"What is the catch with this bloodline?" Jensen asked.
"Nothing much really but…" Xal'Zyraeth paused for a few seconds. "The only bloodline above mine is the Progenitor's Bloodline."
"The first Vampyre?"
"Yes, and the suppression the progenitor bloodline has on the lower caste is far greater than you could ever understand, not to mention the exclusive abilities that come with it." Xal'Zyraeth explained. "But you don't have to worry too much about it."
"If the progenitor's bloodline had returned, I would have sensed it." Xal'Zyraeth continued.
"So, I have a chance of gaining it?"
"Yes, you do." Xal'Zyraeth chuckled. "Do you still wish to gain my royal bloodline?"
"Since I am your successor, I get all your treasures, don't I?" Jensen asked excitedly.
"Yes, but you wouldn't find any pills, potions, or treasures you can use yet."
"I thought thousands of people died here, what happened to their treasure?"
"I didn't care enough to keep the mortal treasures and the majority of the immortal ones; I often gave them to challengers that I wanted to." Xal'Zyraeth chuckled as he watched Jensen's face drop.
"Don't worry, I left a few things for my successor, but you wouldn't be able to use them for a while."
"They are all Immortal treasures." Jensen understood instantly.
"Yes. Are you ready?" Xal'Zyraeth asked.
"Yes," Jensen nodded and took a deep breath.
Suddenly a drop of blood appeared in front of them. Space bent around the drop of blood and Jensen could feel the power that was emanating from it.
The blood instantly shot into his forehead and the pain knocked him out instantly.
***
The next time Jensen woke up he felt even better than he did when he was a common vampyre.
The difference was so great it felt like a different race entirely.
He felt taller, his senses were far stronger than before, and the enhancement he gained from the bloodline was massive.
And the number of abilities he gained was just as big.
The first thing he tried were the limbs attached to his back.
The moment he flexed them, a massive wing appeared behind him, tearing through his clothes.
The second thing he tried to check was the feeling that was coming from the symbol on his hand.
It was a red symbol; in its centre there was a stylized skull that looked a bit like a demon or dragon skull.
It had sharp teeth and narrow eye sockets, giving it a dark and intimidating look.
From the skull, large, curved wings spread upward on both sides. The wings were shaped like bat wings with pointed edges, just like his own wings.
Behind everything there was a large red circle, which framed the skull and wings and made the symbol look like an emblem or crest.
"My Crest, and what you feel are the bloodline essences left from my subordinates." Xal'Zyraeth answered Jensen's question before he could even ask.
"Try to feel it." He advised Jensen.
Jensen nodded, closed his eyes and focused.
'412 Noble Vampyre Essence and 3,672 Common Vampyre Essence.'
"Yes, each one can grant one person the bloodline of a corresponding caste." Xal'Zyraeth explained.
"This is a Middle Grade Immortal Spatial Ring. Everything I have left for you is right in there."
A spatial ring appeared in front of him, and he immediately grabbed it and slipped it on his finger.
"What about you?" Jensen asked. "Do you vanish now or what?"
"Nope, I am coming with you," Xal'Zyraeth said.
'What?'
Several metals that Jensen understood were immortal grade suddenly appeared in front of Xal'Zyraeth and he snapped his finger.
The various metals began to combine with each other, and they all slowly turned red.
Jensen glanced at the ball of energy and even though it was just a few inches from him he couldn't feel a thing.
"I have been here for so many millenniums that I have lost count." Xal'Zyraeth explained. "I plan to follow your adventures."
"Why not just find a body and do it yourself?" Jensen asked suspiciously.
"What part of balance don't you understand?" Xal'Zyraeth replied. "With my knowledge, experience, and the unfair advantage I have, what do you think would happen to me?"
Before Jensen could even answer, Xal'Zyraeth continued, "A black hole would probably open up and destroy me along with this planet."
"You are stuck like this forever?" Jensen asked, almost pitying him.
"I could choose to die, and I would probably get reborn." Xal'Zyraeth said as he continued to work on the minerals in front of him. He was now writing what Jensen could only tell was an array.
"Is that not good?"
"Well, it might be, but without my memories would I really be the same person?" Xal'Zyraeth explained his dilemma.
'Indeed, would a person really be the same without their memories?' Jensen contemplated.
He did not think so. Just a slight change to his psyche more than a decade ago and his father had truly changed, yet he still had his memories.
He could only imagine how much worse it would be without them.
Xal'Zyraeth simply continued his work, leaving Jensen to his thoughts.
'There should be a way around it.'
"Yes, there are, but none of them are something I could achieve." Xal'Zyraeth resolved his doubt.
"You would have to regain your strength."
"Yes, that is one of them."
"That would be easy…" Jensen understood immediately and softly completed his answer, "if you had your memories."
"Of the zillions of people alive right now, less than 50% of them have awakened." Xal'Zyraeth explained further.
"Even if I awakened, what are the chances of me being talented enough to break through to Immortal rank?"
"Even if I did have the talent, what about the trials and tribulations?"
"What are my chances of surviving them?"
"Even if I did survive them, what about all the other situations that could appear?"
"I would never leave my rebirth to simple chance."
The space began to shake violently. "Prepare, this space will be collapsing soon."
Jensen immediately got on guard and Xal'Zyraeth suddenly vanished. Another ring slipped onto his finger, and he suddenly appeared outside the mountain.
Jensen could see the mountain begin to crumble; he could also feel the battle still ongoing.
He flexed his wing muscles but immediately decided against it and charged in the other direction.