CHASE

Chapter 3

     Nothing else could have brought him greater happiness. As soon as the luminosity disappeared, he didn't waste another second. He ran back to his homeland while Grerft grinned with satisfaction with a foretaste of the future. Before his thought he summoned his most evolved creation.

     When he arrived at his old house, he stopped at the entrance. He remembered that he was missing and that he had acquired a new nature. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door. Someone woke up with a start and got up. The footsteps he heard dragged sadly.

     "Orsmund?"  Ellin stagnated.

     The rest of the family joined them. They didn't believe what they saw. He was completely unharmed. They weren't sure if any more of the crew had survived.

     "Baculend and Olacelan?"  Trova dared to ask.

     Her father gave her a look accompanied by a small wistful smile. He tried to step forward. However, without anyone else noticing, he understood that a kind of magic was holding him back. An invisible shield perhaps. Instead of answering in words, he just shook his head in despondency. Ellin hid her bitter anguish. Which Orsmund detected.

     "Forgive me!"  His voice grew hoarse.

     "Come on in!"  She invited him by pulling his hand.

     "I don't..."  He was surprised that the shield had faded.  "I cannot stay!"  He hid his surprise.  "It's a long story..."

     When Ellin took his face in both hands he held his breath. Too late. He inhaled her scent. He struggled to contain himself. He felt the self-control give way to the insane appetite that appealed to the taste buds. He kissed her and was deluded by an ability to taste the winds. Such a desire awakened his animal instincts.

     "Mom!"  They exclaimed when she screamed in agony.

     They stared in bewilderment at the obscure image in front of them. The shifting demon inclined his head slightly in response to the sound of voices. He allowed them to see the blood running down his chin. Alarmed by the reddish-colored gaze directed at them, the boys hurried to pick up their weapons. In a reckless act, Trova fled out the back for help. The ferocity blinded, wildly, the human face of Orsmund that beheaded them all. Especially the little Erlund who cried with his mother in his arms. Trova continued to bark incomprehensible words originating from the panic. Despite this, she managed to wake up the neighbors who immediately realized that it was a dangerous threat. Desperate, she knocked hard on every door to alert them. The predator allowed himself to be seduced by her trail. Fear had never smelled so good. He sniffed the air, intensifying his sense of smell. He growled, filling his chest, and inching toward his death. The men and women who took precautions abroad were afraid to recognize the enemy. However, this did not stop them from defending their own families. Well, there were few human traits that represented him. It took approximately an hour for Orsmund to regain consciousness. When he returned to reality he was at the center of a sea of ​​the dead and with a bloodless body in his arms.

     "Trova? No, no! TROVA!"  He couldn't revive her.

     He lifted to the heavens and made a long, plaintive sound like a howl. Even with his extraordinary sight, the dim lighting of the torches revealed the damage done. As if he could have a heart, he felt it being squeezed by disgust. He saw that among his victims were the corpses of inhumanly tortured children. He dropped to his knees as he gazed at Trova, one of the few who hadn't suffered undue physical damage.

     "Impressive!"  Grerft clapped his hands.  "Look Harmand, how your brother slaughtered an entire village of warriors!"

     Orsmund looked at the new member. Unlike him, who, around his face, fluttering golden hair as long as his beard, this one had a bald head and no longer any facial hair that revealed how pale his skin was. Only the tall and broad heights were identical. Grerft gracefully approached his wayward son. He placed his right hand on his neck and lifted his lower jaw to lick the bloody remnants off his face.

     "It could have been avoided if you didn't resist me! I hope you learned! Myself, I may not be able to finish you off for being your father, but there are those who are able to!"  He shifted the look to his successor.  "Harmand!"  He tilted his head for him to come closer.  "I'm terribly curious."  His mouth split into a wicked grin.  "Will you join me?"  In response he nodded slowly without exposing any emotions.

     Subdued at his master's feet, he felt his fingers encircle him in a trapped suffocation. Without formalities they snarled at him, and it was left to him to linger firmly on the pain when his carotid artery was lacerated.

     "What wonderful images!"  Grerft delighted.  "I can still taste them."  He licked his lip.

     Orsmund gave in to psychological suffering. He dropped to the ground and closed himself in a state of melancholy. Grerft glanced at Harmand. With him, he didn't need to communicate, verbally. The latter, with an unconcerned expression, penetrated his supposed brother's left ankle with his claws and dragged him after him without any care.

     For the next few months, Harmand was absent while Grerft disciplined his latest creation.

     "I don't know why I keep you here with me."  The mighty vampire mused.

     "Do you want to destroy me?"  Orsmund provoked him.  "Destroy me!"  He pulled away his raised arms.

     "A favor I would be doing for you."  The smile haunted his appearance.

     "What do you want me for? I'm sick of your games! You could have better ones than me!"

     "The issue is not quantity, but quality!"  He drummed his fingers on a rock.  "I intend to retake my territory. I want my sheep back. Oh, if you only knew how delicious those puny ones are. I'm sure you weren't running around with these melodramatic acts."

     "Sheep?"  He understood that he was referring to humans.  "I see..."

     "It is the emotions that qualify their taste buds, but that you already know."  He shook his hand.  "I keep Harmand as my spy. Oh, how he's been so ecstatic to be kicked out of there. You would be too!"

     "What's stopping you?"  He was spurred on by curiosity.

     "Another vampire who has increased security wildly. What threatens my sheep. Not for long if you can help it! In fact, you just gave me an idea. Since you want me to destroy you, I know how to do it. Your loss for me will not be in vain!"

     "What does the future await me?"

     "You'll be my little distraction!"

     Later, after long searches, Harmand returned to his master. Together they became eviler by despising Orsmund. Due to his pride, Grerft neglected his youngest's obedience. This one that wandered forgotten at night. There was a time when they even abandoned him without taking the slightest interest in his own activities.