CHAPTER 100 – FAMINE DRAGON
GAEUN MEDIZIN
As soon as we laid eyes on the main hall of the castle, Charlotte and I were overcome with unease. The royal attendants appeared emaciated, resembling the undead with their skeletal frames. However, they still bore crimson eyes in their sockets and pale white skin clinging to their bones. Draped in black robes, they appeared to be in a state of meditation along the sides of the red carpet that led to the throne.
Following the carpet's path, our gaze fell upon a thin vampire prince seated upon the throne, adorned in a black tuxedo. Though his appearance differed somewhat from Lysander's description, I was certain we had found our target—Earvin Lancaster. He appeared balding, his frame gaunt like other vampires, and his facial hair was notably long, contrasting with Lysander's depiction of a handsome vampire king.
As the vampire prince opened his eyes, a piercing crimson glare fixed upon us. Realizing the need for respect, I hastily bowed, with Charlotte following suit beside me.
“There's no need to bow,” the malnourished vampire prince smiled warmly. "Welcome, my dear visitors. How may I assist you?"
"G-Good morning, your majesty. Um, are you… Earvin— I mean, King Earvin Lancaster?" I nervously inquired, feeling the need to double-check.
"Yes," the vampire on the throne confirmed. "But I am not a king. Not yet. I’m still a prince since my mother is still alive. She is just… unwell."
"M-My apologies, your majesty. I did not mean to offend," I hurriedly apologized, bowing once more.
"None taken," the vampire prince reassured. "You two seem to be dragonoids, but I don’t sense any hatred in you. My guess is that you are not from the Republic?"
"T-That is right, your majesty," Charlotte said politely.
There are only a few instances where Charlotte is polite. One is when she is in front of Hiraya, although sometimes she can still act sassy, and second, if she is in front of true royalty, such as Empress Elkyria or, in this instance, Prince Lancaster. She said that such a gesture is befitting of a fine lady with manners.
"Um, we are from the Empire of Alterra. We are with the Third Dragon Lord and elven Oracle, Hiraya Misteltein. We are requesting your assistance in the war against the Republic of Dragons," I spoke.
The vampire prince inhaled deeply, revealing his skinny chest and shaped ribcages. Then he sighed. “You are from the Empire of Alterra, the empire of humans, yet you have elves and dragonoids. You are kind of like a ragtag bunch of misfits. I don’t know what the human empress is thinking, but I might consider it… Under one condition.”
“What is it, your majesty?” Charlotte asked.
“Come with me,” Prince Lancaster said, rising from his throne with the aid of a golden cane. He then began to walk, moving like an old man. Charlotte and I followed him through the corridors of the castle.
Contrary to most royalty, the prince had no guards or attendants following him. It seemed they fully trusted me and Gaeun. Back in the Empire of Alterra, none of the guards would even let a dragonoid like us catch a glimpse of the empress, except when Hiraya was with us.
I observed more skeletal maids in the corridors, assisting around, pushing food carts, sweeping the floor, and changing curtains.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, your majesty…” Charlotte spoke her mind. “But why do all the vampires in Nocturnia look like they are kind of… hungry?”
The vampire prince stopped walking and looked out the window to his right. He opened it and pointed outward. “Everything is that thing’s fault.”
At the far edge of the island, there stood a gargantuan, black, withered tree that reached up to the skies. No, it wasn’t a tree. Upon squinting, I could see that the withered branches were actually antelope-like horns. It had the half body of a gargantuan dragon, malnourished and with tattered wings. Boney arms extended from its frame, and its skull head featured crimson eyes.
“That thing is the Famine Dragon,” Prince Lancaster said.
“T-That thing is humongous!” Charlotte gasped. I also covered my mouth in shock.
“That monster is the one laying curses on all our livestock. All our cows, goats, buffalos, and pigs were inflicted by the curse of famine, making them unable to eat. When all our food supplies dwindled, the curse of famine extended to the vampires. That explains why all the vampires in Nocturnia are malnourished,” Prince Lancaster explained.
“Um, how many vampire lives were taken because of that monster?” I asked.
Prince Lancaster sighed, his gaze distant. “None,” he replied softly, his voice heavy with the weight of centuries. “Fortunately, and unfortunately so. We vampires are cursed with immortality, spared from death by conventional means but condemned to an eternity of hunger. Even when reduced to mere bones, we endure.”
My heart clenched at the thought. "That’s... horrifying," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It is,” Prince Lancaster admitted, his eyes reflecting the sorrow of ages past. “But survival in our world often comes at a great cost.”
