The Vampire King's Toxic Consort (bxb)

Not long after Lucius made his grand-as-usual entrance, a dark cloud appeared on the skyline and approached with alarming speed. As it drew closer, it became clear that the cloud was, in fact, a flock of crows.

The soldiers and hunters behind Julian became wary instantly. However, before they could take further action, the crows landed about 1 mile away from where Lucius stood. Each crow turned into a vampire scion as their feet touched the snow, and the long black coats all of them were wearing flapped like crow feathers in the icy wind.

They stood silently and observed as if daring the humans to make any move.

The two brothers stood at the midpoint of the two hostile forces, completely non-bothered.

Lucius observed Julian carefully, and the changes on his brother elicited a tender, tingling sensation in his chest. Unlike Lucius, who had embraced the depraved eternal youth, time had stamped subtle but still noticeable lines on Julian's once supple, speckless skin. Dark circles congealed under his limpid eyes. A telling sign that he had been under stress and couldn't sleep well at night. He was also much thinner and paler than before, verging on emaciated, which made Lucius angry.

What had they done to him these past years?

"I look so much older than you now." Julian pulled a weak yet nostalgic smile.

Lucius frowned, took off his maroon coat, and handed it off to Julian, "Here, wear this."

"I'm not cold."

"Just put it on, will you?" Lucius insisted.

"I can't...they are watching." Julian explained quietly. Lucius got his meaning. They were supposed to be rivals. One represented God, the other the Devil. It wouldn't look good if Julian wore his jacket.

"Fine." Lucius dropped the jacket to the ground carelessly and said, "I come to take you away with me. The fact that they send you here shows they are ready to sacrifice you. You can't stay in Anthor anymore."

As Lucius expected, Julian shook his head, "I come of my own volition. No one forced me. I want to talk to you before it's too late." He took a few more steps toward Lucius, regarding him with entreating eyes, "Please...this has gone too far. I know they've wronged you...And it was my fault that I let it happen. I was too naive and stupid to trust them blindly. But please...brother, don't turn your back on God. Give up on this road to perdition. Devil may promise you sweet things, but it will always come with a cost you can't afford."

Lucius cocked one side of his brows in amusement, "I've turned my back on God a long, long time ago, Jule. In case you haven't noticed, I am not human anymore."

"There is still time. God will love you no matter what you are as long as you stop sullying his name and renounce the Devil." The High Priest continued to implore with a smudge of desperation in his tone as if he knew he would fail, but had to try anyway.

Lucius laughed loudly and sardonically as if listening to a childish joke, "Oh my dear brother, you haven't changed a bit. Your God doesn't love anything, not even you. Tell me, how long since you've heard his voice? One year? Two years? Ten years? The cure was a lie, wasn't it? You never entered the Epiphany state recently, and God has stopped talking through you. That is why the Churches are willing to send you here to die in my hand, because you are useless to them now. You are much more useful as a martyr, for they can make you a saint and rally believers in your name."

Lucius continued his ruthless inference as he stared piercingly into Julian's tormented eyes, "Why are you still doing their bidding? Can't you see that you are disposable to them just as I was? The Churches, the believers, and God, they only loved you when you were useful. And now, you are nothing to them."