aldrin felt no reason to hide it, so he answered, "The Progenitor."

The answer made Xi Lin blink once, then twice, then let out a booming laugh. "You are not. I should kill you for that treasonous statement!" he frowned, tightening his grip on his staff as his eyes alighted with green fire again. "As a matter of fact, I think I will." He said with a sneer, then flashed forward.

All Aldrin saw was the rounded metal ball at the end of the Bo staff careening towards his head. The sudden shock of it all quickly passed through him as he acted on instinct and stepped back, letting the wind from the strike breeze across his face. More attacks followed, each faster than the previous one, until the monk shifted his focus to Jared, who was captivated by the dizzying display.

Dread Charge got Aldrin in front of the blow that would have hit Jared. The blow made Aldrin wince as he took it on his back. It surprised him more than it hurt because he was forced to catch himself from stumbling. "Ah, so these are your Servants? Do they know what they are capable of? Do they know what I am capable of?" The monk asked with a deadly smile, twirling his staff for another strike.

Aldrin retaliated by conjuring Sin-Screamer and swung with all his might. The monk blocked it, but the visible shock from the blow rattled up the monk's arms, forcing him to disengage. He looked down at his arms with a thoughtful expression, "Interesting. A bit stronger than your average Vampire. A Dragmoor Vampire perhaps?" He mused to himself.

Snarling again, Aldrin rushed forth, Sin-Screamer sending out phantom blades every fifth strike, but the monk danced around them like he was toying with a child. Frustration bubbled within Aldrin, and that frustration egged on his Vampiric nature to show.

With his recent rank up to a mature vampire, long gone were the tufts of wispy white hair and instead Aldrin's usual brown curly hair turned white. The once emancipated corpse he looked like now had some meat on its bones, although he still slightly lacked muscle. His claws were now shiny black and his fangs that grew from the top and bottom canines now had a set of smaller ones right next to them as he roared in challenge. This new form, while looking similar to how he looked as a human, still favored the monster beneath the skin and would only favor it the higher in rank he went.

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Watching from behind, his group readied themselves. Jared pulled his bowstring, letting loose a flurry of arrows and Pierre rushed in, flourishing his dual wielding daggers. Evie watched, her hand in her runestone pouch, fingering one and watching for the right moment to throw it.

The monk studied Aldrin's new form. "Giving yourself over to the monster inside already?" He chided, then studied him more as memories resurfaced. "The martial prowess of a Dragmoor with the patience of a Kor'Tal?" He mused, tilting his head to the side, uncaring of the monster rushing towards him. "I am definitely intrigued now," he gave a soft smile, then whispered words of power into his staff, lighting it with a green runic pattern that ran circular from one end to the other.

Xi Lin met Aldrin in the middle, clashing his staff against the rusted looking blade. He was surprised the blade had held on for so long, then he glanced at the blade and saw faces marred in anguish staring back at him. They tried to whisper his doom, but the monk had prepared his mind for psychic attacks long ago after enduring the torture his mistress put him through.

When Xi Lin tried to push against Aldrin, he found himself unable to move until he felt something slither up his leg. Aldrin grinned as he called forth the shadows to entangle the monk. He transformed himself into fog just in time for three of Jared's arrows to hit the target, but unfortunately, the three mundane arrows bounced off the skin and clothing of the monk.

The monk stared in disbelief when Aldrin reformed, aiming to cleave him from shoulder to hip. "I concede!" The monk quickly scrambled to a kneeling position once he felt the shadows loosen.

Sin-Screamer stopped mere inches from the monk's shoulder. "What?" Aldrin asked, ignoring the System Message. He tried with all his might to budge, but by some force, he couldn't move any further.

"Servants of Vampire cannot be harmed from another Vampire once they verbally admit defeat. It was a law bound by magic to foster cohesion among the Kin and their followers." The monk said, flicking his eyes at the three others that stood a fair ways back, then back to Aldrin.

"Why do you concede? You are a Dungeon Boss?" Aldrin frowned.

The monk released a heavy sigh, "Forgive me, my lord. I did not believe you to be the Progenitor until you displayed powers from not one, but three distinct bloodlines."

That sentence caused Aldrin's fight and his monstrous visage to recede slowly. Seeing that, Xi Lin stood. "I can answer a few questions you might have as I was alive during the exodus and you seem like you're lacking a lot of vital information."

Thousands of questions wanted to rush forth and spill from Aldrin's mouth, but only one won the race. "How many others are like me?"