“It may sound a little bit rude, but…” Charlotte interjected, her tone hesitant yet curious. “Don’t vampires feed on humans? Why not establish human farms?”
I gasped, appalled by the suggestion. "Charlotte!" I exclaimed, my voice sharp with reproach.
“W-What? I’m just asking the obvious!” Charlotte retorted, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. “It’s not as if we're human anyway.”
“We ceased drinking human blood centuries ago,” Prince Lancaster recounted, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and resolve. “It was a time of turmoil, when the human empires, aided by their Dragon Knights and likely in collusion with the werewolf race, threatened our existence in Nocturnia. We had no choice but to adapt, to subsist on animal blood instead.”
His words echoed a lesson I had once learned at Magic High, a reminder of the vampires' precarious history in the face of human aggression. I had known of their exile from the main continent upon the discovery of the Vesryn Pulse, but the extent of their struggle was only now becoming clear to me.
“Um, Prince Lancaster…” I hesitated, my voice barely above a whisper. “Is your mother, the Queen, also afflicted by the curse?”
Prince Lancaster's expression softened, a fleeting shadow crossing his features. “Yes,” he admitted, his tone heavy with the weight of responsibility. “Until she regains her strength, I must stand in her stead. As the current ruler of Nocturnia, it falls upon me to alleviate the suffering of our people. I strive to bring happiness to the vampires, to free them from the specter of starvation.”
“I believe we can offer assistance,” I offered tentatively, my gaze flickering between Prince Lancaster and my companions. “While I can’t speak for our captain, her character suggests she'll be inclined to aid as well.”
In a sudden gesture of reverence, Prince Lancaster knelt before me, clasping my hand in his own. His touch was chilling, his fingers slender and icy, yet beneath the coldness, I sensed a warmth, a gentleness that belied his vampiric nature.
“I am grateful for your willingness to aid us,” Prince Lancaster murmured, his voice soft and resonant. “May I have the honor of knowing your name, milady?”
Heat flooded my cheeks as I stuttered out my response. “I-I'm Gaeun,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Gaeun Medizin.”
“A truly celestial name for an angel among mortals,” Prince Lancaster replied with a gentle smile, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that stirred something within me.
CHAPTER 100 – FAMINE DRAGON
GAEUN MEDIZIN
As soon as we laid eyes on the main hall of the castle, Charlotte and I were overcome with unease. The royal attendants appeared emaciated, resembling the undead with their skeletal frames. However, they still bore crimson eyes in their sockets and pale white skin clinging to their bones. Draped in black robes, they appeared to be in a state of meditation along the sides of the red carpet that led to the throne.
Following the carpet's path, our gaze fell upon a thin vampire prince seated upon the throne, adorned in a black tuxedo. Though his appearance differed somewhat from Lysander's description, I was certain we had found our target—Earvin Lancaster. He appeared balding, his frame gaunt like other vampires, and his facial hair was notably long, contrasting with Lysander's depiction of a handsome vampire king.
As the vampire prince opened his eyes, a piercing crimson glare fixed upon us. Realizing the need for respect, I hastily bowed, with Charlotte following suit beside me.
“There's no need to bow,” the malnourished vampire prince smiled warmly. "Welcome, my dear visitors. How may I assist you?"
"G-Good morning, your majesty. Um, are you… Earvin— I mean, King Earvin Lancaster?" I nervously inquired, feeling the need to double-check.
"Yes," the vampire on the throne confirmed. "But I am not a king. Not yet. I’m still a prince since my mother is still alive. She is just… unwell."
"M-My apologies, your majesty. I did not mean to offend," I hurriedly apologized, bowing once more.
"None taken," the vampire prince reassured. "You two seem to be dragonoids, but I don’t sense any hatred in you. My guess is that you are not from the Republic?"
"T-That is right, your majesty," Charlotte said politely.
There are only a few instances where Charlotte is polite. One is when she is in front of Hiraya, although sometimes she can still act sassy, and second, if she is in front of true royalty, such as Empress Elkyria or, in this instance, Prince Lancaster. She said that such a gesture is befitting of a fine lady with manners.
"Um, we are from the Empire of Alterra. We are with the Third Dragon Lord and elven Oracle, Hiraya Misteltein. We are requesting your assistance in the war against the Republic of Dragons," I spoke.
