Return from Exile

Chapter 10 Vampire Justice

The sun had set completely now, and the cold night air wrapped around him. He gazed at the stars above, each twinkling light winked back at him, and he could feel his strength increase with each icy light that appeared in the sky. He took a long settling breath, then returned his attention to the scene before him.

The vehicles had all adequately been stopped, though not by him, as he\'d planned. Dozens of people had hidden themselves amongst the rocks, and fired on the trucks to stop them. Disabling the engines, flattening the tires, killing or wounding the drivers, anything they had to do to stop them.

The ambushers pulled the survivors out and tied them, sitting them along the cliff face asy coy continued with the others. \"It has been a Millennia since last you walked the night here,\" Dracula said, not looking beside him to see that Turngold had joined him. \"How\'s your head?\"

\"We\'ve all a slitting headache!!\" the dark blond Vampire replied, not at all impressed. \"No olse lse will face you, but I will. I have led my people home, to take our rightful place as rulers of this mud ball!!\"

\"The humans will not bow to us again, Turngold. Those days have come and gone once more. Now we watch, and if you had half a brain in your head, you\'d help guide these humans to prosperity. Better than before!\"

\"They are nothing!\" he shouted, slinging his blade toward Dracula\'s head, which the old man skillfully blocked. \"Food for the slaughter! Wenches for our pleasure! But never meant for our seed. But you\'ve broken that haven\'t you! A ten thousand year old half-breed bastard now hunts us!! Then to insult us once again, you fuck two more bitches and begot another pair of bastard half-breeds!! You...the king of all...have disgraced your own kind!!\"

\"I made our kind!\" he shouted, blocking another of Turngold\'s attacks. Thrusting his sword towards the boy\'s shoulders to try and make him yield. \"There was never a law against a Dhampire family! That was the view of all of you! Hundreds of us have loved humans, taking them to our beds, and made families with them! They knowing full well what we were. And you would have all of them fear and distrust us...and for what!!!\"

\"To be king!\" he shouted, blocking the thrusts, and stepping back to firmer footing, ready for another attack.

\"You can never be king, Turngold. There is only one.\"

\"True, but if I kill you, they will turn to me as your successor.\"

\"You really think so? You tried once before, and you failed.\"

\"True, but I swore I\'d return, and your failure to kill me when you had the chance, will now result in your own demise!! AAAHHH!!!!!\" Sparks flew off the cold steel as Turngold lunged at him, flailing his sword wildly, not giving the ancient king a chance to attack. The security force below watched in amazed fear as the two dark shadows danced across the cliff. Suddenly dozens of shadows descended on them, grabbing one and then another. Glowing red, green and blue eyes flashed, as razor teeth descended upon their helpless forms.

Dracula at last pushed Turngold away, seeing the horror of the scene below. \"STOP!!!\" he shouted, stepping off the cliff, and floating on a cloud of mist to the ground below. Slowly, the desperate vampires released their would be victims, huddling in a group to bow before him. \"What the HELL do you think you\'re doing!!\" The vampires all shifted uneasily, all knowing they didn\'t dare appose him. \"Someone had better start talking, or I\'ll start passing judgment on the lot of you! And it WILL BE FINAL!\"

\"It was Turngold!!\" screeched a woman vampire, her strength of power barely that of a 300 year old. Dracula waved his hand across the view of the humans, drawing them all to an obedient trance with just a thought. \"He said it was the only way!\"

\"Traitor!!\" shouted Turngold, throwing a dagger at the woman, but by the time it reached her, all that was left was dust.

\"Go on,\" eased Dracula.

\"We\'re starving! The humans in the city of the night are so badly inbred, their blood can no longer sustain us, and vampires made of them are mentally unstable, and we have little choice but to kill them.\"

\"Turngold promised we\'d receive no resistance from you,\" said another woman. \"He said that if we could get all our ships here, we could harvest enough humans to re-establish a proper human blood line, that would better serve our needs.\"

\"That is why you came?\"

They all nodded sheepishly. \"Dozens of us have already died,\" continued the first woman. \"Turngold said we had no choice, and that you wouldn\'t appose what we had to do, if you were still alive.\"

