Dean's Online Fiction

The Greater Darkness

Chapter 30

Something inside Geoffry seemed to hurt, but he ignored it as he bowed to Imastious, and respectfully waited for the Elder to initiate conversation. The pain isn't physical. There isn't anything I can do about it except for avenge Melody and her mother by killing as many of these beasts as possible.

“Allowing those opposed to your leadership to design that failed trap was a true masterstroke my child. In a single move you allowed those beasts to eliminate our opposition. All indications are that no less than twenty vampires were killed when the werewolves attacked the northern prong of the trap rather than pursuing the bait they'd placed in the center.”

Geoffry knew that he should feel worry about the loss of fighting effectiveness those vampires represented, but he couldn't seem to conjure any sort of feeling right now. I can't break down right now, I can't let myself feel anything until this is all over.

Imastious seemed to take Geoffry's lack of emotion as a positive sign and smiled. He probably figures it's proof that I'm starting to leave behind that troublesome worry about the right or wrong of things. “Casualties among those involved in the trap would have been even higher, but apparently after the surviving vampires scattered, five or six of the creatures abandoned the pursuit for some reason.”

Geoffry pulled out a set of diagrams which he hoped adequately described his plan and passed them to Imastious. “Although their plan didn't work, I believe that a trap is the correct method to try and break our opponents.”

Imastious looked the plan over for several minutes and then looked up with what appeared to be eagerness. “Very good, by positioning small groups along the periphery of the trap, they will serve as the bait.”

Nodding Geoffry pointed at the four perimeter groups. “The werewolves appear to have the advantage in that they choose the time of any attacks, and they have been quite careful to make sure they only attack in numbers sufficient to kill whatever concentration of vampires they encounter. Whether this is an instinctive response, or effected by some level of intelligence shouldn't really matter for our purposes.”

Withered hands turned to the next sketch. “Once engaged, you'll have them pull back towards the main body of vampires, which should be beyond the beast's ability to initially sense.”

Indicating groups positioned between the main force and the perimeter groups, Geoffry nodded again. “The other thing that struck me about these creatures is that they don't appear to view humans as a legitimate threat, so these intermediate groups will consist of humans who shouldn't serve to scare away the werewolves, but who can change the balance of force relatively quickly once the engagement starts.”

Imastious stacked the diagrams and turned his gaze back to Geoffry. “What do you view as being the biggest risk with this plan?”

The younger vampire remained silent for a moment and then pointed to the main reserve still showing on the top sketch. “This represents your reserve against unexpected numbers of werewolves. If we misjudge the distance at which they can sense us, if they're actually smarter than we think, or if there just happens to be too many werewolves in a close proximity, the defenders might be swamped, resulting in substantial casualties.”

Imastious shrugged. “That is a very real chance, but we can offset the latter risk at least by including most of the surviving Elders in that main group. They will dramatically increase the strength of the reserve. Convincing them will prove difficult, but should be doable if they are provided sufficient assurances against treachery.”

Pausing for a moment in thought Imastious looked at the top diagram again. “Do you have any set plans regarding which vampires are to be placed where?”

**

The shock and numbness had started to give way, and a black rage had settled over Geoffry in the two days that had been required to make all of the arrangements for the trap. Venice had tried multiple times to convince Geoffry to open up, but he didn't dare tell her the cause of his increased hated towards the werewolves. It also didn't help that she seems more than half convinced that I did indeed allow Scorch's people to be butchered as some kind of Machiavellian plot. It's further cemented my hold over Alexander and the others like him who've started looking to me as some kind of hero general. Blood, even Alexander looked at me with new respect after he'd had a chance to process the implications of what had happened!

Geoffry had spent the early hours of the night wandering the industrial park, going from station to station ensuring that the various vampires, or heavily-armed humans waiting at each were fully briefed on their various roles. They all seem to be more or less up to speed, but I wish I hadn't let Imastious convince me that the vampires who'd been involved in the failed trap should serve as our perimeter group. There's an undercurrent out here of something that I don't like. His reasoning that they represent the closest thing we have to battle-hardened veterans sounded good at the time, but they seem convinced we've left them out here to die.

