The Chalice of Hope

"The damn monkeys," the man grumbled to himself, frustration etched on his handsome face. His long hair cascaded down to his neck, and a scar marred the skin just above his right eye. He scanned the area near a clear water stream in search of Dandelion flowers. "They keep eating all the Dandelions. I just need 5, and I didn't even see one for the past 3 hours."

With an exasperated sigh, he continued his futile search. Thirst gnawed at him, and he knew he needed a drink. Finally, he reached the water stream and settled on the bank to quench his thirst. As he extended his hands to scoop up a handful of water, he was abruptly interrupted by a swift swoosh and a loud splash. His eyes widened as reddish-black water began to flow downstream.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I can't drink that now. What the heck happened just now?" Determined to investigate, he followed the river bank upstream from where the unsettling water originated.

There, his gaze fell upon an injured man, his upper body sprawled on the bank while his lower half remained submerged in the canal. The stranger's form was battered, bloodied, and slightly smoldering from an unknown source.

"Now, that's something I don't see every day," he mused to himself. He cautiously approached the injured man and realized with astonishment that the stranger was still alive, albeit in a precarious state. What truly caught his attention, however, was the realization that the injured man before him was none other than a Vampire.

"Ah! a batman? In broad daylight!" the man exclaimed incredulously, his surprise evident as he observed the injured Vampire. "Why is he burning so slowly even in this clear weather? A lesser vampire?" He furrowed his brow, pondering the peculiar sight before him. A deeper curiosity tugged at him, and he couldn't resist a closer examination. He leaned in, taking a deep sniff of the air around the injured man. "Hmm, smells like noble blood though," he muttered thoughtfully. His keen senses detected something else, something unusual, intermingled with the Vampire's scent. He inhaled again to confirm. "Hmm! I smell something else in the blood too."

Kneeling before the injured man, he carefully turned the Vampire's face upward, revealing the unsettling sight of blackish blood oozing from his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. "Would you look at that?" he remarked, his voice tinged with intrigue and concern. "He drank some demon blood! Did he just escape from the demon realm? A noble blood vampire in the demon realm! I gotta hear the full story. But I guess I'll have to save him first for that."

With a determined resolve, he hoisted the injured man onto his shoulder and began to walk upstream toward a small valley nestled further up the mountain. As he traversed the rocky terrain with his unusual burden, he couldn't help but sigh, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Why is my life so hectic?"

The memories of the rooftop battle in Hell, the heart-wrenching image of Lilith's pleading face, and the sensation of being sucked into the portal flashed through Adrian's mind like a whirlwind. Each moment replayed in vivid detail, invoking a rush of intense emotions that jolted him awake with a gasp for air. The world around him seemed blindingly bright, a stark contrast to the shadows of Hell. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings.

As his vision cleared, Adrian realized he was inside a modest hut. An alchemy table occupied one corner, laden with an assortment of herbs, flowers, and various animal organs. Shelves lined with bottles containing essences of unknown substances adorned the walls, and several worn-out chests were scattered about the room. A chair sat near the door, and in it sat a middle-aged man, his attention entirely engrossed in a book.

Adrian glanced at himself and noticed bandages securely wrapped around his chest, hand, and face. He could feel a sticky residue beneath the bandages, evidence of the man's care and treatment.

Breaking the silence, Adrian asked, "Where am I?"

The man put his book down, looking up with a warm smile. "Oh! you woke up! I thought it'd be a couple more days before you came to. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Adrian replied, a hint of gratitude in his voice. "It's not hurting that much."

The herbalist nodded with satisfaction. "Then my treatment worked. I've never treated a Vampire before, so I didn't know if I was doing the right thing."

Adrian's curiosity got the better of him. "Why did you help me? A Vampire?"

The man shrugged a hint of nonchalance in his demeanor. "What reason do I have not to? But man, how did you end up in Hell? It was a pain in the ass to remove the black blood from your system. Do you know how much Ginseng I needed to cleanse your blood? Five whole roots."

"Ginseng? What is that?" Adrian inquired, unfamiliar with the term.

The herbalist sighed and leaned back. "Who am I kidding? How would a noble-blood vampire know the value of Ginseng? You've probably never needed treatment in the first place, being an immortal and all."

Noble vampires didn't typically take taunts lightly, and Adrian was no exception. However, in this peculiar situation, he felt a genuine sense of gratitude toward the man who had saved his life. With a faint smile, he responded, "That's true. My wounds always heal naturally."

The herbalist interrupted him with a somber correction, "Heals? You should say, used to heal."

Adrian furrowed his brow, his curiosity piqued. "It'll heal again after the black blood is removed from my body, though."

"You think I left the black blood inside your body?" the herbalist retorted with a hint of amusement.

"You removed the black blood from my body?" Adrian exclaimed, his surprise evident.

"I thought only the most honored Elven Paladins knew how to do that."

With a sense of pride, the herbalist revealed, "Then good for you, my master was an Elven Paladin."

Adrian's eyes widened in astonishment. An Elven Paladin was among the most revered figures across various races, holding a position just below the Elf Queen in terms of respect and honor. Even among the Noble-blooded Vampires, they were regarded with reverence. Adrian, being a noble vampire himself, understood just how rare it was for an Elven Paladin to take on a disciple. The man before him, a humble herbalist residing in a shabby hut, claimed to be the disciple of an Elven Paladin, which seemed almost unbelievable.