\"Turngold was wrong! He\'s wanted to return for his own purposes. He left Earth in disgrace. A failed attempt to kill me. Now he\'s obviously wanted all of you to support him in his battle with me. He knew I\'d appose him, he knew I\'d fight him to protect the humans. This harvest, as you say, goes against everything I have tried to instill in all my children, both born and made!\" Dracula turned back to Turngold, as he clamored down the cliff, too enraged by the betrayal of his followers to use his powers. \"You say I\'ve disgraced our people by fathering sons to human women. You, Turngold, have disgraced us all! There\'s a better way to solve this! You could have come to me! I would have helped you!\"

\"By providing what? Blood in bags from hospitals? We can\'t live like that! This is the only way!\"

\"There is always another way!!\" Dracula protested, blocking another lunge from Turngold, the sparks from their swords igniting spilled fuel from the disabled vehicles. \"Get the humans to the top of the cliff!\" Dracula ordered, \"I\'ll finish with Turngold!\"

\"You are the one who will be finished! This ends tonight!!\"

\"SO BE IT!\" Dracula forced the young Vampire back so that the flames of the burning vehicles surrounded them. The other vampires grabbed as many people as they could and began carrying them up the cliff to safety. \"You\'ve learned muc swo sword fighting, Turngold. I commend you!\"

\"I\'ve been preparing for this. When last we fought I wasn\'t ready, I admit that. Now I am, and now...YOU DIE!!\"

Dracula blocked his thrusts, punching him and sent the boy flying across the dirt. \"You had such promise Turngold. Why? Why turn on us now?\"

\"I wanted what you were. You commanded respect from everyone the moment you walked in the room. But I didn\'t! Even before I was changed, people looked at me as though I were nothing, treated me worse than the dirt under their feet! I swore one day I\'d rule them all, and when I was changed I knew then I could.\" He crossed swords once more with Dracula, the tip of his blade slicing threw the old man\'s cheek. \"But I knew as long as I was here, I\'d always be in your shadow! When I got to tity ity of the night things were better, but still not what I wanted. So I did something about it. It wasn\'t easy, believe me, but I did it.\"

\"May the night forgive you.\"

\"I killed as many of those sniveling worm humans as I could, forcing others into bloodlust to take their lives, lacing their blood with chemicals, and feeding them like candy to the older ones. Till finally, I WAS KING!!!\"

\"You slaughtered innocent devoted humans!!! You killed your elders...the ones who could teach you...guide you to a better existence with humans!!! Turngold, Do you know what you have done?!!!\"

\"They were nothing!!! I was King!!! That\'s all that mattered!! Then I\'d heard from Mire Link that a roomer had started before he left, that a hunter had killed you. I wouldn\'t believe it at first, but when he confronted me, carrying his woman from the ship, I knew...the only reason you\'d allow a son of yours to leave with an unchanged human, was if you were dead. And I had my chance. I\'d lead my people here...on the pretence of returning with fresh stock, but once here, I\'d remain...and rule as I SHOULD!!! AS I WAS DESTONED TO DO!!!!\"

\"You fool!!!!\" Dracula blocked another lunge, then jabbed at the boy forcing him back, back toward the flames. \"You foolish child!!! You killed for no reason!!! Age is not what makes one king!! It is you, how you treat those around you! The respect you earn by being fair and just. By putting the needs and well-being of those who serve you above your own petty ambitions. By making and enforcing the laws of the night, and making sure they apply to all, including yourself and your own family! And by dispensing justice fairly and quickly...which I must now do...\" Dracula held the boy back at sword point, a scowl like no one had ever seen spread across the old king\'s face.

\"Leon Fidel Read Turngold, made by Reston Turner Forsyth, made by Dracula Tepes. By your own admission...For the murder of humans; loyal to us...I sentence you...For the wanton slaughter of dozens of vampire elders...I sentence you...For the attempted abduction of dozens of earth bound humans...I sentence you...For the attempted murder of myself; both past and present...I sentence you...\"

\"You can only kill me once old man!!\" Dracula swung his blade one last time, snapping Turngold\'s sword off it\'s hilt as though it were a twig on a tree. He reached out his hand, and a greater power ripped threw Turngold\'s chest, raising him off his feet and moving him over the flames.

