A few hours later, Alexander, Louie, Majo, Tony and Susan were in the morning room of Louie's mansion. They'd just finished burying Theodore Thatcher and were attempting to clean up the remaining evidence of the fight. Tom had gone to deliver the video of Louie to Councillor Dalton. It had taken some time to convince Alexander that Greenthorpe had a masquerade of its own, and that Dalton could be trusted to be discreet.
"It's no good, there's nothing we can do about the bloodstains," exclaimed Susan.
"Don't worry about it," said Alexander. "As long as the body's gone, we can claim anything else has been there for years." There was a noise from the hallway, and a few moments later Tom entered, followed by Dalton.
"Ah. Hello," said the latter.
"You must be Dalton," said Alexander.
"And you must be Mr. Garand."
"Have you called off the demolition order on this place?"
"Yes."
"Can't say I approve. A demolition would be the best way to clean up what's happened here. But hey, demolishing a building this size when hundreds of refugees are about to stream into the area would probably look suspicious."
"I'm not the most house-proud person, but it's going to need a hell of a clean," said Louie. He had his reasons for not looking after himself. The depressions and what not.
"A few trusted councilors are on their way to help out," said Dalton. "They'll be here any minute, so if any of you want to make yourselves scarce, now would be the time."
"I'd better make a move," said Louie. "I'm not the most popular guy in Greenthorpe."
"That's not necessary. They'd like to make amends for assuming the worst about you all these years."
That moment, they heard some yelling outside. A second later, a zombie crashed through the morning room doors, tearing them off their hinges and smashing most of their glass.
"Alright. Where's the vampire?" it snarled. There was a stunned silence. Michelle grew impatient. "Answer me, or you all die!" She was in an impatient mood, and she could feel the Hunger rising.
"Which vampire?" asked Louie.
"The one who killed my brother!"
"Was your brother part of a TV crew?"
"No! Wait. He was with a TV crew."
"A marine then?"
"Yes. Now where's the vampire?" she shouted.
"He's dead."
"What?"
"Dead. The grave is just out there, if you want to take a look."
Michelle walked over to one of the tall, mucky windows, and wiped away enough of the grime to see a freshly dug grave just outside.
"That proves nothing."
"What other proof can we possibly offer you?"
She pondered this and then hurled herself through the window, feeling that her exit should be as dramatic as her entrance. She dug into the grave, throwing up mud and stones until at last she reached the coffin. She couldn't open it as she hadn't shifted enough earth, so instead she rammed her arm through the lid and pulled out Theodore's severed head. She looked up. Alexander was leaning out of the window, looking down at her.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
"Yes. That's him." She dropped the head back into the coffin and climbed out of the grave. Her brother's death had been avenged, and she hadn't even been there to see it, let alone take part in it. She knelt down and cried. "Just a few days ago my life was perfectly normal. Then this f-cker killed my brother." She sobbed in silence for a minute or two. Alexander climbed out into the garden and put his arm round her. It had been a long time since he'd had to comfort anybody.
"There, shh. It's all over now."
"All over? I'm a f-cking zombie. A zombie! All because I didn't trust anyone else to sort out my problems. All because I'm too impulsive." Louie started filling up the grave looking at the body of the man he had killed earlier. "Don't start blaming yourself. We all do strange things when we're upset or angry." "Nice words. But they're not going to cure me, are they? I'm dead now. Last time I checked, there was no cure for death. Well, none that would improve my situation."
Back in the mansion, Tom sighed. Vampires, werewolves, zombies. He'd have to dig out his old textbooks to find out what else was out there. And what about Diamondus? What kind of creatures were on their way from Diamondus?

Chapter 24: Mercy by Cobra

Such life! Such beauty! It seemed that the hopelessness of the world had suddenly disappeared and no matter what happened, everything would be alright. Such emotions stirred that she had not felt in years. Clarity seemed to spring forth in her mind, even though the sting in her eyes. She opened them again, and once again blasted her optic nerves with the glorious sky.

As she repeatedly burned her eyes, addicted to the loss of desperation, her tattered ears started picking up on a sound that had previously been static. The laugh. Still beautiful, still from a voice more skilled than hers would ever be. But as reality stabilized she could tell there was something different about the laugh. Instead of returning her eyes to her beautiful sky, she angled her head towards the laugh.

Amidst the ruins she had loved so much was a golden figure with black framing her. The features were all a blur until she saw a flash of white gleam out from the middle of the face. Trying too hard to focus, she did not react when the figure leapt at her and slammed her head into the ground. Over and over again, flashes of lightning and fire in her eyes erupting in almost the same pattern as the last stars she saw. She shrieked, shrill and stuttered each time her skull hit the ground, ears flying around her occasionally getting twisted in a painful angle and once one was caught between her and the ground, crunching with a bruising certainty.

As she pleaded without words for an end to the torture, she felt a seemingly familiar feeling. There was a face against hers, lips pressed against her open, screaming mouth. Her nonexistent reflexes tried to shut her mouth, but she was too late. Something clamped into her tongue – no, it clamped through. Her torturer pulled away and laughed again as her mouth was filled with spurts of blood, her tongue hurting so much she wanted to remove it. She tried to scream, but instead of the normal sound of her voice, it was now mottled with varying tones.
“My sacrificial lamb, it is now time for you to serve your purpose, for your purpose is to die for my wants.” The sensual voice was there again, deep with life and ebbing with death as each word twisted to the next. If not for the pain, she could have fallen into it again.

The pain! Her ears had been wrenched upon, and as one arm was raised in hopes of saving it, it was caught. Whether teeth, claws or a knife was tearing through skin and muscle, she did not know. First on her outer arm it was torn from wrist to elbow, then her arm was pulled and rolled away from her body, nearly causing the joint to lock, and the same was done to her inner arm, from elbow to wrist. She sobbed, tear ducts overflowing with salt and blood, but her mouth even more full. Trying to breath, she choked on it and hacked, blood spewing down her face.

“Look.” The voice commanded, no longer beautiful but forceful, like the voice of death, like the voice of Jade Dawn fating her to nothingness. “Look” Fearfully, she opened her eyes slightly, expectantly towards the voice. “LOOK. The last you will see is the name of who you die for.” She could not turn her eyes away from the blur of a face, but her own forearm was forced into her view. Beneath the streams of blood were dark, deep gashes:

ESTELLA

She shrieked her hollow cry, and her arm was shoved into her face and the other taken and treated the same. Estella. This must be the cursed name of this creature.

As Estella moved her way down her body, etching her name upon her sternum, on her legs, on her back, shredding the robes as she went, Neoma lay there, motionless aside from the shudders and twitches as Estella flayed nerves.

At least she was given the opportunity to die at one of the only places she remembered. She had loved this place. It was precious to her.
Precious. That was the meaning of the name someone had called her once -- Yakira. She had loved this person.

Yakira. She would not die a traveler, as the name Erditine had suggested.

It was if she was not really there, as if she was not in control of anything. Through ringing ears, she heard Estella say what seemed like static to her. She opened her eyes to gaze up at her tormentor, her killer. A paw descended upon her neck, and she felt each individual claw sink into her throat. Harder the pressed, making her gasp and inhale blood, but unable to fully cough. It was not the lack of air that was making her existence seem to disappear or the serpents of pain and dizziness wrap around her head. Blood was soaking through everything. All of her fur was damp and pinked by it, the ground was warm. Her lifeforce was drowning the ground.
Through one slanted eye, she saw blood begin to spurt up at Estella. Something pink obscured the glow of her teeth – was she licking the blood off her face? Her own arm was forced in front of her face, the name obscured through the clots and streams.
“This is the name that will carry you to death.”
She forced her eyes closed and choked more as the grasp on her neck sharpened, but let go. Uncontrollably her eyes filled and she flung herself forward to drain the blood from her mouth. Raising her blurred eyes, she was wordless and frozen.

Estella had raised her arms and let forth a deafening screech, baring her fangs, claws out. Two identical creatures, shining as if with an inner light, one blindingly white, one brazen. Each was longer than either rabbit, and from them billowed what seemed to be massive wings, if she could focus long enough. Between the rabbit and the ethereal creatures there seemed to be a battle of sharp movements she could not discern. The light was blinding her.
Pain ripped through her back, but it was unlike the torture of Estella. It seemed to be coming from her skeleton and radiating out. She writhed, feeling as if the earth was crumbling under her. All sounds seemed to echo with a metallic feel, and she felt her eyes roll into her head just before she saw a sea of some unknown, slithering force stream out from the forests around the Mills and engulf Estella.

But next Yakira knew, she was running. Her limbs moved with an involuntary force like a machine. Clotted blood was globbing off her every wound, and it seemed the more conscious she was, the harder it was to run, the more her vision faded, and the more every open wound on her body cried out. The Mills were nowhere in sight, the forest had completely changed and the sun was gone from the sky. But a mansion was slowly growing out of the haze, and she continued, mutilated arms raised, crying out with her mottled voice begging for wordless mercy.

Chapter 25: Lies and betrayal by Coppertop.

It is strange what one remembers when under extreme stress. Images, sounds, even scents come back with extraordinary clarity.
Jesse, flat on his back, was having one of these moments. The image of his father, recalled from memory by Verity's words, was so real to him that for a moment he thought the fire and everything following it was, perhaps, a dream. Jonathan Aimon's face was lit by a sardonic half-smile, the kind that Jesse had both loved and feared because of how swiftly it could change into either approval or scorn. Jesse had always avoided his father's wrath; the elder Aimon was neither gentle nor sparing in his discipline, but he was extremely fair, and Jesse never resented his punishments.
Jonathan's image reached towards Jesse, as though to help him up.
The pressure on his throat increased painfully. Jesse cound himself gasping for air that wouldn't come. Black spots flickered at the edge of his vision.
Dad?
Pick yourself up, Jesse. His father's voice, ghosting from memory. What happens when I'm not there for you? Learn to stand alone, without my help, and you will be even stronger with my help.
"Verity!"
Dazed, Jesse realized that this crazed female was going to kill him. His father abruptly forgotten, he found himself clawing at her knee, twisting frantically to get free, heedless of the RF launcher she was covering him with. He hadn't let Miss Savon kill him, nor Syamin and Adrian. There was no way he would let this stranger do him in without a fight.
"Verity!"
"I haven't forgotten you, Jonathan," she hissed at him, ignoring her companions, "or what you did to us."
Dad, what did you do?
Jesse was on the verge of blacking out. He could picture his father's sideways smile becoming scornful at his failure.
The pressure eased up suddenly, and his breath was very loud in his ears. Over the grey rabbit's shoulder he saw her black-furred companion bodily lifting her off him.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.
It was a moment before he realized that the black rabbit was speaking to him.
"Your name is Jonathan?"
Jesse shook his head no. If the grey rabbit - Verity? - if Verity had such a grudge against the late general, he would be better off not admitting any blood relationship at all.
"Who are you then?"
"My name .. is Jesse." The last time he had spoken those words, it had been to another black rabbit. Jesse thought this one was more trustworthy though, which was why he had approached to begin with.
"Jesse what?" the black rabbit's eyes sharpened suspiciously.
"Just .. Jesse." Why did people insist so much on knowing last names? It didn't change who he was.
"I see." The dark violet-blue eyes warned him that the topic was not forgotten. "Do you know Verity?"
"No." He shut his eyes. Logic would say if he had known Verity, why would he have approached them?
"Who is Jonathan?
Jesse's eyes flew open. "What makes you think I know?"
"You recognized the name."
"Jonathan was ... a friend, I suppose."
"Was?"
"He's dead. Killed."
"He's lying," Verity said suddenly, voice tightly controlled. "Icarus, he's lying through his teeth."

Icarus sighed. "Give him a chance, Verity?" Verity made a disgusted noise. He turned back to the white rabbit who called himself Jesse.
"How did he die?"
"Why?"Getting answers from him was harder than pulling teeth. "Just answer the question, okay?"
Anger lit in Jesse's green eyes, but then he shrugged. "They got him in a fire."
"When?" Verity demanded. Jesse looked bewildered.
"A few weeks ago? I lost track of time.."
Icarus regarded this strange youth suspiciously. Ash and grime made his white fur dingy. He smelled of smoke. Icarus went on intuition.
"You set that fire in that station."
Jesse tensed. Clearly Icarus had hit a nerve. "Not - directly."
"How do you indirectly commit arson?"
Jesse didn't answer that. Icarus waited patiently. Finally, the white rabbit looked away. "It's a long story."
"I'm sure it is. How many people died?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Verity's whole body expressed incredulity.(sp?)
"No more than two. Probably not even that. I think A.. one got out at least."
"Who?"
"A ... spymaster. And a spy. We... fought. The fire was accidental." He looked at Verity nervously, looking very young for a moment. "Can I get up?"
"Don't try anything."
"Like what?" Jesse sat up, gingerly rubbing his bruised throat. "You think I'm going to jump up and start burning everything? I'm sorry, I've had enough fire to last me a lifetime. Two lifetimes," and his head jerked up defiantly.
Verity looked clearly disbelieving. Jesse matched her stare for stare.
"How can we believe you?" Naomi said suddenly. "We don't know you. You won't even tell us your last name, for heaven's sake."
Jesse smiled bitterly. "I'm thinking I should look for passage offworld elsewhere, then?"
Icarus was surprised into a laugh. "Yes, the reception's been a little unfriendly, hasn't it. Naomi, you have to remember too, Jesse could be completely innocent. There's a good chance Verity has the wrong rabbit."
Verity found her voice. "Not bloody likely."
Jesse's face darkened. "What did Jonathan ever do to you?"
"You should know," Verity said dangerously. Jesse shook his head. He didn't look as though he wanted to know either. Icarus shrugged.
"It's an honest question," he remarked, "but makes no difference whatsoever to the question of passage."
Verity turned startled eyes to him. "You can't seriously be considering taking him?"
"It's not up to you or me," Icarus pointed out. "It's Naomi's ship."
Naomi gave Icarus a look that said thanks a lot. He shrugged it off. She sighed. "Icarus, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Uh, sure."
She drew him away from Jesse and Verity, who were eyeing each other again.
"What are you doing," she hissed at him once they were out of earshot. "We need Verity. We don't need this Jesse guy! He as much as admitted to killing two people and setting that fire we saw!"
"He also said that he thought they might have escaped, and the fire was accidental," he reminded her. "But like I said, the coice is yours."
"What if he's lying? What if he is this Jonathan?"
Icarus shrugged. "There's no justice on Diamondus anymore," he pointed out. "If he does turn out to be some criminal, we can turn him over to the Carrotan authorities."
"You believe him," she accused. Icarus gave her a twisted smile.
"I'm just remembering another kid accused of crimes he didn't commit," he said softly. "I have a certain amount of sympathy for Jesse, yes."
"Oh, Icarus," Naomi said, penitent, "I'm so sorry. I didn't think - I mean - that you saw him like that."
"Aside from the last name issue, he seems to be telling the truth," he told her.
"Then what do we tell Verity?"
"I'd say it's probably better to keep an eye on him than to kill him out of hand or let him go," he mused. "That way she can be sure of getting justice on Carrotus. And the truth might come to the surface."
"The truth?"
"About what Jesse says. And Verity."
"Oh."
"Make the call, captain."
"... Can you talk to Verity for me?" Naoimi's eyes were pleading. Icarus grinned.

Jesse watched Icarus and Naoimi walk away before turning his eyes to Verity.
"What did Jonathan do? he asked again, weary of this whole thing. "Try to kill you?" His quick eyes noted the scar on her face. Verity scowled.
"Oh, you tried. I'm not so easy to kill though."
Jesse stayed quiet.
"Raphael trusted you," she said bitterly. "You made him betray Eddie, and then you betrayed him."
He blinked. Verity's words disturbed him more than he admitted. Those names were familiar, and he couldn't place them.
"Look," he said finally. "I don't know how to convince you. I'm not Jonathan. I'm Jesse."
Verity laughed. "For not being him, you sure do look like him."
The words were a cold weight in Jesse's stomach. He told himself firmly that she was not speaking of his father. His father wanted nothing to do with the war. He was honorable. He didn't betray people.

But how often had he been told that he was his father's spitting image?

(Round 4)


Chapter 26: Atrocity makes the hard go yonder by SlaYo.

Through darkness he wandered across the fields outside of town.
Everything was new and fresh. Feelings of self-hatred were mixed with pleasure.
Another’s innocence was hanging from the corners of his mouth.
He was responsible for the death of a young woman and liable to make the same mistake again, over and over… until it would devour him whole. An insatiable hunger overwhelmed him.
Estella followed him. The dry grass tickled the bottom of her feet, but this was not the source of the grin that had been resting on her face since the moment of Louie’s rising from the grave. She brought eternal life to him, her favorite creature of all.
He often broke down and cried tears of joy because everything was so much clearer now.
She would place his head in her lap and gently stroke the tips of his ears.
Confusion clouded his mind. Had she blessed him with the purest gift of all or had she made him stand near the edge of hell and given him the last push.
He hated her, but he couldn’t think of anyone he would rather be with than her.
She was his mother, his murderess and his lover all in one. ‘Sleep, my baby. And wake up tomorrow to find me at your side.’ She wouldn’t leave him for the world. Of this he was sure.
He woke up the next morning and there she was, bathing in the lake outside of Greenthorpe mansion. The sun cast its reflection in the tiny drops of water that hang from her fur.
Her fur was of the purest white he had ever seen and it gave her an angelic look.
He knew that she was no angel though; she was far superior to any supernatural being for she was his and his alone. Louie entered the body of water and could feel more then he had ever felt.
He could feel the singularity of every little drop of water as he slowly moved over to Estella.
And they made love in the water, powerful, primal.

They spend every moment of the following months together, dancing, talking, hunting, feeding, unifying. Until the day they came…

The voices of Louie’s victims came back to haunt him. Many a rabbit had lost their lives to him. He could hear they’re cries in the night. When Estella’s body brushed against his and she was sound asleep. She kept him going, for a while, but the number of voices grew and it was not long before they consumed him, his body and his spirit. He could not take this life and they would never again give him peace of mind. Until he had lost everything that he had taken from them.
Estella was everything he had and he was everything that she had. But when he was away from her, he found peace. He would often hide in the forest surrounding Greenthorpe and he would stay away for hours, not having to be with her and every one of these moments broke his heart.
Everything changed from there on out. He would often ignore her. Hurting himself more then she would ever know. Louie tried to hate her, but he knew he could never do that. And so did the vampires. But she loved him and therefore she knew she had no choice.
When he woke up one morning, she was gone. There was a little note on her pillow.

‘My love,

Nothing in the world can describe the pain I will be in when I am not by your side, but to stay here with you would be intolerable cruelty. I should never have done this to you, I took your life and every time I see your pain I die again. It is too late to regret my actions but I must face the consequences for them alone. You’ve shown me beauty. By the time you read this, I will be reduced to dust. And the wind will carry me across the lands. Know that in spirit I will always be with you. And know that you are the only man I have ever loved. Never forget me, for I will never forget you.
I’ll see you in hell dearest,

Estella.’


The note fell from Louie’s hand and found its final resting place by the foot of the grand piano. The house gave him no comfort. Estella had left him all alone in this new world and he felt lost.
He knew not what to do and with the image of Estella in mind he sank into a comfortable chair. Feeding off of rats and thinking of nothing but her for years and years to come… She would never leave him, of this he had been sure.

