Chapter 384 - The War of the Vampires part 7

Yes, I know what you are thinking. I thought the same thing. Another ruse! Followed closely by: Just how big a fool does he think I am?

It happened like this.

Two nights had passed since my return to Asharoth, and not quite a fortnight since I was restored to my true form. We were down in the military encampment on the north side of the city, reviewing the troops. Many of our furthest patrols had yet to return, but our forces were amassing. You could feel the energy in the air, as before a mighty storm. The entire populace of Asharoth was galvanized. War was coming! Finally, we were taking on the God King!

The past two nights had been a whirlwind of activity. There were tactical meetings to attend, troop movements to direct, new blood drinkers to train and military exercises to supervise. Zenzele was with me, as well as Drago, Bhorg, Rayna, Hammon, Eris, Usus and several members of the blood priesthood. An astounding number of mortals had volunteered to join the war effort, "giving up the sun" so they could take part in the battle. And it was not just the young men. Women, the elderly, they too were taking the Blood. The priesthood was in charge of giving them the Strix, seeing them through the agony of the transformation, but they still needed to be lodged. They needed to be trained how to fight as immortals. We were discussing these matters when Drago spied a messenger racing in our direction. He pointed the lad out, and we broke from our conference to receive the young man.

He was a youthful immortal, not very strong, but lithe and beautifully featured with long rippling golden hair and startling blue eyes. He flew to us, panting as a mortal man might do, then caught himself at the sight of me, startled by my presence. He bowed. "Forgive the intrusion, Father--!" he gasped. He had no need for breath, being a blood drinker, but some blood drinkers cannot rid themselves of their mortal habits, and he was obviously one of them. "I bring news—from the outposts--!"

"Compose yourself, Tatto," Drago said. "Now, tell us what is the matter."

It was obvious from Drago's tone—that of a stern father-- that young Tatto was one of his blood children. But we all had countless blood children now. Each of us had opened our veins at the Temple, donating our Living Blood so the priesthood could make more vampire fighters. I myself had donated twice last night. My contributions had spawned four new blood drinkers. Three were powerful near-Eternals. The fourth, though weak, was gifted with the ability to kindle small fires with his thoughts. It was an intriguing talent, and one that might be honed into a formidable weapon if the lad was able to develop it.

"Uroborans come!" the messenger exclaimed, startling us all. "The God King has sent an embassy to treat with us. There is an Eternal among them. And mortal hostages! The one who leads them called them the Tanti. He said they were a peace offering."

"Treat with us?" Drago howled in disbelief, and Bhorg burst out laughing.

I held up my hand. "How many?" I asked.

The messenger looked at me in confusion.

"The hostages," I said. "How many?"

"Six."

"Are any of them children?" I asked, thinking of Aioa, her daughter Meegan. Or Irema's two boys.

"No children, Father. Three men and three women."

Zenzele was watching me closely, suspiciously. She did not trust me to be rational when it came to the Tanti. It pained me that she should doubt me still. That Gon, the old Gon, the sentimental fool, was dead. He had died along with his blood child Ilio. But I could not blame her for distrusting me. Not after all I had done. I had betrayed her, snuck away to Uroboros, surrendered myself to Khronos. She would never forget that, never quite trust me again.

But I was not that man anymore.

"The Eternal," I said. "Describe him to me."

"Ancient when he took the Blood," the youthful blood drinker answered. "Back bent, flesh wrinkled like the bark of a tree. He is dressed in flowing robes and a tall headdress with a beaded fringe."

"Edron," Zenzele said. "The God King's majordomo."

"And his escort," I said. "How many?"

The messenger frowned, looking down at his fingers. In that time, we could only count to 21, a number for each digit on our hands and feet-- plus one, if you were a male. Most knew only one, two, three, and many. "Four attendants and many guards," the lad finally answered.

"And where are they?"

"They have encamped near Far West Post," the messenger said.

"Did the Eternal, Edron, say anything else?"

"No, Father, only that Khronos wishes to treat with us, and that he, the old one, awaits your decision."

They all looked at me.

I thought about it. I thought long and hard, ignoring all the activity around me: the training exercises, the blood priests rushing to and fro, the bleeders feeding our blood drinker warriors. I felt sorry for Neolas's priests, who were trying to manage so much at once. Even in so primitive a time, war was a complicated enterprise. It was no longer just one group of angry men bashing in the skulls of another with clubs and big rocks. I didn't realize there would be so much… administration.

And now this!

Well, I wanted those Tanti hostages. When this was all over, those six men and women might be the only surviving Tanti. The last of my mortal bloodline. Regardless of what I thought of Khronos's "peace offering", I could not let this opportunity pass.

"Tell Master Edron that I will treat with him," I finally said, to everyone's shock and consternation. Insulting though it was, I ignored their expressions of outrage, their little gasps and cries of disbelief. "Tomorrow night, we will dispatch an escort of troops to see them safely to the Temple of the Bloodletters, here within the city walls. That is where I shall receive him. Tell Master Edron that I personally guarantee his safe passage to and from the city of Penthos. Tell him… I accept Khronos's offering of peace, and we will see if we can come to terms. We do not want war any more than the God King does. That is it. Now go, and deliver my message to the Uroborans."

Tatto bowed and raced away.

"You can't be serious!" Drago fumed, once the messenger had passed out of earshot.

"Do you take me for a fool?" I snapped, glaring at him. "Of course, I know this is a deception! Khronos is vulnerable. His sweet talk of peace is just a ploy to delay us from attacking. Have you not sensed his Eye flitting overhead? He knows that we're amassing our troops. He sees the new blood drinkers we make every night. His motives are as transparent as water. But Edron has something I want. Those hostages may be the only Tanti we can save, the last of my mortal progeny. I will have them, and if I have to smile and kiss a snake to get them then that is what I shall do. But I am no more inclined to make peace with our enemies than they are. The God King will fall!"

Drago bowed. "Apologies, Gon."

"No need to apologize," I said. "Your lack of faith is not unwarranted." I addressed them all then, meeting the gaze of each of my allies. "I know I've acted unwisely in the past. I've allowed Khronos to manipulate me, to deceive me. I've put you all at risk. But that man is no more. He died the night Khronos and his sycophants tore my son apart. My first bloodborn Ilio. By your faith and strength, I have been given a second chance. I have been reborn, but I am not the sentimental fool that I was before, and I swear to you all, right here and now, I will never again place the welfare of the few, or the one, ahead of the all. I will not be a fool for the God King again. This I promise you, my friends, my allies, my lovers."

I looked on their faces and saw loyalty, I saw hope, and I saw something new—something I had never seen in their eyes before: unequivocal trust. They had forgiven my past mistakes. Their faith, now, was absolute. Anywhere I went, they would follow. Anything I asked of them, they would do without hesitation. I loved them completely in that moment, and swore in my heart of hearts that I would never betray their faith in me again.

"Now," I said, grinning wickedly, "let us arrange a proper reception for Master Edron!"