Venice, Alexander and Brit had all followed Geoffry, serving as bodyguards and tangible sign of his authority over the various groups. Thankfully they'd all sensed enough of his mood to leave him more or less alone with his demons.

Somewhere along the way in the last forty-eight hours it had been suggested that the humans be given crossbows rather than firearms, a suggestion Geoffry had whole-heartedly approved. We've picked the most deserted area of the city we could find, and hefty bribes have been paid to ensure a substantial delay to any police, but switching to those means there won't be any gunshots to draw the kind of attention that would result in them being called in the first place. Of course training some of these monkeys to use them was a epic undertaking in and of itself. That's more or less taken care of now, and they'll hopefully prove to be the equalizer we're looking for.

Once Geoffry was satisfied with all the arrangements, he'd returned to the main group and tried to relax, but the presence of the Elders made that impossible. So many cold, emotionless, dead eyes staring at me. It makes me want to be back out there, but I can't let them think they've run me off, or this whole thing could come crashing down. It's all built on the bluff that I'm nearly an Elder in power and ability, one that has no real history of rivalry with anyone here. If that's taken away, they will all start defecting.

Geoffry had just about decided that nothing was going to happen when the lights to the east started flickering. The vampires and humans around Geoffry sprung to their feet and looked to Imastious who was currently assigned to run mental over watch. The Elder's cold eyes swept the group and then nodded. “They're coming.”

Waving everyone forward, Geoffry broke into a trot that would quickly eat up the four blocks to the perimeter group without leaving him exhausted once he got there. A few seconds later the group rounded a corner and was welcomed by a vista that made it seem as though hell had temporarily annexed the intersection.

Werewolves seemed to be rushing in from everywhere, appearing as if from magic in the looming shadows cast by lights far enough away not to be disabled by such a large gathering of the creatures. Geoffry had a split second to hope none of the humans or vampires would run, and then the battle caught him up.

Luckily Venice, Alexander and Brit had followed Geoffry, or the first beast he encountered would have killed him. It's faster than any other we've encountered so far. The werewolf charged Venice, who rolled out of the way taking a minor wound. Brit connected with a shallow slash as it went past.

An incredible sense of heat and the crackling of flames told Geoffry that some team of vampires working with a pyromancer had managed to overcome the werewolf's ability to absorb their attack, and that he no longer had to worry about it attacking him from behind.

The next creature stopped to engage Geoffry's team, and for several seconds it was all the vampires could do to avoid being torn apart by the beast. It's too powerful for us to overload it's abilities.

A vicious hissing filled the air, and a flight of crossbow quarrels suddenly sprouted from the beast at the same time its absorption collapsed under pressure from another team of vampires, or possibly a single Elder.

Geoffry's thoughts slipped into the werewolf's mind, and he acted on barely understood whispers of thought to score a number of strikes on its arms and legs.

Brit and Venice had their powers in play, and the creature seemed to move slightly slower now as it turned to concentrate on Geoffry who'd hurt it severely in just a matter of seconds.

Even being able to half sense the creatures plans, it was all Geoffry could do to survive its full attention while Venice and Brit harassed it from the sides.

A backhand knocked Geoffry to the ground and for a heartbeat he thought he was dead. Just before the killing blow landed, the creature collapsed to the ground, roaring in pain with Alexander's ax jutting out of the center of its back.

All of the werewolves seemed to be engaged by teams of vampires now. Many of them were falling to the beasts' superior speed and power, only to be replaced by the surviving members of teams that had managed to kill their original opponents.

As Geoffry and the others ran to aid another team, he saw a werewolf that had just managed to dispatch it's opponents suddenly burst into flame, burning with the white-hot intensity of a blast furnace. At least some of the Elders survived the initial rush.

