The Last Embrace 405 We Will Die With You!

"Father is here!" Adam said.

"Finally! I thought we were going to wait here for eternity," Jessy spoke.

Jessy and Adam rose to their feet.

"Where are they?" King Antone said his voice was normal, not angry nor force, his face calm.

Jessy nods her head at the guard nearby informing him that the king was going inside. The guard proceeds inside the cave to inform Roden that their important visitor has finally arrived.

"This way Father," said Adam.

Jessy leads the way while Adam and his father were following her.

"The King has arrived!" a voice can be heard across the cave's hallway.

When the trio comes into the clearing inside the cave... Roden, his family and the rest of the inhabitants of the cave were already kneeling in the ground, paying their respect to his royal highness.

"Long live King Antone! Long live King Antone! Long live King Antone!" they chanted in chorus.

The king was speechless watching over the crowd in awe. In the previous decade, he will never witness a savage vampire bowing in his presence. They are too proud and too barbaric to even possess a little bit of decency and humility in their body. Or maybe, the ones in front of him are not the warmongering types. "Who among you is the leader named Roden?" he finally said.

Roden raised his head and right hand. "I'm the one you are looking for, your highness."

The king stopped in front of him. "So, you are the son of my mortal enemy? Do you know that I killed your brother who uses his army of bats to attack the Facility and I am also the one who killed your father?" he was trying to gauge his reaction.

"Yes, I know your highness. Even though I love my father very much, but I don't condone his barbaric ways. I'm still young during those times and I know that my father was doing a terrible mistake, too bad I'm just a mere boy, I don't have a voice yet. I made an oath to my dying mother that I will not seek revenge, and I will live my life in peace together with the rest of my clan. I abhorred my father's barbaric killings towards mortals resulting in the anti-vampire vaccine being created by humans to protect themselves. On behalf of my mother, my family and the rest of the surviving savage clan members, I apologize for my father's sin. Please forgive us, your highness! Please spare us from death," Roden begged.

King Antone snorted. "A decade long feud can't be appeased by just a mere word of apology. I want a living sacrifice today! If you want me to leave your clan alone in peace then someone got to make an offering!" the king demanded.

Everyone in the clearing gasps in horror and fell silent.

Jessy forgot to breathe for a moment. This is not good! She was about to challenge the king but Adam immediately holds her arms preventing her from interfering with the king's speech.

King Antone was looking at the crowd who's heads were bowed.

Roden looked at the king bravely. "I will offer my life as a sacrifice, your highness, as long you can spare my family and my clan from certain death and please take care of them when I'm gone," he was ready to die.

"Nooooo!" Mahlia weeps in horror and sadness while her children were trying to go to their father but she holds on to them tightly.

"Have mercy on our leader your highness!" the crowd chanted repeatedly.

Crying and sobbing can be heard all over the cave, everyone was feeling depressed, sad and miserable. The crowd loves their leader so much and highly respected him, their life will never be the same if he will be gone. They would be like sheep without a shepherd.

Oh no! Jessy was fighting back tears of her own. This is not the resolution that she ever wanted for tonight's ending. But what can she do? She dared not oppose the king in front of Adam. With her sharp tongue, she might say something that would only make the situation worse than they already are.

On the other hand, Adam was at a loss of words with his father's decision. He had a hard time understanding why his father would still insist on a live sacrifice when the leader of the enemy already made an apology.

King Hector addressed the crowd. "Everyone leave the cave! Roden and I will remain here to finish the sacrifice. I will grant his request. I will not harm anyone. Now everyone must leave!" he said in a loud voice.

The king's men round up the savage vampires so that they will vacate the cave.

Some of the crowd refused to leave...

"We will die with you, Chief!" the remaining crowd chanted repeatedly with tears streaming on their faces.

Roden went to their side. "Hush now...stop the tears it won't change everything...go! Live in peace. You are worth dying for!" he commanded them being their leader for one last time.

When everyone already out of the cave, except Mahlia and his children. Roden went to their side and hugged them tightly. "I love you, my children. Live in peace. Do not harbor hate and revenge. Always remember I love you," he said his voice cracking with emotion. He planted a goodbye kiss on his wife's forehead. "Take care of them for me, raise them well. Now go!"

Mahlia and the kids clung to him one last time, absolute sadness and horror gripped their faces. As the king's men lead the distraught Mahlia and the kids out of the cave...

Jessy and Adam were left behind rooted on the spot unable to leave the place.

King Antone looked at his son and daughter-in-law. "And you two? Why are you still here inside the cave? Are you planning to intervene on behalf of this man?" he glowered at them.

Jessy shut her eyes fighting off the tears that start to come out of her eyes. She can feel Adam's hands gripped her fingers tightly urging her not to do something stupid. Some parts of her want to break free...but on the last minute she decided against it...she began walking out of the clearing, Adam followed her. They walked in the path leading to the entrance of the cave shrouded in palpable silence.

Jessy and Adam finally exited the entrance.

Outside the cave, Roden's family and his followers are scattered in the clearing under the trees, immersed in their grief.

Jessy raised her eyes at the full moon above, it looks beautiful tonight. However, the atmosphere outside the cave is so depressing, it's trying to suffocate her. She no longer glances at Mahlia and the kids' faces, their eyes are pitiful.

Deep inside she was feeling depressed. She wants to go back to the cave and find out what's going on there. Did the king already kill Roden?

Absentmindedly, her feet move forward wanting to enter the cave again but the king's men were already guarding the cave, which means that no one can get inside unless she will use her power.

Adam noticed Jessy about to enter the cave, he immediately grabbed her hands and teleported them somewhere...far away from the depressing situation outside the cave.

Chapter end