‘Just because I was honest wouldn’t have made Mom and Dad less scared of me. They had every reason to be shocked and even question if an Abomination hybrid like me was their son to start with.
‘I didn’t wait years before coming clean because I never considered the issue, I did it because I was scared. The only difference between Bodya and me is that you know about his struggle and that he doesn’t have much time to make up his mind.
‘He can’t afford to plaster a smile on his face and pretend that everything is fine until he feels safe like I did.’
Tista remained silent as her outrage died out. She remembered her brother’s distress well, how keeping his identity as an Awakened and Solus’ presence a secret had haunted him for years.
Back then, she had no words to offer him aside from cautious optimism. Even though she believed in love, there was no guarantee that things wouldn’t fall apart and once a secret was out, there was no putting it back in.
She mulled over his words until they landed, but even then she was none the wiser.
“What the heck?” Kamila said in surprise, noticing that they were surrounded by a mana geyser and in front of hundreds of reverted monsters. “I thought we were going to check on the undead, not the people of Zelex.”
“And so did I.” Lith shapeshifted into his human form, taking his communication amulet out of his pocket dimension to call Vladion again.
“And you were both right.” The Firstborn Vampire placed his hand on Lith’s amulet before his finger could reach Vladion’s contact run. “Welcome to the joint colony of Zelex and the Eclipsed Lands.”
The sun was still high but as long as the Vampire turned his full-red blood core into a deep red mana core, it was no bother to him.
“A joint colony?” Solus echoed in disbelief. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see the point of it. By taking the same space you can cover each other’s back, but it also reduces the territory you can secure by half.
“On top of that, there is no trust between you guys. The slightest incomprehension could turn into a massacre since undead are mostly helpless by day.”
“You are right about the limits to the expansion of our colony but wrong about everything else.” Vladion shook his head. “Just like you have said, undead are fish in a barrel while the sun is up but it’s also true that the people of Zelex can’t leave the mana geyser for long.
“We have joined forces so that we undead have a safe place where to slumber during the day and once night comes, we take care of the fighting and expanding the safe perimeter.
“Unlike the people of Zelex, we can move freely. We can scout the area outside the geyser and prepare traps in advance every time we know the settlement will be attacked during the day.”
“It makes sense.” Lith didn’t miss how the Firstborn referred to his allies as people instead of monsters. “Yet the cons still outnumber the pros of an operation like this. There is no trust between the two parties and without it your alliance is built upon shaky foundations.
“If anything goes wrong, both your forces will suffer great losses and the colonization of Jiera will slow down considerably.”
“That’s why we didn’t pool our resources before reaching a mutual understanding and ensuring each other that we have nothing to gain by quarrelling and everything to lose.” The Firstborn Vampire nodded.
“You see, you guys are missing a vital point here. Undead need to feed regularly to keep their strength, but what are we supposed to eat while we are stranded in a wasteland like this?”
Lith was about to point out that the monster hordes would offer the undead plenty of food when he remembered that due to their twisted life forces and fallen cores, monsters were disgusting to the undead.
Purifying their corrupted energy took so much time and effort that it was easier feeding off grass and it tasted even better.
Also, there was the issue that only those belonging to the same original race of an undead could provide them with the amount of energy they needed to recover from a fight.
“I know what you are thinking, but again, you are wrong.” Vladion said with a charming smile. “Fallen creatures are disgusting to us, but as long as the people of Zelex stay above the geyser, they revert into their original form.”
He waved at the Balors who counted as evolved humans, making them even more tasty, the ogres who were plant folk, the Wargs who counted as Elder Beasts, and lastly to the orcs and goblins.
They descended from the elves, making them universal donors of life force.
“I see, but that doesn’t change much. You have much to gain from the people of Zelex but little to offer them. While should they accept working with you?”
“Because even on another continent, life never stops.” The First Vampire replied. “And only us can offer our allies and their children safe passage home.”
A Warp Gate leading straight to Zelex opened at a snap of his fingers.
“Why do you think Ilthin is nowhere to be seen?”
“Hi, handsome.” The Firstborn Banshee popped her head out of the Gate, letting fresh warriors reach the encampment while newborns and those in dire need for treatment crossed over to Garlen.
Baba Yaga and her Firstborns were bound by a powerful mind link that could be triggered from any distance, allowing her to open a dimensional tunnel in case they needed rescue.
“The people of Zelex offer us food and protection during the day. In exchange, we protect them during the night and allow them to replace their wounded with fresh troops or simply to reconnect with their families.”
“Daddy!” Radusk ran through the Gate and into his father’s arms.
The young boy had no trace left of his previous pallor and aside from a few strands of silver, his hair was as black as Vladion’s.
“Damn, you are growing so fast.” A few months were nothing to an immortal Vampire but a long time to a human child.
Vladion’s heart tightened at the idea that his son’s time on Mogar was limited and that he was spending too much of it away from Radusk.
“I’m sorry but I have to go. One of us must always stay in Zelex or even Mother would take hours to reach Jiera in case of emergency.”
“Wait. You have yet to explain why Baba Yaga is willing to go to such lengths to help with the colonization of Jiera.” Vladion ignored Lith’s words and crossed over the Gate at the same time as Ilthin.
“I can answer that, sweetie pie.” The Firstborn Banshee said to Elysia who was strapped to Lith’s chest in the baby carrier.
The elf Lady had hair of gold, eyes of silver, and ten centimeters (4 inches) long pointy ears that came out of her waist-long hair.
“Mother is doing it for Radusk. This place is too dangerous for him but at the same time, she doesn’t want to keep the boy separated from his father for so long.”
