“I am sorry that I was rude to you,” Balzar said quietly.
“What was that?” I said with an irritable tone. He shot me a daring look, before inhaling deeply in defeat.
“It’s just different. The coven doesn’t like change, I don’t like change. The coven is my family. It was my own way of protecting it.” He was quiet for a moment. After an awkward silence, he licked his lips and continued. “Did it hurt when you were turned, did you have to die first?” he asked curiously. I looked at him, surprised by his question and the way he looked around at the other vampires to see if they were listening.
“No, it just sort of happened. I lost control and it sort of unearthed itself. Now I can’t un-trigger my vampirism,” I said honestly. He nodded taking this information in. “How did it happen for you?” Balzar’s grip tightened on his other hand, the skin over his knuckles began to turn white. I couldn’t understand what this sudden change in his character was. All the brothers were different in their own way. I imagine Cesar didn’t just turn anyone, without particular reason.
“I actually was team Hunter once, but a human. When we tried to reclaim the White House and military resources in the year of 2,100; hunters and humans fought alongside one another. That was how it once was. I was one of the soldiers there. The humans underestimated the vampire council. Or should I say, maybe they were just too weak. I was affected by one of the blastings. I was pinned by a part of the roofing; one of the metal poles pierced through my shoulder. I was basically bleeding out as I watched my fellow soldiers both Hunter and humans swarm around me in death or screaming in pain. I heard those who were in distant rooms being overrun by vampires. They screamed for mercy, but the vampires didn’t offer it. I could hear their screams muffled by their own blood. And I knew I was next. I would either be found by the Council or by Sabers when night came, or I hoped that I would have bled out in time.”
Balzar looked up as one of the other vampires sent a questionable look our way. It appeared that Balzar streaked slightly red. “I’m embarrassed okay. I acted like a dick. But it’s so frustrating being the only one without a gift. And then your hunter friend came, and I thought it was easy for the taking. And then you were angry, so I got angry. And I get angry a lot and I seem to apologize a lot afterwards,” Balzar began rambling.
“Tell me the rest of your story,” I cooed him, interested in how it led him to Cesar and the others; it also subdued the red in his cheeks, so he could tell his story, instead of blubber on in apologies. An apology I was surprised to receive from him, but did not overly care for.
“My story. . .” Balzar continued. “I was bleeding out and was surprised when a blonde woman beside me, who was wearing the same human soldier gear that I wore; I thought her dead, got straight up and brushed herself off. I remember her voice as clear as day when she got up and dusted herself off. ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. No one told me I had to deal with bombs’, she had said. Two vampires came into the room, hungrily awaiting and applauding the meal they were about to enjoy. Still I didn’t understand how she survived. She looked directly at the vampires and told them to ‘back the fuck off’,” Balzar scoffed in amusement. “I thought, how does a woman stand so confidently against them in such a way. And then as the vampires lunged for her, I saw that the ‘she’ turned into a ‘he’. It was Yolo. Within seconds he slaughtered through them, and ripped at their throats with his fangs. Before he leapt from the broken and blown apart third level of the building, I reached out to him. I didn’t fear challenging him; I was going to die anyway. ‘How can you just kill so easily; how do you have so much strength and justify it?’ I spat at him.
It intrigued him to say the least, because he crouched in front of me and just stared and watched me, as if looking into my soul. I didn’t fear him like I did the others, or maybe I just didn’t care at that point if I died. With one swift movement, he ripped the pole from my shoulder and bit into his own wrist and fed me his blood. He threw me over his shoulder and within minutes, we were on the outskirts of the city. He dropped me in front of Cesar and said, ‘we should keep this one.’ Before I knew it Cesar had bitten me, injected his venom and snapped my neck. I woke two days later during the night, as a vampire.” Balzar tapped on his hand, his tongue poking in his mouth as he absorbed his own memory. “It was only coincidence me and Yolo met, he was just there to monitor and see the results of the fight. To inspect which Council members were involved and which direction the humans ambushed from. I’ve learnt a lot since being a vampire. I now know, that the humans were way over their heads and that they never stood a chance. But when I was born, the change in the human world had already happened, we were already on the bottom of the food chain. So to fight for that, well we were raised to believe we had no option. Cesar gave me an option; he gave me a better life, on the winning side and race, that will sustain. I will always be loyal to Cesar and the coven for that.” I now understood why Cesar entrusted Balzar to fight within his elite group, despite his younger age. He was a soldier, tact and fighting was what he knew and comforted him most, such as myself.
