The Blood God

Chapter 10

High Commander Dmitry sat in his office with his elbows on the arms of his chair and one hand holding the other as he stared off into the distance, deep in thought. Scarcely lit with candles, the room was full of shadows. A small group of men dressed in light black leather and black cloaks, were among them. Their garments were clearly made for spying and remaining agile.

“General Mizer, how long has it been since Jezebel and her friends started their training?”

            “A few months, sir.” The General rubbed absently at a particularly deep scar on his arm.

            The High Commander breathed in deeply. “Only a few months?” He leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. “And how is she progressing? Are you sure she’s the one?”

            “Without a doubt, sir. She shows the appropriate skills.”

            The High Commander mulled this over in his head. “How likely is that? That one of them should find themselves here under our very roof? Do we have any idea where the other three are?”

            One of the men bowed his head slightly. “Regrettably, we have searched everywhere. Every rumor that we followed led us to a dead end.” The other men in the room bowed their heads, too, disappointed they didn’t have better news.

The General let out an audible exhale, the leather strap across his chest that held his giant sword, creaked as he gripped it tighter. The prolonged silence from the High Commander was making everyone uneasy.

“However, just before I returned, I did hear strange whisperings of a young nobleman who unexpectedly showed great strength one day,” the scout continued. “We don’t know much more than that, not even his exact location. Only that he hails from the southwestern lands, possibly within the Duchy of Poland or the Holy Roman Empire. I’m having my men look into it.”

            “Good.” The High Commander shifted in his chair. “Vampire activity has been picking up in the past few months, and I fear it could only mean one thing. Have we any more word on them?”

            The other scout in black straightened. “Not yet, sir. I have located many small nests but have heard no whispers of anything significant nor seen any suspicious activity.”

            “You keep yourself safe. Your job is incredibly dangerous. Getting too close to any of those nests during the wrong time of day could mean the death of you. In the meantime, we will continue as planned.” He addressed the first scout in black again. “You, keep searching for the other three. It may be time for reinforcements soon. I feel a sudden sense of urgency these days, as if things are about to take a turn for the worse. You are dismissed for now.” The man bowed, and Dmitry turned to the remaining scout in the room. “And you, keep checking those nests. Find out if they know anything we don’t.”

The last scout bowed and left.

After they were gone, he continued. “In the meantime, I think it will be soon that we start Jezebel training with you,” Dmitry said to a figure hidden from the other men, concealed in one of the dark corners of the room. “Let’s set the deadline in three months’ time. She should be more practiced then.”

The shadowed figure shifted his position slightly, allowing the side of his frame to be illuminated. “As you wish.”

 “When the time comes, see that it happens in a concealed location. Understand? No one must know of this,” the High Commander said.

General Mizer nodded. “By your command.”

“Good. You’re both dismissed.”

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