\"Maybe so,\" he said, his voice booming through the night, though he barley raised it above a whisper. \"But I can make you suffer. The sentence...is death.\" Slowly the flames crept up Turngold\'s legs, as a great hand reached further into his chest, curling cold icy fingers around his heart, slowly crushing it as the boy burned. His cries echoed across the night wind, the vampires above, cowering amongst themselves. They had been played, and they didn\'t even see it coming. Turngold had been all that a Vampire King should have been. Only to see him for what he was. A power hungry mad man, bent on psychotic vengeance. There was much they too would answer for, for being a willing part to what Turngold had planned for Dracula\'s daughter-in-law. If he\'d ever learned of what was to happen. Thankfully, those plans were dashed, now they needed to appease the True Vampire King, and earn his forgiveness. Which was rare and hard to do.

They lined the cliff watching as their king dispense his justice, not sure of their own fates, but willing to accept their punishment. Finally all that was left of Turngold was ash and bones, Dracula released his corps, turned to mist, and rose to the cliff to deal with the others. Upon his reformation, the vampires bowed, and said nothing. \"Did of of you know what he\'d done?\" Dracula asked.

\"No lord,\" sighed a man, the others all shaking their heads in the same answer.

\"Get up.\" Slowly they rose, not daring to look their king in the eye. \"You will all return to Barbarois, and await my orders. Understand!\"

\"Sire, we beg you. Please allow us to hunt. Many of us have not fed well in weeks. The bloodlust is harder to control with each passing night! Please sire! We\'re starving!\"

\"Obey me! I shall bring you something in two nights. If I hear of a single human, or mutant, being harmed in that time, I will kill you.\"

The vampires bowed, many holding each other for support, fearing for their existence, for there was nothing they could do to argue with him. \"Yes my lord,\" they sighed, and slowly made their way to the caves where their carriages were hidden.

\"And now,\" Dracula waved his hand over one of the more decorated officers of Airomat, releasing him from his spell.

\"Wha...What happened?\"

\"You were about to be killed by vampires.\"

\"You\'re one too, aren\'t you?! MONSTER!!\"

\"If I were, do you honestly think that you, your men, and your prisoners, would be safe up here, rather than down there, roasting like meat on a fire?\"

\"What do you want?!\"

\"I want to know what you intend to do with the purists?\"

\"Put them on trial, for the slaughter of 132 innocent children.\"

\"And the punishment?\"

\"That\'s up to the courts.\"

\"Death or prison?\"

\"There isn\'t a prison big enough to hold all of them, and death is too good for what they\'ve done.\"

\"Then perhaps...Captain is it?...we can come to an arrangement...\"

\"Like what?\"

\"What fate is worse than death, to a human?\"

He\'d never fought so hard to stay awake before, not till that night. Adrian lay wrapped, and tied, to a drag, set up behind Necromancer, ready for their journey to begin. Kale lay wrapped in her cloak, her dry clothes on her to help warm her. He\'d pulled his own cloak closer against the nights waning chill. Dawn had come at last, but still he didn\'t move.

All his questions burning in his mind. He wanted to voice them, but found the words caught in his throat, like a man dying of a thirst that could never be quenched. His gaze once more rested on his wife...but could he still call her that? Her oddly pleasant smile still graced her lips...the lips his brother had obviously kissed...her skin was very pale, either form the cold, or the loss of so much of her blood...the blood his brother had taken. He\'d nearly killed her...why was he sitting here? Had she found his brother that appealing as to let him take her...completely?

He tossed the last of his tea onto the last of the coals in the fire. He made sure all the ropes were tight around Adrian and his horse. They had to get moving. If he were lucky they\'d reach Barbarois in two days. He\'d make up his mind by then. \"You gona tie her up too?\" asked the sym.

\"Shut up.\"

\"D...\"

\"SHU!!\"!!\"

\"Ok...ok...don\'t bite your hand off.\"

He took Kale into his arms and mounted up. He\'d done this many times, and loved it, the feel of his love\'s weight in his arms, the look of her face, and her lips that he\'d steel a kiss form while she\'d slept. Now?...Now he just wanted her to be on her own horse.

Edward had made good time, surprisingly. The Night King\'s carriage entered the city gates in the late afternoon, and with his father\'s guidance, he thread it through the streets of Airomat right up to The Hall of Justice, though on this day a different kind of ruling would be handed down.

