In a time long since past, the lands of man and monster were ruled by a singular being. A great and powerful creature who could call the world her hoard.

The Dragon Queen, Calamity.

A towering behemoth that blotted the sun as she flew high above the realms she conquered. Feared by all that dared oppose her. Her might was absolute, unopposed and terrifying. Yet despite the power she wielded. She was no monster, and her benevolence exceeded her power. A simple deal was struck with all she conquered. The lands they possess, the people they govern, and the wealth they owned, were hers, and hers alone. In return, the Dragon Queen would not take their homes and fortunes by force. The Queen would even protect these lands and people from threats that dared take away what was hers.

For every land that submitted to her, the might that Calamity possessed grew greater. A dragon’s power, their strength, comes from the Hoard that Dragon possesses. The larger and more valuable their hoard, the more powerful the Dragon, and what greater hoard was there for a dragon than the world itself?

The lands of man may have been ruled by the Queen, but they were by no means oppressed by her. No one being could govern the entire world. So the lands of man were left to their people. As long as they were recognized as her lands, they were allowed to do as they pleased.

Some men, however, were not pleased with this arrangement. For they wanted no creature other than rule over them. To that end, they wove a tapestry of terror to paint Calamity as a merciless beast. A threat to the stability of the nations they ruled. The stories the bards would tell in every tavern and ball they came to. Fabricated tales of burning villages, sacrificed youth, and the evil denizens that follow their dreadful Queen. Soon, a tale was created to set the world upon a path without the Dragon Queen. A story of Heroes, who would rise up against the evil Calamity, and slay her.

A prophecy, one that foretold the coming of the Queen’s end.

And soon, on one fateful day. Four Heroes of great power. Who battled against the allies of the Dragon Queen. Freeing the lands of men from her possession. With each place lost and their wealth no longer considered her hoard. Calamity’s power grew weaker. The Heroes’ unnatural strength gave them the ability to take down the greatest of her servants and companions. Each of their deaths only added to their own power. When Calamity realized that she could no longer ignore the actions mankind had taken against her, it was too late.

Before the Heroes could storm her nest, a miracle had been given to her. A chance for a future beyond the Heroes’ grasp. A child for which she could pass on. An egg, a son. Before she would face the Heroes and meet her end, she would secure a future. If not for her, than for him.

____

“Her final command to me, before her battle with the Heroes. Was to take you far away from the realms of men. To ensure your safety, and serve you faithfully until the day you would hatch. The reason why I serve you, and call you My King, is because you are the rightful heir to the throne of the Dragon Queen.”

“How long ago did this happen?”

“Nearly five hundred years ago.”

Half a millennium has passed since then. Since the Dragon Queen died, and my egg was laid. Five centuries of history and change. It was a little hard to believe, like the plot to a high fantasy novel. Not that I couldn’t believe it of course. I am a dragon already! Still, a benevolent queen that ruled the entire world, and that Queen was my mother?

“That…is a lot to take in.”

“I give my word that every word is true. If you need a moment I will step away and allow you t-“

“No, no that isn’t necessary” I said, there were more questions to ask.

“Her power grew as her hoard grew. Does that mean that this…” I hold up the beautiful emerald ring. “…is what gives me power?”

“Your strength is tied to your hoard. With the more it grows, you will gain greater power, as well as abilities that will only help expand your potential. Such as your telepathy.”

Dragons, in the stories I know, always did have a hoard. Of gold, of knowledge, of magic. Whatever could be of value, could be part of a Dragon’s hoard. To think that hoarded wealth led to greater power for a dragon. Maybe that is why they always kidnapped princesses or took control of grand castles. They would be great additions to a hoard…

“What defines my hoard? Couldn’t I just say ‘I own the world.’ And consider it my hoard?”

Kane shook his head. “If it worked in such a way, Queen Calamity would never have lost hers. To consider something a part of your hoard, you must have the greater claim to it. Whether it be in your possession, or if others merely recognize you as its owner. It is considered your hoard if this rule is met.”

“And that is how my mother lost her power? People no longer saw their homes as her land.”

“Correct, when the people of a town, or a country, no longer felt themselves under her possession. She lost her connection to it.”

