VERMILLION: The fall of Zaleon

Chapter 11

Gregov’s departure in the life of the Doirekh’s became a gloomy inconvenience, and the kids that ran around their fathers leg from day to night were forced to do otherwise, still trying to understand fully why he had left to begin with. Had it been their fault? Or their mother’s? What could have possibly caused their father to leave? Perhaps he didn’t love his wife and kids as much as he claimed he did, or at least that’s what Amana seemed to think anyways. She had been the youngest of her siblings, yet she saw through her mother’s act of bravery. Leanna Doirekh would put her kids to bed and proceed to spend the rest of her nights crying her eyeballs out and biting her hand to muffle her sobs. It was a sight that made the image crystal clear for Amana: that her father was, in fact, a jerk, and that he had left them because he simply didn’t care. Of course, the same could not be said for the brothers, who admired their father, and glorified him even when he left. In their mind, their mother was to blame, and that mindset had not changed until the day they had all turned a decent age, they had all shifted and poor old Leanna Doirekh allowed the flame to take her peacefully away from their world. The event had hurt them, of course, and that was the day they realised just how grateful they were to have their mother. 

Despite the withdrawal of Gregov in her life, Leanna never failed to be a mother, she pampered her kids day and night, and raised them right. It wasn’t until the three siblings were left on their own that they turned away from each other, in many ways just like their father had from them. 

For the oldest, Stregov, that meant pursuing the woman he had been so madly infatuated with: Elize Vermillion. He recalled vividly the day his eyes had fallen upon hers. They were only 8 years old, and had been playing in the garden with Daraz, who had always enjoyed the outdoors, until for once in her life, Elize decided to join them, and join in. It was a moment like no other, the Witch walked out in her frock, a book in her hand as she sat down on the steps of the veranda, watching her brother and the other kids in the mansion mingle and mess around. He had paused in the middle of whatever he was doing, and looked at her with the utmost attention. She was a shy girl who noticed this strange man watching her, and she blushed furiously, looking away and changing her mind instantly. Dashin back inside, she locked herself in her room, and Stregov had decided that he had to find her. 

It was uncommon for the Vermillion to cross paths with each other or visit each other’s quarters in the mansion unless it was an emergency. On any other occasion they all gathered in the common area if they wished to converse, other than that the Vermillion had trained themselves to keep to themselves and avoid each other, given the fact that they were the last of their kind and they had to do their best to keep their lineages alive. 

Though Stregov was willing to break the rules to find the little girl he had fallen for, and he had every intention of finding her. Abandoning his games in the garden, he made his way into the mansion, excusing himself to go to the toilet. In reality, he had escaped and began making his way discreetly towards the quarters of the Vermillion Witches. He knew that the girl he had seen earlier was in fact, a Vermillion Witch, and Daraz’s sister. His heart began beating quicker and quicker as he arrived the doors that would lead to where the Vermillion Witches resided. He had last seen all three adult Witches in the garden, supervising Daraz as he had made his exit, and so he pushed the doors open with confidence, striding in and trying to identify the door to her chambers. Most of them had been empty and their doors were left open, except a fair few, some of which he didn’t bother opening because they had an aura he wished not to mess with. At last he approached a door, covered in sprinkles, on the other side of which emerged noises of girl playing about and going about her day casually. He knocked on the door, patiently waiting for her to open the door, and when she did, he smiled. She gasped again and immediately shut the door right in his face, and the smile fell right off his face. 

‘Hey, open up!’ He yelled from the other side, and her eyes went wide as she leaned on the door she had just closed.

‘What are you doing here? How did you find me? Go away before my mother finds out!’ She exclaimed, refusing to give in just yet. The only vision she had in her mind was of that of her mother beating her up at finding out that she had let a boy into her room. He knocked again, refusing to give up.

‘Please, no  one will find out. I’ll leave in 5 minutes please, let me in’ he pleaded, and the sound of his voice tempted her more than it should have. She opened the door slowly, giving him a glance of disapproval before he clambered in and she shut the door quickly. 

‘Why are you here? What you want?’ She asked wearily, terrified that her parents would be back any minute. 

‘I am Stregov Doirekh, I want to be your friend’ he introduced, and she reluctantly put her hand in his. 

‘I’m Elize’ she whispered back, her collaboration increasing the smile on his face. 

It was that day that Stregov had set the friendship of a woman he would soon court in a way that came best to him.

Over the years he ensured to spend more time with her, take her away, and after the passing of all their parents, he didn’t stop himself from professing his love to her, and placing his lips on hers for the first time, years after their friendship had begun and flourished. It had been weeks after the passing of their parents, they had been sitting together in the forest as they always did, contemplating the life they had, that Stregov decided that it was finally time to seal things. 

He held her in the silence that they lay in, and brought it up to his mouth to place a kiss on it. Turning around, he stood on his feet and stepped to where she stood, getting closer to her than ever, and then he looked into her eyes to capture her attention, thinking of the right words to say.