Edward\'s deep black red hair glistened off the last rays of the sun as he stepped through the main glass doors. A guard stepped up to him, waiting for Edward to ask directions, but spoke up once he realized the boy wasn\'t going to say a word. \"Can I help you?\"

Edward slowly turned his attention to the flight of stairs to his right. \"No,\" he said quietly. \"I know where to go.\" Quickly he sprinted the stairs, two and three at a time, dodging his way passed the workers on the next level, surprising a few men with his speed, and a few ladies with his grace and handsome appearance. Finally he stopped at a door, as though it was hindsight altogether, and surprised he\'d found it.

\"Come in boy,\" called his father\'s voice. \"We\'ve been expecting you.\"

Edward pushed a button on the wall and the door slid aside. Years in the arena had made him cautious, especially when there were armed men standing before him. His father was seated in a simple visitor\'s chair, four men with pulse guns, rifles, and knives around him. Across the desk in front of his father sat an older man, glasses and beard, wearing a long black robe. \"Father? What\'s going on?\"

\"Come in, have a seat. We\'re almost finished. Gentlemen, may I introduce my son Edward. Not to worry, you\'ve nog tog to fear from him either. Just don\'t pick a fight with him. You\'ll be in traction for months.\"

\"Be still men,\" said the man in the robe, rather uneasily. \"Very well, Mr. Tepes, if the counsel agrees, we will give you the Purists, as their punishment. What you do with them, will be your affair.\"

\"The island colony will be most grateful. Good day gentlemen. One more thing, would you gentlemen be so kind as to guide my carriage around to a shaded part of your building? As you know, my kind don\'t get along well with the sun.\"

\"I\'ll have the main guards see to it. Please escort Mr. Tepes to the east side. I think the shadows have lengthened sufficiently there.\"

\"Yes sir.\"

\"Thank you. My son, it is time to go. We\'ll return later tonight to obtain both the verdict of the counsel, and the prisoners, should all go well.\"

\"We\'ll be expecting you.\"

\"And remember. We come in peace, we shall leave the same. If anyone attacks us, I will not be responsible for the outcome of the ensuing battle.\"

\"I understand.\"

\"Good. Edward, Let us depart.\" The guards carefully guided the two down the shaded corridors and stairs to a side exit. It was an uneasy wait in the ever-lengthening afternoon shadows. Then the guards from the main entrance appeared around the corner, expertly driving the team of four horses. Had the missing lead team been hitched, the carriage would not have made it around at all.

Once Dracula was in the carriage, Edward took the reins, and guided them back to the city streets. \"Where to father?\"

\"Ah, I think to sit under a tree would be nice. See if there is a park somewhere.\"

An hour later, father and son were sitting beneath a large tree, resembling that of a weeping willow, watching children play around the field, and brushing the falling leaves from their clothes. \"I\'m worried,\" Edward announced.

\"Mmm? About what?\"

\"More who. I was expecting to meet D, Adrian and Kale as I got closer to the city, but I haven\'t seen them.\"

\"I know. But don\'t worry. They were not among those who were arrested at the Purists\' camp, they got away.\"

\"Where are they?\"

\"Let them be, son. Adrian is probably on his way back to Barbarois to meet up with Castle, and D and Kale are most likely reacquainting themselves somewhere. Let them be.\"

\"I hope you\'re right. Can\'t you reach one of them? As you did with me?\"

\"If I did that, and D was...well...he\'d be after me for my head. I\'ve learned long ago, let the lovers lie together, don\'t interrupt. If they need you, they\'ll find you. Trust me. If you were...with your woman...would you want me to suddenly pop into your head, asking you where you were?\"

\"No!\"

\"There you go...now. We\'ve still much to go over, and you\'ve much more to learn...let us take up where we left off...that bird over there. Gently, with your mind, lift it off the ground, without letting it take flight.\"

Edward turned his attention to the blue bird a few feet away, scavenging for food in the grass. Remembering what he\'d been taught already, he imagined a pair of hands reaching out to the bird, sliding under its body, and lifting it off the ground.

The result was far from what they desired. Edward felt his head rush, as though he\'d been spinning in one place for several minutes, not really sure what had caused it. The bird gave a quiet muffled squawk, and promptly exploded. Thankfully no one else in the park was paying attention. Edward sat up from falling over, with his mind swimming in a strange euphoria, and looked to his father, a bewildered look across both their faces. \"Perhaps,\" Dracula began, \"we should start with non living things...and work our way up from there.\"

\"Good idea.\"