* * *
"All is set, Dracyl. The named ones await Utu. I have the Book and soon we will rule the day. Humanity will be reduced to cattle and the new epoch of the vampire will come to pass."
They were outside the main building. The Dracyl had decided it was time for him to take proper control of his soldiers.
"Good, and my brother?”
"Shackled behind the building with his shrine. He came to me like a lamb and awaits our presence.”
"He came like a dog with his prick hanging out further than his tongue,” he sneered.
"That too,” Lilith smiled. "I think I will keep him as a slave when this is finished."
The Dracyl roared his delight. "Come, Lilith, we will go and watch the human’s last stand and then we will face Utu together.”
Lilith followed him to the circle.
* * *
The mass of vampires swarmed above them. The heavens seemed black with the enemy and Von Struck hoped it had more to do with the sinister background of the night than with their actual numbers.
They stood in a circle, armed with their rifles and swords. Mordechai had only his teeth and claws, so he roamed the areas around the Tree.
There had been flashes of light in the sky that had not gone unnoticed.
"I thought the Sun God would come at dawn," Von Struck asked Michael.
"That’s what Czerolka said, wasn’t it?" He was also taken aback by the turn of events. "We’ll just have to be ready for when it goes off.”
Von Struck turned to them all. "Listen, whatever happens now, hold the circle. Watch your backs and cover your neighbour. They only have this night and then they’re done.”
Rohleder turned to Stephanie. He wanted to tell her he loved her, to stay by him during the fighting; but he knew she would think him weak if he said that.
"Stephi, watch my back. I need someone I can trust behind me.”
She smiled hesitantly and nodded. "Michael, before this starts, I … ”
He looked at her quizzically and it dawned on him that she was just as scared to show her emotions as he was.
"I love you," she said.
He held out a hand and she took it. "I love you too. Stick by me and we’ll see this through together.”
The smile faded and he let her hand drop. They were coming.
The multitude landed simultaneously on all sides and attacked straightaway. This time there was a conviction in their assault that even the tree could not tame. They swarmed over the barriers and the weight of the automatic fire only just managed to keep them at bay.
Mordechai charged into their ranks, tearing and biting at everything that moved, repeatedly smothered by rapacious vampires and repeatedly re-emerging from the tumult, fighting and roaring like the maddened beast he was. The black blood of the vampires covered his coat and his eyes rolled in frenzy as each new victim fell to his terrible bite.
Nau and Gruhn held their front like clockwork, each one shooting his magazine and kneeling to reload so that the other could take up the fight. With a calculated efficiency, they sprayed their front repeatedly, never allowing the enemy to pass a certain point.
"They make it all look so easy,” Inselman thought to himself while waiting for Henning to signal he needed to reload. Henning knelt down, and Heinz took his cue and started firing. On the ranges, in single shot mode, he had been one of the best shots.
Unfortunately single shot was useless when faced with screaming hordes and his problem was controlling the weapon in long bursts of fire. Nevertheless, they held their front, not as well as the two next to them, but they held.
Borkin and Michael held the last quarter. They too managed to hold the enemy off despite a few stoppages from Michael’s weapon. Nevertheless, Borkin was ready every time and they never faltered on their part of the line.
Von Struck stood between Borkin and Stephanie, as he envisaged them to be the weak links. He fired into their assailants as he saw fit, and on more than one occasion he had saved the line. He scanned the sky for the Dracyl but he was not to be seen. Nevertheless he presumed that he was near, and that was the reason why the vampires were so unyielding in their attack.
* * *
"So, brother, you decided to help after all" the Dracyl laughed.
Smith tried to get up but he fell back twice and only managed to make himself feel foolish.
"Help him to his feet,” the Count ordered two of his entourage.
Smith faced his brother. "This won’t work and surely I’m meant to say something to get this thing rolling.”
Maria walked from behind the Count. "You’ll say what I tell you to say, James, and when this is all over, you will live with me as my slave, and the funny thing about it is you will be grateful,” she laughed.
Smith swallowed hard but said nothing. He felt stupid attempting to defy them trussed up like a turkey, so he decided on silence.
The Dracyl eyed him silently and turned to leave, followed by his seconds. Maria and Smith stood alone facing each other.
"James, all will be well. You will be with me, and your irksome brother won’t be able to touch us.”
He looked down at her. Her beauty was breathtaking and, even now, despite his situation, he could feel a stirring in his loins. But he knew she was the devil, evil incarnate, and he could never find happiness with her.
He closed his eyes and turned his head away from her. "Never," he whispered to her. He didn’t need to look to know she had left him.
* * *
The attack appeared ever more frenzied and no amount of death seemed stop them. The assault rifles were hot to the point of failure but Von Struck knew they would never be able to hold them off with the swords.
Suddenly the sky splintered open and a bolt of lightening struck the Tree above them. The crack was almost visible in its force and the shock wave rippled over the heads of the attackers. Their ears were ringing from the rifle fire but they were still momentarily stunned by the explosion.
