Alesco:

The creature raises its hands into the air and my fear multiplies. What was once an almost alien emotion has become familiar. I fear death, the endless unexistence. I think of my father, and mother and the questions burning in my mind. Was the vision shown in the mirror true? Was it invented by this creature as a means of control? I gaze into the hood, into the black hole, searching for some sign, some clue, something. There is nothing.

Wynn's ropes vanish and he springs up from the ground into a defensive position. Ready to strike.

"I have freed you Wynn. Do not use freedom foolishly. You cannot defeat me." The creature says, without looking at him.

"Alesco, all you saw is true. It's why I brought you to me." It says.

"What... How can it be?" I ask. "My parents never said anything about it!"

"All will be revealed to you. All will be revealed. But now, we have a matter to discuss." It says.

"You are the one who will end the Hunt. End the Vampire's persecution. End the running, the hiding, the cowering in the darkness. You must lead the uprising."

Lead an uprising? Me? I've never lead anything. Never fought. Why has this creature selected me. What is it anyway, this thing that wields such power?

"What is this?" Wynn says. "Who are you?"

I look at Wynn. His eyes are normal now, his posture more relaxed. He must have realised that fighting is futile.

"I am your master. The master. The one to save your species." It says. And then turns back to me, losing interest in my brother. It is clear that Wynn does not hold much importance for this creature.

"The prophecy is clear. You are the one who will lead it."

Something new stirs in me now. Something as alien as fear once was. It's coursing through me, into my being, filling my mind with possibility and potential, courage and purpose. Hope.

Hope that the running can end. The attacks. The humans with their machines and guns, silver darts and cold words. I've never known anything but running and hiding, watching and waiting. The creature speaks again.

"Vampires have been squashed into submission. Defeated by machines and tricks. Your natural position as the stronger species shall be restored. Your time underfoot will end. We can bring the darkness to the world."

Ideas are pouring into my mind. Freedom. Freedom to roam, to live, to grow and explore. Freedom to live without looking over our shoulders, without cowering in the shadows.

"How?" I ask. "How is it possible?"

"The future is written." Says the creature. It raises its hands again, they come together as though in prayer.

"Alesco!" Wynn calls out as my eyes close and my head snaps back. I'm transported, carried away, the scene before me changes, the room, the creature and Wynn are gone.

I'm sitting on a chair atop a raised platform. The chair is hard, sturdy and solid. It's back rises above my head. The arms of the chair are golden. It has serpents and wolves carved artfully in place. Green emeralds and red rubys bring the eyes of the carvings to life.

I'm in an immense hall, the ceiling rises in a great arc as though reaching for the heavens. Huge balls of crystal float freely in the air, filled with bright flames of orange and red, yellow and green, lighting the hall and casting dark shadows across the ground like a blanket of night.

The hall is filled with people. People on their knees, gazing up at me. The yellow and red of their eyes shining. Their eyes are filled with awe or fear or respect. I can't tell which. Perhaps it's a combination. I look to the back of the hall and see the cloaked creature. It's standing by huge wooden doors, decorated in brass and gold, closed to the outside world. The black hole of the hood is looking up at me.

On either side of me stands two vampires. Each is looking straight ahead, into the audience, eyes alert and aware. They are dressed in grey jackets and trousers, like the uniforms of the human hunters. It's a change from the regular medieval robes of our people, like the ones the crowd are wearing. The robes fashioned from the hides of animals.

The immense doors swing open from the outside. The night floods in. I see the swaying trees and a full moon in the star specked sky. I see the fluttering wings of bats dashing back and forth and hear the mournful cry of the wind. Two shapes stand erect in the doorway. Each is holding the arm of a third, hunched figure. The scent drifts up to me. Human. I can smell the blood, hear the beating heart, the laboured breathing.

The two figures walk towards me, dragging the figure. It does not fight. The doors swing shut and I see the black, hooded creature move in front of them. The hood follows the progress of the new arrivals.

They climb up the steps leading to where I sit. The two figures drop the third and kneel before me. Each kisses the hem of my cloak.

