Elements Of Success
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“Aye, that was some party,” said the young man. He had a round face and short black hair that curled around his ears. His eyes were green-blue in color with small flecks of gold running through them.
The woman beside him looked to be about the same age as he but much heavier than he appeared from behind her long blond braid hanging down her back. She wore a leather vest over a white silk shirt that exposed her bare shoulders all the way up past her neckline.
Her skirt barely covered her thick legs, leaving most of the muscles on her upper thighs and hips showing. A single leather strap held up her pants just enough so she didn’t reveal too much of herself to any who may have passed by. There was a dagger strapped across her back and two more holstered on each thigh.
The two stood near the center of the street as they watched people come and go into their little town. “You can say that again.”
It was a nice town. The buildings were constructed from wood and clay, giving them an airy feel despite their size. Each building had its own front porch where people would sit or rest when the weather permitted.
The streets were paved in brick, though many of the cobbles were cracked and broken, which gave the place an aged appearance. It also made for quite a bit of mud in the spring rains when the snow melted away too soon.
Even still, it was a quaint setting, especially compared to other towns and cities that were being built these days, where everything was constructed from concrete blocks and steel frames. The buildings had been painted a pale yellow over the years, and there were flowers planted everywhere.
There had been a time not too many centuries ago when the entire town might have looked like this if not for the coming of the vampires. But now only the inn remained, and even that was gone since the night the creatures of darkness took to the skies and drove the humans away.
Now the town consisted of a handful of people, all of whom were either human or half-vampire and several hundred monsters from the north side.
“We should get back inside before the sun comes up.” The woman pushed off her chair and started walking toward one of the doors.
She turned her head at the last moment to look back over her shoulder, and then she smiled at him and nodded. The young man grinned back in return, and together they headed off into the building.
They’d spent the afternoon watching the town grow as the day went by, but after dusk had arrived, it became apparent that the residents were going to bed early. There weren’t that many people left awake once the moon came out, and those who remained were sitting around talking to each other, sipping ale, or eating what food there happened to be.
They sat on the wooden benches lining the walls, ate whatever passed by in carts along with whatever they could find in their pantries or cellars, and generally enjoyed life.
But there hadn’t been many of them left to enjoy it at first. Only a few dozen or so humans remained by midafternoon, and most of those were women and children. By evening, there was perhaps twice that number, including the two humans who had met outside.
The others had fled to the mountains or huddled together in their homes until morning. And yet the two who stayed on did so because they couldn’t leave the town unprotected; there were too many monsters in the hills surrounding the area.
Not all of the creatures that lived under the moon’s light were bloodsucking undead; a good number of the monsters were actually more intelligent and dangerous than the vampires.
So these two stayed, and the monster population was growing as each of them killed another of their kind. The vampires were particularly vicious since they’d learned that the best way to survive was to kill anything they encountered, both humans and monsters.
Most of the other monsters were no different: they wanted nothing but to live their lives and take the occasional meal when they could. But there were some that were driven by greed or hunger, and they were hunting constantly, killing for survival. And so the town grew larger.
As far as anyone knew, these monsters were responsible for driving away the vampires. That meant they had a natural fear of the living since they themselves had been victims of their kind, and thus their actions served to protect the people from further attack.
This new arrangement worked out for everyone. Monsters were fed and provided with protection against their enemies. In exchange, the inhabitants of the town kept the monsters away from their dwellings, and in turn, received protection from monsters who would otherwise prey on them.
At least, that was how things had gone when the vampires had taken up residence in this town and brought their evil ways of life with them. Now that vampires were flying overhead and the town was home to a large number of monsters, things were a lot different.
No one had ever thought to ask exactly how these vampires had found such an isolated spot to set up shop, and nobody would dare ask the question even if they had known.
One thing was certain; the town was in need of help, and the vampires seemed willing to pay for it. The problem was that they didn’t know what the price was. But the creatures of darkness had offered a great deal of silver and gold to the townspeople if they agreed to serve them and make sure that their precious livestock was safe from harm.
So the people of the town had agreed to provide protection, though it was unclear whether that was enough. If any of their herd were lost to the vampires or other predators, they would surely suffer for it.
At present, the town counted three sheep and fifteen horses among its flock, which meant that there wasn’t nearly enough to feed everybody throughout the winter, let alone purchase grain and other necessities.
The young man who stood near the wall and stared out at the darkening sky knew something about suffering. It was his greatest fear that someday he wouldn’t be able to pay his father’s debt to the vampire lord that held him captive, so he watched closely to see just how much damage was being done to the cattle.
He also kept track of the wolves as well since they often came down and killed the weak animals without the benefit of sunlight. Fortunately, none of the predators seemed to be interested in attacking the town itself, but that was probably due to the number of monsters protecting them. But it didn’t stop him from worrying.
He’d come here from a nearby village as soon as he heard that the vampires were moving in to take over. As a boy, he hadn’t understood what he’d witnessed back then: the vampires’ evil nature, their ability to move through mirrors like demons, and the fact that they drank blood.
