The Hunt

Chapter 22

Alesco:

"Alesco, come to me." The hissing voice of the master fills my mind. I am sitting in a wooden chair, in a dark room. The others are here, gathered in a solemn silence, waiting. The master told us to wait here for instructions. Although Fabian left for a while, he is back now. To feed the humans, he said.

We brought the humans in. It was easy. Too easy. I'm wondering more and more why and how they took control, how we ran from them for so long. One hundred years and their power was held in a single silver dart laced with poison. Nothing more. They are weak, they are foolish.

We placed them, alive, in cells the master had prepared. The one they call Darren was in bad shape, unconscious and weak. But his heartbeat was strong, so I am sure he will survive. The journey back here was filled with painful temptation for me, their bodies warmed by a beating heart and flowing blood. I craved that blood, its warmth and its strength.

I walked ahead of the group, with no human to carry of my own. I'm not sure I could have resisted otherwise. What has the master done to me? Even now I feel it, lingering like an unwanted tick. None of the others seemed or seem to be affected by it. I thought of asking Wynn about it, whether he felt it, but I didn't want to in front of the others. Of course I know they crave blood, we all do, in hunger. But this is different, stronger, almost uncontrollable. Almost.

I rise from my chair and Wynn looks up at me with a questioning look.

"The master has summoned me." I say. Wynn gets to his feet and moves to join me. The quiet voice of the master fills my mind again.

"Alone. Come alone."

Wynn must have heard it too because he stops and looks at me. Uncertainty and anger fill his eyes. He knows he cannot fight the master. Cannot battle the power he wields.

"I will be ok brother. Do not worry."

The cells are in the same building, down below the ground. I step through the door leading to the staircase. I step heavily down the old wooden steps, causing them to creak. I enjoy hearing the creak of the floor beneath my feet, I enjoy making my weight felt. We are natuarally silent and stealthy and I enjoy being different.

The corridor below is dimly lit, the light drifting from around a corner. I walk towards the corner, towards the light and I hear the shuffling of humans, the beating of hearts, their deep breathing. I smell their scents, the scent of bodies and fear and blood, it pulls me forward. I quicken my pace and move around the corner.

Floating above is a single orb, the only source of light, free and untethered.

The master is there. He has a human held by the throat. The other humans are standing further along the grey, stone corridor. One is lying on his back. I cannot tell if he is injured. Another kneels at his side, tending to him, so I assume he is. I recognise Darren at the front, staring intently at the master, standing stock still as though fixed in place. None of them have noticed my presence in the dimness.

I stop where I am as the master reaches for his hood. "Now you will see." He says to the human he is holding. He is a giant of a man, larger than the master, but his human strength means nothing.

That unusual feeling of fear trickles through me and my body shudders. I have never seen what lies beneath that hood, never seen anything but the inpenetrable darkness.

The master's hood slithers from his head, resting against his back. I step back without thought, shock replacing my fear. I see the closest humans recoil too, looks of terror etched onto their faces. The head is like nothing I have seen, rising up, mouth open with four, pointed fangs. Beady eyes, black as the deepest night. Black, scaled skin. A cobra. Two flaps of the cobra's skin open at either side of its head in a fierce display of aggression.