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“You know my answer to that, Antra. Honor is what got father killed;” Sudaro said, “and I was nowhere near to stop the attack.” I was at an opera with my wife in another part of Sanguinos, watching the opera In the local opera house when the messenger interrupted my viewing of it and gave the news. It was a great performance from what I remember, and the messenger ruined the showing. Mortal Mediocrity was a fantastic opera with a terrible name.” Antra, an opera enthusiast disapproved jokingly of Sudaro's choice in shows.
Antra couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Terrible opera with a great name, more like. I heard it was so bad that the entire human cast was sacrificed by the Mortus priests the next day for their dreadful performance. Even during a bloody civil war did the Mortus priests carry out their blood sacrifice, while many priests were killed in the fighting; Now that’s dedication!” she said. There was roaring laughter in the back ranks. Then silence. Finally, Sudaro spoke.

“Not “dedication.” Duty.” Sedika corrected her. “Their performance wasn’t so bad. The lead baritone had issues singing the lyrics to any of the songs, and his voice could not go low enough, and he couldn’t sing the Old Sanguinosian hymns of virtue, but the acting was pretty good. My wife enjoyed it. It was her favorite opera. That was the reason I even went. I hate the opera.” Sudaro said.

“You have terrible taste in opera, my Lord.” Antra said. “The acting was so ‘“good”’ that a traditionalist House Mortus priest-lord died from an aneurism out of rage at the baritone’s inability to sing those Old Sanguinosian hymns while he watched from his seat in the theatre. the show stopped while you were dealing with news from that messenger. At that point, their fates were sealed. Prior to that, they were well-respected.” Antra said. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

17-Aug-2022 04:38:18 - Last edited on 17-Aug-2022 04:38:41 by Pink 4 Twink

I was told that they were bled like suckling pigs by the Mortus priests on the altar of Belmordia.” Sedika said. “They did get nice statues years soon afterwards.” Sudaro shot back jokingly. More laughter sounded in the back ranks. Antra joined in on the laughter, then regained her composure. Sedika was not one for humor. “None of us bear no ill will towards you Lord. Sedika least of all, I suspect.” Antra said. “Was I in any doubt, Antra?” Sedika asked.

“I said in the past that Sudaro’s presence at an opera on the day Lord Velnias was assassinated could have been seen as convenient. What is the problem here” Sedika said honestly. “The problem here is that you were correct in your belief that it looked bad for Sudaro.” Antra informed Sedika. “It looked bad because he was known to still friends with the Gerns and especially Lexius, but the fact of the matter was Sudaro didn’t even know that his father had been assassinated. As his second, I vouch for him, because I was with him and his wife in that opera house.” Antra said with vague contempt “Milord, House Draconis has always been about honor, Lord. Surely there is an honorable solution to this.

“I think we are past the point of settling things honorably!” Sudaro said with a sense of finality. “Clan Gern is the opposite. They were always the most treacherous of any of the old Great Houses, even House Tilvus was more liked. Though that is like saying one would rather be burned alive than crucified. The Tilvus sea-lords Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

17-Aug-2022 04:42:37

put Beol under siege several times in their rivalry with the Gerns. You at least knew what to expect from dealings with Lord Dacias Tilvus. Nobody had any clue how to read Lord Tingus Gern’s body language, however. He showed little if any emotion. I was told by friends who had dealt business with him that Tingus was prone to stare blankly into space, sometimes he stared at walls. Balta, and sometimes Lexius had to snap him back into reality. That was back then, I can only imagine how crazy he is today. You were as likely to be executed by Tingus as granted a favor, in those days.” Sudaro said.


The bats flew past the Cathedral and headed towards Pragaras “Look down there, cousin!
The Clan Gern filth battling some humans!” Sedika said, mistaking the bandits for Clan Gern vampires. They were battling what Sudaro believed were the town guard. It seemed like one fool-hardy human was charging the blue-skinned commander. Some dwarves were also charging the vampires, and an elf lady seemed to jump through the window of another building after a vampire was chucking fireballs at the building she jumped on. The battling in the city was fierce. Dead Vampires, dead guards, dead dwarves were strewn on the ground of the town. The town was slowly turning into an inferno.

“Then let’s get down there, cousin.” Sudaro said, as he and his men landed behind the bandit’s ranks on a nearby hill covered with trees. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

17-Aug-2022 04:48:01 - Last edited on 17-Mar-2023 20:33:12 by Pink 4 Twink

Lexius:

Lexius was dismayed as his guards led him into the basement of the castle. As he walked down a spiral staircase at the back of the castle, other vampires spat at him. The basement of the castle, as it turned out was an armory for the Phoenix Lords. It had not been used by a Phoenix Lord in some time. Lexius, who was outside the armory, could see cobwebs covering the room. Swords, spears, and axes, bows of many varieties were lined up on the wall. All the armaments and armor were of high-quality metal. The metal of many of these weapons was as black as the approaching night. And there it was. The armor that was as brought out to him on an armor stand, by the dwarven overseer of the armory, was as black as Lexius’ twisted heart.

