BLOODLINES: ANGELO MARKADO

THE CHANNAK AND THE HUKLUVAN OF PERLAZ

999 Anno Bhiasti. It took over 900 years before the new generation of humans realized there’s no defeating the konxeladas in the war their ancestors declared against the undying demons.  As a result, the human population thinned as they were pushed to the very edge of the world in hiding.

The creation of azwuangs, initially as a way of saving the humans, also backfired. Azwuangs just slept all day and were of no use in defending their human families at all. What’s worse, they attacked other humans to feed on when they woke up at night. As a result, the humans ended up warring against two powerful demonic races, konxeladas and azwuangs.

Other humans who saw the demise of their kind ahead of time formed a community in the Southeast part of Asia. Konxeladas, who are still sympathetic to humans, built tall and solid barricades and obstacle roadblocks barring hostile konxeladas from infiltrating the place and hunting humans for food. At the center of the community began a thriving human colony, known as Perlaz.

Bufe, a ninety-eight-year-old blind konxelada, is the leader of the hukluvans or what radical konxeladas referred to as useless old immortal garbage who are either disabled or sick. Though his blindness is a hindrance, his wisdom guided others to form and train an army of konxeladas to secure the surrounding border of Perlaz.

He used to be a military doctor deployed during the ChinDia war of the late 21st century. As a human, he was not only a fierce warrior against the pandemic but also a trained combat soldier. He retired quietly after earning several medals of valor, thinking that he’d die in peace. Now, a hukluvan, he is once again at the forefront of a raging war against humanity.

With the generation of his human bloodline helping him and an army of channaks -- konxelada children who didn't want anything to do with war -- Bufe led the formation of Brigada, a human military force to protect the inner barricade of Perlaz. Miles away from the border, the channaks and hukluvans take charge of guarding the growing colony.

Today, hundreds of thousands of such armies, both Brigada and konxeladas stood alert and on guard while watching as Kein stepped down his plane outside their marked territory.

Reeva, a twelve-year-old channak warrior, leads alongside Bufe. Along with their council members, they face Kein for a dialogue that the immortal god initiated.

"I may be blind but I feel how anxious you are," Bufe said to Reeva, who was days away from her first menstruation when she was vaccinated, making her frozen in the state of being a girl and a young lady.

"What does he want?" Reeva asked, controlling her anger.

"We’re here to find out," Bufe replied, gripping his cane.

More than blaming his family for agreeing to vaccinate him on his deathbed, he blamed Kein, the immortal demon that started it all.

As Bufe felt the tension around him, he also sensed the energy as the hair on his back stood up in terror, but he steeled himself. His faith in Yswah is more potent than Kein and all his demons combined.

Reeva described Kein, and what he was doing so Bufe could see through her eyes.

“What is that sound?” Bufe asked

“The plants and trees around Kein are drying up and dying,” Reeva said in disbelief, suddenly scared of Kein’s powerful presence. Perlaz is blessed with fertile lands and large bodies of water, enough to sustain human life. Reeva imagined how Kein could easily defeat the humans by simply starving them through the destruction of their food sources.

“He is with that weird man again and a handful of konxeladas,” Reeva sighed, relieved that the surroundings seemed to dry up only several meters from where Kein was walking. 

"Ah Caiphaiz, the high priest, Kein’s second in command," Bufe said in disgust; he knew who Caiphaiz was.

"Well in this part of the world, you are in charge and I’m your second in command," said Reeva, smugly.

“That’s far enough, demon!” Bufe said quietly but firmly, knowing Kein could hear. He was right; Kein stopped miles from where they were waiting. 

They chose the uninhabitable rocky valley miles from the border of Perlaz to meet with Kein. Surrounded by mountains, the field is open and vast to land a plane, while the mountains and hills are high enough to hide more channak warriors. Their passion and drive to push Kein and his demons away are enough fuel to win whatever war Kein has in mind.

"What do you want, demon?" Bufe asked again. Bufe will never agree to acknowledge Kein as a god. He knew who Kein was; his ancestors taught him about a murderous farmer who killed his own brother. When Reeva told him about the dying plants surrounding Kein, Bufe’s suspicion was confirmed.

Kein’s companion growled upon hearing Bufe’s insult. The energy in the air grew tenser, making the channak warriors take their positions, ready to attack if the group of Kein retaliated.

"I came in peace, my child," Kein signaled his konxeladas to calm themselves.

"If you do, then you should not have come here. You should be destroying your demonic creations who are hurting humans, Yswah’s creations! The true children of Adonai!" Bufe shouted a bit, fist clenched in anger.

"You are my creations too. You are the blood of my blood, my children!" Kein said calmly, gripping a fruit in his right hand.

"No!" The hukluvans and the channaks shouted in unison.

"Very well. I understand how you feel. I came personally to tell you that I’m with you in saving the humans. The war will end today!” Kein raised his voice in his last sentence.

Silence.