“Many of you have found jobs thanks to me. Others made promises that I’ve fulfilled.
Where others talked about a better life for all of our furred friends, I delivered.
And I will continue to do so if you have faith in me. Vote not for those who will give you five more years of promises. Vote for the person that already fulfilled dozens.”

Thomas shook his head and took another sip of his ale.
He looked around the room. Strange characters had filled his house lately and the place was a mess. Susan Bradhurst was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Lately he felt more and more estranged from her. She turned out to be such a strong and confident woman, who was not surprised by anything and had an answer to everything. He had been up to his nose in books about these strange creatures.
They were in front of him and he could still hardly believe his eyes.
The vampire and the zombie were involved in a deep conversation. A vampire… and a zombie?
Alexander Garand sat in front of him, he had recently attacked by a… werewolf. The genuine article. Sharp teeth, claws and a bad breath. He still couldn’t believe this, and there were other things to worry about. Gary Parker was running for governor and he was sure to win the elections.

‘That man can’t be trusted. The more power he gets, the darker things will get.’
Alexander did not speak much, but when he did, people listened.
‘We have proof at Shism that he has connections with the underworld. They worship him, even the werewolves are afraid of him.’ He shuddered and so did Louie.
Werewolves were the biggest thread to his kind. A war had been going on between their kinds for ages. No one knew exactly how it started, but most people believe that it was because Ronahin, the first werewolf had bitten the head off of Kaijn, the first vampire.
Them being afraid of Parker meant trouble to say the least. Tony and Louie got up. ‘We’re going to walk over to the mansion. See how things are progressing. Does anyone care to join?”
Thomas was the only one who nodded, the rest rather stayed home for dinner.
‘Let me get my coat.’

Parker sat down on his office chair and told his secretary that she could go home today.
She was a good girl, he almost felt sorry for her. He turned the television on and was pleased to hear the news. He immediately picked up the phone and dialled the number to the Cholmondely & Smith office. ‘Cholmondely here’ the old rabbit on the other end spoke.
‘Hey there old man, it’s Parker. Turn on your TV and watch the latest news.’
The old rabbit did as he was told. He wouldn’t dare to ignore Parker’s order.

‘…Hilda Parkers body was found this morning.
Her death came unexpected. She recovered not too long ago from an illness and had no health problems we know of…’

He did it, he killed the old bat. He’s going to make a fortune now.
‘Congratulations Gary.’ Cholmondely said coldly. ‘That makes you a multi-millionaire.’
Gary smirked. He hadn’t been this pleased in a long time.
‘It’s only the first step in the big plan.’ Gary said.
Cholmondely scratched his chin nervously. ‘Sure thing Gary, anything you say.’
Parker put down the phone. They crawled through the dust for him. Soon, they all will.

Tony looked around the dining room, it was unrecognizable. The curtains had been torn down and the antiquities had been removed. The vampire must be storing them elsewhere. Many sacks of hay and cloth bed sheets lay on the floor, uncomfortable but welcome beds for the many refugees that would arrive the next morning. ‘Satisfied?’ Thomas asked Louie. He nodded, but his enthusiasm seemed reserved. The three of them walked around the house, the place sure seemed a lot more colorful and fresh then it had been before. Several men and women were still cleaning the place up, scrubbing the hard wooden floors and cleaning the walls. The dusty, old rugs had been removed
‘They’re doing a great job.’ Thomas said.
‘This place used to be a mess and look at it now, suitable for families with children.’ Tony spoke with the voice of a man ten times his age. ‘I think we’d best head back, dinner is probably ready and Susan has put some great effort into it.’ The three men took another good look around and left the mansion but stopped cold in their tracks. The mutilated body of a young female lay only several meters away. Dry lumps of blood stuck to her fur and it looked as if she had difficulty breathing.
Without saying a word to each other, the three men approached her. ‘Are you alright?’ Thomas asked, trying to make his voice sound calm and nurturing.
Whether it was the sound of an unfamiliar voice or the girls fear they didn’t know, but she cowered at the mere sight of them. ‘Do not touch me, please leave. Please do not hurt me.’ Blood streamed down from her lips as she spoke, her voice was so soft and her body so broken. As if she spoke with the voice of a little child. Whoever had done this to her, they had not been holding back.
‘Poor girl, she’s lost it.’ Tony whispered. He could be so subtle.
She didn’t reply but tried to crawl away from them burying her bloody fingers in the soft grass. Thomas noticed that an exceptional amount of blood seemed to drip down from underneath her body. ‘We have to get her to Susan before she bleeds to death.’ He said determined. ‘Whether she wants to or not is not important right now. We need to get her to my place if we want to save her life.’ Tony and Louie both looked at each other. ‘What did you have in mind?’ The first one said.
Yakira had struggled enough for one day, her body wanted to continue escaping from the potential evildoers but she could not go on any longer. She rested on one of her arms and collapsed.
‘I guess that makes it a lot easier.’ Louie said with an indifferent tone to his voice. Thomas squatted down next to her and rolled her over onto her back. ‘Alright Tony, you grab her legs and…’ He stopped right in the middle of his sentence. Several bloody marks had appeared across the cloth on her chest. ‘Let’s get this girl to the house.’

‘What happened, who is she?’ Alexander said as he opened the door.
‘We do not know, we found her at the mansion. Poor girl has been pretty roughed up.’
Tony said as he and Thomas placed her down on the couch. Susan looked after her and healed her wounds. ‘It looks like something has attacked her eyes as well. What kind of monster could do this to her?’
‘A friend of Louie’s apparently.’ Tony said, but was quickly shut up by the look in Louie’s eyes.
Yakira opened her eyes, she was blind and wrapped in darkness.
Several figures were surrounding her; her eyes moved around quickly, looking at nothing in particular..
She grabbed the hand of one of them. ‘Tell them not to hurt me.’ She said, before she drifted off again. Her hand slid out of Louie’s. The first seeds of pity were sown within him. A feeling long ago cut from his very soul by the embrace. He leaned over her and whispered into her ear to make sure that no one else would hear him. ‘No one is going to hurt you while I’m around.’

Everything that is evil starts out as something good.

“Gary? Where are you Gary?”
Several children were playing a game of hide and seek. It’s funny how something as simple as that can entertain us so in our younger days. “This isn’t funny anymore Gary, please come here.” Meya shouted. “I’m going to tell your aunt about this and you’ll be in trouble.” She paused to see if he would respond to this threat, but he didn’t. “I swear I am going to tell on you Gary!” But she knew that Gary wouldn’t believe her because she was far too fond of to get him into trouble. She’d have to miss him for days if she’d tell on him. And who would she play with then? Marcus, who she had found in less than a minute because he was to fat to fit in the barrel he tried to hide in. Or Reglia, who always pulled her ears if Gary wasn’t looking. Roger wasn’t too bad, he was a little quiet ever since the kids went on an adventure that took them to Greenthorpe mansion. Nobody knows what he saw and nobody ever asks him for it. Some things are best left unknown and even though they were still young, they knew this was one of those things.

“Gary?” Reglia shouted. She was starting to get worried as well. She knew that he liked a joke but this had gone on long enough now. “Let’s go look for him.” Marcus said lazily.
Even talking cost him too much energy and it didn’t look like he was going to get out from underneath that tree even though he suggested to go look for Gary.
“What do you think we’ve been doing lard head?” Reglia said. “This game is called hide and SEEK for a reason, geek.” Meya giggled.

“He may be a lard head but he is right.” Roger said. “It’s getting dark and if we don’t get home in time our parents will start to get worried. I do not want to stay out here after the sun has gone down” Marcus wanted to get up, but after a few sighs and puffs he decided that it was best for him to stay behind in case Gary came back.
Reglia gave him a soft kick against his big -ss and shook her head. “One day you’ll sit still forever because you’d be too fat to get up.” Roger smiled.
He thought she was pretty, two golden brown pony tails were hanging down her shoulders and her eyes would sparkle if she made one of these mean comments. He enjoyed hearing her voice; he had enjoyed it ever since they started to play together. The people in town called them ‘The pack’ wherever they went. They always went together. If only they had stayed together this time…

He walked a little further into the cave he had discovered.
Gary was looking for a good place to hide and stumbled over something underneath the grass.
When he looked to see what it was that made him stumble he noticed a hole in the ground, just big enough for a small rabbit to squeeze through.
In the eyes of an adult, his next move would have been one of great courage or stupidity.
But in the eyes of a child, it was the perfect hiding place.
A narrow tunnel crawled through the thick and dark earth. Several strange crystals in the sides of the tunnel lit everything up so that he could see where he was going.
His mind told him to stay put but he decided to ignore the good advice and he wandered on.
“I’m going to tell your aunt…” Sweet Meya. ‘I know you won’t’ He thought to himself.
He reached the end of the tunnel and entered a massive cave underneath the earth lit up by hundreds of Crystals. He stood there in awe over the size of this cave.
A cold stream of wind playfully teased his earlobes. He didn’t know why and he knew he should not do this but he took a few steps into the cave and stepped into a small stream of icy cold water. His foot blocked up the path of the water like a dam and it felt like the cold water bit in his feet but he was too bedazzled to feel anything. This was how the archeologists must have felt when they discovered the grave of king Nozz, the first king of the old times that had united the rabbits of Carrotus. The air in here was thick and smelled sour, could he have been the first person that had entered this cave in thousands of years or more even. He could have even been the very first person that entered this cave since the beginning of time. His imagination seemed to have no limits, but he soon found out that his last assumption wasn’t correct when he noticed a drawing on the far wall.

“He must’ve disappeared somewhere around here.” Timmy said. The sun was setting over the treetops now it would not be long until it would be dark. They all searched down the area in which Gary had disappeared, inch by inch, until Meya noticed a hole underneath a patch of grass. It seemed that Gary hadn’t covered up his little secret as well as he hoped he had.
“Here, look.” One of his wristbands was resting in the sand.
Timmy, Meya and Reglia were all looking at each other. They looked rather scared.
“Gary?” Meya said softer than before and a lot more scared than before.

The drawing depicted the monstrous form of a man; thick black lines were drawn over him. As if he was locked in a cage. Gary was drawn to its eyes, as if the drawing had placed an enchantment upon him. ‘Touch me Gary, touch me and free me. Please Gary I’ve been alone for ages.’
The drawing had gotten inside of his head. The young rabbit’s mouth hang open and a small stream of drool fell from the corner of his mouth.
A muffled “Yes…” barely audible escaped from his lips and he brought his fingers to the drawing. ‘Good boy. You’ll be rewarded Gary, you’ll be a rich man. I’ll give you everything you want Gary, free me.’ The monsters voice was so friendly and calm it was soothing and it was not long before his fingers touched the cold rock. Gary’s heart stopped, for a second, for a minute. For one brief period of time he had lost track of everything. It felt like an eternity of pain and anger soared through him. He did not scream, he could not scream. The monster was his throat; the monster was his head, his eyes, his ears. And then, all of a sudden. Everything seemed to go back to normal.

“Gary, you scared us. Didn’t you hear me? I called out your name.” The young boy turned around and looked straight into Rogers eyes. All color left the young boys face. He had looked into the eyes of a monster before and it had left him crippled. He wasn’t sure what to say and decided that it was best not to say anything at all. It had helped him out before.
Gary gave the two girls a big hug and then turned his back on them to look at Roger.
He grinned and placed his pointer finger on his lip. ‘This could be the start of a beautiful friendship Gary.’

Chapter 27 Lucky Numbers by Ducky

Icarus and Verity worked at the glowing blue screens together all night, taking their alternate shifts sleeping. Verity squinted at the papers laid out before her. In the dark of the early morning, the bare light bulb hurt her eyes, but she kept working. There had to be a way to make this happen. Getting off Diamondus was their only hope. Getting to Carrotus was her only hope.

Icarus, hunched over a cup of coffee, slid a stack of papers onto the floor and shoved his paws into his eyes, rubbing tiredly. "It's going to work," he said. "I've got it."
Verity looked up from her computer screen. "Tetracolyhydroxide," Icarus garbled.
"Gesundheit," Verity offered, "That's a mouthful."
"It's the stuff we need. It's a composite, completely blocks magnetic pull to and from any magnetically attractive material. It was apparently first used- and made 'famous', if you will- in the craft that broke the land speed record on Medivo in 3761." Icarus muttered this from the dark, shuffling printed pages. "Of course," Verity concurred. "Medivo has an iron core. It's molten, but the magnetics are much stronger than on, say, Carrotus, with a molten rock core. If the craft was demagnetized, it would practically float on the surface of the planet."

A sleepy Naomi entered the hull of the shuttle. "So where do we get enough of this to coat the shuttle?" Icarus shook his head. "I have no idea. It says on this site that it's a ...controlled substance... wait, that can't be right." He clicked, frowning at the screen.
"Tetracolyhydroxide is also used as a--"
"-- hallucinagen," Jesse said, coming into the room as well.
"Um, what he said," Icarus finished.
"The form used as a drug is the purest form of the composite," Jesse said sitting down beside the screens on the opposing side of the room. "Plus, because it's illegal, probably the only form you are going to be able to get. Govermental consent and all that crap- they require permissions signed by sixteen heads of state and four federal vouchers and what have you, to use for strictly monitored experiments and designs. The ship that broke the last land speed record on Medivo was confiscated."
"I remember it, " Verity said, suddenly distant. "I was only a little girl. Six maybe."
"I didn't know you lived on Medivo," Naomi said gently, but Verity shook her head, "I left twenty, twenty-one years ago, when my parents died." she changed the subject abruptly, turning to the white rabbit. "You seem to know enough about it," she said, her forehead creased.
"A hit is a liquid gram," Jesse continued, uncomfortable under Verity's vicious green stare, "and a hit costs about as much as Queen Eva's diamond. Rest her soul, " he added in reverence. Looking around the cockpit, he concluded- "I'd say you'll need about two gallons to paint this ship."
There was a small silence. "So um... can you get it for us?" ventured Naomi.
"Yeah, sure, no problem." Jesse smiled, the first time they had seen his face without sadness shrouding it.

Later that afternoon, Verity stayed alone to watch the ship while Icarus and Naomi went to buy supplies. Jesse was still gone, having galloped off as soon as the sun came up to find what they needed. Verity was still disgruntled at Icarus's choice to bring that white rabbit with them. She would never be off her guard. But he was right in that ...Jesse, as he insisted upon calling himself, was well acquainted with the illegal side of this area. He'd found them what they needed, all right, and it was thanks to Naomi not exactly being the worst off in monetary terms that they were almost ready to try again. Carrotus or bust, there was only one problem.

Sitting in the small cockpit of the shuttle, she gazed out the tinted windshield and shoved her hands into the pockets of her scuffed leather jacket. In one pocket, she touched the vial that she carried with her to this day, still the same six drops of poison. Give me sign, she would say at night, when she was young, that I can end this now. In the other, she delicately fingered a soft, worn page. There was a name scribbled on the blue-lined notebook sheet, faded with the year that it had traveled with her, but still clear, her mentor's handwriting familiar forming the unfamiliar name.
"it's your choice, Verity," Eddie had told her that night in the back room of the bar.
She missed the bar, missed bartending. What had happened to that? She remembered smiling at the familiar faces and asking carefully selected questions of the unrecognizable ones.
She remembered Raphael entering the bar and the thrill she always felt when she saw the tabby cat's face looking back at her. There was a thrill of anger and hate coupling with the love now when she saw Raphael's face in her head, just as she couldn't look at the face of the white rabbit insisting that he was not Jonathan. Verity admitted deep down inside her that he was too young, that the rabbit who blasted the cavern into Eddie's chest had been at least ten years older than her.
But that changed nothing, and she clenched her paw around the paper in her pocket.
"He'll make you into a machine," Eddie had told her.
"You'll never have your own life back." She withdrew her paw from the pocket and looked at the crumpled paper. "Are you willing to give up your soul for what you believe in? Don't think lightly on this, Verity." But Verity's decision was no longer based on choice and it was clear as the war waged what she had to do. She unfurled that paper and read the name, though she had long since memorized it. "He's a vampire," said Eddie's voice in her head, "If you let him bite you, you'll have it all. You will be able to do what you want. You will have the power to change this world. But you will also spend the rest of your days with the devil himself living inside you, and even if you end the war, you will fight him for eternity. I'm giving you his name because you are the only rabbit I have ever known who I know has the strength to face off against hell itself."
Louie Greenthorpe. Verity stalked to the back of the ship to clean her RF for the sixth time that day.

Naomi and Icarus walked through the village, paws clasped, but without speaking. As the days passed there seemed less to say than when the black rabbit had first seen the love of his childhood laughing in the bar that night.
She spoke eventually- "Are we doing the right thing?"
Icarus nodded without hesitation.
"I'm sad when I think about my father," Naomi said, "Even though I know this is better, I wish it didn't always have to be one way or the other. I wish we could be happy all together. When I go back, how do I know he'll even look at me? I just don't..." she stopped as Icarus pressed his cold paw to her lips.
"I knew your father well, “he said, caressing the soft fur on her worried face, "and you are his daughter, Naomi. He loves you."
He held her paws with his and leaned down to her. "But so do I." He looked into her eyes.
"We're so young, Icarus," Naomi said into his ear.
"The war will make us old soon enough," said Icarus, and wrapped his arms around her thin, muscular body. "We are ageless now." On tiptoe, Naomi placed her lips on his, warm and deep. He closed his eyes as he kissed her, but even so a tear escaped them to slide down his cheek.
When he kissed her he relived every moment of their past and every dream of their future, and there was more pain than possible to take, but when he kissed her, at the same time he knew he could bear it and with it whatever the future might bring.

"Be careful with that, little man,” said the burly, tattooed lizard, slouching over the filthy counter housing a glass cased selection of plastic explosives. "I don't know what you're planning with all that tetra, but I hope to hell you're not using it all by your lonesome." He raised a hairless eyebrow.
"its metal, Reg,” Jesse tossed back, "there's more to do with this than funnel it into my brain through my eyes." He gingerly hefted the canvas sack onto his shoulder, feeling the mercurial liquid fluid heavily inside the temperature controlled canisters.
"I guess I probably won't be seeing you back for a while, then."
"I hope not." Jesse flashed a grin. "This should cover our debts." He tossed a small, rattling plastic container onto the wooden counter. Reg's scaly forehead crinkled as he pried off the top. "The hell..." "Take care of those," Jesse said, turning and opening the door, leaving the lizard, tail twitching, gazing at the handful of white, pastel-tinted Carrotian gems.
As the door closed behind the teenager's slim white back, the lizard narrowed his yellow eyes.
"Hmmph," he grunted, and heaved his beer belly off the counter to reach for the grubby telephone on the wall behind him.