Here and there flights of quarrels sliced through the night. The humans weren't skilled with the archaic weapons, but there were enough of them that a respectable number of hits were being accomplished with the needle-tipped projectiles that had been designed hundreds of years before to pierce armor. The sheer size of the werewolves served to protect their vitals as much as their amazingly durable flesh, but a few of them had fallen to the deadly weapons, and even when the humans didn't manage to kill a werewolf outright, the wounds helped slow the beasts.

The next werewolf Geoffry's team faced off against had killed all but two of its vampire opponents. It managed to kill another before the five of them drove it back to a defensive stance.

It couldn't have taken more than another minute before the cumulative effect of all the small wounds the vampires were inflicting finally slowed the creature enough for Venice to hamstring it, but the nightmarish combination of dodging blows that could easily kill him, alternated with desperate strikes to score only slight wounds made the battle seem to stretch for hours.

When the second werewolf was dispatched, Geoffry looked up and realized the significance of the new set of flickering lights moving their way. There are more. I would have thought that we had everyone that could have possibly existed in the city here already fighting us, but there are more coming.

The Elders were in the center of the melee now, presumably to reduce the range at which they had to use their powers. The fight shifted and surged around them, and occasionally the dark figures had to use physical force to defend themselves. Even so, they remained a cohesive group and each time the leading figure pointed at a werewolf, it would suddenly burst into flame, or slow drastically enough for vengeful vampires to swarm it under.

It appeared even with their considerable losses that the vampires were in firm control of the battle until the second wave of werewolves arrived. Geoffry's team went from one opponent to the next, often gaining a member or two, only to lose them or others to the razor-sharp claws that struck home more and more frequently as exhaustion slowed the vampires.

As Geoffry's physical body became more and more tired, he pushed his mind harder in an attempt to make up for his weakness. Alien thoughts began to make more sense, and in one instance he was even able to momentarily overwhelm the mind of the creature before him, causing a brief pause that was all his companions needed to mortally wound the confused werewolf.

Brit, slowed by exhaustion, was struck down by their next opponent, just before her remaining teammates were able to bring the beast down.

Their number reduced to four once again, Alexander proceeded to take insane risks in an effort to dispatch the next werewolf that attacked them. The massive vampire darted in and out with a speed that seemed to defy belief, providing the rest of the group with opportunity after opportunity to wound their adversary.

The odds finally caught up with Alexander, and as he sunk his ax into the creature's arm, it brought its other hand around and slashed him across the chest. The rage which had given way to exhaustion flared again inside Geoffry and he poured his hatred and anger into one alien mind after another, slowing the werewolves as he burned up what remained of his strength. When Geoffry finally came back to himself, he saw that a knot of vampires surrounded the last two werewolves, which were quickly cut down.

Exhaustion nearly robbed him of his ability to stand, but Geoffry maintained his feet, mindful of the need to appear strong. A terrible scene of death and wreckage surrounded him, but Geoffry forced it from his mind as he walked carefully towards the knot of Elders.

A mind sufficiently stressed beyond its capabilities was more than capable of hallucinating, of seeing things that were nothing less than impossible. For a split second, Geoffry was convinced his mind had snapped. It wasn't his senses though that were doing the betraying, and he watched in astonishment as two-thirds of the dark figures turned on some unknown signal and cut the other masters down without warning.

Some of the minions of the fallen masters looked as though they might protest the treachery that had just occurred, but their numbers, already reduced by the failed trap from a few days before had been further decimated in the battle. They quickly threw down their weapons and fell to their knees.

Geoffry's mind seemed to shut down in disbelief, but his feet carried him the rest of the way to the surviving Elders, to Imastious who he somehow knew had orchestrated the betrayal.

Imastious looked Geoffry over with the same cold eyes that had promised to release him a few days previously. “It looks as though your plan was a complete success. We've eliminated the backbone of the beasts.”

The dead gaze finally left Geoffry for a second. “Well, General, I suppose you should probably see to our troops, don't you think?”