Traces of Evil

Chapter 8

"We need to eat", roared Branniff, baring his sharp fangs.

He was one of the larger vampyrans of the group – both in size and personality.

It was true. Since I had arrived several days ago I hadn't seen a single member of the tribe eat. Not one morsel. This fact alarmed me. What were these beasts running on? Another fact that alarmed me was that I 'd been fed well. I had attempted to share my portions but Ariana had refused at every offering. I feared there was a deep resentment growing among the others.

"It's too dangerous, they are always out in numbers at the week's end", argued Ariana.

"Ariana, we need to keep our strength up, we cannot fight them so weak if the time calls upon it", spoke an elder I had seen at a previous meeting.

His name I'd learned was Dimitri. He was the eldest vampyran among them. According to Ariana, he was roughly three hundred and ten years old which gave his sentiments a lot of weight at group meetings. He was strong as an ox, with broad shoulders and a barrel-like chest. His thick long locks were flickered with grey, the only tell-tale sound that he was far older than most of the others.

We were situated in the centre of a large dome-shaped cavern. A large burning cauldron stood in the centre on a raised stone platform. In the flickering orange light I could see that every inch of the walls had been decorated with rich, intricate carvings, depicting fantastical scenes from their planet's history. I gazed up at the walls in reverie until an angry, accusing voice caught my attention.

"The human is clouding your judgement", shouted Branniff, enraged.

Ariana stepped back, defeated, her gaze falling to the ground.

"I say we leave him to fend for himself", spoke another from the crowd.

"He is as much a risk with us as he is without us!" shouted another. "He has seen where we live. They will torture him to get to us. I say we kill him"

I stood uneasily. Had I really survived, abandoned my life and my family just to die in the pits of the Earth, alone. I had to try.

"I know I do not offer much. I know I am just a human and I am not strong like your race here. I know I am young and naïve and that I have lived my few years in ignorance. But I am here, now. I did not want any of this to happen, and neither did you. I want revenge just as you do. I do not know the world below but I do know the one above. Maybe I can be of some use to you?"

At first, silence filled the cavern and then intense discussions began breaking out amongst the rabble, speaking in a melodic language I could not understand.

As silence reigned once again, it was Branniff who declared the verdict, "If you survive the hunt tonight, we will count you among us". 

He smiled almost mockingly. Ariana refused to meet my eyes.