Noticing Adrian's incredulous expression, the herbalist extended a formal introduction. "My name is Basil Thorne, one and only disciple of the great Elven Paladin Sage Thorne."

Adrian was taken aback by the revelation. "You are the disciple of The Sage Thorne! I remember him. He treated me a couple of times when I was younger. He was a very loving and generous person. He adored me a lot."

"My parents were attacked by Ogres near the Rainbow Forest. They died trying to save me." He paused, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Help arrived, but it was a little too late. The Elves killed the Ogres and found me beside my dead parents." His eyes clouded with memories of that fateful day.

"I was taken to the Elf Kingdom," Basil continued, his voice carrying the weight of his past. "There, the renowned Paladin Sage Thorne adopted me. He became my father, my master, my everything."

Adrian listened intently, absorbing the gravity of Basil's journey from tragedy to the embrace of a respected mentor and father figure. The connection between the humble herbalist and the renowned Sage Thorne was becoming clearer, and Adrian couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect and understanding for the man who had not only saved his life but had also been shaped by his own remarkable past.

A sudden tingle in his hand pulled Adrian's attention away from the conversation, and he couldn't help but investigate. He gazed at his hand, where a thin ray of sunlight penetrated the slight gap in the window's curtain. Instead of the expected fierce burning sensation, his skin merely tingled an unusual but not unpleasant sensation. He found himself genuinely taken aback by this unexpected experience.

Noticing Adrian's surprise, Basil chimed in, "I'm sure you are surprised, but let me give you a complete explanation."

Adrian nodded, curiosity piqued. He listened attentively as Basil began to elucidate the peculiar situation.

"Normally," Basil began, "when a vampire drinks or is injected with Demon blood, commonly known as black blood, their vampiric abilities are suppressed until the blood is removed from their systems."

Adrian nodded in agreement, acknowledging the common knowledge. Basil continued, "Black blood and Vampire blood are like oil and water. They don't mix, but the black blood suppresses the vampire blood quite easily. Removing the blood is a painstaking process, but it's possible to remove it completely from the system."

Adrian waited in silence for more information, his curiosity growing. Basil paused before delivering the unexpected twist to the explanation.

"If it's normal black blood, that is," Basil added, his tone growing serious.

Adrian's fear began to well up, sensing the implications of Basil's words. "The blood you drank isn't of any normal demon, right? Whose blood was it?"

With a tense expression, Adrian replied, "The Royal Demoness..."

Basil was visibly surprised. "The Demon Queen! How did it come to a situation where you had to drink her blood? I thought it was some elder demon or something."

Adrian inquired with growing concern, "Is there no way to extract it from my body?"

Basil responded with a regretful tone, "I extracted as much as I could, but most of the blood fused with your body. It can't be extracted anymore. And because of that blood, your vampiric abilities are being suppressed. As you just saw, you are closer to being a normal human now. Your body doesn't burn in the sun anymore, and you don't heal by yourself either."

The revelation sent shockwaves through Adrian's being. His vampiric powers were no longer at his disposal, and the realization struck him with an overwhelming force. Panic welled up within him as he grappled with the implications of his weakened state. How could he possibly go back to the demon realm and rescue Lilith without his powers? Her pleading face, and her sacrifice to save him, all flooded his mind, along with the painful memory of his defeat at the hands of the Demoness.

Tears welled up in his reddish eyes as he turned to Basil, desperation evident in his gaze. "That can't be... I need to go back to the demon realm. I can't go back in this weak state. Is there any way I can be cured?"

Basil couldn't ignore the plea in Adrian's eyes, and he let out a sigh before responding, "Technically, there is a way, but it's not proven. Or should I say, I'm not sure if that way actually exists or not?"

Adrian's determination remained unwavering as he implored, "I'll pursue any chance, no matter how slim. Please tell me, what is the cure? Where do I find it?"

With another sigh, Basil began to divulge the potential solution, "Do you know about the war between Vampires and Demons one and a half centuries ago?"

Without waiting for Adrian's response, he continued, "The cause of the war was to find the secret of the immortality of the Noble-blood Vampires. But the root of that battle goes back over five centuries. The Dwarves and Elves jointly created a Chalice with the goal of granting immortality by drinking water from the waterfall of the Giants. It took them fifty years to create the Chalice and receive the blessing of the World Tree, the mother of the Elves. It became the most powerful holy relic of its time. However, the Chalice did not grant immortality as intended. Instead, it was discovered that it could cure any diseases."

Adrian quickly grasped the implication of Basil's story. "So, to get cured, I need to find that holy Chalice?"

Basil slowed him down with a raised hand. "Not so fast. Soon after its creation, the Dwarves, Elves, and Giants began warring with one another, each seeking to claim the Chalice for themselves. The Chalice was lost during a twenty-year-long war. Legends suggest that it was stolen from the Elf stronghold by humans amidst the chaos of the conflict, and it has never been found since."

Adrian's hope remained undeterred. If the Chalice still existed, he was determined to locate it. "I'll find it, wherever it is. The Chalice can cure me and make me strong again, right?"

Basil nodded in agreement. "That's what legends say, yes. But I still don't understand why you were in this state, why you were in the demon realm drinking the Royal Demoness's blood, and why you're trying to go back."

Adrian met Basil's gaze with unwavering determination. "Because... she said she will be waiting..."