The Tale of The Fallen Primordial

Back in the dim chamber where Segun lay chained, he stirred, slowly awakening. His mind was a jumble of fragmented memories, each piece falling into place as his awareness returned. His eyes blinked open, and before him stood Kiaren, staring down with a cold, intense gaze. For a fleeting moment, a deep fear washed over Segun, startling him into full alertness. He tugged against the chains that bound him, realizing he was still trapped. Their eyes locked in a fierce exchange of silent hostility, until Kiaren broke the tension with a biting remark.

**"Why is it that someone of such unique grace reduces himself to crawl the earth among worms like vermin?"** Kiaren's voice was sharp, his words designed to sting.

Segun's anger flared immediately. **"You insult my pride! I am no worm, you insolent slave!"** His body tensed as he spat the words.

Kiaren's expression barely shifted, his cold smile barely a breath. **"But who, in truth, is the slave between us?"** His voice was smooth, mocking, each word carefully chosen to cut deeper. **"I am free to roam as I desire when I am not bound by my Lord's service. I am free to walk away, live a peaceful life if I so choose. I am no slave. But you… you wear a brand upon your neck, a mark of ownership. You live and die by your master's command. Would you call that freedom?"**

Segun's rage burned hotter as he tugged violently at the chains, the cold metal biting into his wrists. **"Do not speak of my masters with such disrespect!"** His voice was filled with anger, yet beneath the surface, something stirred—a flicker of uncertainty.

Kiaren tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. **"I shall speak as I see fit, after all…"** his gaze dropped to the chains binding Segun, **"…I am not the one in chains, am I?"**

Segun's jaw clenched, his voice trembling with restrained fury. **"You know nothing of the good they do! My masters grant us strength so we might stand against the oppressors. They offer us power, a way to fight back!"**

Kiaren's expression darkened, his voice lowering to a cold whisper. **"Do you truly believe the words you speak? Do you believe the lies they have woven around you?"** His tone was relentless, piercing through Segun's defenses. **"These men you serve—they bind their captives like animals, use them in cruel experiments, breed them by force to craft more powerful beings. But not for your sake. It is for their gain, their greed."** His gaze sharpened, the weight of truth behind it. **"I know these men, these vampires. I've fought them many times before."**

Segun's gaze faltered for a moment, doubt creeping into his mind. But he refused to let it take hold. **"You lie, Dragonoid!"** His voice roared, filling the chamber, as though he could silence the doubt by sheer force.

But Kiaren's response was gentle, almost compassionate. **"I see the markings on your face, the heritage you carry. You're Naijirian, aren't you? Those symbols belong to the Naij. I once knew a man from Naij, a friend, a brother to me. He was banished and became a wandering soul, much like you."**

Segun's eyes narrowed, distrustful. **"A man like you would lie and manipulate to get whatever you want. I am no fool."**

Kiaren's gaze softened, and his voice carried a weight of sadness. **"His name was Awaai."** The moment the name left Kiaren's lips, Segun's face changed. Awaai was not a name spoken lightly among the Naij. It was known only to those who truly belonged to their people.

Kiaren continued, his tone somber. **"He was a man of great strength and wisdom, unlike any other Naijirian I've ever heard of. Beastlike, almost—like a lion. Sharp fangs that nearly reached his jawline, whiskers like a beast, golden hair, and brilliant yellow eyes. He was the only one who could ever best me in a fight."**

Segun remained silent, his expression softening as Kiaren's description brought back memories of his people.

**"One day, they captured him for experiments—these vampires. But he escaped. And when he did, they found him again. They tortured him, a sword through his throat, they hung him, and cut him in half. They killed him, just like they've killed the others."** Kiaren's voice held a deep, sorrowful gravity, the truth behind his words undeniable.

Segun's blood boiled, his rage returning, though this time tempered by doubt. **"How do I know you're telling the truth?"** he demanded, his voice shaking with the weight of his inner turmoil.

