_02_
In the grand hall, a circle of vampires seated around a large table. The air was thick with tension, as the discussion at hand was a serious one.
"It's time to take action." Spoke one of the vampires, his voice commanding and authoritative; clearly, he's the coven leader. "We cannot continue to allow the humans to intrude on our territory, to violate our lands."
"It's not so simple!" Another vampire argued, his voice was loud and booming. "We must weigh the consequences of any action we take."
Suddenly, the doors to the hall burst open, startling everyone in the room. A tall, dark figure strode into the room, his presence commanding attention. His eyes glowed red, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.
The vampires in the room immediately recognized him as one of their own but there was something different about him, something that set him apart.
"Kiel..." The leader of the coven said, his voice full of surprise and perhaps even a hint of fear. "What brings you here?"
"Trouble..." Kiel replied, his voice low and gravelly. "The humans have been getting bolder and they're beginning to encroach on our territory. I believe we must take action before it's too late."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the coven but some still looked skeptical. Kiel's reputation preceded him, and not everyone was convinced that his methods were the best course of action.
"But literally speaking, we are living amongst human, which means we are the one in their territory." Another, named Karen, enounced worriedly. "It'll be very much unfair if we attack first."
The vampires grumbled and some growled silently; while few agreed to Karen's words, some few others weren't in support of it —and others only kept mute with nothing to say, either in support or in oppose of the motion.
"So...?" Kiel blurted out, his gaze was sharp and seems like it could pierce skin. "So, what if they provide us space to dwell? Does that mean they aren't supposed to know their boundary?"
Karen hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I'm not saying we should just sit back and let them trample all over us." She muffled out slowly. "But we need to be strategic about how we respond. We can't just lash out without thinking about the consequences."
A murmur of agreement rose from the crowd and Kiel felt his patience beginning to fray. "We can't afford to be indecisive." He growled, his eyes blazing red. "The humans are a threat and we need to act before they destroy everything we've built."
Another vampire stood up, a tall and imposing figure with dark hair and piercing eyes. "Kiel is right." He said, his voice deep and resonant. "We must act but we must act wisely. I propose we send a delegation to the human leaders, to discuss our concerns and reach a peaceful resolution. If that fails, then we can consider more... extreme measures."
A buzz of conversation erupted in the room, some in agreement, some in opposition. Kiel scowled, his eyes fixed on the vampire who had spoken up. "You would have us grovel before the humans?" He spat, his voice filled with anger. "We are stronger than they are. We have what it takes to trample on them —after all they are weak and can't defend themselves with out weapons."
"We might be stronger, yeah, but that gives us no right to ride them on the same land we both possess!" An elder amongst them pronounced. "If we are to take actions against that rebelling attitude, we should at least serve them a warning first!"
The debate raged on, some arguing for a diplomatic approach, others advocating for a more aggressive stance. Kiel found himself becoming more and more frustrated, the arguments going in circles. Finally, he could take it no longer.
"Enough!" He roared, and the room fell silent. All eyes turned to him, and he felt the weight of their attention on him.
"We cannot sit here debating endlessly." He continued, more composed now that he had their attention. "We must act and we must act now. The humans are growing more brazen by the day and we cannot afford to wait any longer."
"I don't think it's the best time to attack human yet, they are still under the pressure of the result created out of your sister's grave mistake, Kiel." Karen blurted out, already irritated by Kiel's choice of words.
With Kiel's brows raised in questioning, he asked. "What do you mean by being under the pressure of Brenda's mistake?" His voice was cold with no emotion laced in it. "What mistake, Eh?"
"Lothanna is out there wrecking havoc on kingdoms and empires, seizing other lands by force." Karen replied, returning the same vibe as Kiel's. "He's trying to create a million-men empire by enslaving other humans. He think he's invincible because he's a hybrid?"
"I am aware of Lothanna's actions." Kiel replied, his voice still icy. "But I am not responsible for his actions. We may share the same blood but we are not the same person. And I will not be held accountable for his crimes."
"But don't you think your relationship with him makes us feel otherwise?" Another vampire asked, a woman with pale skin and dark hair. "It may not be justifiable to you but many would feel differently."
Kiel pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. This was getting them nowhere. "Look I understand your concerns." He said, his tone measured and even. "But I cannot control what Lothanna does since he isn't one of us —why must his action worries us?"
"Not being one of is what is alarming since he's not human either —don't you think he's overstepping his boundary?" Karen enunciated, her was nowhere near softening. "We can't take responsibility of his actions but we can't as well watch him wreck havoc!"
"I ought everyone should have stop worrying about Lothanna." Kiel countered, his voice far from friendly. "You all should have thought about the consequence of your action the moment you all cast him away as not being one of us."
"We had no choice but to cast him out!" The eldest vampire thundered, his eyes flashing with anger. "He was a danger to us all and we could not risk our own safety by keeping him around. You know this, Kiel, in no history of vampires has hybrid been welcomed — Brenda should have thought of the rules first!"
"I know..." Kiel said, his voice tinged with regret. "But that does not change the fact that we are partly responsible for his current state. He may not be one of us but he is still family. We should have found a way to help him, instead of casting him out like an animal."
The room was silent, the weight of the silence was alarming and deafening. After some moment, the coven leader, Rynd, decided to interrupt the silence which was starting to get uncomfortable.
"We couldn't come into a better conclusion, I think it's best if we allow every lie for the time being." His voice boomed out, pronouncing authority. "And as for Kiel, it's the best if you keep Lothanna at arm's length."
Kiel, instead of a reply, turned his back on them and walked out of the coven with a crumpled expression on his face. It has always been this way for a few years, no matter how many meeting that's been held, they've never come up with a concrete decision.
He felt he has waited long enough —humans has managed to render them useless under the disguise of a peaceful resolution. This pisses him off and he couldn't help but wonder how much longer he'll have to wait.