Vadiraj
In the year of 8835 - 8845, Reminis Calendar (RC)
Vadiraj and his sister changed into their combat suits before setting off. With Dominic's guide, it took them a mere ten days to chop away tendrils and course through brambles until they finally reached the Mount of Bi-Zantine. The night had fallen. In front of Vadiraj, the Gate of Hell stood majestically in a black mirage. Vadiraj could feel the Staff of Januska calling for him from behind it. Yet, he couldn't go into the Underworld, not when he was still a living mage.
His sister gripped his arm. "Come back undead."
For the first time in twenty years, real fear glinted across her eyes.
Vadiraj gave her hand a light pat. "I will."
"The moon is out." Dominic pointed skyward. "We must carry out the ritual."
Vadiraj brought out a dagger from his cloak's pocket. Dominic began reciting some mantra. Closing his eyes, Vadiraj thought of the realms he could conquer at a young age of twenty. His greed towered. With a swooshing sound, he stabbed the dagger into his own heart.
A silvery wisp of silhouette -- his soul -- flew out of his own temple. After casting one last look at his body, his soul flew towards the Gate of Hell. However, he didn't go into the Underworld. He went into a void of foamy whiteness, but he wasn't afraid. He felt himself weigh light like a rubbery ball, bouncing off and floating along the clouds. His greed spurred him forward until he saw the emerald Staff of Januska with a fang-bearing serpent skull floating in mid-air.
He closed in.
The staff began to gleam in red, calling to him. Vadiraj stretched out his hand. His fingertips brushed against the cold surface when a huge shadow pounced on him. Vadiraj tried to push away the heavy lump on him, and managed to roll out from the weight after some intensive struggles. After his shock ebbed away, he realised that his attacker was a four-foot tall hellhound with an emerald stone embedded on its forehead like a third eye.
Such a beauty! Exotic! Intimidating!
The creature growled. Its front legs bent in a threatening angle, ready to strike.
"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you." Vadiraj crouched next to it, his hand outstretched.
The creature growled again, the sound echoing around them. It had almost bitten his hands off, but Vadiraj backed away a step and tried to calm it. Unflinching, he scratched its ears. The hellhound still purred but in a less aggressive way. Tilting its head, it studied the man before him. Vadiraj put his hands down and stared back. A moment later, the hellhound leaned forward and sniffed him once before pulling back and bowing its head.
Vadiraj smiled. Whatever quality the creature had sensed in him must be worthy of the staff. Stepping forward, Vadiraj grabbed the staff and felt an instant surge of power in his veins. The Staff of Januska... It belonged to the previous Chief Vampist. Vadiraj knew not what fate had befallen his predecessor but he vowed to find out the truth. This hellhound... He looked at the black mass in front of him. It must be his idol's pet. Such a loyal creature.
As he pointed the staff at the hellhound, the creature knelt on all four before him.
"Wait for me here. I'll come back with a unique name for you," Vadiraj commanded.
The hellhound made a bowing gesture and wagged its tail. Vadiraj scratched its ears again, before stepping out of the void. His soul whisked back into his temple. He felt revitalized and invulnerable. He died once, and he earned longevity in return.
Now, greatness was only a footstep away.
His sister lunged at him and hugged him. "You made it!"
"I always keep my promise." Vadiraj stroked her hair.
Dominic approached Vadiraj." Congratulations, My Lord! Shall we move on to the next phase?"
Without waiting, Vadiraj began creating armies of mutated Vampists. The very first batch of his army including his sister, Dominic, and all those sorcerers under Dominic's administration. The mutated Vampists didn't die a complete death. They didn't need to survive purely on blood, and could still do magic. However, they were not able to enjoy elixir life. As Vadiraj explained the prospect of longevity to his followers, some of them had even offered themselves to be turned into real Vampists. A week later, Vadiraj began building his empire in the Underworld. The Vampists found more staffs and hellhounds as they wandered around their new home.
The Underworld had sixteen floors in total, governed by the Grim Reapers. Vadiraj told them that he wouldn't mind their business and they should commit the same to him. They could torture the souls of the dead prisoners to their heart's contents; and Vadiraj could apply whatever renovations to his new base as he liked as well. At first, Vadiraj had thought of killing the Grim Reapers. But Dominic had explained to him that the Grim Reapers were actually spirits, they couldn't die the second time. Plus, Vadiraj really needed someone to take care of the dead souls. It irritated him as he saw the influx of dead souls checking in into the Underworld daily.
