Offspring

IN ALRIZE'S CHAMBERS

Herdis had just stepped into Princess Alrize's chambers, without paying attention to his mom that was seated in the study table in the middle of the room, he slumped down on the queen sized bed. He takes his time to admire every single luxury his mom would loose if he fails to keep his own end of the bargain. The room walls were made if fine gravel and the floors were made of marbles, the furniture's were made from fine mahogany and the curtains was made from a brown and black braided robe.

'I can't let her die just like that, at the same time, I don't want to betray Razar, he once saved me' he thought himself, not realising the tears that were falling from his eyes to the bed spreads.

Princess Alrize was so engrossed in the book she was writing, that she failed to give attention to her son, until his not so quiet sobs got to her ears.

"What's wrong Herdis, you haven't said a word since you entered and now you are crying, is there something that I need to know" Alrize asks turning to face her son.

"There's nothing wrong, mom, I guess it's just mood swings, besides I would he going on a life threatening journey tomorrow, who wouldn't get emotional", Herdis said while trying to avoid making eye contacts with his mom.

"You are still so bad at lying to me, bit I wouldn't press you further I would only say one thing, at times the one thing a person fears doing the most might be the actual solution to a certain problem, why don't you think about what I have said, while I continue writing", Alrize suggested.

"Are you working on a new book", Herdis asks, trying to change the topic, and Alrize nods like a rattle in affirmation.

"What's the title" he adds.

"The Lodger's Plight"

Actually, Princess Alrize is a local writer but her books has gained a while lot of recognition in Olcia and other towns. Her recent book, Pearls and Peaches. Had boosted her name even more, the book was more of a novella.

"So what's the book about", Herdis asks.

Without waiting for a minute, Alrize eagerly started to give a not so brief summary of her new book.

Herdis couldn't pay attention to his mom's brief narration, because her words of earlier kept repeating in his head.

'At times the one thing a person fears doing the most might be the actual solution to a certain problem'

'But I am scared of loosing my mom and betraying Razar, so could losing her and betraying Razar be the only way, no that's not my greatest fear, my greatest fear is the consequences that will come after I go against him, if that's the case then the solution is to actually go against him, and its only Razar that can help me with this, if he truly has a way of bringing Urien down, if he has a way of setting my mom and I free from his cage then he is the only option' Herdis thought to himself.

"Mom may I excuse my self for a while, I will come back to see you before twilight", he asks cutting, Alrize short from her narration.

"Sure, son, once you get back then you can really listen to my narration okay", Alrize adds.

After nodding his head in affirmation he, he heads to Razar's room.

IN RAZAR'S ROOM

In a dark and empty room with only a king sized bed, and a rocking chair sited at the window. Unlike other rooms, that were decorated with dozens of scented candles, this room was lightened by one candle, the walls were purely made of cement bricks and so was the floor. The curtains were black, and its centre had the drawing of a wolves head.

Razar is seated on the rocking chair by the window sipping blood from a round wooden mug, his face looks sad and pained. When he hears a knock on the door his sad and distanced face immediately lit up.

"Come in, Herdis", he says with certainty to the person behind the door.

"I guess you were expecting me, you really have a way of manipulating situations, huh, Razaron", Herdis says as he walks into the room and makes himself comfortable on Razar's bed.

"Well since you seem to he aware of so much, then let's get down to business", Razar says.

"Its obvious you know why am here but I guess I would spell it out for you for the sake of clarification, I accept your offer, I would keep an eye on the General's minions for you but you must promise you would help me bring him down as you said, and I will keep my end of the bargain, even though I still insist that once we bring the General down you can have Azrath while I have Ximeya", Herdis suggests.

"Don't be crazy, Herdis, me bringing the General down besides wouldn't guarantee you and Ximeya a better future, you know its against the Olcian laws for a royal or an Olcian army to wed someone of a low class, and don't dare say that you would, give up your rank in the Olcian army, because your reason will never be acknowledged, and I will still say it again, if you want me to bring Urien down, then you most promise to take care her once you get married, I can't take care if her even if I wanted to, enough of this, you were summoned by the General, so what did he say", Razar asks.

"I thought vampires were gifted with super senses", Herdis teased.

"Don't start, Herdis, I was busy monitoring other important things, besides I knew that you would eventually, come to me", Razar said while his lips lifts up to a mischievous smirk.

"I surrender, Razaron, he suspects that you are hiding something, he wants me to keep an eye on you while I pretend to be by your side, he still threatening me with my mom's adultery, and Ximeya".

"Then there's only one way to go around this, you have to give him the full details of my movement, once he sends his Bird, Oearls, to get the weekly informations, from you", Razar suggests

"And what's your point exactly", Herdis questions in confusion.

" Each week I will make make a suspicious move and you will have, to fill him in on it, but it will be a camouflage to hide the true movements that I would make, besides its not only you that will be keeping an eye on me, so alongside keeping your eyes on Urien's minions, you would also take a jar to place the ingredients we would be be getting from the chronicles of the dead, we would have our own antidote for Azrath too, not only the one we were assigned to take". Razar said.

"And you are sure this will work", Herdis questions.

Throwing his head back in the rocking chair, Razar heaves a heavy sigh, then says. "I wish that I could fill you in on every thing I see, but I can't, it's too risky, Urien might just decide to hold your mom hostage and make you spill everything, and I wouldn't want to put you in such a situation, Herdis, and its not only that, I am being watched, Herdis, I always feel the presence of someone around me when i am alone, and when I turn to where the strange energy comes from, I see a dark silhouette trying to run away, am still not sure if it only comes when I am alone so I can't take such risks, although I strangely feel secured when I feel that presence, is don't want to take such risks", Razar says.

Herdis questions, "Do you really think, that, Urien has a away to consult the dark realms, I don't think its possible"

"It is possible, Herdis, even after the cleansing war decade ago I survived, and something as magical as a Kagfenite was still found out there, so there's still a way, I didn't want to tell you this but I guess I have to, history records that The Fairies could see the past and the future but they lost that power the moment, the beasts of the dark realms possessed them, well surprisingly I still have that power, but my visions are not that clear, if I fill you in, on the details of what I see trust me your emotions will get the better of you and you will expose my plans, so can just put your faith in me", Razar replies.

"So this means that you are not only part vampire and human but also part fairy", Herdis says, after minutes of silence, Herdis's loud chuckles breaks the peace.

"You know this is the longest time we have spoken, in the past eleven years, I still can't believe the almighty vampire, Razaron had pleaded for my faith in him", Herdis says as he chuckles uncontrollably.

"We are done here, Herdis so get out", Razar says in a not so rude tone.

Herdis was about to press further bit decided to leave when Razar's eyes turned red flashing him a deadly glare.

As soon as Herdis left the room, Razar sat on the bed while resting his he'd on the headstand, with one leg laid strength and the other bent with his the facing upward.

And for the first time in ten years, Razar smiled.

'I can still remember the first time you made me smile after so long, you made me smile twelve years ago, but the moment I had to leave you ten years ago I lost my smile, Herdis made me smile after ten years, I hope I don't have to leave him as well why do u always loose the people that make me smile', Razar says thought to himself.