‘I’ve waited a long time for this, but now I think it’s time’ he said, confusing her. 

‘Time for what?’ She asked back, and his smile had been an indicator of what come ahead. 

‘For this’ was the last thing he said before his lips fell on hers, and she embraced him within seconds, wrapping her arms around him and jumping into his arms fully. It had taken them years to put behind a life of friendship and accept their fate, though it was one that had driven Stregov far away from his siblings, siblings that craved his presence, his love and his care. 

His schemes and plans sure had gotten him the woman he was in love with, but just like Gregov Doirekh, that was the day Stregov Doirekh picked a side, and abandoned his family to deal with themselves on their own. Perhaps that’s just how it was meant to be with the Doirekh’s.

Dregov Doirekh, on the other hand, had always been a responsible boy from a very young age. Learning about his father had perhaps hurt him the most, as he was cherished by his father, something that was stripped away from him the day Gregov Doirekh left and Stregov Doirekh was all that was left. That was the day that his older brother began ruling his life, dictating his steps every second of every day, and the day Dregov became a boy who kept to himself, only hiding his emotions to keep the one person he loved the most happy: Amana Doirekh. Since her birth he had been obsessed with her, he would feel her, put her to sleep and do everything he possibly could to keep her content. It had come as a great help to his mother, who over the years was clearly withering away in the responsibilities of taking care of three dragon shifters on her own. The oldest brother spent a majority of his time sneaking around, visiting Elize, and what time he had left, he would play with Amana, and criticise Dregov on everything he had been doing wrong. 

“You can’t possibly have been feeding her like this all day Dregov!” “Dregov, don’t take her out there!” “Dregov, what have you done? This isn’t meant to be like this?” “Dregov, why aren’t you helping mother?” “Dregov, you’re absolutely useless!” 

They were all comments poor Dregov Doirekh had become used to hearing, and as soon as he began opposing, the older brother would threaten to put up a physical fight, one that, Dregov was sure, would hurt Amana and his mother more than anyone. So he did what his brother asked, and soon got into the habit of having a brother who, in reality, was no better than their father. By the time Dregov came to the realisation that his father was in the wrong, it was too late, and the damage had been done. Their mother was on the verge of letting herself go, Amana had grown up wanting to be left alone, and all the effort the poor man had put into keeping the family together and happy had faded away into the skies. 

The only thing left for him to do now was get to work, and get strong, knowing that one day he might have to face his brother, and when he did, he would not back down. When that day would come was very much unknown to him, but he knew that there would come a  day where he would drop the act and set his brother straight. Perhaps Dregov had been the sibling to suffer the worst consequences, though he had been a resilient man, and being resilient had gotten him no respect in the eyes of his sister, who had longed for his rebellion and outrage. She too, had noticed at some point that their oldest brother was far too gone to return to them, but why didn’t Dregov stand up to him then? Why was it that this man, strong enough to take his brother on, waited for so long to turn against him. 

Perhaps it was because somewhere deep down inside Dregov he had always had hope, that someday Stregov would return, just like he had hoped his father would. He knew the wrongs they had both committed but longed for the family life they had started off with. He missed joyrides and laughs with his father, the days he had spent with his sister, teaching her the smallest of things and he missed his mother, everything about her. 

In the years that followed as Stregov finally conquered the woman of his dreams, Dregov felt lonelier than ever, though it all began tumbling down when the very woman his brother loved turned out to be a woman who was not only full of herself, but also disrespectful, demeaning and outright rude to their only baby sister. Still Dregov hung onto his anger, eating it away and doing the best he could to manage situations before they really got out of hand. He worried what would happen the day he exploded, and attempted to push that day as far away as possible.

Amana had drifted off from him over the years, noticing that even during the times she needed him the most, the man did not rage, and that perhaps hurt her the most in this world. He could see the pain in his eyes, yet he felt lost and compelled to stay calm rather than watch his sister turn away in disappointment like his mother. What he didn’t realise was that his sister was already disappointed, and the fear of her reaction had blinded him from what was right in front of him. Of course that was until a certain immortal pair showed up to change the fate of the world, and rather than rejecting it, the siblings accepted it, and in turn, got their rewards from the lovely flame that Elize seemed to despise more than anything.

All Dregov knew was that one day he would face his brother. All the training and hard work he had put into making himself a better fighter was going to pay off, because Stregov’s secret weapon thus far had been his confidence and tone of intimidation, but Dregov’s secret weapon had been his actual strength, his resilience and his acting skills. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his sister, and he intended on being there for her in every way he could now, to make up for all that he himself and Stregov had done to her, because she deserved better. He would ensure that the war would not go to waste, and that before his death Stregov would look upon his brother and sister and realise the mistake he had made, and would pass before being able to apologise, taking the guilt with him whilst plummeting to his death. 

