Back in the crown’s roost loft, Devadas and Koriath manifest, Devadas beside Adumbra, and Koriath beside his childlings as he starts to carry them out of bed.
"We’re going to stop her." Adumbra taps Devadas to join her as she runs out into the hall.
Koriath nods to both of them as they leave, then he turns his back to the door entrance, while holding the twins in his arms. Kurai is silent, clinging tight, an emptiness in her tired eyes, Phantisma watches Adumbra leave over her father’s shoulder.
"Halt. You know this hall is closed to visitors." Adumbra’s command can be heard across the hall and into the roost lofts.
Phantisma turns her head to Koriath, whimpering as quietly as she can. "Aw'ddy, Aw'is and Captain say Elder Vampira is back."
Vampira? I thought she was dead. That changes everything. Koriath thinks to himself.
"Stay quiet Moonstone. I am going to hide you two and then go join Captain Ossifragus and Lieutenant Vayav." He whispers while carrying them toward the back left of the room.
A smaller drape leads to his withdrawing room, once he used it for jewelry crafting and as a private temple, however Malencia has mostly kept him from hobbies and private spiritual practices. He continues to carry them through to the room's back closet, then walks them into this dusty room full of organized boxes, and sheets over other furniture. He kneels and sets them down, they watch as he pulls a sheet off of a particular large box on the floor, the one thing not idly collecting dust.
"Aw'ddy is that a coffin?" Kurai peeps with fear.
"Yes. I sometimes hide in here after being with your mother." His head turns slowly to her, speaking softly as his talons begin to part the lid.
"Aw'ddy, why does the lid look like it's about to break?" Phantisma whispers.
His lips tremble as it opens. "That is not important Moonstone. Nightshade, had I known, I would have told Adumbra about this safety, I am sorry."
"What do you mean?"
"Vampires cannot enter the urns, graves, or coffins of others. Living or dead. I need you two to hide in here." He lifts it open for them.
"It would not have saved me Aw'ddy. There were a lot of people who were not vampires."
"Then it will save you both this time if things turn for the worse. Get in." Koriath’s lull way of speaking cannot hide his heart’s gravity.
The twins climb in silently, as he continues to coach them. "There is a button on the right side that locks and unlocks in from the inside. All you have to do is press it."
"I see it." Phantisma whispers.
"I need you to lock it after I close the coffin."
They both nod silently, and then lay down.
"I love you both. Aw'ddy will come get you after the threat is neutralized." Gently, he closes the lid, not leaving them until he hears the locking mechanism click, then he covers the secured coffin with the fabric.
Rising to his toelans, as he quickly makes his way to join Adumbra, the effect of the wine crashes on him, his body makes it through his loft and out to the hall. The last of his strength begins to drain, as his toelan does not make the next step.
Devadas flies like a whisper in the wind, taking steps backward with the momentum as he catches Koriath’s fall.
"Thank you."
"I feel it too Little Brother, an ancient ghost approaches. Wait here." Devadas leans Koriath against the wall as he walks toward the hall entrance. Koriath begins to feed off the night air to regain his strength, just enough to stand tall as Devadas walks through the hall’s entry drape-way.
"Lt Vayav, Captain Ossifragus, please, I have to see The Emperor right away." Elder Vampira's voice trembles.
Koriath trudges forward to join them, first using the wall as a guide, then he walks on his own. If we cannot de-escalate this, I might allow one last execution. His toelans step through the threshold, he lifts the drape after Devadas.
"What is this about Elder Vampira?" He towers over the vampire, his guards at his side.
"Emperor Koriath-" She stammers. "I am very sorry about earlier. I did not know."
Koriath glares harshly at her, unleashing a taste of his own fury into the air, through subtle use of magic and a display of slowly puffing his feathers, without raising his wings. "You did not know about what, Elder Vampira?"
"I did not know about summoning Evil Incarnate. I honestly thought it was going to be just another initiation ritual. I have come to repent."
"I am no god to repent to. I am a loving father who almost lost another child thanks to you!"
He spreads his wings wide, feathers into a full intimidation stance. "And I am not very stable at the moment, I am very emotional. Volatile dear Vampira. I found Captain Ossifragus here left for dead. The Lieutenant did not hear the Captain's communications go off before they were destroyed. Then I found this very entrance way with a seal, your magic was all over it."
"I am truly sorry Emperor. I thought this would only be an initiation."