"It’s starting, hold on, it’s starting," Von Struck shouted over the clamour, but nobody could hear him. The battle raged all around him, the rattle of firearms being swallowed by the manic howling of the Dracyl’s soldiers, such was the volume of their noise.
Suddenly, the vampire deluge backed off. As if a huge plug had been pulled, they drained away and left the defenders battle-dazed and concussed.
The attacking horde now retreated to the forest tree line, the area between the cottages and the Tree now left clear except for the broken decapitated bodies of the creatures Mordechai had destroyed.
The sudden quiet was infringed on only by the werewolf’s laboured breathing. He padded back under the Tree, seemingly fit despite his bloody and wild appearance.
"What’s happening? Where have they all gone to?" Nau asked.
"And more importantly, why have they all gone?" Rohleder added.
"I don’t know, I don’t know … " Michael answered, visibly worried. "This isn’t how Czerolka saw it. Didn’t he say that Utu will come at dawn? He did, didn’t he?" He turned to Von Struck who stood facing the building where the Dracyl had called down the lightening. All eyes were on Von Struck, who knew he had to act calm even if he wasn't feeling it..
"The way I see it is that we only have to wait until dawn and the sun will burn them up,” he declared. "We’ve got a bit of time. Give the barrels a quick pull through and the parts a going over, and do it in partners. Rohleder, I’ll partner you and Stephanie. You two clean first.”
The routine of field maintenance took the edge off the bewilderment but they were all aware of the panic attack Michael had briefly suffered. If Michael, who had been trained since birth for this day, was scared, how bad was the situation really?
Mordechai prowled the line of fires, all now burnt down low. Von Struck moved to talk to him, but before he could say something the werewolf spoke. "There is another out there, another wolf like me. I can almost taste his scent.”
"He’s unimportant
right now. Concentrate on the vampires and you can deal with him when he comes.”
Mordechai turned his head and wordlessly nodded his accord.
"The vampires are hiding behind the buildings, I can smell them. They’re plotting but I can’t understand what they’re saying. They speak in their vampire tongue.”
Von Struck nodded, "And the Englander, Smith?”
"He is tied up," he turned back towards the tree line, "and out of our reach. Forget him. He is unwilling but he’s on their side. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Von Struck nodded and went back to give his weapon a going over.
Chapter 64
Lilith grasped the Book to her breast in rapture. "He is coming. He has heard us and he comes to face us." Her eyes widened in delight as she pointed to the sky
The heavens were glowing red, as if lit from within the cloud cover. The sky rumbled and the power it held charged the air around them.
"Are we ready, Demon. Are we all in place?” the Dracyl asked for what seemed like the thousandth time. Lilith laughed in answer, a laugh that sent chills down the Dracyl’s spine. For the first time he saw that Lilith’s power was growing far beyond his expectations. The sky cracked again as lightning forked down into the tree and Lilith laughed even louder.
"He comes, Vampire, he comes to set me free. Watch, watch and see if he doesn’t.”
”And me?" he bawled at her. "What of me?”
She screamed her laughter at him. "Yes, he’s coming for you. He’ll come for you too:”
The Count could only stare at her, mystified and anxious.
* * *
"There! Movement!" Inselman pointed to one of the houses. As he spoke the horde charged again from all sides. Once more the desperate battle ensued to keep the perimeter and hold the position.
This time Mordechai stayed within the circle and helped where he was needed. The ferocity of the attack eclipsed even the last as vampire after vampire charged into the circle to meet the hail of silver.
The firearms, as new as they were, could not take the sustained automatic fire and Michael’s was the first to jam. Borkin took the lead straightaway but his also jammed immediately, and Von Struck and Mordechai ran to their assistance. The front was cleared but the call went up from Nau and Gruhn as both their weapons failed.
"Swords!" shouted Gruhn as he waded into the attacking throng.
Von Struck ran over to lend assistance but he knew that eventually all their weapons would seize. One after another the cry of, "Stoppage!" went up as weapons jammed and the men took to the blade to deal their death.
Finally, Von Struck’s weapon fired and clicked its last bullet. He pulled his blade and charged, swinging in every direction. The order and discipline with which they had been able to face the first of the vampire charges was lost to the sheer weight of enemy numbers.
Swiftly the vampires were among them. All pretence of a fighting perimeter was lost as each man fought for his life. Every ashed vampire was immediately replaced by another but the men fought tirelessly on. Overwhelmed by the rage of battle and the power of the Tree, both man and beast succumbed to the lust for death.
* * *
Above them, the sky split open and the heavens crashed their symphony as Utu, the ancient god of the sun, pushed forward to meet the Dracyl.
"There, vampire, if you doubted me, see now who comes to answer our call." Lilith spat at the Count. They stood behind the building that held the shrine for the Count himself.
He looked to the splintering, booming sky, and for the first time in his life, Count Vlad Dracyl Blestamatul recognised the emotion of fear.
"It’s now or never, vampire. Your fate awaits you. Face the gods or return to your night.”
He shouldered the responsibility of his destiny and stepped forward out of the cover of the building that housed his shrine, and into the circle.
