My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

The relics and their wielders, huh?" Akiko repeated as they continued their walk.

The flowers swayed gently in the breeze, as if they were part of some kind of cinematic television advertisement.

"Here's the question, Ezra." Akiko smiled. "Are you asking because you're genuinely curious or because you're some kind of spy?" Her tone had only curiosity and nothing else.

"What kind of spy would I be if I was using you as my source of information?" He asked.

"A well informed spy." Akiko giggled. "There is, after all, no better source of information on the Monarchy than me in this estate."

"And what makes me a spy?" Ezra asked curiously. He couldn't tell if Akiko was being genuine or she really was thinking of him as a spy. "Asking you about the relics?"

"No." Akiko shook her head. "It's your less than stellar reputation that makes you spy."

"You see, when one has a great reputation, they can commit a great evil and still be above suspicion but when one has a not so good reputation, they get blamed for every little thing."

"That's your situation now, brother. Even if you do only good things, your every action would be scrutinized and attributed to a nefarious reason."

"Don't worry, though." She said, waving her hands as if she was waving away everything she just said. "I'll answer your question."

"It isn't as if the information is the Monarchy's most guarded secret or something. The Vampire Society already knows about most of it anyways."

There was silence as they kept walking, Akiko steering their path.

"As I'm sure you know, each relic was designed with a specific purpose in mind." Akiko began, her eyes flicking to Ezra. "The progenitor created the Daydream relics to empower his heir and place him above all others in his absence."

"As usual, greed took over and the heir was slain, and the relics scattered, all seven of them."

"Now, the Progenitor was left with relics but no one to sit on the throne. And so, he created the Nightmare relics."

"Their purpose? To counter and destroy the Daydream relics and eventually, produce someone strong enough to sit on the throne."

"The war between the courts would be the perfect vehicle to create one to rise above all. One who would usher all vampires into a new era."

Ezra listened quietly. It seems that the Monarchy's version is a bit different from the Society's version but that was to be expected. The Monarchy wanted candidates to free them from the rigidity of the Society's laws while the Society wanted strong people to serve under them.

"With each Nightmare relic countering their respective Daydream relic, the Nightmare court is seemingly at an advantage but that only stands if each corresponding relic actually fights against each other." Akiko said.

"By making sure that no corresponding relic will ever face the other, the Monarchy has made sure that no single court could dominate the other entirely."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Let's start with the first relics."

Find more chapters on empire

She stopped by a cluster of white lilies, brushing her fingers lightly against a petal.

"The Daydream Court's first relic, Corona, is no longer in play. Its wielder died during the Death Wave. A tragic loss for the Daydream Court."

"On our side, however, the first Nightmare relic is still active and it's wielder still alive."

"The relic, Glacier, has the ability to freeze anything in place, from the physical to the metaphysical. There are even rumors that it can freeze time itself, though no one has ever confirmed this."

Akiko shot Ezra a smile, her eyes on his blindfolded face before she continued.

"Then there are the second relics. The Daydream Court's second relic, Speculum, is still active. Its wielder is alive, and like every other royalty, very dangerous."

"Speculum allows the creation of mirror images of one's opponents. The important thing is just that these clones are under the wielder's complete control."

Akiko chuckled. "Imagine facing not just your enemy but an army of yourself."

She paused, a faraway look coming upon her face, as if she was imagining it. A moment later, she shook her head with a smile and faced Ezra.

"The counter to Speculum, the second Nightmare relic, is called Imago. But you know that, don't you?"

Ezra's expression didn't change and Akiko's smile widened slightly.

"Imago, unlike Speculum, created mirror images of the wielder rather than their opponents. Each clone could wield a different ability, amplifying the wielder's strength exponentially."

"Here's where things get interesting. The relic was somehow split into two halves. No one knows how they did it but it happened."

"And this is how it gets super interesting." She lowered her voice and glanced around like she was about to tell a great secret.

"You were responsible for the death of one of its wielders, Count Griffin of First City, if the reports are to be believed."

Ezra said nothing but to Akiko, his silence was an answer in itself.

"As for the other half of Imago," she continued with a grin, "the wielder met his end through his own foolishness. A relic as powerful as Imago requires discipline, something he lacked."

They walked a few more paces before Akiko stopped near a pond, the water's surface rippling gently.

She turned to face Ezra fully, her tone shifting to something more… serious. "The third relics are where things get more… complicated."

"The Daydream Court's third relic's wielder was someone that a few princes had their eyes on until he vanished a few decades ago."

"He wielded a pretty nifty ability, something that people will kill to get. Unfortunately, he disappeared."

"Until six months ago."

Ezra said nothing, keeping his expression blank as he stared at Akiko.

The woman tilted her head, her dark irises spinning slowly.

"Imagine our surprise when our investigators found traces of the relic in a place it had no business being in."

"Imagine our surprise when we found traces of Tether and the death of its wielder in Faewall."

She took a step towards him.

"But you know more about that than I do, don't you?"