Alesco:

We move forwards, Fabian and Aldon are in the lead, taking us West. I'm surrounded by the others, as though being protected. Wynn is by my side. I hear the padding feet of the wolves and their deep breathing behind us. It's almost a growling sound.

I think back to what I know of the wolves. They've always been here, that much I know. And they've always existed alongside vampires, sharing in survival. But I've never had much contact with them. They are always near, but never too near. They feed from our hunts, although they also hunt themselves, and they follow us.

They are not hunted by the humans, they are left in peace. I wonder now why that is. Why, if they are allies of the vampires, are they left to live in peace? And how can they be messengers of the master? These are questions I will need to answer, somehow, some time. Perhaps when we return I will ask. Or perhaps sooner if the opportunity arises.

I feel a shift in the air, like we're stepping out of something or into something new. A notable change in the atmosphere. I look around.

"We are leaving the perpetual darkness." Aldon says over his shoulder. "You can feel the shift as we leave the protection behind."

That's what I can feel. I did not notice the change when we entered. I sniff the air and listen to the sounds. Nothing unusual. Nothing human. I hear the rustling insects, the calls of the forest life, scratching claws and burrowing paws, and the fluttering of wings. But there are no human sounds. I remember the day father was caught, they masked their sounds and smells. Maybe they are doing that now.

"Hunters could be anywhere around here." Says Fabian. "But we don't expect them so close to the line. So, we'll contine to move west."

I nod. The closer we get to their headquarters, the more likely we will encounter them. The more dangerous it becomes. But the spell should hold, I hope the spell will hold. It's the only way I know to save my father, if he still lives. And Clemente. By bringing the humans and spreading the darkness we can break them free, rise up as a species and take control.

"Do you think they live, father and Clemente?" I ask Wynn. He turns his gaze on me and pauses, thoughtful.

"I hope so." He says. "We do not know what happens once they are turned and taken. None I know of have ever returned."

I stay silent, thinking. I saw his fangs shrink and his eyes change. Is he truly human? The tales tell of being turned to humans, but not of what happens then, not of why they turn us, or what their intensions are. The humans started a crusade to rid the world of vampires, but our stories never say why.

The stories say we lived in harmony before it begun. Side by side, they in the light and we in the dark. But the vision the master showed me gives me a different idea. Perhaps we were the hunters, they the prey. Perhaps they rose up in defense? To protect themselves?

These last days have shattered everything I've known. Taken away the foundations of my life. I will need to get answers before long. Real answers. Answers that will satisfy my thirst to know.

"What are you thinking, Alesco?" Wynn asks, looking at me.

"I'm thinking of the questions. The questions that have arisen since father was taken." I say.

"There are many." He says simply. "And there's much I do not like about all this."

I know he doesn't like it, doesn't trust the master, these vampires. I can sense that he'd rather we were back out, our small family fending for ourselves, away from all this. And a part of me would like the same, to be back before they were taken, before mother revealed the secrets of her past. But he didn't see what I saw, feel what I felt. We are meant for more than running and hiding. We can never go back to how it was. Not now.

"I know, brother. I know. But there is much to be gained if we end the hunt." I say.

"Much for who?" He asks.

"For all of our kind." I say. "We can remove the oppression that we suffer."

"And what of the humans?" He asks. I pause, thoughtful. What of the humans? Those who have hunted us for as long as I remember. Those who captured my father and brother. Those who have captured countless others. I feel the anger burning, rising up in me. And I recall the taste of blood, human blood. The sweet taste. The strength it gave surpassed anything I have felt before. Even though it was only a vision.

"What of them?" I say. "They have hunted us for a century. There time to run is coming."

He says nothing, staring ahead, a troubled, thoughtful look on his features. The face of the hunter who let us run flashes into my mind. Why did he let us run? Why didn't he attack?

"What of the one who let us go? Would you hunt him too?" Wynn asks, as though in answer to my thoughts.

Wynn doesn't know what I saw in my vision. Doesn't know that it was that very human I drank from, that I gifted with immortality. That I gave the strength of our kind.

"We can give them eternity, Wynn. Those who deserve it. Those who submit to our power." I say.

"I don't know what you saw Alesco, but you have changed. Perhaps you will share it with me, so I can understand." He says. There is a pain in his voice that strikes me like a blow. I cannot share the vision here. I know the others are listening to all we say. I still don't know if I want to.

"Perhaps I will explain it. But your promised to follow and trust my judgement. I hope that you still can." I say.

"I won't forget my promise." He says. "I will follow, I will protect, I will do all I can to see you safe and father freed."

"What of the lies he has told?" I ask. "Father and mother both."

"Of that he will need to answer. But he cannot answer unless we see him free." Wynn says.

We fall into silence and continue our swift and silent walk through the trees.

Time passes in an endless blur as the moon rises higher into the sky. The stars twinkle, scattered throughout the blackness of the sky. Mist is rising amidst the trees, rising from the forest floor and clinging to the tree trunks, leaving drops of glistening water on the leaves. The temperature must be dropping.

