NationStates Jolt Archive

Ravelyn sat in the main hall on her throne. Every empress had to have a throne. It had been a week since Ravelyn had returned from Tempest’s home which was somewhere in the nation of Haraki, however no one really knew where. Even Ravelyn wasn’t quite sure. After the white seraphic incident she had regained her normal form and the crimson eyes and dark brown hair returned to their rightful place. Tempest was there, standing against the wall as usual. Ravelyn was sitting horizontally on her thrown with her legs crossed and thrown over one gilded arm. She had on a violet dress; which was rare for her; as well as matching stiletto heels and black diamond jewelry. She was the empress after all, despite the fact that she looked twenty five and despite the double set of fangs she possessed.

“Why must you always stand by the wall, Coro,” she said to Tempest flashing her fangs at him in a smile. She had finally let go of Vaughn and had moved on to a former suitor. Things were going quite well, save for a minor interference with Ravelyn's sire. She was the head of the Shentavo family; the most prevalant vampire clan known to date. Her line spanned ages, as did she. And Tempest? Well, Tempest was much older than she was, and it had been recently decided that Ravelyn would step down as empress, given over a millenia of rule. She would pass the rule to Navi, though she hadn't given the girl the notice yet. A large festival would be thrown in just a few days honoring the new Shentavo to take the throne.

He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest, looking down towards her on her throne. He stood a full head taller than her, but she seemed shorter sitting horizontally on her throne, despite its height and elegance. "Well, you know me," he said somewhat quietly, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the empty throne room. "I'm not one for pomp and circumstance. Besides, I had enough of sitting on fancy chairs hundreds of years before I ever met you. It doesn't suit me like it suits you."


*


It was a small town, and one that at any other time he would have taken no notice of. Now, though, it stood tall as a haven, a sanctuary. He was hidden here, hidden from those that had relentlessly pursued him for hundreds of years. His sister was gone, ruined, and did not even remember who he was. She was no threat to them and could not help him. They, though ... they had chased him for hundreds of years. He was sick of it. Sick of the fighting, sick of the struggle. He wanted them dead, and his rightful place restored. For hundreds of years his usurpers had chased him, trying to kill him and end once and for all any hope of rightful rule. He refused to lie down and die, though, and their frustration at his successful avoidance of their search had led to much fury and anger over the years.

This town was small and tranquil, and he had been in it for nearly three months. They hadn't come after him yet, and he didn't think they would. For some reason, the peacefulness, and the location - the United Empires - seemed to keep them at bay. He was eking out a small, miserable life, cursing himself for his mistakes, many years past, and wishing he could take it all back. Change it. Stop what had happened to his sister. Now, though, there was a glimmer of hope. From here, in his new home, he had sensed someone he hadn't felt for hundreds and hundreds of years. An outburst, which felt as if it lay beneath his feet, had been his first clue, but he had blamed it on wishful thinking. Then another, slightly longer, far away, and his hope had trebled. Perhaps he had returned? Perhaps he was back, and trying to give the others hope. Perhaps it was nothing.

Then, though, he had felt his presence, in a different place. At the Empress' mansion. An undeniably strange place for his sire to be, but one he could not ignore. It was undeniably him, and so the much younger man knew what he had to do. He had to leave his sanctuary and travel there. He had to find his sire, who he knew could help him with all this. The others, they perverted his name, slandered his actions, and tortured those who had been his subjects. Now ... now he had returned. But even that hope could so easily be dashed, and in a week he could be on the run again, his place of hiding compromised, and his one chance that his sire was back gone from his mind. But he had to try.

He would never be able to forgive himself if he did not.

“Suits me well doesn’t it?” she tilted her head to the side. She looked beautiful, despite the fact she was so very, very dangerous. He knew it well. Playing with her was like playing with fire. She slowly slithered out of her former position and stood. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked towards him. “Hmmmn…I have a few days before Navi gets back to tell her the news. You know I thought the reconstruction of this place would take a lot longer than it did.” She pushed him against the wall lightly, her hands on his chest. She looked up to him with her effortless grin. “You know you would have made a fine emperor,” she remarked. “Ruling by my side, but we both know it will be a lot better for us out of the spotlight for once. Out of politics, finally.”

