Tenebrae HQ - 3:47am

"Who dares awaken me?" Dance bellowed, throwing open the oak doors so they flapped like demon wings. One of his Vetala slunk up in front of him and clicked in its own language, unintelligible to humans, but Dance could translate. "Toyola, what is the meaning of this?" The Vetala were Dance's 'children', born of his power and inheritances of his empire, so they all had their own name, like humans. But unlike the mortals that lived encapsulated in the idea that monsters were the means of fiction, Dance's children were named after the demons that lurked in Hell. And like any father, he looked after his Vetala, though he had his favourites. Toyola was not one of them.

"You should see this", the rhythmical clicks translated as, and it moved away, its long, tattered cape sweeping the ground. It lead him down one of the corridors, usually off-limits for anyone under Senior level. Hitting a panel on the wall, the door opened to a lagoon of black blood, and in the middle of it was Keres, trying to stand up. Her dress was shredded around the neck and sleeves, and her skin was tattooed with crimson, crescent moons. Around the base of her wrist were puncture wounds where she had tried to drink her own blood. Her eyes were feral and there was a vicious scarlet around them, contrasting the black tipped fangs that protruded from her lower jaw.

"Had a fun time?" Dance quipped, the smell of rusting iron filling the air. "Looks like it".

"Don't mock me, Dance", she answered, holding a hand to her bleeding abdomen.

"Is this all yours?" he asked, gesturing to the blood that had accumulated in the room.

"Yes. And I'm fine by the way".

"I'm sure you are, because you look wonderful", he said snarkily. "Is it possibly to have all this blood?" he thought.

"Vampires have the ability to store blood for emergencies. Like when a Hyde decides to turn up and shoot you", she answered, reading his mind.

"Ah well, it may not have been a good idea to put his girlfriend under a sickness curse. So that one's on you".

"'That one's on you'", she repeated in a mocking tone. "Yes, it is, I agree, but only because I decided to actually do something, unlike you".

"Uncalled for, darling. So, what happens now?"

"I need blood. The only thing keeping me alive right now is the Incubus demon, and its power will soon run out. And as you can see", she said gesturing around her. "I've already lost a lot".

"The Incubus...is keeping you alive?"

"If I told you 'yes', you would take it from me and kill me, wouldn't you?"

"What kind of gentleman would you take me for?"

"The kind that does those sorts of things".

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But", he said, stepping into the room. "That would give me your title and the power of a demon. So, it does give it more pros than cons".

"Then make it quick, dear. I wouldn't want to see your face for another damn second".

"Such a charmer", he quipped. He took a gun out of his jacket pocket and clicked the barrel into place. "I could just leave you for a Hyde to find, perhaps tear apart".

"I'm sure you could, but you want that power, need that power now. Because the tide is slowly turning isn't it, and you just can't wait. The Triumvirate are coming, it's written across every history book on Tenebrae. The end of all monsters. Including you".

"Don't be so trivial, Keres. It's not a good look for the dead". Without another thought, he fired a bullet into her windpipe, and a burst of blue-tinged smoke flew upwards. A face appeared in it - the Incubus. It looked around, there were no living creatures in the room apart from Dance. Quickly it recognised this and flung itself forward into him, so he fell backwards out of the room. Toyola didn't move. Just because she was created of this monster didn't ever mean she had to abide by him. After a few moments, she did turn and Dance rose up like a vengeful spirit, eyes with hellish fire burning inside them. It clicked a sentence to him, gesturing to Keres, who was undoubtedly deceased now, her face an ashen colour.

"What should we do with her?" the sentence translated as.

"Burn her, make sure she cannot rise again", he answered in an emotionless tone.

"But, she is Tenebrae's leader, is she not?"

"A new one has been appointed. And he is ordering you to burn her to ashes and throw them in holy water". He was terrified, though outwardly he acted as a brash figurehead, he was scared of the Triumvirate. Toyola knew the stories, and they all said what they were capable of, but not what they were. The only thing anyone could be certain of was that they were powerful, corrupt creatures, unlike anyone had seen. They would hide in plain view, but were not in anyway related to the Jekylls, or any other monster Tenebrae had witnessed. A question burned at Toyola's throat, one that she had been meaning to ask of Dance, but too afraid to speak out loud. But, she supposed today was a day of endings. Endings of leaders, and perhaps her fear to not speak out, not disapprove of anything.

"Why are you so scared?" Toyola asked, the words tumbling from her mouth before she had time to stop them. For a moment, Dance just looked at her, as if she was something unknown. Then he smiled.

"I am not scared, child. The tales of the Triumvirate do not make me afraid. Stories can be many things, they can bring joy, sadness, they can conquer your fears or keep you up at night, but they are just stories. And I suppose they are brilliant, false, but brilliant, because they make you feel alive. I remember when I was young I read the stories of the creatures that would bring every monster to their knees, and it made me afraid of the darkness for the first time. But I sat there, terrified to my wits, and I could hear my heart beating, loud as thunder. And I listened, because only in fear do you give ear to the proof that you're living", he said, finally finishing his speech. "So I suppose, yes, I am scared of the Triumvirate, I am actually terrified to be honest. But no creature, whether it be man or demon, will break us, and that is a promise". Toyola just accepted this cryptic answer and bundled Keres body into her arms, walking away. The bullet had left a sickening wound in Keres's neck, but no blood ran from it. She had been drained completely. It was the only way to kill a vampire of her status. Toyola ran over Dance's words in her head, and for a second just wanted to pray. Of course, she knew she couldn't; the Vetala were damned, they could not speak a word of Heaven, but she remembered a verse that her kind used instead. It was named 'This Bitter Language', and was about Hell rising, and showing their kind a path to freedom.

"I know your streets, sweet city. I know the demons and angels that flock, and roost in your boughs like birds. I know you, river, as if you flowed through my heart. I am your warrior daughter. There are letters made up of your body, as a fountain is made of water. There are languages of which you are the blueprint and as we speak them, the city rises".