The Immortal | Prequel Story |

Chapter 31 ~ The Most Powerful Creature in the Land

Iérti's bats scoured the area, using their collective vision to seek out enemy vampires from a bat's eye view. After pinpointing exactly where they were, Iérti's bats turned into vampire horses that went on a rampage soon as they touched ground. They swept enemy vampires off their feet, violently throwing them through walls. Their red eyes glared in anger as they scattered around the settlement, pushing and shoving vampires away from terrified humans.

Some were pushed towards spilt garlic oil, making the vampires cry out in pain as the garlic burnt their exposed skin. Others met their unlucky end at the sharp point of a stake, impaled after being thrown by one of Iérti's vampire horses.

Above the carnage, the night became brighter at the brink of dawn. Iérti kept fighting until the early morning light emerged through the night sky, forcing him to flee. The others had already reached shelter from the sun. ran inside his castle in the nick of time, right before the sun could touch his back. He shut the doors, breathing heavily in relief.

Mallen shut the doors to his own castle, watching sunlight appear over the land from a nearby window. He pushed the drape back in place as he went to find Írásom. He searched but she wasn't anywhere in the castle. He figured she didn't make it to the castle in time and was forced to seek shelter elsewhere, since the coast was much further in distance, and he had sent her to the oceanside settlement. Daylight separated them, forcing Mallen to wait until it was nighttime before he could venture out.

As soon as evening turned to twilight, Iérti left the castle and headed directly for the settlement. His heart fell when he saw the aftermath of the vampire attacks. He walked around the settlement, dismayed to see so many had perished; both humans and vampires were casualties.

Men were loading the dead onto carts and wheeling them out the city. Vampires were burned in a big bonfire while humans were buried side by side. Iérti was saddened to see families and friends mourning those they lost.

The vampire overlords and allies provided assistance in helping humans clean things up, transporting people or setting things back in place. Some people were thankful for their help, knowing they were good, friendly vampires who would never hurt them. Others were distrustful of vampires.

Hours later, Iérti was in his study, his head in his hands as he rested his elbows on the table. Books and scrolls were underneath his elbows, but he was hardly reading them, his mind distraught over the previous night's events.

All the settlements suffered heavy losses. People were fearful, worried there might be another attack. Iérti assigned vampire guards to stand watch over each settlement while arming humans so they could protect themselves. Both men and women were armed. Children were given flasks with garlic oil in them so they could fling them at enemy vampires.

Mallen entered the study, having been summoned by Iérti to meet up and talk. Iérti barely moved, images of war and horror instilled in his mind. He was shocked by the attacks and how sudden they were. It was like seeing another defeat, this time tenfold.

Without turning around, Iérti said in a shellshocked voice, "This must end. Too many people have died way too fast. So much unnecessary violence just to drive fear into people and make them feel weak and powerless against our kind, to try to enslave them instead of maintaining peace with them. The human population is rapidly declining. If the vampire traditionalists keep this up, humanity could become extinct."

Iérti's words were like cold chilled ice running down Mallen's back. He barely moved, knowing the solemn truth in what Iérti was implying.

After a long silence, Mallen was finally going to say something, but Iérti didn't give him the chance to speak, standing up and turning to face him. He fixed his kind brown eyes on him, his tone pleading as he said, "Mallen, you're the oldest vampire in the land. You know the land and its history better than anyone. Pray tell, is there something we can do to stop this? Can Tavaly and the vampire traditionalists be defeated, or are we to endlessly fight to protect the humans? Is there a creature or weapon more powerful than our kind?"