"A fine emperor, maybe," he admitted, "but a happy one? Probably not. Ruling is not for me. Not anymore. Leaving politics behind was the best thing I ever did, besides meeting you. Of course, there will be the matter of filling our days, and I believe you still have some other things to run, even though you're stepping down as Empress. Such as the Academy." He bent his knees slightly and leaned forward to kiss her gently. Pulling back, he grinned. "Maybe I could get a teaching post there. Something to do besides sit around the 'house'."

The helicopter landed directly at the mansion, and Charmaine nearly burst out of the doors, pulling Mathias in tow. She was running. She was happy to be home after so many years. She was safe now with the one person she always wanted to be with. The war was over, and they were home. It was a good feeling, truly. She was going to be reunited with her family. They approached a very large mansion. From the architecture it was no surprise it was the empress’ for it would cost more than your life was worth to break off one of those statues. Opened the double doors. The inside was better than the outside, if that were possible. The red carpet ascending the stairs was lush and spotless, lined in a golden trim. She stopped running, and gripped Mathias’ hand.

“Come on,” she whispered. “Come meet my mother.”

He walked towards the mansion slowly. There was no way they did not know of his presence, unless their attention was indeed distracted by something else entirely, or if his energy was depleted that they could not so much as sense him. He could see a helicopter that had landed, evidently only a few minutes before by the dust swirling through the air, and in the distance he could see a couple running up to the door, opening it, and rushing in, and he sighed inwardly. He did not belong here, and he could feel that. But the one place he belonged was the one place he could not go.

He ascended the outer stairs slowly, giving time for those before him to do whatever it was they were doing inside, and he very tentatively opened one of the double doors, stepping through and shutting it behind him quietly. The mansion was deceptively empty, and with a heavy heart and a nervous demeanour he began to ascend the inner stairs. He had to see the Empress, and even in such a weakened state he could tell where she was. He was going there, regardless of what was happening elsewhere in the mansion.

Never before had he been the one to meet someone, usually people were coming to meet him in his former life. But now, standing before this opulent expanse, this building he could have never fathomed stepping foot in, with Charmaine at his side, he felt anxious, nervous, with shaking hands.

He had no idea what to expect in this new land; if he would be welcomed or rejected. The past scars of his former life still told the story of the hard life he had lived through, of the pain and suffering he endured, and he wondered now if any of that could possibly be compared to their lives. His first day as a vampire had been so much then he had ever experienced in a day; the sounds, the smell of blood, the attraction to it, and the burning sensation of sunlight that had seared his skin.....to spend a life time like this, he could only imagine.

"I'm nervous," he told Charmaine truthfully, squeezing her hand a little tighter for support, "What is she like?"

“Ha,” she laughed. “Don’t be nervous. She’s well…she’s like me.” Charmaine pulled Mathias up the stairs and opened the double doors to the throne room. She saw Ravelyn in the arms of another man; not her father. Her pace slowed as she walked in, her long white hair coming to a stop shortly after her. Ravelyn turned from Tempest, and looked straight at Charmaine. Her expression dropped.

“Sarah?” she whispered softly, and started to walk across the room toward her daughter. When the two met eyes, you could tell that a silent conversation was passing between them. Ravelyn looked over Charmaine’s shoulder at Mathias, as Charmaine whispered something. Ravelyn’s purely red eyes were always that way, not because of bloodlust.

“Welcome to my family, Mathias…” she looked down at Charmaine. “Now…why ever is the sunlight burning my daughter? That is the question…” Ravelyn offered Charmaine her wrist and the young girl accepted it, drinking just a bit from her. She held one hand out to Mathias. “If you don’t want that sun to burn you, you should probably get some of my blood in you,” she whispered. “I’m the head of this line.” With that, her white feathered wings unfolded from her back, expanding outward. Ah, she was always one for theatrics. Miss Ravelyn Shentavo was a seraphic, inflicted with vampirism. Her line had angelic blood in them. It did not make them angelic, but it made them different from other vampires.

"Coro," she said, addressing Tempest. "This is my daughter Sarah, or Charmaine as she has taken to." Vaughn is her father... She trailed off. "and her fiance Mathias."

He stepped forward, so as not to be observing the exchange from afar, but not close enough to be intruding on their privacy, should they choose it. Then, he bowed to her and Mathias. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, straightening up, honesty the only tone in his voice. "I've heard a lot about you." Thoughts raced in his head. He didn't want to seem ... the way he must to her. But he knew anything he said, any attempts he made to convince her otherwise would hinder more than help in that regard. So, instead, he remained quiet. This moment was to be shared between Rave and Charmaine.

