The rain continued long after nightfall. Mallen stayed to act as a personal guard to Iérti, not trusting other vampires to look after him. Mallen kept Iérti occupied, making him stay in the castle and play chess with him and things of that sort, while his vampire army prepared cannons and firepower.

By nightfall, the ground had turned into mud from the rain that fell. Horses struggled as they pulled heavy carts with cannons, cannons intended to knock down the North fortress.

The North fortress was where the four generals had gathered. It was a headquarters kind of fortress, the same one the former general of the North lands held command over. It was the most militaristic of all the fortresses. The East fortress was the most populous. The West fortress supplied most of the weaponry and food. The South fortress was the second most populous.

None of the fortresses had a general. And none of the people knew.

Staying clear of the East fortress where Iérti's family was, Mallen had his vampire army burn down the other fortresses, attacking them one by one. They waited until nightfall for the garlic scent to lose some of its potency due to the rain, then they began the attacks. They hurled cannons that broke down the mirrors and walls, forcing humans to live out in the open. The strong fortresses that protected humans from vampires for so long, now left them vulnerable.

Gashes of wall poured down with each exploding cannonball, falling to the ground as the fortresses were deemed no longer safe to inhabit. Aspen trees of the West fortress were burned; ash and aspen trees made for the most effective wooden stakes for killing vampires. Even the Southern fortress's linden trees fell, never to blossom again.

Blackthorn shrubs were hacked down by scythes and sickles, farming tools previously used for harvesting wheat. They were thrown from afar, their sharp edges effectively cutting down the blackthorn shrubs, flattening them within seconds. Vervain and lavender plants were burned to ashes, never to harm a vampire again. Flowers like roses and chamomile were left untouched since they posed no harm to vampires.

People ran, taking only necessities and leaving everything behind. They scattered through the forest, looking for places to hide. Some hid among the garlic fields. Others didn't get the chance to run, attacked and killed before they could reach any sort of shelter.

Every fortress met this fate, save for the East fortress where Iérti's family lived. Mallen decided to leave that particular fortress alone. "Three is enough. Leave the fourth one be."

Mallen glanced at , who was out of earshot, while he spoke with the troops that returned from their successful feat.

Iérti was completely unaware of what transpired, too focused on his own situation. He was laying on a divan, staring out at the closed window, as if wishing he would leap out of it.

Mallen sent the troops away to rest before coming over to Iérti. "I received news," Mallen announced, sitting beside him. "Three of the four fortresses are knocked down. People are scattered. They are no longer safe. It's free game for us, now."

Iérti's distant look turned into that of petrified shock. He started to rise, about to speak, but Mallen stilled him with a hand. "No fear, the East fortress hasn't been attacked. Your family is safe."

wasn't sure whether to believe him, but he calmed down and said slowly, "All have fallen save for my fortress?"

Mallen nodded. "Indeed. The vampires are thirsty and getting out of control. The fortresses were attacked one by one. By knocking down the fortresses, we removed the barrier that prevents us from getting to what we need." He didn't bother to mention what it was they needed, knowing Iérti knew exactly what he implied.

Iérti's eyes narrowed. "Would it be that you're the one commanding them?"

Mallen smiled smugly. "And if I were?"

An indecipherable emotion passed through Iérti's face before he sat up very straight, determining something. The general is returning, Mallen thought before Iérti said, surprising Mallen with the way his voice sounded almost like a beg, "Could you please stop it?"

Mallen was confused. Before he could say anything, Iérti continued, "I don't understand how you could put thousands of innocent lives at risk. There are families. Men, women, children, forced to live out in the open. Each fortress is our stronghold, the one major protection we have against your kind."

"Our kind," Mallen amended, but Iérti said, "No, my kind would never think to harm others, especially with danger present."

Mallen shook his head in disagreement. "Humans are just as capable of causing harm. Your kind is not that different from my kind. How many wars have your kind started amongst each other, and how much bloodshed did your own kind cause? Some of your kind even enslaved others, subjecting them to inhuman cruelty and mistreatment. Tell me, is that any different from the behaviors of my kind? Our kind merely seeks to feed, while your kind – "

"Your kind killed my entire army! And they're killing the rest of my people!" Iérti interrupted, his red eyes rimming black as he became heated. He stood up, his body lined with burning anger.

Mallen stood, but he kept some distance between them, careful not to incite Iérti's anger even further. "Yes, my kind did that, and are doing so as we speak," Mallen confirmed, looking evenly into Iérti's eyes. "Don't you see? My kind is united in a different way than your kind. Your kind unites like sheep desperate for a shepherd, while my kind is bound by blood. We are all connected by the need to feed. And I'm the one with the telepathic link that allows me to control them.

