Alesco:

I'm standing there, hands on his shoulders. I feel his body reacting to my touch, see his expression change and I know he will follow me. The heat has been extinguished from his body and it feels like it should. I feel my own body responding, drawn to his. It feels like being sucked in.

I feel the master staring at me, feel his gaze on my back and the power pulsing from him. I am beginning to feel uncomfortable at his presence like I am his puppet. I am no one's puppet.

I turn to the master and face him. "Alesco. Time to go to war. But I must feed again before we leave."

Of course. He needs the humans to grow his strength. If I block his consumption of the humans, can I overpower him? No. He's too strong, even when he's weak. I will have to obey. For now. We need his strength to win the war, to block the darts. "Yes, master. I shall have one brought to you at once." I say, bowing slightly.

"Yes..."

"Brendan, Draven, bring a human for the master." I say. They nod, each in turn.

"Yes, my lady." They say, and run from the room in a blur of movement. I look at Darren, try to gauge his expression. How does he feel about this? These companions of his now being used as food. Has his attachment for them worn off? His face is unreadable.

"Stand up," I say. He stands up, moving smoothly and gracefully, without any of the unsteadiness that the other human, Frank they called him, showed when transformed. I suppose Darren has had more time already, and blood to strengthen him. I don't know what it feels like to change from one form to the other, I was born this way.

Darren is looking at his hands, moving them round and round, taking in the details of his pale skin. "Alesco, what service can I be?" He asks me. His words bring a sensation to my chest, though my heart is dead it seems to be reacting.

"Follow me when the time is right. Fight with me." I look into his eyes, saying nothing more, communicating with my eyes what I cannot bring myself to say in the company of the master. Take my hand and walk with me through life. Laugh with me, love with me, stay by my side.

Where are these thoughts coming from? Another sensation strikes my face, like heat rising. I raise a hand and feel the skin. It's as cold as ever. There cannot be heat. I look away from him with effort.

I hear the dragging, the ragged breathing, smell the scents of life. Brendan and Draven appear through the doorway, pulling another of the humans towards us. Towards the master.

Darren moves in a blur of motion, launching himself from the platform, colliding with Brendan before he can react, causing him to let the human go. Brendan flies backwards to the ground and Darren is already on Draven, pulling him off and throwing him backwards. The human drops to the ground, released from their hold.

But Brendan is back up and he rushes Darren. Darren doesn't move as I expected he would, he stands there, ready, and blocks Brendan's blows easily, dodging and dancing around his jabs and kicks. Draven launches himself at his side and is met with a kick to his chest. He can fight!

Brendan lets out a growl of rage, but before anything else can happen, Darren is lifted from the ground by an invisible force, stopping the fight. I look at the master and see his arm outstretched. With a motion of his other hand, the door slams closed, locking out the night and any prying eyes.

"You interfere with my food, my strength..." says the master to Darren. The quiet hissing voice seems to fill the room.

Brendan and Draven are staring up at the suspended figure, rage burning in their eyes.

"Step back." I say, commanding. They do, but their anger remains. They reach down and pick up the human that they brought.

The master speaks again. "Maybe I will add you after all, consume you whole, strengthen my power more. You are fast, yes, and strong..." The hissing in his voice is more prominent now, the malice and threat clear.

He's mine. I will not have him taken from me. "No!" I say. "He belongs to me."

The blackness of the master's hood turns to me, I feel the power pulsing, the anger, the challenge. Feel those beady, black eyes gazing from within the depths of the darkness. I hold his gaze. I imagine the flames of my yellow eyes that I've never seen.

I feel the tension in the room, building like electricity. I expect to hear the crackle at any moment, but I do not look away. If I am to lead, then I must show strength and resolve. I can feel Draven and Brendan watching the exchange.

The master releases his hold, dropping his arm to his side. Darren drops from where he was suspended and hits the ground.

"Alesco, keep your pet in check... And remember who I am."