Knowing that Bufe and the others are listening, Kein discussed his plan to divide the united world into three continents. The hostile konxeladas will be relocated to the northern part of the world near Cintru where they’d be closest to Kein, farthest from the territory of Perlaz. A middle but smaller continent will be home to humans and konxeladas who are willing to live together in harmony to invigorate the world’s economy.

"I will expand your territory and provide you with the supplies and better technology you need to protect human lives. I will also provide safe passages to other humans caught in the middle of the war who want to rebuild their lives in Perlaz. They will be sent here personally by my people. I will also make sure that transportation all over the world is limited and regulated to prevent races from crossing continents without authorization. I will also..."

"What about the azwuangs?” Reeva interrupted Kein. They haven’t encountered such creatures yet, but refugees from all parts of the world escaping to Perlaz told them about another kind of demon attacking humans.

"I will order their annihilation,” Kein promised, knowing that azwuangs are not immortal though they can live long without growing old. He was told sunlight could kill the creatures that he never considered his children.

There were murmurs among konxeladas of Perlaz.

"Why are you doing this?" Bufe asked after silencing the others. He is still doubtful of Kein’s true intention.

"I value human lives as much as you do, my child," Kein assured Bufe.

Lies! Bufe wanted to wring Kein's neck for calling him a child. Reeva described Kein as a young man emanating terrifying, powerful energy behind such an innocent, handsome, and friendly smile.

"Make it happen and maybe we will believe you," Reeva said with finality.

Kein nodded and left quietly.  Bufe and the rest had a vigil at the border for months. Unable to sleep, they stood their ground despite growing mentally and physically weak until they saw choppers after choppers delivering humans safely to Perlaz along with building supplies, weapons, and other technologies they could use to secure and expand their territory.

"He was telling the truth," Reeva said as they became busy assisting the humans to settle in the inner community of Perlaz.

Being very old and very young, the hukluvans and the channak have neither thirst for blood nor unquenching s****l desires. They can interact with humans but chose to live in isolation instead, to protect them from afar. With the help of Brigada, they spent decades settling down human refugees and forming a better government system and life for them in Perlaz. They fortified their gates, borders, and walls for centuries, aside from obstacle roadblocks and deadly barricades they built in between.  

Despite Kein being true to his word, Bufe is still dead set in finding a way to destroy the god of the demons and claim back the world for humanity.

******

  "What's on your mind, my lord?" Caiphaiz asked Kein after their tense meeting in Perlaz. Caiphaiz didn’t like that Kein allowed himself to be insulted by a despicable hukluvan. That old garbage has some nerve calling his father a demon.

They are flying in a bullet jet on their way to Cintru to put Kein’s plan in motion and assist the konxeladas at Perlaz to end the war against humanity.

"Sofia and the others...?" Kein asked instead of answering the high priest.

Caiphaiz sighed. Sofia and the others are the first generation konxeladas, the first immortals created by the blood of Kein and venom of Serpens. But unfortunately, they are also the first batch to have a mutation -- blood loss in their bodies. When Kein learned about this, Caiphaiz saw absolute terror in his maker's eyes.

"Find out everything that's causing this mutation! They cannot be of no blood. They must have blood in their veins!" Kein shouted in desperation.

The K.S. Industries and all their experts worked days and nights for decades just to find the cause of the mutation and the cure for it. Sofia and the others are once again back in the lab and contained for scientific study.

"I miss you, my lord," Sofia sobbed when Kein visited her. In her hospital gown, Kein's desire for one of his favorite konxelada slaves is gone. Without blood, she's nothing but a walking corpse to him.

"I miss you too, my child. Be patient, we will find a cure for this, I promise," Kein assured her. When Sofia tried touching and kissing him, he brushed his tongue on her lips lightly and walked away, disgusted.

After this, Kein sought the serpent's counsel, sacrificing another tree in his garden to wake the serpent up.

"I live for blood, father, I cannot survive without it. Can you find answers for this anomaly?" Kein’s voice is in panic.

"I will, my child. I’m still waiting for Adonai to summon me. He has been silent after we took over the world that He holds dear," even Serpens is puzzled; how come Adonai is not doing anything to save the humans? He thought that he would be transformed in his original form by now.

In the state of desperation for blood, Kein felt suddenly human, feeling fear and hopelessness.

"The humans! I must secure them and stop this bloody war. Without the blood from my konxeladas, theirs must remain flowing," Kein concocted a plan almost immediately. 

This was the reason behind Kein's kind gesture to allow the formation and expansion of Perlaz’s territory and support the hukluvans and channaks’ armies for their cause. However, it wasn't out of Kein's good heart. It was his thirst for blood and violence that made him want the human population to thrive again. For this, he endured Bufe’s insult even though he wanted to drag that waste of a man and teach him a lesson in Cintru.

For blood, Kein would do anything because his immortal life has no purpose and meaning without it. 

******

From Cintru, Kein addressed the world through an augmented reality feed and told everyone his plans to stop the war and divide the world into three.