An odd restriction, but at least its rules seemed concrete. If a single ring was capable of giving me telepathy, then what power would I have had if this vault had been filled? I could only speculate, as well as speculate on how much power the Queen had at her height…As well as how much she lost.

“So I am her son, and you serve me because she commanded you to… May I learn a bit more about you, Kane?”

The pale attendant’s chin turned at the inquiry. Adjusting his posture. ”You may... Well, I am a superior combatant. The greatest enemy I have quelled was an Elder Rokkmora, they were the cause of an earthquake near Queen Calamity’s nest and had to be silenced. I am skilled in espionage and subterfuge. As well as being capable of ancient magicks. You will be able to use me as you-“

“Wait, stop, please. I didn’t mean your skills or abilities. I meant I want to learn more about you as a person.”

“Ah. I see..” Kane’s eyes grew cold. Lips pursed. “I do not know how I would start, then. What is it you wish to know about me?”

It was a good question, what did I want to know about him? A lot, in all honesty, but there was one thing I wished to know more than anything.

“Are you a Vampire?”

“Vampire?” He asked. “Did you mean Vampyr, My King? If that is what you meant, then yes. I am a Vampyr.”

So he isn’t called a “vam-pire”, he’s called a “vam-peer”. An odd difference, but maybe there’s more difference to Vampyr than I know?

“Who made you a Vampyr?”

Kane shook his head at that. “What does not make another a Vampyr, it is impossible. Only those that accept the curse onto themselves are able to become Vampyrs.”

“Are you undead?”

“Yes. To accept the curse is to accept death.”

“What did you get in return for your death?”

“Immortality, immense strength and great demonic and ancient magicks. All fueled by the curse inside of me. It does not come without a price however.”

“The Curse of Vampyrism is incredibly powerful magic, but the fuel to keep itself living is mortal blood. If I were to go without blood for a long enough time, the curse would instead feed upon me. When it has drained me dry, it will die, ending my life in the process”

So, not entirely different from the Vampire I am familiar with.

“Are there any other weaknesses to the curse?”

“Yes, silver is the bane of curses. If I were to come into contact with it, the curse would be drained of some of its magic. Holy magicks, and magicks meant to attack curses and demonic magicks, also are particularly effective against me.”

Magic, another topic I needed to learn. For now, it would have to be added to the pile of things I needed to learn. “Can you only go out at night?”

“No, a common myth. While my powers are severely weakened in sunlight, I am by no means limited to the night. However, my strength is at its greatest on nights with a full moon.”

“I see…could you tell me how you came to be a Vampyr?”

“…” His stone cold expression hasn’t changed since we began to speak about his Vampyr nature. All business, no hint of emotion across his handsome features. Yet at the thought of telling the tale of his turning, he hesitated. Before letting out a long breath.

“Forgive me, but I would rather not.”

“I understand, did I not tell you to stop apologizing, Kane?“

I was very curious to know, but after all he has said, I knew it best not to pry. If he has watched over me for as long as he has said, Kane has over five hundred years of history. No doubt that there are many painful moments in it. It wouldn’t be right of me to push for him to tell me something he didn’t wish to say. A tease would be far better to lighten the mood, and so it did, bringing the smallest of smiles to his ice cold lips.

“That you did, My King.”

“…Are you not surprised at all by me? Isn’t it a bit odd for a newborn baby to know all this to you?” It was the only real thing that I needed to know right now. I felt I was a person, I can communicate with people and know things despite only having just hatched. Surely this isn’t natural for babies in this world? I know myself that I shouldn’t be able to! Yet he was not surprised at all, in fact, he came to me expecting me to understand his words outside. He already knew.

“To say it isn’t unusual would be a lie. Your abilities for being half a day old are well and beyond what any hatchling should be capable of.” Kane replied. “But dragons have always been an unusual species. It was the Queen that told me of your kind’s otherworldly knowledge. You have that knowledge yourself, do you not?”

“…I remember things that I know I shouldn’t have known. Faded knowledge from memories I feel I had forgotten. I came into being, believing I was a person.”

“Your mother was the same. She explained it as if your souls are imprinted with the souls of other beings. Gifted their knowledge and consciousness as you entered into your life. I am afraid I only know what she was able to convey.”

