—Lucius
The journey south was a long odyssey through a landscape transformed by chaos and fear.
Talon and I traveled mostly by night, using my vampiric abilities to navigate the darkness and avoid the myriad dangers that now stalked the land.
By day, we sought shelter in abandoned farmhouses, caves, and once, memorably, in the hollowed-out trunk of an ancient oak tree.
As we walked, I found myself reflecting on the strange turn my little search for answers had taken.
For centuries, I had wandered alone, detached from the world of mortals and their fleeting concerns.
Now, I found myself allied with a hater of my kind of all people. I'd never thought I would see this day when one of them would meet one of mine without killing him.
"What's on your mind, Lucius?" Talon's voice broke through my reverie. Despite his initial hostility, a cautious civility had begun to develop between us.