“Struggle all you want, my son, but in the end I created you, and now I end you,” Tal’davin said.
“Father, don’t do this,” Zarazenih said.
“You’ve been trying to kill me and vex me at every possible turn in the last four hundred years, Zarazenih. You’ve forfeited your right to live.”
Tal’davin took a final step forward, his claws outstretched and a moment later they vanished into Zarazenih’s chest. The wolf roared still trying to snap at Tal’davin and the bubble around him burst. Zarazenih fell onto Tal’davins hand, the Vampire’s claws bursting through the other side sending blood splattering onto Abner’s bubble. Zarazenih roared again, now free from his retarded movement and grabbed Tal’davins throat.
Tal’davin gasped as Zarazenih’s fist tightened around his throat then wrenched his hand back through Zarazenih’s chest. The wolf howled again, his fist slackened as Tal’davin revealed his son’s heart in his hand. Blood poured from the wound covering Tal’davin’s black robe and shoes before he let Zarazenih crumple to the floor.
“No!”
Tal’davin turned to Abner with a fang filled grin on his face. “That’s one of my sons dead. Maybe if I feel as generous I’ll give you the same amount of time to change your ways, Abner.” He beckoned to the sky and the helicopters appeared in the sky one at a time. They began their descend as Tal’davin turned to walk away.
19
Deal
The constant thump of the helicopters blades overhead became white noise to Abner as he sat inside the net that had been cast around him. He now sat upright in the golden bubble that Tal’davin had cast around him and was separated from the two Hunters by a short distance as the helicopters flew in formation.
He could only stare at them as they tried slowly to escape from the bubble to no avail. Abner kept his gaze on Paige, who from this far away seemed just like Lois, who would have been struggling to free herself, no matter how long it took. Darkness descended over Taagras before they started their descent. Abner recognized Tyrian as they came into land, docking alongside one of the numerous skyscrapers in the city.
The Hunters were still inside their bubbles as they were transported off the helicopters and taken into the facility. Abner sat cross legged in the bubble, unmoving, for the entire trip. They stopped outside three small cells and each Hunter was put inside a different cell, Abner opposite Paige. Inside was nothing but the cold hard floor. The dull white light from outside reflecting off the stone-grey tiles.
The guard behind him pressed several buttons on the keypad outside the door and a red wall of light shot up, cutting Abner off from the rest of the outside world. His bubble shattered, sending sparkles of gold around him tumbling to the floor. He continued to stare at Paige who sat down and mimicked him. They stared for several minutes, oblivious to Gerard who paced in a cell next to them.
“I can’t believe we were this stupid,” Gerard said. “We should have taken precautions, of course they were going to be looking for him! But then if we didn’t then the West Anacore Huntrey probably wouldn’t have taken us in, and then we’d be all kinds of fucked, back to square one.” He threw his hands up in the air. “Fuck, but this is behind square one! This is square fucking zero!” He kicked the wall with a resounding dull thud. “Oh and now we don’t have the fucking wolf, or Valdmire! What a fucking surprise! Toldar is just as bad as his father was! Fuck!”
Footsteps could be heard from down the hall and Gerard cut his rant short. A pair of black boots entered Abner’s vision moments and Tal’davin stood before him looking down at his broken state. Tal’davin tapped away at the keypad and lowered the cell door, before lowering himself to Abner’s level.
“Is that all it took? Have I broken you?” He stretched out in an attempt to caress Abner’s face. Abner snapped back. “No, there’s still some fight left in you. Good. Leaves me with something to take from you.”
“All I want is your head,” Abner said. “You took my family from me, you took my life from me, and everything that has led to this point has been your fault. Before I killed her, I saw Sophia’s memories, and this has been your plan from the beginning.”
Tal’davin shrugged. “I didn’t become a conscious presence in your father’s mind until almost after you had finished training with Malvrok. I slept for far longer than anticipated.”
“It was still your plan to bring me here and to have the only women I loved betray me!”
