The Vampire's Rival

If it doesn't kill you, the past will mark you

I balked at how ridiculous we looked as we ran to Paluri's Enclave. I was leading a literal army of vampires. In the past, I would have considered it overkill, but not now, after the news from the other Enclaves.

Tristan was still not back, and I was worried. He was one of the best vampires I knew, and I would truly hate myself if anything happened to him. After claiming back the Enclave, he'd asked little of me, only requesting that he reprised his role of caring for and training Lujeo's Progenies. Teroi and the other male Progenies who'd survived the Sun Festival massacre were now gone, but they weren't the last of Lujeo's Progenies. Every five years, including this year, right before the Sun Festival, Lujeo would put out an order for new Progenies. As it stood, Kitari had already picked two boys and a girl for him, and the newborns were currently in a nursery in Lujeo's mansion. I could let Kitari care for them, but Tristan had insisted on maintaining Lujeo's legacy and taking care of the Progenies after coming back from his assignment at Paluri's Enclave.

This was why I had thirty Freelancers with me to go find him. We figured it was safer to only have Freelancers with me. Some of the other vampires who'd volunteered to join me still had Masters, but Masters could be compromised by dead fledglings. Freelancers had no true Masters. I made it a point to emphasize this. Even though their loyalty was mostly influenced by Kitari's encouragement, under my leadership, I guaranteed that their freedom as freelancers would be respected. Their commitment to me was a choice. They could always choose a new Master. I didn't want slaves.

The last time I'd led vampire armies was during the UV Wars to overpower the humans because they were hell bent on destroying the planet to prove their side's point. This time, the world's potential end was technically our fault as vampires - the apex predators who'd forcefully asserted dominance over all other predators, killing them for sport and entertainment. Now, the dogs we'd tortured had vampire abilities and were flexing their power over us.

In the end, karma is a bitch.

We arrived at Paluri's Enclave without incidence, which was the first sign that something wasn't right. Paluri's report had painted the picture that there was a lot worse happening here. Admittedly, we did find the Enclave in shambles, with most buildings burned to ash and the ones still standing being eerily silent. The Enclave was quiet. A little too quiet. Lushiko had sent the majority of fledglings from his Enclave to other Enclaves. Maybe that was what Paluri had done too?

"Where is everyone?" one of the Freelancers asked as we walked past the ruins.

Paluri's was the most beautiful of all Enclaves. At least, it used to be. He was a lover of art, and his Enclave reflected that. Now, broken art installations, shattered sculptures and smashed monuments littered the empty streets and the only "paintings" on the buildings were gory swatches of blood.

"No ghouls," I replied, swallowing the dread that was climbing up my throat. "That's a good sign at least."

Paluri finally met us, walking up from a hidden blind that he explained he'd been using to wait for us for days. He took us to where he and most of his Enclave's members were holed up. It was a male Blood Barn. One of the few in his Enclave. They had built makeshift towers against the inside of the Barn's wall and had posted vampires on the towers, protecting the Barn using bows and arrows. Paluri's people were artists, excellent at mimicking human creation. Even though they might have seemed primitive, those bows were immaculately designed and the arrows filling their quivers incredibly effective, judging from the dozens of vampire dog and zombie corpses littering the outside perimeter of the Barn.

"Feel free to go feed," Paluri said pointing towards the Barn clinic. "We have enough blood bags and donors."

"Thank you, Paluri," I said, sending my men to feed. Several days of fast travel without rest was draining. Then I asked the question that had been consuming me for days. "Is Tristan still alive?"