By 2075 AD the vampires had swallowed mankind, a new species rising from the earth. But unlike that first earth man who was made pure of heart, the earth had now belched forth a species born from evil.
Kreef stood on a precipice overlooking the valley below, once a city of steel meshed with common man going about his common business. But all of that was a thing of the past....
The brisk north wind was strong on top of the mountain and Kreef was forced to gather his cloak to him. He was actually stronger than the wind - considered by all vampires regardless of ethnicity, the strongest of his kind. But numbers had a way of tilting the scales, including the scales of injustice.
Although most of mortal man's ideas and ideology had been erased from pages of the future, some phobias still existed. As men were all once men and as now, vampires were all vampires, there were different species of vampires. Black skinned, bronzed-skinned, olive-skinned and so forth, and out of the bowels of prejudice the Ethnic Vampire War had erupted. Vampire species against vampire species, all waging a war in anticipation of conquering the other until only one superior vampire species remained.
"Kreef, I bid you to enter into the castle with me,” his man-servant Yonamus said as he approached from the shadows of what was left of the night.
His shadow was outlined by the light of the new sun and a candlestick which Yonamus held close to his heart with a clamped, gloved hand. His head was covered by the hood of his earth-toned cape, as required by all underlings.
Kreef took one more lingering glance at the tangled city below bleeding through the fog.
Morning would soon herald and the earth would go dormant until dusk. This was about the only vampire legend that was true. So many false myths, Kreef reflected, making haste towards the protective bowels of the castle where he would sleep the sleep of death this day and for all days to come.
Although before the demise of man it was said that the sun would soon explode and end all things, Kreef could only focus on the Ethnic Vampire War right now. Besides, 'right now' was all that ever really mattered.
Making his way towards the towering castle in the distance, he was reminded again of the vampire myths. Garlic, mirrors, bats - yes, all myths, including the blood fest. Everything living on earth was gone now - and with a legion of blood-thirsty vampires on the loose, their demise would have been swift if true to the myth.
Kreef chased his troubling thoughts from him and focused on his man-servant as time was growing short before the big sleep. "Demontique - has he ordered the attack?"
Yonamus nodded. "Yes. I am told that he will attack the Bronzed-Skins at dusk."
"I see." Kreef had entered the castle and was making his way down the long spiral staircase leading to the dungeon. It was a drafty area. Most of his kind had moved their sleeping quarters to more favorable areas of their homes as the threat of annihilation by man was no longer an imposition. Kreef supposed that he should do the same, but the dungeon was dark, making it easier to drift off the cold cliff of death each sunrise.
"It appears that you may be forced to join the battle, whether you wish to, or not," Yonamus reflected, opening the coffin, his face an eerie mix of emotions, what face that Kreef could see, that is.
And Kreef didn't like what he saw mirrored on his man-servant's face.....these almost-human emotions. Indeed, he silently acknowledged that Yonamus was like one-hundred or so other underlings in the valley - half vampire and half human.
Yonamus hastened, knowing that time was of the essence. "Kreef, I remember what it was like - the ethnic wars between humans. Many died, many sacrificed their lives for the effort and in the end, and my kind was obliterated by a force that hedged into our society while we were focused on what didn't really matter. And the fact that your kind spars over color accentuates the fact that you aren't much different than the species you eradicated from earth-"
"Enough!" Kreef snapped his hands two doubled fists by his side.
Yonamus nodded, surrendering to the stronger. He had little choice; if he pursued, Kreef could very well take away his free thoughts.
With his master settled, he crept from the dungeon, taking great care to close the gate. Dusk would soon dawn. A new day. A day of slaughter, and perhaps the beginning of the end of all.
Kreef awoke as dusk settled into the valley. He made haste to locate his man-servant and to perhaps glean a report regarding the Ethnic Vampire War.
Had Demonique struck the Bronzed-Skins? How far would he go before he stopped? Would he slaughter all species, all colors but his own?
Kreef glanced at his reflection as he passed through the hall noting that he, too would be on Demonique's list as they were two separate colors, two separate vampire species. Yonamus was correct - Kreef would be getting involved, whether he approved of the war, or not.
His roll in the war became crystal clear as he exited the castle in search of his man-servant, finding him slaughtered and propped up by the garden wall.
Kreef was seized with remorse - something that he'd not felt in many decades now. Remorse - wasn't that a human quality? He suddenly didn't care, he decided as he took his servant's limp body and carried him back into the castle. If Demonique wanted war, then he'd damn-well have it!
Weeks passed, and then months, then years yet the war continued. One-half of the vampire population had been wiped out by the Ethnic Vampire War.
But the time had come for the war to end, for Kreef had tracked Demonique and had cornered him in the garden by the castle. How fitting that this lion should die the death of a mouse - and in the same spot as his servant, Yonamus.
Kreef yielded a sword - intent on plunging it through Demonique's heartless body.
Demonique was well aware of his impending demise, and made light of such. "Know that you are not better than I - only luckier on this day. Remember that, Kreef."
Kreef mocked him with a laugh, then eased out, "I will only remember the fear locked onto your cowardice face. For Yonamus I kill today - and with much satisfaction," he went on to acknowledge.
Just before he plunged the sword into the heartless body, the sky was illuminated with a thousand bright lights and an explosion that was so loud that Kreef could hear nothing. The sword fell from his hand and he joined his enemy on the ground, both of them holding their hands over their ears, their bodies leaching in agony.
As Kreef entered eternal death, realizing that the sun had just exploded into a million pieces, his servant's warning filled his head. "Kreef, I remember what it was like - the ethnic wars between humans. Many died, many sacrificed their lives for the effort and in the end, and my kind was obliterated by a force that hedged into our society while we were focused on what didn't really matter. And the fact that your kind spars over color accentuates the fact that you aren't much different than the species you eradicated from earth...."
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