Adumbra interrupts. "So, you knew of this plan?"
"Good Captain-" Vampira stutters.
Devadas encircles her, raising his wings slowly, then takes a silent post as he interrogates her. "You had prior knowledge; you could have saved Princess Kurai. You chose not to, instead, you had her kidnapped, disturbed military communications, and assaulted a royal guard."
"Yes." She says as she looks at Devadas with tears in her eyes.
"Captain Ossifragus, you may arrest Elder Vampira for the charges Lieutenant Vayav has placed." Koriath uses his regal, official voice, which echoes through the hall’s timbers.
"With honor my Emperor." She proceeds, taking handcuffs from her hip satchel, Adumbra binds the Elder, guiding Vampira to kneel before their emperor.
I hate this part of my job, yet I need answers. Koriath thinks before he speaks, his tone still carries the same royal resonance, but now at a softer, controlled volume. "Vampira, I am about to ask you a series of questions. I can feel your undead heart, so do not think I will not search it if I think you are lying to me. How you answer these questions is going to determine your survival. I, your Guardian Emperor, am your judge. These two decorated Umbral Guards join me on the jury. Do you understand Vampira?"
"Yes, my Emperor, I understand."
“Good, then let us begin.” Nodding to acknowledge her understanding. "Were you one of the lifeless ones on planet Eris?"
"Yes Sir."
"Were you conscious when Evil Incarnate was summoned?"
"Yes, but inanimate. I can serve as witness to the emergency annulment. I can help you abolish the rest of her cult. I'll do anything to make amends."
She knows of the annulment… Koriath, Adumbra, and Devadas share the same thought.
"You will do anything?" Koriath raises an eyebrow, simultaneously fighting to speak regally and not curling his talons into a fist.
"Anything my Emperor."
"...Were you able to re-animate at any time?" His body clenches, his skin flushes pale.
"My Guardian, Night Shepherd, what are you asking me?" Vampira cowers.
"I know you would not have been able to even stand with Hokulani. Yet, after Evil fled and while Hokulani was taking Kurai to safety, when it was just me and Malencia… Did you … when I was forced to leap over you…" His talons roll to fists, his sclera reddening.
Devadas’s black opal eyes reflect Koriath’s questioning, taking up the task as the emperor of darkness is rendered silent. Devadas’s black stare pierces into the vampiric elder's unholy undead gaze. "Could you have reanimated after Emperor Karasu Koriath made the emergency annulment?"
"My lord-" Vampira looks at Koriath with desperation, her eyes widening as her lips tremble.
Adumbra kicks Vampira to bend lower with her armored sandal. "Answer him."
Koriath raises his left talon with three middle digits up, thumb and pinky below them. "No, answer me this, Vampira, were you able to re-animate when I, the very core of me, needed defense against Malencia?"
"My Emperor, please! I need an attorney!" As Vampira squirms, Adumbra keeps the elder in place with her shoe.
"You kidnapped my daughter, left my friend for dead." Tears flowing down Koriath’s face as he lowers his arm. "You forced Princess Kurai into a ritual that required her to kill. Conspired with Malencia to give my stolen child to Evil Incarnate; then you could not even bother to come to my aid." He fights to keep his voice strong, forcing himself to stay poised while his words tremble. "When I was... I needed help... You watched. Correct?"
Vampira is speechless, her facial expression tells the three everything.
“I will go get more guards.” Devadas bows his head and flies off in darkness.
Adumbra keeps Vampira pinned under her sandal.
“Normally I am repulsed by this sort of behavior, yet I think the umbral captain is being too gentle this time.” Koriath glares.
“Please, please have mercy Dark Shepherd.”
“Dark Shepherd? I thought you were a Voidist.” Adumbra drives her heel into Vampira.
“Mercy? Vampira, you were the one who introduced me to Malencia, you are the high priestess of the Voidist church. How do you think that comes across when paired with your actions and lack there of tonight?”
“My Emperor, you know how manipulative M-”
“Yes I do, thanks to you.” Koriath folds his arms across his chest. “Captain Ossifragus, may you please lift her head up for me before I continue?”
Adumbra nods, then snatches Vampira by her silver hair bun, yanking Vampira’s head to rise. The umbral captain’s voice haunts in a low rasp. “You better lift your eyes in reverence and fear when he speaks to you.”
