CHAPTER 137: PRESENCE TO BEAR WITNESS

"What?" Kerwin asked, looking so taken by surprise, he was soon looking confused.

Arlette looked to the side at Caius as well.

This was his plan?

They came all this way, he flaunted his ability to control them and he’s asking for a fair fight?

What was the point? Honor? No, that made no sense.

Also, how would that even work?

Kerwin’s mind seemed to be working along the same lines as he furrowed his brows and asked.

"How fair a fight will it be if you can simply command me?"

As he spoke, he looked to struggle to say the word ’command me’. Like the very notion and the reality that it was possible and was happening right this moment even, was causing his heart to ache.

"I swear by Nyx that I will not exert my Noble Authority over you so long as your Spawns stay out of our duel and Arlette is not targeted or harmed," Caius said placing his hand to his chest.

Everyone felt it then.

Not just the Vampires, but Arlette as well.

A presence was now in the Council Hall.

A Divine Presence bearing witness to the ongoing vow.

On the mortal plane, there were very few things that Nyx cared about more than her name being invoked for a Vow. Especially with Vampires. It was an advantage they had due to their nature as her creations but it was also their curse.

When you invoke Nyx’s name in a vow, you must be careful with your wording. It cannot be made casually as you’ll be held to your vow whether you meant to make it or not. And voiding a Vow made in Nyx’s name results in her divine retribution; Death.

It was what made it so much of a staple for truthfulness among Vampires. It was usually a show of good faith that doubled as completely binding and unbreakable.

Caius continued,

"I vow that our duel will be fair and if you defeat me, I shall relinquish my Noble Title to you. The one thing that can secure your goals for the future."

Kerwin looked a bit more relaxed at the invocation of the vow and the presence of the Goddess of Primal Darkness bearing witness but even then, he looked cautious.

"Can you swear by Nyx that the Title can be acquired by me from you?" He asked.

"I swear," he said.

Kerwin waited for Divine Retribution to smite Caius in case of falsehood and when it didn’t happen, he pressed his lips hard together, looking into Caius’ face with his Vampire-red eyes piercing.

There was very little choice. Reject the duel that—with the assurance of the vow by Nyx’s name—would be fair, then this stranger would slaughter his way through the Coven with that commanding Authority of his.

But if he accepted and won, then he could have that Authority himself;

The Authority to command other Vampires who weren’t his Spawn.

The Authority to maintain peace in the Vampire-ruled Empire he planned to create and rule all through his immortal life.

The Authority to not be at the mercy of someone like this stranger again.

But then, why would this stranger even offer this condition? What would he get out of this duel even if he won? Was this all a game? Was this all about amusement? What was the catch to this potential boon?

"I assume you want something?" Kerwin asked, deciding he might as well ask the Vampire before him rather than ponder it in his head.

Caius smiled lightly,

"It’s... useless being a Lord without subjects.

I came here seeking to change that. If I defeat you, then you and all your Spawns and their Spawns and all the generations of Vampire creations to come from your Vampiric line, from now until the end of time, will be my Vassals to be commanded at will.

Your thoughts, actions, goals, wishes, and desires will be by my will or not at all.

Noble Authority or not.

Do you accept?"

Caius was careful with his words. He had spent the last few days carefully crafting it for this moment.

Commanding with Vampiric Noble Authority is impressive but also useless in the long run. A Vampire Lord can use it to keep a set of Spawns under their control for a moment but that ends when they stop exerting their Noble Authority which can’t actually be kept up for all time.

It has what you might call a ’cooldown’. Caius was still far from the moment he’d need to take a break from exerting his Authority but it was going to come eventually and when it did, all advantages that came with it would cease. All the orders he had made would end and he’d lose ’The Lord’s Prerogative’ which was the only reason no Vampire in the Coven could conceive the thought of attacking or harming him.

Essentially, he couldn’t really use his Noble Authority to acquire subjects. Not lasting subjects, anyway. But with displays of its power and by leaving Kerwin Leopold with little choice but to accept, he could get something more lasting; Loyalty sanctioned by Divine might.

"What will be the rules of the Duel?" Kerwin asked.

"First fall," Caius said, "The first back to hit the ground loses."

Kerwin fell into deep thought then as he weighed the potential gains against the risk. Becoming a Vampire Noble vs Having to become a Vassal to one.

’What are my chances of winning?’ He asked himself.

The Magical energy he could feel from the stranger’s body was mild but that could be a trick.

He furrowed his brows and then let out a sigh,

"I accept," he said.

Caius smiled,

"You accept by what?" He asked and held out his hand.

"By Nyx, I accept the terms of a Fair Duel and the stakes as stated," Kerwin said and took the hand.

He felt it then. Caius felt it as well. Chains wrapped around both their hearts. The chains didn’t hurt but were the certification of the vow they had both taken. Whatever terms had been discussed, however they had been stated, whether with clear intent or not, so long as they had been said freely and agreed upon, were now binding by Nyx’s Divine Might.

There was only one situation in which Nyx would never bear witness to a vow even if her name is invoked; If the vow is forced directly with an order made with Vampiric Noble Authority.

This is hardly a real issue though as there are ways around that just as Caius did by making Kerwin rightly believe he had barely a choice. What really sold it though, Caius was sure, was the fact that he was offering the Coven Leader the opportunity to have that power for himself.

Caius’s smile became wider then until it looked devilish.

Kerwin’s eye twitched and then both widened when he felt the strength begin to drain from his body. From the Tenth Circle, he dropped to the Ninth.

And then, the Eighth...

And then, the Seventh...

And then, the Sixth...

...

And finally settled at the Third Circle...

"What is this?" He asked through gritted teeth in a seething voice.

"It’s my Prerogative," Caius said still with that devilish smile,

"When a Vampire Lord accepts a Duel against a non-Noble Vampire, allowing them to conceive attacking thoughts against said Lord, the Noble may still enforce their right to fight the opponent on an even field.

For me, that is the Third Circle."

"You vowed you wouldn’t use your Authority!" Kerwin said, pulling his hand out of Caius’s thinking he’d regain his true Magical and Physical strength.

He didn’t.

"This isn’t my Authority," Caius said.

And it technically wasn’t.

The Noble Authority and the Lord’s Prerogative were benefits of the Noble Title but were not the same.

"How is this fair?!" Kerwin asked but even though he was looking at Caius, the question seemed to be directed at Nyx.

He could still feel the chain around his heart so he knew the vow was not yet voided.

Caius let his Third Circle Aura show then. It would have looked way more pathetic to the seated Council members had their Creator not currently had a similar Aura emanating from his body now as well.

Caius shook his head.

"Kerwin, Kerwin, Kerwin," he said, "We’re equal now.

What could be more fair than that?"