Tales of an Ancient Empire

So, where is this renowned father?

Will father show his face to you, sir?

A shallow womanizer fashions himseIf a dashing wit.

Perhaps he cannot hear your whimpering, sir.

Pathetic palter.

Very quick.

Move.

Some other dog beat us to the treasure.

Hear that?

No, pIease.

Mercy.

I will serve you.

AbeIar, does it still exist?

AbeIar?

Ah, yes.

RuIed by a queen, EIdoria.

She has passed on.

Her eIdest. . . eIdest chiId Ma'at is queen now.

Really?

I won't harm the queen,

but I will make you do with her seed.

Not that it matters now. I. . . I was wondering...

- how. . . how your enemies. . . - To dust.

That will sting.

And now?

And now,

say, ''I won't feeI anything except a IittIe sting.''

Tanis.

Tanis.

Are you Iistening to me?

- Sister. - It is upon us, your dream.

It's happening.

After all of these years, the Sorceress has somehow returned from the dead.

Levana.

PIease don't go.

Go, Lenor.

PIease, find safety.

All of you Ieave at once.

I will aIert the GeneraI, Your Highness.

And we must find he who saved us before.

The Mercenary?

Your father.

But, our father is dead.

He died saving AbeIar from the Sorceress.

Your father is not mine.

I was sired by the king but...

you. . .

...you were by this mercenary.

Mother said you were the king's chiId to protect you.

You must Ieave the past behind.

Our kingdom needs us now.

Kingdom Bush is not my father?

No, but he who is Iives.

If we so be separated

mother said this will Iead you to him.

With this token, he will know you and you shall know him.

And this will heIp you to understand the sorcery.

My Queen.

They are within the paIace, Your Majesty.

You must come now.

You have to go.

No, come with us.

My Queen,

you both have a Iong time to struggIe.

I've trained you well, Your Highness.

You are ready for what comes.

Stand.

We can make sure of your safety if you follow this hall.

It will Iead you out of the paIace.

But what about you?

My duty is to remain here, Kara.

No.

If you stay, then so will I.

You can do nothing more here, Dernier.

The RoyaIs will scheme to save their skins.

We will be Ieft to fend for ourseIves and not aIways with the truth.

They have no regard for us.

But I am sworn to. . .

You have sworn to Iove me, Dernier

or was that just to weaken my will.

I Iove you.

Then save us my Iove.

- I must kill the infected. - Leave her. She's a friend.

It's your wish.

There, it Ieads to a quay where our boat waits.

- It will take you to Durris. - Durris?

An outIaw city?

If he still Iives the peopIe there will know his whereabouts.

Tanis,

l'm find

remember what I said.

If we so be separated, you must find him.

We've run out of time.

Run, Tanis.

- But sister. - Hush.

You're not a chiId but a Princess of AbeIar,

a Ieader with responsibiIities.

Act it.

Find your father. Save our peopIe.

They count on us, Tanis.

- I can't do this aIone. - You must.

Go. Now.

I command you.

Do not Iook back...

...or rest.

It's been what, 20 years?

Where's your mother's Iover?

What was his name again?

It seems to have sIipped my mind.

He has not sIipped mine.

Why, of course. He sent your father to the Abyss.

I must have thought of a million different ways

to make you and your mother suffer,

but nothing was ever terribIe enough.

I mean, how do you repay someone

who buried you aIive for 20 years?

Nothing smelled Iike Iife, Your Highness.

You must be wondering how is it she is back

Iooking so wonderfully restored.

CIearIy, we watched your destruction.

CIearIy, you shouIdn't have given the finaI rights

to a high priest with designs on your throat.

A pity he perished with some mysterious pIague upon his return.

Who knows what Iives in dust?

And who are you?

Go,

go.

- Where is my seat, Your Highness? - I'm not sure.

Kill her.

Get the girI.

The paIace is Iost.

- The Queen is dead? - Or worse.

What are they?

Vampires.

But we will not die tonight.

I couId fight harder.

You Ieave the killing to me.

What is to become of us now

or the kingdom?

My master is the son of a race.

But, there is aIways a need for a pretty servant,

and there is one against me as well.

- What is it? - Hush, hush.

Why the guards they are so daunting?

They're trying to kill us.

What?

It is read.

- It's my fauIt. - No.

On your Iife run.

I have aIways Ioved you.

I will.

And now, a Iadder across the Abyss that I might free my father.

In my stead, you will awaken my seed.

She is the true daughter of my race, and though haIf human,

she will be human no more.

Ah, Denier.

- I'm sorry. - No, you're not.

You used me.

What?

No, I Ioved you.

Really?

Yes, right,

I was using you, Dernier.

You are eviI.

Becoming a vampire isn't even the worst of me.

That and more.

Are you going to kill me now?

Bite my throat, drain me of my bIood?

I want you.

I couId soothe you, Dernier.

You couId use someone Iike me

for a sIave.

I have too much over the past.

I will bring victims to you

to fuIfill whatever dark fantasies you have.

I will do whatever I have to do for you?

You are a monster.

I will bow to you, Kara.

Kara, bow to her.

Life takes many forms in many worIds

and she's in her finaI metamorphosis,

her chrysaIis.

Why me?

You are speciaI.

But you've aIways known that.

SpeciaI in a way that no one eIse couId see untiI it was too Iate.

And even as a chiId, you have aIways been cunning,

intelligent,

depraved.

You have tried to bIend in

or be a human,

safe,

but even as a chiId you knew you were different,

filled with dark corruptness.

Are you ready to be free?

You're free now

but not yet fully transformed.

I have pity for those who can waIk in the curse of Iight and among these creatures.

We have much more work to do before we can be safe.

I sent the princess to the reefs.