Suddenly, Kiaren's eyes flashed with intensity. Grabbing Segun by the collar, he lifted him against the wall, his voice rising with urgency. **"Because you can see it in me!"** Kiaren's eyes shifted, turning a vibrant yellow, part of his hair shifted to a bright gold, and markings appeared on his face—similar to those of Segun's people. **"I carry his power within me. These vampires—they're evil. They would kill you as easily as they killed Awaai. Don't be fooled

Segun, still reeling from the intensity of the revelation, muttered, **"Why are you telling me all this? To bring me to your side?"**

Kiaren's grip loosened as he stepped back, his voice softening. **"Because I see a man who's been misled, walking a path that was never truly his. I see my fallen friend in you. But more importantly, I see potential. Potential that shouldn't be wasted on a cause that doesn't care for you. I won't let that potential be lost."** With that, Kiaren began to unchain Segun, his hands moving with purpose.

As Segun stood, now free of the chains, he looked at the man before him. He could sense the aura around Kiaren—the aura of a Dragonoid, but also of something familiar, something Naijirian. It stirred something deep within him, compelling him to act. His voice, steady but quiet, said, **"Your master has been captured by the vampires. If you want to save him, you must go now."**

Kiaren nodded, a small, sincere smile appearing on his face. **"Thank you, Segun. We shall meet again, in this life or the next."** He turned to leave but paused, casting one last glance over his shoulder.

**"Remember,"** he said, his voice echoing softly in the chamber. **"In this place, nothing is as it seems. Let your instincts guide you."**

With that, Kiaren disappeared into the shadows, leaving Segun alone with his thoughts, the storm of doubt, anger, and revelation swirling inside him.

Kiaren continued walking, his mind slipping away from conscious thought, trusting his instincts to guide him through the maze of destruction. He eventually arrived at a colossal door, shattered into fragments, the debris littering the ground like bones of a fallen titan. The air was thick with the scent of battle, and though Zuka was nowhere in sight, Kiaren felt a gnawing sense of darkness lingering in the atmosphere. A chill ran through him, but he knew he could not return without at least attempting to find his brother. Noir would not tolerate failure, especially in the matter of Zuka's safety.

Kiaren moved quietly, each step calculated, careful not to draw attention to himself. His eyes scanned the wreckage, his senses on high alert, but Zuka's presence eluded him. What he did find, however, were two familiar figures—Varyn and Lucian—the vampires Zuka had knocked unconscious in the earlier battle. They had now awakened, clearly furious, their auras simmering with anger. Kiaren's mind raced as he quickly assessed his options. If Zuka wasn't here, he had to be somewhere else. And to find him, Kiaren knew he would need to confront these two. If nothing else, losing could get him closer to where they might have taken Zuka.

He smirked at the thought, then walked confidently toward a large piece of stone, sitting atop it with a menacing air. He let his voice echo through the ruined chamber.

**"Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted power. He went to great lengths to attain it."** His words drifted like a dark wind, catching the vampires' attention.

Lucian sneered. **"The weakling has brought more of his own?"**

Kiaren continued, his tone steady and eerie. **"One night, he killed a woman in his search for strength, only to discover it was his own mother. He screamed to the sky cause he was lonely and scared, but only the devil responded cause God wasn't there, then the boy took his own life, and died with no soul. They say death takes you to a better place but I doubt it."**

Varyn scowled, clearly unimpressed. **"Poetry? Insolence."**

Kiaren's eyes flickered with a knowing gleam. **"Do you remember me, Lucian?"**

Lucian's eyes narrowed as he studied the Dragonoid. **"You know of me, do you, Dragonoid?"**

Kiaren's voice dropped lower, venom creeping into his words. **"How could I not? After all, you murdered my friend."** His form began to shift, golden streaks spreading through his hair, his eyes flaring a bright yellow as markings appeared across his face like the remnants of an ancient curse.