"I'm the leader over my kind, so that makes me leader over both my kind and your kind. My blood is more powerful than any other; because of this, you will be most powerful. That is, when you decide to."

Iérti looked more like a vampire than Mallen did at that moment. His eyes gained more of the black edge as Iérti continued glaring at Mallen, his features becoming less human with the increase of anger, while Mallen's features were becoming less vampiric with the increase of caution.

"To hell with your kind. Your power means nothing to me." Iérti's words were unusually callous; he was teeming with hate.

Dismay flashed through Mallen's eyes before he swiped at Iérti, knocking him out. When Iérti came to, he saw Mallen had taken him to the South fortress. He was already so weak and was feeling a faint throb of pain from where Mallen hit him. Iérti realized with a start that he was progressively becoming weaker than a human.

Even a human wouldn't have been knocked out so easily, Iérti thought, taking a stunned moment to process what had happened. Mallen stood patiently waiting, his arms folded across his chest as he surveyed the area, his green eyes low beneath his eyelashes.

Iérti attempted to stand, but only succeeded in falling back down. Mallen glanced at Iérti, his eyes flecked with concern.

They were just outside the South fortress. The air was putrid with the smell of decay, smoke, garlic, and blood. People were strewn haphazardly, some still alive and wounded, having been bit and tossed aside due to garlic in their bloodstream. Half the humans managed to get away, but the other half were dead, drained and discarded by starving vampires.

The evening was turning darker as it descended into night. Stars were beginning to peek out, the distinct horizon in the distance signaling the end of day. It was just after twilight, right before the sky became completely black.

The dark blue sky intermixed with the black, creating a cool looking sky in the background. Mallen was looking at the sky and admiring its beauty. Now that Iérti was awake, his attention turned from the wonderful sky to the disturbing view below the sky.

"I need....to get away from here," Iérti said haltedly, as if in a stupor. He was overcome by the smell of blood, looking like he had just smelled a good perfume but was trying to dismiss it as something vile. The garlic scent repelled him, and the smoke was just another awful smell in the air.

Mallen uncrossed his arms and leaned over, taking Iérti by the arms and dragging him towards a dead man that was still bleeding from a vampire-inflicted wound. Mallen could tell just by smelling him from a distance that there was no garlic in his blood; it was clean and pure.

Iérti's vampiric scenes immediately heightened, as if a waiter had brought food close to him. His eyes widened and he felt the urge to devour, but he forced himself to look away, to hasten towards his greater objection not to feed.

"Iérti, there's no garlic in this man's bloodstream. I'm sure you can smell that," Mallen said as if prodding him to do it.

"I refuse," Iérti said, the loss of strength evident in his tone, only his will keeping him from his new basic instincts. He kept fighting them, trying to hold on to the human instincts he no longer had.

Mallen sighed quietly in frustration. "Iérti – "

"I told you, no. I cannot bring myself to do this."

"It's for your own good, Iérti. I hate seeing you waste away like this. I am not forcing you to feed; I am asking you to feed."

"And I am asking you to just let me be." Iérti's voice was almost a croak; his throat was so hoarse. His voice was starting to be in between intervals of normal speaking and difficulty speaking.

Mallen was exasperated. "Why must you insist on being so stubborn? You're torturing yourself, Iérti!"

"You're the one who forced me into this torture!" Iérti snapped back. "You think I enjoy starving? I can't even enjoy water because of you! This is all your doing. I can't even get those forsaken vampires to stop killing my people."

"In order to control them, you have to feed," Mallen told him, trying to reason with him.

"Never," spat, glaring darkly at Mallen. His eyes were black, his skin paler than a ghost. He looked horrible, the very vision of terror. He was starting to look more like a skeleton than a vampire, his body thin and deprived of every nutrient. Soon he wouldn't be able to even lift his head nor speak at all; he would be completely desiccated.

"This is the only way you can control them, Iérti."

"I said never."

Mallen looked pitifully at him. He had never seen a vampire withstand such a long time without feeding, and Iérti's condition worried him. "Iérti, please," Mallen pleaded, allowing him to see his concern.

But Iérti didn't care to notice, flippantly waving him away. His apparent lack of self-empathy greatly disconcerted Mallen. The man just seemed dead set on refusing blood; it seemed like all he cared about was proving to Mallen how stubborn he was in denying his own greatest basic need.

"If you enjoy suffering so much, then continue to suffer," Mallen said impassively, hiding the hot tears that stung him. He turned sharply on his heel, angrily drying his eyes, extinguishing the tears with the back of his sleeve before anyone could notice. Like he would care to notice, Mallen scoffed, feeling hurt.

Iérti acted as if Mallen were nothing but a pesky fly that had just flown away. He lay back down on the ground, feeling like dirt. He barely noticed the bleeding human lying not far from him, too focused on his pride.

