The Immortal | Prequel Story |

Chapter 22 ~ Vampire Bats and Horses

As Mallen was writing, a sinister figure watched him from below the castle grounds, his eyes glowing yellow. Mallen was visible from the window, even at the distance Tavaly stood. A human would've had trouble seeing details, but Tavaly's perfect vision saw everything.

His penetrating scowl deepened when Tavaly saw Írásom come to stand beside Mallen, placing a hand on his shoulder. He watched as Mallen spoke with her for a moment before resuming his writing, Írásom heading towards another part of the room.

Tavaly was profoundly disappointed in Mallen. Ever since Mallen became the vampire leader of the land, Tavaly had eagerly followed him, liking the malice and arrogance that spoke much of his intentions. He had hoped Iérti would be crueler, more bloodthirsty than the first leader, but after seeing the humanity start to rise again within Iérti's tormented soul, and after seeing the drastic changes in Mallen, the one he thought of as the fallen vampire leader, Tavaly began to gather alliances with those who wished for the old days of roaming and hunting at will. So he initiated a secret rebellion, teaming up with the traditionalists while planning to take down Mallen and Iérti.

Tavaly firmly believed vampires were superior to humans. He disliked the harmony Iérti brought to both vampires and humans. Most of all, he disliked Mallen's change of heart.

All that power, and he no longer cares. All the new power flowing through Iérti's veins, but he talks of peace and doesn't even yearn to discover all the powers grafted in him. Bet that bastard still wishes to become human, to sink beneath the powerful man he has become. Tavaly's eyes blazed in anger, wanting to establish what he thought was justice to the land.

As Tavaly was brooding in the castle grounds, was walking in the distance, deep in thought. He had just visited his family's grave and was wandering around the forest in the few hours before dawn, wondering about the recent events. Iérti sensed a vampire presence a distance from Mallen's castle grounds and turned just in time to see Tavaly's orange robes disappear into the forest.

Frowning, Iérti decided to follow him. He made no noise as he moved through the forest, as silent as a shadow. Tavaly stopped a few times, as if checking to see whether someone was following him, but Iérti shared Mallen's expert skill in silent movement, the knowledge automatically embedded into his mind, making him as imperceptible as Mallen. Tavaly glanced over his shoulder suspiciously, but Iérti never let himself be seen.

And so Iérti found Tavaly's new abode.

Mallen's castle had so many rooms it was able to house quite a bit of the vampire population, but ever since Írásom came into his castle, he had ordered all his staff to leave, leaving the castle only occupied by Mallen and Írásom. All those vampires had to choose elsewhere to live. Tavaly was one of the last ones to choose a dwelling.

Iérti looked at it now, the dark vampire castle casting an ominous feeling on him. It was the true depiction of a vampire castle on a high cliff with tall pointy spires, stone towers, thunder looming in the background, and bats flying over it.

At first Iérti wondered whether Tavaly was able to shapeshift into bats, or command them, then he saw his orange clad figure disappearing through the doorway and sighed in relief, glad he didn't have the ability to shapeshift.

Iérti knew he had to get closer in order to figure out what Tavaly was up to. Climbing the castle could chance noise, even with his skilled silent movement. Staying hidden in the brush, Iérti took another studious look at the castle, taking note of all its surroundings.

A thick pine forest was to the right of it, a rocky cliff on the other. Iérti was in the forest a careful distance from the castle, making sure to stay downwind so Tavaly wouldn't be able to sense him. Human scent was more potent and easier to identify, though vampires had a scent of their own.