All he knew was that something horrible had happened and it might happen again, although he couldn’t imagine how. Then his mother and sister had been kidnapped by vampires. His father sent him to bring his wife and daughter back home as quickly as possible, but he’d returned empty-handed.
The family’s wagon had been burned to ashes, and his brother, whom he loved dearly, was nowhere to be seen. The villagers told him that his brother had been killed by the vampires, but he refused to believe it. There must have been some mistake.
His father was a blacksmith and the only money they had was invested in the small farm. They had no other possessions and could neither eat nor keep warm without their wagon. When his father’s debt was called upon and his family forced into slavery, he knew they’d be killed, and he would never see them again.
Then, miraculously, his father had paid off the debt in full, and the vampire lord had agreed not to harm them as long as they stayed in this isolated town and protected them from their enemies. The agreement included an obligation to protect the town, including paying all the taxes and dues.
This young man’s family would do whatever was necessary to ensure the protection of the livestock.
Now, standing outside his home and staring out at the night sky, he prayed to God that he’d be given a chance to save those precious animals from being slaughtered by their neighbors. After all, he was the youngest son, and if the others weren’t up to the task, then maybe he should step forward and lend a hand.
“It looks like we’re in good shape tonight,” said the old farmer sitting beside him as the two men looked at their property in the moonlight. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that your family is still around. With the loss of the wagons, things were getting pretty desperate.”
“We’ll just have to work harder from now on. We’ll have to find another way to protect our livestock. And if my brother doesn’t return home by next spring, we’re going to need to hire somebody else.”
“That’s for sure. What will happen when the wolves start coming?” asked the man beside him.
“They won’t attack unless we allow them entry.”
“But what happens if they kill half of them? Will the rest survive or will the entire herd go belly up?”
“It depends on the wolf. Some of them are vicious while others aren’t. If one kills too many of our herd, there may be retaliation.”
“What if that happens? Do the vampires have enough food to feed us and all those beasts?”
“If worse comes to worst, yes. We could always leave for somewhere more remote.”
“Where would we go anyway? There isn’t another town anywhere nearby.”
The young man turned to look at his neighbor and shrugged. “Perhaps someone else has already discovered how to get away from here. Perhaps they’ve even moved on to where they don’t have to worry about the vampires anymore. That’s why we can’t give up hope until it’s too late.”
***
After a few minutes, the young man finally walked inside and made himself comfortable. He sat cross-legged on the floor with his elbows resting on his knees and looked up to face the young woman sitting across from him.
She had brown hair that reached her shoulders and she wore a white dress and veil, which made her seem almost ghostly. A single candle illuminated their surroundings and cast the soft light on the woman’s face.
She smiled softly at him. “How did things go tonight?” she asked in a soothing voice.
“Well… not so well. My father lost five of his prized bulls.”
“I’m sorry,” said the beautiful woman, whose name was Mary. “And how much grain did you manage to get?”
“Not nearly enough.”
Mary nodded sadly, and her dark eyes filled with sympathy.
“Why don’t you lie down and close your eyes? It’s probably been a long day and you must be tired. Sleep tight, dear boy.”
Within moments, the young man fell asleep, curled up against the stone wall.
***
As soon as she closed the door behind her, Mary took a seat beside his sleeping form. She ran her fingers gently through her own short hair; it was a deep shade of purple and contrasted beautifully with her light pink skin.
Her long eyelashes cast shadows on either side of her blue irises, and each time she blinked a tear would slip free. In spite of her sadness, she couldn’t help but admire the young man’s handsome features.
His nose was a little crooked, and the bridge was slightly higher than the tip, giving him a charming face. Although he wasn’t quite as tall as most men, he had broad shoulders and a powerful build. He was certainly handsome. But more importantly, he seemed kind and caring, which was something few people ever found in these times of darkness.
For centuries, vampires and humans alike had struggled against one another, fighting over scarce resources and using every bit of land, whether human or otherwise, to their advantage. Most people lived on top of mountains, only venturing into the valleys to tend to the animals and crops that were their life’s blood.
There hadn’t been a new settlement established since the beginning of the vampire epidemic, so everyone knew of the atrocities committed by those who’d fled this place in hopes of finding safety elsewhere. No matter how far they went, those who left never returned, leaving only rumors and whispers behind, as well as the bitter memories of death and destruction.
Some say that vampires still stalk the night in search of prey, searching for fresh bodies. Others claim that some escaped from the city and are now living among humans. Some say that the vampires have become so numerous that they’ve begun to take over the world, turning cities and towns into their own hunting grounds, where they hunt down anything they deem worthy of being eaten alive.
While others say that vampires have all gone underground for fear of persecution. And then there are those who believe that there were once no vampires at all and that humans simply invented them to keep themselves from facing their greatest fears: mortality and death.
One thing is certain: The vampires’ reign of terror is coming to an end.
In spite of all that we’ve endured, we’re strong. We survived. They’ll never win out over us again. I know we can survive it all if we just stick together and fight back. I refuse to let my son suffer because of what he’s become, nor will anyone else have to bear such pain for me.
The End