Thoughts of rebellion and stubbornness edged away as gnawing pain agonized him from within, making him groan as he sank further into decay. All the while, Iérti kept hearing Mallen's voice in his mind as he remembered previous conversations.

Why must you insist on being so stubborn? You're torturing yourself, Iérti!

In order to control them, you have to feed.

This is the only way you can control them, Iérti.

Only way. Only way. Only way. Only way. Only way.

Mallen's voices blended together, the last phrase echoing continuously in Iérti's mind. He began to think maybe it was the only way. If he could control the vampires, he could save the humans. He could stop them from killing so many people. Maybe even stop them from needing blood.

Iérti looked over at the dead human lying just a stone's throw from him. He was almost half-drained, but the blood was still fresh. Iérti felt his thirst grab at him, begging for just a tiny sip. He almost fainted from the smell; it was the same as if a starving man were to smell roasted barbeque or smoked meat. He had been running on empty, propelled by basic instinct and emotion. He felt dizzy just thinking about what it would be like to finally be full again.

Maybe if I drink just a little, Iérti thought in reconsideration. Just enough to calm this burning, agonizing thirst. A small relief and I'm done.

He moved closer to the human, almost too weak to make the effort. He felt the blood calling to him, his vampiric senses heightening from just the scent. He crawled beside the dead human, moving to where he could reach his neck. Iérti closed his eyes and sank his fangs into the human's neck. Almost immediately he felt alive.

It was like having water for the first time after being out in the desert for so long. Iérti felt his parched thirst start to sink back, melting into deep satisfaction as he drank. It was a rush, a thrill, something he had never experienced before. He was unable to stop, so focused on the rejuvenating strength he felt within him the more he drank. It was a multitude of relief in comparison to the horrible depravation he went through.

The pleasure came to a sudden stop when Iérti realized he had completely drained the man dry, not one drop of blood left.

Iérti moved back and stood up, careful to get any last remaining residue off him. Though he couldn't see for himself, Iérti looked healthier and felt more alive than he ever did in his life. His eyes turned from black to red, his skin becoming smooth and perfect, the luster and shine returning to his hair, all weaknesses eroded away as strength filled him entirely.

Iérti looked up to see Mallen staring at him in utmost surprise, a look of joy coming over his face. Before he could say anything, Iérti threw the drained man at Mallen, his eyes red with bloodlust.

"That wasn't enough. I need more," Iérti said, his voice almost urgent with desire.

He left Mallen standing in amazement, a slow wicked smile coming over his face. He almost couldn't contain his euphoric happiness when he saw Iérti advance towards a group of vampires and roughly push them away with his new strength, grabbing the dead human they were feeding on and taking him for himself. Mallen slowly approached him, curious in seeing how Iérti was like now that he had completely transitioned to a vampire.

"Out of my way," said in part annoyance part gruffness. He continued draining the human, taking the time to savor the rush.

Mallen's eyes widened in astonishment. He watched as Iérti finished before tossing the human to the side. His skin and flesh had greatly renewed, his body firm like stone, his entire person restored to his full beauty. His hair shone like a silky black night, his eyes red like blood. He looked healthy and well fed, no longer the sorry starving shell of himself.

And this is the man who objected to tossing people aside without burying them. Mallen looked at Iérti, who barely gave the man another thought before going off in search of more blood. Mallen shook his head, thinking, My, how things have changed.

________________

Consumed by insatiable bloodthirst, Iérti went on a feeding frenzy, terrorizing people of the broken-down South fortress before moving to the West fortress. Even Mallen was taken back by Iérti's un-Iérti like behavior.

He fed, drank, drained, tossed, discarded, and repeated the process. Several vampires tried telling him, "Hey, slow down. It's not good to take it all at once. You drank too much already."

But Iérti no longer knew what 'enough' meant. He lived for the feeling of power coursing through him as blood satisfied every thirst pain he had suffered.

Ironically, it was to his own detriment that Iérti refused blood for so long. Had he fed shortly after he turned, he wouldn't be in this almost addictive state where he felt he had to drink as much blood as possible to forget how painful it had been to starve.

Seeing this, Mallen saw a possible way to finally break Iérti of his humanity. He knew that Iérti would feel remorse and regret once he came to his senses. It's like Iérti wasn't Iérti anymore, having become totally obsessed with blood, drinking it like a drunkard drinking too much alcohol.

This is my chance, Mallen thought. While Iérti's getting drunk off blood, I'll go about my brilliant plan to make him lose his humanity.

Mallen took one last look at before taking an army of his vampires with him to the East fortress, a cruel smile forming on his face as he thought of the future outcome of the devastation he would cause, unaware of the devastation he would cause to his own heart.