Sheraff couldn't move his body. He was frozen. He was commanding his legs to move but they wouldn't budge. It was like his entire body was paralyzed with absolute fear; a pray struck by a predator's gaze. His eyes darted wildly around. He looked on the roof of his house and, to his despair, saw the figure of the powerful female vampress standing on the eave against the night sky. The moon shone brightly behind her, as her long armor blew in the wind. He looked on the other roofs and, with a sinking feeling in his heart, saw other vampires standing on them; alone or in pairs of two. All of them gazing at the entire pack assembled at their feet. He looked at his brother and saw that he was similarly frozen. Valentine had somehow managed to sneak in an entire cohort of his vampires without anyone of the pack even realizing anything.
The anger of being insulted again and the blinding fear he felt at standing with his back to Valentine finally made his body start to obey him again and he turned. Valentine stood there in black, flowing robes. His long hair caught the wind and moved, but his eyes, red and glowing were fixed on Sheraff. But something was different. The last time he had been here, there as an air of intimidating easiness about him. But, even then Sheraff had been able to sense that Valentine had been holding back. Right now, besides the anger in his countenance. Cold, calculated anger, there was something else. Fear. It was like Valentine was emitting pure fear. A deluge of black smoke engulfing everything. He was angry this time around...and he wasn't trying to hide it. The fear drowned the entire pack, the very air that they were breathing, making them feel like they were inhaling icicles. That expression scared Sheraff more than anything else Valentine had done before.
"Lor-" Sheraff stopped himself. I will grovel no longer. There was fear all around; too much fear. His had boiled over. If death was staring in his eyes, he wouldn't bow to it anymore. Standing with his entire pack, his brother, Levet, Ranfred, people who'd die for him, his beloved wife, his child, he felt brave. "Valentine." he said. "You're here."
"Yes." said Valentine. He wasn't masking his voice anymore; it gravelly and ominous. Something completely inhuman. He stood there with his hands tied behind his back and just stared. The eyes piercing Sheraff.
"Sneaking in wasn't very polite." said Sheraff, trying to steady his nerves.
"Few things I do are."
"Anyway, you're right on time." said Sheraff, a spark of hope suddenly glowing in his heart. The sooner I get them out of here the better. "We found the party responsible for the Led Orien massacre." He kicked Rorag. "It was this guy. Rorag, the Warlock; Alpha of the Deadtails pack."
Valentine didn't say anything. He just stared right into Sheraff. Through all that anger and disdain, he sensed almost...pity.
"It...it was Luim, our Arch Silverback who defeated him." stammered Sheraff a bit taken aback. "He beat him on his own. Kid's powerful." he added.
Valentine took a step forward. Instinctively, the entire pack stepped back a little, but upon seeing Theraff not move an inch, they stopped. Valentine circled Luim from a distance.
"Powerful." he muttered in his growling voice, scanning the lean werewolf. Luim just stared back. Somehow Valentine was making him uneasy. The calmness of the guy, the way his steps were perfectly calculated, his posture showing no openings to attack, the sheer amount of power he was exuding as he circled him. Luim started to feel...despair. Just despair. The fear that if Valentine were to attack him right now, Luim felt that he wouldn't be able to beat him. He'd never felt this way. No matter who or what he'd fought, even if he'd lose, he'd never felt insufficient like this. Valentine was sucking out any hope Luim had with every step he took.
"Did he go down a little too easily?" asked Valentine, finally stopping and facing Luim. "Was Rorag a little too weak than you expected him?"
"Ye...yes. How did you-"
"And why do you think that was?"
Because I'm powerful- is was Luim wanted to say. But right now, being in the presence of true power, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He dropped his gaze, and just silently stared at the grass below his feet.
"Rorag had a reputation among the werewolves...so how could a young pup like you take him down so easily...?" Valentine asked, feigning wonder. He never broke eye-contact even now. "Could it have been that Rorag had already been defeated before, interrogated, and then ordered to come here...?" There was a stunned silence among the top four werewolves of the pack.
"You..." stammered Sheraff.
Valentine turned to him. "Did you really think anyone can escape from me unless I desire it? You really think Rorag could've outrun death unless I willed it?"
"No. But..."
"This matter had gone on long enough with no results. So, I stepped in myself." said Valentine walking over to the unconscious body of Rorag. "Under my...persuasion...this werewolf told me a lot of interesting things." Sheraff stared in stunned silence. Valentine snapped his fingers and Rorag suddenly shot up like a bolt of electricity had been run through his entire being. He looked around confusedly for a second, sensed Valentine near him, and almost broke down in tears. He turned around and fell on his knees, bowing to the vampire, totally submitting to him, completely unconcerned about everything and everyone around him.