Tal’davin smiled and leaned in closer to Abner. “Everyone betrays you. I learnt that the hard way. Even those you think are closet to you. Zarazenih for instance, we built a relationship and he betrayed me. I told you Abner, I want you by my side, you can see both sides of the coin.”
“I know nothing of this world, you took that from me when Lois stabbed me in the back. You want me as a weapon.”
“No I want you to travel to the far corners of the world, leading a grand fleet. I want you to be more than a simple weapon. Any human can wield a weapon. I want you to be a commander,” Tal’davin said.
“Or what, you’ll kill my new Hunters to prove a point? To get me to bend to your will?” Abner asked. “What more can you do to me?”
“This!”
Tal’davin thrust his hand forward, but Abner had already moved. A thin slow beam of light burst from the amulets through Tal’davin’s chest and dispersed into the cell. Abner bounded over Tal’davin and crossed the hall to Paige’s cell. His claws extended out and crunched through the mechanics behind the control panel.
“Run!” Abner screamed as the red doors faltered and collapsed.
Tal’davin’s claw wrapped around his foot as he tried to regain his footing. Abner flung back with a kick and connected. He scrambled to his feet as Paige unlocked the cell door to Gerard’s cell.
“Abner, come on let’s go!”
“There’s the fight I’ve wanted out of you for all these years,” Tal’davin said.
“No we’ve got to go!” Paige began ushering Gerard back towards the entrance of the facility.
Tal’davin came at Abner again, this time with a closed fist. Abner caught it in his own hand, but the power was other worldly. He felt his body move backwards just as another fist came raining down. Abner moved to the side, feeling the blow breeze past him. Aside from the Purestrains, Tal’davin seemed to be much stronger than he had any right to be. Abner blocked another blow, this time aimed at his head.
He kept moving backwards, following Paige and Gerard towards the exit, Tal’davin raining fists down wherever he could. With each hit that connected, Abner staggered, the overwhelming power of the Vampire prevalent. Alarms sounded and Vampires scrambled to cut off the Hunter’s escape. Abner heard the click of weapons behind him and Tal’davin froze for a moment.
“Leave him! Kill the Hunters!”
The momentary lapse in concentration allowed Abner to take advantage. Tal’davin swung again, but this time Abner stepped up to meet him. He grabbed the Vampire’s fist in his claws, sinking his claws into Tal’davin’s tendons and bones. Tal’davin let out a shriek and then connected with three powerful blows forcing Abner to let go. Abner dropped to knee height and spun, connecting with a sweep to Tal’davin’s ankle. Before he could even react, Tal’davin was back on his feet and had his claws at Abner’s throat.
“Boy, nobody’s given me a fight like that in centuries,” Tal’davin said. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself though. You’ve gotten rusty. Where’s the rage I’ve come to expect from my sons?”
“I’m not my brother,” Abner said. “Anything you have come to expect from him, you won’t see from me.”
“You two are more alike than you know. Both full with a fire to end me and see the world back to the humans that once ruled over it. Don’t you see, Abner, I’ve brought this world forward. Progress has happened all because of me!”
“Well maybe it’s the wrong kind of progress,” Abner said. “Did you ever think that your kind aren’t meant to be here?”
/> “I was the first Vampire in Taagras,” Tal’davin said. “You have only been here for the blimp of the time that I have, and I have made entire empires fall under my fist. I have recreated the face of this world half a dozen times over and I will do again.”
“Maybe in your next life,” Abner said.
“If this is all the resistance you have to offer, my son, we could spar each day for a thousand years and each day I would still stand victorious,” Tal’davin said.
“We’ll see about that,” Abner said.
He darted backwards, dancing away from Tal’davin claws. The Vampire chased him, stepping into his wake. Abner eyesight flushed red and pushed for his animalistic side take over. He let out a shriek, akin to the audacity of other Vampires and lunged at Tal’davin. Tal’davin for the first time in their fight retreated, a look of concern coming over his face as Abner pressed the assault.
