Queen of Darkness

Chapter 22 - Werewolves

Alex: “Did your plan work, did Robert think it was you... That you were dead?”

Me: “It gave us time to escape. The vampires that found her believed it was me, at first glance all evidence pointed towards that and it caused some chaos and delay. But soon enough Robert and the General arrived on the scene and Robert advised them that it wasn’t me”

Alex: “How did he know?”

Me: “Same way I know he is still alive... Because of our bond. When someone you are bound too dies, you feel an immense sadness, as if part of yourself died, even if you hate the person. Robert didn’t feel sad, or any different. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he started hunting me again so we had to get as much distance between us as possible.

We made it to the cabin in Serbia, but it was more like a wooden estate, nestled deep in the forest.

I was surprised to find the estate occupied. Everyone was excited to see Shadow until they laid eyes on me. It was evident everyone knew what I was and I was most definitely not welcome.

Shadow showed me to a guest room that was mine for the duration of my stay, at that point I was unsure as to how long that duration would be, I didn’t intend to be there long at all since everyone was so forthcoming.

For the next few days I tried not to leave the room more than absolutely necessary. Joshua and Shadow would supply me with animal blood whenever they went hunting. I know they meant well and the blood did sustain me but animal blood is nothing like human blood.

It was pretty much a self-sustainable estate. They grew vegetables, they had farm animals and even a water supply, all hidden away deep in the woods.

We were all in the main cabin but I soon realized there were about ten smaller cabins at the back of the property. It was like a small village.

I’d frequently overhear people stressing their unhappiness about my presence there, some even taking it up with Shadow, who I figured out was like the leader of the group.

That in itself was strange to me because he was so young, there were elder people around but everyone had so much respect for Shadow. Even if they questioned his decisions, once he made up his mind they didn’t push him further.

One evening Shadow was fed up about the questions as to why He allowed me to stay there and he called for a meeting, for everyone to attend even me but the meeting didn’t get very far.

Ten minutes into hearing how unwelcome I was a group of Vampires attacked the estate. At first I thought they were after me but soon realized they didn’t even know I was there up until that point.

That’s the first time I saw Joshua and Shadow and the others for who they really were... werewolves.

There was no bones breaking and cracking, and turning into physical wolves, there were no need, they were all bigger built and rougher to begin with, you could just tell what they were by their eyes as with vampires, and the sharper fangs, they also had this deep growling sounds resonating from deep within.

They were stronger and faster than mere humans. A full on battle ensued. Flintlock pistols use to be the weapons of choice in the 1800s but in the 1900s more modern hand guns and rifles were used, however in battles between vampires and werewolves’ weapons were obsolete except for the occasional dagger, sword or bow and arrow. Hand to hand combat was the preferred weapon of choice. Call it, a show of strength and power.

Even though I was vampire, it was Shadow and Joshua that took me in and gave me shelter and protection, and that’s where my loyalties lay in that moment, and besides I didn’t trust a lot of vampires at that stage because you never knew who was on Robert’s payroll - so I did the only thing that made sense to me in that moment, I fought alongside the werewolves against the vampires, to the surprise of most.

The battle was long and in the end only a handful of vampires were left, unfortunately there were a lot of casualties on both sides. Some vampires chose to retreat and a few werewolves went after them to ensure they didn’t get to reveal the location to others. That however just left the few of us that stayed behind open to an ambush. A few vampires that were hiding out of sight, just waiting for the right moment to attack Shadow.

It was clear by that point that he was the target and not me as I had initially thought. They wanted to kill as many werewolves as possible but Shadow was the prize.

He fought furiously, sometimes up to 3 or 4 vampires at a time, but he was tiring and they were starting to get the better of him.

It was at the point where I saw him being restraint by his arms, vampires on either sides of him, while a third reached for a sword, I knew I had to do something.

The vampire I’ve been battling was starting to bore me anyway so I ended him quickly with a swift break of the neck.

I rushed to Shadow just in time to dive into the vampire ensuring that his blade does not pierce Shadow, this gave Shadow the time and distraction he needed to regain his strength and free himself from the other two and finish them off quickly. I killed the one with the sword and the battle came to an end soon after.

