PROLOUGE

THE PROPHECY

The sky was dark, altered by occasional lightning and the rumble of thunder. The rain was coming down in drizzles, and the patter of rain on roofs was drawn out by the tortured screams of humans in the air. Two men in black robes stood on a castle balcony, watching the event calmly.

"Move your asses, stupid mutts!" one of the captors yelled to the prisoners walking half-naked and bare feet under the rain.

Prisoners of different ages moved while their captors brought down whips on anyone who delayed the movement. The prisoners screamed and cried in despair. The man who had yelled at the prisoners noticed a blond glaring at him, and he moved closer to her. Humans were not meant to look them in the eyes. Why was this girl so bold, staring at him? She did not flinch or avert her eyes when he moved closer.

"What are you staring at?" he inquired.

"I want to take a pee," she said in a cracked voice.

He looked at her fettered hands and the chains around her neck. She must have some guts to stop the procession. Humans were afraid of vampires, and whenever new captors were brought to the city, they were too scared to speak, so they urinated on themselves if the need arose, but this young girl had not only glared at him, but she also asked to leave the line. He gave her a dirty slap, and she yelped in agony, causing the other prisoners to whimper in fear.

"Keep going!" he yelled, and the procession continued.

"I am thirsty, and I see fresh blood, yet I cannot drink?" one of the men on the balcony said.

"You are to rule this city now and must learn to control your urge to drink. If you drink all their blood at once, they will go extinct before time. You must discipline yourself," the other man spoke.

The eyes of the first man were on the blond who had made a show. He could smell fresh blood, but hers was the freshest since she was the youngest of the prisoners. He had been made a Lord and was given a city to rule the previous night, so he was overwhelmed and needed to exercise his power. He watched the prisoners as they were led away from his sight. Morning would decide who would stay and who would be used for breakfast.

~~~~

The prisoners were led into the dungeon and shoved into the cells. The vamps locked the iron bars and wrapped chains around them. The blond girl who had requested to visit the restroom stood and placed a finger to her lips, indicating the others should stay quiet. She had removed the rope from her hands. They watched her with soulful eyes.

"I know a way we can escape," she whispered, looking around, but no one made a move nor indicated they were interested. "Do not be afraid. I found their weakness, and we can defeat them with it."

"Vampires rule our world now. They dominated us, and there is nothing we can do about it," an old man said in despair.

"We can always fight and take our city back," the girl retorted. "They wear rings which help them walk under the sun. Without those rings, they would burn like the demons they are."

"Beulah, those creatures are faster than us. We do not stand a chance," an elderly woman said.

"All we need is to focus. I do not know about you all, but I am getting out of here," said the girl. "I hid a stake under my skirt and needed free time to strike."

Then a loud clang of the gate made the humans flinch, and Beulah returned to her previous position. Two vampires appeared in no time and led them out of the cell, dragging and whipping them. The morning sun blinded the prisoner's eyes as they were led out in the open, where the vampire nobles would make choices. The two men on the balcony the previous day stood in the front while a vampire led the procession. Beulah's eyes darted from one place to another, trying to get the right time to strike. Her eyes met with the woman that had cautioned her the previous night, and the woman slightly shook her head, but Beulah's mind was already made up.

Once she was sure she could strike, she removed the stake under her skirt and gripped it firmly. Once she was nearing the two men who seemed to be the leaders of the vamps, she drove the stake into the heart of the vampire that slapped her the previous day. The vampire lost his balance and crashed to the ground with her on top. She quickly removed the ring on his forefinger, and his scream filled the air as his body burnt under the sun.

Beulah believes in her strength. Her father had taught her how to fight, so she quickly stood and held out the stake, daring any vampire to near her. The vampires all watched her with their fangs out while the prisoners cried. Another bold vampire attacked her, and she fought and killed him. A sudden hand gripped her neck and tilted her body backward. Her eyes stared into darker ones, and fangs bared at her. The fingers wrapped around her neck were as cold as death, and without being told, she knew her end was near. This was one of the men in dark robes standing on the castle's balcony last night.

She did not like that, even in the face of death, she noticed his handsomeness. But those orbs were so merciless that she swore she saw them twitch with gladness before he sank his ferocious fangs into her, sending her to everlasting sleep. He sucked her blood; it was so tasty that he could not let go until the other man in the black robe dragged him away from the dead girl.

"That's enough." His brother said.

The bloodsucker, whose mouth was smeared with blood, wiped off the blood and inhaled deeply, his eyes darting in greediness, his buds wanting to relish more of that taste. His brother immediately knew what he was about to do but held him by the wrist and shook his head.

"Don't."

A sudden shrill cry rang out in the air, capturing the attention of the prisoners and their captors. All eyes focused on a little old woman who was almost bald and looked more like a skeleton. The man that had just drunk the blood sighed.

"I wonder why Viktor brought her back," he said, returning to his original position. "She is probably as good as dead."

The old vampire staggered like a drunk toward him, and he stood still, watching the woman with rage. She staggered around him but did not touch him.

"Viktor brought me back because of people like you. People who are filled with rage act before they think. Your heart is as dark as soot, and your rage and arrogance would be the downfall of your people."

"What the fuck is she talking about?" The bloodsucker asked no one in particular.

"Your extinction is coming in a hundred years and would come from the hands of the one you consider weak and abhor so much."

"Are you saying I will die at the hands of a female?"

"A mortal female!" the old woman yelled. "A mere human female. But this is complicated because only her blood can keep your immortality. Only her blood can make you live forever. All of us! All of us will die. Our destiny lies with you, and once you are removed, we will be vanquished."

"What nonsense is this?!" the man barked.

"Only she can vanquish you, and only her blood can keep you. She is a two-edged sword. Choose the part you want to use wisely."

After her prophecy, the old vampire crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.