Lucian's expression shifted from anger to shock. **"You... you're alive."**

Kiaren's lips curled into a smirk, mocking. **"He's dead, actually. But I carry his power, the power of the one you butchered."** His voice was cold, biting, and full of vengeance. **"But have you truly forgotten me? Or has the mark I left on your chest faded with time?"** His words dripped with scorn, daring Lucian to remember.

Lucian's face paled, his eyes widening with a fear that betrayed his confidence. **"No... it's you. You are Noir's brat."** The realization hit him like a thunderclap.

Kiaren's smirk deepened, his eyes burning with the weight of vendetta. **"It seems the gods have brought us together again."**

Lucian's fear morphed into fury. **"If you're here, then that aura I felt... it truly was Noir. You brought him to us!"** His voice quivered with a mix of anger and fear. **"For that, you will die!"** Lucian lunged toward Kiaren, his fist charged with lethal force, aiming for a devastating blow.

Kiaren blocked the punch with his arms, the impact sending both of them crashing into the wall with a violent shockwave. Before Kiaren could regain his footing, Varyn appeared from the shadows, his claws elongated and gleaming with deadly intent. The two exchanged rapid blows, slashes and parries, their movements blurring in the dim light. Lucian, enraged, conjured a fireball and hurled it toward Kiaren with blinding speed.

The flames engulfed him, but Kiaren emerged, unfazed, his body crackling with residual power. He retaliated with a spell of his own. **"Blue Flame!"** A sphere of blue fire shot toward Lucian, its heat searing through the air, but Lucian dodged, narrowly avoiding its wrath.

The battle raged on, the three of them clashing in a whirlwind of fire, claws, and magic. The stone walls around them cracked and crumbled beneath the sheer force of their blows, the very landscape shifting under the weight of their struggle. Though Kiaren fought fiercely, it became clear he was being pushed to his limits. The vampires were relentless, their power overwhelming in their combined assault.

As the fight dragged on, Kiaren's fatigue began to show. He misstepped, and in a single coordinated attack, Varyn and Lucian forced him back, slamming him into the wall with bone-crushing force. Kiaren's body fell to the ground, weakened, the toll of the battle leaving him vulnerable.

Lucian stepped forward, his fangs bared in a triumphant sneer. **"The gods may have brought us back together, but this time, you die."** His claws gleamed in the dim light as he prepared to drive them through Kiaren's chest.

Kiaren, pinned against the cold stone, his breath ragged, stared up at Lucian. His eyes still burned with defiance, even as the specter of death loomed closer.

In that moment a sharp whistle pierced the air as a metal rod shot toward Lucian. The vampire swatted it away with ease, his gaze shifting toward the shadows, the source of the sudden attack. Silence fell over the chamber, the tension thick as footsteps echoed in the distance. Then, a soft, eerie melody began to drift, carried by the haunting sound of a flute.

From the darkness emerged a figure—Segun. His steps were slow, deliberate, the flute in his hands playing a melody so beautiful, it felt almost out of place in the blood-soaked air. Yet his face was unreadable, and something in his eyes seemed distant, as though he himself wasn't certain why he had come.

Kiaren blinked, his body still battered from the fight. **"You..."** he muttered, taken aback by Segun's presence. He had expected the man to remain indifferent, to follow his own path and leave this battle to the fates. But here he was, stepping into the middle of a fight he had no stake in—or at least, shouldn't have.

**"Traitor!"** Varyn snarled, his voice filled with contempt. The walls themselves seemed to groan under the force of his fury, cracks snaking along the stone. The vampire's gaze bore into Segun, filled with a hatred that ran deep, but Segun's expression remained blank.

He said nothing in return. His cold eyes locked onto Varyn's, but in that silence, there was uncertainty—a hesitation he tried to bury. His hand wavered slightly as he summoned six swords, the blades gleaming as they floated in the air around him. But even as the weapons appeared, there was no triumph in his stance, only a lingering doubt.

