Ambrose:

The sounds of the forest are being drowned out by the vehicles and machines following behind me as I pick my way towards the eternal darkness. Although my vision is weak in this body I see the creatures fleeing from us, birds taking flight and four legged beasts disappearing into the trees. I am leading the way, moving slowly along a narrow path. Only two vehicles can travel next to each other, sometimes having to split apart to get around a tree or a bush.

Behind me, the convoy inches forward slowly. As well as the vehicles, men walk, edging their way forward holding their black, shining guns, armoured up in their bite-proof uniforms, looking ahead with somber expressions.

After Mike had left me with my new "commander" I waited where I was told. Several hours passed before we left through the gates and entered the forest. I was expected to lead the group, guide them to the darkness, to the village, to the master. And Alesco and Leila and Wynn.

I wonder what they are doing, if they are still together, if they made it to the master at all. But I think they must have, I saw no sign of them back in the human cells. My mind is consumed with thoughts of my family and in trying to find a way to get free of this situation.

I saw the director and Mike themselves come out to join us as we left. They are in one of the vehicles further back. Many of the vehicles and some of the men carry strong lights, like the sun, and they are blaring out, chasing away the darkness and shadows from the forest. Between the darts and the lights the vampires don't stand a chance.

I wonder how the eternal darkness, created by the master, will fare against these lights? In many ways, in my short experience with him, the director reminds me of the master. Of course they are not the same, but the aura of power coming from them is similar, the strength they exude.

I wonder what the master will make of me in my human form. Does he have any idea the humans are coming?

We've been moving for hours and I feel myself tiring, my breathing is heavy and sweat drips from my forehead. As a vampire, I could endure long distances at speed, never tiring so long as I had darkness and blood. But this body seems to tire as its norm. Perhaps it needs more food or rest or eternal death to set it right.

I sniff the air, trying to judge my surroundings, but the smells mean nothing, all the scents are drowned out by the fumes from the machines behind me, mixing with the life and death of forest. I cannot distinguish one thing from the next. A flash of frustration courses through my body. This body is useless!

I estimate that we have another six or seven hours to go to reach the border of the darkness, to reach the point at which the master's protection begins. I hope we can stop and rest before too long, before marching straight into battle. I will need to rest and recharge before I will be able to solve my predicament and save my family.

Do all the humans feel as I do now? Tired and weakened by the journey? I think not. They train themselves to endure, train their strength. They can withstand the pressure. And those in vehicles are not exerting themselves at all.

We walk on. I dare not stop without leave lest the director consider me a burden and dispatch me here before I can reach my family. I have no doubt he would do it. And so I walk, and walk, getting closer and closer to our final destination, closer to my origins, closer to it all. Fear spreads its tentacled fingers through my stomach and body and anxiety consumes my thoughts. I walk on automatic, lost to my surroundings.

"Stop!" The booming voice pulls me from my mind and brings me back to the forest. I recognise the director's voice and I stop, looking around. The men and cars have stopped, their lights shining at me. I hold my hand up and squint to see better. The director has emerged from his vehicle. Mike is by his side and they are walking towards me.

"We've arrived sooner than you said we would?" It was stated as a question but there was a hint of accusation in his voice. I look away, back towards the way we were walking, confused, and I see what he's talking about. Up ahead the border between night and day is visible, the boundary of the eternal darkness is there.

It's too soon. Lost in my thoughts and anxieties I lost track of time, but not so much. I expected at least a few more hours before we reached this. "Something is wrong." I say. "This is not where it should be."

"Wrong?" He says.

"Yes, sir. The darkness is nearer than it should be."

The director turns to Mike and looks at him, a cruel glint in hiseye. "What'd you reckon Mike? He trying to trick us?"

I feel my stomach drop at the threat. "No, sir. I promise you..." I say.

"Don't look like it, sir. I'd say 'e seems truthful. Too much fear for trikster." Mike says, smiling. It's not friendly. He sniffs the air like a dog. "Smell the fear."

"Let's see." The director says. He raises his head, looking at the sky and let's out a howl. I recognise the sound, it is a wolf howl. He's calling to them. My mind flashes back to the master and his communication with wolves, they were always messengers for him. We, the old vampires, can mostly converse with them.

I hear the answering call from the trees and know they are coming. I look ahead and see the gleaming eyes of the wolves through the darkness as three hulking shapes lope towards us. They stop beforethe director, the largest leading the other two.

The director growls at the lead wolf. I understand the speak. Is this the normal border of darkness? He asks the wolf. The wolf replies. No. It has moved. The master of the vampires moved it using his magic.

Why are these wolves communicating with the humans like this? Wolves and vampires have lived side by side ever since I have been here, since I have remembered. The master has used them as scouts and messengers always. And yet here these wolves stand, passing on information to the humans.

The director looks at me, his eyes fixing on mine. "The wolves are my messengers, as they are for your precious master. Some are loyal to me, as some are loyal to him."

"It looks like you were being truthful about the darkness." He says. "Though you already know that. Our vampire friends have left their village. An army of them marches towards us as we speak, as we stand, where we sit. They had planned to bring the darkness to our headquarters. That won't be happening, but it looks like we'll be fighting sooner than we thought."

That malicious glint in his eyes has never changed, never softened. The idea of war and fighting gives him pleasure. I see that much even with these weak eyes.

"What will we do?" I ask.

"Weaken them with our light, shoot them with our guns. They don't stand a chance against us." He says. I fear he's right, and I find myself torn. How will I free Alesco? Will she be in the battle? And Wynn and Leila?

"Remember your son lies in my cells. Do not betray me. You will lead us on, take us to the darkness. Perhaps your presence will give them pause, weaken their defenses." He says. "Unlikely though, you're all animals anyway." He turns away and walks towards his cars.

