Vermillion: Transforming

"Sister?" Nick looked towards Sirus for some type of explanation, he knew him to be an only child as did Luna, so seeing Elyra proclaiming to be a living relative of Sirus' was leaving an odd impression.

"Half-sister technically." Elyra informed the king "Sirus, don't be shy."

"We should discuss this inside." Sirus told Nick who bit his tongue and nodded.

Everyone finally entered the castle, Nick was happy to find that nothing was change by his overly opinionated sister. Everyone took a seat at the dining table with Sirus sitting near the end next to Iris, on the opposite side of the table was Elyra who was sitting next to Areya, across from Elizabeth. Areya sat next to Neimos who was across from Alex and Lynx. Nick as usual sat at the head of the table with Luna and Dominic at his sides.

Dominic was about to get up and start breakfast, but Eliza held a hand up to stop him "Breakfast is being prepared, Dominic. Please sit."

Dominic was not sure what was going on "Being prepared by who?"

Eliza breathed in calmly and exhaled the same way "The new chef, I thought it was time that we finally break that chain you placed upon yourself which is why I also hired a maid, butler, and gardener."

"Without review from his majesty?" Dom said unsure, new people meant new problems, new issues to deal with, new suspicions too.

"Yes, this way you can focus on yourself." Eliza said waiting for an appropriate response.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Dom said this quickly and gave an awkward smile.

"I think that's great and long overdue...but I want to know why you thought keeping your sister in the dark was a way to earn anyone's trust, Sirus." Nick's eyes flashed red for a second then back with Sirus rubbing the back of his head.

"He doesn't see her as his sister." Lynx interrupted "At least that's what he told me, they're just blood, their mother's blood."

"And Lynx is still around barking...quaint." Elyra smirked "He may not call me sister or see me as one, but that will always be a fact. I heard some things during my travels and got worried."

"Worried? You haven't seen your brother in a century." Iris glared "And when you did, you-

"Let's not divulge into that mess." Sirus cut her off and looked towards Elyra with disgust "Why are you really here?"

Elyra clasped her hands together placing her elbows on the table "Is that anyway to greet me?"

Sirus blinked.

Elyra frowned "I suppose I expected this reaction, but how do you think this will play out if you continue to treat me this way?"

"I don't care about you, I care about why you're here. You didn't just pop up here coincidently."

Elyra tapped her nails against the table "That's true, I didn't. But it wouldn't kill you to be...polite. Didn't mother teach you any manners?"

Sirus held his ground by not reacting, waiting for her to answer his question. Elyra leaned back in her chair "Though it must have been difficult with a husband who'd constantly belittle and abuse you..I was very ecstatic when I heard of your father's passing. Kudos."

Luna couldn't help, but stare at Sirus, Dominic did the same. The only ones who didn't seem interested in digging up Sirus' family dirt were Alex and Areya. Areya was too busy questioning what would happen now that Lynx would be staying with Alex and Neimos staying in the city...It took her out of her element, so at the moment she was staring off into space, not hearing a single word. And Alex was thinking of Rumi.

Angst and agitation began to fill the air slowly between Elyra and Sirus "Or are you not happy that he's deceased?"

"I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with you visiting my brother?" Elizabeth cut in "I don't see the relevance."

"My apologies, Elizabeth...my...you are more beautiful than in that painting in Malize." Elyra eagerly looked Elizabeth up and down "I hope you don't mind me admiring you, I do love works of art."

"I don't mind that, what I do mind is that you've been skirting around the reason that you're really here. From the way your brother reacts, he's not very thrilled with your appearance."

"Family's complicated at times, I'm sure you and his majesty get that."

"We may." Elizabeth said glancing at Nick then back at Elyra.

Before the interrogation continued, breakfast was served. Luna looked over her plate with pure joy, thick fluffy pancakes, golden brown with hot melty butter and syrup dripping down the plate onto her crispy red bacon slices. Dominic tilted back his glass of milk with pride before eating.

"Delicious." Elyra praised "Sirus? Are you going to keep glaring at me?"

"Are you going to keep stalling?" Iris asked.

Elyra's face twisted into a dark scowl "I didn't ask his flesh eater-

"Watch it." Sirus warned "This isn't your home."