It was late that night when the four creatures assembled in the now-familiar corner of the pub they'd frequented for the past week. A rain was beginning to fall over the swaying sign -Marinated Pearl- as Jesse, the last to arrive, slithered inside. The grainy jukebox drowned their voices from outsiders.
"It's all there," Jesse confirmed, nodding at the canvas satchel he'd dropped at their feet.
"It's going to work, " Icarus announced tiredly. "The anti-magnetic coating painted on the shuttle's hull, antennae and controls will prevent the artificial gravitational pull that's holding us in orbit, allowing a supercession of the 80-kilometer force field that's placed to spray the false imagery into our monitors-
"At least, we think it's 80 kilometers. that's all the airspace outside of a given land mass that a government can hold," Naomi uttered a little bitterly into her cider.
"When we hit the estimated 80 kay barrier, we'll see the planet behind us, and we'll be out of mesospheric control of the Diamondian government.
There's just one problem."
"Security?" Naomi queried. 'They're not going to just let us fly off the planet when they see we're not in the Orbit, right?"
"But even so you're flying an f-wing ST-9063, "Jesse said, "Even the built in weaponry is adequate, with shields and all. My father flew an f-wing when I was young and if we've got a good pilot-"
Verity narrowed her eyes at Jesse, but said nothing.
"Naomi's as good as they come when we're talking about flying," Icarus said idly, and Naomi smiled at him.
"I believe it," Jesse said, "But I'm just saying that we shouldn't have a problem, with a gunner and a pilot, getting out of their- legal - range in enough time."
"Well, that is sort of the issue," said Verity, stirring a vodka and lime.
"Using the tetra to demagnetize the ship prevents all outside impulsion to affect the ship. Unfortunately, it also prevents any similar impulses to escape. In essence it will de-locate the ship, make it near to impossible to pinpoint, and thus when painted, the ship will be like a dead thing, no pull, no weight, no heat.
It'll disable the shields, “she said. "I've tried to figure out a way to technologically delete that side effect, but where computers and guns don't figure, I'm afraid I don't do much good, and if there is an answer out there- I know Icarus has looked too- we can't find it. Even if we place an externally located force field generator on the outer surface of the ship, the shielding will just bounce around because the anti-magnetism makes the ship undetectable. The force will just slide off and deflect into space. "

"Anything else?" said Naomi.
"Nope, everything else is cool." Icarus rolled his eyes.
"Let’s do it then. " Jesse leaned forward over the table. "We've only got one shot at this and I don't know about you all but I'd rather die trying."

"No one's going to die, " Verity said forcefully, exhaustedly, "We're all going to Carrotus."

Chapter 28: Involuntary insomniac by DoubbleDutch.
"Okay then, what about fire? I've seen that used lots in movies, maybe-"

Tier smiled grimly. "Hold out your hand then." Michelle did as she was told. Calmly Tier picked up the small lighter by the table, lit it, and held it beneath an outstretched digit, after a few seconds it blackened, a short while later the sulfurous smell of singed fur permeated the air. Michelle removed her hand and stared at it, where the flame had flickered was barely charred, as they watched the fur regrew. "You're moist, as in, mostly water, you're gonna need one hell of a fire to do anything, and believe me I know, besides, this condition comes with instincts, if she knows it'll kill her, they'll take over."

He stared at the group, it was quite a cozy setting; everyone clustered around the fireplace, deep in discussion about Michelle’s condition. They’d considered everything, from crushing to freezing, fire to magic, and every time they’d come to him, asked, and been disappointed. If there was a way to end his condition, he hadn’t found it in a thousand years, but they never gave in, it was a characteristic of the living.

Tier walked off, leaving the group in further discussion. Michelle had taken a shine to the vampire, and they spent a lot of time talking, which was only to be expected, they were in the same situation, more or less. She hadn't had to go through the hell of regular feeding, the estrangement, lack of sleep, but she knew what was coming, she had immortality and all its horrors to face. They'd tried to talk to him of course, since he had a lot more experience, but the conversations always died, ebbing away into those uncomfortable silences, he knew he could never tell them what it was like, they were too alive to understand.

He smirked, a vampire? Too alive? I bet that hadn't been said too often. He sighed; it sounded like someone squashing a wet sock, and went back to work. Work, he was good at that, just as long as he had something to do, no matter what, or how long it'd take he'd get it done, even if it took a hundred years, literally.

"Hey, thought you might want these, take a bit of filling out of course."

Tier turned to face the rabbit behind him. His mind flickered a bit, ah yes, Thomas, the one who read books. He stared at the rabbit’s outstretched hand.

"Citizenship papers? What for?"

"Well, I just thought-"

"That I might want to vote? When everything will be the same in a hundred years? And I'll be around to see it? Hell, why not? Who's the guy you want to win?

Tier spent the next half hour filling out the forms, it was just something else to do, people got all excited about the most insignificant things, he'd seen good government, and bad, and all that really mattered was that everything came to an end, eventually. After that he went back to rebuilding the wall, then clearing out the basement. As he worked his mind plodded on thinking of the upcoming civil war. It seemed everyone was always fighting one another; no sooner had the last battle finished before people were rushing off to another. He remembered...

A red sky, not sunset, but at night, fire from the ground spiraling into the air. The world was thick with noise, and blood and life. The dog was ahead of him, then behind, slumping to the ground, a rabbit on his left, a quick swipe and nothing more. They were too busy fighting each other to notice the red streak of death that cut through their ranks. Another there, and there, slash! Stab! Feed whenever possible, the battlefield filled with those like himself, but alive, at least for now. Shots rang out, he felt pressure, but moved on, no need to stop, no need to think, this was home.

Michelle stared up at the ceiling and counted the cracks in it for the hundredth time. Geez, even the vampire could sleep, this was going to take some getting used to. She felt something, in that strange way she'd got used to in the last few days, sitting up slowly she saw a rat, black and sleek nibbling her big toe. They never ate anything living she noticed, at least if it was bigger than them. She let it get about halfway through before almost unconsciously swiping out at it and biting it in two. Hell, why not? Apparently this was her future diet. She'd tried normal food; it made her sick just to put it in her mouth, even raw steak tasted foul. It had to be living. She'd already got the nickname 'rattrap', something she was oddly proud of.

She sat back and let her mind wander, exploring her new ability to detect life. She could see in her mind the little lights, each one a rabbit or rat, scuttling about their own business. She wondered if Louie was one of them, how alive was a vampire compared to her really? She felt around, assigning names to the specks, feeling rather oddly like an invisible spy. There was a rat nest, young ones in it too, have to see about that tomorrow, over there was Thomas, with his wife, more late night reading, and there were the refugees, the first early arrivals, and the place hadn't even been cleaned up yet! She sighed, so much to do, so much activity, she'd never been good with people, because she'd never had the chance to meet any. This was all so new, so exciting, for now her condition could wait, it wasn't like many people noticed, or cared, several had been forced to eat rats themselves, most were just glad of a warm place to stay. She named every single one she could remember, recalling her brief talks with them during the past day.

She focused on that one speck, currently in the basement, the only one her instincts said 'like me' the only life signature she wouldn't attack no matter how hungry she got, the others... There was something out in the forest; it pricked her mind, another taste of life, no several, a group. She focused muzzily on it; watched figures half a mile away meet, interact and then disperse. She wondered idly what they had been; she'd spent a lot of time in the woods, all her life. She'd been expected to be able to work since she'd been five, and had spent many hours before that repairing family equipment in the hut, even more so after mother had died. They tracked down the bandit together, her and father, the werewolves had found what they left, and that’s what he had deserved. Werewolves, was that them? She held on to this thought; there were said to be some around, she'd have to start stalking the woods, her new condition offered, possibilities even if they were werewolves. She laid back and thought of sunny forest days until the soft dawn light told her it was time to get up. People would want breakfast, and she was a good cook.

Chapter 29: Transition by ToxicBunny
They had begun to arrive. Refugee centers had sprung up all over Carrotus. Provincial governments, city executives and village councils from east to west, from pole to pole, had arranged accommodation on a scale that dwarfed old King Jazz's proposals. The new Greenthorpe Mansion Refuge was among the least accessible, but still they came. The Carrotus Interior Ministry had set up a database to try to fairly distribute the newcomers among the various centers, but it was proving to be next to impossible to administer. Diamondus was emptying, and Carrotus was a popular destination.

Gary Parker smiled as he watched the latest news bulletin on the situation. There would be so many people who, for whatever reason, would fall through the cracks of the system, so many people who would not be missed.

"So, let me get this straight," said Tony. "The vampires hate the werewolves because the first werewolf killed the first vampire, Kaijin."
Tony, Alexander, Tom and Susan were taking a rest in the library. They had been hard at work all day, helping the refugees settle in. "'Killed' may not be the most appropriate term, but so goes the legend," replied Alexander.
"It certainly seems like the vampires have the moral high ground," said Tom.
"Creatures of the night, dear," interjected Susan. "I don't think the moral high ground really matters to them."
"Besides, that's just their side of the story," said Alexander. "Werewolves think Ronahin, the first werewolf, was framed. There's even a theory that Kaijin faked his own death."
"So he may still be alive?" asked Tony.
"I doubt it. If he is, he's been very well hidden for thousands of years. Anyway, it's not that important right now. Our intelligence suggests most vampires and werewolves on Carrotus have formed an alliance. There's a strong feeling that they're not going to have to compete so much for prey."
"With that pleasant thought in mind, I'm afraid I have to go," said Susan. They said their goodbyes, she kissed Tom, and then she was gone. Tony turned to Tom.
"What about you, shouldn't you be out campaigning?"
"Parker's ahead in the polls, he has the sympathy vote from the death of his aunt to look forward to, and the election's tomorrow. There's not much I can do."
"But if he gets elected..."
"I know."

As Susan walked down Old Main Street, she noticed a few dark glances from passers-by. Not everyone approved of the company she was keeping these days. Word had got out, as it would in a small community that she was consorting with vampires. Most people accepted that Louie was good, but there were many who didn't believe a vampire could ever be anything more than a monster. She reached home and went up to Yakira's room. Louie was there, removing her bandages, applying the lotion, and then redressing the wounds. Susan had been uneasy at first about leaving Louie with Yakira as her bleeding could have been too great a temptation. Louie, howeverhad not as much as glanced at the blood. At least Majo was there.
"How is she?" asked Susan.
"She hasn't moved or said anything since you left. I think her pulse may be steadying, though," replied Majo. "How are the people at the refuge?"
"The injured ones were treated in Oakloma, and only a few of those need post-operative care. But there are a few who are showing delayed symptoms of Diamondus Green Vine poisoning. They were stowaways in a ship carrying the stuff, but they wouldn't admit it to the authorities in Oakloma."
"But they told you?"
"They were coughing up bile, they didn't have much choice."
"You were able to cure them, though, right?"
"Yes. But we'll be run out of medical supplies quite soon if we keep getting this many sick people."


"And now we go live to Greenthorpe, where Gary Parker is waiting for the results from his hometown."
The screen changed from the presenter's face to the Greenthorpe council chamber. The councillor's benches were covered in neat stacks of ballots, and small groups of anxious locals were milling around.
"And, indeed, waiting for the results from across the province. But right now the Greenthorpe Returning Officer is stepping up to..."
His voice faded out and Councillor Dalton read out the results. A cheer went up from half of the room, and the screen changed to show Gary Parker's reaction.
"An interesting result from Greenthorpe. Gary Parker has lost to Felicity Jadsworth, getting only 35.3 percent of the vote," commented one of the co-presenters. "If he wins, this will certainly overshadow his governorship." Gary Parker looked devastated. The screen returned to the presenter.
"We'll get an interview with him as soon as we can. Meanwhile, over to Quillanham, which Mr. Parker is widely expected to carry. If you've just joined us, Gary Parker is in the lead, but has lost in his hometown. Felicity Jadsworth is currently in second place, but Halen Neilson could still pull ahead to join Parker in the second round."

Gary solemnly got into his car, and asked his driver to take him to his campaign headquarters.
"How did the count go, sir?" asked the driver.
"Badly." He glanced up at the rear-view mirror and confirmed that the driver had no reflection. "Not that it matters. It's one small town in a huge province. It's an embarrassment, but if I feign a bit of humility over it for a few days, it'll be fine."

Tom had just got home from the count. There was nobody around on the ground floor, so he went up to Yakira's room. He opened the door to see Susan and their houseguests clustered around Yakira's bed. "Hello. How's..."
Susan interrupted. "Ssssh!"
Only then did he hear her patient trying to speak.
"Bit... better."
"Is there any part of your body you can't feel?" asked Susan.
"No... Hurts ev... rywhere."
"What can we call you?"
"Yyyak... ira."
"Yakira," said Louie. "What happened to you?"
Susan reprimanded him. "Medical questions only!"
Yakira coughed. "'Sss okay."
Louie leaned closer. Yakira let out a guttural sound as she tried to continue.

The Screen returned to the face of the presenter. "And it's official, there will be no second round. Gary Parker has an absolute majority, and is Peddleburg's next governor."

"Es...Estella."
Louie froze.

Chapter 30: Perilous Proceedings by Strato

"We go now, live, to the campaigning base for the Parker administration. Gary what do you think..."

Tony flipped off the screen as the room filled with melancholia. It had seemed for a while that the election was going to be a clear defeat for Parker, but the results were simple and plain to see. The group seemed to be distracted momentarily from Yakira to let the news sink in. Tom paced around shaking his head, with Susan patting his back in a vain attempt of comfort. Tony still seemed fairly lost in this new setting, and stayed at Yakira's side for lack of a better idea. Alexander's green-blue pupils dilated as he imagined the implications of this man, this friend of the undead in power. Nervously, he pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses. Tier and Michelle were withdrawn to each other, quietly whispering. Louie braced himself on the foot of Yakira's bed, staring at his feet. Majo held her hand to her face with one finger pressed lightly against her lips. Yakira was drawing pained and short breaths, while coughing occasionally.

A loud snapping noise erupted in the room, to which everyone was taken completely by surprise. Majo, looking excited, had snapped her fingers.
"I got it. Why don't we just kill Gary Parker?" she proposed. "He's just one rabbit with a lot of influence, perhaps but still, we easily have the power to take him down."
Louie scoffed and shook his head. The unexpected reminder of Estella's existence, and the fact that she was so close now, made him sick. He felt his blood hammering away in his neck. He cocked his head to look back at Majo now. "We, meaning myself, do not have to power to face off the legions of very angry followers, living and dead, that will be triggered against us if we even so much as think of doing that. Let's leave political assassinations to the paid professionals." Louie finished bitingly.
Majo was taken aback. She drew her right paw up to her chest in a gesture of surprise. Inwardly, she had been expecting full support for her plan. The idea seemed decent enough. "You're forgetting about Alexander. Schism will cover up the murder, right?" She had turned to Alexander and looked up at him hopefully. Alexander paused briefly before giving his own reply.
"What makes you think I want to help you? Or anybody here for that matter. My job here is done and I didn't have to lift a finger. A vampire with a massive bounty on his scalp is in the same room as me. And if that wasn't valid enough, your predicament in no way affects me." Alexander smirked and shot a glance at Louie. "Personally, I think your troubles would be easier solved if I killed this guy and got out of here." Louie wanted to retort with a reply but someone beat him too it.
"You have a lot of gall." Susan uttered. She had turned away from Tom on the other side of the room, and began to walk up towards Alexander, finger raised. Louie snapped his mouth shut and looked at Susan. "The nerve of you, to come into our house and threaten our friend like that. We gave you our hospitality, and he even spared you your life." She was yelling at this point, barely inches from Alexander.
"Why I oughtta-" She stopped for a second, quivering with fury, and then whipped her paw across Alexander's face with a satisfying slap. Alexander's head was turned slightly to the right with a very surprised expression. Nobody had expected Susan to be capable of that level of anger. The whole room feel into an unsettling silence again, spare for Yakira's uneasy breathing.
"I think...she needs help." Tony timidly submitted. The tension of the environment ebbed as people began to remember Yakira's pain. Susan's face turned utterly pale as her head drew towards the ground. Tom sprung up to guide her into a chair.
"We're doing the best we can." Louie grunted. He relaxed his arms and let them fall to his side. Michelle got up and quietly hurried herself to the kitchen. Louie took to the back porch. He pushed open the sliding glass door, and leaned against the railing with both arms. He let his anger flow out from his body as he tried to cool down from the heat of the moment, but it was ineffective. His anger towards Alexander quickly manifested itself into his anger at Estella. Ever since Yakira arrived, he had felt something about her. Pity, perhaps, but it was unimportant until now. All of her problems, they stemmed from Estella Bane. Curse that name, Louie thought, as he slapped his palm down on the railing. Susan was working on re-applying Yakira's bandages up in Yakira's bedroom, like she did thrice a day, and Louie felt the urge to help her. But something was holding him back. Louie was anchored by some indescribable emotion that prevented him from walking over to aid her. It was a combination of his feelings against Estella, and the disturbance he felt about Yakira. Susan came down into the living room, and looked outside at Louie. He was pre-occupied in his own thoughts and wouldn't have seen her anyway. After a moment, she took a seat by Tom's side

Up in Yakira's room by her bed, Tony was standing there, his mind reeling. He felt around behind him for a place to sit, and grasped the seat of a chair. He drew it up next to Yakira's bed and fell into it. He had just diverted a crisis. The last thing the group needed was in-fighting. Tony let the thought of Mayo's plan sink in a little bit. To kill a prestigious leader of both the living and the dead? It seemed an almost unthinkable plot. But still, he couldn't help toy with the idea of it. That hero's mentality; he could almost taste the satisfaction now. He couldn't help but smile a bit while fathoming the plot, the rewards, the banquets in his name. His facial expression must have seemed vastly out of line for the current mood, as Majo gave him a queer look. Noticing this, Tony quickly wiped the smile from his face and began to focus on the situation at hand. He let his vision drop onto the broken rabbit next to him, and he felt her pain inside himself. Tony began to feel a bit disturbed, and was compelled to do something. He reached out with his paw and placed it on her shoulder.
"Are you still awake?" he asked quietly.
Yakira's eyes slid open. She looked back at Tony's nervous face.
"Y...yess. Is there some...something you needed to...to ask me?" she queried. Tony thought for a second, and then said no.
"I just wanted to tell you that you're safe now, from wherever you came from and whatever hurt you so badly." Tony declared "Louie and I are gonna make sure of that." Yakira smiled at this thought, giving Tony a sense of reassurance, before her eyes shut once more. Tony felt slightly at ease again.

Susan Bradhurst, though looking quite flustered, was sitting upright on a couch under a window with Tom trying to comfort her by her side. He repeatedly stroked her arm and asked how she was doing.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just got myself carried away a bit for a moment." she answered. Susan looked around for a second, and then leaned in to Tom's ear. In a whisper, she continued.
"But the nerve of that man. I swear."
Tom felt hesitant before saying what was on his mind. He let in a good breath and then spoke.
"We need him though, if we want to kill Parker."
Susan pushed Tom away and looked struck in shock. "You're not serious, are you?"
"In all honesty, it needs to be done. And why not by people we've only you know, just met? It's imperative that we get him out of power as soon as possible. Who knows what he might do with that position. We can't run that risk." Tom asserted.
"I am agog." Susan stammered. "In all my days I would never consider you one to even think about doing something like that. I never should have let you surround yourself with this horror show."
Tom looked away from Susan's eyes. He couldn't believe himself either. Susan bowed her head and placed her paw on Tom's.

