Something Immortal

60: Madness Part One

The after-effects and wreckage of war had turned the Strigoi main base into a smoldering ghost town as the allied races forced the evacuation of almost all of its residents. The fiend fire spread from the surface to the underground seams had kept burning, and even before Kla Han could explain further what happened and who led the attack, he already had an idea of who could have done it.

There was no room for doubt in everyone's mind that Stella Perova was the strongest fighter who served under Lord Phaibun since their house was exiled and hunted by the other strigoi clans. She had proven this time and time again and now that she had the confidence of the former Viscount of the Draconian Race, it would be impossible to ignore her. They must act hurriedly before it becomes too late.

"I suppose the Peace Treaty has finally broken," Ilarion guessed, still standing in front of a wrecked castle that once housed the Khan's residence. "What happened to the leader?"

"What do you think?" said another voice behind them, stepping out of the darkness, it was revealed that this man was the serf, Seisyl Drest. "Lod Valko had no choice but to take him away."

This didn't sit well with Som as he turned around to face the envoy of the Hydra clan. "He saved the Khan before his son?"

"The preservation of the race is much more important than that of one single bloodline," Seisyl explained this to him, in the most heartless tone.

Som continued to frown upon this. "Marko stood on his own against the undead race, protecting both the residence and the leader. Surely, his father must think that he deserved to be rescued."

A brow raised as Seisyl replied dryly, "And where were you and his younger brother then?"

"I...there is something I must seek in order to end this story."

"End the story?" the serf scoffed, muttering, "So, you already knew?"

Silence followed that statement before Som could finally speak once more, as he recalled Aster's last message to him;

The shadowed war, of secret poisons and those sleeping men, strangled in their beds, of the sudden arrow and that nightmarish of a sword-there is no end to it.

"You knew as well," he began.

Seisyl whose eyes were an assortment of the deep blue sea and the green moss narrowed into slits. "Amusing, isn't it? How you send all those nightmarish dreams to our race ensuring that we always remember."

"It wasn't me and you know that too," the jaw on Som's muscle tensed.

"Whatever," the man responded while Ilarion and Malee switched their attention from one person to the other. "He is a part of you."

"Why did you come here?" Som decided to ask instead; proceeding with an argument with this one could only result in more spiteful words that he wasn't prepared to receive now. He noticed that Kla Han had returned but Mica wasn't with him, and he stood beside the Serf of the Draconian race looking taller with his upper body still bare.

"We came to retrieve you, of course."

"I'm not coming with you," the sudden declaration froze even his companions and they all noticed how he took a step backward.

"Do not be ridiculous," Seisyl hissed and Kla Han growled. "We can't let anything happen to you. Not when Kali is...you must come with us!"

"I won't!" Som insisted, turning to the Alpha of the Werecat, he asked, "Where is Mica?"

"Lord Valko specifically pleaded to my kind to save his sons," Kla Han said in almost a whisper, his tone was solemn in both aspect and demeanor. "But it was too late for the other. Som, I think it is better if you come with us. You can't do this alone."