Epilogue: A Promise

Twenty years later… June 22nd, 5744

How will I achieve peace? It's a question I’ve been asking myself for what feels like forever now. It isn't just a race against time itself but a series of trials and errors. Within the realms of my own power, I have done numerous trials, many of which were inevitable to fail. This is because I have fallen into the same sort of error…

Opening my eyes, I glance at the snow-capped mountain below. It seems we’re above Elise, the territory of the elves. The wind blows through my hair as I sit on top of the balloon of one of my many airships. It's a perfect place to think about things on my own. It’s where I feel a sense of calm during these long expeditions. It’s where I reminisce about my past failures.

I remember the tale Mother and Father told me about how the elves killed our clan. They did so with hopes that someone like me wouldn’t come to exist, yet here I am, above their territory. It’s funny how fate works.

When I take a closer look, I notice a large army marching below with a gigantic man stomping amongst them. And seeing as how the book is vibrating, it must be a Tale. Yet again, Theresa’s assessment was correct.

There sure are a lot of them…” The Man says, appearing next to me atop this blimp. “I guess they consider your presence as a declaration of war.”

“When someone like me approaches your territory, it’s no wonder they would consider it such.” I explain while standing up, my voice muffled behind this mask.

“You seem off today, is something on your mind?”

With a deep breath, the blood inside my mask bubbles up, causing a vicious sound as I gurgle through it. Watching as the vermillion sun sets on the horizon puts me at ease, yet it doesn’t compare to the moon's gentle glow.

“Thank you for your concern. But last I checked, there are only two women who can express their concerns to me.” I say while stretching my arms. “You are neither of them.”

“Yet you refuse to confide in either of them.” The Man retorts, referring to Theresa and Eena.

“Yet even after noticing, you continue to pry further. Have you forgotten your role as the spectator?” I ask while staring at the army rallying below. “Or do I have to give you a few pointers?”

“... There isn’t a need for that.” The Man says with a glare.

“Good…” I say before making a running start.

After hopping off the side of the balloon, I grab hold of the window and leap inside the main hallway. As we’re nearing the corner, with my boots thumping against the hollow metallic floors of the ship with each step, someone swings open one of the doors. The woman stops and stares at me, surprised by my presence. Though, there isn’t much pause between us when bumping into her since it’s Eena.

“Sintobi… I didn’t expect to see you here.” She says with a nervous smile.

“Heh, what do you mean? Where else would I be?” I laugh.

“I don’t know…” She says with a shrug. “You’re always somewhere on the ship.”

“Oh, come on, can I just appreciate all your hard work!” I laugh.

“That’s what you said last time too…” she says while scratching her light brown hair.

“It’s our ship after all, do you take me for some sort of lout? Even I have business that I need to attend to.”

“But you only show up when you're about to-”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about. I just thought I’d stretch my legs.” I say while rubbing her head.

Eena averts her gaze. “I’ve told you already. Quit treating me like a little girl. I turned thirty a week ago.”

“Yet you’re just as cute as you were in the past.” I respond with a smirk before looking in the empty room behind her. “Where is your sister right now?”

“She should be on the dock now preparing for Elise’s response to our invasion.” She explains in earnest as I head towards the direction of the docking area.

“Perfect, I’ll head over to see her now.”

“...Sintobi!” Eena shouts as I’m turning the next corner. “Is something on your mind? We can always talk about it.”

Gazing back at her shimmering golden-yellow eyes, I shake my head. “I’m feeling better than ever!”

When walking through the massive doorway of the docking area, I hear the clamoring of our airship’s engine. Most notably, at least a handful of our largest mobile carriers, made of cold, dark steel, are sitting at the ready. Filling the air with the stuffy scent of petrol and heavy machinery, all in preparation for the assault against the Elves of Elise.

Down the aisle of the docking area, I see a large group of my men standing there on the port in a line. Some are young, while others are old, but all of them bear a look of confidence on their face. Whether they truly feel it or not.

“Those are your orders for the moment until our leader gives us the signal.” I hear Theresa shout in her sternest tone. All of the men stomp their feet in accordance with her instruction, signaling their allegiance.

“Theresa.” I call out to her, as she’s standing on a platform above them.

When she turns to look at me, her eyes widen in shock.

