Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 461 461: Oppressive Air

***

-Aiesling County-

-Aiesling Grand Manor-

A man, dressed in elegant Mage robes walked across the corridor, a wand held tight in one hand and his face screwed with focus. He had black hair, sky blue eyes, and looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. But really, with how age could be rolled back with prompt advancements in Magic Circles, he could easily have been older.

As he walked, guards, all dressed in functional mage robes, bowed to him but he ignored them all. They were not only below his station but he also had a far too pressing issue to care.

The man made a few turns and then his pace slowed. He arrived at a part of the Grand Manor where the air suddenly felt thick and repelled him.

”Begone!” The man yelled and swung his wand, a spell circle flashing before unleashing a barrage of powerful wind scythes. They all passed through with no obstructions, striking against walls and doors, slashing them up but doing nothing against the oppressive air.

”Kyrus, watch your aim!” A voice yelled out from up ahead.

Kyrus, the young man with the wand, narrowed his eyes,

”Kaide. Brother, is that you?” He asked.

”Aye,” Kaide answered as he stepped out of a corner up ahead. He had come at the oppressive air from another side, hoping to do the same as Kyrus and failing just as he did.

”Well, stand back,” Kyrus huffed, ”I have something prepared.”

”Donʼt bother,” Kaide said, ”Nothing works.”

”Hmph, weʼll see,” Kyrus said and he charged up his Mana, putting the mental image of his powerful spell at the forefront of his mind as he pulled back his wand.

Kaide rolled his eyes as he heard his brother Kyrus mutter a long stream of incantation and then unleashed it all in a blast of magical energy into an attack of a raging inferno that took the form of a serpent, coiling all about the inside of the corridor, charring the walls, and blasting a window apart.

The spell was powerful. The sound of its blast was so loud that a weaker Mage might have had their eardrums damaged by it. And yet, when it was all over, the oppressive air remained.

”Are you done?” Kaide asked.

”This thing deems itself impervious,” Kyrus said as he cleared his throat, looking abashed.

”It is impervious,” Kaide said, ”To all physical attacks anyway.”

”Weʼre not Mage-Knights,” Kyrus said, ”Our attacks are magical, not physical.”

”The effects are still physical, Kyrus. And anything physical seems to have no effect on— this,” Kaide said with a frown and a look of distress,

”Iʼve never seen anything like it.”

For a while, there was silence that was eventually broken by Kyrus as he asked in a heavy tone,

”So then, how do we get her out?”

The ʼherʼ was referring to their sister, Kaya Aeisling who had returned home about a week ago from Lochxen and had been trapped inside a hall by an oppressive air keeping everyone else out.

The relationship of Kyrus and Kaide with their sister Kaya, had been strained since she was an infant. For one, and really the most relevant reason, Kaya was a constant reminder to Kyrus and Kaideʼs mother that their father stepped out on his marriage.

The Aeislings were long-standing nobles. The family had an ample pedigree of talent, wealth, and Territory-ruling acumen. There was so much history tied to that family name and so much stature that having a child out of wedlock was a significant issue. An issue that could be considered soiling their good name.

And that was exactly what Revon Aeisling, their father, had done. He never spoke of the incident in detail, never tried to justify himself but it was always clear he made it a point to keep Kaya at armʼs length.

In recent times, Kyrus wondered if that should have been an incentive for him and Kaide to be there for Kaya more than they ever were. The poor girl had no mother and her father couldnʼt bear the sight of her. Who else did she have then besides her brothers?

Alas, Kyrus and Kaide couldnʼt quite accept her. Even setting aside how their mother felt about the whole affair, Kyrus and Kaide couldnʼt ignore that Kaya wasnʼt quite like them. Her slightly pointy ears showed her as different from them so early on and made it clear that she didnʼt quite belong in their family. That she was an outsider.

Still, Kyrus liked to think he and Kaide had done right by her. As right by her as they could have anyway, given the circumstances. For instance, as she grew, they had trained her in Combat Magic. Although one could argue that they bullied her with Combat Magic and she just got better at surviving them.

”Gods, we were horrible to her,” Kaide said with a sigh. He had been thinking the same thing as Kyrus but hadnʼt bothered with self-justification.

That made Kyrus a bit ashamed that he was even attempting to rationalize how he and Kaide had treated her.

He squared his shoulders quickly though.

”Donʼt go composing an eulogy just yet,” he said, ”I sent a message to father.”

Kaide didnʼt seem at all relieved to hear that.

”You think heʼll come to help?”

”He will,” Kyrus said and then gripped his wand even tighter,

”And should he not, weʼll just keep trying. I know we can get through.”

Kaide let out a breath as he watched his brother begin spell casting. He smiled lightly, shook his head, and then began to form seals himself, drawing a wand to help his Mana output.

”Your optimism is infectious, brother,” he said and then took on a battle stance,

”Letʼs save our baby sister!”

And they let loose spells in unison.

•••

-Within the Hall shrouded by the oppressive air-

Kaya was cross-legged with her Magic Staff across her lap. She looked just as she usually did: a perfect, graceful, and delicate beauty with an edge reserved for her opponents during combat.

Her hair was done in a long braid down her back and she had replaced the Lochxen uniform she had worn exclusively for months with a casual wear of leggings and a sleeveless shirt that showed off a bit of her delightful cleavage.

Her eyes were shut tight and her lips were pressed together as she gathered Nature energy around herself.

*BANG!*

Another explosive blast rocked this section of the Grand Manor and Kayaʼs frown became deeper as the tips of her slightly pointy ears twitched in distress.

ʼGods! Would those two quit it for a second!ʼ

Kaya had heard the conversations happening outside the hall. Especially the ones between her brothers. Harnessing Nature energy, her senses were actually quite heightened. They needed to be for the situation she was in. Also, the Hall wasnʼt very soundproofed. It was usually used to welcome guests and wasnʼt exactly suited for privacy.

Anyway, Kaya was a little amused that they were speaking as though she was trapped. She wasnʼt. She came here on purpose and the oppressive air was concentrated here by choice. If she were not doing what she was doing i.e. drawing the ire of the oppressive air, it would be spread all about the Grand Manor as it had been for almost two decades.

Then again, if the oppressive air was allowed to spread out all over the Manor, her two brothers and everyone else here would likely find the energy easy to ignore. For years, Kaya had been the only one who sensed something strange about the Manor.

At the time, she had thought it was simply because she was unwanted and her perceptive self was just picking up on that. Now, after her experiences at Lochxen and the fine-tuning of her perception, she knew it was something more sinister than that.