The monk gave a tight-lipped smile, "I know thousands fled during the time, but I also know a few others had fled before that, so I am unsure how many made it out."

Aldrin rocked back on his feet, feeling the heavy blow that came with that revelation. "What is the Forbidden Continent?"

The monk tilted his head slightly, looking at Aldrin like he had grown another head. "It's the birthplace of many creatures that roam Grenora."

"Birthplace?" Pierre chimed in as the rest of the group huddled around them.

The monk stared at Pierre, then looked to Aldrin, "Vearis, firstborn of the Celestials, Elthar and Lemera. God of the Condemned."

Evie gasped, making all heads turn to her. Her hands had raised to cover her mouth as she stared wide eyed at the monk. Jared was the first to comfort her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "That god was real?" she quietly asked.

The monk nodded. "From what my mistress told me from her maker told her from what his maker told him. Vearis was very much real and not at all what he is portrayed to be."

"I'm sorry. Can you tell me who Vearis is? This is my first time hearing about him," Aldrin said, looking back and forth between Evie and the monk.

Xi Lin sighed again. "It doesn't surprise me. Him and his other siblings caused the Progenitor Wars," he said. "He wanted to create a place where you weren't an outcast or condemned for being different in one place, but loved in another. He wanted balance, and he knew that being good or evil was and always a choice, not what you are."

"His ideals got through to some. Outside, it's different and better," Evie countered with tears in her eyes.

"On the surface, but look deeper, and what do you still see?" Xi Lin asked, stumping the group as they thought about the blind eye to slavery, hidden sneers, and preferred treatment.

"What is my role? Why me then?" Aldrin asked, hopeful that the monk could shed some insight.

Xi Lin gave Aldrin a saddened look, almost as if he could see what was going to happen. "To bring balance. You are both life and death. Good and bad. All that matters is how you choose. You are a leader, a beacon to rally behind for those seeking a better world. You are not bad or a monster. Look at who follows you even now?" He pointed to Jared, Evie, and Pierre. "They are not and will not be the last, especially once you reconnect with the other Vampires. I know they wait for you because they waited for you then. You will be safe there to learn and grow at your pace as you will have teachers that have been at this a longer than you." The monk smiled encouragingly.

Aldrin listened to the monk with rapt attention, internalizing everything. "And my connection to other Undead?"

"Aldrin, you are the only Progenitor of the Undead, which makes you higher than even Lich Lords. You sit at the top and what you do at the top will trickle down. Not to mention, you seem like a man with a good heart who was at the right place, but at the wrong time." The monk said.

"How did you..?" Aldrin asked, shaken by the monk's statement.

Xi Lin winked with a smirk. "An ability my mistress taught me. House Vaughnil will also teach you." He quickly looked upwards then back at the group, "It's time for you to go and thus my time here has ended." The group frowned before a black vortex appeared off to the side of Xi Lin. He pointed at the black vortex. "That is your exit."

One by one the group walked closer to the vortex, but Aldrin stopped before stepping through, looking back at the monk that stood with serene attention. He wanted to say something, but no words came to him. The monk saw the conflict within his eyes and bowed with one hand formed into a fist placed on his chest.

"I have faith in you, Sire of Sires." The monk whispered low enough that only Aldrin heard, startling him with how much the monk believed the words and in him.

"I will do my best," Aldrin replied just as quietly, then turned to walk through the portal with the rest of his group following just behind. They stepped out into the open under an alcove of trees. One basin of water sat in the middle on a raised stone platform that was covered in mossy vines. The harsh light from dusk where the sun was setting on the horizon greeted them first. Birds sang their evening tunes, as did the insects that were waking up. A soft breeze rustled through the trees that made Aldrin want to inhale, but thought better of it. Still, the message that lingered in his vision filled him with a vigor that only comes from having an obtainable goal.

However, the blaring horns and ringing bells in the distance cut that moment of vigor short. They each gave each other confused looks before bolting out of the alcove, coming to a stop on the main pathway that led to the towers for teleporting. As they glanced around, Elven soldiers ran into the nearby towers that would take them to different island chains. Adventurers freshly coming out of Dungeons or about to start ran alongside each other, screaming about what was happening. Through the sharpened noises of the horns, the ringing of bells, and the shouts of panicked people, it was heard on the lips of an Elven Mage that ran by.

It wasn't dusk. Folos was under attack by the Moon and Dark Elf clans.