“Esmore,” the elderly vampire interrupted. “There’s movement within the Council, they are starting to release their own scouts. Only three so far.”
“Erase them, let’s move forward and decipher their numbers. We will then decide if we will wait another day or attack now,” I said, scraping my sword back into its sheath. “Balzar stay on my right,” I said. He accepted. For now, this was the only form of lenience and acceptance I could offer him.
W e hid within the elongated dry grass. It was a prime position on top of the hill where we could look down on their camp. It was a mistake on their behalf, to be within an open area that had little foliage. They were situated in a cave, but it wasn’t a secure spot for them to hide in. Lydia crouched on my right and Balzar hid behind the tree on my right. The others waited further back. It was reported that their spotters have already been killed. Efficiently, and quietly, and had not yet set off their alarm. We studied them for a long time. Lydia looked majestic hunched over and carefully studied them. She was looking for any major detail of a certain vampire, which would indicate whose Council they were a part of, and an indication of their numbers.
The vampires swarmed around the entrance, which forced me to presume it wasn’t a very deep cave. I focused my exceptional hearing within the cave. I was trying to count the amount of feet that shuffled, giving me an indication of their numbers. I couldn’t hear as clearly as I would have liked, and if we were any closer we would give our position away.
Lydia squinted, her eyes situated on a particular vampire who now walked into the open. “See the vampire with the prosthetic leg?” she whispered, so quietly, that unless I focused on her lips I would have missed it. I squinted as she did and focused my sight. My senses took a little longer to hone in on, unlike hers. She was used to her vampirism for over five hundred years. I however, was just learning the advantages to it.
“Yes,” I replied spotting him.
“There is one vampire who was turned with a prosthetic leg, he is well known because he was considered a bit of a joke. It isn’t Oppollo’s Council but, it’s Tracey’s. Her people come from the frozen land, at the bottom of the world where it is glazed in ice and snow, formerly known as ‘Antarctica’. Usually, they dispatch a small team of thirty. But on occasion, depending on the task, she has been known to send half her fleet.”
“Which could be?” I asked, studying them for a bit longer. Obviously, he had lost his leg before becoming a vampire, or it would have healed and reformed itself.
“About two hundred,” she said, with great consideration.
“Esmore,” Balzar interrupted. “I can only guess, but I doubt there are that many. Their footing inside the cave suggests there to be less, and to have two hundred vampires in there, they would have a lot more spotters than three.” I considered this. So Balzar was using the same tactic as me.
“What would they be so f
ar inland for; it isn’t yet time for the separate Councils to form and have their meeting. And if Tracey, their leader, isn’t with them what other reasons could they have?” I asked.
“Well, we haven’t yet confirmed if Tracey is or isn’t in there. But my guess is, that there has been talk for a while, that she wishes to relocate her Council. They are lacking in food and resources. So, perhaps they are trying to find a new area to call home.”
“Hmmm,” I pondered. “I think we could send a nice message.”
“If Tracey is in there Esmore, it is a serious offence to kill a Council leader,” Lydia said. She wasn’t alarmed by it, just offered the facts.
“Declaring war is a serious matter,” I purred, with the thought of slicing through them all. I turned to the other vampires who hid behind me. “We have less than an hour and the numbers aren’t yet verified. The Council leader, Tracey, could be in there. But I say, that Cesar wanted us to send a message. If we kill them all, no one will know it was us, but will only think it to be a direct assassination from another Council. I suppose, we could return and report, or. . . we could have some fun. What do you all say?” I arched an eyebrow as I opened my arms wide, suggesting for them to step out. The smiles and nods in agreement were overbearing. Their fangs gleamed in the irritating sun. Some had already begun to pull out their weapons. I turned to Balzar, who tightened his strap around his knuckles with certain smugness. Lydia stood beside me, unsheathing her own blade. No one opposed. This was what we loved and thrived for. If we were to live forever, then why consider the consequences.