Every single werewolf stared in disbelief. The great Rorag, the Warlock, bowing to someone...and a vampire at that. He was shaking with fear, rubbing his forehead in the sand as if he expected Valentine to end him right there. Sheraff's fear increased: What had he do to him...
Valentine didn't even spare the cowering figure a look. He turned to Sheraff. "You say Rorag was responsible for the Led Orien massacre..."
"Yes, he was." said Sheraff, still unable to take his eyes of the old werewolf and his pitiable state. "You...you interrogated him. You probably know more than I do."
"That has always been the case." said Valentine, his rough, inhuman voice menacing. Then he stopped and stared at the stars above him, almost pondering.
"And...?"
Maybe I'll let loose for a change. Go 'wild' as Sierra told me to. Unwind. "This werewolf, told me a lot of things." said Valentine suddenly turning to Sheraff, not a single hint to what he was thinking in his voice. "So, so, many things."
The way he said the last sentence struck Sheraff. There was something coming...something bad...
"He was involved in the killing of my kind." said Valentine, his voice getting slightly angrier as he started walking back towards Sheraff. "But he wasn't the only one..." Even the wind was silent now. "Someone from this very pack orchestrated it..."
Sheraff's heart sank. Fear was coming back. That reckless bravery suddenly vanished and it dawned on him who he really was talking to. This was no ordinary vampire...this was someone born in the deepest crevice of fear, the deepest darkness, just to rule them. Someone who held the power to kill an entire nation. Someone who had made demons bow to him. The Devil himself.
Valentine stopped a few feet away from the Alpha. "You've always been pathetically ignorant of your pack and your...family." he said. "Let's see who brought this down on your pack, shall we?" With no look spared to Rorag, Valentine growled: "Speak!"
Rorag winced in his prostate pose but obeyed. He got up and without daring to look at Valentine's face he screamed in a shaky voice: "It was him!" he shouted pointing at Theraff. "Him and Levet!"
Nothing could've prepared Sheraff for what Rorag said. The air wasn't still it, was non-existent. Dead silence hung in the pack and every eye was on Theraff and Levet. Both of them staring at Valentine with pure hatred.
"It was them!" screamed Rorag again. He took a few short breaths. "It all started when Levet came to me on the pretext of wanting to learn magic. When we were alone, he told me the real reason for his visit; told me everything. That Sheraff was thinking of joining up with the vampires. That there would be a peace summit held soon. He wanted me to help him crash it. I was to cast a spell that would disorient the vampires and then Theraff would move in and kill them all. Levet would cast a low level spell that would scare away every single animal from the mountain so that nobody would be able to see what had happened." Rorag looked around frantically at the silent environment and sneaked a gaze Valentine. When he saw those red orbs starting right into his soul, he winced like a mouse again and went on with newfound energy. "My reward would be that once the peace wouldn't be brokered between Woodland Walkers and the Order, the vampires would naturally come to me and offer me to join up. I'd get all the benefits for joining up with the Order. And...and so I agreed!" Rorag wailed as if he was remembering the worse mistake of his life. "But the plan wasn't working. Levet wasn't able to do the spell no matter how I tried to train him. We had to look for an energy source; something that would make it easier. And then Theraff found out the wendigoes had a magical crystal. So, went to them and brokered a deal. A huge supply of bodies for that crystal. They agreed, on the verge of starvation. Finally, everything was together."
Rorag's terror faded a little and his eyes glazed over as if he was reliving a nightmare now. "And on that fateful night...everything went to shit. Levet and Theraff hadn't told me they'd intended to kill their own kind...their own pack too. Levet cast the spell, then I did, and then I saw Theraff shred everything that was still standing there to shit. Tore every living creature of their soul. I was horrified; I expected them to kill me too right then and there. But they let me go. I realized they were both tired and also they didn't want a body of the rival pack to be there. But I knew they'd come back later to finish the job...I knew...and I was ready. But a few days later I heard how they had taken Sheraff to the wendigoes village and slaughtered everyone. A realization dawned on me. They didn't just wanna kill the vampires, they wanted to kill every other supernatural around them whether that be their own kind on any other kind. And they were leading their gullible alpha by his snout to do it for them! I was determined to tell him the truth when those four would eventually come to my village. But before that...before that...he...he came...."