This was the only Code of the Underworld which he couldn't alter.
The Grim Reapers, of course, didn't welcome him. However, Vadiraj managed to convince the Chief of the Grim Reapers with Vision 8840. It was a scheme Vadiraj planned to carry out in a five-year time scope to make Reminis a successful realm. The Chief was totally amazed.
But before he initiated Vision 8840, he had a more crucial errand to attend to.
For weeks, Vadiraj occupied himself in making a long list and ticking off names that he'd killed. He never forgot to reward the Golden-Borns and the brown-eyed girl whom he met in the forest years ago. The blonde-haired girl in the town and her family weren't forsaken too. Vadiraj had fun sucking the sorcerers' blood as it made him invulnerable to spells; but day by day, he saw his skin getting paler and paler. He soon realised his state of Undead meant that his body couldn't regenerate blood. His skin cracked and it annoyed him. It was by a chance encounter that he found out the blood of new-born infants could retain his youth.
He added more names to his list ever since.
As Vadiraj recounted his triumphs, a sudden thought bothered him. The fact that his parents were still alive angered him. At the night of a heavy storm, he visited the old couple in their hut. To see their faces contorted by the scars of old age and immense terror pleased him. Kneeling on the floor, they begged him for forgiveness and tossed him blatant lies that they still loved him. Vadiraj tsked. Instead of pitying them, he drew out their blood with his staff.
"Remember what had the oracle said? That a child born with amber eyes would bring havoc to the realm? You should be proud of me," Vadiraj said to the cold corpses.
He smiled. He felt on top on the world. He had made his dream a reality. All those murders had made the other brethren join forces to defeat the Vampists. One day, the Lucifers flew on their black Pegasi and led armies of Elves to confront them in front of the Mount of Bi-Zantine.
The Chief Lucifer, King Eremiel, stepped down from his Pegasus. His black wings retreated into his back as he strode towards Vadiraj. His long wavy black hair wove seamlessly with the night. "You are not born as a villain, Vadiraj. It's never too late to turn back."
Vadiraj tsked. "I am who I am. The world belongs to me. I'll never stop whatever I am doing. I am having great fun." The edge of his lips tweaked into a crooked leer.
"Vadiraj, do not make me do this. I detest killing, but if you persist to walk on this path, I will have to declare war on you." King Eremiel tried to win over his enemy with his brown eyes.
Brown eyes... Vadiraj hated those with brown eyes but he didn't show it. Scratching his goatee, he laughed. "Let the war begin then!"
Alas, Vadiraj's pride led him to his downfall.
If there was one thing that could instill true fear in him, it was the Lucifers. Being the guardians of all magic sprites, the Lucifers had blood that was as sacred as his name. Vadiraj stared, mouth agape, as the Lucifers drew blood from their fingers. The crimson vortex spiraled like swords and pierced through the Vampists' hearts. Seeing his comrades dispersing into black mist, Vadiraj had finally realised that he wasn't after all, immortal. He felt wrath, hatred, lost.
After three months of battling, the Lucifers sacrificed themselves in order to thrust Vadiraj and hundreds of pure Vampists under Mount Tampas near the entrance to the Underworld. Vadiraj was vanquished, yet he swore to rise. The mutated Vampists was able to escape from the captivity with their magic. They remained silent after the vendetta. Some had even led a normal life without their identity revealed. Peace was restored to Reminis.
However, not for long.
It took Dominic and Vadiraj's sister a year to track down the sole Lucifer survivor, the only kin who knew the way of lifting the spell guarding Mount Tampas. Dominic had spotted the unfortunate angel plucking mushrooms in the woods, and he'd pried the password out of him. Once Vadiraj and the other pure Vampists had climbed out from underneath the mountain, Vadiraj's sister threw herself at him. Tears of relief streamed down from her swollen amber eyes.
Vadiraj stroked her voluminous black curls before asking, "Where's the Lucifer?"
"My Lord, I've killed him," replied Dominic, a little too quick.
"Great. Have you done any research during my captivity?"
Dominic nodded. He relayed his finding about a portal that could transport Vadiraj to the Modern World. That peculiar place was filled with another kind of magic that would amaze Vadiraj. There, Vadiraj would find the thing he had always yearned to own.
The place was called Detroit, an enchanted city in a realm called the United States of America.