Alexander was checking his person to make sure that he still had everything he came with. He reached into his coat's inner pocket, and felt around, counting to himself. One...two...three syringes of Silver nitrate. Injected into an artery, the chemical would easily kill a rabbit, and spell a very excruciating death for a vampire. He felt his face and ran his fingers across his slightly uncomfortable stubble. He pushed up his glasses, and then ascertained that the rest of his belongings must be up in the room they placed him in. He walked up the stairs and walked up to his bedside. Much to Alexander's relief, his crossbow was still intact. He picked it up, and felt the incredibly heavy Rocktree wood in his arms. He hefted it, grasped the strap, and slung it around his shoulder, letting it rest on his back. Alexander then bent over to pick up another piece of his equipment, a simple combat knife. However, he was still missing his most prized possession. He felt around under the bed for it nervously. Finally, he felt his fingers grasp it's wooden handle. He pulled it out, and held it in front of him to bask in its glory. Alexander placed his pipe firmly in between his lips and began to dig around in his pocket for a small parcel of tobacco. "I didn't take you for a smoker."
Majo's voice came as an unexpected surprise to Alexander. She was standing in the doorframe with one arm rested against it, leaning in. Alexander paused to give her a dirty look.
"Nothing helps you get through the hard times like and addiction." he uttered, and then drew out a small bag of tobacco. He ripped it open and filled up his pipe.
"Does that make you feel badass or something stupid like that?" she asked. Alexander gave no reply, instead he lit up and inhaled deeply. "It's a shame that second hand smoke stuff is so terrible, because what I'm breathing in is great stuff." Alexander mocked. Majo rolled her eyes and set her paws on her hips. She walked in farther to Alexander's room, and stood across the bed from him.
"I was hoping-" she started. "That I would reconsider your proposition?" Alexander finished. "No deal. Besides, I highly doubt I'm welcome with your pack anymore." he released a small plume of smoke with each syllable, and then took in another long breath with one hand lightly supporting the end of his pipe. Outside on the staircase, Louie was creeping up to listen in on the conversation, the hunter could be a valuable asset to their team. He began to listen at the edge of the hallway. "Pack eh? You make us sound like dogs. And after all that time we spent working together to give a home to those Diamondus war refugees, and you still want to break away from us and go back home? What happened to companionship?" Majo accused. Alexander exhaled another cloud of smoke, and then removed his pipe to talk again.
"My job here is finished. Nothing more, nothing less." Alexander stated in a definite manner. Majo threw up her arms while turning and walking away.
"You're impossible. Honestly. Think about it this way. When you go back and talk to Schism, they'll probably just make it your next mission to kill Parker anyway." Majo said, trying to coax Alexander to her side. However, Alexander still remained defiant. He placed his pipe back into his mouth and smoked again.
"My business is with killing the undead, not with killing a political figure head." Alexander declared. Majo's head was searching for an argument to this point, but before she could find one, Alexander had started heading towards the doorway. Louie tensed, and began crouching while laying flat against the wall. He waited.
"I'm almost flattered that you want my help. But sadly, I just can't see why I should have anything to do with you." Alexander finalized, and then continued to head towards the door. Louie sunk back farther into the shadows in preparation. Alexander walked out of the door, merely inches from Louie's jaws. He turned and walked down the stairs. Louie shot up almost instantaneously, and entered the room with Majo.
"We're not going to kill Parker. Whatever the hell made you think that was a good idea, you had better cut it out. Plus we've got a much bigger problem on our hands now. Yakira, that girl. Estella tore her to shreds just to send me an ultimatum."
"Oh, so that explains your inability to stay in the room with her. You're scared, aren't you Louie?" Majo derived.
"Of Estella, no." Louie replied nonchalantly and totally dodging what Majo was trying to get him to say. "I'm not scared. I'm angry. I want to know why she's trying to destroy me. And that girl probably didn't deserve to be Estella's vessel of misplaced anger. All I feel is hatred towards her now." Louie was now talking in a low hiss. Majo felt defeated inwardly. For the second time, she had tried to drive at something with Louie, only to be rebuffed. She was attempting to unearth empathy in him, but realized that Louie was more undead than ever before, and growing colder, at least towards her. She almost began to feel jealous that Louie's attention was spread across the board now that they had settled in with Tom and Susan and everyone else, and that she was no longer under his vigilant eye. "Cold, calculating vampire." she replied with a bitter tact. Majo immediately felt childish for chiding Louie like that. She tried to cover-up what she said by mentioning Parker again quickly, but didn't listen to his reply. Inside, her brain was racked with one massive dilemma. Why did she lash out at Louie like that? What had made her get so upset about him? Did she love him?

Tier walked out from the room where everyone was gathered and down into the kitchen to find Michelle. He stepped onto the tiled floor and leaved up against a counter. Michelle was racing from station to station preparing a platter of what looked like rat omelet’s. Tier smiled a wicked looking, but sincere, half smile. "You're not cooking for yourself. Did you forget that or something, Michelle?" he taunted. Michelle looked down at the food she had prepared between her mitts.
"I...I guess you're right." Michelle set down the tray on the counter next to Tier's arm. He took the liberty of grabbing one and taking a monstrous bite out of it.
"I'm nervous about these people. I'm just trying to earn my keep with them right now." Michelle admitted. Tier finished swallowing before opting to speak, minding his manners of course.
"They're not too bad. They're hospitable enough. But when you're acting like a vagrant, it's best not to be too picky." Tier commented. His paw was moving around wildly as he spoke, making small gestures and sending egg and rat meat everywhere.
"Great, now you've made a mess too." Michelle sighed. As she bent over to pick up some of the scraps, she continued talking. "I guess the vampire one is alright. Louie was his name." Tier laughed at this statement. "Don't get too attached. Especially to a stubborn vampire who's more powerful than you. As our kind says, let the vampire deal with the vampire troubles. All this masquerade crap does is slow one down."
Michelle laid her paws against the edge of the counter and gripped down with her fingers.
"That Parker is spelling out trouble for us, isn't he?" She asked. Tier shoved the remaining slab of food into his mouth, and licked his digits.
"What's gotten into you and suddenly caring about the affairs of vampires? You need to become a bit more detached from the world of humans. You're dead, remember?" Tier said while giving Michelle a light tap on the arm over the counter. Although a reassuring gesture, Michelle was slightly unsettled by the fact that she could feel her bones slightly cave with the pressure of Tier's paw. Her body was still decaying, and she was far from used to this new sensation.

Tony was sitting alone at Yakira's bedside. He felt a bit sick. Of all of the people he was with, why did it seem like he was the only person who cared about her well being still, he wondered. Tony banished the thought though, realizing that so much has happened recently, and that they're already doing the best they can do. He almost began to feel guilty. Everyone was going through some personal drama at this point, and he didn't have anything to occupy himself. Except for this girl's troubles. He reached over with his left paw to pull up the sheets closer around her neck. He grabbed the hem of the spread, and felt a slight irritation on his skin. He let the sheet fall out of his grasp, and looked at his paw quizzically. A light powdery film had collected on his fingers, and it was making his skin itch. Tony left Yakira's room and made his way down to the kitchen to wash it off his hand. Michelle and Tier were still talking when he entered.
"Hey, where is the sink? I've got to wash this stuff off." Tony asked, preoccupied by holding his wrist. The irritation was turning into a terrible pain.
"It's over there." Michelle said with a head jerk. She resumed talking to Tier. "I wonder…What’s going to happen to use next? Are we going to sta-"
She was interrupted by an unholy cry of pain. Tony had withdrawn his hand from the running water and was holding it above his head. Blood flowed freely from gouges that had etched themselves deep into his skin.
"What the hell? What happened?" Tier bellowed. He locked eyes with Michelle for a minute, whom mirrored his expression of confusion and fear. They both rushed over to Tony and tried to restrain him, whom all the while was screaming.

At this point, Susan had made her way into the kitchen. She began to announce that everyone was to go up to the living room, but quickly began to shout and run over to the scene that was unfolding in the kitchen.
"His arm...it looks like Yakira's." She commented in disbelief. "The ointment we use is up in her room. Michelle, run up and get it, and be swift." she commanded.

"I don't care if you think it'll work. It's way too dangerous, and no way in hell am I going to work with that nutcase who's trying to kill me." Louie shouted. Majo had her arms crossed, and had a look of fire in her eyes.
"And what is so much more dangerous than Parker coming into power anyway? It could be the start of...uhh...a civil war. Or at least an open war against the undead. And why risk it?" Majo yelled back. Michelle suddenly burst into the room at this point. She looked around confused, and then embarrassed. She drew her paws up to cover her mouth as she gasped.
"I'm so sorry." she stammered. She pivoted and was about to step back into the hallway, before Louie called out to her. "It's fine. What's going on? You seem to be very upset by something." he questioned. Michelle stopped moving and dictated over her shoulder that they would have to go to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Alexander was in the living room of the Bradhurst house, stopping his exit long enough to thank Tom for his generosity.
"It was no trouble. Besides, this town has certainly entered an empathetic spirit, what with all of the giving to the refugees, no?" Out of the blue, their conversation was decimated by the sound of Tony's cry of pain. Tom drew his paws up to his ears, and all color left Alexander's face. In pure silence, they both dashed as quickly as they could to the source of the sound, joining the entire party minus Yakira, for obvious reasons, and Michelle, who was entering right behind them. She forced her way up to Tony, who had been held down into a chair and his paw was thrashing around. He was pressing down with his right paw on his wrist to try and keep it from moving. Susan was kneeling by his side, clutching the armrest. Michelle forced her way past the onlookers, and began applying the lotion onto his lacerated hand. Tony winched in pain, but the affects of its application began to take in, and his arm started to relax, but still occasionally twitch. Susan took the bandages that Michelle was holding out of the crux of her arm, and prepared them.
"Thanks." Tony said with a gasp after Michelle had finished rubbing in the ointment. She turned a color that put red to shame when she realized that she was still holding on to his paw, and stepped back. "No problem." she said quickly, and retreated back to Tier's side.
Louie was standing side by side with Alexander towards the back of the crowd around Tony, and leaned over.
"What the hell do you think caused that?". Alexander's mind ran through every possible substance he could think of, and came up blank. He gave a frightened no, and then began to sort out mentally what was going on.
"(-), do you think Yakira is cursed? Her wounds aren't healing, and now it's spread onto Tony." Louie suggested.
"Don't kid yourself. You would've been able to sniff out a curse on her a mile away." Alexander submitted bluntly. This statement however, shocked both of them back into remembering exactly what the other person was. Louie pushed the feeling aside, and tried to make light of the situation.
"And I'm sure with your experience; you could have told us that from the start."

And as such, the seeds of an awkward friendship, or at the very least mutual respect, were sown in an unsettling moment.

A silence grew between them, and Alexander took the time to walk up and ask Susan what had happened.
"I...don't know. He was washing his hands and suddenly, his left one began to be sliced apart by it."
Alexander looked down around his feet, and lifted his leg up a little to see beneath it and realized that Tony's blood was indeed pooling on the tiles below. He stepped back into a dry spot on the floor, and looked up again. Tony was in the chair, now looking comfortable but shaky. He repeatedly rubbed his left arm, either out of nervousness or for relief.. Susan had gotten up and was holding Tom in a long embrace. Michelle was glancing up into Tier, who was staring straight ahead towards nothing in particular. Majo was leaning against a counter lost in a trance of though. Louie stood alone at the end of the room near the doorway. In the center of the kitchen stood Alexander, taking one last puff on his pipe, and pondering their next move. Everyone was quiet. But Michelle became restless. Her ability to see life forms was acting up in an alarming manner. Finally, she had to say something.
"I think we all need to talk. Let's find a nice place to sit." she expressed, and to which the whole silently agreed.

After the group had taken their seats and settled into the living room, Susan was the person directing the meeting.
"Let's all relax and try to think what is going on. Maybe make a list of some sort." She said from the couch at the end of the room. All of the furniture had been arranged in a circle to accommodate the impromptu council. Tom sat beside her, resting against the arm of the couch. Across the room from them was Louie on a window seat next to Majo. In a recliner to their left, Tier was sunk in a half-listening state. Alexander was one more over from Tier in a fold-out chair. Tony was seated to the right of Louie, his paw bandaged up and with a glove covering it all. Lastly, between him and Tom was Michelle, fidgeting around and unable to sit down, instead swaying incessantly. Susan continued to address the group.
"Yakira is in a very serious condition, but she is stable, and will remain that way probably. We're doing the best we can for her. So long as we continue to provide a healthy environment for her, she will recover slowly but surely. Tony's injuries are minor and will heal rather soon."
Susan paused for a moment. Tom, who had been feeling a bit usurped as master of the house, decided to control the direction at this point.
"Gary Parker has taken the position of governor now. He's gaining political prestige at a massive rate. He's a substantial leader of all walks of life now, and a man as shady as he in power...I don't know what will come of this." Tom quivered. The rest of the people in the room remained still, giving Tom cue to continue.
"The idea of killing him is out of the question as of this moment. But mayhaps..it'll come to that someday." Tom appealed. Susan tried to inconspicuously shoot Tom the evil eye, but he evaded meeting her look. Undaunted, Susan directed the discussion to other topics.
"Michelle, why do you look so rattled dear? Is something the matter?" she asked. Michelle wasn't expecting being thrust into the center of attention, and thus awkwardly began to clear her throat.
"I...uhh...ahem. I have this thing, where I can see...uhh, people. What I mean is that-" she shuddered. Thankfully, Tier interrupted her at this point.
"What she's trying to say is that her ability to see life forces has been acting up considerably, and in a grievously distressing manner. Namely that hundreds of bodies are closing in on this village as we speak, and are already encircling it." he finished. Without missing a beat, Louie's eyes gleaned.
"Are they rabbits, or-" he began to ask.
"Nope. Werewolves." Tier answered. "And they look in the mood for trouble." he added. Alexander looked surprised, and then smacked his forehead.
"Oh crap. I must have lured them here when I ran into their pack earlier." he grieved.
Tier gave a hearty laugh.
"No pack is this big. Plus their movements...they're acting like an army, not a group of hunters." he ascertained. Tom stood up to take charge.
"We have to warn the town. I'm going to leave right now to try and shout out for a call to arms. Louie, Alexander, Michelle and...uhh... Tier. Get ready, you've all probably got a fight to look forward to." he ordered. Tom turned and grabbed a jacket off of a coat rack, and burst outside of his house. Tony got up and went the other direction towards the stairs to the bedrooms.
"What're you doing? You're injured." Susan said, getting up to usher him back to his seat.
"I'm going to my pistol. You can't stop me from a good fight." he said defiantly. Susan gave up and retracted back onto her couch. Alexander walked up to her and spoke.
"Don't worry. You're work is cut out for you. If there truly are hundreds of werewolves out there, there will be much blood and injured for you to handle when the day is through." Alexander walked outside the door following Tom and disappearing from sight. Susan crossed her hands in her lap, feeling utterly helpless against the dawning chaos.

Alexander was walking along the dirt path up to town at a hurried pace without trying to look too urgent by running. Louie and Tony were close behind, while Tier and Michelle hadn't left yet. They were making their way up to the mansion, where the greater bulk of the people in the town were clustered and unaware. Louie and Tony jogged up to fall in line with Alexander as he started to ascend the large grassy knoll up to the mansion. Louie's mind filled with the realization that this was going to be where most of the upcoming foray would occur. That the grass of his own house was the be watered in blood.
"Can you still fight?" Alexander grunted to Tony, who was carrying a compact version of the standard blaster pistol in his right, non-dominant paw. His other one had been bandaged up almost to the point of immobility.
Tony shrugged. "How hard could it be?" he replied, while wondering to himself how good of a shot he was right handed. Alexander turned back to inspect Tony at this point. He looked up and down, from Tony's head to feet.
"You may have won a few bar fights in your time, racer. But when it comes to the undead, you're a total newbie. I don't want you to be a liability, and I don't think it's in your best interest to die today." Alexander berated after finishing his judgment.
"You certainly take your work seriously." Tony miffed. His grip on the blaster tightened a bit, as Alexander's words began to fill him with a self-doubt.
Louie broke the run-in up before it could get out of hand. The trio was almost at the door to the mansion. "Stop. We make our stand here." he dictated. "You two need to go inside and inform the inhabitants of what is about to happen. Make sure they don't panic."
Tony and Alexander glared at each other for a second, before confirming their order and walking inside. Louie remained standing outside of the entry-way with his arms folded defiantly over his chest. He waited until a breeze flitted by, and sniffed deeply. Trace scents of blood and rot lingered in the air. A small crunch was heard from the undergrowth to Louie's left A small mammal? Squirrel maybe, or. Louie knew better. He darted over into the trees, and grabbed a werewolf by the scruff of his neck. He twisted him around to stare at Louie directly in the eyes.
"Found you." Louie hissed. The werewolf's eyes filled with panic. Louie felt his fangs growing in his mouth. The urge to bite was whispering softly to him; tempting.
"Leave us to do our business. There are an uncountable number of my brothers and sisters in these woods behind me. If I don't report back, they'll know something has happened. And believe you me, their revenge with be painful and deadly." the werewolf said in an attempt at intimidation. Louie rebutted.
"I'll revel in their dismemberment." he paused just long enough to let it sink but short enough so that the werewolf couldn't reply.
"Why are you here?" Louie asked, and he jerked his other paw, nail outstretched, like a knife into the werewolf's belly. The werewolf jerked around, and then gasped for a breath.
"Let's just say that we're serving a higher cause than our own selfish packs now." he said. With that, he thrust his left foot into Louie's sternum, sending him fly backwards in surprise while letting his grip go. The werewolf howled and panted at Louie, before scampering away back into the woods. Louie laid on the grass for a moment. That kick much more out of him than it should have. He rolled back up into a standing position, and glared into the woods.

Simultaneously, Alexander was inside the mansion. He had let Tony do the talking, as he might have seemed a recognizable figure with a more charismatic nature, and instead chose to lean on the inside hallway spanning from the door to the area where most of the refugees were settled in. Tony had attracted a large crowd around him as he vividly explained what was going to happen to a mass of grim faces. Alexander realized the enormity of what must be happening to them. The recent destruction of everything they had ever had, and now they weren't even safe. However, nothing seemed to answer, in Alexander's mind, why he was still here. He didn't care about the lives of anyone he had met. But he still felt a very strong attraction to stay with them and support them. Or at least protect them. Susan was right; they had given him everything, including his own life. And he still remembered the face that he woke up to the first morning he arrived, and how he was struck breathless in a heartbeat. Alexander buried his thoughts suddenly as deep as he could muster, realized that he had to focus on the situation at hand. Tony, who had finished talking to the refugees, came up to Alexander, and said "They're ready, let's go.” The two exited and met up with Louie who was standing just outside the door now. He made no effort to hide the blood soaked claw, and made a shot at Alexander.
"You're still here? What appeals to the big bad hunter to stick around with us?" Alexander smiled and gave a smug reply.
"Ten coins for every pelt I bring back when off duty.".

