Epilogue:

"There you have it. This tale of triumph and loss has now ended. Yet while many of its heroes lie slain, still more of their opponents rot with them. Such victories, costly as they were, have given faith to our intrepid survivors. Even worse, the ever-poisonous hope of "redemption" taints their hearts, and fills them with the aspirations of fool children. So onward does the ship of the mortal soul sail, confident in its ability to withstand whatever storms life throws at it.

But there yet remains a path to victory. For all the hate I give mortal pettiness, it is also immensely useful. And I'd be lying if I said helping fools design their own destruction wasn't hilarious. Where one kingdom prospers, all others will grow fearful. And where one man might rise, a thousand more will seek to drag him down. A sequel to these sordid events already lies in the making, and I am more than happy to the stage for it...

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To come to this place, and under such circumstances, it was beneath him. That he, Xenon of House Telemachus, should come here as a mere envoy was the worst kind of humiliation. He was a prince of the Dantean republics. And now, because of the ravages of so-called "democracy", his peers had voted him into being the Assembly's errand boy.

"Trudging through this wretched and frozen waste...How revolting."

With his entourage of knights and mages, numbering fifty (fifty one including him), Xenon did his best to climb this great mountain of snow and rock. His thick boots of leather began filling on the insides with slush and ice.

"Damn this place, and all to contract with what? An up-jumped bully?"

He knew very little about who he was meant to meet, but given his purpose in doing so, his mission as a Prince of the Dantean Republics, the peasant could not be more than a thug. After a few more meters of trudging along, the party came upon a strange sight. A road. A road that began right there, away from any other. It was paved with ancient cement in the style of old Elysium and was bereft of any snowfall or ice coating.

As they looked upon this strange sight, a smooth and seductive female voice whispered in his ear. "Good evening, Prince Xenon."

Xenon turned to see a buxom woman in crimson armor with a chained skirt standing behind him. His entourage prepared for battle but found themselves surrounded. Knights in black and crimson armor were lined up in perfect formation. Their clawed gauntlets held halberds and great axes while the knights themselves stared at their prey with eager eyes: glowing red eyes.

Xenon gulped down air. "You...you are Vampires."

The woman bowed gracefully. "The clan Brennede Blod, your lordship."

Xenon Telemachus began to tremble, barely retaining his noble arrogance. "I assume that since you have approached us that, you Madame, are the one I was supposed to contact?"

The woman smiled gratefully and placed a dainty hand upon her chest. "Your Lordship, how gracious of you to lavish such presumptions on me. And were it only my clan that was of concern, you might be right. But you are here to entreat he who we are sworn to."

"And who is this gracious and no doubt powerful gentle?"

The woman's smile broadened. "You will meet him soon enough. But you will come alone, and leave your entourage here. You can understand that neither we nor our gracious patron would be comfortable letting so many armed strangers into our home."

Xenon was of course skeptical but felt that appeasement was his only route toward survival, let alone completing his task. "I suppose so...Do I have your word that no harm shall befall them? Or...myself for that matter?"

"On my word as the Matron of my clan, I guarantee your protection within these woods and beneath our patron's roof. You'd have to do something awfully stupid for us to break such a promise."

That last sentence was directed more towards the knights and mages of Xenon's entourage than at the man himself. But he made as grateful an acceptance as he could manage and then followed hostess. He left his soldiers behind, and they took up a phalanx formation. Having confidence in their effectiveness though, and in the thus far courtly manners of his host, Xenon walked on without much of a fuss. And in truth, there wasn't much fuss to be had.

The road was clear and easy to tread, and smoothly winded its way around the mountain. Finally, they came to their destination. A collection of massive archways hosting gemstone gates was set before them and was carved into the mountainside. The gates did not part so much as recede. The gemstones collapsed into each other and opened a path of entry for Xenon and his hostess.

The vampires inclined her head and waved a hand towards the entry. "Welcome to our home. After you."

He nodded gratefully and then passed beneath the gates. The gemstones coalesced behind him, and then lights shone above. They were brighter than candlelight, but not so oppressive as to be direct sunlight. The lights were housed in or were perhaps emanating from pieces of crystal that hung from the stone walls and ceiling.

"There is some strange and alien magic at work here. What have my brothers and sister gotten me into now?"

He followed after his hostess, taking careful note of his surroundings. This place, this castle within the mountain did not appear to be of dwarven make. The architecture was too harsh, filled with jagged lines and harsh shades of red and darker purples. Most telling of all were the formations of crystal that formed the doors and perhaps windows of this alien place.

There were legends that Xenon could draw from though, and he decided to inquire about them. "This place...is your patron a survivor of the Crystal Elves?"

The vampiress raise a graceful hand to her lips and chuckled. "Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, their extinction is largely his doing, and this place is but one of the spoils from that campaign."

Xenon continued his examinations and noticed that there were in fact sentries and guards about. They had just been so still and cold looking that he had thought them to be statues or displays. But by the look of their armor, they too were members of the Vampire clan that served this mysterious patron. A creature they credited with the extinction of an entire race.