Standing before Ravelyn, Mathias suddenly felt small; he was standing before someone far greater then himself and he could not help but marvel at that thought. "This is your mother?" he asked Charmaine in disbelief, surprised that she had come from someone who appeared so "young."

He could sense she had great strength and power and he knew that she was not someone he wanted to get on the bad side of. Taking Ravelyn's hand as offered, he drank as if taking a respectful kiss.

"Thank you," he said, bowing his head in respect, grateful that she had welcomed him in with open arms. He could get used to this family quickly, he thought, feeling comfortable now that he was no longer nervous.

As Ravelyn revealed her white wings, Mathias stared in awe. "Impressive...." he silently confessed, staring at their span and beauty. And then she had introduced the other man who had been in the room when they had first arrived. Mathias nodded as customary to his nation, "Hello; pleasure to meet you" before looking to Charmaine. "It's unbelievable here....."

“Don’t let the looks fool you,” she whispered. “I’m many millennia old.” She looked back at Tempest to steal a momentary glance. You know, a while back it would have been illegal for you to date me. She gave him a subtle wink then looked back at her two children. Her wrists were covered in blood, but as she wiped it away the skin had healed. “Besides…Sarah wasn’t really born. My body lacks the capabilities to harbor a child and keep it alive. She just…happened. Hard to explain.” And she couldn’t really explain it. Her love for Vaughn and the reciprocating devotion had made a lot of things out of the ordinary. However, those times were past.

She walked towards her throne, and then turned around. “Sarah, Charmaine now isn’t it?” Charmaine nodded. “I want you to take the throne; to have control over this empire I have ruled for so long. There will be a festival in two days to celebrate a new empress, and my hopes are that it would be you as I have ruled this land for my entire existence. It is time for me to resign.”

And with that, Charmaine was stunned. Her lips parted, exposing her fangs. She had already gotten used to the idea of coming home empress, because she thought her mother dead. She should have known better. “All right,” she said finally. Even Ravelyn was surprised at the answer. Charmaine looked toward Mathias.

“He can stay,” Ravelyn said in reassurance. “He’s part of my family now. You, my dear, must go through preparations tomorrow for the festival.”

At that moment, the door at the end of the room, opposite Rave's throne opened anticlimactically. Tempest's head shot up, his eyes wide and suddenly full of surprise. He had been so focused on other things that he had not sensed it. How could he have not sensed it? He was here. He was in the palace, and he was walking through the door at that moment.

The man who stepped through was only slightly shorter than Tempest, young and handsome, but his face was gaunt and haggard, his short, dark red hair hung around his head limply, and he was lacking the energy to provide a commanding presence the way the others in the room did. Tempest's mouth opened slightly as the man walked in on tired legs, looking farther into the room towards Rave, Charmaine and Mathias, and finally to Tempest, at which point he smiled slightly. "I knew it," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I knew it was you."

Tempest rushed forward, grabbing the younger man by his shoulders and staring into his eyes for a split second before hugging him to his chest. The younger man deflated slightly, letting himself hang in Tempest's powerful arms. "I thought you were dead," the younger man said, his voice choked with emotion.

Tempest stepped back slightly. He was smiling, incredulous. He could hardly believe his eyes. "I never die," he said cheekily. "I'm like a bad penny. What the hell happened to you, Irahes? I left you in charge of an entire vampire house, and you show up looking like this?" His voice showed no condescension, no disappointment in the other man, it was merely a simple question.

Irahes hung his head. "The others betrayed us. I will elaborate later. I need to sit down."

Tempest nodded his head. "Take all the time you want, but never hang your head. The minute you lose confidence in yourself is the minute they've won ... whoever they are." He turned to face Rave, his hand still on the other man's shoulder. "Rave, this is my son, Irahes."

Mathias stood still at Charmaine's side, waiting patiently. It was not in his nature to intrude on others, so he resolved to stand quietly and wait to be called upon.

In the midst of their conversation, his eyes wondering the room, it was beautiful, everything, and it amazed him that such a nation had existed. What amazed him more is that such people had existed, people as old as they had been. And he used to think he was old, he laughed to himself, a slight grin spreading across his face at that thought.

He was in this room, the beginning of a new life that he still could not imagine. No words could be wrapped around his feelings, this new existence with Charmaine, a woman he never knew he could love so much.