Radical konxeladas scattered around the world rioted and protested over Kein’s announcement.  Vahitna and James were among the crowd rioting when Kein also ordered the annihilation of all azwuangs. 

The couple lived in isolation south of the Mediterranean sea for over nine centuries. Though sensitive to sunlight, James remained young and deadly as the two were known to frequent human villages and target pregnant women. James devoured the mom’s heart while Vahitna feasted on the aborted babies.

Now Vahitna is fighting for her life; she will never allow Kein or anyone to take her husband away from her, dead or alive.

"This is an urgent call to all my konxelada children,” Kein was speaking live in his castle at Cintru. 

“Stop hunting humans and follow the new laws I set forth. All konxeladas who cannot live in harmony with humans must proceed to the northern part of the world. Settle and make your home in Zapad or you will have a place with me here in Cintru!" Kein has a unique way of punishing his demons in the icy city.

The divided world watched and listened.

"Konxeladas with human families must make a choice, separate with your humans and send them to Perlaz where they will be left in peace to grow and repopulate..."

The konxeladas who heard this protested and held on to their human loved ones. They wouldn’t comply with Kein’s order, no matter what!

"Or live in Xego, the middle and neutral ground. There, I will allow humans and konxeladas to co-exist provided that you will maintain harmony and peace. No more war!"

The final announcement of Kein surprised and terrified the konxeladas.

"Obey me for I have cursed you! You know how powerful I am! I am your god and creator. Stop this war and follow my command," Kein's true power and wrath can be felt by the world though he is miles away from any civilization.

Then the world watched as Kein decapitated one of the konxeladas beside him and showed them his bloodless head. After that, the riot stopped, and Kein finally got the attention of all konxelada demons.

"This will happen to you. You will dry up and live a bloodless existence. Obey me and change your ways then maybe...maybe I will change my mind," Kein continued.

The konxeladas love blood as much as Kein did. In fear, they obeyed Kein’s command believing that his curse is real, but this was all Serpen’s idea.

"Tell your children the mutation is your punishment for disobedience. Don’t appear weak and doubtful in front of the world. Pretend to curse them with this anomaly and they will bow down before you in fear," advised the serpent before Kein addressed the world.

******

"Ahhhh!" Bufe moaned during his meditation. He felt excruciating pain but wasn’t aware of his brief transformation. Melvin, Vhinoe’s great grandfather, and a Brigada general came to Bufe’s aid when he heard the hukluvan making painful noises in the middle of the night.

"Grandpa...?" Melvin, knelt before Bufe, alarmed. The general came from Bufe’s human bloodline and was assigned as his constant companion for the time being.  

That was the first time Bufe had a vision. He has been sitting and meditating for three days and three nights, his way of resting since he couldn't sleep.

Bufe opened his eyes and grabbed the knife safely tucked in on Melvin’s waist.

"Grandpa!" Melvin was too late to retrieve his knife back; Bufe had already cut himself.

"What do you see?" Bufe demanded.

Melvin watched as Bufe's arm healed despite its deep cut.

"Y-you have no blood," Melvin took his knife back.

Seventeen hundred years after Bufe became a konxelada, he had a vision of a bleeding demon the moment he lost all his blood. 

******

1700 Anno Bhiasti. Kein was in the city of Ruinae in Xego to celebrate the seven hundredth year of signing the treaty of Avlam -- the affirmation of alliance between humans and konxeladas for a peaceful and prosperous world. The thousand years war has ended, and harmony reigns in the new world for seven centuries.

“It’s time, my son,” Serpens whispered in Kein’s ear after his public appearance was over and they were inside the Hajji towers’ penthouse. After the slow mutation of konxeladas blood, the time has come as Kein received a lab report that the konxeladas last drop of blood has dried out.

Kein and the serpent united for one last time in a bloody ceremony where Kein is the only one bleeding. The serpent simply entered his body and shattered it apart after eating his heart.

The excruciating pain of Kein is felt by all konxeladas around the world, making them howl in agony. They transformed into ugly monsters for a brief moment, feeling the wrath of Kein. Most of the konxeladas fell on their knees, repenting their sins.

“Forgive us, my lord,” 

“We will wait for you to forgive us so we can have our blood back,” 

“We will be good and treat humans with respect from now on,” 

In all of these important historical events -- the feast, Hendrix was in the desert, a new konxelada roaming the world. In the war between konxelada, azwuang, and humans, he was hiking and climbing the Himalayas, testing how long he can survive the cold. During the mutation, Hendrix was in his room coding a new Role Playing Game (RPG).

He lives for thousands of years, missing the important events happening globally except for when Kein unites with Serpens as one body.

"Ah!" Hendrix felt a burning sensation all over his skin that distracted him in the middle of coding his program.

He removed his shirt and stood up to open his window. The cold helped as the snow rained on his naked body, calming his erection despite feeling something boiling hot within him. He went back to his computer after a while, not noticing the appearance of the colorful marks on the surface of his skin brightening up and glowing as if he was on fire.