"We only wish for some intimidation, for economic reasons...whatever creature makes its home here is surely ill-suited for-"

The vampiress' seductive tone once again entered his ear. "This way, please. He is expecting you."

Xenon nodded and entered into a small chamber of solid blue crystal. The gems then began to twist around, and Xenon realized that they were rising above the entry hall, and into another level. Once they reached it, Xenon was greeted by a veritable corps of vampires lounging about a grand dining hall filled cushioned crystalline chairs and sofas. There was even an arena that could be seen out of the corner of his eye, and chambers and hallways that looked as if they lead into further locales within the mountain.

"This is no castle; this is a city."

He went through the dining hall, past the Vampires feasting on their thralls both living and corpse. After which he was ushered to another crystal door that was much larger than the previous ones. It was made entirely of ruby gemstone, and above it was an obsidian symbol. It was a strange combination of ancient lettering.

Xenon couldn't help but focus on it, as he'd never seen this symbol before."An Ω circling an 空. Is this his heraldry? The mark of some god?"

Before he could ask, the gems of the door receded into each other and then reassembled behind him once Xenon entered the new chamber. It was more of a cavern than a hall and looked to span miles before Xenon's vision. Within the cavern were massive hills of metal and loot. But they were not of gold or silver. They were of steel, thousands upon thousands of conquered weapons and armor.

From within these mountains of war tools came a voice. "Thank you, Laetitia. You may join the festivities until I need you again."

The voice had indisputable authority, yet had a strange tenor quality to it as well. What was even more surprising was its lack of accent. No person from any nation that Xenon had ever heard spoke in that accent.

Yet the Dantean's attention was then drawn to the Vampiress clipping her feet together and bringing a flat hand salute to her brow, in the direction of the steel mountain. Adding to the unsettling air was how her tone so easily changed from warm and inviting to crisp and exacting. "Yes sir, at your command."

The vampires turned on her heel and then made her exit. The doorway parting for her and then coalescing back into itself once she was gone. Now Xenon found himself alone, staring at the mounds of swords, axes, and breastplates. They were an amalgamated graveyard for different cultures from not just this continent, but from places that were foreign and alien to even the greatest navigators of the republic.

The voice rang out again. "It's about time you got here. I had been expecting you to arrive earlier, since I've often had heard that Dantean Ships could sail through any storm, no matter how harsh."

"Yes, my apologies. You were aware of the storm?"

"A blind and flightless pigeon could have sensed that storm. And it is no achievement for my sorcerers to observe those approaching my home. Especially those who seek a favor."

Xenon nodded, and managed a polite, if nervous smile. "Of course, it should be expected of a person of your...stature."

There was a playful laugh that rang throughout the hall. A palpable air of condescension, and perhaps some pity. That last quality filled Xenon with dread, as there were only so many things mighty enough to "pity" royalty. But once the laughter died out, there was movement within the hills of steel. As weapons and armor clattered to the floor two great rifts of golden energy opened from within them...only they weren't rifts...they were eyes. Great golden eyes of a reptilian look that were as large as the great archways that lead into this very city.

The voice came again. "They actually sent you here without telling you who I was? That's irresponsible of them and very awkward for you."

"Indeed. I hope I have caused no offense."

"If I could to take offense from you, I would not have the reverence your superiors feel for me, and they would not request the sort of favors only I can give. It's as ludicrous as my feeling pity for the vampiric cowards I tolerate within my halls."

"You call vampires cowards?"

The voice grew bored. As if Xenon's question had been from a moron. "Is there any other name for those who have run so far from death?"

Xenon could only manage a polite bow, while his stance became more and more supplicative. "You'll get no argument from me, my lord. But about our business. On behalf of the Dantean Republics, I would like to offer you a partnership in our business ventures. Specifically, those that are running in competition with the Kingdom of Leo."

The great golden eyes narrowed. "I see. You want me to be the strong arm of your protection racket. Or perhaps I alone shall be the villain, while you and yours are the benevolent alternatives?"

"Something like that My Lord."

The laugh came again, this time with a hint of enticement. "And you have the gall to call me a partner...Tell me, when did the word "partner" replace "thug"?"

The sheer venom from this monster's voice was enough to make Xenon's hair stand on end. And he hastily babbled out his excuses. "I apologize my Lord...we did not mean to denigrate your capabilities or time by making the task seem so trivial. In fact, had it been up to me-"

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Y-you will?"

"Of course. I have not been to Leo in some time. And my last visit had been so delightfully eventful."

Xenon finally let himself breathe easy again, and even managed to the other tensions in his body...as much as he could in these circumstances at least. "Well, I am so glad to have been of some...some service."

The great mountains of steel began to shift, and then part. Avalanches of ancient elven armor fell to the stone. And even angel forged halberds and demon wrought flails clattered uselessly off scales of shining red that glinted like blood beneath the glowing crystals of this dead city. The eyes lifted. As the steel blanket parted, the head of a massive red dragon rose from the iron tide. Smoke rose from his nostrils, golden rays emanated from his eyes, and a wide toothless smile spread across his lips.

"Yes. Xavier Bonaparte shall soar the skies once more, and all beneath him cry out, as they return to the ashes that spawned them."