By Ghost
| Cassius was a warrior. Eve
was a warrior. Torell was a warrior. I am a soldier.
A soldier cannot operate alone. I am alone now. Occasionally sounds of movement come from within the cavern, but my investigations only revealed fish and insects in the caves, their sounds magnified by the walls. In the past few hours I've played it back in my mind, over and over. I still do not know what happened to Raziel. None of us know. All we know is when it happened. It was like I was suddenly thrown off balance. When I looked around all near me had stopped their actions. Those who were talking only stared into blank space. Those who were cleaning or doing some other duties stood still, caught in their movements. Someone screamed, and all were shocked back into consciousness. The next few hours were spent arguing about what had happened and what to do. Cassius and Eve with some of the other leaders decided that the guard must prepare for the worst. The soldiers that served under Cassius, which includes myself, were also order to arm and armor themselves. Messengers were told to mount horses and hurry to the nearby Melchiam clan hall to ask for information. Before they could perform their task the attack began. It first started when part of the east wall of our sanctuary was blown apart by some explosive element. Melchiam stormed in, slaughtering any Razielim in their path. Most of us, unarmed, fled. I stood in one of the sanctuary's many towers, looking down upon the calamity below. I quickly took up my bow and began firing upon any Melchiam which happened to be in my sights. With eleven Melchiam dead or bleeding on the floor due to my arrows and my twelve missiles now spent, I turned and searched for my leader. I expected to find him somewhere near the courtyard, rallying troops. Instead I found him standing at Raziel's balcony. "Cassius?" I stepped closer. His wings unfolded from under his robe. Without turning around, he spoke. "What does it all mean?" I think now that he was not actually asking me. "Sir, the Melchiam are slaughtering our people," I would have yelled it were I not mystified at the sight before me. He wheeled around and unsheathed his scimitar. "What is the state of the fight?" he asked. "The Melchiam are small in number and poorly organized, but then again so are we in the latter aspect. Those unarmed have been ordered into the northern courtyard where they can escape into the canyons. Scouts report no Melchiam in that area. Everyone has picked up what ever weapons and armor they could. The guard has already contained much of the attack. We are currently forcing the Melchiam through choke points in the front courtyard while your and General Eve's troops are assembling in the central courtyard. The guard are will not be able to hold off the front quarter much longer." By now were in the central courtyard. Each of the troops were ready to fight, but they were distracted by the stubs growing out of the backs of the older troops. "What's happening?" asked General Eve. "Our downfall," Cassius whispered ominously. "What?" asked Eve. "The wings will only get in the way of the fighting," Cassius said tersely, "we cannot function well with them. This attack by the Melchiam will not be the last. The strange events following Father's awakening from Change and his refusal to see all but his closest children all mean something deeper than we can understand at this time." "Meaning what?" asked the female general. "Meaning we will not win this battle. We're stronger, but we're outnumbered when you take into account the other clans, who will surely attack. No matter what, we cannot win." Cassius sighed deeply. "Retreat," he muttered. No one spoke. We only stared. Jurich, one of Eve's lieutenants, broke the silence. "Retreat!" he yelled long and loud. "Sir, the Melchiam will break through, we need to hold them off for the rest of the clan to escape," some faceless soldier suggested. "I will go," Eve said solemnly, "my troops can hold them long enough for the rest to escape." Cassius only nodded. "What will the rest of us do?" I asked. "My army will defend the escaping horde," Cassius said as he looked at me, "lead them." "Cassius Knights! We will defend the escaping Razielim through the canyon! Remain in your divisions and follow me through the central pathway!" I lead the army of Cassius down the street quickly, ordering some to block the road with whatever debris they could find. We set controlled fires to some of the material to further slow down the army. Some questioned the tactic, saying that the retreating Razielim would need to use the streets too. "There will be no retreating Razielim," Cassius said only. Several of our clan had already left northwards into the Canyonlands. Many others stayed waiting in the rear courtyard, the largest in the clan home. Cassius climbed one of the many towers near the courtyard. The crowd fell silent. "Brothers! Sisters!" he yelled, "Our forces are holding back the Melchiam attackers in the south and eastern ends of our sanctuary. The odd events in the past days have all lead to what is happening now. It is more than a simple attack by our cousins; there is something more to the events occurring, of what I know not. Father is not here to lead us, I will until his return. We must escape this place. We are not safe; the Melchiam army will not be the last. Those of you whose wings have grown fully had best learn to use them. My army will guard our escape. Bring all weapons and armor you can. Arm your trusted human retainers. We will be leaving shortly." With that signal the stilled masses stood up and began doing as ordered. Humans were given clubs and swords. Each vampire warrior took what he or she could. I managed to acquire a quiver of twenty more arrows. Something told me I would need them. Cassius ordered our exodus to begin, and our clan began the long march north into the Canyonlands. I remember each detail vividly, how the dust seemed to hang in the still air, how the rainless clouds above seemed darker than usual, and the eerie silence emanating from the crowd of well over two hundred Razielim and several dozen humans. All that was heard was the clopping of horse hooves and the clinking of steel and iron. The horde had moved several miles from our sanctuary and were already well up Assiccare Mountain, when we turned to look back at home. The