Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 472: Three new Symbols…

...

As Kaya’s Nature Magic healed them both, Kyrus and Kaide kept their attention on Kaya and their father’s stationary figures. The Guards remained as confused as ever but no one dared speak a word for fear that they might disrupt Kaya’s ritual.

Kaya and Revon must have stood there for minutes and then finally, the Nature Energy that was causing the patterns on the ground to glow began to fade. The bits of Nature energy that had taken hold of Revon’s body and infiltrated his mind also receded and he moved again, twitching before he blinked his eyes a few times, as though he were trying to get reoriented with his body.

He turned his eyes toward Kurus and Kaide, who still had their wands out and were worried that Kaya had failed and they would still have to fight.

"Be at ease," Revon told them with one hand raised. His voice no longer had the sinister lower register of the Malevolent Aura’s occupation of his body.

"Father," Kyrus said slowly as he and Kaide still refused to relax, "Are you well now?"

"Thanks to your sister," Revon said and then swayed a bit as he then amended in a drowsy voice,

"Though I— I must admit, I do feel a bit lighthearted..."

And then, he slumped, hitting the ground with a thud at the same time Kaya opened her eyes and leaned her weight against her staff.

The battle and the effort to rend the sentience of the Malevolent Aura once and for all, had taken a toll on her physical well-being.

Still, she was going to get better.

"Father!"

"Lord!"

Kyrus, Kaide, and the Guards chorused and all took steps forward. It was Revon’s sons who reached his side first as they lifted him off the ground and turned their worried eyes at Kaya.

"What happened?" Kyrus asked.

"Is he cured?" Kaide asked.

"He is," Kaya said and she sounded very relieved. This was the first time she was within the Grand Manor and wasn’t feeling the pressure of unwantedness or facing the entity that was created from that pressure.

"He only needs rest," Kaya continued and then looked at the Guards, "Take the Lord to his chambers."

In a second, spells were cast to gently lift Revon off the ground and ferry him out of the Hall with a majority of the Guards going along.

"And you, sister?" Kaide asked, "Will you be alright?"

Kaya just stared at him for a second. Was this the first time he was looking at her with genuine concern in his light blue eyes? It certainly felt like it.

"I’m alright," Kaya said,

"The worst is past."

•••

Revon was asleep for hours, during which repairs began at the parts of the Manor that had been damaged in the battle. And the moment he opened his eyes, Revon asked for Kaya first and she came to his chambers, sitting in a chair beside his bed.

For half an hour, neither of the two said a word. Revon was sitting up on the bed, pillows to support his back, as insisted by the Healer who checked up on him after the entire ordeal.

Kaya wasn’t in a hurry to break the silence. This was the longest she and her father had spent in the same location so she quite liked the peace of it.

"Her hair was a brilliant reddish brown," Revon eventually said with a sigh.

"What?" Kaya asked, confused and taken by surprise.

"Your mother," Revon clarified,

"Her hair was reddish brown. A lot like autumn leaves. She always had vines and leaves braided into it.

You have her eyes.

She picked your name. It was included in the note that she sent with you. I don’t know why or what significance it had to her."

Revon laughed here.

"What is it?" Kaya asked him.

"It’s just— I realize there’s so much I didn’t know about her. I didn’t know anything of her past, of her family— I didn’t even know how much she treasured her home until I suggested she leave it behind and come here with me," Revon said and then let out a sigh,

"I’m sorry. Only now as I make an effort to be more open and tell you about her do I realize there is so little to tell you."

"It’s alright," Kaya said in a low voice.

Revon closed his eyes, his expression anguished like Kaya’s words hadn’t erased his feeling of incompetence.

"I truly loved her, you know," Revon said,

"It wasn’t just a fling with me. I know I have just admitted to not knowing— really, anything about her. But I can’t help that that doesn’t change how I felt about her."

"’Felt’?" Kaya said, taking note of her father’s many uses of the past tense in discussing his affection for her mother.

"I don’t know how I feel anymore. I’ve lived a fairly long life, Kaya, and will likely still live for even longer. The past, nearly twenty years have passed quickly, and not only do I have no strong memory or feelings about whatever transpired during that period, but it has also clouded my memory and feelings of the many more years before that.

I don’t know if I’m making any sense," Revon admitted.

"You are," Kaya admitted.

Another period of silence before Revon let out a little laugh. A sad laugh filled with regret.

"I’ve missed so much of your development, haven’t I?"

Kaya shrugged with her head bowed and turned away to hide her eyes that were starting to water.

"It’s only eighteen years or so," she said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant.

"I’m sorry," Revon said.

"I know," Kaya answered.

"I’m going to have to work really hard to make up for it all," Revon said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement of fact. And a determination to make good on his promise to do just that.

There was a minute of quiet as Revon tried to think of where to start and then he decided to start simple and ease into the harder topics.

"Tell me about Lochxen," he said to Kaya with his best attempt at a natural smile,

"Did you have as good a time there as I hope you did?"

Kaya smiled and hers was a lot more natural. Talks of Lochxen brought many happy memories to mind and eased the unease she was feeling in the moment,

"Oh, it was fantastic..."

And, so she began.

•••

There was so much to say that Kaya was at Revon’s bedside until late in the night and there was still so much to say. And that was despite the fact that she avoided more intimate topics like the depths of her relationship with Caius and the sheer affection that swelled in her chest at the mere thought of him.

She mentioned Caius—because she just couldn’t help herself—and referred to him as a ’very good friend’ while blushing hard. All things considered, that—the embarrassment and awkwardness in telling her father about her boyfriend—was one of those normal Father-daughter moments she and Revon had lost out on all these years. It felt good to reclaim that, if only slightly.

"I should go," Kaya eventually said, "Kyrus and Kaide will want to have their time with you."

She stood up, kissed him on his forehead, said goodbye, and left. The two felt content to have taken the first steps to establish a relationship they never once had.

Outside the door, Kyrus and Kaide stood ready.

"Kaya," Kaide said.

"Sorry for taking so long," Kaya said.

"No, no. We should be thanking you," Kyrus said and then all three just stood awkwardly.

Eventually, Kaide managed a little laugh.

"Listen, Kaya, Kyrus and I were talking and we believe we owe you some apologies..." he started.

"I think that can wait till after you’ve checked on Father," Kaya said.

While Revon had not been in control of himself, he had said things to the two that they should still get closure for.

"But—" Kyrus tried to say.

"There’ll be time for all else. It doesn’t all have to happen right this second," Kaya told them with a smile.

The brothers shared a look and then returned her smile.

"Thank you, sister," they said and walked past, opening the door to their father’s room and walking in before shutting it behind themselves.

Kaya walked away, and as she did, the Arcane Circle came to the forefront of her mind. Three new symbols had been added to the Circle now to represent the emotions of Pain, Sadness, and Regret that she had stripped from the Malevolent Aura along with its power.

Kaya raised a hand and a hazy blue aura exuded and began to revolve around her clenched fist oozing the power of an Emotional Attack capable of striking and sending a target’s Emotional Spectrum into disarray.

She frowned as she studied the aura and then she whispered two words in budding understanding,

"Elven Magic."