Blood Moon War - Kaelrik and Rayne

[Kaelrik Draegor]

The night was thick with the scent of blood and damp earth, the aftermath of yet another skirmish lingering in the cold air. Crimson Peaks had long been a battlefield, but tonight the war felt closer, more personal. Kaelrik Draegor stood at the edge of the ruined cathedral that loomed over the valley, its skeletal remains casting jagged shadows in the moonlight. Once a place of human faith, now nothing more than a relic of a forgotten time, it served as neutral ground—though he doubted such a thing truly existed anymore.

His crimson gaze swept over the desecrated stonework, the towering spires shattered, their broken tips piercing the heavens. It was a fitting place for such a meeting—one steeped in ruin, much like their kind. His coven had sustained losses, their enemies striking with knowledge too precise to be coincidental. The hunters were no longer stumbling in the dark; they were striking at weaknesses only those within the vampire world could have known. A traitor lurked among them, whispering secrets to mortals who had no business wielding such power.

Kaelrik’s gloved fingers traced the worn hilt of his sword, an old habit from a time when steel was his only weapon. Now, he had power far beyond mere blades, yet the instinct remained, the ghost of a warrior’s past never fully silenced. He could feel the presence of his own, scattered in the shadows, watching from the ruined archways and crumbling columns. They were his eyes, his blades in the dark. If this meeting went south, there would be no second chances.

His thoughts drifted to the prophecy, the whispers of an ancient pact woven into the bloodlines of their kind. He had dismissed it once, centuries ago, as nothing more than an old tale meant to keep vampires from warring amongst themselves. But fate was not kind to those who ignored its call. The disappearances, the inexplicable visions, the war creeping ever closer—something beyond their control was at work. And that infuriated him more than anything.

The crunch of boots against shattered stone drew his attention. One of his own approached, Vaelric, his brother in all but blood. The enforcer’s pale features were set in a grim expression, his silver hair catching the moonlight as he inclined his head.

“They’ll be here soon,” Vaelric murmured, his voice low but steady. “Do you still believe this meeting is worth the risk?”

Kaelrik exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the crisp night air. “I don’t believe in chances, only in outcomes. And we are running out of options.”

He turned his gaze toward the distant treeline where the other coven would soon emerge. The tension in the air was suffocating, thick with the weight of centuries-old grudges and the bitter taste of necessity. He did not trust them, nor did he expect them to trust him. But survival did not wait for trust. It demanded action, and tonight, he would take the first step—one that could either damn them all or alter the course of their war forever.

[Rayne Andromeda]

"Breathe." Rayne told herself as she moved through the place her coven called Home. It was an old gothic castle that withstood the Red War, a tragic time for the Vampire race all together, where a great casualty struck but in the midst the  building remained, stronger than ever. Rayne declared it the sanctuary for the Infinity Coven. Gripping the letter tighter in her hand that requested a meeting between her and the coven leader Kaelrik, Rayne found herself more nervous than ever. She had heard the rumors and stories of Kaelrik, the once great warrior but never met the man, nor did she really want to much less under these circumstances but there has been hushed conversations that the Vampire couldn't ignore any longer. Her coven was in danger and it seemed like Kaelrik's coven was also in trouble. She had no choice but to go meet him. 

Upon reaching the large oak wooden door there hung her cloak, the rich maroon color that clashed against her pale skin yet also complimented it. Putting on the garment it swept the floor due to her shortened frame. The silk material kissing her frozen complex as she raised the hood to shield herself from anyone that may look toward her, the hood was just large enough that she was able to hid her face near completely.  "Breathe." she reminded herself to do the thing that no longer required for her to live. 

Even though she would appear alone she was in fact the opposite. She had her most trusted warriors coming alongside her. They would remain within the distance but close enough to strike should Kaelrik try to harm Rayne. She may not know him personally but she would like to believe he was honorable in his word of this meeting being...friendly in a sense.

As the Vampire stepped outside, she felt an ominous sensation wash over her. It felt like she was being watched but as her amber hues looked around, she only saw the forever blood tinged roses. Rayne proceeded forward into the darkness the trees held. The note instructed Rayne to meet Kaelrik at the cathedral. There was merely one cathedral in Crimson Peak so Rayne knew exactly where to go. Still she would rather die all over again than to meet Kaelrik.

Step by step the feeling of being watched never went away. It was a different feeling of her Coven members following to watch her, it felt like a strangers gaze was steadily upon her. Halting for a mere moment, she summoned her ability of Umbrakinesis, her ability to manipulate the darkness around her, cloaking her further in it to move freely. She didn't need to worry about her other coven members they knew where to meet her but if her stalkers eyes were on her she needed to move fast. So Rayne ran. She ran far and fast until she felt she was no longer under the view of someone she did not trust. 

The cathedral came into view faster than she could have expected so she disbanded the shadows the protected her making her vulnerable and visible once more. "Breathe." came her mantra. She didn't know what she would expect with this meeting with Kaelrik but she would go into it with an open mind but guarded. She was meeting with a warrior and he was meeting with a fighter. Both so similar but their morals were different. 