About five minutes later, Tom had wound his way into town square. Rabbits were walking past going about their daily business. A couple had taken a seat on the giant fountain that dominated the square. Beyond them, a shop owner was sweeping his stoop. In Tom's mind's eye, he saw the fountain in rubble and blood soaking into the golden cobblestone and dust beneath his feet. Tom swallowed and climbed onto the lip of the fountain.
"My fellow rabbits." he bellowed. The entirety of the people nearby locked their eyes on Tom. He was on the spot now. "Hear my call. Do you strive to be a part of a cause that needs you more than ever before? I urge all of the vigilante in each of us to my side. Our heart beats are mimicking the sound of the footsteps of fire, destruction, and death which clamor to our little town. An insurmountable darkness is encroaching on our lands to reduce it to ashes. I beseech all of you to join up arms by my side, and strike a blow deep into the heart of despair, and fight off these blasted, twisted concoctions of evil."
The crowd was hesitant. Tom's heart sunk as he wasn't met by thunderous applause or raised fists at all. All hope felt lost, when suddenly a voice rung clear above the din.
"What are we waiting around for? We need to make a stand, both for ourselves and for the refugees." Tom smiled. Susan was right in the nick of time. The group's attitude shifted, and and a flame of resolve spread through the crowd, dancing in each of their hearts, compelling them to stay and dare fate. They quickly were shouting plans, yells of valor, and began to run to every which way to stir up the entire town. Tom smiled in front of the teeming mass, inspecting his handiwork before stepping down to find Susan. She had separated herself and was standing next to a bench with her paws crossed in front of herself, beaming.
"You certainly still know how to rile a crowd. You had them eating out of your hand." She said, clasping her arms around him.
"Without your addition, it would have been a miserable failure." Tom replied. Susan looked down and to the right while still smiling.
"Every great leader needs an activist to promote him." She maintained. Tom simpered affectionately.
"Nobody better than you." he said, and pressed his lips against hers tenderly.


Tier and Michelle were standing outside on the path leading up to the Bradhurst estate. Tier was hanging back at the doorway.
"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Michelle asked with a quiver in her voice.
Tier gave a very certain reply. "Yes. You will be fine. What better way to find out if you can hold your own than your first battle? And besides. I need to stay here and watch over Yakira." Michelle looked down at her feet and felt the dust beneath them.
"Fine. I guess I'll head over there right away. Don't want to keep them waiting. Oh Susan. I didn't see you coming."
Susan had returned from the rabble rouse and was making her way back home again without Tom.
"Yes, I'm opening my house up as a home for the injured again. I have to clean up and make sure everything is ready for the rush. Will you be staying here Tier? I'd love to have some company. Tom is in his leader of the land mood. You should see him, strutting around like a king, airs and all. I think he's up with Louie and the others preparing for the assault. Looks like you're going to go meet up with them."
"Yes missus Bradhurst." Michelle affirmed with utmost respect. Tier shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll be glad to help you. I'm at your service." he said coyly. Susan smiled.
"Good. I wish you all the best of luck Michelle. Oh and bring back our boys safely, alright?"

Michelle met up with Tom, Louie, Alexander, and Tony at the foot of Greenthorpe mansion turned haven for the war victims. Susan was right. Tom was prancing around with his shoulders raised and chin held high. She chuckled at the fact that she knew him so well. Tom caught notice of Michelle's arrival and gave a heartfelt greeting.
"Ah, hello Michelle. I didn't fancy seeing you joining us here. Thirsting for glory, perhaps?" Michelle couldn't help but smile at his carrying on.
"Why yes, commander. In fact, I heard it that you were quite the man of words down with the people." she lilted falling right into her part and boosting his ego. Tom's eyes lit up.
"Oh ho, most definitely. I must have turned a hundred men, maybe more, down there. They are just straining at the leash, ready to take their shot." he delivered, internally bursting with a sense of pride.
He continued. "I'm sure Louie and the others would be more than happy to know you're here, so why not settle in with them? I'm sure they've got plenty of jobs to occupy you." Michelle bowed her head, and then worked her way over to Louie, who was busy tentatively setting up snap traps for their unknown enemies. This was it, she thought to herself.

It was a most intense day of hard labor, crafting traps and building a gun barricade for the minute men to make their stand in. Slowly, the mansion's peaceful but dilapidated demeanor changed into a menacing fortress overlooking the town. The wooden fence around its yard was torn down and used instead to construct a gun barricade that half-circled the hill, ready to fill up with eager vigilantes. Bear traps and trip wires had been supplied by zealous townspeople, and were being put to use all around the mansion. It was nightfall by the time it was all said and done. Torches had been propped up every few feet to help them all see. Tom, Louie, Alexander, Tony, and Michelle were seated around a campfire made behind the barricade in a small alcove that had been dug into the hill. The flame's light danced across people's faces and the moist dirt wall behind them. Everyone except Louie was relaxing, almost meditating, to prepare them for the fight. Louie was poking his head out of the alcove to look up.
"(-). A full moon." he cursed. Tony sighed.
"Are you serious? Ahhh crap." he moaned. Tony looked over at Tom, who seemed to be in a trance. Louie managed to throw Tony a half smile. "It gets worse. They're already here." The people in the group all looked at Louie in disbelief. He was pointing outside of the alcove towards a figure in the darkness; a bestial silhouette was in front of the empty barricade, standing tall. He seemed to be waiting.
"Go on general." Michelle urged, her voice shaky and meek. Tom felt queasy the whole walk up to the figure. Tonight he would discover whatever higher power had in store for him. He grabbed a torch from the barricade as he walked around it. Each step felt like a million pound weight on him. However, he kept his resolve, and walked up to face their envoy. As he approached, the light revealed to him a very shadowy looking werewolf. His fur was grey with eons of life beneath him, a very old werewolf he must have been. His left eye was lame and had rolled to the back of his eye lid. Or maybe it was a glass eye. It drew in a raspy breath and then taunted Tom.
"Hahaha..." It's voice personifying decay. "The town of Greenthorpe lays asleep and comfortable in their beds, yet you're still here? Not quite the fight my gentlemen were expecting." he finished. Every word spoken was heavy in the air. He gave a very wheezy cough.
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You've all fallen into a trap. My troops have encircled the entire forest, and will be creeping up behind your bandits as we speak." Tom declared with confidence.
"I see. Then I'll just start the attack now so you'll have to play...catch-up." the decrepit beast insinuated. He reached into his cloak and slowly drew out a large red flag. As he raised it above his head, faces sprung out of the underbrush surrounding the mansion. Tom ran back to the barricade, torch in hand, and saw Louie and the others taking a defensive stance. Louie turned back at Tom and almost menacingly demanded to know where their allies were.
"I'll have to run down to the village to get them." Tom said. With that, he ran back up without hearing what Louie or the others had to say.

Gary Parker rest the phone back on the receiver as an advisor opened the door to his office. The advisor looked very up tight and angry. He came over to speak to Parker over the desk in the room.
"All I have to ask is what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Parker's face was devoid of humanity at this point. He started speaking in a very Machiavellian, almost ungodly tone.
"I will not have it any other way. The fools. They embarrassed me. They gave a full around slap to my face. Betrayed politically by my home town. Well, all I can say is that if you sign up for the wrong outfit, you get what you deserve. Do you know what I mean? By the end of tonight, Greenthorpe will burn. And all those refugees won't be missed. They've already probably slipped through the cracks and go uncounted for. Nobody will notice their disappearance until it's far too late. And then you know what I'll do next? I'll use it to further my political career. I'll just keep on using the empathy of the oh so terrible events that happen to me and just ride my way to the top. The beauty of it is that nobody knows what I did tonight." Parker reveled. He turned menacingly to the advisor.
"Not even you." Parker loomed over the advisor, his jaws opened at an unnatural angle and swallowed the man whole.

I'm not cut out to be a general. Tom said that to himself over and over again as he ran down to the village. He had been disillusioned. Nobody came to help build the barricade. Nobody helped set up traps. Nobody was up on the hill, guns poised to kill. Tom cursed himself, a tear running down his cheek. He had been holding out on hundreds of his friends at his side on that hill, but he didn't persuade a single heart to his cause. As Tom pushed open the creeky iron gate to the grounds, he saw just further down the path lights in the town square. Perhaps people were there. Tom practically lept down, but well before he even made it, he had slowed to a jog. Then a trot. Finally, when he reached the fountain at town square, he was walking. Four people were huddling around a fire one of which was female. She looked up at Tom and bit her lip.
"I'm sorry. It looks like we're the only ones who came to you." she said.

Chapter 31: Like father, like son by Coppertop.

As Jesse fled far from his homeland, other events were taking place.
The fires had died down in the police station, leaving smoldering heaps of debris within the gutted building. Firefighters had come and gone, speaking vaguely about beginning the work of salvage soon. The media hounds came also, describing the fire as an act of terror, emphasizing the depravity of an enemy that would do such things. The death of one officer and injury of another became yet another political tool, a weapon of a different sort in the war.

Adrian sat in an uncomfortable metal-framed chair, bandaged hands wrapped around a thick ceramic coffee mug. He stared fixedly down at the water stains marking the cheap pasteboard table in front of him. Across from him, looking equally uncomfortable, sat an elderly-looking rabbit, fidgeting and looking frequently at the clock that adorned the otherwise bare wall.
Adrian shifted his attention to that wall. It might have been white once, but was yellowed with age and grime. Cleaner streaks, carved through the dirt by water, marked where the roof leaked. The paint peeled near the ceiling. Bare, dirty light bulbs adorned the ceiling, casting a distinctly yellow light over the room. The lighting did not flatter the other rabbit, making him look even older and wearier. It sparked off of Adrian's dark fur.
Adrian's companion cleared his throat rustily, clearly hoping to break the awkward silence but instead making it even more awkward. The old relic ought to have been retired years ago, Adrian thought uncharitably. He had been answering the same questions for the past half-hour, and was in a decidedly uncharitable mood.
"So," the aging rabbit said unctuously, clasping his pudgy hands on the table in front of him. He leaned forwards, making the chair creak dangerously. Adrian entertained thoughts of the overburdened chair collapsing beneath the substantial weight of his interrogator, depositing the ineffectual idiot in an undignified heap on the floor.
"So," the other repeated again, the chair having held up despite Adrian's fantasies to the contrary. "Can you describe your attacker once more for me?"
Adrian lifted chilly, pale eyes to the other's weak face. He had described Jesse, in detail, four times already, losing more patience with each repetition. Now he was past anger, feeling only numbness. He was tired, so very tired of this. Something must have shown on his face, for the other swallowed with some difficulty and repeated the question. Adrian deliberated, looking down into his still-full cup. His wintery eyes lifted again.
"No," he said thoughtfully. No inflection betrayed the emotion he might have felt. His back hurt. The bandages felt wet again. His hands still bled, freely though infrequently. He suspected that they were bleeding again. "No ... I do believe I'm done for today," he said, making a token effort at politeness. If anything, it frightened the other rabbit all the more. Adrian rose from the rickety chair and gently set the cup down on the table.
"We're not finished, Adrian," the other told him. Adrian smiled humorlessly.
"That's where you're wrong," he said. "We are. Good day." He turned and walked out of the room. The dented metal door shut behind him with a satisfying finality.
Adrian walked aimlessly, seeking only to leave the run-down hospital behind. His thoughts centered on the cause of his current woes, Jesse.
Adrian was an experienced spymaster. He had directed numerous operations, and executed countless others on his own. He was not stupid, nor careless, but he had to admit that he had seriously erred with Jesse. Syamin's loss was more than acceptable; had the moronic officer not died in the fire, Adrian would have seen him executed for his fumbling.
Even Syamin's disastrous error could have been rectified. But somehow, somehow, a boy ten years Adrian's junior had not only defied them, but fought and escaped him. And that was not acceptable
Adrian was not satisfied with the promises he had received, that Jesse would be found and dealt with. He had been a government agent for too long to rely on the empty words of his employers. If it was to be done properly, he would have to do it himself.
He found himself at the ruined station. His hands ached. He really shouldn't have been walking yet, but the pain in his feet wasn't so bad. He would have to watch how he moved; the burnt stripes across his back were newly healed and would break open easily. The fire had left Adrian badly hurt, skin completely charred in places. The hospital had patched him up but the pain still lingered. Another indignity that Jesse had to answer for. And he would answer.
Adrian's cell rang. He answered it without taking his eyes from the ruins.
"Adrian."
"Adrian, I heard what happened. Are you all right?" The tinny voice, full of over-done concern, belonged to the man who had been Adrian's handler in the government. The spymaster had worked without him for the past six years.
"Raspen. I assume you have a good reason for contacting me."
"Look, Adrian, I know we didn't part on the best of terms -"
Adrian snorted. Their parting words had been less than civilized. He still seethed inwardly when he considered how Raspen had abandoned him to the wolves, so to speak, at the height of an operation.
"- but I'm calling you onto a job."
"I'm already on a job. Get yourself another operative."
"Not anymore. They're pulling you off and putting you on a different one. Low-profile. In case this guy comes after you."
"Oh, sure. Now tell me the real why."
"You have too much publicity up there," Raspen almost shouted. "We both know it, Adrian! You can't operate as efficiently."
"And what about the kid?"
"Forget Jesse. We'll deal with him. You screwed up, Adrian. Now you get to work it off."
Adrian snarled wordlessly. Raspen's words had been anticipated.
"Screw you, Raspen. I'll deal with Jesse myself."
"Not happening. We'll do what it takes to bring you in, Adrian, if we have to."
"Try it," Adrian said, feeling an icy calm settle over him. "I dare you to."
"Threats don't work, Adrian. It's over for you, my friend."
"Spare me the melodramatics. I will deal with Jesse."
"Adrian -"
Adrian snapped the phone shut and pocketed it. It began to ring again, insistently. He ignored it.
It was time to deal with Jesse.

The roads were clear as Adrian left the town behind, at the wheel of a "borrowed" police vehicle. He would have to ditch it soon, it was too easily traced. He ran a thumb over the fresh bandages on his hands, which had stopped bleeding finally.
He intended to know who exactly Jesse was before he traced the boy's steps. Knowing his enemy would give him ways to anticipate and get at Jesse, so that he could silence the boy. Adrian was a perfectionist. Leaving an error like Jesse unrectified was unimaginable.
He flipped his cell phone open and stiffly thumbed in a number, glancing frequently at the mirror. There would be no pursuit for some time, Adrian being the only surviving agent in the town. Demyas would have his hands full, and explaining why he was chasing his superior would take time.
The phone rang without answer. Finally, a recording came on.
"Hi, you've reached Fierro Dembarra. I'm not in right now, but if you'll leave your name and number, I'll get back to you." The standard voicemail greeting. Adrial swore but didn't hang up.
"Fierro, it's Adrian. Call me ASAP. No official channels." He ended the call and dialed another number.
Two rings and a breathy female voice said, "hello?"
"Hayley, it's Adrian," he said calmly. "Can you talk?"
"Adrian," she said, losing her breathiness in record time. "It's been a while. Go for it."
"I need an ID on someone." He described Jesse briefly to Hayley, who remained attentively silent. "He may be in trouble with the law," he added. "No official channels, Hayley."
Hayley was quiet for a moment. "You gone rogue, Adrian?" she asked, a strange tone to her voice.
"In a sense," Adrian said. "Unofficial assignment. I need this fast."
"I'll call you when I have it," Hayley assured him. Adrian thanked her and hug up.
Other agents would have lied to Hayley and assured her that they were still clean. Adrian knew better. His contact system was built on mutual trust. One lie found out, and it invariably would be, would muddy the waters, break the trust, and Adrian would suddenly find himself unable to trust the information he was being fed. He expected Fierro to ask the same question. He would answer similarly.
Adrian had one more call to make. Fierro and Hayley were excellent informants and would get back to him soon, but more needed to be done to give him time. Flipping open his phone one last time, he punched in a 12-digit number from memory and listened to it ring.
On the fifth ring, the phone was picked up on the other end in silence.
"It's Adrian," the spymaster said quietly. "I need your help."
"You screwed up," the other said quietly, in a soft androgynous voice.
"Yes," Adrian admitted. "I need you to keep my trail clean."
"You know what I require."
"I'll see what I can do. I'll fill you in later on my plans. Call me when the pursuit starts and keep me updated."
The other did not have to reassure Adrian that it would be done. There was a brief pause and then the receiver was gently replaced in the cradle and the line went dead.
Adrian hung up and drove on.

That night Jesse dreamed, and as he did his sleep became restless and light, for the face that haunted his dreams was the face of Jonathan.

(Round 5)

Chapter 32: The beast within by SlaYo.

Within moments all hell would break loose in the quiet village of Greenthorpe. No one on this battlefield knew if they would live to see another day. They might never see the faces of their friends and loved ones, the people they left back home. No additional support would show up, nobody but the four people that had the will to fight. Those four people that did not even realize the graveness of this situation and had never seen an undead before nor ever even had to think about it.
Tom Bradhurst felt betrayed by them and felt out of place as a leader. He realized however, that this was no time to mope. He inspected them, they had the look of four warriors hardened by battle and that could come to good use. Even if it looked as if everything was against them, they could die here tonight. “…Susan.” He mumbled when he realized that he might never be able to say a last goodbye.
“Are we going to stand around here while they try to save our town, or are we going to join them?” The shortest of the two man had two long streaks of furless skin over the back of his head. His face, half hidden behind a large, smoldering cigar as he kept a firm grip on his semi-automatic assault rifle. Tom shook his head, seeing these four, strong people in front of him gave him a confidence boost which was just the thing he needed right now. One of them carried a heavy looking gun that he recognized as a sniper rifle. “You, position yourself in the bell tower over there.” Tom pointed towards the tall tower standing next to the town hall. It overlooked the entire town and would be the perfect place for a sniper to hide in. “And you three, come with me. And hurry, I can hear that the fighting has already started.”

‘Darn it Tom, what’s taking you so long?’ Tony thought to himself.
He took a look around at his brothers in arms; Michelle’s body looked as if it could not take much more. A patch of skin fell off of her and landed on the ground in front of them. Alexander and Louie seemed to be communicating through sign language. He had no idea what they were saying but they seemed concentrated on something other than their personal dislike towards each other for a change. He could not help but notice that his hands were shaking, he could not use his left arm yet and he was still pondering over what Alexander had told him before. He had never fought the undead; he was skilled with his guns and in hand to hand combat. Not that he was going to engage a wolf in hand to hand combat, let alone dozens of them. Several clouds appeared in the sky, but none of them covered the moon yet. Alexander had told him earlier that a werewolf loses a lot of its strength when the full moon disappears. He looked at Michelle again; she was giving him a quick wink and a thumbs up. She did a good job at hiding her anxiety and the small gesture made him feel better.

The ancient werewolf that appeared to be the leader was holding on to the red flag and dozens of werewolves were standing in front of them. A feeling in his gut told him this was only a first attack wave. Three of the werewolves came running towards the small and very outnumbered group of warriors. Their teeth bared and thick string of slime dripping from their gross mouths. It had begun.

Gary Parker lay restless in his bed. He had been haunted by unpleasing dreams of the past.
Of the smell of his mother’s hair and the way she used her smile to bring him to silence when he was being a brat. The monster inside of him did not give him a lot of peace, but every now and then it was dormant and left him reminded of who he had been before.
He kicked the covers off of his bed, rolled around a few times and then put them back on five minutes later, and again, and again. Somewhere out there he had sent an army of wolves after a group of people that might pose a threat one day, a threat to Bruhn, a threat to him. He dared not to think about how he really felt about all of this, about the relief of someone did plant a bullet in his head. The monster would make him go through terrible pain again, as it always did when he had these feelings. He had learned to hide his feelings and emotions, but he had a bit more difficulty keeping control of himself on this particular night. His mother, his friends, these strangers who meant no harm to any decent human being. Why was this happening? His thoughts got cut short by an excruciating pain that soared through his head. ‘Calm down Gary, we had best put your soul to sleep now.’ Gary’s eyes lit up for a split second and with a dark grimace on his face he let his head sink deep into his pillow before he fell into a deep sleep.