Now it was Tal’davin that was pushed to resist Abner’s power. Each hit that Abner connected with rocked the Vampire, and each strike Abner made with his claws cut deeper into Tal’davin’s flesh.
“Enough!” Tal’davin said. His voice was amplified, and Abner took a step back as if he had been punched. Tal’davin now bled from over a dozen wounds, his black blood running into the seams of his robe. Abner stepped forward again, only to be stopped again by a golden bubble expanding around him. “There is nothing you can do to stop this from happening, Abner. I will give up my reign when I am ready.”
“You cheated,” Abner said. “Is this how you hold onto your power?”
“Has anyone else in this world so far told you they could do any better? I took the foundations that the human society was built upon and improved it. That’s all I have been doing for the last four hundred years. Technology has come such a long way from the days of a sword and crossbow, Abner. The sooner you recognize that, the sooner you’ll come to accept that my path is the correct path. I rose to the top and nobody will take this away from me, and you if you wish to join me.”
“Nobody should be able to rule forever,” Abner said. “You’re an abomination.”
“You can’t be killed either, Abner, unless under extreme circumstances,” Tal’davin said. “We’re no different you and I.”
“If we’re no different then perhaps I should join your side and see what we can accomplish together,” Abner said.
“Turn on me again and you’ll receive the same fate as your brother,” Tal’davin said. He raised his finger to the bubble and pressed against it. It burst and Abner fell to the ground. “Now rise my son and take your place beside me.”
Footsteps rang down the hall, and more Vampires ran towards them. “Tal’davin, sir, the Hunters have escaped the facility.
Tal’davin let out a shriek and backhanded the guard, sending him sprawling to the floor. He turned to Abner and shoved a finger in his face. “This is your fault! You let them escape!”
“I’ve seen the errors in my ways,” Abner said. He backed away from Tal’davin. “If you won’t forgive me I’ll happily finish this here and now.”
“No, I have fought enough with you. We must go forward together into a bright and prosperous new future, Abner,” Tal’davin said. He turned back to the facility guards. “Send out drones, Purestrains, find those Hunters and kill them!”
20
Choosing a Side
What the fuck was he thinking, taking on Tal’davin head on like that?” Gerard asked. He crawled through an unmarked ventilation shaft behind Paige. Along the duct there was no indication of where they were in the building until the moved a grate and fell out onto the roof. “Everything with this Toldar experiment has been a failure so far.”
“How, Gerard? You knew that if or when he came back this was what we’d be in for,” Paige said. “Nobody said taking down Tal’davin would be easy.”
“We thought we’d be struggling over a matter of months or years, but this farce has all happened in the span of several days!” Gerard said. “Now we don’t have the Huntrey anymore, we haven’t even got your what is he now?”
“Husband,” Paige said. “And we’re technically divorced.”
“Haven’t seen it officially dissolved yet,” Gerard said. “Why did you two decide to do it anyway?”
“Had to think of a way to keep each other around. You know what we’re like,” Paige said. “But that’s none of your business.”
“Right,” Gerard said. “Worked out how we’re going to get home yet?”
“Steal a car?” Paige asked. “Come on, we haven’t got time to fuck around.”
She jumped down off the roof, making her way down to an awning and swung down to the ground. Gerard copied her movements, landing awkwardly on one leg. She looked at him and he shrugged at her.
“Get us a car I’ll catch up!”
Paige looked both ways up and down the long road that was in front of them and stepped out into the oncoming traffic. Cars skidded to a halt, swerving around her, one running off the road into a tree. Paige ran up between the cars that were now piling up and flung open the driver’s door to the first undamaged car.
“Get out!” The human driver unclipped his seatbelt and began to move slowly. “Get the fuck out! Gerard, get over here!”