The crunching of the debris under her boots gave away her position but it mattered not, there stood Kaelrik along with a  vampire she did not know. She was not naive to think he would come alone it just showed how much he did not trust her, which in return she did not trust him. She stopped a good twenty feet away from him, lowering the hood of her cloak to reveal her face and clasped her hands together. She gave a heartbeat of silence letting the tension fill the air, hopefully to show that Rayne would not cower under him or show weakness to this meeting. 

"Kaelrik." Rayne greeted in a monotone voice, "Care to tell me why you have sent word for me?" Straight to business Rayne was. 

[Kaelrik Draegor]

Kaelrik did not flinch as the crunch of footsteps drew nearer... slow, deliberate. He watched the figure materialize from the treeline like a ghost born of the mist, her presence cutting through the cold night air like a blade through flesh. The hooded silhouette moved with quiet purpose, her steps cautious yet confident, as though each one bore the weight of a thousand thoughts. He admired that. He had spent long enough in this war to know that boldness without fear was a death sentence. But controlled boldness… that was survival.

His eyes narrowed slightly as she halted... twenty feet away, precise, poised. Her hood fell back, revealing the face behind the myth. Amber eyes met his, unwavering. Rayne of the Infinity Coven. Her reputation had traveled through whispers and blood-soaked rumors, but now, face to face, he saw not just the fighter, but the weight she carried in silence.

Beside him, Vaelric inclined his head again, a silent gesture of acknowledgment, before slipping back into the shadows like smoke dispersing in the wind. Kaelrik didn’t need to speak to his brother. Vaelric knew the cue... give space, but stay close. Always.

Kaelrik stepped forward a fraction, enough to show he held no fear but no threat either. He respected the gravity of this moment.

“Rayne,” he returned, his voice low and resonant, like gravel stirred beneath water. “Your punctuality speaks well of you.”

His gaze flicked past her for only a moment... not at the empty woods, but at the subtle tremor in the darkness. Her shadows. She had power, and she wielded it wisely. A lesser vampire might have come cloaked in arrogance, or worse, desperation. Rayne came with calculated restraint.

He nodded once, sharply, as if answering some unspoken question.

“I called for you because blood is being spilled in patterns only those among us could orchestrate. Hunters with knowledge of our inner workings… striking too close, too effectively. Someone’s been speaking to them.”

He paused, letting the words sink in. The ruined cathedral around them stood silent witness, the wind whistling through the broken spires like a hymn for the fallen.

“There is a traitor,” Kaelrik continued, crimson eyes holding hers, “and whether they come from your ranks or mine is irrelevant now. What matters is that our kind are dying, and whoever feeds the mortals this knowledge… they are not finished.”

He drew his sword slightly from its sheath... not in threat, but ritualistically, letting the steel catch the pale light of the blood moon above. Then he slid it back with a click.

“I have no desire to see more of our kind turned to ash, Rayne. This war... this prophecy... it’s moving faster than either of us predicted. And I believe we are both standing in its path.”

He gestured to the broken altar behind him, now just rubble scattered with vines and shadow. “This was once a place of vows and reckoning. Tonight, it may become that again.”

His voice softened slightly, though still steeled with caution. “Tell me... have you seen the signs as well? The dreams. The disappearances. The markings.”

He wasn’t just speaking to an enemy. He was speaking to a mirror... darkly different, but forged in the same fire.

[Rayne Andromeda]

For a mere moment both Rayne and Kaelrik stood there staring at one another, amber and icy blues clashing against one another. Warm and cold standing at an impasse coexisting in the false sense of peace between them. For that moment Rayne truly studied the leader of the Ironshade Coven. Kaelrik stood tall and guarded on the outside giving into the warrior figure he created for himself but Rayne could see the endless tiresome man in those crystal clear eyes. It captivated her. But only at that moment.

The praise of her punctuality caused a faint smile upon her lips, of course he would respond business like towards her. His gaze moved past her towards the edge of the woods where she kept her shadows, ready to call upon them to assist her in any way she needed, be it to hide her, surround them or even blind them long enough for her to allow the men that followed her to attack Kaelrik and his hidden army. 

Words speaking of a betrayal within the Crimson Peak territory had the Vampire narrow her eyes. She was being followed on her way here, could she have been the next victim had she not fled? HIs eyes turned to a shade of crimson that Rayne had no choice but to believe his story. Vampires were good at lying, her species were cunning but there were some tell-tale signs when they were deceiving. Kaelrik words were the truth.

In a show of good faith Rayne revealed something back to him, “On my journey here,” she started slowly, cautiously, hoping that this news she chose to share with him would bring them closer to figuring out if there is a traitor among them it is not the man she is speaking with. “I had the sense of being watched. Followed even. Had I not used the shadows I cannot say if our meeting would be happening currently.”