"Yes, master," I say.

Darren is looking at the human again. "Percy?" He says. I see Draven and Brendan tense, ready to defend the master's meal.

"Darren!" I say. "Come here."

He looks at me and looks back at the human. I see the confusion in his eyes, the uncertainty about what to do, perhaps about what he feels. He was human so recently, and now he has different emotions. His eyes have a clouded look.

"I will take him and show him the area, master. While the others ready themselves to march." I say, without taking my eyes off Darren.

"Draven, Brendan. Bring the master his food and then gather the others, prepare them for the journey. I will be with you soon."

"Yes, my lady." They start towards the master, dragging the human who has begun to stir. His face bloodied and bruised, his form hunched and limp.

Darren steps towards them, almost automatically, but I move quickly and am standing in front of him. I put my two arms of his shoulder and press down to stop him from moving. He does not resist my touch. He inches closer, moving in as though on instinct.

"Come, I will show you your new home," I say, pushing him back gently and guiding him towards the door. The floating lights are casting their bright glow, shadows are dancing across the floor. The giant wooden doors creak open slowly and I know the master is opening them.

We step out into the night. There are vampires around, moving in all directions. I see a gathering further down, near to my mother's hut. I hear the moving and mutterings.

Vampires stop and stare, some sink to their knees, "My lady." They mutter at me, before rising again and moving away. I see their eyes fix on Darren. They don't recognise him. I take his arm and pull him away from the majority, deeper into the stone houses. The whole clearing is surrounded by trees so we can access the forest from further up.

"What is this place?" Darren asks. His voice has changed. His tone is deeper, smoother, more powerful than when he was human.

"The village is the home of the master, the place of eternal darkness, where vampires can live in peace and protection, away from the human hunters," I say.

He looks around him, absorbing his surroundings, taking in the environment with all his senses. It must make such a difference from being human.

"You know, we hunted you because they taught us you were monsters." He says.

"Who taught you?" I ask. "More humans?"

He looks thoughtful at that, as though he's been transported back in time, to another place. "I guess so." He says. "I don't know. When I started hunting I could see you weren't monsters, I could see you were almost human."

Almost human. Almost, but not quite.

"Is that why you let us go?" I ask. "That night?"

He nods his head. "I think so. I'm not sure what made me do it, but I think so. Why do you attack humans? Is it only for food?"

I can't help but let out a laugh. "We don't. At least, we didn't. I was taught that humans and vampires lived in harmony, walking the land side by side until the humans changed. Then, vampires ran and hid. We were raised on animals, never humans."

"I recently found out I'd been lied to, deceived. The master showed me. He showed me our place, vampires as the dominant species. With our fangs we can free humans from the weakness of their flesh, release them from the prison of their current form. As I have done with you. And at the same time, we can end the persecution of our kind."

I feel the darkness, the energy, coursing through me again, strengthening my resolve, increasing my desire and need.

"You feel the freedom of your new form?" I ask him, licking my fangs automatically.

He stays silent a moment, as though thinking about the question, as though testing his reactions. His face is unreadable, his emotions a mystery but I know he is thinking. Slowly he nods his head. "Yes... I feel... liberated." He says.

We have reached the outer edge of the village, the stone houses have given way to wooden huts, made with twine and grass and leaves. There is no one left down this side, they're all gathering at the other end, near my mother's hut.

I grab his hand and pull him towards the trees, past some empty huts. "The forest here remains dark at all times. The master's magic leaves us with the moon and stars and keeps the sun away. A perfect haven for vampires." I say.

He grips my hand tighter and the feeling in my chest intensifies. It feels like it is spreading from there, moving through my body. I don't recognise it, I don't understand it, but I like it. He moves closer to me, his eyes are burning, glowing bright. The clouded look is gone.

"Were you ever human?" He says as we enter the trees.