"Ohhh." Elyra looked at Sirus and Iris, it finally dawned on her what had happened on this trip. "It finally happened...how disappointing. I knew that this would initially happen, but Sirus...she's a nymph. She's free forming and flowing, her legs uncross as easily as the wind blows."

Alex coughed, drinking water to recover.

"Compared to you? That's an honor, not an insult." Sirus stated. Iris smiled ruefully at Elyra.

"Let's not do tit for tat, you know how I feel about her kind, her family...they're a draining bunch. And It may be surprising hearing that from a succubus, but it remains true to this day. They're toxic."

"Says the viper."

"You can have your fun with the changeling all you want, it won't change anything in the end."

"So, you can predict the future now, that's interesting." Neimos said.

"Neimos, please. You know my guesses and theories are nearly as correct as your predictions as a wielder of fate."

"You know, Elyra?" Sirus inquired.

"We've crossed paths before, not here, but on another continent, another country." Neimos told him "Which is why I understood your worry. Your sister's quite infamous. Even Elizabeth recognized her before she entered the castle."

"She's not my sister."

"Well, your blood then." Neimos shrugged not really caring.

"This is my first time meeting her face to face." Eliza admitted looking at a comfortable Elyra "I remember, because you were written up like April August, though she's turned her life around."

Elyra clapped her hands "The Crimson Witch, she was quite the symbol for carnal freedom."

"A role model?" Eliza guessed.

"I didn't have many of those growing up. Mother, the mother I share with Sirus left my father, a weak-willed incubus who wanted a human life. Those are pretty rare, though I understood her reasoning. Then she attached herself to Sirus' father, scum. And died with him, hunters and all that." Elyra waved her hand around in the air.

"Living as a human is stupid in my opinion, if you have gifts why not use them? Money and wealth are easy to come by unless you're mortal. I did admire one person in my life though."

"How long is this monologue going on for?" Lynx groaned "We don't care about your heroes or your favorite villains. We just want to know why you dropped down from the sky all of a sudden."

"For my brother-

"I don't believe that bullshit, you only come for your brother when you want to use or manipulate him."

"Could you explain that to us?" Dominic asked Lynx "By manipulate, what do you mean?"

Lynx didn't have to rack her mind for specific memories of Elyra, because all were hard to forget. "T-

"Lynx." Sirus said lightly "I'll explain it all at another time."

Lynx narrowed her eyes at him "You should be hurling fire at her for all the things she did, the things she made you do-

"I didn't force him or bend his will-

"Don't play coy, we know what you did." Iris spat "You're nothing more than a parasite, so why don't you just tell us why you're here and then leave, because it's definitely not for Sirus' wellbeing."

Neimos looked over at Eliza "You do remember the rumors of a demon terrorizing the continents during your teen years?"

"How could one forget such chaos? The crimes started off as small acts of...pleasure, drinking, partying, and so on. When the party winded down there would be no survivors, but bodies, some torn to pieces, others twisted into grotesque works of art." Eliza then looked at Elyra who shrugged.

"I remember then." Elyra curled her lips into a smile at remembrance of those days, she was enthusiastic when she killed, it heightened her arousal. Sure, some of the murders or attacks were fatal and because of petty reasons, but she never felt any guilt about it. The only thing she did worry about was her little brother falling off the path she thought he was destined for.

"Then I hope you remember that this a kingdom of peace." Eliza reminded her.

"I was fully aware when I came, but I assure you that I won't kill or hurt anyone here. I just wanted to see how Sirus was, I felt his distress." Elyra's pupils began to turn blue "And despite him not wanting to be my brother, I do worry."

"I'm alive and well." Sirus said sipping a cup of coffee "As everyone including you can see."

"Don't be a smartass, you smell like blood."

"And you don't, shocker."

"Sirus-

"If you wish for me to respond to you then tell us why you're here."

"I did."

"You can lie as if you're telling the truth, I don't need to constantly lie to keep a secret." Sirus growled, his eyes blacked over, and he felt a sudden shift. It wasn't just a shift in the air, but almost like it was in the space around them. He could feel a spark, a darkness that felt familiar. Sirus forced himself to calm down before he stopped eating.

"Sirus-

"You're here for Luna." Once that sentence was spoken everyone at the table became fully coherent and tense, Elyra was no longer comfortable. Sirus coldly stared her down "Tell me. Tell me you didn't cross between worlds, that you didn't speak with him? Made a deal?"