His sword unsheathing reflected the dark red moonlight reminding Rayne of the bloodshed she had both caused and stopped so many years ago. Just as quick as it came, it was gone as Kaelrik spoke of a prophecy Rayne heard of but brushed off. There was a prophecy that stated two powerful bloodlines are united. Does not mention which bloodline or when so Rayne always disregarded it. “The prophecy is nothing more than…a child’s bedtime story. Something to give a false sense of hope that the Vampires could be in harmony, and you and I both know our kind does not exist in harmony for long.” 

The broken altar behind them that he gestured towards could have once been a symbol of unity now laid to ruins only further proving her point. Harmony and unity was only something of a fantasy. The Red War was the starting point of it all. Something in Kaelriks voice, perhaps the soft spoken tone he used with her, had the warmth of her amber hues back on his face once more. She had noticed those things but how could that relate to the prophecy? 

“Vampires go missing all the time.” She shook her head in denial “But I do not wish to see more death. My coven does not wish to see more death.” Even though the Red War was years ago, it still had an effect on the majority of her coven members, scarring them so she owed it to them to make sure no one else dies if she could help it. 

A warrior and a fighter cut from the same cloth, a silent vow to protect those that matter to them no matter the cost. Perhaps the vampire she thought Kaelrik was, wasn’t so different from herself. “What are you proposing? An alliance? I tell you what I know and you tell me what you know?” she almost scoffed at the idea that the enemy she had heard so much about, sought out her help. “How do I know you won’t betray me?” As much as she tried to remain a strong and fearless exterior, the tone of her voice gave away the slight hint of fear that once again, someone will betray her.

[Kaelrik Draegor]

The air between them tightened, heavy with tension but no longer teetering on the edge of violence. It was something else now—uncertainty wrapped in mutual observation. Kaelrik met Rayne’s gaze evenly, her amber eyes alight with wariness but also something deeper… curiosity, perhaps. That was dangerous. Curiosity bred hope, and hope among their kind often ended in ruin.

He noted the subtle twitch of her fingers as she spoke—the faintest muscle movement betraying her calculated calm. She was cloaked in control, yet her honesty slipped through with more grace than most who had stood before him. When she admitted to being followed, Kaelrik’s jaw tensed, and his eyes briefly flicked to the edge of the woods again. The feeling hadn’t been paranoia then. Someone had watched her approach—and not just his own.

"Then your instincts serve you well," he murmured, voice low and measured. “You weren’t imagining it. You were being followed.”

He let the silence linger a moment longer, watching her expression shift at his mention of the prophecy. Her skepticism didn’t surprise him, nor did it anger him. No, it made him remember.

He laughed—but not in amusement. It was the sound of bone grinding beneath pressure, dry and bitter. “A child’s bedtime story…” he echoed, glancing up at the broken cathedral spires clawing toward the red moon. “Yes. That’s what I believed too. Until the night one of my own woke screaming in a tongue we no longer teach, carved with marks burned into his flesh that no blade or fire could explain.”

His gaze dropped back to her, colder now, heavier. “He died two nights later. His blood boiled in his veins. The last word he said was your name.”

A pause.

“I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in war. And war leaves signs.”

He stepped closer, not enough to breach her space, but enough that his words no longer had to carry. The distance between them now was just wide enough for swords or understanding.

“Make no mistake,” Kaelrik said, tone hardening like steel cooling in frost, “there are some among our kind who deserve death. Those who prey on their own, who ignore the old ways, who think the blood of mortals and immortals alike is theirs to spill without consequence.” His lips curled with disdain. “But that does not mean I will stand idle while hunters cut us down like rabid dogs. My kind. Your kind. We are being hunted—and not just by mortals, Rayne. Someone is orchestrating this.”

The breath he took was steady, grounding.

“You ask what I’m proposing?” He held her gaze with unwavering force. “An exchange of information, yes. But more than that—an alliance of necessity. You guard your coven, I guard mine. But if we are to root out the traitor among us, we will need to watch each other's blind spots. And I do not make such proposals lightly.”

The ruined cathedral groaned under a gust of wind, as if echoing the gravity of his words.

“You ask how you can trust me.” His voice dropped to a near growl, not angry, but fierce with conviction. “You can’t. Not fully. Not yet. But if I wanted you dead, you would not have made it past the treeline. If I wanted to lie to you, I’d tell you something comforting.”

He spread his hands slightly, the motion open but not relaxed. “I’m not here for comfort. I’m here to survive. So are you. That makes us allies, for now.”

Kaelrik’s eyes flicked once more to the horizon—beyond the forest, beyond the war-scarred hills where enemies waited like wolves in fog.

“You came when I called. That tells me you’re not like the others. You still believe something can be salvaged. So do I. Barely.”

He took one final step toward the altar, placing his gloved hand upon the cold stone. “We start with names. Movements. Patterns. We start with the truth.”

His gaze slid back to her, unblinking. “Do we have an accord, Rayne of the Infinity Coven?”