The Fallen Vampire

Aveena was touched, and a bit wounded to see someone else revere her master so highly.

She tried to press the old monk a bit for more back story behind the two elders; just to hear an old story about the woman who she had only ever known as a master.

But the old man seemed to need more than a moment before he could open up about his relationship with the former Abbess.

Though he did admit that the two were very much in love at one point. But neither of them could get past certain obvious cultural barriers. The world just wasn't changing fast enough.

And so, he became an Abbot. She followed in his footsteps and became an Abbess.

It seemed as if both of them were loudly declaring that if they couldn't have each other, they would have no one.

He would still visit her rather frequently over the years, but around eighty years ago, he had to stop for reasons that were entirely out of his control.

This was why Aveena did not know him. He had to have stopped coming around either before she was brought to the sect, or before she was even born.

The Abbot wiped his eyes until they were dry and showed the couple a smile that neither of them believed.

"Where are this old man's manners? I am Abbot Tang Gyeoksan of the Thundering Cloud Sect. It is quite the honor to meet you." The old monk cupped his fist and bowed.

Aveena and Taira performed a similar gesture.

"I am Taira Kukan Amarok. This is my wife; Aveena Amarok. We are the Dai-Shi of the Divine Black Myth Cult."

"Hello." Aveena smiled.

Looking at the married couple, Abbot Tang felt as if he was seeing a vision of what could have been, right in front of him.

Why had he and Sestsuka decided not to go this route?

Standing together against the world as a unified front with an unchanging vision.

Would it not have been easier than the decisions they both made in the end..?

And just like that, a memory resurfaced in his mind that solidified his decision to break things off. It was the day she came to him with the pointy ends of her ears cut, and her skin bleached.

'Oh, right. That's why…'

"Abbot Tang..?"

"Abbot Tang??"

The old human was pulled from memory lane rather abruptly by Aveena's gentle shake.

Only now did he realize that he had zoned out.

"My apologies, young lady. That was rude of me."

"I-It's no trouble at all… May I ask what you were thinking about?"

Abbot Tang smiled at the pair of seemingly young lovers.

"I was merely thinking… Setsuka would be proud to know that her Sect's vision has been maintained by a pair of upstanding young lovers."

Aveena scratched her cheek. "I am approaching 88 years old soon, and my husband, well… let's just say that he may even be older than you."

"Oh-hoh?" Abbot Tang sized Taira up like they were about to have some sort of old man competition.

"I am 897 years old."

"902." Taira responded.

"…"

"…"

"…Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so."

The Abbot scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"My, I do certainly envy you cultivators. Over 900 years old and you don't look a day over twenty-two!"

Technically, Taira had looked like this long before he started cultivating since vampires stopped aging at around 18-20 years of age.

"Well, let me be the first of the Seven Pillars of the Aspiring Heaven Society to welcome the Divine Black Myth Sect into our fold. You already seem to have quite the high starting point." The old man praised.

"The Aspiring Heaven Society are..?" Aveena questioned.

"The other sects of this world. We liken ourselves to scholars, great warriors, and master craftsmen who seek to carve a path through the great desert that is the dao."

"While the world around us burns..?" Taira said pointedly.

Aveena pinched her husband for his sharpness, but Abott Tang nodded in understanding.

"I understand your skepticism of our motives, but you must understand that one cannot truly help a broken world if they cannot help themselves first.

If we went down there with no establishment or sense of authority, then the Races Of Light and the Fallen would both only see us as a couple of nosy mountain dwellers sticking their noses where they didn't belong.

They wouldn't want to follow us with that kind of image.

They would only become more desperate to hold onto the hate in their hearts that makes them feel superior.

And any cause we would try to draw them to would be moot."

Taira, as always, was not so hotheaded that he was unable to discern the difference between avoidance and an honest truth.

"…I apologize. The subject is a precarious one for my family." Taira admitted.

"Think nothing of it, Dai-Shi Taira. It is that way for us all." The old Abott smiled.

"Besides, you aren't wrong for your skepticism. There are certainly parties among us who are not so motivated to aid in the plight of those below us… but those of us who are will continue working hard to change minds."

A sudden thought dawned on the mind of the Abbott and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Why this must be fate! I was coming here to extend and invitation to Setsuka I was sure that she'd decline, but now I may pass it to you instead!"

"What sort of invitation?" Aveena tilted her head.

"Every one hundred years, the entire Aspiring Heaven Society gathers for our annual five-day retreat.

We host seminars on various topics of cultivation, pill making, and discuss applications of breathing techniques, and even trade them if we like.

But our greatest attraction is undoubtedly our martial arts tournament. Each sect selects exactly sixteen of their best and brightest to compete for a very noteworthy reward."

"And that reward is..?" Taira raised a brow.

"Resources from each sect for the next twenty-five years. Medicinal ingredients, forging materials, whatever is requested. As you can imagine, it sparks quite the competitive spirit among our younger.."

The Abbott's words trailed off as he noticed Aveena literally brimming with competitive spirit.

A dull heat was rolling off her body and her red eyes were glowing with a special burning light.

"I take it that the two of you are interested?" The Abbot laughed.

Aveena looked at her husband with pleading puppy dog eyes.

"C-Can we please..?"

"…So cute."

Taira ran his fingers through Aveena's hair and she let out a precious maiden-like giggle that did not at all fit with her monstrous frame.

As of right now, the monk was feeling just a little bit jealous and questioning his decision to take a vow of celebacy.

"So am I correct in assuming that the two of you will be in attendance?"

Taira and Aveena looked at each other a final time before nodding in unison.

"We will. When and where will this event be held?"

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