The enemy had invaded their home and they would all defend it, or be slain trying. The fiercest of the wolves reached out one of its sharp claws in an attempt to slash through Tony’s neck. His plan was thwarted by Alexander, who shot a bullet through the wolves paw, with perfect accuracy.
The beast let out a shriek of pain and the first blood of the night had been spilled.
‘Thanks.’ Tony said softly. He raised his gun to level it with the werewolf’s forehead. He averted his eyes and quickly pulled the trigger and again when he noticed the beast was still moving. His first kill, without hesitation; this would surely show Alexander that he wasn’t just a rookie, still wet behind the ears. He did not have a lot of time to enjoy the satisfaction this moment brought to him.
The werewolves had witnessed one of their brethren being killed by the enemy. The oldest wolf of the first wave stood covered in pieces of brain and spats of blood and let out a cry. “Kill them all.”

Michelle felt a sense of pride soar through her as she watched her new friend tighten his grip on his blaster. She did not know what was to come of any of them. They were heavily outnumbered and were not to expect any support from the refugees who were safely hidden away inside the mansion. In all of the chaos and confusion she knew one thing, Tony had, in a way, already won. He conquered his fear and fired away at the monsters. Everything had gone so fast. She had a job, a home and somewhat of a life before she let herself get bitten by Tier. A lonely life, but that was still ten times better than an unlife. A vampire killed her brother and in the confusion and panic that followed, she had made a choice. She would kill the vampire even if it cost her, her life, which it had, sweet irony.
Michelle could not hate Tier for converting her into one of his own just as Louie had not been able to hate Estella. The undead turtle had given her the gift of immortality. She might have liked it even better if things did not have to be this messy, but still. A werewolf came storming towards her, drool flung through the air and specs of slime landed in her fur. The young girl was caught unaware and with one powerful strike, the werewolf took off her right arm. She did not feel any pain, for her central nerve system had shut down together with her heart. The same thing had not happened with her emotions. Whereas she had thought of zombies as hollow caskets devoid of any feeling, this idea about her undead brethren had changed the moment she joined them. She was filled with hate, hate towards this wolf that chipped away at her former beauty. She had enough to deal with at the moment and the few seconds of hesitation on the werewolf’s side when it noticed that it was dealing with a zombie was enough for her. She grabbed the beast by the jaw and tore it from its face. The werewolf sank down to its knees in front of her. It wanted to strike her again, unable to see, but was too late as Michelle had grabbed its neck and pulled his head clean off. The terrible sound of the flesh and muscles ripping apart was gut wrenching. “There seem to be more benefits to this then the mortality alone.” She told herself while she picked her arm up from the ground and placed it against her joint. The bone and dead tissue regenerated steadily, crawling upwards like a blob of paint spreading itself across an empty canvas. “Hurry up, Thomas.” She heard Louie shout from across the battlefield. He was appearing and disappearing across the battlefield, striking lethal blows with those compact sickles of his. He had grace and balance unlike any she had ever seen before, she admired him, they were the same and yet so much apart. He killed a beast by completely yanking out its insides and immediately moved on, like a shadow, to the next one. Alexander fired away at the hairy bast-rds, his body completely relaxed. His calculating mind constantly at work, noticing every little detail about the situation unfolding itself around him. Years of training had made him familiar with situations like these and years of experience made sure that he knew just what to do and how to do it. He did not let a single bullet go to waste and seemed confident. Four brave refugees had gathered enough courage to come outside and had brought small arms with them; they fired away at the hordes of wolves. It took six or seven bullets to take one down, but they had to protect their families. And with this on their minds they fought with the strength of a dozen men.

An explosion lit up the battlefield and several torches shot up in the air as fireworks. A dozen of burning werewolves rained down onto their fighting brothers and sister. Tom arrived on the hill west off the mansion followed by three of the four volunteers, strangers that were armed to the teeth and heavily armored. A wave of panic soared through Michelle’s body. Where was everyone else? Susan addressed at least 50 people earlier today. They were riled; they were ready for blood to defend their Greenthorpe. And this was it? The explosion had killed several wolves and created some space for everyone to fight in. The burning corpses had lit up the battlefield even better then the torches could. The refugees fought bravely and they even managed to shoot down several of the strong wolves. One of them fled inside as a wolf came running towards him, he was not fast enough however and the wolf ripped him apart with ease. Tom was not sure whether he was the right person to lead these people into battle. And he did not feel like anyone listened. He ordered the three strangers to take place. The smallest of both men took place next to the refugees and armed one of the guns. “Greenthorpe will forever be in your debt.” He told them after a quick look at their scared faces. He was hoping this would give them some courage, the small morale boost that can make the bigger difference. A rain of bullets was spat at the wolves who’s howling seemed to go through flesh and bone. ‘Maybe we’ll make it.’ Michelle thought to herself.
Extra-ordinary situations call for extra-ordinary people. And it could not get any stranger then the group of people that was gathered here. Two more werewolves moved in for a kill, but they got taken down by the little man who raised one of his thumbs in her direction. Another group of werewolves seemed to move away from the battle and made their way into the village.
Michelle looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but they were all too occupied, fight their own battles. She did not hesitate for a second and ran after the pack.

The woman that was part of the supporting troops stood next to Tom on the hill. “Werewolves, vampires and zombies, why would they pick a town this insignificant too attack?” Tom didn’t answer the question, there was no time. He was firing away at a group of wolves that came storming up the hill. She drew her blaster and fired away at them. “Alright, sir. First things first, I understand.” She said without looking away from their attackers. Tom had already fired several rounds and finally hit a wolf. “I’m Tom.” The accountant said with a pleased grin on his face. “Let’s get acquainted later over a cup of tea, if we ever get out of here.”

Louie looked around and counted a total of ninety-four wolves left. They had been doing well but things would get a lot tougher soon. His companions might be getting tired soon and run out of ammo, a wolf collapsed right next to him. Clouds were moving in, he smiled. He felt something brush against his cheek and when he touched the spot where it had itched, he drew blood. ‘Someone is shooting at me.’ He looked around to see where the shot had come from and noticed someone high up in the bell tower. ‘A sniper, how odd.’ Another wolf collapsed at his feet. The bullet had left a big, gaping wound. Thank god, he seemed to be on their side, he could work on his aim though.
Louie seemed to float over the battlefield as he disemboweled two more wolves with a quick and precise cut. He moves his way over to Alexander who was still firing away calmly, shoulder to shoulder with Tony who did not seem to want to leave his side. He looked confident but seemed to like the idea of having someone more experienced close to him during this situation. “We’ve got a sniper on our side. He’s hiding in the bell tower.”
Alexander nodded. ‘Excellent.’ The three of them were surrounded by wolves and stood back to back to fight them all off. Tony quickly changed his round of ammunition and the three of them patiently waited for the rest of the wolves to strike.
Dozens of their brethren lay strewn across the ground in front of the mansion. One of them was gnawing on the head of another fallen refuge. Galleons of blood had been spilled and it made the sand turn into mud in which most of them were now covered. The clouds now covered the moon; the wolves were losing their strength.

Tom and Jamie were still firing away from the top of the hill.
“Looks like my guys are standing their ground.” Tom paid no attention to her comment and fired away while giving a quick glance at the refugees. Two of them had died, their bodies the plaything of the wolves, what a terrible way to go. The largest of the men that had showed up near the fountain was surrounded by wolves and was screaming something. The roaring of the wolves that had him surrounded reduced his pleading to a whisper and they all moved in. One after another cut through his skin until the last one cut open an artery. They were planning on keeping him surrounded until he bled to death. One of the bullets from the gun of the woman standing next to him found its way into her friends heart. ‘I’m so sorry.’ She said as she looked over the barrel of her blaster.

“How many?” Tony asked as he saw the wolves closing in on them.
“fifty-five.” Louie said after a quick count.
“You’re out of ammunition aren’t you?” Alexander said and without awaiting an answer he handed Tony his combat knife. He would not let anyone touch that knife under normal circumstances, but he could hardly let the guy die. Tony felt over-confident thanks to Alexander’s trust and stormed towards three werewolves who were about to attack. He slashed through the gut of one and forcefully planted the knife in the face of another wolf. He was amazed at how well he managed to fight with only one hand. He was not quick enough to dodge the third wolf though and before he fully realized it he could feel two sharp nails penetrate the skin of his stomach. Tony looked the beast in the eyes and could smell the rot enter his nostrils as they came face to face. He managed to plant the knife in the wolf and watched its eyes get watery as he shoved it deeper into the wolf’s chest, both trying to maximize the pressure they applied on their deadly weapon. They stood there for a short moment before both of them collapsed to the ground. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes were the faces of Louie and Alexander who came running towards him. He felt accepted and at peace just by the worried looks on their faces. He was accepted as a warrior.

Michelle was staying close behind the pack that was making its way through the village. She ducked behind the fountain and watched them move silently through the night. None of the lights in the houses around the main square were lit, but a ‘daring’ villager here and there was peeking out from behind the curtains. As soon as Michelle looked over to any of the houses the curtains were drawn shut with such a force that she was surprised none of them had come down yet.
The pack of twelve paid no attention to the houses though; it seemed as if they had a goal in mind. A chill crept down Michelle’s spine when she realized where they were heading towards. ‘The Bradhurst residence.’ She was unsure whether Tier would be able to put up a good fight.
He had lived through ages of war and even killed a vampire or two in his days, but that was in the past, he was tired of fighting and could care less about most of the things that went on around him. She worried about the others. Misses Bradhurst can hand out a great slap, but how much good would a frying pan do when you are facing a werewolf. Then there was Majo, the young brat who she had so much in common with save for the fact that the girl was still alive of course. Majo wouldn’t be a match for them and neither would Yakira, who seemed more dead than alive still. It seemed like it was up to her to weaken the pack before they reached the house.

“Frakking heck.” Alexander said as he leaned over Tony while Louie managed to fight off several werewolves. “How is he doing?” He yelled as he kicked one wolf into another with his powerful legs.
“He’s losing a lot of blood.” Alexander said. He shot a wolf in the head without even looking up from Tony. “We have to get him to Susan as fast as we can.”
Louie felt his lust for blood growing. He should have eaten before they headed into this fight since it was taking a lot out of him. He did not want to feed in front of the others and it was so hard to find some time for himself these days. Alexander removed Tony’s bandana and wrapped it tightly around his the wound in his body. The young man that was with Tom’s group of volunteers had witnessed Tony fall down and jumped over the barricade to make his way to him.

“It looks like you guys need a hand. Is there anything I can do?” He asked, genuinely concerned. Alexander and Louie exchanged a look before Louie replied “You can take him to the Bradhurst residence. Walk down main street until you reach the grocers. The house is 30 paces east of there.” The young man nodded and picked up Tony. He seemed very strong for such a short cat. His whiskers twitched as he nodded at Alexander. “I will run as fast as I can. He’s in good hands with me.”
“He’d better be or…” Alexander looked at the man, he seemed oddly familiar. A firm kick in the side blew the air out of his lungs, no time to think now.
“This has taken long enough.” The leader of the werewolves stood over him, every word he spoke seemed to echo through the air. “Your life ends tonight.” Greymane bared his fangs as Alexander drew.

Tom and the strong, young woman were still struggling to fight off the many remaining werewolves.
The loss of Tony had made an impact on Tom, he hoped they would get out of this alive. Something seemed rather odd about the beasts they were fighting. After the things Louie had told him about werewolves, he had expected them to be a lot stronger than this. ‘It could have been worse’ He thought to himself.
“Look, they’re going for the mansion.” The girl pointed her blaster in the direction of the fortification. The thirty remaining wolves headed straight for the mansion and jumped over the barricade. Two of the refugees stood by the door and it was closed before the werewolves could enter. A lonely remaining refugee let himself fall to the ground and covered his eyes with his arms. The poor man was certain that death would be near. “Not on my watch.” Thomas screamed as he ran off the hill.
Him and the girl fired away at the werewolves that had the poor man surrounded. It seemed to work, the two of them had bought him enough time to enter the mansion unharmed.

Louie witnessed another wolf getting shot by the sniper. ‘Through the head, every single time.’ He looked up at the bell tower and saw to his surprise that the gun was aimed at him this time.
He dodged in time for the bullet to miss him. Alexander lay on the ground and Greymane looked at him in disgust. Louie threw his sickle towards the beast, it pierced through its hand, splitting it in half. The sniper had reloaded within a matter of seconds and took another shot at Louie, who was a little slower this time and felt the bullet scrape the skin off his arm, leaving a small patch of flesh smoldering. Alexander had gotten up of the ground and kicked a surprised Greymane to the floor.’ Louie ran for cover to buy some time. He glanced around the corner behind the remains of a small brick wall that had been around this garden in the past. He carefully calculated his next steps. He would run to the bell tower and take out his would-be assassin.
The fountain would make a good cover; he’d have to rely on his agility. Louie jumped out from behind the wall and ran for the fountain. The sniper had reloaded and had Louie’s head in his scope. He smiled as he pulled the trigger.

Michelle reached for her pocket, the ‘cookie-cutter’. She just remembered Tier had told her that this device would take out a werewolf without any effort. “Hey, back off.” Michelle shouted. A young man carrying Tony came walking towards the house and slowed down when he noticed that it was unsafe to walk on. Several werewolves had broken away from the group while the rest continued to head for the house of the Bradhurst’s. Tier hadn’t been lying, she used the device on the first wolf and it literally crumbled away in front of her, leaving nothing but a pile of dust. The other wolves started to back off and ran for their lives.

“How is she doing?” Susan asked Tier who was sitting by Yakira’s side. He took notice of Susan and raised his shoulders. “Her situation hasn’t changed yet.” Their eyes met; Susan was the first to look away. “Say, would you mind sitting by her side while I go outside for a moment? I have this feeling that something is not alright.” Tier asked Susan and he left without a response.
“Sure, no problem.” Susan said after he had disappeared from the doorframe. He was going to get a good book to read or watch a documentary about wild animals, he enjoyed that sort of thing.
Tier did not come a second too late; he walked down the stairs and saw Majo staring through the window in the front room. “Company?” It didn’t take long for her to answer him. “Help!.” Werewolves, he never had a problem with them before during their previous encounters. Greymane and his wolves had always ignored him, which was wise of them.
Tier opened the door and stood face to face with a group of eight wolves, an unexpected surprise to say the least. The biggest of the group kicked Tier in the stomach, which was an even bigger surprise. The kick send him flying through the house. Majo wanted to run towards Tier to see if he was ok, but a wolf grabbed her by the wrist and drooled all over her clothes when he came in closer. His jaws opened and his sharp teeth and rotting smell made Majo realize that this would be the end of her short life. She was almost defenseless, apart from a well placed kick in the wolf’s groins. No matter how foul the species, a kick in the manhood would always put them in their place.
She ran for Tier as one of the wolves spoke “Where is the girl?”
“Girl? Well, there’s one right over here, would she do? Tier looked at Majo while she helped him up.
“Where is the girl?” The wolf repeated, slightly more irked then before.
‘They must mean Yakira.’ Tier thought to himself. ‘If we give her to them, we might get rid of them a lot easier.’
“Are you just going to stand around while they take her?”
For a moment, that seemed like the best idea to him. “Hang on, let me show you.” He said as he got up. “I believe the girl you are looking for is this way.” He said, slowly making his way towards the kitchen. The largest wolf that had asked them walked over to Tier. “You’d better not be lying.” He said as he pushed him in the back. Tier was not impressed and gave the wolf a sly smile. “You shouldn’t have done that.” And with that, he took a bite out of the wolf’s hand. The beast screamed and the other wolves readied themselves for the fight that was to come. Another figure appeared in the doorstep.
The young girl took out her weapon and struck two wolves with it that reduced to dust like their brother had done before them. Two of the beasts tried to escape but met the same fate before they could leave the house. “It’s useless to run; you should not have come here.” Michelle spoke but Tier had a different plan. “Run to your master and tell him to leave us in peace, it’s useless to come back. We’ll be ready and waiting.”
The young man walked into the house with Tony slumped over his shoulder. “Who the heck are you?” Tier shouted as Susan came running downstairs.

Alexander had fired two shots at Greymane, both of them didn’t seem to pierce through the beasts thick hide. Killing the ancient thing seemed like an impossible task.
Then he remembered that he was carrying two armor piercing bullets with him. He reached for his pocket but the wolf was quick and it struck him its claws soared through the air and cut open his arm.
“(-) it!” Alexander shouted. He could feel the bullets slip from his grip but he managed to wrap his hand around them. Then Greymane struck again. This time it was a little more serious, a hard kick in the stomach made Alexander fell back and he lost his grip on the bullets that rolled through the grass. Those two bullets seemed the only way for him to get out of this nasty situation. The smell of Alexanders blood made Greymane lose it and he forcefully struck again. His victim rolled out of the way and made the werewolf bury his claws in the bloody soil. Alexander felt one of his bullets against his cheek as he had rolled right on top of it. He quickly picked it up and let it slide down the barrel of his gun. One should would have to be enough to take this thing down.
He aimed his gun but the wolf moved around too fast for him to get a good focus.
“Stay still so I can shoot you.” Alexander mumbled. The wolf had no intention to obey and kept moving out of reach. Alexander pointed his gun away and kept his eye on the beast. ‘You’re going down one way or another.’ The wolf stood still underneath a tree, a big branch hanging over his head provided the perfect opportunity. Greymane breathed heavily and his eyes were tired and thick. Alexander’s last bullet cut through the branch and landed on top of Greymane.
The beast screamed but did not have enough strength left to free himself from his prison of nature. Alexander leaned over the wolf. “Who ordered you to kill us?” He demanded to know.
“Why won’t you just end it Alexander? You know I won’t tell you anything.”
Alexander walked back to the place where he had found his Armor piercing bullet. After a short look around he picked up the second one and turned back to face Greymane for his last few minutes. He loaded his gun and aimed it for the wolfves’ heart. He felt sorry for him when he looked at his face. He had enough of life and could not wait for Alexander to set him free. The bullet spat out of the gun and the wolf turned his eyes away, breathing even slower than he had done before.
“He used us, as puppets. He’ll come…”
Alexander knew it. The werewolves hadn’t been themselves today. They seemed much weaker than their normal selves and they never hunt in packs greater than ten.
The silence was broken by several shots from the sniper in the bell tower.
Why was he still shooting? Most of the werewolves were gone, he noticed something else. He was the only one left on the battlefield, the door to the mansion stood open and the fighting went on inside, screaming refugees made him run for the broke down door, hoping he would make it in time.

