Aurei Antiacus.
Rampiel's long forgotten warrior, a man who had fought under Cain's command as nothing more than a foot soldier, was asked a fate changing question on a random evening by a man unknown.
Any disbeliefs Aurei had in the man instantly vanished once he backed his claims as a high ranking individual connected to their king's family.
The question was stated as the following.
"You, along with nine other soldiers under the royal army, will undergo over two centuries of seclusion training in the black mountains natured deep within the north. By no means should any of you come out until that time is up, however you are all allowed to stay for as long as you want as well."
Seeing little to no progress with the training he was undergoing now, Aurei decided this was his only option, even if it was on a whim.
Abandoning his old life behind, Aurei ventured alone to the north, as did the other supposed nine warriors, and he spent the next two and a half centuries training by himself, surviving off a few human blood rations sent with him.
.....
.....
Now standing across from the rightful heir to Rampiel, the anger inside Aurei that's been festering deeply is finally unleashed.
"Burn his soul." Aurei commands, his guards charging forward with swords and spears.
With a few simple swipes of his sword, the vampires fall to the ground in pieces as Cassiel slowly steps forward.
Enraged, Aurei brings his sword up over his head, slamming it down towards Cassiel with both hands.
With his blade striking the ground, Aurei blinks as Cassiel appears behind him before striking Aurei across the face with the pommel of his sword.
As his head recoils back, his body doesn't move. Aurei stays standing, his eyes focusing on Cassiel.
Swinging the back of his arm at him, Cassiel is launched back by a few meters, just barely blocking the blow.
"Is this truthfully the best you can do? I can't believe Albus lost to the likes of you, did you tire him out with your dead soldiers?" Cassiel mocks, grinning as he glares at Aurei.
"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD!" Aurei screams out, throwing his sword at Cassiel.
Dodging the sword by a mile, Cassiel laughs.
"Seriously? Throwing your weapon aw-"
Cassiel is cut off as Aurei sticks his arm out, bringing the sword to fly back into his hand.
"The Aeternus family will no longer exist after this day, you will pay for your father's crimes, you devil." Aurei says through gritted teeth.
Cassiel stares at him, dumbfounded and confused.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Cassiel dashes past Aurei, leaving a shallow cut in his right leg.
Turning around while swinging his sword, Aurei's blade clashes with Cassiel's, moving Cassiel back by a couple of inches as he finds a hard time holding his ground.
"Your family should never have ruled." Aurei states, his words finally breaking into Cassiel's mind.
"Damnit... will you shut your trap you damn mutt?" Cassiel bites coldly, his eyes darkening as he pushes Aurei's blade back.
"Fifth tier magic, Formless Seppuku." He continues, driving his blade through his chest as he did in his fight with Barakiel just a month ago.
With his blade coming back out his body, it seems as though the mana from inside him is fighting against his sword as his bodily mana floats and swirls around his blade.
"What the h-"
In a fraction of a second, Cassiel practically teleports in front of Aurei, driving his knee straight into his face, launching Aurei into a wall.
Coughing blood out, Aurei looks as his hand is covered in it, before looking up at Cassiel as he stands only two feet away from him.
"Get up." Cassiel orders, his eyes burning a hole into Aurei.
In a fit of desperation, Aurei swiftly stands up with an uppercut to Cassiel's chin, which only makes Cassiel look up slightly.
Wrapping his hand around Aurei's neck, Cassiel slowly begins choking him out as Aurei does everything he can to rid Cassiel of his grip on him.
Punching his arm with all his might, Aurei turns to punch Cassiel's body, then his face, before slowly but surely letting up.
"Y-Y-You... bastard... y-you will... atone f-for what your family... has done..." Aurei chokes out, the golden hue draining from his eyes as his sword slowly reverts back to its original state.
"F-Fourth... tier magic... Absolute... Barrier." Aurei mumbles as a final wave of his golden magic is sent out, loosening Cassiel's grip and blasting him back by a couple feet as he shields his eyes from the shine.
Dropping his arm to see again, Aurei is found on one knee, his sword shaking within his grip.
"Your family, to kill your own loyal soldiers... soldiers whom would believe your father's every word, every order, every command. If justice refuses to act, then I shall be the judge." Aurei says, standing up in his weakened state.
Staring at Aurei, Cassiel's sword dissipates in his hand.
"You fool. You abandon your duty as a royal soldier, and now you believe judgement is demanded on me? I've had enough of your words." Cassiel says, walking forward, each step leaving a crack in the floor.
"Pray tell, your family has ten warriors sent out in seclusion, and when we're finally allowed to leave, we come back to hell across the realm? Yet you say I'm a fool?" Aurei bites back, gritting his teeth as his grip tightens to his sword.
This stumps Cassiel, stopping him dead in his tracks.
"There were never any soldiers sent out for seclusion training, what matter do you speak of? You haven't lost your tongue after running off, have you?" Cassiel questions, intrigued yet wary that Aurei may have gone insane.
Aurei's blade is dropped into the ground, his hands barely holding the sword anymore as he stares at Cassiel in disbelief, his eyes in a state of array.
Looking across his face, Cassiel quickly figures that Aurei speaks the truth, forcing him to cancel his magic as he drops to one knee, leaving himself defenseless to any that know of his magic's drawback.
"Aurei, would you be able to bring me the others that were sent to seclusion training alongside you?" Cassiel says, his voice low and soft.
Aurei, not knowing of Cassiel's drawback, sees only a king willing to get on his knee for a mere soldier.
Choking up, Aurei blurts out that he will, as he turns down the stairs, stepping over his own soldier's bodies with a tear rolling down his face.
"What a strange man..." Cassiel says, falling to the ground as the council members finally step forward after holding themselves up against the farthest wall.
"Excuse me? My king..?" One of the blacksmiths says, walking closer to Cassiel.
"If any of you touch me, I'll have your hands on display over the Foundry entrance." Cassiel says, intimidating the council members as they back up, discussing amongst themselves once again.
.....
.....
Kislev, being the first to wake up amongst the group, quickly rushes to wake his companions.
After trying everyone else, Kislev finally gets to Thern, who, despite all odds, wakes up.
.....
Without a moment's hesitation, Kislev and Thern are rushing up the stairs, running as fast as they can as the heat from the Foundry flame slowly begins burning away their skin.
Getting further up the floors, Kislev and Thern are face to face with Aurei, whose face is bloody with his armor battered.
Stopping and staring at each other for a moment, Kislev and Thern glare Aurei down, until he moves to the side to let them pass.
Confused, Kislev steps forward past Aurei, his eyes never leaving the man.
Thern follows immediately after.
Reaching the top, the two stare at Cassiel, who's laying on the ground without a speck of blood on him.
Stepping over the dead bodies, Kislev rushes to him, kneeling down beside him.
"My king? Are you alright?" Kislev asks, his voice sincere.
Cassiel just stares at him, before sighing.
"Get me on a chair, Kislev. I need a few moments."
"Yes, sir."