**"What are you doing here?"** Kiaren asked, his voice filled with confusion and suspicion.

Segun didn't answer immediately. His gaze flickered between the two vampires, Varyn and Lucian, as though he were searching for something—perhaps a reason to stop. These were the creatures who had once treated him like family, however twisted that bond had been. They never accepted him as one of their own, never saw him as more than a tool, a slave. And yet, deep down, Segun still clung to the remnants of that connection, no matter how pathetic it seemed. Was he betraying them now? Or had they betrayed him long ago, when they refused to see his worth?

**"Let us see,"** Segun finally spoke, his voice hollow, **"if Naijirian pride truly falters against vampires."**

But there was no conviction in his words, just a veneer of resolve masking his inner turmoil. He gripped two of the swords, and with a sudden burst of speed, rushed toward the vampires, his attacks sharp, precise. Yet even as he fought, the other swords floating around him, defending him as if they had minds of their own, there was a lingering hesitation in every strike. His heart wasn't in this battle—not fully.

Varyn growled and met Segun's charge, their blows clashing with the force of a thunderstorm. Lucian, seething with rage, conjured flames in his hands, hurling them toward Segun, but the Naijirian dodged, his movements still fluid despite the uncertainty weighing on him. The air filled with the sound of metal against metal, the chamber shaking as magic crackled in the air.

Kiaren, seeing his unexpected ally faltering, pushed himself back into the fray. Together, they fought against the two vampires, their strikes a whirlwind of power. But Kiaren could see it—the doubt in Segun's eyes, the way his movements occasionally stuttered, as if he questioned each blow before it landed.

**"You would dare betray us?"** Lucian hissed, his voice dripping with venom as he sidestepped one of Segun's floating swords. **"We took you in. We made you powerful, and now you stand against us?"**

Segun's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering with a mix of pain and anger. **"You never took me in,"** he muttered, though the words seemed as much for himself as they were for Lucian. **"You used me. Just like you use everyone."**

But even as he said it, a part of him felt the sting of guilt. These were the creatures he had once admired, once believed in—even if they never saw him as an equal. Yet here he was, fighting alongside someone who had only just crossed his path, unsure if this choice was his salvation or his downfall.

The battle raged on, magic flying, swords clashing, the very ground trembling beneath them. The vampires were relentless, their rage fueled by Segun's perceived betrayal. And though Segun fought with all his strength, there was a part of him that held back, that wasn't entirely committed to this fight. Kiaren noticed, but said nothing, knowing that whatever battle Segun was fighting inside himself, it wasn't something that could be solved in the middle of combat.

But the vampires noticed too. Lucian sneered, his confidence returning as Segun's attacks lost some of their precision. **"You hesitate, slave,"** he spat, dodging a blow from one of Segun's swords. **"You cannot bring yourself to kill us, can you? After all, we are all you have."**

Segun's eyes flared with anger, but also with a deep sadness. **"I don't know what I have anymore,"** he whispered, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

The battle wore on, both Segun and Kiaren growing more fatigued with each passing moment. Kiaren's body ached, his movements slowing, and even Segun, with all his skill and magic, was losing ground. Still, they fought, driven by desperation and a shared, uncertain purpose.

Finally, Lucian saw his moment. He lunged at Kiaren, his claws aiming for the kill. But Segun, despite his doubts, moved to block the blow, his swords deflecting Lucian's strike at the last moment. The impact sent Segun stumbling, his breath ragged, his body trembling with exhaustion.

Kiaren, battered and bruised, glanced at Segun, his voice filled with grim determination. **"I would drag you screaming down to hell,"** he spat at the vampires, his eyes burning with fury. **"Even if I have to take you there alongside me."**

Segun, breathing heavily, gave a weak, almost bitter smile. "Let's end this madness."

The air hung thick with uncertainty, as if the battle wasn't just against the vampires—but against the choices that had brought them all here.