The Fallen Vampire

Among the many beasts lounging about in the midday sun, there was one that clearly stood out from the rest.

A large nine-tailed fox, appearing more spirit-like than mortal, lounged about along the bountiful flowers and green grass.

It’s silver fur shone magnificently with it’s slight red undertones and incomparable luster.

The fox remained asleep, eyes closed and listening to the sound of the wind blow past his ears.

When standing up, the creature was an easy seventeen feet tall. And yet, the creature’s around it seemed to sense him to be a gentle giant, as they had no problem coming near him.

Although, the small red panda sitting atop his paws seemed to have issue with the amount of new faces crowding around, as she would often swat at any critters who came too close for her liking.

"Dai-Shi Taira!"

Taira slowly opened his eyes to find a small parade of outer disciples cupping their fists in cute little salutes.

"Can we play with Yukiko please??" The youngest, a girl named Genesis asked.

The fox-kin knew immediately that they had only put her forth to ask because she was the cutest and were hoping that her doe eyes would wear down any chances of refusal.

...They just so happened to be right this

one

time.

"Be gentle with her, kids. She’s been extra resistant to exercise lately." Taira handed Yukiko over on his paw.

The furry critter looked at him with a look of true betrayal as she was carried away by a parade of excited children.

A small amused smirk crossed Taira’s face as he watched her depart.

’I wonder if that’s how I look when the girls force me to socialize...’ he thought.

With the little one in good, but small hands, Taira closed his eyes once again and drifted off into an interrupted sleep. Not even the animals beginning to crowd around him could wake him.

-

"...Shit."

Taira opened his eyes, but he couldn’t see anything other than darkness.

This phenomena was one that he knew all too well already, and dreaded with every ounce of his being.

"Disappointed to be back here with me?"

"Unbearably so." Taira confessed.

He slowly sat up and stared at the only other being in the space with him- being careful to hide his rampant disgust and agitation.

Fenris smiled boastfully as he lounged about on a throne made from the finest of black and gold materials.

The familiar visage of a roaring wolf’s head hung just above the back of his throne. It stared down at Taira as if he were but a pup in front of a fully grown monster.

"So you survived your journey to the hidden realm. I can’t say I didn’t expect it even though I’ve had a hard time watching you of late...

Though I was hoping that maybe you would return with at least some scratches to temper that consistently foul attitude of yours."

Taira hurled Yasuke at Fenris’ neck, but he caught it with only one hand.

Contrary to being upset, the beast god seemed immensely pleased.

"That’s it! One of my brood should be this outwardly ferocious at the very least. You’re much better than those other spineless children of mine. Your father’s done right by you."

Even though this space wasn’t real, Taira get as if he could physically feel his blood boiling.

Fenris hurled the weapon back towards it’s rightful owner and it vanished as soon as it passed through his hands.

"You’ve made it to the Quasi-God realm as well. I see that the old man’s treasure trove was at least partially untouched then."

Taira had thought long and hard about what he was going to say the next time that he actually laid eyes on Fenris.

After much internal deliberation, he parted his lips to ask a very unlikely question.

"What kind of place did you send me to raid?"

Taira had decided that being angry and lashing out wouldn’t get him anything. And it certainly wouldn’t serve in the best interest of his family.

But what would help him was playing the fool.

Fenris seemed to be intent on raising him for something that was at present unknown.

So in the meantime, Taira would soak up every bit of knowledge, every valuable resource that Fenris felt like sharing with him.

He would milk him of all of his secrets of martial arts and use it to better his cult before inevitably cutting off the beast god’s head when he ceased to be of use.

He was no one’s pawn, not now or ever. Some would have to learn that lesson in a harsher manner than others.

Fenris stared at Taira strangely for a moment, with his thoughts seemingly known only to him.

Eventually, he waived his hand dismissively as he looked away. "Never mind that... Just the last vestiges of an old fool who thought he could remain king forever... You didn’t find anything strange inside?"

"I found my pills and my kin. Nothing else was of any consequence to me."

Fenris knew about the asanbosam hiding in the secret realm already, so the mention of Taira’s kin didn’t inspire much reaction from him.

But he found the bit about Taira not being interested in anything else inside to be worthy of note.

’Does that mean that there were no artifacts or weapons inside..? Or is he lying...?’

Fenris was inclined to believe it might’e been the latter.

He had been having a hard time observing Taira ever since he’d entered the secret realm.

And even when he’d left it, the problem had still persisted.

Without the ability to accurately see any of Taira’s movements, he was stuck making guesses about what exactly he could have been doing in that time.

But one thing he knew for certain was that if Velreth still had as many rumored treasures in his vault as the entire upper realm theorized he did, then there was no way that Taira just overlooked them.

He would have to be stupid. Or remarkably altruistic.

And Fenris didn’t know if he believed Taira to be either of those things.

’Hmph. Keep your secrets if you need to, boy. It will serve me better in the end all the same.’

"Nevermind that for now." Fenris stood up. "It’s time for a new lesson from your patriarch. I hope you are prepared for my instruction."

Taira stood motionlessly as he tried hard to swallow the smile on his face.

"Whatever will help me stop seeing your face quicker."

"Ha! That’s the spirit! Let us see how long you can hold onto that tongue today!"