"You evil bitch." Iris nearly cracked the glass of orange juice she was holding in her hand.

"You went to speak with a greater demon?" Neimos sneered.

"With her great uncle?" Nick was no longer as calm or open to hear random chatter "What deal did you make?"

"I really can't s-

"Then shall I hold you here in the dungeons until you feel that you can?"

"Your threats don't frighten me your majesty, true or false."

"Then why would you come here?" Luna questioned "You knew you might get caught, right? What is this?"

Elyra sighed tapping the table "I'm truly sorry, Luna, I am. But your uncle pulled me in, literally. I was visiting home, my home before we vacated here to the human world.."

Elyra went on to say that during her visit she came in contact with an old friend of hers, they began talking and they ended up in a private sector where they caught up. Unbeknownst to her, Luna's great uncle was still searching for her, to claim that remainder of power that escaped his grasps. Elyra was brought before him after finding out about a deal made between her mother and Casira about the arrangement. He then instructed Elyra to come in contact with her brother to locate Luna and send her to him.

"How? This was all a secret arrangement." Luna murmured.

Elyra made a face and turned to Sirus "Your father apparently spread more than his fair share of legs when he went out and about without mother."

"That makes no sense, he knew the risks if anyone found out. He'd be killed as well." Sirus said not adding everything up.

"Not if he made a deal with one of his many lovers who reported back to him. He didn't give details on what Luna looked like or where she was, just that she was alive and that you would be tied to her due to the arrangement."

"What kind of deal?" Neimos asked.

"Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Luna's my niece."

Elyra paused "Okay. He made a deal that would have saved himself, mother, and Sirus, but now that's he dead that deal is as well."

"And he just explained this all to you?" Elizabeth raised a defined blonde eyebrow curiously. This all seemed too easy.

"I may have my tendencies, Elizabeth, but I do know the value of a life. And he weighed one over me in order to obtain Luna."

Luna looked down at Sirus "Don't."

"I didn't say anything but being as your...blood just came here to explain to me that she was given an ultimatum to give me to my evil uncle, you should Sirus. Say something other than the fact that you dislike her or hate her or use your brain to think of a way out of this."

Sirus looked down at the table "How long?"

"I've been given five months."

"Can he track you?" Lynx asked.

"He didn't mark me, so eventually yes. I can conceal my presence for about three of those months and then it's over."

"You couldn't get anything or know anything else?"

"There's something...but I don't know if it's true. I'd have to research thoroughly. But Neimos, you see fates and destinies, can you foresee anything?"

Neimos rubbed his forehead "What did he say that he wanted from Luna? It can't be simple power, she only has half of the power that a greater demon has. "

"Something about a core...her powers are like her father's...After our conversation I found myself in a boat going over to Vermillion."

"I've heard of extracting magical cores." Alex said entering the conversation "But it usually leaves those who lose their cores weak, mortal, some even die. But those were mainly witches and sorcerers. I've never heard of this happening to a demon."

"Because then they wouldn't really be a demon, more like a shell." Neimos wiped his hands on his cloth "Do you know what happened to Enn when he was killed?"

Elyra nodded "It's hard not to, down south of the city is a bridge that goes over a river, underneath the bridge is a small piece of land. There are crystalized shards covering over the center of the spot where Enn's body was, over the years after his defeat his energy was absorbed into them."

"It's like a sphere of energy. No one could ever break it."

"I see."

"This is a good start, but it won't help with the coming months. We need a plan." Nick announced.

"I can hide Luna's presence again." Neimos volunteered "Though as an infant with her powers being dormant it was easier. Now they may push against my own. But it should give her a layer of protection."

"But for how long?" Dominic asked, "If her powers get stronger wouldn't that just chip away at the seal?"

"Yes. I'd give this seal a year, maybe two. What we have to worry about are assassination attempts by demons."

"What is his name?" Luna asked.

"The less you know about him, the better."

"Then tell me why you seem pissed off, more so than I am right now?"

Neimos' body was tense with a rage that could choke the entire kingdom, his eyes were colder, they no longer held a lazy warmth.

"It's in the past, Luna."

"Thank you, so very much for telling me." Luna narrowed her eyes "You and everyone else in the know keep hiding the whole story. If no one tells me then I'm plenty able to go find out on my own without anyone's permission or guidance."

