Chapter 623: The only way to travel (1)

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The next day at sunrise...

Caius stepped out of the Palace onto the courtyard where the Sky-Carriage awaited. It had arrived during the night so silently that it really may have just appeared suddenly to anyone who didn’t pay proper attention for longer than five seconds.

It had a sleek aerodynamic shape. It didn’t have wings or visible engines. It looked like something that would be drawn as a ’futuristic’ design in Caius’s old world. The kind of thing you see in Sci-fi movies or comic books. It was beautiful and elegant.

’The only way to travel,’ Caius thought with a smile, ’Or however it is the saying goes.’

Caius actually spent a few seconds gazing at the Sky-Carriage and almost forgot that he hadn’t exited the Palace alone. He had been accompanied by the Leopolds.

At the front of the group were Roxanne and Meline. Caius had expected to be able to slip out this morning without rousing them. They had spent the entirety of last night ’convincing’ him to let them come with him. And while they made good arguments—boy, was it good!—the most concession Caius made was that he’d hurry things up so he could return and they could recommence the pleasurable activity.

Both Roxanne and Meline had been sleeping so deeply and soundly that Caius confidently went to the bath to prepare for his departure only for them to join him and now they were here, with the other Leopolds, trying a last-ditch attempt to convince him with earnest eyes.

"It almost hurts how little confidence you have in me," Caius said, "All of you."

"It’s not that we don’t trust your abilities, My Lord," Hugo said.

"But you have to admit this is not a good plan," Kyre said.

Before anyone else could say another word, three people exited the Palace. In the lead was Philip and behind him were Athenodora and Elena whose arms were hooked together.

"You’re here," Philip grunted with dissatisfaction.

"Were you hoping to leave me behind?" Caius asked with a smirk.

Philip simply snorted and ignored him as he walked over to the Sky-Carriage.

"What do you think?" Athenodora asked.

Caius looked back at her, smiled, and then looked back at the carriage, which he knew she was asking his opinion on.

"It’s beautiful," he said, "Your best one?"

"My best one," Athenodora said as she walked over to the Carriage, taking it in.

"Debatable," Elena said with a smile, and then stared at Philip’s back as she walked closer to Caius and whispered,

"You’ll protect her, won’t you?"

Caius smiled.

"I think it’s more likely she protects me," he said.

Elena grabbed his arm then and her eyes were hard like she wasn’t going to be swayed by his dismissive smile and words.

"You will, won’t you?" She asked more intensely and without bothering to lower her voice much.

"I’ll do my best," Caius said, still with a smile, but with as much seriousness as Elena had spoken with.

Elena nodded, released his arm, and took a step back from him.

"Well, we must be off," Caius said, addressing the Leopolds, and then his eyes fell on Nadine whose aura was a mass of worry.

"It’ll be alright," Caius said to assure her but she didn’t seem to buy it.

But then, he had to go. Philip and Athenodora had already entered the Carriage. Caius followed and found the inside of the Carriage to be very roomy. More than twice the space available in the land carriage he and the Leopolds had driven here. And yet, this Sky-Carriage was still on the smaller, sleeker side.

"Philip, you should drive," Athenodora said.

"Why me?" Philip grumbled.

"I’m cursed. And Caius is at the Fifth Circle," Athenodora said.

Caius couldn’t argue with that. Neither could Philip for that matter.

"I still don’t know where to go," Philip said.

"I’ll guide you," Athenodora said, "That’s why I’m here, remember? Take us into the air and head west."

Philip made his way to the front and took his seat. He grabbed the wheel, channeling his mana into the carriage which churned it and turned it into fuel that made the carriage power up.

They lifted into the air very wobbly.

"Have you ever flown before?" Caius asked after needing to ground himself so he wouldn’t fall.

"Of course, I haven’t. A damn waste of a thing," Philip said disgruntled.

"Oh, it’s easy. Very intuitive. A child could do it," Athenodora said with a nonchalant wave.

She must have been right because the Sky-carriage balanced out and rose much more smoothly. And then it turned toward the west and then was fired up to the peak of speed it could go with Philip piloting and went flying away from the Palace.

Caius had made his way to the window to catch a glimpse of the Palace before they got too far away but it was already far into the distance.

Still the view— it was incredible.

Everything below was reduced to specs. To be this high, to survey all from such a vantage point. It put things into perspective and was a wonder. And then, there was the speed;

Philip had gotten the hang of flying and the carriage moved smoothly but not completely unaffected by buffeting winds. Caius placed a hand on the wall and felt it humming with power— it almost felt alive.

"Exhilarating isn’t it?" Athenodora asked.

"Yeah," Caius said, "I see why you like it."

Athenodora smiled and then she winced.

"What’s wrong?" Caius asked.

"I’m away from the Cocoon so my curse is acting up," Athenodora said.

"But you’ve been away from the Cocoon many times and were fine," Caius said.

"Even when I’m not inside the cocoon, its effects remain so long as I remain at the Palace," Athenodora said.

"I see," Caius said.

As he watched, Caius could see the pain spike in

Athenodora more and more but he could tell she was feeling excitement as well. For the first time in far too long, she got to leave the Palace. What could be worse for a freedom enthusiast like her than being stuck in the same place for a month?

Philip made a sound from up ahead and Caius assumed it was disapproval. It reminded him of something he had wanted to know for a while but somehow never got around to asking.

"How long have you two known each other?"

Philip grunted.

Athenodora smiled.

"Many centuries. Don’t ask exactly how long cause that’s just a bore to sift through. Age is so tiring a concept," she said.

"How did you two meet?" Caius asked then. As he asked, he glanced at Philip who didn’t object or even act like he could hear anything at all.

"I met Philip when he was getting groomed for servitude," Athenodora said and though her tone was light, the lack of a smile made the conversation come across as more serious all of a sudden.

"Groomed for servitude?" Caius repeated.

"Yes," Athenodora said, "Philip was a Spawn Slave. I suppose I should explain what that is—

"No need. I know what it means," Caius cut in.

A spawn Slave is a person who is groomed to eventually be turned. Spawn Slaves are often captured from childhood—as that’s believed to be the best time to begin nurturing talent—and they are often abused, even tortured into submission. Some vampires even use them to organize gladiatorial contests so they can eliminate one another and the last one standing is then granted the boon of vampirism— their servitude sealed in blood.

The details of it were a little graphic in [To Kill A Demon Lord...] and another one of the many reasons why Vampires were often villains in the original canon.

That said, Spawn Slave-rearing is actually not a widespread practice among all Vampires. Most covens are usually worried more about avoiding detection and feeding rather than organized slave trade.

The ones who engage in Spawn Slavery are often high-class Vampires who have long established some kind of foothold. They existed in the Acheron Empire and beyond, occupying remote locations, dealing with humans and other humanoids who may or may not know what they were.

Caius cut Athenodora off because he didn’t quite care for having Spawn slavery described to him.

"I didn’t think you would," Athenodora said and Caius saw out of the corner of his eye that Philip reacted to his knowledge as well.

Athenodora continued.

"Well, Philip proved quite capable. His Lord grew fond of him quickly. I met him then. For a human, I found him rather... interesting. He was uptight, wound up like he had an entire tree up his ass," she said.

Philip made a sound that Caius was sure was a laugh.

Athenodora pressed on.

"I saw him as a challenge. The way he followed orders and customs like his life depended on it—"

"But his life did depend on it," Caius said in a low voice, "If he disobeyed, stepped one toe out of line, he’d die."

"He would," Athenodora admitted, "The challenge was to get him to loosen up and also somehow keep his head.

Seeing as he’s still here, it’s safe to say I succeeded."