"My lady." They mutter as one. Their eyes avoid mine. One set of yellow and one set of red.

They retreat, moving backwards to join the crowd. The slumped body is starting to awaken. I feel desire stir, hunger. I hear the beating heart, pounding like a drum. The scent of living blood. The scent of fear as it gradually becomes conscious of its surroundings.

I look down, as the head gently lifts, cautiously. I recognise the messy, brown hair. Green eyes, filled with fear, a tear stained face stares up a me. I smile. Looking back, feeling cold, dispassionate, superior.

"Welcome human." I say.

He whimpers in pain. I see his face is bloody and bruised. The scent of death rises.

My body tingles, energy prickling on my skin, my senses heighten, and the desire burns stronger. I rise from the chair and reach down, lifting him easily. I bring him up until our faces are level.

"I'm going to take away the pain. I'll feed on your weakness, drain your vulnerability, end your mortality." I say.

I pull the body close and bare my fangs. The crowd watches, the looks in their eyes has changed, fear gone, replaced with hunger, with desire.

My fangs pierce his neck. The warm blood flows into my mouth, flowing down my throat like a stream after rain. The sweet taste causes my tongue to prickle with sensation. I feel the heat, the strength, moving through me, I feel my eyes burning with their bright glow.

Gradually the scent of fear evaporates, the drumming heart stops and the essence of life is gone. I lower the body gently to the ground and look up at my people. They are my people.

"Alesco!" Wynn calls. My eyes snap open, the old, dark room returns. I'm still sitting in the chair. Wynn is looking into my face. I see concern etched into his expression. I look passed him at the hooded creature. It's looking at me with a faceless smile. There is no mouth, but I feel the smile nonetheless.

My body feels strange. I feel a lingering tingling energy all over. A residual power from the vision.

"Are you ok?" Wynn asks.

I look at him. He takes a step back. His face shifts from concern to shock. What can he see? Can he see the difference I feel? Is it written in my eyes, on my face? What does he see there that makes him step back?

"Yes, I'm ok. Better than ok. I feel stronger. I feel new." I say to Wynn. I look back at the cloaked creature.

"How did you do that?" I ask it.

"The future is written." It says. "I am showing you what is there to see."

"What happened, Alesco?" Wynn asks. His voice is strange, worried.

"I saw the future. I saw the end of the hunt. The end to the running." I say. My mind lingers on the vision, the senses I felt, the sweet taste of the human blood on my lips. "I saw power."

"What did you see? What do you mean?" He asks.

"So much, and yet so little." I say. I don't want to share the vision. Not yet. I take strength from it. But there's something else. I've never felt that before. The coldness, the hunger, the desire, the strength. It feels intoxicating, addictive. But I'm wary.

I look back at the hooded creature. "The future is written, you say. But how do we get there? What is the path we must take?" I ask.

"The path is laid. The route is clear. We must kill them off at their source. Take down the hunters and the world will be open." It says.

"How? How can we take them down? They carry the sun, they wear their bite proof clothing. Their darts bring us down on impact, for one hundred years we have been unable to fight. How do we do as you claim?" I ask.

"The true questions of a leader, Alesco. Already you are readying yourself for your role." It says.

"We must start with a hunting group. We must capture them, bring them here, and hold them. Draw others in to save them. I can use these humans to grow the darkness, to spread the darkness. Their sun machines won't work here."

"We will grow the darkness. Bring it to their doorstep. Then, with our strength and power combined we will take them at their heart." It says, with a graceful swish of its arm.

"Bring me a hunting party. Bring them to me, and we will rise. Bring me the humans and we will start the future into motion."

"A spell will protect your group from the darts. You will have your pick of the finest vampires here."

The feeling of hope lingers in my mind. I think back to the vision. The kneeling vampires, the fear and awe in their eyes. The emotions I felt come back to me. The power, the strength, the hunger and desire. It all courses through me now. The tingling returns.

I remember the blood. The sweet taste, the warm flow. The power and energy it brings.

I've tasted power. And I like it.

"I'll bring them to you." I say.