The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Interlude: Strategy and Tactics

The headquarters of the First Earth Army. 

"What you suggest is the abandonment of strategy," said General Crab. He sat back. The First Earth Army hid in the depths of the earth in an abandoned system of tunnels which once ran all over the city. Many were flooded but the ones which remained served as invulnerable fortresses. 

"As I have said, I have deduced many things," said John Rene the Ferryman. "The coven is weak, there number few and they will be weaker during the coming wedding of the Duke and Duchess. After that forces will increase and demands for blood from your people will surely grow."

"You have told me why you plan but what makes you think a fool scheme like this will work?" said the General. 

"In a word her" said Rene indicating Elizabeth. Next to him.  People moved and while they did the light cast from the candles flickered in the air. Light danced around her. She deliberately dressed as they did. Green uniform, short military hair, worn boots, dust in the rubble from nights watching the tower.  

"I don't trust her, " said one of the Captains.

At this Elizabeth grew agitated "How many of their kind do you want me to kill before you believe me? I am not one of them. I loath and detest every one of them I will not stop until each one is dead and their bones as ashes on the wind".

Elizabeth did not welcome another loyalty test. Each night in her nightmares and then dreams she tasted the flesh she ripped at like a wild dog. The vampire was the most satisfying but her dreams kept returning to the taste of the humans. She found her self licking her lips if she thought of them. She got Rene to whip her. Rene thought that the whippings were caused by her sorrow and guilt at the revenge attacks. The school to the south which had been killed and the children's blood used to write demands on the walls. It had made the first Earth army slow to attempt anything new but it had convinced them she was on their side. 

"And then what would you do, if you had your way? what ? Fall on your own sword?" said a Captain.

Rene was alarmed at this, Elizabeth was fanatical enough to agree to this. "As I have said She is NOT one of them. Silver flows through her veins resisting their corruption she is not under their shadow"

The meeting had gone on for hours. The plan clear, they would attack at night, Rene was the only one in London who knew the reefs and wrecks well enough to navigate at night. He would guide the barges close but in the dark then take Elizabeth and some other brave warriors to the docks to take it. The coven would be distracted by a wedding. 

"General Crab, come with me and let me speak in quite moment and let me calm your fears" said Elizabeth.

After some debate the General agreed, they went into his private rooms next to his war room and closed the door.

******

"So say your peace, but if you think you can ply your womanly charms think again" said The General pouring him self a drink. 

"Would my womanly charms work?" asked Elizabeth looking around the generals spartan room.

"No, I won't get my men killed for my dick. I owe them that" the General promised. 

Elizabeth brought her self up to her full hight, she knew what she was about to do was wrong.  She stared at the general so intensively it was as if her eyes grew red. The General stopped speaking so jovially. He looked back at her.  She spoke to him using the stare and voice she used when she really wanted something from Rene. The last time she had told him that he would stop offering his blood to her and find more dogs and rats for her to drink from. To her shame it worked

"You want to fell that tower, you want to slaughter the coven inside it. You want to protect your family your friends your people and you will let nothing hinder you to that goal. You want to behave like a man and like a general."

"Ey,... Ey to that" said General Crab.

Elizabeth hated what she had done but it was a necessary sin. A tainted victory over them is still a victory, compromises to her nature would be made. She promised herself that once she had completed the destruction of the coven and made sure it's stump would not regrow she would slaughter herself.  With this as punishment, no crime would be too great. 

Elizabeth stepped forward and felt the metacrine move with her. She had watched the degenerate princess pull it out before permitting Sadissmann to nail her to the wall. She remembered seeing the princess's indulgent smile while she had been taken. Later Elizabeth had watched from daylight hiding hole as the princess had failed to recover it after being discovered. Elizabeth had taken it and washed it. She felt the power of it. Then the other Nosferatu had turned up looking for it. She had killed them and fed upon the familiar traitors. Their live blood tasted so sweet, afterwards she felt so alive. She had worn the metacrine as punishment for herself. It rubbed as she walked.  Now she wore it as a reminder of her humility. She was a bride.  With it on she no longer gave herself to Rene, he was becoming to ready to please all the time. for her the metacrine became a talisman, she would be the mother of destruction for the vampires. With every movement this reminded her. 

"So it's agreed we will attack," said Elizabeth removing her power from him. 

"Aye, we will" said the General nodding. "The date of the wedding has not been announced, it will be months but we must be well prepared for then. Let's go back and tell the others before they think you have had time to influence me."