The Fallen Race

"In other words, you're taking the Divine Trinity Quest."

"That's right," I say. He grins at me and I just realized that I'm getting carried away. I was proudly grinning. I let go of the sand and sit down. That was awkward. . .

"A fine purpose, I see. But I think you'll fail." I can't think of anything to argue with that. "The race to get there has long been started. Your rivals are a thousand years ahead. Even the Rave Queen is partaking in it."

"This means everything to me," I assert. "I will do anything to—"

"Resolve alone will not take you there. Instead, you need strength and most importantly, wit. Both of which I don't see in you."

He speaks the truth. There is nothing I can say against him. I'll be kidding myself if I say that my will is enough to take me there.

"I'm not saying that resolve is a useless thing," he continues. "Because you need the resolve to become stronger faster than anyone else. You need the resolve to learn as much as you can. Have these three things together and you'll succeed."

I will remember those words. For a few minutes, we focus on eating. Only the wind and the crackling fire are talking.

"So," I say, breaking the silence. "is Nisha the only vampire left?"

"She is," he confirms. "but we come from the same line."

What did he say? "Wait, what?"

"I successfully completed the Revoking Ritual. The result is my tolerance for normal Daemon food and my skin turning red. Do you want to know about our origin?"

"Yeah," I nod. I think this'll be a good lore.

"Long ago, our ancestors were pure Daemons. That changed when they discovered the taste of Anthropic blood. It gave them immense power—the power to wield Anthropic powers to defeat the Angeli. They didn't need Frame users to fight, only blood.

"For millions of years, they indulged in this sustenance and can no longer digest Daemon food. Along with that, they tried drinking Angelic blood and you can guess what happened next."

I remember that one time when Nisha drank my blood as I was in my Angelus Frame. It gave her the power to defeat the Grog—an example of a Daemon boss.

Algron continues with his interesting tale. I listen carefully. "Before the Great War, they ruled all of the Underworld. Then their empire collapsed when they waged war against Angeli. They needed the blood of the Anthropae to fight. So, the upper world was flooded with blood. The Anthropae became extinct. They lost the war and since then, they've been living in the shadows, conserving the Anthropic blood they have left and sleeping in coffins to pacify their hunger."

"Can't they just drink Angelic and Daemonic blood?"

"You're asking for an even more terrible thing, boy. That would breed another disaster."

"Oh, sorry." Why didn't I think before talking?

"Only Anthropic blood can satisfy their hunger. They may drink the blood of Angeli and Daemons but can only go so far as to borrow their powers. You could say that this is a power capable of dominating the world. But for us—their descendants, it is nothing but a curse. Now, even other Daemons hate us. We were the reason why the Angeli has been dominating Shannia. The balance has been broken. There is no race to keep them in check anymore. Now, we creatures of the Underworld are at their mercy. They could eradicate us now if they wanted."

It was just like what Zaori told me but his explanation is even deeper.

Further, he explains, "But the Rave Queen destroyed the entrances near this place. The only way to come here in an instant is by using rare portal vials. So, we're safe here."

We're done eating and decide to return to the slums. There, both of them are met with gratitude from the people. Everyone is busy cooking and eating the meat he tossed all the way here.

Then all of a sudden, I feel the need to be alone. Talking to a lot of people is tiring. So, I proceed to the junkyard where there are no people hanging around. Rusty broken cars and other junk have been stashed here, making heaps of junk. They're all rusty and dirty but at least they don't talk.

Surprisingly, there is one car whose seats are good enough for me to sit on. However, sharp shards of glass are scattered on it. Its hood and bumper are completely destroyed. It must've hit something in an accident. I sit in the driver's seat after getting rid of the glass.

I feel it's a good time and place to sleep. My stomach is full and I'm tired. It's so easy to fall asleep. The seat is soft and comfortable.

Then I feel a cold hand around my wrist. "ARGH!!!" I wake up just to see Nisha looking at me with her mouth half-open and drooling. "What is wrong with you?!" I rage. My wariness is through the roof.

"I'm hungry," she says. Her lusty stare is paired with her smugness.

"So what?" She smiles because I know what she means. "No," I say.

Her expression abruptly changes into a frown as of she's surprised. "Why not?"

"You have to revoke this curse. I don't want to be treated like a walking baby bottle of blood until I die."

"He told you to, didn't he?" She's upset.

"No. He only told me about your curse. He has done it and so can you."

"I hate you!" She leaves the car and slams the door so hard that the remaining shards of glass came flying toward me, cutting some parts of my skin. "If you don't want to, then. . ." She's hesitating to say something from her mind. "Go away! I don't even need you! I will find the Eternal Blood Chalice alone! That'll show you!" She cries as she runs away.

"Nisha!" I call for her but she is already gone deep into the darkness.

How am I supposed to convince her?