The few werewolves that pursued the vampires came back victorious as well. I had by back towards Shadow when he came up to me to thank me for helping in the fight and saving him but when I turned towards him his facial expression drastically changed.

When I took on the vampire with the sword I literally took on the sword, it pierced my side and it was bleeding profusely.

The injury, which I wasn't even unaware off up to that point, quickly made my woozy and I was about to sink to my knees when Shadow caught me. He carried me back to my room to attend to my wound but I kept insisting that he shouldn’t, he was not listening to me.

By then I came to realise that Shadow was a proud and stubborn man who didn’t like taking orders from anyone.

Joshua met up with us just as I laid down on my bed and I could hear him whisper to Shadow that I needed blood or I wouldn’t make it, to which Shadow replied frustratingly “I know, but there’s no humans for miles, we’ll never get one in time... and you know the rules we can just bring a human here for a vampire to feed on.”

Joshua: “She can have some of mine than”

Shadow: “Are you insane, you know the rules”

Joshua: “No offense Shadow, but fuck the rules. I’m not about to sit around and watch her die”

Shadow gave a frustrated groan “I understand that Josh but you know what they say, your blood will probably kill her in itself”

I didn’t know what they meant, I’ve never heard of blood that could kill vampires so just left it at some folktale werewolves believed in seeing they were cut off from civilisation.

I was getting weaker and there was nothing I could do about it, I was loosing blood quicker than I could heal or generate new blood. Joshua was right the wound was severe and even though Shadow had bandaged me up as best possible I was slowly dying, I needed blood.

Joshua and Shadow took turns to stay by my side over the next few hours, as I got weaker and weaker I was losing consciousness more frequently and for longer periods of time.

At one point I woke hearing the howling not too far away, it was more than one but this time it didn’t scare me, it sounded... Sad.

Shadow was standing at the window staring into the darkness of the night.

Me: “Why do they sound so sad”

Shadow looked over to me surprised, he was not aware that I had woken up. His eyes still glowing gold for a second before he forced it away and sat down on the edge of the bed. “They are mourning the ones we lost”

Me: “Werewolves huh? For hundreds of years I was warned and taught to fear the vicious beasts that lived in the forests...who turns out to be werewolves... You don’t look so tough to me, I can take you” I said jokingly trying to lighten the mood.

Shadow:“Yeah well I’m not the one laying on my back bleeding all over the place” I know he tried making it sound like he was joking but his facial expression never changed, he was always serious, always brooding.

Me: “Maybe but the state I’m in is because of a vampires doing not a Werewolf’s”

Shadow: “If you were trained by werewolves you would have been a better fighter”

Me: “Still saved your ass”

Shadow: “And now I have to save yours” He said it as if it was a revelation. He jumped up and moved to my side. “You have to take some of my blood so you can heal”

Me: “No, I’m not going to do that”

Shadow: “You have too, you’re getting weaker and not healing quick enough, you’ll die”

Me: “Then I die... I’m not taking your blood, this is not about repaying some stupid debt.”

Shadow: “You think that’s why I want to help you?”

I didn’t answer but that was exactly what I thought. I saved Joshua so they saved me, now in the fight I saved Shadow so he was feeling obligated to safe me again.

Shadow was getting frustrated and annoyed. “You are so bloody stubborn, you can be really stupid sometimes”

He carried on for a while, letting off steam, going on about the bad situation we all were in... It sounded like he was blaming me for being a vampire, like it was a choice. But I started drifting off again and didn’t really take in any of his ranting and raving.

When I came too again, it was Joshua sitting by my side, holding my hand.

As soon as he saw I was awake he started telling me to drink his blood, he was practically begging me, but like with Shadow I refused.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want too, I’ve been starving for human blood, and now I was injured as well, making me crave blood even more, but knowing how my bite effected people, I didn’t want that for them, they were good people who helped me.

Me: “Joshua, why did those vampires attack you?”

It was a question that has been bothering me since the attack.

Joshua: “The same reason they have always attacked us, for territory and power”

Me:” I’ve never heard of vampires attacking werewolves, I’ve always been told to stay clear of the forests and the dangers that lies within.”

