Chapter 4193: Lifelong Dream (Part 2)

Those who didn’t only noticed a glow of their feathers and scales, dismissing it as one of Mogar’s many oddities.

The Demon Dirge crossed the ocean, reaching Jiera and the ruined city of Tle’ket, where the Dead King was rebuilding his army.

"I knew it!" Orpal said as a faint radiance manifested across his skin. "I was right not to disturb Leech’s wench until she spawned another little monster. The last time, I was much weaker and didn’t know what to expect, but this time it will be different!"

The Dead King had never ceased probing his life force for the different aspects that he assumed would match his hated brother’s. All of his experiments had been fruitless until that moment, but Orpal had never given up on hope.

He looked out of the balcony of his room to check the effects of the Demon Dirge on his Upyrs. The human servants across the city experienced an increased elemental affinity and talent for magic, yet everyone else experienced no change.

"Come on, you bastard!" Orpal tapped into the life force stored inside Dusk’s crystal to overload his own. "I don’t know what a Vurdalak is, but of one thing I’m sure. I was born a human. A disgusting, weak, pathetic human, but a human nonetheless.

"Come on, Leech! We share the same blood! Show me what you can do. I dare you!"

Almost as if answering to his prayers, a few Upyrs roared in excitement. They were among the freshest recruits, and all of them were merely thralls.

"Drink on this power!" Orpal cheered on them as he tried to bridle the Demon Dirge and bend it to his will. "Take it all in and make it yours, my children!"

The Thralls followed his orders and paid for it. They exploded into gory fireworks one after another, their bodies suffering such extensive damage that even Awakened plant folk couldn’t save them or be saved.

’Ignore him.’ Jorl said to his followers via a mind link. ’Close yourselves to this energy. Our powers are already unstable, and unlike Orpal, we are all hybrids. Adding another unforeseen variable to the mystery of our Upyr nature is too dangerous.’

"What is this?" The Dead King asked. "What does it mean?"

The radiance tuned into a cruel light that felt as if someone had stabbed him with countless searing knives and was now twisting them all at once without mercy.

Orpal fell onto his knees, coughing up so much blood that it formed a river that fell down his balcony in a black waterfall.

’Stop doing that, you moron!’ The pain awoke Night from her slumber, and she deactivated Dusk’s crystal. ’Let go of that energy!’

Yet that wasn’t enough. What little of the Demon Dirge’s energy that Orpal had forced into his body wanted to get out at all costs, and there was no way to stop it.

The Dead King snarled in defiance, using the darkness from Night’s crystal to weaken the Demon Dirge and the life force from Dusk’s crystal to stimulate his body to adapt. Both failed, and large chunks of his body blew apart.

’Do as you wish, but know that if not for my regenerative abilities, you’d already be dead.’ The spite in Night’s voice was palpable. ’Get over your obsession with your brother. I told you, you are a Vurdalak.

’Not a Dragon, a Phoenix, a Vampire, or a human. You are a Vurdalak, whatever that is.’

Orpal held fast on the Demon Dirge until his heart stopped, quickly followed by the rest of his organs. Night’s regenerative ability kept him alive, but his stubbornness paled in comparison with the agony he experienced.

Feeling his sanity slipping away, Orpal carved his own body open with his claws to release the trapped energy. The pain faded, yet the realization that both his body and the Demon Dirge rejoiced at the separation wounded him deeply.

Orpal sat in a pool of his own blood for a few minutes, marveling at the irony of his situation. He had achieved his lifelong dream. He had become something completely different from his brother. Yet in doing so, he had lost everything, even his humanity.

***

’I knew this would happen since the moment I found out we were having a boy.’ Kamila inwardly sighed. ’Lith has made great strides in the grieving process for Carl, but he still misses his brother dearly.

’Elfiam’s death forced Lith to relive everything all over again. He’s wounded. He’s hurt. Most of all, Lith is afraid to lose Ral.’

If it were two years ago, Kamila would have worried about Lith’s mental condition and their son’s safety. The memories of how he had reacted to Lark’s and Mirim’s deaths and to Raaz’s kidnapping were still vivid in her mind.

Lith had always been a man of logic, someone who could keep a level head even when facing death, yet that didn’t apply when someone he loved got hurt or worse. In such occasions, the trauma from Carl’s death would flare up, turning him into a savage, wounded beast.

Not anymore.

Lith had become a different man since the day of their marriage, and Kamila had noticed it. She had seen the deep, gradual changes in his character grow even deeper after Elysia’s birth.

She had absolute trust in him now, especially if their children were involved.

"Can you please stop?" Kamila said with a calm, soothing voice. "You are keeping the poor Solus from meeting Ral. Look at her. She’s on the verge of tears."

Lith heard her words above his own roars and looked down, noticing that Solus had a pained expression and her arms were still extended. She never doubted that Lith would rather die than harm a child.

She was just disappointed with being kept away from Raldarak after waiting so long to meet him.

"Once she’s done, it will be the turn of Ral’s grandparents and the rest of the family. Gods, the little fellow is just born and already has a busier schedule than the Royals." Kamila chuckled. "If not for me, do it for Elysia and Valeron.

"They must be dying to see their little brother’s face and teach him... well, whatever they consider their share of the family secrets. They wouldn’t be Verhens if they didn’t have a few secrets of their own."

Cold fury still ravaged Lith’s heart, and he was deeply worried that Raldarak might be taken away from him as it had happened with Carl, but Kamila’s words made sense.

The colossal Tiamat looked at the small bundle of scales and fire between his palms, discovering that Raldarak had fallen asleep.

A Hush spell Lith had instinctively cast protected him from the noise, while the Dragon Scales constantly reassured him that he was in the safest place on Mogar.

The warmth of the roaring fire burning within Lith made his hands the perfect place for a nap.

"What a fearless little imp." Lith’s voice shifted to a soft growl. "You’re right, Kami. Sorry for making you wait, Solus. I’ll make it up to you."

He took a deep breath, silencing the storm of stray thoughts in his mind by focusing on the sound of Raldarak’s small heart.

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