“No one is to survive. Those who allow someone to escape will be beheaded by me. I don’t take failure well,” I said. I cracked my neck to the side, unsheathing my own blade and tightening my grip on my crossbow. The thought of what the taste of their blood; the splutter of red over my blade and face, consumed me. My blood pumped for the assassination. I protracted my fangs, their piercing sensation through my gums like an elixir. I felt relieved in this form, like my true self. I opened my eyes feeling near to ecstasy, my vision hazed with the purple of my Hunter eyes. “Kill them.”
The swarm of my vampires propelled past me, as I let the wind from their speed sweep past me in satisfaction. This power was beautiful, and this dark luscious form was my own. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, I launched myself into the hill daring to kill all those who opposed me. Even if they screamed for mercy, they would be at the end of my blade.
I propelled forward, daring to taste my limits and how far I could now go. The Council vampires were ready as soon as we made our attack, but not prepared enough. I watched my force go down and make impact, like a giant wave from my extension. They were under my command, this power and pure driven lust of killing- they were an extension of my blade. They towered over the others, both on my left and right.
I came in strong, and smiled at the first vampire who challenged me. I dipped away from his sword as he attempted to bring it down on me. I swirled behind his back, and brought my sword up his spine. But it wasn’t enough, he wasn’t damaged enough. I had to break him. I threw my blade into the air, to free my hand. I plunged my hand into his back, as he tried to turn on me. I ripped his spine out of his back and enjoyed the crunch of his vertebrae’s as I broke them between my fingers.
His body began to sag, no longer able to stand upright. My sword swung beautifully in the air and down towards me. I caught it, perfectly. Before he hit the ground, I crouched and sank my blade deep into his chest, before his spine could self-heal. His corpse blackened and decayed over me.
Another vampire came for me from behind. I rested my crossbow over my shoulder and shot her in the chest, killing her instantly.
Another vampire came at me on my right with a giant hammer. I pulled my sword out from the corpse of the first vampire, cutting it up and through its shoulder. I braced my sword in front of my face and challenged the strength of the hammer that came down on me. I smiled, enjoying how many vampires came at me with the challenge. I flicked the hammer away and spun into standing position. I kicked him across the face and forced him to take a few steps back for balance.
Behind him, Balzar, silently crept up and ploughed his bladed knuckles into his back and reefed out his heart. The vampire’s body began to decay. Balzar had a certain gleam in his eye. When I looked around, all of the coven vampires did. They were thrilled and enjoyed the kill. I threw my sword towards Balzar’s face, surprising him as he thought I was aiming for him. Well, maybe I was going for a little of a scare tactic. The vampire, who stalked him from behind, dropped instantly backwards when I pierced him in the chest. I winked at Balzar, tormenting him.
His attention was grabbed by the Council vampires who ran up the hills. I aimed my crossbow from this distance, and shot at them one by one; all six of them that ran to report to their leader. Balzar covered my back and fought off any vampires which might have thrown off my aim. Once all six were shot down, I ran to collect my sword out of the corpse, to finish the job. From such a long distance, I hadn’t hit all of them accurately in the heart. My new heightened senses, overcompensated my angle and distance. Three of them, upon the hill ripped out the arrow. Few of them still fumbled on the ground. I was going to enjoy bringing down my sword and piercing it into their chest.
The first one couldn’t get up in time; I had shot him only centimeters from his chest. With one swift movement, I plunged my sword into his chest with great satisfaction. I ran at the second vampire, who was on his feet and ready to run. I pounced on his back and wrapped my legs around his waist. He grabbed one of my legs, peeling it off and threw me into one of the trees. I flipped in the air, and crouched against the tree. My calves flexed and I propelled myself forward and my sword deep into his chest.