"Lights on full, guns ready, move forward!" He calls. "Vehicles to the front."

The sounds of the vehicles revving fills the air as the cars pick their way to the front, just behind me. They are separated by trees, stretching out in a line through the forest, lights on full blast. I can almost feel the heat from the glow. I am still not used to my immunity to the light, to the comfort it brings.

The vehicles are high, with big tyres, ribbed for the rough terrain, they have a hole above the front passenger seat from where a marksman can shoot. I see men standing, guns ready when I glance behind me. "Onwards!" The voice of the director carries from wherever he is.I take a step, and then another, picking up speed, moving towards the line of darkness. Will the lights be able to contend with the master's eternal dark? With his magic?

The answer is coming, I have reached the border of light and dark. I pause and look to the sky. I see the line through the canopy, the line where the daylight filtering through suddenly gives way to a darkness, a blackness tinged with the blue of the moon light. I step over the line. Far from the relief I would feel as a vampire crossing that threshold my body shivers, the cold immediately seeps into mybones. I keep walking, moving forwards, the vehicles are behind me.

The first of the cars has crossed over into the darkness, something strange is happening in front of us, others join us in the darkness and the air becomes distorted, almost warped. I stop walking as I see, to my amazement, the darkness retreat before the onslaught of light. The darkness is fleeing!

My body stops shivering as the bright, green light filters back down from the tree tops above. I feel the air warming, feel the forest almost breath a sigh of relief. I continue walking and strain my ears to listen for sounds. I pick out nothing specific, nothing unique amongst the babble of noises, the vehicles, the crunching of feet, the voices and laughs of men, the clinking of metal guns and the varied melodies of birds above.

We seem to be moving uphill, gradually, but I feel the strain even more, feel the tiredness again that had been momentarily forgotten. It's seeping into everything. And then I'm at the top, looking down at a gentle slope. I stop, my heart feels like it is in my throat, I feel its beating speed up, feel something new coursing through my living veins. Vampires!

The first vehicles have reached my position and they have stopped too. I know the vampires have seen us. They will have heard our racket already. It is a sight I was hoping for, yet a sight that terrifies me. I was not expecting what lies before me now, organized rows, hundreds and hundreds of vampires, standing together as though waiting. The darkness remains with them, reaching a little in front of them. I squint my eyes, but they stretch back further than I can make out.

We've all stopped now, all the vehicles and men, the lights are glaring down the hill, stopping short of the new border of darkness, as though swallowed by its depths. Red and yellows eyes are shining through the night, watching us. I don't know if they were expecting us. I cannot tell. Where is Alesco? Wynn? Leila? Where is the master?

I'm sure I know a lot of these vampires, but I cannot make out faces from here. I curse again the weakness of this body.

I look behind me and see the director coming, stepping between the vehicles, eyes fixed on me. "What are you waiting for?" He says.I hear the laughter in his tone. "I told you to lead us down there."

"It would be suicide to simply walk down there." I say, trying to hide the terror that is consuming me.

He smiles at that, a lopsided look on his features. "Perhaps it would be suicide not to." I feel the threat lingering, the menace coming from him. I will take my chaces with the vampires, perhaps their recognition of me will stay their hand. But do they even know me? Do I look as I did? I've never seen myself as a vampire.

I take a step, then another, walking slowly towards the border of darkness and the gathered vampires. I see them shuffling, restless as I slowly advance. As I get closer I can make out more. There seems to be some moving up from the back, closer to me.

I look behind me and see the people and vehicles edging closer, slowly, there is a greater distance between us now. I see the director watching me. He gives a nod. Keep going.

"Ambrose?" I hear the voice in my head, the quiet hissing. The master is speaking to me.

Yes, master. I answer in my head. I know he will hear me. It is I. They have turned me.

I am only feet from the darkness now. He does not answer. I stop walking again, unsure whether I want to step over the line to the darkness. I fear for what will happen. I look at the vampires, I can see them clearer now. I recognise many but I do not see recognition in their eyes. Many have their eyes fixed down at the ground, or over my head at the gathered humans.

I see movement and those I saw moving towards the front of the crowd are near. I recognise the master, cloaked in blackness, staff in hand. And my heart jumps when I see Alesco. She looks different somehow, older, more serious. She's walking by the master's side. And there is another vampire with her, one I do not recognise. He is looking at me. Where is Wynn? Leila? Why are they not with her? What has happened to my daughter? I sense, even in this human form, a darkness in her, see it in the depths of her glowing eyes.

"Alesco?" I say. My voice is tremulous, fearful, not like I would expect. I feel shameful at the sound.

Alesco's eyes seem to lighten at my voice, she stares at me, into my eyes as though she has just noticed me. "Father?" She says.

I nod.

In a blur she leaps forward towards me, crossing the border of darkness into the light. I see the vampire by her side reach out to stop her, hear his words pierce the night, "Alesco! Stop!" He says.

Who is he to try and stop her? Who is he that cares so much? But there is no time for the wonderings, she lands lightly on the ground in front of me and reaches out for me, her cold hands touching my cheeks.

"No!" I hear the mater's voice fill my head and I imagine it fills the heads of us all. There's an intensity to his tone I have never experienced. I hear the click behind me, quiet and sudden. My body fills with dread. I push at Alesco, but I cannot move her, cannot match the strength of her body. There is nothing I can do to stop it, nothing the master can do, nor her companion vampire. We can do nothing but watch.

The feathered dart strikes her chest, piercing her pale skin and vibrating slightly as it comes to rest. I see her expression change, from the contentment of a moment ago, to confusion and then pain. She falls backwards and I reach for her, but miss with my clumsy hands.

She hits the ground with a thud.

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