Neimos rubbed his forehead "Could you not be hardheaded about this? It doesn't matter."

"Then my life might as well not matter." Luna didn't say this out of anger, but also out of truth. This entire time as her life was being unraveled, she had to scrape at what was real, who her parents really were. And it was all for power, everyone in this room had power, but were so powerless when it came to giving her a direct answer on what happened back then.

"Every life matters, but it's a waste of time to explain it all. I can place a safeguard around this city to alert you-

"Why not place one around the kingdom?" Alex questioned "Is that beyond your abilities?"

Both Lynx and Areya were taken back by the question "Alex-

"Is it?" Alex repeated at his father.

"It's not, but it's very tiring to put one up for at least two years and it's not very hard to kill those types of demons."

"What type?"

"Minions, strong, shady, and they're loyal to a fault, some have skill." Elyra stretched "Do you not have wine?"

"Yes, but we usually save it for special occasions." Eliza smiled.

Neimos sighed "Simple traps should work. Holy water-

Lynx giggled "And crosses too? Please, they're probably his best men, expendable, but good at their work. I can deal with it."

"Lynx, you're not required too. Alex told me that you're planning on staying in Verdure for some time." Nick said looking her over "Killing them will paint a target on your back."

"I can handle myself-

"We know, what my count is trying to say is that he doesn't want a civilian or friend dealing in this, especially since he wishes for everyone to keep enjoying their lives here." Dominic finished his glass of milk and was weirded out by Luna and Alex staring at him "What?"

"You used the F word." Alex told him.

"Alex, do you not want your girlfriend to be our friend?" Dominic smiled "Does it bother you?"

Alex shook his head "Not really, I just expected my father to be a bit more useful."

Areya shot Alex a stern look "He may not be able to do all, but he's aiding us in our time of need. Be grateful, rather than judgmental. I'm surprised at you, Alexander."

"Everything is a half-truth though. Or maybe a three fourths truth-

"You don't need to know everything just, because you want to." Neimos tried to say this sincerely especially with Alex seeming more irritated.

"Then honesty means nothing."

"To you it means noth-

"No, to me it's a secret. Like everyone's lives, little lies, little secrets, littles tales. If we really want to work together and be at peace, then where is the trust? The honesty? There is none."

"Alex-

"I'm good on excuses." Alex gave a fake smile, his silver eyes shone bright especially when the light caught them "So please save yours."

Neimos already knew that this was all stemming from Luna's own secret filled life, it was similar to Alex's. Many truths were hidden and now that most were out, both wanted a tell all.

"Do you really want to act like a child over this?"

"Trust me, I'm not. I'm over the lies and cover ups. The real reason you don't want to tell Luna is, because this makes you uncomfortable. Why not jump into our shoes and see every day of our lives? Lives of not knowing and wondering and you'll find that's it much more than uncomfortable, it's unbearable."

Neimos looked down "If I knew-

"You knew of Luna, of your sister, you protected them. But when Sirus came, where were you? Or maybe I should ask Elyra where she was when her mother was being abused, with Sirus there?"

Elyra smirked "Be careful, Alex. You've only known me for a few minutes, don't start casting judgements down."

"I'm not." Alex said in a deep tone, the pressure around him was unnatural and dense. It gave way to Areya's worries and fears. It was the feeling of an eye watching you, going over and through your soul, searching for any and all of the pieces of your life, your personality, your being. Alex turned straight toward Elyra.

"Oh, you have words. Alright, I'm game."

"Just a few. That repugnant stain that everyone thinks is your soul is your heart. It's as black as the deepest abyss, colder than any glacier. You feel so little for beings you think you're superior too. But it's your weakness, because at times you feel a need, urge, for those inferior beings."

"To rattle them, toy with them, love th-

"I've never loved a human." Elyra corrected.

"You love in your violence and sex. You feed off of it and you attract darkness that wants to feed off of you. And you let it in. Let it roll around on top of you and smile. But in all honesty, you're a thing to it, something to play with from time to time, to use. That's why even Sirus doesn't want to be around you."

"You're a thing, not a person, not a being. Your type is what live for many years and end up crossing someone who has more power, more darkness, lighter than you, and they will either make you bow or kill you. Maybe they'll twist your spine and cripple you, cut out your tongue, break you down piece by piece until you return as nothing. And then the darkness will retreat, and you fade away forever."