Amana Doirekh’s life changed the very day she watched her mother spend her night crying in the corner of her room every night for a year straight, and returning to normal during the daytime as she took care of and raised her children. She had asked her mum several times if she was alright, and if their father had not loved them, and still the woman remained as humble as ever, refraining from defaming the name of her selfish husband. Until one day the Doirekh female had had enough, and stopped her brothers mid sentence as they continued to boast about their father. 

‘If father was here, this would have never-’

‘But he isn't! Isn’t he?’ She interrupted Stregov, clearly the worst of the three. ‘Where is our father huh? Where is he Stregov? Where is this man you glorify all the time? Have you ever thought to take a step back and shut your trap? Have you ever thought of opening your eyes and looking at our mother? The woman cried every single night for a whole year after father left us, and every day she would resume her normal face and put up with us and our childish behaviour. How long is it going to take you to get it through that thick skull of yours that our father didn’t care! He didn’t care about us, he didn’t love us, all he cared about was his revenge-’

‘That’s quite enough!’ Stregov shouted, unappreciative not only of the tone she had been using, but also of her words. He had remained in denial for the rest of his life, and with Elize in his life, he had no reason to look the other way and explore his inner feelings. 

‘You want to live in denial, go ahead. Just know this, our father was a lying piece of s**t, and he doesn’t deserve anyone’s respect. If you want to be like him, go ahead, it’s only going to get you killed’ were Amana’s final words before she had stalked off. The words had stung Stregov, though he remained silent as she strode out of sight. 

He too, had loved Amana from the beginning of time, but for some reason that love was not enough. It had faded away over time, and soon Stregov realised just how little family mattered to him over his partner. 

Dregov had come to sympathise and understand his sisters view on his father eventually, and when he showed signs of understanding, the woman had been overjoyed, and rejoiced by throwing her arms around her brother and holding him in a hug. 

‘I’m so glad you understand’ she whispered to him. It was the day they had somewhat come to an understanding, one that had completely been smeared by all the other things that Dregov had done wrong: like not standing up to his brother and letting Elise disrespect her in the first place.

Amana had never liked Elize, even when they were younger, the woman was impolite and never played with the only other female in the house. Instead, she seemed to drag her brother away in moments when Stregov and Amana were actually having fun and bonded, and that was the first red flag for the woman to know what she was up against. Still she put up with it, hoping that one day it would pay off, albeit it unfortunately didn’t. 

The woman knew, however, that Elize would pay the price eventually, and especially after joining the right side of the way she saw her freedom and happiness getting closer and closer, more than ever. The very fact that she had acquired a mate from the flame had been enough satisfaction for her, and she knew that she would most certainly rub it in Elize’s face that she had done better than her one day, right before the Witch’s eyes would close forever. It was a cruel fate, but one that Amana believed Elize deserved.

The passing of Leanna Doirekh hit Amana perhaps the worst of them all. She had felt lost for months after her death, and spent months questioning why their dear mother would give up her life just because her husband had abandoned them. It wasn’t until she met her own mate that she realised the meaning of true love, and what that could do to a person. Her mother and father had not been mates, though they had loved each other like it, and losing that love after years and years of nourishment and maintenance was the most destructive thing for Leanna Doirekh. It was then that Amana had understood the real pain of her mother, and sympathised with the bravest woman she had ever known. 

The drifting away of her brothers had done more for Amana than it had for anyone else in her family, and it had motivated and empowered the woman to become who she truly wanted to be: an advocate for the right thing and someone who only listened to herself. Her brothers had abandoned her in a time of need, and she saw no hope in being sulky about it in the years that followed. She would have led herself to her death, but would have never agreed with Elize’s terms, knowing full well that she was wrong. The worst thing about being a Vermillion for her had been the fact that she could not escape the presence of the annoying, evil Witch, and the day the immortal pair came onto her lands she found hope and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Now all she had to do was maintain that persistence and keep pushing till her brother, his partner, her partner’s brother and the creep of the house were eliminated successfully, for good. With the help of her mate, her found friends and recovered brother she knew it would be possible, and she felt an extreme happiness for the first time in her life after a very long time.

Overall the Doirekh’s lived a life with their sheer ups and downs. Betrayal, drifting and heartbreak had followed the creature on their journey of existence, and despite it all being a game of the flame, it was one that the flame had been nice enough to bend, seeing as some of his experiments did not turn out to be the way he had expected. At the end of it though there had only been 4 people that had really destroyed his life and his glorious future with Cassandra. Thus only 4 people would die in this saga of revenge, and the worst fact of all would be that they would die at the hands of people they most certainly did not want to die by. 

The flame’s cruel fate was coming closer and closer, and it was only a matter of time before the slashing would begin. In the meantime the distributed family carried on with the charade they had all put up with far too long, and awaited the moment they would finally be able to do with their life what they truly wanted to. An immortal pair, a broken family, a psycho and a pair of stuck up siblings, who would win?