Alesco:

I push aside my questions. I want to ask my mother, to get her to tell the tale again, to talk more of my father, but now is not the time. I have six vampires kneeling in front of me. Kneeling in front of me in submission to my authority. I feel my own strength and power.

It feels unfamiliar, alien, yet somehow it feels right. Just as the tone of authority feels natural, so does this position. I think back to the vision of all those vampires kneeling in front of me. Of the human brought before me. Of the sweet, warm taste of human blood. Power. I feel a longing for that, a longing for what I saw and felt and tasted.

I look down at them, Fabian and Aldon at the front. I don't recognise the rest. I look round at my mother. She meets my eyes but says nothing. The fire and rage is gone from Wynn's eyes now, he is looking at the kneeling vampires in confusion. He never saw what I saw, never felt what I felt.

"You can rise." I say. They rise to their feet. Six sets of glowing red eyes are fixed on me, waiting, expectant, submissive.

"Fabian." I say. "Introduce me to your companions."

"Of course my lady." He bows slightly before continuing.

"Aldon you already know." He indicates the vampire closest to him. His hair is longest of them all, indicating he is the oldest. Aldon bows.

"My lady." He says. I see wisdom in his eyes, like my father.

Fabian points out them all, one by one. Abel, Brendan, Delano and Draven. Abel is tallest, he looks like he has taken great care with his appearance. His black hair is parted neatly and his fangs gleam white.

Brendan has a fire in his eyes, a burning intensity. He nods at me.

Delano's skin is dark, ebony like the master. Strange compared to the usual paleness of our kind. His white fangs a distinct contrast. His voice is deep, gravelly as he says: "It is my honour to serve, my lady."

Draven is built larger than the rest, powerful looking, more muscular than most vampires I have seen. He says nothing.

"We are here, at your service." Fabian says. "For the hunt."

"What is this?" My mother asks. "What hunt are they talking about Alesco?"

I haven't told her about the Master's instructions, to bring in a hunting party of humans.

"The Master gave me a job. To bring in a hunting party, to bring in some humans." I say.

"What?" She says. "That is suicide Alesco, madness."

"No mother. It is necessary. To end the opression of our kind, to spread the darkness, to resume our rightful place as the stronger species." I say.

She stays silent, staring at me with a look I can't describe. I feel uncomfortable so look away.

"Do you have a map of the forest?" I ask Fabian.

I realise how unprepared I am, I have no plan, no approach, no method worked out. I haven't thought about the details. I just know we have to capture a hunting party.

He nods. "Yes, my lady. We have a building we can plan in. Closer to the center of the village. We have a map there."

"Very well." I say. "Let's go. Lead the way."

We start to move off towards the village, Wynn steps to my side and we follow our new companions. I stop and look at my mother.

"Mother, stay here. You are not coming on this." I say. I see hurt flash through her eyes, but she stops and steps back. I'm struck with a momentary flash of guilt. But I cannot trust her, not yet. Too many lies, too many questions.

I see faces looking at us as we pass. Eight vampires moving with purpose and direction. An unusual sight for the inhabitants of this place. We move past the huts and into the more permanent structures, moving closer and closer to the master's house again.

"How far it is?" I call ahead.

"Not far, my lady." Aldon calls back. There's something soothing about his tone.

"What are we doing, Alesco?" Wynn asks, quietly. His voice is so quiet I barely catch the words. I look at him, fixing my eyes on his.

"I need you to trust my judgement and follow my lead, or go back to mother." I say. There's a finality in my voice, a certainty.

He nods without pause, the seriousness has returned to his features."Very well sister. Very well. I will not let you go alone, no chance of that. So I will follow your lead."

The others have stopped at a building not far ahead. It's a stone building, smaller by far than the master house but larger than our hut. The thatched roof rises in a cone shape.

"Here we are." Says Fabian, indicating the door. "This is where we can plan."

He pulls open a wooden door and I step through, Wynn following close behind. As we step across the threshold I can see it's not as it seems from the outside, it is larger inside than it should be. We've entered a circular entrance chamber, with doors leading off into four other rooms. The solid stone walls and lights are in the same design as the master house.

"Take the door straight ahead." Says Aldon, entering behind us, followed by the others. I walk across quickly and through the open doorway. I am greeted with a large, rectangular room, soft grey carpet and flickering candle light. There's a fireplace, empty of flames and the room is windowless. The plain walls are an off-grey colour to match the carpet.

It smells of dust, and age and cobwebs. Of old candle wax and dead wood. In the center of the room is a large wooden table, surrounded by wooden chairs. On the wall hangs a huge map, drawn in dark greys and browns and greens. It looks as old as the room or older. Shadows performing their flickering dance give an eerie life to the map's forest. The table is bare with the exception of its own candles, unlit and quite unnecessary for us. We see in dark very well.