The doors opened, another man entering their ensemble. He watched silently as the other man hugged him and introduced him to Ravelyn as his son. He looked to Charmaine briefly, stealing a quick glance, and deep within him something burned.....he wanted that....family.

Charmaine asked for leave, and it was granted. Then, another entered the room. Ravelyn’s eyes went wide. First her daughter is alive; Vaughn’s daughter…now Tempest has a son…that’s alive. How she wouldn’t be surprised if Quissera walked through that door. Charmaine tapped Mathias on the shoulder. It was their time to leave. Rave was old after all. Wouldn’t want to give her a heart attack. Charmaine laughed silently at her thought, and slipped her hand in Mathias. She still waited though, waited to be introduced.

“I wonder…how many more family members are going to come back from the grave,” she asked, her red eyes encompassing Tempest’s son and her white wings extending behind her back as she moved closer to Tempest, letting her hand slip around his waist. She really didn’t know what to make of all this. “Ravelyn Shentavo…” she introduced herself. Silently, she muttered something about 'vampire men'. Oh the memories that brought back.

"Ravelyn Shentavo," Irahes echoed, nodding his head slightly. "I know. I've heard of you often while I've been in the Empires. I am sorry, I am far from personable. Forgive me."

Tempest caught himself in a moment of rudeness, and although he did not know them, introduced Irahes to the other two present with only a slight catch. "Irahes, this is Charmaine Shentavo, and Mathias ..." he wondered for a moment whether it was impolite to introduce the other man without knowing his last name, and decided it was, but he could do no better.

Irahes merely nodded to them, and turned, dragging himself over to a wall and sitting down on the floor, leaning back against it and setting his head back, closing his eyes. He had been running for hundreds of years. It felt good to be able to leave himself unguarded. He knew nothing would happen to him now, not while Tempest was there. It couldn't. Tempest bit his lip, trying not to laugh. He did not share Irahes' serious mood. "Er ... we do have chairs here," he said, still trying not to laugh. Irahes simply waved a hand at him, not even opening his eyes, dismissive of his comment.

Ravelyn looked at Coro and then to his kin. "So are we combining families?" She questioned, looking at Corothisia inquizitively. Albeit it would imply other things that they had even discussed. Then again, did tey really need to? So much ahd been assumed by both that nothing had really been said about the matter. She had just been stopping back to find a new Empress, and, luckily with Charmaine, she had found one fit for the throne of her own blood; but she was also of Vaughn's. Ravelyn, however, had moved past memories. It all had happened, at Corothisia's home.

Coro's face changed ever so slightly at the suggestion, as he considered exactly what he had said, and the implications it brought with it. The thing that concerned him most was not the fact that it would happen, but what members of their respective families might think. Then his face broke out into a broad grin. "I don't see why we shouldn't," he said, moving in closer to her and, his mind slipping past the others present, wrapping his arm around her and looking down at her face.

Though I would like to find out just what the hell Irahes is talking about. I left him in charge of everything I had created when I left, and to see him like this is ... surprising, to say the least.

Ah, but your house was apparenlty betrayed, love, Ravelyn said silently to him. We should find out more about this issue, punish those who betrayed you, then run away to a deserted island.

"Irahes...betrayed by who? I need names, and they will be found at the blade of my scythe." She took the small bead pendent from her necklace and it lengthened into a very large elaborate sythe. Charmaine blinked several times, and held Mathias' hand. This was normal; yes, for their family.

Tempest just chuckled as Irahes lazily opened one eye as Rave began to talk to him. He closed it tightly again, then reopened both forcefully as he sat up slightly and then heaved himself to his feet, using his hand on the floor as a brace, and gingerly feeling the base of his neck with his right hand as he began to speak, addressing Tempest but making it clear that he was speaking to both him and Rave. "Not even a year after you left, the other two attacked us. We were caught by surprise, and forced to flee. Lanes was caught, I wasn't. I've been running from them for as long as you've been gone. They think you're gone forever, from what I've seen Lanes is no threat to them, and they think if they kill me their victory is complete." He laughed humourlessly.

"Wait," Tempest said, his face suddenly serious and somewhat ashen. "What did they do to Lanes? Why didn't you go back for her?" He was suddenly almost angry. He evidently cared about this person, whoever she was.

"I tried," Irahes replied, taking a defensive step back. "I went back to try and rescue her, but ... I couldn't find her, and they chased me off. I don't even know what they did to her, but I've heard stories. Bad stories."

