Mallen noticed a drastic change in Iérti. Without humanity, Iérti was colder and darker than Mallen. Rather than enjoying the kill like Mallen did, Iérti derived no pleasure from it, only seeing it as a means to an end. He felt deep grief and loss, but his heart was like stone, devoid of any former good and kindness.

All thoughts of suicide were banished from Iérti's mind as Mallen feared the new Iérti. He watched as Iérti took over, unaware he was using Mallen's mental link as an influence to control the vampires, telling them what humans they were allowed to feed on and which ones were off limits.

At first, Iérti forbade them to feed on anyone with a family, but as it became apparent that there were more families than the limited humans without families, Iérti reluctantly rescinded the order.

"But leave the wives and children alone. You are not to touch any of them."

The old Mallen would've been impressed by how Iérti finally took leadership over the vampires. The new Mallen cautiously stood nearby as Iérti commanded them, willfully becoming the vampire leader out of his own decision.

Iérti tied his hair back with a dark red ribbon, the same way he used to when he was the general of the East lands. He started wearing long dark red military outfits again, continuing to wear the garlic emblem on it, resuming his general of the East lands look, but with vampiric flair. While his human military outfits were rouge and homespun, his vampire military outfits were sophisticated and portrayed utmost power over both vampires and humans.

The vampire leader, Iérti Keresi, laid siege to the garlic farms, burning every single one of them. He melted silver and destroyed mirrors, breaking and slamming them into heavy gorges and off deep cliffs. He fed in moderation, careful and selective which people he fed on. He organized the vampires, bending almost the entire vampire population to his will. He officialized naming the planet Verdamnt with vampires as the dominant lifeform.

Vampires had mixed feelings regarding the turn of events and new leadership. Some went off on their own, enjoying their independence and not wanting to get caught in a collective rule or leadership. Others were unsure. Most others eagerly followed a new leader.

Tavaly remained loyal to Mallen and Iérti. Though it was Iérti who readily took the mantle of leadership, some believed Mallen to be the true vampire leader, thinking he was letting Iérti take the reins for a while.

No one knew that though Iérti finally lost his humanity and started doing exactly everything Mallen wanted him to do, Mallen found his humanity and wasn't as joyful as he would've been to finally see Iérti become who he wanted him to be.

Now that Mallen's humanity caused him to become a kind considerate person rather than the cruel merciless person he had been for so long, Mallen felt deeply guilty for deceiving Iérti and for manipulating him. He kept the true cause of Katlyn's and Olivia's death a secret, knowing his life would be over the moment would discover who truly killed them.

So Mallen kept quiet, his former arrogance and conceitedness having faded into somber reflection and secret mourning.

________________

Months passed. A new arrangement was established in the land. In adverse of the human fear of the night, Iérti proclaimed an administration to assuage that fear, rendering it almost obsolete, if not unnecessary. It was a strange type of comfort for people to no longer have the old worry of vampire attacks.

Gone were the fortresses. Iérti forbade the construction of another fortress; instead, he built settlements and cities for humans. He forced vampires to build everything, using his mental hold on them to keep them from deliberately harming any humans.

Most of the cities were built near high cliffs or on open fields, some near a source of water such as a lake or ocean. Those that were built far from any source of water had well water systems and plenty of farmland to raise cattle and grow food.

Human survivors from all fortresses were united for the first time, no longer divided by four separate fortresses. The settlement closest to Iérti's castle had people from both the East fortress and the North fortress.

Some humans were dismayed to see Iérti had become a vampire while others felt pity for him. Some feared Iérti might be worse than Mallen, since they had seen him feed violently during his feeding frenzy. Others decided to give him a chance, thinking the drastic change from human to vampire must've driven him crazy until he regained his senses. Many others were unsure what would come from Iérti's rule.

In exchange for freedom to live without fear of the night, had selective humans 'provide' for the vampires by allowing them to be fed on, but not killed. Every week, new humans relieved them of that duty while those humans recovered and built their strength back up, then the week later it would be their turn again. This sort of indentured servitude only enhanced the idea of vampires being the dominant lifeform. Though humans hated it, some were glad they no longer had to constantly fear getting attacked.

"They're not killing us anymore, which is a big improvement," said one of the members of a secret human council. The secret council was held underground in the catacombs, far from the vampires' superior hearing. Thick heavy carpets were hung on the walls as sound barriers, further preventing any word from getting out.

Another council member scoffed. "Some big improvement, becoming servants. More like slavery, if you ask me."

