The Ancient One

Chapter 2

  Rēzekne Latvia, May

"My Queen, we have a request from the...ahem...vampire leadership of Atlanta, GA in America. They have a wild vampire outbreak, and have requested that we assist. They sent a paper letter...on parchment," the chamberlain said, and he actually smiled, something he rarely did.

"And they are not able to contain this outbreak, without outside assistance?" an old female voice asked.

It was a petition hearing session, and the Queen and her immediate advisors were behind a black curtain, not allowing anyone to see them. It was an old custom, from the early days of the Kingdom of the Baltics. This Kingdom would never be found on any history maps, at least none known by regular society, or any common historians. Sure, there were some mentions in the more esoteric histories, but nothing that credible scholars referred to. Incredibly, the Kingdom still existed in the modern age, despite the known political boundaries, and their various changes over the past millennium.

"Your Majesty, we have no reason to believe they are unable to contain this on their own," the chamberlain said.

"Provide what intelligence you have," the woman's voice instructed.

"The 'letter' did not contain much, as you could imagine with such old fashioned methods of communication. Regardless, we have done our own limited research. The outbreak is not great, but it is growing. The source is currently unknown, as the Americans are unfamiliar with the infection and how it works, so there is not much to give. All we know is that a cargo ship is probably the source, the report of the ship coming in mid-March. There are a string of victims moving inland from there, stopping in the Atlanta vicinity. I am sorry, Majesty, but we do not have enough to base any decisions on."

There was a protracted pause, the chamberlain hearing a whispered discussion as he waited.

"From initial estimated landfall until first body near this city, Atlanta, what is the estimated time, and what is the distance covered in that time?" the girl seated beside the old woman asked.

"The estimated distance is 400 kilometers, or as the Americans mark distance, 249 miles. It is estimated that from first landfall to Atlanta was two, maybe three weeks, if the cargo ship is where landfall occurred. I wish I could be more precise, but we have no solid intel," he replied.

"Begin our standard entry into the region. We will commit to assisting the brethren in Atlanta, Georgia, but only if they agree to our usual terms. If there are any usual negotiations, conduct them as you see fit, and anything more serious will be conducted on site when we arrive. Schedule our official arrival on October 1st, and we will host a ball for the local leadership within a week or two. You decide the timing, as you see fit. Make the ball a masquerade. We will arrive in August, but they do not need to know that. Until then, they are to exert every resource they have to keep it contained, including stopping any end walks, and give them instructions on how best to try and contain it. Find us a liaison that we can work with. It would be nice if this person could be trusted, but do what you are able," the girl said.

"Yes, Majesty," the chamberlain said, bowed and left the chamber.

"Are you sure of this, Kristiana?" Charlotte asked the girl by her side.

"I think this needs our attention, Charlotte. The Americans have never had an outbreak before, and do not know how to fight it. We need to address it before it becomes too large, and the alpha moved a large distance very quickly. Not only that, it is now in a large city. If I thought we could get there faster, I would urge us to do so. Regardless, this also gives us an opportunity in America, which we have never had before," Kristiana said, staring at the floor, deep in thought. Finally she looked back at the older woman, "You may think I am wrong, but I do not. There is a feeling I have that this outbreak might be a bad one."