Raising his arms to the radiant clouds, he shouted the Sun God’s name, demanding his presence. "Utu!” he roared and once again the vampires miraculously melted away from the fight under the Tree. "Utu, come and face the power of the Dracyl and the ten named ones in the Book of Blood!” He stood in front of one of the buildings with his arms held high, as if inviting the lightning that reached out and stroked his outstretched arms. The current passed through him but he remained untroubled and unhurt.
Instinct told the other vampires to run, to leave the circle, and in their place stepped forth the vampires named in the Book, as one by one they moved from behind the buildings.
Von Struck’s men watched in mute surprise as the ceremony played out before them.
"What’s he saying?" Inselman asked nobody in particular.
"It’s the vampire tongue he speaks," Mordechai answered. "I don’t know what’s being said, though.”
Lilith appeared, carrying the armour of her long dead king, Szaran.
"Maria" Von Struck whispered to himself in remembrance. Then he switched back on. "Quick, clear the weapons. We may need them soon."
The squad feverishly searched for their firearms that they’d let fall as they’d taken to the sword, but it was too late. The retreating horde had taken them with them.
"Then we’ll just do this the old fashioned way," Von Struck smiled mirthlessly as he took the news.
Once again the cry went up from the Dracyl. "Utu, hear us, hear our demand to end this curse.”
Von Struck saw that there were more vampires coming forward and he knew that time was running out.
* * *
Smith came back to his senses to find somebody cutting his bonds.
"Shush, be quiet. The vampires are all around us."
It was a woman - no, a girl - he decided. He turned to see who it was and gasped when he recognised the face.
"Iullia, what are you doing here?”
She didn’t answer immediately but explained as she cut. "I saw you talking to Lilith and the Dracyl. I thought you were one of them until I heard Lilith talking, and then I knew. So I waited until they were gone. Then Lilith came to me and told me I could set you free now.”
"Lilith told you to set me free?”
"Yes.” She stopped cutting to speak over his shoulder. "I don’t know how she knew where I was but suddenly she was standing in front of me. She’s got something up her sleeve.”
She cut the bonds and they scrambled over to the ring on the wall to which he was chained.
"The clay is old. I couldn’t pull it out but perhaps you can," she explained.
He pulled at the ring and it fell into his hand. "I can’t run, though. How can we get away if I can’t run.”
They looked around for something to prise the chains off with when suddenly they heard the cry go up. "Utu!”
"Oh my God, it’s happening," she said and feverishly searched for a lever. He found an old wheel spoke and wedged his legs so that she could force the chain link with it. It broke easily and Smith stood up and took her hand.
"Where are you going?” she asked in consternation. "We’ve got to get away into the woods.”
”No, we have to help my friends. If we go into the woods, the vampires will hunt after us.”
She shook her head. "No, they only hunt if they’ve been told to hunt and they know you’re there. That’s why I could elude them. They were too stupid to understand who I was.”
"It doesn’t matter, I’ve got to help them. Come with me. You’ll be safer than out here on your own.”
She nodded and they set quietly off.
Chapter 65
Vlad stepped forward another pace and pointed to the armour that lay on the floor in front of the next building. "Utu, I call upon Szaran, the second name in the Book of Blood. Utu, I call upon Pfahl, the third name in the Book of Blood.” And so it went on as Vlad Dracyl named the vampires one by one - Thrace, Baloch, Daziel, and Szoltan.
Next he named himself and pointed to where Smith should have stood.
There was nobody there,
"Wher
e is he?" he screamed. "Give me my brother to show.”
Nothing happened, then out of the far side of the building he saw two people running towards the circle of fires around the Tree." He reacted immediately. "Marik, take him!”
From out of the tree line, the werewolf Marik bounded towards them, snarling as he ran, making his intent plain.
"Oh my God!” Stephanie exclaimed, holding onto Rohleder’s arm. Rohleder hefted his sword but he knew he could do nothing.
Suddenly, from their left, a blackened figure streaked out to intercept their attacker.
Mordechai sprinted on all fours at the other werewolf who changed direction to meet the threat. They collided head-on in mid-flight.
The clash seemed to be played in slow motion as Marik opened his jaws to bite into Mordechai’s neck. Mordechai snarled and jinked in mid-air as Marik’s fangs bit into his front right leg.
Mordechai gave a yelp but his feint had worked and he dipped his head to bite into Marik’s throat from the side. The blood spurted out in a wash and Marik gave a last, gargled yap as he landed hard at Mordechai’s feet. Mordechai bit deeper into the neck until the head came off and then, standing back on two legs again, he held the head up to the Dracyl.
The Dracyl screamed his rage. "Werewolf, you belong to me. You will come here and obey me as it is written in the Werewolf Commandments.”
Mordechai held the head aloft and threw it at the vampires. "I belong to nobody, Vampire. Your Werewolf Commandments are only for those beholden to your kind and now, with your werewolf’s death, I am beholden to nobody," his deep bass rumbled, and he turned around to stalk back to the Tree.
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