“Think Vampira, if not for you, I would have never married Malencia. I was always doomed to the fate of having a spouse that would use me for power and prestige. However, I could have at least married someone that would not have murdered or trafficked my childlings. Since you sponsored her rise to power, I want you to know that I personally see you as just as guilty as the Raven Fiend for every crime she committed while bearing my family’s name.”
He looks back to Adumbra. “Captain, I do not want to see this traitor’s face anymore, you may lower it.”
“Yes Your Majesty.” She throws the Elder’s face to the floor, then pins her again against the wooden floor with her sandal.
Devadas leads a legion of royal guards who storm in to surround them, so that Vampira does not try to escape judgement nor justice. Silently they await their emperor’s order or action.
"Vampira, you are stripped of your honor and duty as a member of The Elder Council. You are under arrest for conspiracy, kidnapping a minor, assaulting an officer, failing to render aid to the crown, and two counts of treason. Treason against your Emperor. Treason against Princess Kurai. You are to be incarcerated until summoned to a penta-trial, one court for the crimes of your church, one for your crimes against the state, one for your crimes against me and my family, the fourth court will culminate all findings, and the final is your court of judgement. Until then, you are to be treated as a treasonous, child-predatory cultist." His official decree.
"Guards, get this monster out of my presence." Koriath lowers his head and closes his eyes.
The guards take Vampira away.
“A political storm will be brewing. I hate sailing in these waters, but it must be done. To land this empire on a peaceful shore.” Koriath addresses Devadas and Adumbra.
The captain and lieutenant nod to him. Once everyone but Devadas and Adumbra are gone, Koriath’s body collapses. The captain and lieutenant together catch their falling Guardian Emperor who struggles to speak.
"Twins. Coffin. Closet." With this, Koriath loses consciousness.
"Brother, put him to bed and get the princesses out of hiding." Adumbra commands.
"Where are you going?" Devadas starts to lift Koriath’s upper body over his shoulder.
"I'm going to go help process Vampira in."
"But you usually give your paperwork to me, and neither of us even have to do paperwork tonight due to the circumstances."
"Oh, I'm not going to do paperwork, I am assuming Malencia’s regulations on treatment of violent prisoners of the state still stand." She smirks.
"Captain, I did not just hear you say that." The emperor's emotional weight makes him heavier than he normally is, still Devadas manages to carry him by himself. “But I got the order, I will guard the royal family while you do your processing.”
They bow their heads to each other and part ways.
~~~
Adumbra makes her way out onto the war hall's most upper balcony. In the crescent chaos moon, her wings fan out, bathing in darkness. Energy envelops her body, her height and form shifting; her muscles become greater, wings mightier. She towers about three meters tall now, as she steps onto the balcony rail, and takes a mighty leap from the ledge. The night air washes over her feathers as she dives, then with a beat of her wings, she takes flight to a particular air force prison, originally founded by the emperor Chimalayauh, a top secret site hidden deep within the jungle.
Once she is there, she uses her clearance to enter into the air force’s complex. Personnel escorts her, she passes along only the surface levels of what has happened tonight along to the other guards, only as needed. After some speaking with the warden, she is granted clearance to access both Vampira and her files. Finally, Adumbra makes her way to Vampira's cell with a set of documents and a pen, passing them into her cell.
"What is this, guard captain?" Vampira narrows her eyes at Adumbra.
"You said you would serve as witness to the emergency annulment of Guardian Emperor Karasu Koriath and Malencia the Raven Fiend, formerly Empress Karasu Malencia. You know, your precious Void Prophet. I need your statement."
"Ah, right. But you see dear Captain, I do not have a desk. No, a proper lady such as I will not sign without dignity. As if desperate for this plane like some caged rat. I am the mother of vampirism." Vampira smiles with the same wickedness Malencia bares, as she takes the pen and pages.
Fierce hens such as I, can also take an intimidation stance, it is not just the royalty and the roosters. Adumbra presses her stature against the bars, with wings full on display and chin held high, morganite eyes cast down at Vampira.
"Oh, but you are a desperate little rat. We all heard you begging. You will do anything to stay on this plane. You even volunteered to be a witness, so start witnessing." Adumbra smirks through her words.
Vampira scoffs at Adumbra, then throws the paperwork and pen on the floor in protest like a childling having a tantrum.