"No. I was born a vampire." I say. My mind flashes back to the visions I'd seen, to my human mother and vampire father and I want to say it all, but I hold back.

"Have you spent much time climbing trees?" I ask, looking up. The tree tops are hiding the sky, only the blue light of the moon is filtering through the green covering. The forest here is alive with chirping insects and birds. I hear their rustling and smell their life.

He shakes his head.

"Well, vampires are made to climb," I say. I let his hand go and throw myself at the thick tree in front of us. My strong, sharp fingers grip the bark easily and I pull myself up, almost running up the tree.

"Come on!" I call down.

He steps to the tree and looks up. He's looking at his hands, looking at his fingers, clearly working out the best approach to take. I see him grip the bark, testing his hold. He pulls himself up a little and seems to be satisfied. He begins to climb. Not fast, but steadily towards me. I continue pulling myself up the tree and break through the canopy, leaping lightly from branch to branch. Over the tops of the trees, I see the glistening spider's webs, the rippling leaves rustling in the breeze, the moon and stars in the cloudless sky.

Darren's head appears through the leaves, and he pulls himself onto a branch. His motions are unsteady, but I see them steadying, getting smoother as he gets used to it.

"It's beautiful!" He says, looking out at the sea of shimmering leaves. "I've never seen colours like this, never seen anything like this!"

"We're made to move quickly and lightly." I say. "Watch." I run across the tree tops, stepping from branch to branch, landing like air. I see him watching me.

"Come on." I say, beckoning with my hand. He leaps to a branch, then another, starting to move faster, his confidence increasing with each leap. I turn and continue to run, knowing he's following behind.

I feel like a dark cloud has been lifted from me, at least for now, and I'm pulled back into feeling like I used to, like a young vampire, like I felt in our moments of safety, when we weren't running, when I was with my family. What's been happening to me?

New emotions wash over me, unfamiliar emotions. I think of Darren's friend, the one I bit, the one the master consumed. It felt so right and yet now I wonder. Something about it eats at me.

I look back at Darren, leaping and running with more and more confidence. Surely this is correct, look at him now compared to his human form. Of course, it is correct. A voice says in my mind. I'm not sure if it's my own. I feel the darkness coming back, swirling around my consciousness once more.

We are the stronger race, we are the natural leaders, the natural predators. It is time to rise again.

The cloud closes in. My foolish thoughts are squashed rightfully back where they belong. I remember the sweet taste of blood, the strength it brings, the power, the heightened senses, the control. I remember the lifetime of running, of hiding. This is right.

I look at Darren and something stirs in me. Mine. I stop moving and jump onto a lower branch, back beneath the canopy.

"Alesco?" His voice carries from above. I lean back against the solid tree trunk, feel the rough bark rubbing against my skin, I push with force and weight, purposely pressing against it.

Darren drops onto the branch from above, landing lightly and smoothly. He looks completely at home. "Is everything ok?" He asks.

I look into his glowing eyes, saying nothing. I take a step towards him. I take another step and we are inches apart now. I see his expression change, just a little, something deep in the flames of his eyes. The feelings in myself are stronger, the desire. I move fast, grabbing him forcefully before he can react. I spin him around and slam him into the tree trunk.

I smile. Shock registers on his face, for only a moment, before he pushes back. I am stronger than him, I relish the power, he cannot push me off. The shock in his eyes has changed to hunger and I step closer still. I feel his body react with mine, feel an explosion of feelings all over. He stops pushing back and pulls me in. We collide with force, but our bodies are strong and I feel no pain.

He slams his lips onto mine, pulling me in closer still. Instinct takes over, urgency spreads through my entire being and I kiss him back.

He pushes me again and this time I move with him, letting go of all resistance. Nothing else exists, only us, only this moment, as though we are one.

He lays me down on the thick branch and bares his fangs, hunger and passion are glowing in his eyes. I hiss in response, animalistic, instinctual, raw. I close my eyes.

He is mine.

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