We are all in the room now and Fabian steps to my side.

"My lady, the map is there. If it is your wish, I will show you where we are." He says. I'm struck once again by the change in him. The self-assured, authoratative figure that led us in and barred our way is gone. He sounds almost fearful.

"Yes, please show me." I say.

We step to the map and I look at it. A large island is depicted, long and thin, surrounded by the dark grey waves of ocean. On the far left I see the city, pictures of towering buildings in lighter gray extending right to the sea, compact and borded by green grass on it's east side.

Over the grass, heading East towards the forest is the Hunter's main building, the predator's lair, the source of our troubles. A large fence extending from one side of the Island to the other, with little structures placed at intervals to protect their precious city, the centre of their control.

The forest stretches from the fence to the sea and from coast to coast, North and South. The Island is mostly forest, mostly trees. Perfect living for vampires.

"We are here, my lady." Says Fabian, pointing to location in the middle of the forest, closer to the ocean than I guessed. The trees are darker on this part of the map, almost shaded over. I imagine that indicates the area of perpetual darkness.

I've never visited the sea, never seen it, though father used to talk of it. I look at the picture of the gray waves and notice at the topof the map a slither of land entering the picture. It is thin but it is there.

"Where is that?" I ask Fabian, pointing at the strip of green.

"I do not know my lady." He says, bowing as he speaks.

"Ok." I say. "So, if we're here, we'll need to get closer to this building to capture our humans." I say, pointing at the Headquarter building.

"We don't need to go so close." Fabian says. "Although the hunters will not come to this area, at least for the moment." He points at the shaded area, the darkened forest. "They will come to most of the other areas of the forest."

"So, we don't need to go dangerously close. We will have to draw them in and ambush them." He says.

"How do we do that?" I ask. "They seem to specialise in ambushing us."

Aldon steps forward to join us at the maps. I glance back at the others, they are all standing silently, watching the exchange. Wynn is a standing separate to the others, eyes fixed on me.

"My lady" Aldon says, "They have machines and they are skilled at ambush. We will have the protection of the Master's spell. As we are protected here, we shall be protected there. We will draw them in, they will come to attack, to capture, to turn. But their darts will not hit us, will have no effect. With their advantage gone and our superior strength and speed we can overpower them and bring them in."

"We watched our father captured, our brother." Wynn says, stepping forward. "How do we know this spell will work? How can we trust it?"

Fabian steps towards Wynn, I see the anger flare up in his eyes. "Who are you to dare question the Master?" he says.

I see Wynn tense and his eyes start to burn. "I will question as I wish. Who are you to order me?" He says.

"Enough!" I say. They continue to glare at each other, saying nothing, tense and agitated, ready for battle. I'm not sure if they heard me, if they'll listen.

"Fabian, step back." Says Aldon. "Remember yourself."

Fabian steps back and looks away from Wynn. "I apologise my lady." he says, kneeling in front of me.

"Accepted. Now rise." I say. I turn to Aldon. "The question is valid, are you certain the spell will hold?" I ask.

"Yes, my lady. As certain as I am of my own name."

I nod. "Very well. Has it been cast?"

"A fine question, Alesco." It's the quiet, hissing voice, almost in my head. I look up for the source and there is the master, standing by the doorway. Cloak rippling gently, the black hole of his face gazing at us.

The six vampires of our hunting group sink to their knees immediately.

"My Lord." Comes the various voices, almost in unison. Wynn remains standing, staring at the shape, distrust etched into his features, his face set.

The master pays no attention to any of them. I stare back into the darkness beneath the hood, waiting, expectant but I say nothing.

"You have your group, your soldiers. They are yours to command." The quiet hissing voice says. "Bring me the human group and we will free your kind."

"You already told me." I say, I hear the challenge in my own voice, there is something I don't like about this creature, something I don't trust. But it has power, I have felt it, and I want it.

"Yes, Alesco. I did." It says. It turns it's head slightly and raises an arm.

"You will bow to me." I see Wynn pushed to the ground, onto his knees. His face is contorted in rage but he can't fight it.

"Why are you here? I told you I would bring them to you." I say.

"Yes you did. And I expect nothing less." It says. "And I promised a spell to keep you safe from the darts."

The creature lifts both arms into the air. A murming chant drifts through the air, through the room. I can't make out the words, just the repetative humming sound, the hiss. A glow is rising up from the ground. Green mist is swirling up, wrapping its way around my body, there's a warmth to it, I feel it press against my skin.

The same is happening to us all, the mist twisting its way around our bodies. It reaches my head and I am completely surrounded, momentarily blinded.

And then it stops. I open my eyes and see the others exactly as they were, kneeling on the grey carpet, staring at the creature they call the master.

"Alesco, you are protected." It says. "Now bring them to me."

The master disappears with a swirl of his cloak, dissolving into the shadows, merging with the darkness.