The Queen was the same way, born with the mind of another. Was this truly natural for the species of dragons, or was it simply something unique to my mother and I? There truly was no answer, and my memories of this other world were fleeting at best. Glimpses in the horizon, forever out of sight…

“Does that mean I am that person? The one I recall?”

“That is a difficult question to answer.” The pale attendant responded, lifting a long finger to scratch his chin. “You, are you, My King. I suppose that, whether or not the imprint placed upon you is mere recollection, or an identity yet uncovered, is something only you can decide.”

My head lowered at his words. They were true, yet they only left me more confused. I am who I am, but I am not a person like I believed. I am a dragon, whose history is completely unknown to me. But I do have a history, somewhere, deep within my mind. There was someone hiding in the foggy depths of my memories. A person, whose very thought in my head brought with it familiarity. Just who was it, or possibly, who was I?

Kane seemed to have noticed my concerned thoughts. Lowering his head to meet mine. “This question need not be answered today, My King. You have said so yourself, faded knowledge from forgotten memories. This knowledge will come with time.”

For as ruthless as this Vampyr was outside, all he’s done here has been for my benefit. Even his words are meant to reassure and comfort me. I was still unsure of it all. The threads of my new life felt like a tangled mass that I had to untangle piece by piece. There was still much to undo from that mass, but at the very least these few threads have been unraveled. Every single thread unraveled so far, has been because of Kane.

“Thank you…I believe I only have one more question right now.”

“Of course.”

“Is there any way I can repay you Kane? For everything you’ve done for me these past…well. This entire life of mine?”

“My King.” His smile grew, the first genuine showing of joy I have seen on his stoic face. “Allowing me to continue to serve as your Attendant moving forward. That is the only wish I have.”

“Surely you have more you wish for. Please, I would feel guilty not rewarding you for saving my life at the very least.”

“I need nothing but your approval.”

“Anything at all!”

“You humble me, but I need nothing.”

“But you have to want something!”

“Nothing.”

“Please?”

I was ready to pester this pale man with my request endlessly until he gave in. I did have my entire life ahead of me to do so! Thankfully, he was willing to submit far earlier than that. His sigh of defeat was only a sign of a great victory to my ears.

“Very well. How about this, when the day comes that you are recognized by the world as the great king you shall be. I will make a request, one that only you can fulfill. Will that be sufficient?”

The day I am recognized as a King… It was another part of this tangled mass I needed to unravel. The way Kane explains it, my destiny will lead me to being ruler of the entire world… A king.

All in due time.

“It’s a deal.”

____

The King has awoken.

A cold sweat came to the oracle in her rest. The words that rang in her mind rattled her to the bone. She knew the day would come, anticipating the beginning of the end. Yet she could never prepare herself for what she felt in the moment.

The morning sun had begun to seep through the paned glass of her bedroom. It’s golden rays illuminating her form under the silken sheets. Snow white hair glowing in the daylight. However, her crystal green eyes seemed to fight against the light that shone upon it. Creating its own shadow of dread over her fair features.

The words kept repeating in the canals of her head. Invading her every thought. She rose from the bed in a hurry, stepping towards her desk and bringing a fresh parchment out of the drawer. Her head screamed, the pain from the vision it gave overtaking her ability to move. With every fiber of her being, she fought against the pain and brought her ink dipped quill to the parchment. Shaky hands writing the vision’s words into the world.

The King of Calamity, with the power of the Saint, will bring an end to the Ruler of Man.

The vision began to fade, the pain subsiding from her mind. It had been ages since the oracle had been given a vision. Yet she would awaken this day with a vision of a red scaled beast, towering above the land. It’s enormous wings wrapping the world in darkness. The King. Her heart raced in her chest, forcing her to take slow breaths to calm herself. It was over, but the impact it left would take longer to recover.

If the king had awoken, then the path to the vision she saw would already have been set in motion. There was one other part to the words that had not been made yet.

Only then, as the oracle calmed herself from the intense vision, did someone begin to pound the door to her room.

“Oracle! Wake up! The Saint’s Gem has been stolen!”

The Oracle looked up from her parchment to the door, eyes wide with shock. The final building block had indeed fallen. The end foretold was assured.