Bred For Extinction

The Protector of the Species

The blood feast has pushed deep into the night. Even after most have collapsed from gorging themselves, bodies breathing heavily from exotic rapture, the messenger continues to drink heavily. Euphoric is his state as the blood slides down his palette so much sweeter than his normal nourishment. Still, all things must come to an end as delight stops abruptly with a tap to his shoulder, bringing his senses back to the immediate surroundings.

"Lord Penduran demands your presence in his chamber," the servant's voice rings clear like a bell from its' imposing tower, snapping all pleasure from the messenger's features. A single towel handed slowly allows for the cleansing of stained lips and chin, dripping thick with crimson streaks.

"Yes, of course," the messenger stands, moving precariously to slowly follow as worry creeps into his mind.

The servant leads him through several corridors until they arrive at their destination, and as the entrance door is creaked open, Penduran stands waiting with expectation. "Did you enjoy the feast?" A quick hand waves the servant to be gone.

"Yes, thank you my Lord. It is nice to have a catered meal instead of having to chase it down myself," gratitude beaming from his expression, working to show the utmost in admiration out of fear.

"Ah, yes, I forget sometimes how the above-ground children must still fight for their meals from the wild."

Bewilderment slowly turns the messengers' features. Realizing the sense of confusion, Penduran continues, "We have the luxury of our own cattle here, taken as children from the humans. After all, they have so many, and suffer with their own sicknesses of perversion. Who worries or notices the few we take for our stock? With time, humans reproduce fairly efficiently and lead to a large reserve of meals. Vile creatures....even in captivity their lustful needs explode. Hard to believe I was once so...as were you. This all being true, why should we tale chances out in the wild, feeding like savages and risking exposure? Although, I do miss the seer joy of capturing a wild meal, there is no need to take the chance with unknown blood...especially with all the disease the human carriers host. Yet, you...you must be young to not know this information?" The question comes with knowledge.

"Young...compared to my master and certainly compared to you...yes"

"And surely a selfish master you have...not to even feed his own children. That is what a father is for...to protect and to provide," Penduran's expression shows a frown of discouragement. "I am sure the knowledge he has taught you is even less than the dinners he has provided"

"I only know what my master wishes me to know and that information is restricted to the understanding of when he is hungry."

The Lord of this abode nods his head in believe, "I knew this because you do not know me. There was a time when my name was above all but a few. All learned of what I have accomplished. Perhaps this is why I have little remorse for the young masters of this generation. There is no remembrance of history...and so it is better that your master is no longer with us," shoulders shrugs with little sympathy.

"No longer with us?" pandemonium explodes in the messengers' expressions.

"Surely you can feel, yes?" eyes flash quickly to catch a glimpse of the weaker one's appearance. "Can you not smell your blood weakening as we speak, becoming stale without your father's powers...becoming of little use to our race. What good is a feeder who can never reproduce or provide. But do not worry; your purpose has been served. Even though most of my children never have need to leave our home, I still have my eyes and ears planted amongst the wilderness. Tales had reached me of the great wolf of which your superior's reports proclaim. Yet still, my one source of confidence, my own queen, is usually the true telling factor. Without her word I do not act. She has a very strong connection with the beasts, for various reason we need not discuss now....or ever. But surely this time, she is hiding her information. Even now, one of my children is working towards the meeting of this wolf and I. Your report has confirmed all. That my queen is disloyal and the time for my purpose is once again at hand."

"Your purpose?"

"I forget again how uneducated you are. Since you have completed your function, and must die anyway, then I will explain some of my history that your master was so undutiful in explaining," his eyes glance up as hands flow outward, narcissism showing heavily. "I am Lord Penduran of the first house, the house of my master Andraste. I am the protector of all seven great families. My purpose has always been to destroy the threats against our race from the wolf and witch alike. The champion defender and ultimate conqueror of both the dog race and their creators is what I am. Humans pose no obstacle. Truth be known, they assist and even promote our culture through their blindness in religious matters. Your ancestors in the house of Roudantre did not even exist when my greatest battles were won. I was there when your house was formed and accepted as the seventh and final house." Disgust begins to line his features as the next words come, "How lowly your family has become compared to what we envisioned."

A long pause erupts as Penduran watches the messengers' actions reflect fear. "Human once, I was a man with a great desire for power and even a greater thirst for bloodshed. Long before the Romans conquered their kingdom...long before man even thought of keeping records or journals of their scarce accomplishments...I soldiered, I commanded, I ruled the battlefield in destruction and granted death upon all who opposed. Perhaps that is why I was selected ...for my greatness in feeding my future race. After all my conquests, there was always a bloodstained battlefield, rivers of life still warm to the touch and the palette. Think how once the great master thought...if as human I could gather so much carnage...what could I bring as a vampiric immortal.

The messenger stands lost, like a sheep without his Shepard, watching Penduran's gloating, almost godlike demeanor. More words flow as Penduran continues with his legend, "I conquered their greatest, and as the years waned on did I protect against any future action. The great wolves that have stood before me have proved little challenge. Even now, as they come quicker and quicker with the years, the threat is so small that my armies have been dismantled and I sit and waste my time here...awaiting another foolish wolf that believes his time has come. And so my days are spent."

The hiatus in speech that now lingers is seemingly eternal as the Lord contemplates what is to come next, "Come to me child. Although your not blood of my blood, I accept you as one who has fulfilled his duty to the race. Let me taste your flesh...the wildness of an above ground feeder. Let it empower me in my upcoming battle, not that it is truly needed, but you are of little use to any now. You might as well feed one of the greatest and be privileged to die in such a way."

The messenger has long lost any sense of words as eyes stare blankly and lifeless to Penduran, hypnotized with the power that has flowed from the Lord's mouth.

"Come, there is no one to defend you...to claim you as their child. You are now obsolete. At least realize the end and pass your blood on with dignity as you feed a superior."

The courier that believed he brought such important news now knows there is no choice, and so he steps closer into waiting arms.

"Yes, come to my arms. You will see how easy it all ends," Penduran's embrace wraps around the son of another father, and in almost a loving way do fangs slide deep into flesh, drinking deeply of the crimson elixir that is no longer useful to the race...except for feeding.