I couldn’t see the last vampire. I honed my hearing to listen out for his footsteps. He was running amongst the dead trees. With a wicked smile I gave chase, exhilarated by the run. He knew I was pursuing, because he had stopped. I knew he was close, but wasn’t sure where. I stopped in amongst the trees, trying to sense his location. Silently he dropped from above and onto me. He took a bite of the flesh of my collar bone. I felt his sharp teeth graze the bone. I kicked him off, irritated by the bite and the blood that poured from me. He snarled at me.
“Who are you?” He snarled. “Do you know who we are?” I arched an eyebrow at him, curious at his ideal of his superiority.
“I don’t care for titles, but do you know who I am?” I purred as I stood up. “I will most certainly be the last thing you see. I am your death.” I shot two arrows at him, but he was fast. He ran towards me and pulled three daggers out, darting them at me. I dodged two and swiped the last one away with my sword. He jumped on me and tried to punch me. I side stepped him and lodged my sword into his ribs. He was frozen, unable to move as I pinned him. I enjoyed that moment; where he was pinned at my mercy, with nowhere to go. Slowly, I continued to edge my blade further up towards his heart. I knew he was struggling. He wanted to continue fighting. But this disgusting vampire had no chance against me now.
“I wonder how long until my tip pierces your chest. Shall I sing you a lullaby to sleep?” I relieved him of his pain, reefing my sword out from his ribs. I wanted to toy with him a little longer. He tried to claw at my face, but with such a sluggish speed whilst he still recovered. I stepped back. With one clean sweep, I severed his head from his body. His head flew into near shrubbery. I stood there for a moment, allowing the irritating sun burn at me like a wave of victory. I wanted more, I needed to kill more.
With vampire speed I raced back to the bloody field, but the coven vampires had already slaughtered them all.
Lydia with blood smeared across her face walked up to me, greeting me with an accomplished smile. “Sixty-Two, was the number of vampires here.” I was so disappointed that there were no more to toy with. We must have been fighting for only ten minutes, at most.
“I killed eight, but let us not keep track,” Balzar toyed with the others. The
y began calling out the numbers that they had killed today, as if it were a competition. I was disappointed that I hadn’t anymore. I searched my team’s numbers. No casualties, they were as superior and efficient as Cesar had said.
“Then let us not keep Tythian waiting,” I mused. I sliced my sword sharply through the air to flick the blood off, before sheathing it again.
“Yes Ma’m, I’m so parched after that,” one of the vampires said with a gleam of victory. I too smiled, it was a victory and the team I lead was safe. But I wanted more, that irritation burned more than anything. I needed more.
*
We waited for Tythian at the meeting point. I was irritated that we had already achieved our goal so efficiently, that we now had to impatiently wait for him. Finally, he arrived. He summarised our bloodied faces and weapons.
“Right, so it went that way,” he said. The vampires laughed amongst themselves, but Tythian lacked in humour. He took the vampires in pairs, leaving Balzar and me until last. In that brief moment of us being alone, we both looked behind into the trees. There was a new presence that surrounded, more vampires. I could feel their very presence animating; they were slowly surrounding us.
Tythian teleported back and before he could grab either of us or say anything, I raised my finger to him to be silent. He gave me a scornful look, before noticing the presence of others.
Tythian teleported elsewhere. There was an outburst of voices, who claimed to have seen something in the trees. More than likely Tythian had found them.
“We are going,” Tythian said, teleporting back to us.
“No, we are not,” I snarled. But it was too late, he had already grabbed Balzar and me. The nauseating sensation of being swept through darkness consumed me once again. Tythian had taken us back within the coven. “What was that?” I demanded, shoving his hand off of me. I could have had a glorified blood bath, I thought uneasy, with the satisfaction and pleasure that would have given me. My skin wanted to glow under the many corpses that I was victor too.
Token Vampire (Token Huntress Book 2) Page 7