“Before we begin I would like to make a toast.” Tom said.
The refugees were all ears for this man in front of them, he was impressive, not for his posture or his soft voice, but because of the fact that he managed to create even the least bit of order in the fight today. And in this group of people in front of them. Several of them looked rather strange. One of the males was rather pale under his fur and his eyes seemed off. Sort of liked the druggies that lived underneath the bridges in the capital. Then there was this young girl who had given everything to defend them. They were very grateful, but the smell she brought forth and the thick layers of clothing seemed off on an occasion like this.
Tier had remained home, he did not care much for these kinds of occasions and someone had to look after the sick. The girls had handed out a glass of water to everyone.
“We are very grateful for your hospitality and we welcome you to this house. It is yours as long as it has to be. We will give our lives to defend all of you, for you are the future of Diamonuds. And I can guarantee you that there will be one. We’ve fallen upon hard times. But our history has had to deal with more than this before. We’ve always struggled to survive and always have. The future will know our story through you and your grandchildren and their grandchildren. Raise a glass with me. On the future.”
“That was an awful speech.” Alexander said, with a laugh.
“They seem to love it though, and we had to hand out the water one way or another.” Louie replied. “I wonder how much good it will do. They’ll come back, better prepared and with more forces.”
Suddenly the door opened and Gary Parker entered the building. Accompanied by several of his henchmen. “My congratulations to all of you.” He wished them dead but was a brilliant actor, and his congratulations seemed genuine enough for the refugees. A silence hang over the group of people that knew about his real plans.
“Thank you sir. We did the best we could.” The young man who fought by their side said. Unaware of what the others knew. “Why, I’m sure you did.” He said as he took a glass of water.
Michelle smirked when he gulped it down all at once. “I would like to invite all of you to an honorary dinner on Wednesday evening. Does that suit you and your friends, mister Bradhurst?” Tom did not quiet know how to respond.
“We will be there, Mister Parker. Thank you for the invitation.” Alexander replied.
“Most excellent. I will see you there on Wednesday. Carry on. Oh, and I love this song.” He said before him and his henchmen took off again. Two groups of his men walked in with large baskets of bread, meat and vegetables. The crowd cheered and yelled out Parkers name in celebration.
“Thank you for the invitation?” Michelle said. “Have you lost your mind? He wants to dispose of us. Did you see the hate in his eyes?”
“It was a good thing of Alexander to accept that invitation.” Louie said.
“Several of us should go and question everything and everyone that works for him. It will be a dangerous endeavor, but it will be a great opportunity for us to learn more about his plans.”

The party ended early in the morning and the sun had come up before they all went home.
Tier was still up and without greeting anyone he continued to read a sappy, romantic novel.
“Goodnight everyone.” Alexander said when he walked to the attic; he smelled of cheap wine and almost tripped over the last sport on the steps.
Louie sat down with Tier for a moment, not saying anything, but waiting until everyone had gone to bed. He made his way upstairs and sat down against Yakira’s door before he closed his eyes and dozed off.

He had kept track of the days he had spent in solitude in the beginning. Just to give himself something to do. Time meant little to a madman however and in no more than two years he had given up. He welcomed in the thief that came to collect his sanity.
There was no other choice then to let the maelstrom of incoherent thoughts wash over him.
As a stream of lunacy in which to baptize the insane.
In the beginning there was Estella to keep him company and teach him all he had to know about his new found so called life.
She had told him a vampire was not able to take his own life, for the need for his kind to survive was too great. The vampire was considered a threat to each and every other form of life in the known universe. And therefore many were out to hunt them down. And kill them all.
He had cursed himself enough over the fact that he could not kill himself.
The many attempts he had made had failed miserably, for his entire body shut down whenever he tried anything to put it in danger. In the eve of the new moon. Exactly seven years since he had died. Louie could be found in the garden of his mansion.
He sat next to the oak his parents had plant for him when he was born. A common customary among the wealthy residents of the Peddleburg area.
He watched out over the lake. Memories of better times were all he had now.
His body shook and he curled up to protect himself against the cold. He often looked around to see if someone was coming towards him.
The town has stopped growing and the few people that stayed behind believed the ghost stories that went on around the mansion. There was nothing to gain for them so they stayed away. Those new to town however, the few that were, knew not.
And so it came to be that a stranger arrived at the mansion. Seeking shelter from the cold night. The open gate gave him the idea that he was welcome here. A brown robe which seemed to be made out of drapes covered his old and wrinkled body against the winter cold.
A smile on his old face when he noticed the light behind one of the windows.
Louie had shot up when he had heard the man enter his gate, one of the many traits of a vampire were the enhancement of his senses. Without a sound he rang along the wall and peered around the corner to examine his unexpected guest.
“Prey.” He startled himself by his own whisper. It had been so long since he had heard his own voice. The rats and the other small animals in and around the mansion had put his hunger to rest in the years before. He had not wanted to leave the mansion in the hope that Estella would return. And here it was. A meal on wheels right in front of him, ready to be devoured.
“You know, it is very rude to let an old man wait in the cold, vampyre.”
A voice ripened by age and surprisingly calm for someone who knew there was a vampire only a few yards away from him. Louie stood behind the corner for a while, looking over the old rabbit. The image of his body rotting in the ground beneath him gave him second thoughts.
His new guest leaned on his cane and kept looking at him with eyes that seemed to take the time to take in every small molecule in his line of sight. Louie walked out from behind the wall and bared his fangs at the rabbit. “There’s no need for this vampyre. There shall be no bloodshed tonight. Come on in.”
Louie was puzzled. This rabbit was supposed to be scared of him, whatever happened to him being at the top of the food chain?
“You must have many questions vampyre, let us go inside.”