I see a fox through the trees, frozen in terror, trying to hide in it's stillness. It knows it could never outrun a hunting vampire. I smell the fear. I focus my hearing and hear the rapid thrum of it's heartbeat, drumming against its chest as though it knew it may stop soon. Lukily for the fox we are not hunting.

I remember the first time I hunted for food. I was five years old, and I begged my father to let me come along. Wynn and Clemente could both hunt by then, though father usually brought the food. And I had never yet been. He agreed to let me come with him. I was able to be fast and quiet as all of our kind are, even the young ones, but I was also careless and over excitable.

"Alesco, you will have to tread lightly, carefully, quietly or you will scare the animals." My father said as we left the village and made our way into the trees. I nodded my head at him and he smiled down at me.

"You'll have to find us something to hunt." He said. "Use your nose and eyes and ears." I can remember straining my ears for something, but all of the noises seemed like a blur.

"But I can hear so much." I said to my father in frustration. "How can I find anything in all that noise."

He smiled again. "You have to learn to separate them out. They are all around, some nearer, some further. If you listen closely you will be able to separate them out. Practice. Same goes for your nose and the scents." He said.

I stopped and listened. After what felt like forever the sounds began to separate. And I heard the padding of paws, not too far away.

"I hear something." I whispered, excitedly.

"Good. Where is it?" He asked me, his voice was so quiet there was almost no sound. I pointed to where I thought it was.

"Excellent. Let's go and catch it." He whispered. "Move as quietly as you can."

I crept forward, with the lighest steps I could muster, almost gliding over the crisp, fallen leaves of autumn. I remember the excitement, mixed with deep concentration, focusing everything I had on getting it right.

My body responded, instinct kicking in and taking control. I was born for this. I knew what to do. I listened with each step. The padding of paws had stopped, but I could hear the rustling and digging noises, could hear the breathing now, as the creature rummaged around, looking for something.

And then I saw it, the organge fur glowing in the moonlight, white tipped tail swishing. My excitement took over and I cracked a twig beneath my foot, losing my concentration. The fox looked round, fixing it's green eyes on me. I stopped and stared, standing stock still.

The fox turned and ran, darting away in the blink of an eye. I let go of all restraint and tore off after it, dashing through the trees. I was faster, much faster. I pounced through the air and landed on top of the fox, landing with a crash and holding up the terrified creature, ecstatic that I'd caught it.

My father laughed as he appraoched. "Not bad for a first try he said." He took the terrified fox gently and dispatched it quickly.

"Never make your prey suffer without need." He said. "Let's get back to feed the family, little hunter."

I look back at the terrified fox. "It's ok little one, we're not hunting today." I say to him. The sound of my voice startles him out of his trance and he turns and takes off into the trees. Aldon turns and looks at me, an unreadable expression on his face.

Aldon says something to Fabian I cannot hear and they both stop.

"What is it?" I ask, as we all stop. I hear the wolves panting behind us.

"My lady, I'd like to survey the area." Aldon says.

"How?" I ask. What does he mean by survey the area? He doesn't respond, but looks up into the tree tops, as though searching. Without warning he lets out a hooting noise, a series of sounds in quick succession.

I watch as he repeats the sound several times. No one says anything. There's a sound from above and an owl glides down and lands on Aldon's outstretched arm. It has glowing orange eyes and dark feathers speckled with white, its pointed ears listening for sounds.

Aldon and the owl exchange a series of sounds before it takes off into the night, rising up above the trees.

"You speak to the birds?" Wynn asks, surprised. I'm surprised too. I've only ever seen father do that.

"Yes." He says. "I speak to the birds." Wynn looks like he's going to ask more questions, but I cut him off. It'll have to wait.

"What did you ask it?" I say.

"My lady, I asked him to tell us where the hunters are, if they are out." Aldon says.

I hear the wings flapping against the air and see the orange eyes as the owl flaps back into sight, gliding down and landing once more on Aldon's arm. It's large talons grip his black tunic.

The exchange between them is short and the owl is gone again, rising onto its branch once more to survey the forest floor.

"There is one vehicle heading this way through the trees, coming from the west and slightly to the south. A small group for the hunters, but a group nonetheless." Says Aldon.

A small group. That's exactly what we need. The hunting groups are not usually small. Perhaps fate is with us on this one. Perhaps it is time to rise again as a species. The elements seems to be falling into place.

"How far?" I ask.

"If we move towards them, we will meet within the hour." He says. He looks up through the canopy of the trees. "And we have about four hours of darkness left to us."

I look at the vampires around me and back at the wolves. All eyes are on me, looking, waiting for a decision, an instruction. This is what we came out for, to catch some hunters, some humans. To bring them back to the master.

"Are you sure about this, Alesco?" Wynn asks.

I'm not sure. Not sure at all. But what choice do we have now? We are out, we are surrounded by vampires devoted to their master. And by the wolves, messengers of the master. I've seen the future he showed me. If it is true, then we can end the suffering of our people. End the hunt.

The time for doubt has passed, the time for uncertainty is over. I've picked my path and now I shall walk down it until I find the power that I've tasted.

"Yes, Wynn. I am sure. Let's go and catch some humans." I say. And we step forward towards the oncoming hunters.

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