“Huh, Who’s that?... I don’t know, but he must be important… Why is speaking to the captain so casually?...” my men murmur in confusion, though I do not blame them. With this disguise, I look like an average vampire to them.

“Shut it!” Theresa shouts, before lunging herself off the edge of the platform towards me.

“You look troubled, perhaps I should have sent a proper forewarning?” I ask her, sensing a tinge of reluctance as she lands on her feet. She’s always been the hardest to read.

“Considering this is your ship, you have the ability to move as you please…” She mentions with a shrug of her shoulders while appraising me with a glare. “Why are you here?”

“I heard that the illustrious queen of Elise has readied her elven army in defense, that’s all.”

“Indeed she has, though I never expected that would be enough to pry you from your quarters. Unless you're planning to-”

“You would be correct. Rebecca is well aware that my presence on this continent is in accordance with our agreement though she still insists on displaying her strength as a leader. We cannot tolerate further losses!”

“No, that shouldn't be necessary!” She shouts but covers her mouth.

Making sure they didn’t hear her outburst, she glances at the soldiers behind her and lowers her voice. “We have taken both Hunters End and Azure Tides in record time, of course, she would ready herself.”

“The giant walking amongst them is without a doubt a Tale. We cannot send any men to fight it. Its Influence is too great.”

“But you’re gonna fight it alone? Aren’t you gonna be in danger as well?” Theresa asks, grabbing my shoulder. Considering I still haven't told her about what happened in the capital, her concerns are warranted. To everyone inside the capitol building, it was like they’d just woken up from a deep sleep to a leader that would bring peace to this world.

“Come on Theresa, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m the pride of the Temory clan. Do you doubt the lineage of my Mother and Father?” I ask her.

She averts her gaze with a sigh. “No… leader.”

“Oh, come now, we’re friends! I like you to refer to me as such.” I say to her while taking steps towards the port, but she grabs my arm. I look at her.

“Sintobi, is something on your mind? If it’s something you don’t wanna talk about then it's fine, but… just know that Eena and I are here for you.”

I chuckle. “Of course, we’re all in this together!”

When she lets go of my arm, I continue walking towards the end of the port. Theresa shouts for the soldiers to clear the way for me, without explaining to them who I am. Looking back at all of the passing glances, I notice how diverse our army has become. The notion of both mermen and beastmen fighting under the same banner as us vampires is something out of a dream. My dream.

As I step towards the ledge, I notice the Elven army still marching beneath us. Their green tunics almost blend in with the lust-verdant plains of their homeland. It’s amazing to think they’ve been able to protect such beauty for so long. I almost envy their efforts.

Taking a deep breath, I jump over the railing. The winds of rapid descent rush against me, causing my long cloak to flutter about. I’m more than ready, is the thought that comes to mind as I crash into the ground on my feet.

“Huh, what on earth was that?!... Did they already start their attack?... Prepare yourself, men!” shouts an elven soldier as the dirt and debris scatter about.

“Honestly, you are quite energetic for an isolated nation. I wonder what sort of pep talk your queen gave you guys. I bet it was really inspiring.” I say to them while walking out from the cloud of dust and wiping off my clothing.

Now getting a closer look, many of them seem to be very well-armed. Many of them are brandishing either a lengthy sword or a short but capable dagger, but what concerns me the most are the lengthy wooden staves their spellcasters are holding. Magic is an unpredictable force, so leaving my men to handle such a force would be like sending lambs to the slaughter. It’s a good thing I’m nothing like the men I lead.

The giant groans as he squints at me, examining my presence. “Well, isn’t this a surprise? I didn't think I’d be meeting the leader of the Temory army on the frontlines.”

One of the elven soldiers looks up at the giant. “Grog, surely this isn’t him? He looks like an ordinary vampire.”

The giant laughs, his voice quaking the airways itself. “I see, so that’s the game you’re playing! Do not be fooled by his disguise men, though his true form isn’t much of a spectacle either.”

“That’s rich coming from an overgrown lowborn such as yourself.” I shout back.

“Did you just insult Master Grog?!” Shouts one of the men in anger, as he and the rest of the frontline ready their weaponry.

