“But everything is in your hands now. The vampires are at war with everyone and everything and now with the Division stepping in, they truly stand no chance. They will fight an endless war….
Not necessarily. The Council will call the war a shambles at some point and take Daffyd from his reign. Then, unless we all continue to fight regardless, it will all go back to normal. It’s happened before just on a smaller scale.
Anyway, Mason came to me and assured me the girls and my wife are safe. Between him and my wife, I have informants. That means you have informants. How many of the Division are here, if I may ask?"
This question rings a bit unsettling. Especially with the answer that follows:
“Just me for now,” I can see the distaste on his face, “I’m here to assess the situation and deal with whatever I can until I know the full extent of it all so that I can bring in the cavalry. We can’t ship agents without being certain, as I’m sure you understand?”
“Indeed,” he turns off the busy city roads and we start driving into the countryside, “We all need to take our precautions.”
"Is there anything else?" I ask after a few minutes of quiet driving go by.
"Yes, in fact, there is. With the wars coming on, there are many developments. We are to be the first strike force. My pack and I that is, after we take a loss, the shifters will join us, and we're hoping that the Forsaken too, come to our aid." He goes quiet again, I assume he's thinking what to say next, "I may lose face, but it's for the benefit of my kind, I suppose. I don't know. Mason seems to have it all figured out. Speaking of which, he's giving us his support on this matter. This is a big deal if you didn't know."
I'm not sure if he thinks I'm incompetent, due to my lack of knowledge on this subject, and I don't blame him. I was sent here to do a task, and I can't even have a basic conversation. I'm still a young agent, though. This, he may not know, but it's still a relative point.
“That’s good, though, isn’t it?”
“Very. It means we have the backing of one of the most powerful of their kind. I will take him at his word for now. There’s nothing else we can do. It’s good to have faith in someone, no matter how little, I suppose.”
The rest of the drive we take in silence. It's another twenty or so minutes before we get to what would, had I not known who I was with right now, seemed like nothing more than some kind of summer camp. The kind you hear about in the American movies. Scenic and beautiful, hidden in the woods, with wild animals roaming out in the distance, a lake for fishing, and the buildings of wood all giving it this type of feel.
We pull up in front of a chalet looking building. Rom takes the keys from the car and hands them to me.
"This is where you'll be staying," The smile plastered on his face again, "The car is yours as long as you need it. If you need me, I stay up on the hill," He points and from here, I can see his beautiful home in the distance, "Don't hesitate to call me or one of our kind. You have our full resources and support."
“And you have ours,” I return the gesture, “I will get in contact with the Division soon to let them know we are a go….”
Chapter 31
Zeus.
Stepping through the portal is always a great adjustment. I feel a pulse of electricity roar through me. It’s more…static, down here.
I feel enriched. Filled with energy and power. Perhaps this is why we are Gods to this realm. On the Forsaken realms we are equals, for lack of a better term, down here, we are invincible.
From behind, the Forsaken begin pouring out. One-by-one they come, until there are nearly thirty of us. I’m not quite sure why such a large army was sent. It doesn’t make all that much sense to me. We aren’t striking the Veil today. Just a small outpost.
“What’s the plan, Father?” Athena takes my side. I look on, from the hilltop.
"Rangers, take your positions." The group sent all know their places. Those who have their orders move around to do as they were commanded. There are twelve of us left. Perhaps, they made the right call in the number of warriors they sent. A small group to battle within, the larger to watch and keep guard.
Not that we will be here for long, anyway.
“Come, Athena,” I begin descending the hill towards the castle. Here, I, my daughter and ten other brave men stand. The vampires must know we have arrived, and yet none come to greet us. I draw from my sheath, the hilt of a sword that seems to hold nothing more than a shattered blade. I hold it a moment, before raising it high into the air and suddenly the blade comes to life with the sparks of the most glorious thunderbolt I have conjured.
The same bolt that brought my blade to life is the same sword which gives the word that battle commences. From all around the arrows are launched, waves of energy pour down on the building making it quake where it stands. It is here, that I begin hearing the screams. Screams from within, that is. Not quite sure what's happening behind those doors, but it's enough to make me…smile.
“Knock, Knock,” I call, giving a powerful kick. The doors have been barricaded, it seems. Another, a third, and a final before I hear the barricade snap behind the old doors.
It’s only then, as the door opens, that I realize we have made a mistake. It’s here, that I see, we did not kill one single vampire but instead, we have spilled the blood of the innocent. Before us, lay the dead of women and children. Slaughtered, they lay across the floors, chunks splattered against the walls.
Athena turns to me, opens her mouth to say something, but falls silent knowing that this is not the time. I step inside, no one follows. How could we have been so foolish? Bloodthirsty, it seems we may have been, yet now we are criminals.
Nice Try,
Love
Daffyd Llanelli
How did he see it coming? Maybe we placed all our eggs in one basket.
”How could we be so stupid?” I throw my sword into the wall. It stays. Though it is hanging by the electrical charge that comes from the blade. I raise my hand, and the hilt returns to me. Nothing more. I place it back in its sheath, open a portal and disappear through it.