The vampire prince inhaled deeply, revealing his skinny chest and shaped ribcages. Then he sighed. “You are from the Empire of Alterra, the empire of humans, yet you have elves and dragonoids. You are kind of like a ragtag bunch of misfits. I don’t know what the human empress is thinking, but I might consider it… Under one condition.”
“What is it, your majesty?” Charlotte asked.
“Come with me,” Prince Lancaster said, rising from his throne with the aid of a golden cane. He then began to walk, moving like an old man. Charlotte and I followed him through the corridors of the castle.
Contrary to most royalty, the prince had no guards or attendants following him. It seemed they fully trusted me and Gaeun. Back in the Empire of Alterra, none of the guards would even let a dragonoid like us catch a glimpse of the empress, except when Hiraya was with us.
I observed more skeletal maids in the corridors, assisting around, pushing food carts, sweeping the floor, and changing curtains.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, your majesty…” Charlotte spoke her mind. “But why do all the vampires in Nocturnia look like they are kind of… hungry?”
The vampire prince stopped walking and looked out the window to his right. He opened it and pointed outward. “Everything is that thing’s fault.”
At the far edge of the island, there stood a gargantuan, black, withered tree that reached up to the skies. No, it wasn’t a tree. Upon squinting, I could see that the withered branches were actually antelope-like horns. It had the half body of a gargantuan dragon, malnourished and with tattered wings. Boney arms extended from its frame, and its skull head featured crimson eyes.
“That thing is the Famine Dragon,” Prince Lancaster said.
“T-That thing is humongous!” Charlotte gasped. I also covered my mouth in shock.
“That monster is the one laying curses on all our livestock. All our cows, goats, buffalos, and pigs were inflicted by the curse of famine, making them unable to eat. When all our food supplies dwindled, the curse of famine extended to the vampires. That explains why all the vampires in Nocturnia are malnourished,” Prince Lancaster explained.
“Um, how many vampire lives were taken because of that monster?” I asked.
Prince Lancaster sighed, his gaze distant. “None,” he replied softly, his voice heavy with the weight of centuries. “Fortunately, and unfortunately so. We vampires are cursed with immortality, spared from death by conventional means but condemned to an eternity of hunger. Even when reduced to mere bones, we endure.”
My heart clenched at the thought. "That’s... horrifying," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It is,” Prince Lancaster admitted, his eyes reflecting the sorrow of ages past. “But survival in our world often comes at a great cost.”
“It may sound a little bit rude, but…” Charlotte interjected, her tone hesitant yet curious. “Don’t vampires feed on humans? Why not establish human farms?”
I gasped, appalled by the suggestion. "Charlotte!" I exclaimed, my voice sharp with reproach.
“W-What? I’m just asking the obvious!” Charlotte retorted, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. “It’s not as if we're human anyway.”
“We ceased drinking human blood centuries ago,” Prince Lancaster recounted, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and resolve. “It was a time of turmoil, when the human empires, aided by their Dragon Knights and likely in collusion with the werewolf race, threatened our existence in Nocturnia. We had no choice but to adapt, to subsist on animal blood instead.”
His words echoed a lesson I had once learned at Magic High, a reminder of the vampires' precarious history in the face of human aggression. I had known of their exile from the main continent upon the discovery of the Vesryn Pulse, but the extent of their struggle was only now becoming clear to me.
“Um, Prince Lancaster…” I hesitated, my voice barely above a whisper. “Is your mother, the Queen, also afflicted by the curse?”
Prince Lancaster's expression softened, a fleeting shadow crossing his features. “Yes,” he admitted, his tone heavy with the weight of responsibility. “Until she regains her strength, I must stand in her stead. As the current ruler of Nocturnia, it falls upon me to alleviate the suffering of our people. I strive to bring happiness to the vampires, to free them from the specter of starvation.”
“I believe we can offer assistance,” I offered tentatively, my gaze flickering between Prince Lancaster and my companions. “While I can’t speak for our captain, her character suggests she'll be inclined to aid as well.”
In a sudden gesture of reverence, Prince Lancaster knelt before me, clasping my hand in his own. His touch was chilling, his fingers slender and icy, yet beneath the coldness, I sensed a warmth, a gentleness that belied his vampiric nature.
“I am grateful for your willingness to aid us,” Prince Lancaster murmured, his voice soft and resonant. “May I have the honor of knowing your name, milady?”
Heat flooded my cheeks as I stuttered out my response. “I-I'm Gaeun,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Gaeun Medizin.”
“A truly celestial name for an angel among mortals,” Prince Lancaster replied with a gentle smile, his eyes reflecting a sincerity that stirred something within me.