Gerard hobbled towards the car and Vampires emerged on the roof. They spotted the wounded Hunter and leapt down from the building. Even before Gerard was fully inside the car, Paige stomped on the accelerator and took off down the road, swerving in and out of traffic.
“Where do you want us to go?” she asked.
“If Dale’s started moving everything, he’s needed to we should go check out the new Huntrey location first. If not then we’ll need to go home,” Gerard said. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have made that jump.”
“Come on it was only two stories, this is what you trained for remember?” Paige said.
Gerard rubbed his leg again. “Yeah well not all of us are like you.”
They drove for half a day to reach the new proposed site for the Huntrey and were grateful to see Dale already there back on his feet and in full control of an excavator, that was beginning to burrow its way into a cliff face. He ground the machine to a halt as the unknown car approached and stood on the platform with his rifle in hand. He pressed the earpiece that was undoubtedly in his ear to talk to Gabriel.
Paige slowed the car as they approached, winding the window down as she pulled up alongside the massive orange and black excavator.
“Hey man! We made it back!”
“Paige? Oh thank fuck we thought you’d all been captured or killed in that plane crash! What the fuck happened!”
Gerard slid out of the passenger and tried to stand but fell to a knee. Dale swore and climbed down the ladder and rushed to help his friend.
“What happened?” Dale asked. “Where’s Abner? What about the wolf?”
“I’m fine, just sprained my knee! I can walk. The wolf’s dead and Abner’s given himself over to Tal’davin,” Gerard said. “Don’t know what else can possibly go wrong.”
“Shit, so we have to take him down as well? Had you asked me a couple of days ago I would have told you I didn’t think it would ever end up being this bad,” Dale said.
Gerard shrugged. “Shit happens I guess.”
“Well I came out and started work like you instructed. What’s the verdict on West Anacore?” Dale asked.
“Seemed pretty set in their ways, we should have tried to reach out sooner. They said they’d come and there’s also a couple of Lotu they have as well which would be a massive help,” Gerard said. “What’s Gabriel up to?”
“Still packing everything up at Sauria. We liked your thinking behind moving here. Right under Tal’davin’s nose,” Dale said.
“Yeah well we’d better be quick. How long until we’ll have a roof over our heads?”
“A day at the best, two days at the absolute worse. That’ll be something we can work with. Ansel will arrive tomorrow and get to work on setting everything u
p for us so we’re looking at three days before we’re completely protected.”
“Will we even last that long?” Gerard asked.
“Doubt it,” Dale said. “Vampire activity is rampart here. But you know, fuck it. Toldar’s gone, the wolf is gone, what more do you want us to do?”
“We can fight, I wasn’t put on this planet to do much else,” Gerard said.
“Shit! Guys!” Paige scrambled out of the car looking at a hologram on her arm. “Look at this!”
The Hunters turned to her to see an image of Abner standing beside Tal’davin on a balcony ledge overlooking a fiery pit. The image panned around and they saw a sea of Vampires spread out before them all looking up at the two peculiar Vampires that now led their race. The screen snapped back around and showed Abner side by side with Tal’davin once again.
“He’s actually going through with it,” Gerard said. “He’s at the Citadel.”
“Tal’davin’s taken him there already? What has he got planned?” Dale asked.
Paige hissed at the two other Hunters so she could hear what was happening on the broadcast.
Tal’davin raised his hand to where the amulets were situated on his chest and tapped them, before stepping forward to the balcony edge and smiling. He wrapped his hand around the black railing and looked back at Abner, nodding his head in approval.
“Today is a momentous day!” He was briefly drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. “For those of you that don’t know, my son has at last returned to grace us with his presence! Abner Toldar for those of you who do not know was a skilled Hunter over four hundred years ago. I will admit I did betray him, caused the women he loved to turn on him out of spite and all of this whilst I plotted the downfall of the order I once considered my own. But now, he has finally seen the light and has pledged his services to our empire that will spread across the seas where no human or Vampire has gone before!”
The Toldar Series Box Set Page 71