However, to their surprise, the giant laughs once again. “I see your reputation precedes you. Rebecca did mention that you have quite the silver tongue. Calm yourself, men, do not let his words compensate for the lack of strength he has alone.”

Unable to hold it in, I start to laugh at myself. Each of the men in the frontline glares at me as if ready to pounce, which prompts me to laugh even harder.

The giant groans. “Did I miss something funny?”

I take a deep breath as I wipe away my tears. “Not at all, I mean, who would miss their day of birth?”

“What was that?” The giant asks, furrowing his brow.

“You heard me. Your existence since the day of your conception has been a perpetual comedy. With a Tale such as yours, it's a shame you haven't noticed yourself… ” I explain to him, throwing him a sharp glare. “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The giant's eyes widened. “How do you know that?”

“I know everything about you, about where you've gone, and especially about where you're going,” I explain while reaching behind into my cloak, taking out the book of Tales.

“Is he raising something up? I don’t see it… I hate that smug look on his…” the elven men mumble until a few of them notice the look of surprise on the giant's face. “Master Grog, is something the matter?”

“How did you get-” he asks.

“If you really wanna know, it’s a gift from an old friend. One that I made a promise to…” I explain while shooting him a glare. “One that I can’t afford to let down.”

Ever since Ava and Donavan’s death, I have sworn to push forward, no matter the cost. The loss of such innocence cannot be forgiven and so I have vowed that the gods will pay in blood. With blood.

The giant stomps. “Men, Attack him now! Leave not a trace behind. For Queen Rebecca!”

The Elven men charge forward, with immense fervor in their battle cries. The air itself becomes intense as the spellcasters chant their incantations. I’m a bit surprised, considering I haven't set foot on the battlefield in quite some time. It seems their queen has done well to inform them of what my presence means.

“Just as cold and calculated as ever, huh Rebecca?” I mutter to myself as a certain scythe materializes in my hand.

A group of swordsmen lunge at me with their blades, with a minuscule amount of Influence behind each of their strikes. But with a swing of Ava’s scythe, the air whistles, leaving them and their swords to fall. In retaliation, another group of them surrounds me with daggers in hand. Judging from the scent, each is coated with some sort of poison. A classic maneuver for sure, but not one that’ll work on me. The air whistles with a melodic tone, as I sever each of their hands off before kicking them away.

The intensity of the wind picks up as a flurry of air bursts rush towards me. While still fending off the incoming men, I dodge the sharp winds. My cloak gets caught in the assault, reassuring me that my initial caution was warranted. If even I can’t avoid these ravaging winds, then the number of my men that would have become casualties would have far outweighed the tearing of mere cloth. Though I admit, these spellcasters are the least of my worries.

“Fee-fi-fo-fum! Beanstacks from the earth shall come!” the giant screams as thick green stems emerge from the earth, knocking aside some of his own men in the process. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a collection of vines carrying away the bodies of the fallen elven men. This is gonna be an issue.

“Sprout forth, rare growth!” The giant shouts as plant-like growths sprout from each of their bodies. Each of them develops into a yellow bud that blooms while dispersing a pollen-like substance into the air. As it travels through the air, I end up inhaling some of it; causing a flower to bud on my cheek.

The giant laughs. “Look at you, struggling against a ‘lowborn’! See men this ‘leader’ is all bark, no bite, and a vampire without much bite is as good as dead!”

The giant continues to laugh as his men continue their assault against me. My scythe growls as it continues ripping through each soldier with a whistle, leaving behind one fallen soldier after the other.

“Sintobi…” The Man says, appearing next to me. “Is this how you’ll achieve real peace? ”

I look into the eyes of The Man, his words sounding like my deep unconscious.

How will I achieve peace? It is a question I’ve been asking myself for what feels like forever now. It isn't just a race against time but a series of trials and errors. And one of those said trials are the actions I’m taking today.

Even after approaching these men alone, with a steel-man resolve, they ignore the danger in front of them, and for what? Is it because I am a vampire? No, that isn’t it, because, in this war, no race is a stranger to conflict. While we are known for our savagery, we are not the only ones. Whether it's us versus the elves, or the elves versus the avians, or even the avians versus the orcs, every country is in a fight for supremacy, but why? With such senseless conflict, neither of them will win, no matter the cause.