Sheraff stood completely dumbstruck. His brain couldn't process anything. He didn't know how to react. Levet, one of the men who'd raised him and Theraff, his own brother! He just stood there staring at the two, unable to say or do anything. "Why...?" he finally mustered. "Why?" he repeated hoarsely, barely audible. "Why?"
Theraff's eyes flashed green. "Why!? Why!?" he roared. "You may have forgotten what these fucking vampires did to our pack, our family, when we were young, but I haven't! They took everything from us. Everything! And then, my little brother wanted to join them! Wanted to grovel in front of their 'Lord'! To bow before the scum who killed my family! I'd had enough! No I would not bow!"
"We're werewolves! Wolves don't bow to anyone! Especially not to bats! You expected Levet, the Vampire Killer, to bow before vampires! You expected the legend to lay down his pride!? I wasn't gonna let a pup decide for me!" said Levet, anger boiling over.
Everything fell silent again. Everyone stood as silent as trees in the snow. Valentine let the air stand for a few moments and then took a step. "I warned you, Longfang. I did warn you what I'd do."
"No!" someone screamed. Ranfred ran forward and fell to his knees in front of Valentine. "Please! Please, spare me! I had no involvement in this. I did nothing! I wasn't the gullible alpha who got fooled, I wasn't the one who tried to go against you, my Lord! Spare me, merciful Lord! No, spare me, god! Kill the entire pack, but spare me, I beg of you!"
Sheraff's mind was shutting down. Ranfred, the wise old man he counted on more than anyone else...a selfish coward? What was going on in this word?
Valentine looked at the sight at his feet. "Hm, this seems familiar." he said. "Where did I see this before...? Oh, that's right. The forest of Rubishire. You fell to my feet just like this then and cried and begged me to spare your life in almost exactly these same words."
"My lord! Have mercy!" wailed Ranfred.
Sheraff didn't even see it. Valentine kicked Ranfred so fast Sheraff didn't even see his foot move. There was a bang and Ranfred flew backwards like a bullet, went straight through the walls of two huts, and crashed into the village wall almost breaking it.
"I detest trash." said Valentine. "Now, where were we?" The entire pack was a collection of statues now. There was nowhere to run, no one to lead them, no one to trust.
"Perhaps I'll start by killing off my spy." said Valentine, hungrily.
"Spy?" the word rung out in Sheraff's mind. In my pack? From the depths of confusion, he rose up a little.
"No!" screamed Wenrietta "You promised my and Ferraff's safety! You said you'd let us go!"
"I said, I'd show you mercy. And this is mercy." said Valentine.
No, not Wennrietta. I can't lose her. Sheraff was a hair away from transforming when Valentine stopped.
"Oh. What's this?" he wondered staring at Wennrietta's abdomen. Sheraff stopped and stared. "Looks like someone's gonna become a mother again."
The smallest of spark lit itself in the dark. A child. Another child! Foolishly, Sheraff's mind rushed wild for a second; maybe he'd be the one who puts everything right. Who pulls everyone out of this.
Valentine turned to Sheraff; they both held eye contact for a moment, then with a sly grin, Valentine turned to Theraff. "Guess you finally become a father, Longfang." he said.
The spark vanished. Everything vanished. Sheraff spun around and looked at his brother. Theraff couldn't even make eye contact with him. Sheraff spun back around to look at his wife. She didn't look him in the eyes either. There was nothing now. Nothing. The truth hit Sheraff like a ship. Everything that he'd ever known had been torn down. Everything. Levet was a self-serving scum, Ranfred turned out to be a coward...and his wife and brother, the two people he'd die for a hundred times over... had stabbed him in the back. The alpha couldn't take it any more. His legs gave out and he fell on his knees, his mind completely blank.
Theraff felt a roaring rage. Rage at himself. He didn't feel the least bit of guilt for the Led Orien massacre. But right now, looking at his younger brother on his knees, an empty husk of who he once was ripped Theraff's heart to shreds. He wanted to say something, to say anything, but no words came to him. He knew there was nothing he could say.
Wennrietta just stood there. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Standing across from Theraff with Sheraff ripped between them...the story of her life. She couldn't even curse her lack of courage. She couldn't scream and say she loved Theraff all her life...that she'd always wanted Sheraff to know it.
The torn family stood there in silence, their pack dumbfounded. The only person with a smile, with a sneer of enjoyment on his face was Valentine. It was like he was enjoying these people tear themselves apart.