The overseer of the armory stood at four feet tall and was stout as a bull, and very muscular; for a dwarf he had a way of using his small stature to intimidate people into doing what he wanted. He wore a helmet of fine dwarf make that did not obscure his long blonde beard. His armor was black as the coals the dwarves used to forge it used to forge it. His eyes were crimson, and his cheeks were gaunt. On his back was a two-handed hammer that Lexius decided was meant to compensate for the dwarf’s height. The handle, made of whitewood and wrapped in black leather leather around it, was about Lexius’ height; and the head of the hammer was square face that bent concavely to form a round peen, which had a single wide, conelike spike.

“Einar!” Lexius exclaimed. “It is very good to see you again, my friend, I haven’t seen you since I lost my position as a general in court.” Einar said warmly. “I’ve spent weeks down here maintaining weapons and only rarely coming up... My thirst for blood is immense. I saw one of the slaves recently, she looked so juicy and full of delicious blood, I think she was having her period too. She smelled like it, anyway.” Einar said. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 17:56:55

Lexius nodded. “Period blood has immense flavor,” Lexius said knowing what Einar meant. Both he and Einar grinned. Einar liked the ladies like Lexius. It was their love of fine women that drove their friendship. The thought of blood made Einar salivate around his thick lips. Einar smiled, but his smile eventually turned to a frown of sadness.

“How very lucky we are to survive the siege, although with everything that happened with you…” Einar said dejectedly, “Well let’s just say that you will be busy the next couple of weeks. Your days at court are over. For now.” Einar said. “And I will be stuck here maintaining the weapons of this armory. How very sad this makes me. Not many people in this armory think favorably of me. Particularly because we are friends. In fact, I’ve been subject to much of the same abuse you have simply because of our friendship.” Einar said, leading Lexius into the armory. “Einar, I am so sorry.” Lexius said. “I hold no grudges, Lord Lexius.” Einar said finally after a moment of silence.

“Umbrium.” The dwarf said pointing to the armor, smiling admirably of its fine make. “It is the finest metal one can make armor and weapons from ((Rina’s Karabela saber is made of the same material, Azi)), and it is the antithesis of silver. Silver is brittle, Umbrium is uncompromisingly strong. Mortals cannot touch it. To do so would be fatal. And processing the ore into ingots requires the smith to sacrifice the life force of a mortal in a special furnace. This is the armor you are to wear.” The dwarf said, seemingly to himself. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:21:18

“It is very fine, no doubt.” Lexius said, examining the material. “I do insist on the very best, if I am to go to death.” Lexius said admiring the armor further. “Phoenix Lords have only used weapons and armor of the finest make. I wouldn’t worry about it. You are to fight not only vampire hunters, but also House Draconis. Which means YOU get the best equipment, and the best weapons and armor.” The dwarf vampire said, placing the Umbrium breastplate over Lexius’ shoulders, and gauntlets on Lexius’ hands.

“Even though I’m technically lower in social rank than a common Vergas?” Lexius asked. As he put on the greaves. The dwarf betrayed no emotion. “You are – or were - Lord Lexius Gern, many of us will still refer to you as such, even though it is no longer the case. Old habits die hard, and you are a talented warrior,” Lexius thought on Einar’s words, as he sat on a bench and put on the boots.

The dwarf fitted the pauldrons on Lexius’ shoulders. “The helm stays off for now, I refuse to wear it until I’m in battle. I am - or was - Lord Lexius Gern, after all!” Lexius said arrogantly. The bulk of the material made Lexius, who was quite tall look twice as massive, and much bulkier than he was out of the armor. Einar took Lexius past the normal weapons of the armory and to weapons Lexius recognized.
They were weapons from his own collection. Many of them were scimitars. Lexius had a thing for scimitars forged from the natives of the Esun desert. They were brutal weapons, and yet were so very beautiful.

Like a fine, curvaceous woman. Lexius thought. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:23:55

Lexius fought with many weapons in his life but the weapon that caught his attention the most was the weapon he used for most of his life, a spear. The long tip of the spear was around six inches and was curved back and made of Umbrium. He picked up the spear. “A fine choice, my lord!” Einar said. “Indeed,” Lexius said poshly. “Sudaro and I first met while training with the spear. We had many years of years of fighting together with such weapons. I would face him in battle in no other way.” He informed the dwarf.

The handle was around two feet and was charred jet black by the smith who forged it. The smith wrapped black leather around the handle for easy gripping and he added a long black leather strap from the area just below the tip of the weapon to the area just above the umbrium spike around the bottom of the weapon, so that Lexius could hoist the weapon over his back. The spike on the bottom of the spear, in theory was supposed to be used to jab someone without killing. Lexius used it to dispatch enemies who were dying or pretending to be dead.