fires we had set created an ominous glow in the darkening night. Tortured screams could be heard from where we were, but no one else turned around. The vampires marched on solemnly while the humans scanned the surroundings nervously. Those few older vampires whose wings were fully grown flew above us as scouts. My wings were beginning to push their way out of my back. I removed my undershirt and back armor to allow them room. Each minute I looked back they were slightly larger. My skin tore and stretched, and each movement I made was painful, yet I derived a sort of ecstasy from each push of my bat-like pinions. It was a feeling of another birth, an advancement of myself. Within an hour my wings were nearly up to size with those flying above, and I stretched them out in preparation. A scream rang above me, and as I looked up I saw a winged figure plummet towards me and hit the ground. The warrior screamed as the burning arrow in his gut quickly burned away his flesh. When his throat was immolated he could only twist and squirm. "Ambush!" came a scream from the front of the horde. Up the path I could see a line of heavily armored Dumahim, Zephonim, and Turelim raining down spears into our front. I do not know where they hid or how our scouts could have missed them. The line of warriors came down upon our barely armed ranks like a wave striking the shore. Screams could be heard, mostly from the humans we had brought with us, as the mighty soldiers advanced. I ran towards the front, a sword in each hand, but was hit with an arrow in the chest. Luckily its torch had not been lit, and I soon had it out of my flesh. I could have no rest, however, as moments later a huge axe wielding Turelim was upon me. I jumped out of the way of his first blow, but was only able to take up one of my blades. He swung in wide arcs, each time nearly taking off an arm. When he attempted to behead me with a horizontal swing I took the opportunity to thrust my blade into his side. He screamed, and I jumped upwards and took him to the ground by the neck. As we struggled he grabbed hold of my wings, which threw me off balance as I was not used to having them. He tore violently, and the blood from my back sprayed a bloody arc through the air. I screamed and thrust a claw into his throat. As he grabbed at his throat as blood sprayed high into the night air I picked up his axe and split his torso from his legs. I look around and saw chaos. At first I saw my human retainer, Joshua, fighting a Zephonim. Each combatant held a rapier. I ran to Joshua to give him assistance, but he needed none. Joshua had always been a magnificent warrior, and I planned to bring him into our ranks after he had matured some years. Before I could get to my servant he had already taken the warriors' weapon and thrust his own into the Zephonim's heart. Joshua nodded and came to my side. Elsewhere around me defenseless Razielim and humans were being slaughtered by well-armed vampire warriors. I had always been a good soldier, ever since Cassius had create me, but in these moments I was lost. I could not see my leaders and could see no way to win this battle. I was not the only one who could not see victory in our future. "Retreat!" was the call given by Cassius. I did not see him until his headless corpse was unceremoniously thrown against one of the canyon walls seconds later. "Run!" I ordered, not knowing if any others had heard. I turned around to pick up Joshua and escape, only to see his bloodied corpse dangling from the claws of another Zephonim. Angered, I threw the great axe at the soldier, and beheaded him as well as lodging the axe in the back of the Turelim fighting behind him. I managed to take the sword and sheath from one of my fallen comrades, as well as two Turelim spears. I fought my way through the masses, not caring where I ran and who was in my way. I doubt I hit any of my own kind or any humans, but I cannot be sure. I screamed the whole way through, and only stopped hours later when my throat was bloody and sore. I looked around realizing it was now late at night and I was alone in another canyon. In my haste one of my spears and my bow and quiver were lost. I breathed heavily now and looked around at the rocks around me, blue in the eerie light of the moon and stars I could not see. My throat had healed and I could breathe deep without pain. I stood up, and looked behind me. I did not know where I was. The Canyonlands are vast and I had never explored much of it. It was an odd feeling, being alone. Soldiers are rarely alone. I am a soldier. So I wandered for the next few minutes, the smell of vampiric blood around me. At first I thought it was my own, but realized it could not be. I followed the scent up the canyon and found the corpses of several of my brethren. These were just some of the many who had fled before the horde had left. There were seven in all, mostly unarmed. I did not know how to react. This was the first time I truly began thinking of my mortality. A vampire thinking of mortality is an interesting thing. Many of us in our long existence began resenting our own unlives. Knowing that the next day would be precisely like the one before it, the next year just like the previous, and the next century the same as the one prior in nearly every way causes one to stop caring whether or not they would wake the next day. The mind aches for something new. Every incident, every minor human rebellion, vampiric insurgence, or geological cataclysm becomes the target of interest, but even then after a millennia each rebellion, insurgence, or cataclysm becomes the same as the one before it. The knowledge that one will live makes one resent life (or unlife, in my case). Perhaps that is why human beings value life so much; because the next day is not guaranteed. In the minutes of staring at the corpses of my brethren I thought these thoughts. I have never been known as a philosopher. Oh well, today was a day of changes. I hid here, in this cave, near the corpses. If the other vampires come near this area they will leave quickly. I am safe for now. Tomorrow I will find the others, whoever may still be alive. I will sleep alone for the first time in centuries; Charisa is not here to comfort me. I will be fine, though. There will be tomorrow. And I will find the others so I don't have to be alone. Soldiers shouldn't be alone. |