Tom and the girl had entered the mansion and were firing away at the wolves from a window in the hallway. “We should set up a barricade to keep them out. We’re too vulnerable here.”
Tom nodded in agreement as he took the left door. Ten of the refugees, including two small children were barricading the door, throwing everything against it they could find. “You two shouldn’t be here now. Go upstairs and wait until we’re done.” The children obeyed and ran upstairs. Tom thanked the men for their help and quickly followed his new partner into the main hall from where they had a perfect view on the main door. The wolves tried to break down the door by repeatedly running into it. The refugees managed to hold them outside but didn’t know how much longer they could handle the pressure. Several crack started to appear in it as Tom and the girl found their way to the huge amount of refugees and sleeping bags. They heard a loud noise coming from the hallway. The old and fragile door had given up sooner than they thought. The refugees could make a run for the main room before the wolves had a chance to tear away at them. Tom moved back into the hall and fired away at the wolves that came storming in. One or two managed to break through the rain of hail that came down on them and went for the girl. Two shots and they were dealt with. Alexander stood there, his guns smoking.
“Glad you could make it in time.” Tom said as he shot the last of the werewolves.
“We made it.” The girl shouted in excitement, but a lone wolf leapt up and slashed through her throat, Tom fired a few more shots at the wolf but it was too late. Death had claimed another one of their comrades. The people in the room were relieved to be saved from their assailants, but a bittersweet taste was left by the blood flowing from the girls neck.

Another fight that no one was aware of still went on outside of the mansion. Louie was running for the fountain but arrived but a moment too late. The sniper had fired his gun and the bullet pierced through Louie’s right eye. He fell down to the ground, there was little left of his face. Dry blood and pieces of soft tissue surrounded the hole that had taken away his right eye and a part of his mouth and nose. He did not move and the sniper was pleased. He quickly dismantled his sniper rifle and put it in a backpack which he swung around his shoulder. The rabbit removed her bandana to reveal long flowing dark hair that came to rest on his shoulders. He took a small box of cigarettes from his baggy trousers and put one between his lips. The dark green furred rabbit did not light it as he descended off the stairs quickly, taking large leaps. He walked over to the fountain and stood over the body of the dead vampire. It wasn’t until he made sure that the beast was dead that he lit his cigarette, the dancing flame smoldered the tip and he inhaled deeply. The rabbit closed his eyes to enjoy a good ending to another hard day’s work. Louie opened his left eye and grabbed the rabbit by the ankle.
The rabbit was horrified; the vampire should’ve remained still for at least another hour, which would’ve given him plenty of time to inject him with the lethal dose of nitrate.
He had been wrong and now the vampire was gently crawling up. The sniper reached for the needle that contained the nitrate. It wasn’t too late yet to dispose of him. He just had to move a little faster. The rabbit pushed his cigarette into the gaping hole in Louie’s face. Louie’s rage and anger had gone beyond control, he grabbed the wrist with which the rabbit was holding the needle and snapped it. He then snapped the other one and managed to pull himself up. The hole in his face was slowly regenerating, but came to a stop when his mouth was finished. “This is all I needed.” Louie told himself and he sank his fangs into the rabbit’s neck draining him from all of his blood. With every drop of sweet essence he took another piece of his skin tissue was restored until he had drained him completely. Louie let go off him and the dead rabbits head landed on the cold marble, his eyes turned towards the bright moon above. “You couldn’t resist biting an innocent could you?” He heard, followed by the click of a gun. “It’s not what you think it is Alexander.” He said, truthfully in his defense. “These bullets are filled with a dose of silver nitrate; your dead will be inevitable.”
Alexander fired but Louie quickly dodged the bullet and jumped into the fountain. A trace amount of nitrate landed behind his ear and it stung. Louie had just fed and all of his strengths had restored to its fullest. Alexander ran for the fountain but could not find the vampire anywhere in it. “Come out and fight like a man.” Alexander shouted.
“Listen to me and then decide whether you want to shoot me.” Alexander fired in the direction where the voice had come from, but all he hit was the bark of a young tree.
“He was the sniper that was part of their group, he started to fire away at me and hit me…” He got cut short since Alexander fired another round. “… He walked over to me carrying a needle with a lethal dosage of Nitrate. It was either him or me.” Alexander lowered his gun when he looked the man in the face. “Cooper.”
“You know this man?” Tom had caught up with them and placed his hands on his knees, gasping for air. “He’s with my organization. An aural sniper, enhanced vision and the ability to detect monsters from miles away. He probably could not tell Louie apart from the other monsters and decided that he’d make a good catch, something to brag about around the water cooler.”
“An innocent misunderstanding then?” Tom asked when he noticed Louie stepping out of the shadows. He looked healthy and more alive than during the fight.
“It seems so.” Alexander put his gun away. He should probably apologize, but he was only doing his job and decided that an apology wasn’t necessary.

“It seems like it’s over.” Majo said worried. Had all of them survived?
She was glad Michelle was alright, the young girl who she had so much in common with, except for the fact that she was still alive of course. She felt rather guilty about that. How would it feel to be so young and dead, and knowing that you’d never live the same life again as your outer shell rots away around you, hiding for the ‘normal’ people. She was worried about Tom as well. He had been such a good man to all of them, giving them a place to stay and sharing his food with them.
Alexander was the grumpy one but she was absolutely sure that he wasn’t as cold hearted as he seemed to be. He was fighting on their side while he could’ve headed off long before the werewolves came. He had risked his life for the well-being of the refugees and for them.
And Louie, would he be alright? Would he be pleased to see that she was alright as well or would he walk past her and be this cold and lonely shadow of a man again? She’d soon find out. Tier opened the door and walked out. “They’re all here.” He was more pleased then he thought he thought he would be. Majo ran to Louie and jumped at him holding him tight. A faint hint of a smile could be seen on his face as he put her arms around her too. How bad could it be to show a little affection every now and then he thought as let his defenses down and felt some warmth for the first time in years. Susan cried as she saw Tom enter. “My brave man.” She whispered. “I’m so proud of you. You brought them all back and you returned in one piece.”
Tom knew he had done well. If it was only for the affection Susan showed him. The love and pride she felt from her made him feel this way. And she was his friend, his best friend.
“How is he doing?” Alexander asked while looking at his young pupil.
“He’s a strong guy; he will be alright thanks to Susan good care.” Tier said while looking at Michelle. She seemed to handle things well. Tony opened his eyes to look around the room. “You did well, kid.” Alexander said as he stuffed his pipe. He’d been longing for this thing on the way home and was glad to finally be able to take a hit. The young man put his hand on Tony’s shoulder.
“Thank you.” Tony coughed a little, which seemed to hurt. He closed his eyes again to get some more rest. Serenity like no other filled the room, absolute peace of mind now that something had become very clear to them.

After tonight, every person in this room knew they stood a chance.

“The refugees have invited us to come celebrate our victory with them, I think we should take them up on their offer. We deserve a party. After all, this was only the beginning.” Alexander said. Tom had removed himself from the group and went through a small container that kept several boxes. “Carroleum, Animorpills, ahh.. Absentis.” He took out the small box that contained a flask of transparent liquid.
“We have to attend to the party tonight, Alexander. Would you please be so kind as to empty this bottle in the water tower, east of the mansion? Behind the Greenthorpe family tomb, it will make sure that everyone who drinks from the water will have forgotten the past few hours. Making it seem like the werewolves attack never happened.”
“We will join you guys later.”
Louie seperated himself from the group as well, he wanted to check in on Yakira.
He opened the door to her bedroom to see her sitting up straight in her bed.
Her mortal cover had been ripped open in several pieces. She pressed the sheets against her chest when she heard the door open.
“I was wondering…” Louie paused. How could he think that this innocence could have anything to do with Estella, apart from her being torn up by his enemies claws.
“I’ll be fine.” Yakira said and she stepped out of the bed, wrapping the sheets around her body. “Your voice, you’d look over me. But I haven’t seen you here in a while.”
“I did not break my promise. We took care of the wolves; they had us heavily outnumbered…”
He got cut short again. “Don’t apologize.” I would be dead by now if you people had not taken care of me.” She lost her balance and fell on her bum, onto the bed.
“Are you alright?” Louie asked concerned.
“My skin itches and burns.” She said. “I know, you gave poor Tony quiet a scare.” Louie smiled. For the first time he really smiled and there was no one around that could see it.
He brushed off several patches of Jade Dawn that were still covering her skin and slowly burning it away, preventing it from healing. His hand started to burn the moment it made contact with the chemical. His hands would heal fine by themselves and the pain did not outweigh the fact that she’d be feeling better by the morning.
“Stay in bed a little while longer.” He said softly.

“Welcome to our humble settlement my dear saviors.” One of the child refugees said.
His parents probably made him study that line over and over.
The Diamondians had done their best to make their settlement as cozy as possible and when they entered the main room, Tom noticed that the Diamondians had brought several bottles of booze with them. Carrot ale (one of his favorites), a couple of bottles of Hash’kin wine (Home-brew most likely) and even a bottle of ’82 New Diamondiuan Cider.
“Should we really be sitting with them, drinking their wine, while they have so little left?” Susan asked Tom. “It would be impolite to refuse a drink, we saved their lives and they want to repay us for it. Let there be no worries on your mind tonight and just enjoy the party.
Louie fired up his old gramophone player as Alexander went through his record collection.
“It seems like we do have something in common.” He said as he held up ‘Ode to the Earian bay’ by ‘Jaggin Banks.’
“It used to be a favorite of my mother. I’ve always been fond of the piano in it.” Louie said.

“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.”

Chapter 33: Healing by Cobra.

She had been dreaming again.
Not the deep rest she once achieved. As her body would slip past the stages of sleep where her mind unwound into coils and spasms of thought, she would brink upon the stage where her eyes would move. And it woke her.
Her eyes were on fire again. With a shriek she writhed more, scabs being rubbed off her body and wounds reopened with every movement. The burn in her eyes was gone now; it had been a dream. But the deep burn over her body would not stop.
Her writhing stopped; she slid off the bed in a mass of bandages and sheets. The dull thud of her head against the floor was of no comfort even though it took her mind from her current state.

Louie's own slumber was interrupted by the movement in the room. Soundlessly he flew up and opened the door, beholding the poor creature inside who flinched away from the unknown. She must have felt the shift in the air as the door opened.

He knew better than to ask her if she was alright; the harried breathing and oozing wounds were enough. Instead he went to her, returning her to her place on the bed. He had no intention of leaving her, but her arm snaked up and clung to his.

"Please don't leave me." she said in a small voice, sounding much younger than she was. "I know you won't hurt me." It was the same voice he heard from her the first time he saw her outside of the mansion.
"Of course I won't." he said, as she pulled herself up and clung to him.
He was safe to her. Something felt different about him yes, but safety in the darkness was hard enough to find. Her fingers flew up to her eyes, but he stopped them. Her hand was diverted, and instead went to his shoulder.

"Try not to rub, it only reopens the wounds." he said softly. She responded by moving her hand to his mouth, not covering it but feeling his words come out.
"I never realized," she said in a voice not so young anymore "how much is missed without sight." Her hand went up to his forehead, soft fur rarely touched. She moved it down, wondering if she could translate touch into an image in her mind. They slid across his eyes, fingers wandering over the features. He was strangely cold.

Unshaken by this sudden familiarity, he let her continue. The smell of blood was strong on her. Not strong enough to make him take her, but still a thick perfume. He felt his fangs reacting to the scent.

"This is a familiar feeling." she said softly to herself. She had done this before, but not to him. Who had it been?
She stopped abruptly as her hand went over his upper lip. Something was different. The feeling of lips over teeth was not the usual. Yakira was no expert on teeth, but she felt something different about it. Without thinking, she slid a lone finger along the curve and realized that it was not something she had in her own mouth.

A sharp inhale and she stopped moving. In fact, Louie noticed that she stopped breathing at the feeling of his fangs. Immediately he made the connection. Both he and Estella had such teeth.
"What is this?" she said, her voice deepened with dread. His response was vaulting up, intent on reaching the door and tearing away from her.

But what happened instead astounded him. Even with his improved vampiric agility, he was not fast enough. Bloodied arms were around his neck, and he felt the full weight of her trying to pull him down. He stepped to balance himself and felt an angry paw hurtling over his face. Two fingers hooked into his mouth with far too much precision at avoiding his fangs. The world violently inverted as nails tore into the roof of his mouth and his back hit the floor. Immediately her foot was in his chest in attempt to keep him down as the two fingers in his mouth were replaced by four, and his jaw was wrenched open with a pop.

Although this sudden burst of agility from Yakira had startled him, he could have overpowered her. It was not the foot with its increasing pressure that was keeping him down, but the sight above him.

Yakira's eyes were wide open and fixed on his mouth with a certain hate. Her awakened pupils met his, and with a hiss she wrenched his jaw again, as if she wanted to open his head. "You are the same as the one who did this to me!" A glance at the gashes on her chest was equally astonishing; the blood had stopped flowing at it was as if the flesh was pulling itself back together.

The strangeness of this sudden change had left Louie wordless. Through the pain in his jaw he met her eyes again, his unblinking and unrevealing. And in that moment, something in Yakira's eyes changed. The lids softened, the pupils clouded over and a lone trickle of blood streamed forth from each eye. Her paws loosened, the nails no longer imbedded in his pallet, all strength leaving them. The wounds reopened as scabs ripped apart and newly fused muscles shredded. With a barely audible cry, one of her paws attempted to jerk away from the pain. This sudden movement raked skin across teeth and brought the taste of blood to Louie. But this was no rabbit blood. This blood tasted strangely reptilian.

She reeled backwards and fell, writhing and letting out small cries as Louie vaulted to a sitting position and tried to catch her. Her breathes were coming out in rapid fire while her heart was pounding erratically. He gathered her into his arms, and as she started shaking he could not help but wonder what had come over her. Certainly this was not the common reaction of most in her state. And while healing suddenly was nothing unknown to him, he knew that mortal creatures were not prone to such behavior. His eyes tried to meet hers, but there was no life behind them.

In the smallest voice he had heard escape her, she whispered "Please leave, do not hurt me." She extended her arms to try to pull herself away, but the lack of sight was too much and she found nothing. Louie watched her struggles, seeing how weak she had become. How the blood was now spewing on her face and hands, down her arms and pooling on her chest. A hunger awoke in him, burning as he stared at the life fluids collecting on her and pooling on the floor.

The hunger was overwhelming. He could practically taste the blood and feel the warmth it gave him. His eyes were fixed on the temptation, and no matter what he did it pulled at him. Pulling, twisting, aiming his thoughts at nothing more than the thought of skin rending beneath his fangs and the glory that resulted. Without much thought, he lowered his head to drink from the collection at her chest.

To Yakira, it was not that much. A sensation of heat, his presence and everything else was enveloped in the pain of her wounds. But something happened that startled her. It was a familiar feeling, so much like the time that Estella had ripped her open. But instead of the feeling of tooth and nail on her right forearm, it was warm and almost pleasant. The anxiety lurked in her as he moved from her right arm to her left, sucking and licking the blood from the wounds. But something in it comforted her, and the promise he had made came to mind, filling her almost with ease.

Certainly this blood tasted different to Louie, but the bloodlust had come and he could not stop himself from wanting more. Although his body ached to take her and all of her blood, he instead went from wound to wound, licking up the excess blood and moving to the next before he could start draining her. But his saliva was affecting her in a way not so good for him; as he lapped up along each gash, the skin would heal. As he moved from each crude version of Estella's name, it disappeared. Soon he was left with nothing more but the pool on the floor, which was already cold and inedibable to him.

Something was amiss about the wounds especially by her hands and feet. As he ran his tongue along the gashes, his mouth felt a slight heat, and as he pulled away the heat burst into full flame. The soft flesh of his mouth started peeling and ripping, but it soon had closed.
He turned to her neck and observed the blood pumping through it. Her slightly opened mouth was gasping in strange silence, and her half-lidded eyes still did not see him. He wanted to continue, to taste so much more. His lips were open, and he wanted.

But for some benevolent whim of fate, a sound at the door halted his movements and cleared his mind of all the red. His fangs retracted. For in the doorway was Majo, arms furiously clenching at her side. "So you are preying on our invalid now, are you?" She crossed her arms and scowled.

Louie had been used to such statements, but none of the typical malice was in Majo's voice. He looked down to see Yakira, her robes opened at all the places Estella had marred her. The bed was rumpled with sheets on the floor from the struggle. And it made sense; she was accusing him of being a different kind of predator.

But as Majo stood there, he could see her breathing had changed. The corners of her mouth were starting to turn down. Her anger was not at him, but at Yakira. Majo turned and left the doorway slowly, then accelerated.

As Yakira was placed back on her bed, she could feel differently. She could feel. Not the grate of opened nerves, nor the heavy chill of blood pooling outside of her body. Aside from the burning in her head, she was better than she could have remembered. Her fear faded into the haze of her mind, but it was not so dim now. Although she could not remember anything that had just happened.

Chapter 34: Awakening by DoubbleDutch

The fight was almost three days previous.

Michelle stared at the small mound of dirt in front of her, marked with a crude wooden cross; the only marker that said her brother had ever been anyone, had existed. Her family had never left a big impact on the world, or even shown an interest in it. They hadn't patrolled and fixed the lines because they were employed to do so, but rather because they always had. They'd stuck together and cared for each other because that was the way life was, and nothing else was even imaginable. Her mother had died just after her birth, falling down a ravine in the dark, and the three that remained, her, her brother and her father had just got on as well as they could. She'd been so close, that was what people didn't understand. And then he'd gone off all full of hope and a better life just a hundred miles away from their turf, and he'd never come back. She'd heard of his death by radio, seen it on a TV screen.

Michelle felt a small inkling of a sensation she'd become increasingly used to, the feeling of life in her location. She turned and saw the two figures behind her, Tier and Alexander both keeping a respectful silence. Alexander was the first to speak, approaching her and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "The others wondered where you were, you've been gone almost two days, have you been here all that time...? I guess it’s hard to remember what with all this that we've lost a few people. I- I'm sorry; I guess there's not really anything I can say is there? I guess you were really close. Michelle sighed "You have no idea; the only time you saw anyone else was either when you bumped into another patrol by chance, or once a month when we went to Skite for supplies. Can you imagine that? A town called Skite." She laughed bitterly. "Course, it was really nothing more than a supplies store for parts and food, we were never given real wages as such."

Alexander paused, he was way out of his depth here and he knew it. He didn't even know what the hell he'd come out here for, or what he'd been going to do. "Uh, so you've still got your father? What now?" There was a long pause before she answered in a small distant voice. "I... don't know. My father can join another patrol, or retire; he's always talked about it. I don't really think I can go back, not now." Alexander stood in the uncomfortable silence then eventually wandered away, with the odd backwards glance, leaving the two zombies together.

The silence persisted for the best part of half an hour, Michelle losing track of her thoughts, being roused from her contemplation only by a quiet cough from Tier. "I warned you about this. I said there was no going back." When it came, the reply had tones of ice. "So what? So that’s it then? Don't think I didn't plan for this! Perhaps you may think it fine to go around all emo, but I for one plan to use this to my advantage, whatever I do!" There was another silence; zombies had a lot of time on their hands to think things over. Finally Tier spoke. "I'm going to this dinner party everyone's talking about, and I'm quite sure you will to, not that we'll be eating anything." In the meantime I suggest you go have fun with your new friends, they have a lot to be thankful for.

Tier turned and headed back the way he'd come. He'd only been there to show Alexander where Michelle had gone, and he'd known her location more out of prediction than anything else. The sun was setting but the darkness held no fears for him anymore. He felt strange these last few days, a feeling he was finding hard to pin down, it certainly wasn't excitement, or fear, anger or hatred or anything else that could be caused by this latest conflict. He'd seen wars before, up close and from a distance, hell, he'd seen everything pretty much, and this new... eagerness perhaps? was worrying him. He was welcomed at the door by Susan who, he guessed from the vague odor of alcohol was out for a bit of fresh air and a recovery. He'd never seen anyone so sensitive to booze, it was amazing she didn't get tipsy just breathing the fumes from inside, where there was a kind of low level social event had been going on for the last day or so. It was far too subtle to be called a party, more like a get-together.

