The Immortal | Prequel Story |

Chapter 2 ~ The Cruelest Vampire in the Land

Far in the depths of the forests, vampires resided in large gothic castles and mansions. Some were left behind by past kings; others were built by vampires.

Vampires enjoyed luxuries and good taste, dressing in fine clothes, and adorning their mansions with fancy furniture. Their immortal beauty was an astonishing sight. Vampires were considered the most beautiful creatures on the planet. They healed at an amazing rate, never aged, were stronger than any human or beast, and were as quiet as the trees. They were perfectly flawless in skill and physical appearance.

Most vampires liked to hang out in groups while others were lone wolves who lived on their own. The ones who hung out in groups often hunted together and provided 'food' for everyone. It was harder for a loner to obtain a castle or a mansion unless he or she was a very powerful vampire.

One such powerful vampire, Mallen Zaliċ, crept up to the tops of the trees, looking at the heavy fortress multiple distances away, gleaming silver even in the late evening sunset.

Like all vampires, Mallen had exceptional attractiveness. His shoulder-length, long raven black hair was tinged in brown and tied back with an olive green ribbon that matched his eyes. His olive green eyes had persuaded most to their deaths, seducing with their out-of-worldly beauty and striking with vicious ferocity before they knew it was too late.

He dressed like he was from another century, wearing deep red, olive green, royal purple, and cream white clothing. His stylish black boots were furnished with greenish gold embellishments, boots that trampled in floods of blood that purged most of humanity.

The best of the best, Mallen had a sharp eye and an avaricious taste for blood. He held power as dearly as soldiers held their swords in battle and relished his title the way a king relished his crown. Rumors were that he was the first vampire born out of a deal with a demon, if such a thing was true. Mallen was known as the cruelest vampire in the land; there was no doubt about his total lack of empathy whenever he killed.

Mallen smirked at the sight of the wooden stakes and silver mirrors surrounding the garlic-laden fortress. I could easily jump in, like leaping into a bucket, Mallen thought, scanning over the top of the fortress. Like all vampires, Mallen could cover a long distance in a single jump, a feat about vampires that humans had not yet discovered.

Mallen remained hidden in the trees, waiting long after night's arrival. All the tents were dark except for a light still lit in one tent: Iérti's tent.

Iérti was inside his tent, looking over plans and scrolls, while everyone but the night shift guards were asleep.

Every move the generals made determined the fate of their armies and the lives of the people. The last time they ventured out, it ended up in a bloodbath, and a tenth of the army barely escaped with their lives. The former general of the East lands had been killed, resulting in the newly elected Iérti.

Iérti was determined to find a way to end bloodshed for good. The way to do it was to figure out how to get vampires to stop craving blood. That was an extremely difficult task, even if vampires wanted to know. Their very nature was hard to understand. As much as vampires knew about their own kind, they knew very little about why they were the way they are.

Seriously, why blood? Iérti pondered as he studied meticulously. They could've been thirsting for milk or whatever. Why is blood so essential to who they are?

Iérti suddenly looked up, remaining absolutely still. It was a small noise, barely louder than the sound of putting a sheet of paper on a table, but Iérti heard it. He had always had exceptional hearing, the best out of anyone around him. It was like a sixth sense to Iérti, a rare awareness he possessed. He always felt more alert than others and he could sense things before anyone else sensed them.