Sheraff heard the ground crunch beside him under expensive boots. Valentine stood near him, the same smirk on his face. "You know, Longfang, you knew about this... you just never wanted to accept it." Despite the white emptiness of his mind, somehow Sheraff could still clearly hear Valentine's voice. The Master Vampire went on. "Who are you going to turn to now?" Sheraff crumpled inside. He was alone in this world. If there was anyone who even remotely understood him, it was Valentine of all people. He had always been straight with him.
Valentine looked at the crushed sight beneath his feet. "I'll take mercy on you, Longfang." he announced. "I'll leave this place." From the deepest depths of Sheraff's heart, the tiniest light started to shine. Will the nightmare finally end?
"However," continued Valentine. "there is a price to be paid. For all the blood of my kind that's been spilled, I have to see some of yours to be similarly spilled." Sheraff looked up with blank eyes. Valentine's smile was wide in the night sky, his eyes bright red. "Kill your wife." he said, simply. "Kill the unfaithful wife who was spying on you. You kill her, and I will leave."
Sheraff saw that characteristic conviction in Valentine's eyes. Like he was always in control and in command. But...but Wennrietta. I...couldn't possibly...I...lov...love her?
"What will you do, Alpha?" asked Valentine, smoothly. "Will you risk your entire pack for your wife and go against my wishes. Or will you make the difficult decision and finally turn into a true Alpha?"
Sheraff got up to his feet. The choice was clear. Like a zombie he turned towards Wennrietta. She looked at his face, horrified for a second, but then it softened. She raised her arms like she wanted to hug him, and closed her eyes. Sheraff took a step towards her, his feet dragging. "No!" screamed Feraff. "Dad! No!" Sheraff ignored him and went on. The village Captain grabbed Feraff and put a hand over his mouth. Wennrietta opened her eyes as Feraff came near. Both of them just stared at each other for a long moment. Sheraff saw his face reflect in her eyes and that reminded him of his brother...his wife's lover. Pain and sadness washed over him like never before. He didn't wanna look in her eyes anymore. He flicked his hands and his werewolf nails came out.
"It's okay." Wennreitta whispered. "It's okay. I...I always loved you Sheraff...and you deserved so, so much better than me...I'm sorry." she said meekly. "I'm sorry. If dying by your hands means I can finally serve you...don't deny me this mercy...please. I...will always love you."
"Don't say that!" screamed Sheraff in pain. In pulled back his hand, made a claw of his fingers and brought them straight down through her abdomen. The living creature he sensed there twitched and died. Sheraff pulled out his bloodied hand and looked at Wennrietta.
She looked at him in pain and her vision blurred a little with tears. As she saw his hand come down again, this time towards her neck, she felt happy...she'd finally learned how to cry...
His wife's head rolled off and her lifeless body fell to the floor. A utter wail of pain escaped Sheraff and he screamed like he never had before. He fell to his knees and just screamed and screamed. Nobody moved. Nobody knew what to do...what to think. The Alpha's scream died out and he put his face in his hands and started...crying. Just weeping. Seeing his brother like that killed Sheraff. He didn't feel any emotion for Wennrietta's death; it was necessary in his mind. But his brother...his little brother whom he had always promised he'd protect. He was crying and there was nothing he could do.
Through the tears, yet again, Sheraff heard the familiar sound of Valentine's boots. "Just leave!" he screamed. "Just go! Just go..." his voice gave out. "Please...just go."
Valentine sighed. "Before that, there's something I have to confess." he said. "You see...I'm a liar."
Sheraff didn't care for a monologue. "Go." he whispered hoarsely. Trying desperately to chase this devil away from his home.
"I lie," said Valentine. "to manipulate people into doing what I want. I lied to you. I lied about that unborn child of your wife being your brother's. It was yours, Longfang."
"What?" Sheraff looked up, his mind starting to race. He saw Valentine's eyes gleaming in almost an enjoyment. "You lied!?"
"Yes." said Valentine smoothly. "And I lied about sparing your pack. You killed my kind." he said, suddenly turning savage. "And I told you the price would be paid back tenfold" Sheraff's heart stopped. Valentine grinned again. "Let the chaos," Valentine raised his hands. "begin!" he snapped his fingers and immediately the vampires on the roofs vanished with a gust of air, the houses instantaneously caught on fire, and half the pack had their heads cut off at such a speed that their bodies didn't even fall.
There was chaos everywhere within a second. Screams, fire, blood...death. And in the middle of it all, stood Valentine with a smile on his face.