"How humiliating if the Brasille clan turned out to be the honorable Vampiric house in this nation, instead of- what was yours again? Ah yes, your clan has no surname. How pathetic, how uncivilized. Even I, the youngest of poor miners’ childlings, have a surname. Well, it can't be helped, that's why you will squeak like the rat you are. Your other high ranking cult members are dead. Your prophet has moved on, forsaken you. I have the Emperor's side, thus his arms. So, play nice little caged rat. Do the bite, get the smite."
Adumbra keeps her gaze cast down as the former elder bends to the floor. Vampira grabs the pen on her hands and knees, grumbling to herself as she picks up then places out the pages.
I could make a public mockery of her, but Koriath, The Black Lotus Crown, would be the one most hurt by that. I'll keep it between me, her, and… Adumbra beats her wings twice, an arranged signal for the other fort guards to join her. Our private mockery.
Vampiric fear is delicious.
~~~
Meanwhile at the crown’s roost loft, Devadas makes his way to lay Koriath in his bed. "Sorry Little Brother, I know you did not want to sleep here tonight, but it's easier for me. Sister Adumbra is out so I have to watch over all three of you."
He turns from his side, then walks towards Koriath’s withdrawing room. He might have overreacted on this one. He shakes his head as he walks through to the back closet. Entering the closet, he scans the shelves of boxes, fabrics folded, figurines of holy figures, then the larger crates, chests, and covered furniture in the middle.
"Princesses, it's me, Lt. Vayav. You two can come out of hiding now."
He hears something unclick, but doesn’t see the coffin.
"Aw'ddy said he would come get us." Phantisma whispers.
"Your father has collapsed, he used the last of his strength telling me where you two were and to get you both out of there." Devadas follows Phantisma's voice from the back, towards the floor.
"What of Vampira?" Kurai whimpers.
I see, he put a sheet over the coffin. "She has been arrested for treason. Captain Ossifragus is over-seeing her intake and processing as we speak. She is not alone, she will have other royal guards with her, as well as some of the air force."
He kneels down and removes the sheet. Why does the lid have these? His talons gently trace the beaten and slashed wood, some marks are old, some fresh. These are her talons. He hid them in this? He shakes his head and lifts the lid for the princesses.
"Devadas!" They both cry with arms stretched out.
"Come on my ladies, out you go." He lifts each one out then sets them to stand. "Bedtime. You both can sleep next to your father, I will watch over you three."
"Thank gadzin we won't be left alone." Princess Kurai sighs with relief.
Princess Phantisma is quiet, it looks like her thoughts are racing again. He notices as he continues escorting the girls back into the emperor's bedroom. He lifts them into the bed, putting them both to roost. Just as Devadas turns to walk away from the nest-bed, Princess Phantisma's tiny talon grabs his rugged talon.
"What happened?" She whispers with fear in her breath.
I cannot tell her the truth. But I cannot lie to the ether-line of the Black Lotus. "It has been a really long night. Given everything that happened before he came to pick you up, I think he was frightened out of his mind. Your father did not want you two getting hurt or worse."
"You're bad at lying Lt. Vayav. There is more." Her garnet gaze pierces into him.
"I cannot tell you everything, Princess. That is up to your father if he wants to tell you. I do not think he ever will, if he does, he may wait until you are an adult."
"I’m a big girl. I’ve been to a wedding and a funeral. We do safety drills. I can talk about adult stuff." She presses with those eyes.
"It is Malencia’s fault.” Kurai sits up, gripping her pillow. “Go to bed Phasi." She swings the pillow at her sister.
"Yes. Go to bed, both of you." Devadas swiftly disarms Kurai, snatching it out of her talons. “And do not hit each other.” He then gently places the pillow back behind her, guiding her to lay down again..
"Will mother return if Elder Vampira did?" Phantisma whimpers.
Kurai sits up immediately, tiny talons gripping the sheet, ruby eyes wide with darkness. Her wings puff, accidentally slapping both her father and her sister.
"No, she is a demon now. I will destroy her on sight." Koriath groans.
He shifts from laying sideways to on his stomach, turning his head to his daughters. Devadas steps back as Koriath stretches out his right wing over the twins like a shield, while his arm guides Kurai to lay back down.
"Now spare the lieutenant and go to bed you two." Koriath manages to mutter before he passes out again.
"Slumber well Dark Shepherd and Black Lotus Princesses. I'll be right outside the drape-door if needed." Devadas whispers softly.