But how can I change that? I often ask myself when running into the same error. Within the realms of my own power, I have done numerous trials like this, even though I knew many were inevitable to fail. It took me a while, but after thinking it over in my quarters, I finally figured out the reason for these failures. The error I’ve fallen into each time is…

“The mortal condition.” I say to The Man as we’re looking into each other's eyes. “The flaw of each and every mortal is to fight for what they believe in, and I am no different from each of these men. This is the error I must remedy.”

The Man raises his eyebrows as a smile spreads across his face. “How will you remedy this error, Sintobi Temory?”

We look into each other's eyes for a moment, feeding off the sense of determination between us. “To leave those that have chosen to raise their weaponry, with no other option but to forfeit them… using Absolute Force.”

The Man starts cackling. “And here I was starting to think that shadowing you was a mistake, but no more. That look in your eyes, it’s just like the day we met all those years ago!”

Hearing his praise gives me a chuckle, but he’s right. The fire inside me is burning bright and all I can see is red.

“Absolute Force: King For A Day!” I shout with a wave of my scythe, and in the blink of an eye, the world around them turns gray as an ocean-like puddle of blood appears beneath the boots of his entire army before me. Each of the elven men stops in their tracks and looks around in terror as they realize they’re now wading through blood. The blood of those Ava and those I have killed. However, unlike poor Ava, their voices have been forced to cease. This is King For A Day.

According to one of the paths in the book of Tales, today would have been my death. I would have been mummified within a tree and would have been immortalized as a symbol of victory for not only the elves but for all races. That would have been my future if it weren't for the hindsight of this book and the instinct of The Man next to me.

“Now I get it, you’re far from just an ordinary vampire! What the hell are you?!” The giant shouts as he stomps at the blood encroaching up his feet, but it’s far too late. His entire army starts to scream and panic as they experience visions of the fallen in the blood beneath them.

Like a sculpture on a mantle or a painting on the wall, everything that stands before me while I have this crown on is in my control because I am King For A Day.

“I am Sintobi Temory, leader of the Temory clan, and I have chosen to bring this war to an end… Be grateful that this single moment will be the end of this seemingly endless conflict!” I shout to not only the entire army before me but also the gods that are watching over us at this very moment.

“Queen Rebecca!” The giant bellows with his strong voice towards the sky. “Despite your warning, I have foolishly underestimated him. Forgive me, my lady, for I could not fell the Tale before me, The Mad King!”

That was the name of my Tale wasn’t it? Even after seeing it the moment I first opened the book of Tales all those years ago, it still surprises me. And despite me knowing that, I am still taking the actions the book says I will take, but why? It’s not like I can’t change this path, that would be easy. No, it's because this path will result in the peace I desire.

With a horizontal slash of my scythe, its whistle echoes further throughout the battlefield like a lone flute in an assembly hall. There’s a single moment of silence, before the entirety of the Elven army is cut in half as a result of not only my immense Influence, but the will of the fallen. Scores of blood spurt out of each of them, as the ground itself starts to rumble. Even the snow capped mountain in the distance behind them starts to crumble, as it was not spared in my display of Absolute Force.

“Damn… you…” the giant grumbles, as his forearms and the rest of his top half falls to the ground. Given his gigantic presence, his enormous body parts crush the soldiers below.

“Farewell Grog, like you, your men fought well, but know that this is truly the end of this conflict.” I say to him, as he grumbles his last breath. It’s over.

Standing here, I watch as the mountain continues to crumble in the distance. As I stare in silence, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

“Um, I wanted to mention this when we were on the ship, but…” The Man starts to explain, but for some reason averts his eyes in hesitation. Just like Theresa and Eena did early.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Well… while I am now aware that it was because of your resolve… you have been weeping since the moment you left your quarters.”

“Huh?” I mutter in realization, as I blink with a stream of tears trickling down my face. But it’s not like I didn’t notice, I’ve just been ignoring these feelings this entire time. Even after realizing the error of all mortals, this is the only way I will achieve my goal. As The Mad King, I am the only one who can achieve peace, but how long will this dream last? And since this is the climax of my own Tale, I do not know when the entire world will wake up from this dream. My dream.

You knew that this is what I was capable of, right Mikel? What am I supposed to do now-

“My dear friend?”