"Better than being killed," the first speaker argued.

Another stated his opinion, spreading the vampire hate by saying, "It's come to the bottom line of which freedom we desire more: the freedom from vampire attacks or the freedom from indentured service?"

"Both are under vampire rule," another stated quite plainly.

"Iérti's rule," another elucidated. "Iérti was the former general of the East lands before he became the vampire leader ruling over both vampires and humans. He is better than any leader in the past. Must I remind you it was the cruelest vampire in the land who was in control of the land before Iérti took over?"

"My question is, how come the cruelest vampire in the land let him take over? Perhaps he came to an agreement with Iérti?"

"Iérti was a good general and the kindest man I ever met. He was the only general that survived that horrible battle, and I can tell it changed him. He's so different now, very cold and distant. He isn't the same person he used to be, that's for sure."

"At least he got vampires to finally stop attacking out of bloodthirst. He seems to have them under control."

"Iérti is a good leader, if you ask me. Even though he's a vampire, there's more good in him than in all those vamps combined."

"True, but he has a new look. Even the general of the North lands wasn't so stern and serious, may he rest in peace."

"May they all rest in peace."

"And may we all get respite from vampires."

"Forced into slavery in comparison to being forced to hide in fortresses like scared rabbits. Which do you prefer?"

"We aren't slaves. Vampires aren't forcing us to do anything except become 'blood volunteers' for that dreaded week we are to be fed on, just enough to sustain the vampires and yet not to the point of human death. It's a win-win situation. Vampires need our blood, and in return for providing them what they need, they protect us and keep their end of the bargain not to kill us."

"You sound like a vampire loyalist. Have you no sympathy for your own kind?"

And on and on the council went on with their open discussion.

Like the council, secret rebellions stirred like boiling water heated by hate and distrust. When the intermarriage of a vampire and a human occurred out of nowhere, it caused an outrage that nearly tore people apart.

"What a disgrace!"

"So, it's come to this. What kind of generation are we living in?"

"Well, I see nothing wrong. It's simply a new way of things."

"Some traditionalist you are."

"It's a new age, a new dawn, a new era, whatever. Point is, we've got to accept that this is the way of things now. Perhaps we should try to live peacefully with vampires."

"That's like living with a pack of wolves."

"Or like living in a den of snakes."

"A cave of bats."

"People, it really isn't that bad. Would you rather live each day in constant fear than live somewhat peacefully among those that tried to kill us? Iérti may be a vampire, but he's done the one thing nobody's ever done before, and that is to bring both vampires and humans to a harmony of sort."

"Some harmony, when we're still being fed on."

"I say we kill the vampires."

"Yeah! Kill them and liberate us!"

"Have you forgotten how damn near impossible it is to kill vampires? Even with our fortresses, vampires managed to break every one of them down. Appreciate the life we have now, in regard to the memories of our former lives. My grandchildren can finally go outside without fear. My son would never have met his wife if she was in another fortress. There is no longer division, only unity, not only with humans, but also with vampires. Iérti has vampires tightly under his control that even a stray wouldn't be able to harm one of us."

"He's still a vampire and vampires are no good at all."

"Some good came from vampires. Iérti, for example."

"I don't like the idea of a vampire controlling us, even if he is controlling his own kind. I want our people to be completely free of any vampire influence."

"I say we wait for the right moment to strike."

"Strike how? They've taken away the garlic farms and silver."

"We'll find a way. For now, we lay low and keep on being obedient until the time for rebellion."

"May it come swiftly and soon."

"Enough of war; I want peace."

"I want freedom."

"I want vengeance."

"I want justice."

"Men, women, it is almost dark. Vampires will be out soon. Head back to your homes. The time for discussion is over. Until the next meeting."

"Venture safely."

"Take care."

People shuffled away, heading back to their homes. A few looked over at the far-off castles where some of the vampires lived. Mallen's castle was many distances away; the closest castle near this city dwelling belonged to a few prestigious vampires, though they were subordinates under Iérti's rule.

Like humans, some vampires were also secretly thinking of rebellion, preferring the ways of the past rather than the sudden change in power. Some were very traditionalist while others were frustrated by the fact they could no longer hunt and kill at their pleasure, forced to feed in moderation.

After Iérti did away with the ones that tried to break away from his mental hold, killing them by drowning them in garlic and running a wooden stake through their heart, opposing vampires immediately quieted, though there were some that longed for the days when vampires ran free. Such a time, however, would come on a day they wouldn't expect such freedom again.