We have failed.
Chapter 32
Daffyd.
“They fell for it,” Hamish says. The glee on his chubby cheeks reminds me of a time long gone. A time when things were simpler. Not my youth. No. I can’t remember those days. My mother’s face. My father’s grip. Those are all gone now. Maybe it was before I became King. Before I took the mantle and lost myself to the calling. But something tells me that even that isn’t true.
Was there a better time before I was King?
“Yes. They fell for it but we’re not out of the woods yet, Hamish. This is only the beginning of a long struggle. Next time they won’t be as foolish as they were today. They already want our heads and now? We’ve given them a reason to come at us with all of their might.”
The war room is empty apart from myself and Hamish. Nothing has happened here in decades, and now it has become one of the most occupied rooms in my home.
“Tell me, what do you think will happen when they come back? Knowing what we’ve made then do? Showing them that we are smarter than a god?” Hamish knows the answer but remains silent, “They will come at us with everything they’ve got, until they’ve got no more. We will have to proceed on our current course. Madison will have to form part of our ritual, as decided.”
“And what of Mason, sir?”
“Mason will have to fall in line or he will have to be lost to us. He may be an ancient, but we cannot drop everything for one man, who will not be a part of our cause.”
"I understand. Are you sure that that is the correct method to follow?"
I can see that he's worried now. His round cheeks, sagging. In its own way, it is adorable. In another, wholly off-putting.
“I know it is not, Hamish. In fact, it's completely insane to drop the only man that can help us win this battle, but you forget, I am not here to make friends. I am here to win a war and take over the world.”<
br />
The last part, a part of the plan Hamish has not yet heard. This is the way the world works.
“I understand sir.”
“I'd be surprised if you did, Hamish. The plan is greater than you. It's greater than me. There's not a lot that we can do at this point, so long as the witch comes through on what she has promised. This is all we can hope for.”
Hamish looks to the war room’s board yet again and then back to me. Opens his mouth to speak, but not a squeak comes out. Instead, he bows.
“I believe that you have us heading in the right direction, Sir.”
“Yes, there's no need to stress Hamish. Everything will come through as planned. Just let it happen.”
Chapter 33
Mason.
I sit outside Ankh's home. He told me his weapon has been completed. Ready for use and he wants to demonstrate it to me. This, I am excited for, but, still, I sit out here without letting my friend know I am around. I wait. I know something is coming. I have a feeling. Still, it's only a feeling. A sense that may not exist, but one that I only acquired once I learned the extent of my abilities. Peculiar, indeed.
So, I wait.
Whatever it may be, I cannot bring it into the home of my friend. If it is hostile, I must deal with it. If it is not, is it anything he needs to know anyway? He, like myself, has put no time towards the war. There is no place for us there. We are renegades to our people. I have a different stance, of course. I have the superiority over those, who would come for me.
Ankh? He has nothing of the sort. The offspring of Anubis and whoever it was. A Forsaken forsaking his kind. Interesting, if you ask me.
“Do not be alarmed,” the voice speaks a second after I feel the presence of whatever has appeared, “I have been meaning to come to you for some time, ancient one.”
There's more than one. With power, I have never felt in my life. I rise, and there they stand.
"Who are you?" I ask.
They say nothing. Instead, they gesture. Beside one opens a portal. I walk towards it. As I do, Ankh steps out of his door. “Mason?”
I say nothing walking towards the portal. I step through. The two figures follow me. I can't catch a good glimpse of them beneath their black robes. Hopefully, whatever this is, was not a bad decision.
Chapter 34
Romulus.
It's never a particularly good feeling, standing before your people on the tide of war and knowing that you cannot go in full force. Knowing that even if you could take the victory, you have to drop your head and take a bow because it is part of the greater scheme. Yet, here I stand. A battle-hardened warrior waiting to lose. The pre-war speeches have been said, the troops have all rallied together and the Sentinel pack stands at the foot of one of the biggest vampire strongholds around. Here we will meet our loss....
Everyone's ready. Waiting for me now. There's no more hesitation. Just call the order and fight.
So be it.
"To war!" I shout out to my people, and they cheer with me. I'm the first to run in. A small house in the countryside. Nothing special. It's an old, brick structure, with a normal, wooden door and a thatch roof. One would expect nothing of it, and that's what the vampires did right. No one would think that beneath the ground on which they walked, were hundreds of the undead. I chose to strike by day. A move that would aid our victory, had the day not been hidden in their underground hideouts. Spotters, no doubt at the ready, having had them make their moves.
Good. Let them fight back. This may make Mason's plan come together in a more believable fashion. I simply cannot let my people die, or fall to loss, without a battle.
Just as I suspected. The moment we were upon the building we could sense them. They were lively. Ready to fight just as we were. The door’s unlocked. The may not have known we were coming, but they got together quickly. Ready to strike.
No doubt waiting for their feast.
Today we go to war.