Tempest's eyes flared open, and his voice was nearly a growl as he began to talk and stopped himself. "I told you to ... you know what, never mind. What's done is done. I'll find her." Or I'll find her killers. Either way.

"They made her an example, Corothisia. The stories I heard after the fact ... they used her to show how ruthless they were, how unafraid of destroying people they were. They rule through fear, and they say you left them in charge and that I was the usurper. Ha. Lying bastards." A flash of pain suddenly crossed his face and he flinched suddenly. Tempest took a step forward instinctively to help him, but Irahes waved him away. "I'm fine. I'm tired. I just need to rest. I'll tell you more details later."

Tempest nodded glumly. His cheerfulness was gone, replaced by a sullen, thoughtful silence, as he contemplated what Irahes had told him.

"Give me names," Ravelyn said nonchalantly. She was irritated that the goodtimes were interupted by something like this. Unfortunately, if Corothisia decided to leave, she could not go with him due to politics. She must remain in the nation for the next two days until Charmaine was able to be crowned as the new empress. It was possibly that that made it worse. If Coro tried to do something now, she would be left here without him, which made the threat of Daja so much more terrifying. Her children couldn't stop him because of the link to her which gave them so much strength. She, in fact, was defenseless against her own sire.

Irahes winced as she exposed her nonchalant attitude and desire to hunt them down. "It's been hundreds of years, what does a few more days matter?" he said, evidently growing uncomfortable with the situation. "I need to rest. I'll give you names, and so much more, in time." He was insistent, and evidently wouldn't budge.

It's best not to try and argue with him, love, came Tempest's silent voice. He's stubborn. And he has a point. I have to go back, we both know that, and I don't want to leave you behind. I know with all this 'new empress' stuff it could be a few days or weeks before you can come with me - us - but I want you to. And we can let Irahes rest. From what I hear he hasn't had enough of that in quite some time.

"Haven't you learned that even though we have eternity...we are always running out of time," Ravelyn gave Tempest quite the look and turned on her heel and began walking towards the door, her scythe in hand with a light flush in her cheeks. She was adorable when she was angry; although part of her was downright scary. Her wings fanned out behind her, the feathers turning to black as they did when she was angry. It had been happening a lot lately; the change between the three of her forms; the good, the bad, and the neutral. At least it was pretty damn easy for people to tell how she felt. She couldn’t really hide it. She was frustrated, and didn’t know why. She wanted to fight, or was that one third of her talking? She closed her eyes after passing through the large elaborate double doors. She headed up to the grand staircase.

Tempest watched her go with a slight sigh, and once she was out of earshot with a muttered "Vampire women." he turned to Irahes, who was raising one of his eyebrows incredulously, making quite an effective point. "Oh shut up," Tempest said. "Here, I'll show you a room."

"Can I stay in it?"

"No, I'm just going to show it to you and then make you sleep on the floor. Come on."

He walked away, Irahes following, and showed him to a guest bedroom, one of the few places in the mansion he knew the location of. He left Irahes to get settled, letting the younger vampire find his way to the elaborate, ornate bed, and sit down on it, feeling how soft it was, comfort he had not felt in hundreds of years, before Tempest gave a sly smile and left. He knew Irahes was itching to get back and show the others who was boss, who was right. Things he couldn't accomplish on his own, and definitely not in such a haggard state.

Then, left on his own, with Irahes already asleep by the time Tempest had turned the corner, he let his feet take him where they wanted to go, and found them carrying him to Rave's room. He didn't object.

Dumbfounded, standing aside Charmaine, Mathias tried to piece together what had just happened. He felt like a third grade school boy thrown into advanced calculus and all he could do was hold onto Charmaine's hand staring blankly at her.

Shaking his head to bring him back to attention, he looked Charmaine in the eyes, a flash of Ravelyn's wings turning from white to black racing through his mind again. How was that possible? his mind wondered briefly, before he stopped himself.

His face twisted up into a half attempt at a grin, trying to mask his obvious confusion, "That was......different.... You have an interesting family to say the least," Mathias tried hard to say something, anything. When he realized that Charmaine could read him like a book, he took in a deep breath more out of habit and released it slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm lost," he laughed at himself to Charmaine, unaccustomed to expected behaviors in this new home, "Lost about pretty much everything. I'm hopeless, I know."