The weapon was also heavily enchanted with hellish arcane fire. A strike from the lance would incinerate his foe within six seconds. Lexius took time to wet a whetstone to sharpen the tip.” “How I wish I could have used this weapon back during the siege,” Lexius said as he moved the tip back and forth on the whetstone. “I assume the repairs to it were seamless, Einar?” The dwarf vampire nodded. “As requested, the smith fashioned a new handle for the weapon, try not to get it chopped in half by an orc, next time.” Einar said

“Good. I shall burn Vyras with this spear for what I suffered. His screams of agony will be music to my ears, and I shall eventually regain my position in court!” Lexius said haughtily. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:26:44

“That’s the Lexius I know!” Einar said proudly. “You make an ex-warrior of Balvorrik proud, but there is one more thing I have yet to give you, courtesy of your mother. If you would come with me to the beast den.” Einar said, gesturing for Lexius to follow.
Einar led Lexius, who was carrying the Unbrium helm in his arms up to the third floor of the castle, and into the den where he released the beasts earlier. The beast was there. A single, black-scaled wyvern with crimson stripes.

It was a crimson death head wyvern, named for their two crimson stripes that go down the length of the beasts back on both shoulders and make their way down the spine until they reconnect at the tail. The venom was such that a single bite from its fangs would be enough to fell hundreds of men. It was larger than most wyverns. Standing at 6 feet tall if it went on two legs, whereas many wyverns stood at four or five feet tall when they did the same. The crimson death head wyvern’s intimidation factor was mostly in its high girth and its fast- sprinting speed. Unlike most wyverns, Crimson Deathtouch wyverns are unable to fly, but they can jump long distances. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:29:36

“Mother released a crimson death head wyvern to me? Is she mad? These things are extremely rare. “She purchased a third one a century ago.” Lexius said. Einar grinned. She’s been saving her for a special occasion. Go ahead place your hand on the wyvern.” Einar said. Lexius reluctantly approached the wyvern whose size alone intimidated him. He raised his arm in front of the wyvern, who took the time to sniff him. “Massssssssssster…” The wyvern said, rubbing her head against Lexius’ arm affectionately.

“Balta had spent years trying to get this wyvern to imprint herself to you; where do you think all your ruined, sweaty clothes ended up going? Of course, she did this secretly, while you were out hunting resistance; her efforts paid off, Einar informed him. “She” Einar was referring to the wyvern, “knows your scent perfectly. No matter where you go, this wyvern can smell you, and it will follow.” Einar informed him.
“
I knew she had three of these beauties, but I wasn’t sure she was saving one for me. I thought she was trying to get the male to breed the females.” Lexius said “Alas,” Lexius added, “It is not that time yet. They only breed once per century, and when they do, the male and the other hatched wyverns raise thousands of young, while the female- or females- continue laying eggs. We still have five years before that happens. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:31:05

Lexius looked around the room, there was a table with Umbrium armor meant for the wyvern. “I shall name her Biruta.” Lexius said Einar was intrigued. “You’re naming her after the first girl you fucked on Sanguinos?” Einar asked. “Yes.” Lexius informed Einar, “The woman is named after had fine flavor.” Lexius said. Einar nodded in approval. “Fine flavor indeed, from what you told me about her, must have been quite a beautiful woman.” Einar said.

“A fine name. If I had an ale, I’d toast you.” Einar said, glowingly “Indeed.” Lexius said, “Such is the way women are. I proposed a hook-up. No commitment, and she runs off for the hills. I couldn’t have that, so I had my guards arrest her for prostitution. She puts up a fight, gives a guard a black eye. After that they cart the girl off to House Gern’s dungeons.” Einar laughed. “Sounds like quite the festy girl.” Einar said. “She wasn’t once I had my way with her. Did I mention she was a young orphan? Lexius said. “And then I heard one week later that the girl was pregnant, so I kicked her out on the street, not much she could do at that point.” Lexius said.

“She definitely deserved it” Einar said. “Oh, there is one final thing before you set off. You are to meet up with Patikimas. There you will be under his command.” Einar said. “Patikmas?” Lexius asked disdainfully. He and his mother’s boyfriend did not get along at all. Lexius assumed that Balta meant it as an insult to her new, lowly Phoenix Lord, and Lexius picked up on the the meaning instantly. “Great.” Lexius said, dejectedly. “I will see what that arrogant, ex-Sudovian prince wants, I bet he has some insulting task in mind.” Lexius said before leaving the beast den to go to Patikimas’ quarters. Goodbye my old friend. Glad you survived the siege. "Lexius said.

"You too, Lord Lexius. Einar said. Einar watched his friend leave for perhaps the last time. The realization of that made Einar sad. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

19-Aug-2022 18:37:54