I enter. The air is thin, cold. The small house is simple, with no furnishings. An empty room held up by support beams. At the far end of the structure a trap door. I walk to the end of the floor, the trap door is open, leading downwards. It's now that I hear each and every one of them down below. They're grunting and growling. They know that we are coming. Their senses are heightened. Ours are sharpened.
“Today we fight for honor. We fight for victory. We fight for future,” I call. I shift down into my wolf form. By day, it is, perhaps, weaker than what it would be at night, even more so on the full moon, but there is nothing to do. Our bites are venomous to their kind. Theirs seldom pierce our hides. It's their razor-like claws we must be wary of. I lead the charge yet again, a thunderous roar tells my people that they must now shift and run. We descend. As I suspected, the underground network that extended beneath the small home was immense. Not one empty cavern where they all rested but rather, a network of well-paved channels. A little sparkle of happiness jolts through me, knowing that I would not let my people down. This battle had no chance of victory.
We move. Fast, though well-placed. We're silent. That doesn't prevent what comes next. From a tunnel that went unnoticed, we pick up their scent too late. One of ours is killed. Then another. Roars echo throughout the tunnels, as my brothers fall. This is not quite what I had expected.
It's then, that we finally get our revenge.
A small band of their young come into our path. Newly turned. I can smell it. We rip into them with no remorse. They stand no chance. I go for one, and three wolves that were beside me strike the others. We tear through their throats like a hot knife through butter. Still, I hear the roars of those unfortunate to have been struck by.
I turn to my brothers, I can see they are ready to continue. They know that this battle, our deaths, it's all for a better cause. I know better. I gesture that they return, one stands against it. I snarl and he bows to his alpha. A thunderous roar, and I hear the panting and sprinting of my brothers and sisters running back to where we came from. There is no need to lose more if we were to pull out anyway. I know that we haven't made a dent in their defenses and that this call will impact my standing as alpha, but, someday, I will explain.
Someday, my people will understand.
Chapter 35
Drakka.
The hall is full of Shifters that have come to support my cause. A war against the tyrannous vampires that have, for too long, taken the nights and done as they pleased. This is not where we stand. This is not how we work. We are, by no means a society or order, nor does our kind have any logical order in how we conduct ourselves, yet in our own right, we always know when to stand together.
An old, abandoned warehouse is where we have congregated. I sit on my haunches, as the room piles in. I am by no means the person to lead a charge, yet none of the others are either. We are equally a band of ragtag rebels.
I stay here, a while longer, while the last few dregs come in late. I have no qualms with this. Everyone who has come to support the cause has my support.
“It's been too long now,” I say, rising up, “That we have needed to keep our mouths shut simply because we're not part of an organized faction. We may not have what the vampires have, in numbers or unification, but here we stand with the simplest of goals in mind. Redemption.”I start off strong. There's no need to beat around the bush, nor do I intend to.
"You see, we are not like them. We are individuals ruled by individual culture. We want to be normal people by day, with a wild party at night among our kind. We can't do this if they're killing our kind off. We need to go against them and show them that we may be a silent force, but that if they stand against us, we can also kick them to pieces. The turnout tonight is good. In fact, it's great. I have word that the Wolves struck a large stronghold in Daffyd's kingdom and that stronghold won. They fight the same cause as us. Standing against an oppressor that has no right to oppress. We cannot go into this alone, and I don't think we should. I think we should get together with the wolves, and we go
in as one, strong unit to take victory for ourselves. My friends, what have you to say on this matter?”
I will not dictate. I came into the position of possible power by speaking to these people, and they believed that what I said was right. Now? How can I change this up and force them to stand with me, when I am fighting against the forced power.
A suited man steps forward. Snappily dressed and handsome, "It's all good to speak about these things, but the implementation of it all will be different, Drakka. We do not live the same way they do. As you said, we are not in the pack mentality. Will the werewolf alpha step down and allow us our own freedoms? Will he not come against us, if we do not follow him?”
He draws from his pocket a small, metal object, places the head in his mouth and drags. A vaporizer. I've never seen anyone smoke those in the real world. Interesting.
“He was given a thrashing. His goals and ours are the same. Why would he want to rule us, if we are trying to give a hand?”
“Yes, but they are not like us. They are pack wolves. Pack wolves want to dominate. It's no doubt the only reason he's going to war with the vampires in the first place. We all know of the rumblings....”
“What rumblings?” I ask, assuming it was that of the vampire’s war with the Forsaken, though assumptions are simply not something we can make.
“The great war. Daffyd is gunning for Zeus' head. Romulus, no doubt, wants to use this to take over as head honcho.” Another long puff on his vape pen. The smoke plumes around him.
“Then I will meet with Romulus and discuss everything. If they do not accept, then we strike as acquaintances and not allies. He will not forego our help after a loss. That would be foolish. A retreat shows his weakness as a pack head. If he's too stubborn to accept the aid of those who offer, he doesn't deserve to continue as alpha. I've seen first-hand what packs are like, I understand enough about them to know we have the advantage here. Just leave it to me.”
The Vampire Touch 1: The Forsaken Page 9