Joshua raised an eyebrow at me “Did the vampires keep their Queen locked up in a tower or something?”

I knew he was joking but I started to feel like that was not too far from the truth. I was over 200 years and I didn’t know about werewolves.

Joshua: “The war between Vampires and Werewolves has been ongoing for years. Mostly they try and keep clear of each other that’s why there is a longstanding agreement about staying out of each other’s territories.

Werewolves just want to be left alone. We hunt and live from the earth that’s why the forests are our home, our territory, vampires live off people that’s why towns and cities are theirs.

It’s obvious that we need supplies and things so we do, from time to time need to go into towns and cities but it’s agreed that if we do we stay low and get out. With the times changing we even have to engage in labor sometimes so we normally get work in mills or mines, all labor intensive work because hard work is what we’re built for and because of our built and strength it’s easier to get these types of work and also easier to explain our strength.

The vampires know this, they know we need to survive, just as we know they need to survive. So we have a mutual agreement that should we cross paths in public places, we walk away, they walk away. No one calls anyone out.

It’s harder for the Werewolves to do because believe it or not Werewolves want to protect humans, that’s why we are so against vampires, it’s not the vampires as such but the fact that they feed on humans, manipulate them, take away their free will, enslave them and use them for their pleasure. We don’t agree with that.”

Me: “Yes well, would you believe me if I told you, I don’t agree with that either. ”

“That’s rich, coming from a vampire” Mary said as she walked into the room, followed by Shadow.

They obviously overheard our conversation, and I was in no mood to have an argument with the bad tempered red-head.

Mary: “I don’t see the point in trying to heal a vampire Shadow, we should just leave her to die. You should have just left her to die in the first place”

I had it with her attitude, I was behaving up to that point but since I was on the brink of death, I wasn’t going to keep my mouth shut any longer.

I raised myself up, even with Joshua trying to hold me down my anger was giving me the energy to push him away.

I stood in front of her, slightly bent because of the wound and the pain but it didn’t stop me from poking my finger into her chest “I’ve had just about enough of your stinking attitude, you carry on all high and mighty as if you’re so god damn perfect, hating me because I’m a vampire... As if it was something I wanted”

Shadow: “Of cause you wanted it, you had to give permission for them to feed on you, and you had to give permission to be turned. You knew what you were getting in to, you chose it.”

I looked at Shadow, for the first time in years I felt like crying out of frustration and anger.” You know how vampires can see someone else’s memories through their blood... I wish somehow you could see my memories, than you’d know it’s not as simple as that.”

Shadow saw my mood change so when I asked them to leave me alone, he quickly requested Joshua and Mary to go with him and give me some privacy.

I was furious, mostly with myself, to some extent I was responsible for what happened to me, if I’ve chosen death sooner, I wouldn’t be what I was. And because of what I was I needed to get away from these wolves before I hurt one of them.

I was getting weaker, meaning I was getting desperate, my craving for blood was increasing. I was afraid that I might lose control and bite one of them, it would be without permission and against vampire’s rules, and it would also be against their rules. It was a road that I did not wish to go down. More importantly I was afraid that if I did lose control, the one I would hurt would possibly be Joshua, or Shadow and from all of these wolves, they were the two I wanted to harm least of all.

While Shadow and the others were occupied with other things, I collected my few belongings and snuck out.

I did have an idea where I was, orientating myself, I started walking in a general westerly direction.

If I travelled for a week or so, I would eventually reach the coast... I think.

Catching a ship from there I could make it to Italy. That was the long term plan, but in reality I doubted I would ever reach the destination.

Most of my travelling would be through unspoiled forest. In the state I was in, I wouldn’t make it past day 2. I would either succumb from my wound or attack from wild animals as a result of it but either way I won’t endanger anyone and I would die in the middle of a forest, never to be found.

It wasn’t even hours into my journey before I started struggling to continue. The pain was immense and I was losing focus.

I forced myself to recall every possible painful memory, using my anger to fuel me, pushing my limits, as darkness fell I just collapsed, I didn’t care about trying to find a safe spot or creepy crawlies, I was exhausted and didn’t expect to see the next morning.