"Hey, I hear you're inviting yourself to Parker's big dinner party; be careful huh? I really don't like the feel of this whole thing. Tier smiled, but it was a smile with no humor in it, one that always unnerved anyone he talked to. "And if I'm not? What then? What can they do to me? Shoot me? Set me on fire? Cut me to pieces? You saw Michelle with those wolves, she was never in danger of getting hurt, she didn't feel anything and there's not a scratch on her now. There's nothing they can do to either of us and you know it. The refugees at least admit it; you can see the looks we get." Susan smiled back, if anything it had even less goodwill in it than Tier's "Yes, but my friends will go with you, and if anything happens to them..." she broke off in mid sentence and went back inside. Tier went out back and worked on some plumbing. He'd be there till morning when things had quieted down, and then there would be the wounded to see too. After all, he didn't drink or sleep and there was work to do. There was always work to do, somewhere.

Michelle stood in the darkness and saw through it perfectly, eyes that didn't see cutting through the ebony night like a lance. She saw the lives dance around her, split, change and fade away, the whole world glowed. And she strode through it, aloof and unchanging, a sliver of darkness in the noise and tumult that was existence. And she had power, incredible power. She would never end, never change, never grow weak or old or tired. She grabbed a passing moth and crushed it; felt a tingle of energy as it gave up its life force to fuel her.

And she could reach out so much further than she'd ever dreamed. She stretched out a hand and watched as a tree wilted and withered to a rotting stump, she twirled through the night riding the cold and the dark, capturing life force to continue the mad dance.

And couldn't stop. She saw her friends around her, running and screaming at her approach as she whirled past them the crumbled to dust amid screams of anguish. And still she feed, off the noise, the screams, the life Nobody was safe, friends, family... her father; they were all gone in a flash of feeding. And others fell too, too many to count, the forest burned and the seas dried up, land moved and stars died, the universe flowed around her as she sucked the light from it.

And then it was over, nothing but cold and dark and quiet, a universe of silence and death. And she was alone. And there was Tier, watching her in the darkness with dead eyes, still and silent and cold as the rest of creation, alone with her in a prison of a thousand years.

It would be wrong to say she awoke, for she hadn't been sleeping, as such. It was more a drift back to reality. It hadn't been a dream, or a nightmare, just a train of thought that had left the tracks. She'd still to get used to not sleeping, or crying, breathing or the many other small changes this 'life' forced upon her. She shivered in the dwindling light and made her way back to the house. She needed the light and the noise to drown out her thoughts.


A long time ago...


"Hey c'mon! What are you? Rabbits or shellians?" Adric heard the yell and fumed under his hard hat. "Fine for you ya blowhard; you're not the one risking life and limb!" Technically that wasn't true Adric knew, but still this was risky and boring work. He stared at the pile of rubble in front of him, then at the hillside it was half buried in. Judging by the shape of the former building it had been some sort of barracks; so it probably didn't have anything worth salvaging in it, but you never knew, once he'd happened upon a stash of jewels in an abandoned kitchen, and there were stories of guys striking it lucky in this business. He set the explosive charge and stepped back. That was all of them. He scrabbled over the already evacuated rubble to the safety zone, called out the warning signal and detonated the charges.

There was the usual loud boom and the building partially collapsed. The machines moved in to salvage any metallic fragments found. Amidst the noise and commotion Adric moved in, now was the perfect time to scavenge anything valuable. Technically of course he was supposed to report any finds, but why should other people benefit from his hard work? Some of the things you found were valuable too; there was the inevitable gold and jewels, and plenty of spent ammunition, not surprising considering they were digging up an old war zone, but some of the most valuable stuff were the antiques; ornaments, jewelry even odd things like old jam jars; after a hundred and fifty years in the ground they were suddenly worth a lot to the right people.

(-); the building had been filled with debris; all the floors had collapsed; probably due to a bomb hit; there would be little of value inside and excavation would take up most of the metal inside. He removed his earmuffs and trudged back toward the explosives shack. It would take several hours of course; there were bound to be the remains of rabbits inside which would need to be collected and sent off for proper reburial. Then rather suddenly, a large piece of wall tilted and tipped over, nearly crushing several evacuators. "Hey c'mon people! Let's be careful huh? This is a salvage site not a playground!"

Utterly terrible! People didn't know their butt from their elbow around here! Adric stalked off to the explosive and equipment shed, there was a technically illegal bottle of whiskey there and he needed to destroy the evidence. He didn't make it halfway across the quarry before the yelling started. It was quiet and confused at first, but rapidly grew in intensity. Several people rushed past Adric, then a few seconds later ran off in the other direction. Someone started shooting and Adric got worried, guns weren't allowed, but lots of guys carried them 'just in case'. After several more shots were fired there was a final strangled scream, then silence.

Adric realized he'd been crouched behind a pile of scrap metal; he'd nicked his leg somehow too, and it was bleeding profusely. The right thing to do would be to back off, call for backup, then approach the scene with caution; raids were rare on salvage parties, but that didn't mean they could be any less deadly. However Adric was incurably curious so he cautiously approached the attack site. At first there was little to see aside from discarded equipment, he kept hidden, crouching behind machinery or rubble until a rather warm, wet sensation underfoot made him look down. He quickly wished he hadn't when he saw what, or rather, who he was standing in. He staggered backwards in shock, staring at the soft red mess that had once been his supervisor. There wasn't much left. He shouldn't have done that either, now he had an undisturbed view of the site and what had happened to the people there. About a dozen rabbits hadn't made it, though it was hard to tell from the scattered remains. Adric slipped on somebody's arm and was almost sick. He turned to run and was knocked to the ground.

Adric stared up in sheer wordless horror at what was now on top of him. What it was was hard to tell; its features shifted and twisted into horrible shapes, but it was vaguely shellian shaped. It snarled, splattering Adric with unidentifiable gore, then giggled. It was a horrible sound, half choked and eerie, something from a broken mind. It stared at him for a few seconds as if trying to figure out what he was, then spoke. It was a strangled, weak voice and sounded as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

"The... date... what date?"

Adric panicked "Monday! It's Monday!" He tried to get up but the creature was pushing him down with a force that seemed greater than its weight would allow. It snarled again. "Day! Month! Year!" Adric told it, and it sat still for a long time. As it did it got less and less repulsive until it finally dawned on Adric that it really was a shellian sitting on him; its appearance however did not do anything to sate his fears. While it was distracted Adric took the chance to wiggle out from under it and hide behind a pile of rubble. It was still sitting there, staring blankly into space when he dared look, several minutes later. It was obviously some sort of zombie, silver garlic would stop it right? (-), no, hang on...

It was giggling to itself; rocking backwards and forwards slightly, and gigglingand muttering to itself! Despite his terror, or maybe because of it, Adrian leant closer to try and hear what it was saying. The words were very indistinct and slurred, as if from a drunk, or someone half awake. "Hah hah! One hundred and fifty four years! Hee hee hee!" The words were repeated over and over, shot out like bullets from a machine gun so fast as to almost be unintelligible, finally the creature stood stock still and let out a hideous yell before dashing off into the distance way too fast for something dead to be moving.

There were shouts behind him, someone had sounded the alarm. Adric turned around and walked stiffly toward the rapidly approaching figures. Right now he wanted to drink and to forget; when the asked what had happened he told them it was a raid by bandits.

Chapter 35: Saving face by ToxicBunny

Susan was not feeling her best. But she was the hostess, and the guests needed their carrot slices. She chopped them slowly and carefully, fearful that her usual efficient chopping might lead to a nasty accident. She didn't see Majo come in from the hall, and only noticed her by the time she was at the back door.
"Hey, what's the rush?"
Majo stopped. Without looking at Susan, she said "Nothing."
"Is something wrong?"
"No, I just need some fresh air."
Majo opened the door and walked out, letting it slam behind her. Susan was a little perturbed, but shrugged it off. She took the sliced carrots through to her guests, then went to fetch Yakira's soup.


She was his best friend.
Thomas gazed into Susan's eyes. She was sitting opposite him at their round, secluded table. Between them were the remains of a two-person carrot lasagne, their favourite dish. They had spent the day wandering around the older quarters of Nole-in-Isvale. Usually referred to as Nole, it was the historic commercial centre of Golbert, a region of southern Diamondus. This was not the first time they had shared a holiday, but it was the first time they had been off Carrotus together.
Susan gazed back into Tom's eyes. It was nice to have him behaving normally again. he had been detached all day. He still seemed nervous, but this wasn't unusual. Besides, he was probably worried about the bill. It had been rather extravagent of him to book a table at one of the city's most expensive restaurants.
The band finished the piece they were playing and moved on to the next. Tom glanced at his watch. Perfect. He could feel the small box in his jacket pocket. It contained the engagement ring his father had given his mother. His parents had been so happy when he'd asked for it.
"Oh, Tom, they're playing our song!"
Susan loved Tom.
She was his best friend.

Alexander was strolling along beside Peddleburg Creek. The moonlight shone on the rippling water. In the distance, he could see a scattering of lights telling him how near to Greenthorpe he was. As peaceful as the scene seemed, Alexander was well aware that he was entirely alone, in the middle of nowhere, late at night. His transceiver beeped. This was something of a surprise. Reception had been so poor since he'd arrived in Greenthorpe, he'd not heard much from headquarters. Now, out here in the wilderness, he was picking up a message. He pushed a button and it played in his ear.
"Investigative reporter due in Greenthorpe. Name is Alice Frowley. Represents Carrotus Daily News Channel. Potential global television broadcast. Target is the recent Class 7 Type EB incident in Greenthorpe. Mr. Garand, you are instructed to ensure that no credible account is made available for broadcast. ETA 2330 hours."
An electronic voice took over and informed him that the message was sent 7 hours, 3 minutes previously. Alexander looked at his watch. Just past midnight. She'd be in Greenthorpe by now. Alexander broke into a run.

The soup was sloshing around in the bowl more than Susan would have liked, and she watched it intently as she ascended the stairs. With her eyes focused downwards, the first thing she saw on the landing was a pair of feet. Her gaze shifted upwards. Her balancing act finally subsided and half a bowl's worth of soup found its way down her shirt.
Yakira took the bowl out of Susan's hands and raised it to her lips. Several large gulps later, the bowl was empty, and she handed it back.
"Um. Okay," said Susan.

If Alice Frowley didn't know any better she'd have sworn she was under attack from the restless spirits of Greenthorpe. The video camera had stopped working, and it had taken three hours for her cameraman to fix. When she'd checked the morning's footage, she'd found that it had all been erased. And, of course, all good things come in threes. Her notebook containing all the details of her exclusive was nowhere to be seen. She'd torn her room in the tavern apart, she'd completely emptied the news van, but it had vanished off the face of Carrotus.
She only had the afternoon to complete the story before she had to leave. Still, at least she'd get this interview in the can.
"Mr. Dalton, what's it like to live in Greenthorpe?"
"Life in Greenthorpe is great. Everybody knows everybody else, to some extent, and so we have a wonderful community spirit. We don't have a problem with crime. We're in one of the most idyllic parts of Peddleburg. The roads are quiet, so you can ride bicycles or horses without worry..."
"It certainly sounds nice. But are you familiar with the rumors surrounding your town?"
"No, I'm afraid not. What rumours?"
"Rumours of attacks by mythical creatures?"
"Attacks by mythical creatures?"
"There have been a number of suspicious deaths here recently and..."
"And you thought you'd make a story about how we're all so superstitious out here in the sticks? That's just sick."
"No, I just..."
"This interview is over. Good day, madam."

It was the end of the academic year at Relwick University. Tom and Jay were alone in one of the many computer labs.
"Engineering? Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Jay, incredulously. Tom was somewhat taken aback.
"The world needs engineers," replied Tom. "There aren't enough of them about."
Jay couldn't believe what he was hearing. They'd been doing the same course for a year. He'd seen Tom almost every day, and had witnessed nothing to suggest that he was having any trouble with the material.
"But you're good at this stuff!" he protested.
"Am I? I've looked at next year's stuff. There's no way I'll be able to keep up. Besides, I don't see the point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who hates mythology subjects. They're just not my thing. I want to help us advance into the future, not wallow in the past."
"Oh, don't give me that (rhubarb). This isn't wallowing in the past. This is about beliefs which people all over the galaxy live by today, and will continue to live by in the future. I know you aren't a believer yet, but you can't deny..."
"Yet?" Tom interrupted. "When are you going to get it into your head, I'm never going to believe this stuff."
Jay knew he'd gone too far, but he couldn't back down entirely.
"Fine. But don't get (annoyed) the day I say 'I told you so'."
"Fine, I won't."
"But you'll still have thrown away a year of your life."
"Yeah, I know. But there's nothing I can do about that."

"For his extensive studies, especially in the field of extra-sensory perception in quasi-vampiric entities, it gives me great honour to announce that Jayden Lyle has been granted the title of Doctor of Vampirology."
The gowned academic handed Jay his diploma. They shook hands, and the audience applauded.

After the ceremony, Jay walked to the Explanatory Notes, a small pub he and Tom had been to a few times before. They met fairly regularly, and were still good friends. Tom was sitting at a table towards the back. He had an ale for himself, and an orangeade for Jay.
"Hey, man. Congratulations," said Tom.
"Thanks," replied Jay, sitting down opposite him.
"How was the ceremony?"
"Good. And by 'good' I mean 'long, drawn-out, and boring'."
"Good to hear you had fun, then."
"Yeah."
The conversation meandered on for a while. Jay described the highlights of the ceremony. Tom described his progress in his own studies. They reflected nostalgically on the years they'd known each other.
They talked until 6 o'clock, when Tom had to leave to catch a train. He was meeting up with a girl he'd been talking to online, called Susie.
Tom knew he wouldn't be seeing Jayden for a while. Jay, on the other hand, knew this would be the last time he'd ever see Thomas.

Susan found Yakira sitting on the terrace in the back garden. It was a clear, lukewarm day, and Yakira was following the twittering of a bird with her blind eyes.
"Hello," said Susan. "How are you feeling now?"
"Not bad."
"Have you seen Majo. Nobody's seen her since yesterday."
"I'm afraid not."
"Mind if I just...?" Susan held up her medical case.
"No, go ahead."
Susan checked her pulse, her blood pressure, and her temperature. All normal.
"It certainly seems you've made quite a rapid recovery. If I didn't know any better..."
"What?"
"Oh, never mind."
If there's anything Susan had learnt over the last few days, it's that she didn't actually know any better.

"So, how did it go?" asked Alexander.
"She feels like a terrible person. I didn't like doing that," replied Dalton.
"No. It isn't always easy. But you've done the right thing."
"I know."

Alice was in a better mood now. She'd been interviewing liars half her life, and Dalton was one of the worst she'd come across. If only the refugees had been as bad. Luckily, she'd finally found one she may be able to get some answers out of.
"So, what's your name?"
"Charlie."
"And how old are you, Charlie?"
"I'm seven and three-quarters years old."
"Well, you are very grown-up, aren't you? Now, Charlie, can you tell me what happened here four nights ago?"
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers about that."
"But I'm not a stranger. You've seen me on television, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"So, how can I be a stranger?"
"I don't know."
"That's because I'm not a stranger."
"I suppose."
"So, do you want to tell me what happened?"
"Okay."
Tony entered the room. He had been out in the hall, changing a light bulb, when he'd heard the exchange.
"Hello Charlie, who's this?"
"This is Alice Frowley from the television."
"Oh? And what are you talking about?"
"We're talking about the big fight that happened a few days ago."
"Really? Well, your dinner's almost ready, and you don't want it to get cold, do you?"
Charlie ran out of the room. Alice glared at Tony.
"What are you people hiding?" she asked.
"Look," Tony whispered conspiratorially, "His parents had a huge argument a few days ago."

In the staff room of the Cholmondely & Smith offices, three people were watching the local CDNC broadcast.
"The town of Greenthorpe has fallen victim to a large-scale internet prank. Greenthorpe, where a derelict mansion was recently restored to house refugees to Diamondus, is just south of Almsbury. The rumours range from the mansion being haunted to a large werewolf invasion of the town that allegedly took place a few days ago. The rumours have been widely dismissed as an attempt by political activists to discredit Gary Parker, who was a Councillor in Greenthorpe before he became Governor. Mr. Parker has dismissed the rumours as 'Absurd'. And that's all from Peddleburg Press, join us tomorrow at the same time."
Jack Cholmondely switched off the television.
"Gary, you are doing a terrible job of keeping things under wraps," said Ranford Smith.
"I agree," said Cholmondely. "I think this incident reinforces our conclusions vis-a-vis our association with you."
"And what are your conclusions, gentlemen?" asked Gary.
"That we should terminate all association forthwith." replied Smith.
"I see. Well, gentlemen, my plans from here on out do not require participation from either of you. If you do not desire a seat at the top table, that is your loss."
"We don't believe there will be a top table," said Smith, "let alone any seats. So we rather think our decision will be our gain. You owe us a lot of money, Parker."
"Oh, it's 'Parker' now, is it? Well, I don't think you need to worry about your money."
The blows were swift and immaculately timed. The Cholmondely & Smith legal team ceased to practice.

Their bodies lay there for three days before Estella found them.

Well I wrote this a while ago, and since nobody seems to be posting here anymore, I though I would dump it here and get it off my hard drive. I don't know where it should be fit in or whatever. It's the last chapter of my story and the only one that won't be changed by other people's events. It's also an epilogue, which is ironic.


* * *

Epilogue

The rabbit sat back and watched the sun set over the nearby skyline. It seemed that the city was growing nearer every day, you could almost feel it growing, extending roads like tentacles towards the outlying fields. He wondered if perhaps that was how trees saw it, as the days and years whizzed by. He looked up at the tree he was under, ancient, half dead and rotten. It was of course incredibly dangerous to climb and he remembered the many times he and his brother had raced each other up it, only a few years ago. How things changed, so fast.


He remembered his grandfather saying that if he had bought the land when he was a lad, he'd be a multimillionaire by now. Apparently this had all been forest once, as far as the eye could see. Now all that remained was this small glade of trees, surrounded by parkland. Of course, there had been buildings here once, even before that, you could see the concrete. Before the trees had grown up over it, someone had poured a mass of the stuff in an irregular shape. Grandad said it was probably an old munitions dump, from the Carrotus-Shellian war. Back then you disposed of dangerous ordinance by digging a hole, tossing it in and covering it with cement.

That would of course explain the stories, that when the weapons had been dumped, unlucky enemy soldiers had been thrown in as well and buried alive. It was the kind of gruesome story that was passed from generation to generation by parents who wanted their kids to grow up with a healthy dose of sleeping disorders. He shivered in the cooling air and placed an ear to the ground. It was said if it was quiet, and you listened real hard, you could still hear the screaming, muffled by the tons and tons of concrete. Or maybe just the wind in the branches above.

The sun continued to set as a solitary figure ran along the path to home, slow enough to seem unconcerned, but fast enough to make it home before dark. The sky went from orange to red to black, the moon shining down on the tree, as it had since it was planted all those years ago and as it would for a long, long time to come.