The Persecution: Part Six

Soft music played as Villia mingled with the other vampires casually strewn around Hayden's drawing room. He was hosting a large dinner, and it wouldn't be long before the mortal guests arrived. Despite much of Neovia distrusting Neovians, there were always some tourists or travelers eager to visit a beautiful mansion for a hot meal.

     Villia had to say, Hayden had a lot of guts to still be hosting dinner parties. At this point most vampires were too afraid to leave their homes. Many of the poor souls in this room had to shut down their business, and most of them were out of work. The only one with a business still standing was a tavern owned by a Kougress named Sam; and the only reason it was afloat was because of the sale of blood tea and the trust she has built with the community over the past two hundred. Granted, the city has tried to close it down several times ever since that mishap with Tiberius, like they did all vampire owned businesses, but she still had managed to keep the doors open. The past couple weeks have been challenging for everyone, but Villia never gave up. She will always persevere, and she will help her kind persevere as well.

     Hayden tapped his Draik claws against his soda glass, drawing the gazes of the two dozen vampires toward him.

     "Friends, tonight will be a good night. I have managed to invite twelve guests for dinner, so there will be one for every two of us. Now I know it goes without saying that no one will be harmed at dinner tonight and everyone will follow the rules. I-"

     The door to the room swung open and a green Buzz strolled in, hips swaying and a grin plastered on his face. "Hello everyone."

     The room stared at him as he went over to the drinks table and poured himself a glass of cherry soda. No one spoke, everyone just continued to stare at him. After he finished, he turned around and shrugged at the group. "What?"

     An eventide Xweetok sitting next to Hayden said "You know everyone was supposed to be here at 5:30, right?"

     The Buzz shrugged. "So I'm fifteen minutes late. Big deal, it isn't like I missed anything." He took a swig of his soda.

     Hayden glared at the Buzz, his voice having a cold edge to it as he said, "We were going over the rules, Brandon."

     "Why?"

     "Because I expect everyone here to abide by them tonight, especially you."

     Brandon chuckled and rolled his eyes. "So I speak out at a meeting once and now you won't stop watching me. Relax, Hayden, I won't break the rules."

     "Of course you won't, though I always have to remind you of them."

     Brandon sat in a chair and sipped his soda. "Pft, I know the rules. I think they're stupid, but that's not here and now. The here and now is this, and I'll follow your rules, I'm just as much your guest as they are."

     He gestured to the rest of the occupants of the room. "We need to rethink these outdated rules. I'm planning a meeting to discuss later, feel free to come."

     Hayden narrowed his eyes and glanced at the grandfather clock sitting in the corner. His voice was like ice. "The guests aren't due for another fifteen minutes, I think we have some time now."

     The Xweetok leaned back in her chair and twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger. "Oh yes, lets hear these ideas of yours."

     Brandon looked around the room. "Very well then. My fellow Vampires, we are starving, that much is clear. But why are we staving? It's because we're still playing by the mortals' rules. We might have written them down, but they're the rules of a world of mortals."

     He leaned forward in his chair, eyes glinting. "We are better than them. Yet we continue to live by their rules. And because of that, we're letting them get the better of us. How is it that they are the ones in control? They are the ones ruining our lives? When so clearly, the power should be in our hands! We are the powerful ones here! Yet they treat us like dirt!"

     He paused, watching the surprised reactions of the vampires around him. "Now, I'm not suggesting that we abandon Neovia and go live in the woods. We are better than that as well. I'm just saying it's time to rethink the rules."

     Villia frowned. This conversation was not going in a good direction. "They were created so people would respect us."

     Brandon rolled his eyes. "Yes, and how's that working for you? We've played by their rules, and they still show no respect. I say it's time to create our own rules finally! It's time for a revolution! Forgive me, Hayden, I know you try, but going to Galas just isn't cutting it anymore. Let's relax the rules! Pick 'em off the street if we have to! If the only way to get a meal is to go the way of the woodland vampires, let's do it! But we're not going to let them stave us anymore."

     Hayden tapped his claws in an agitated manner on his soda glass. "That isn't true, Brandon. There are still people out there who respect us. And, Villia is right, these rules were created so that people didn't think we were blood-sucking monsters." He paused and took a deep breath.

     "If we start bending the rules now, when people think like this, there will be an uprising and all of the mortals in the Haunted Woods will be in danger. Is that what you want? For them to fear us?"

     Brandon rose from his chair and strode over to Hayden, getting right in his face. "Maybe it's time for them to fear us again, instead of us fearing them. It's the true natural order of things."

     Hayden stayed where he was, glaring at Brandon with a look that would send any other vampire running for his life.

     The Xweetok stood, but her arm was grabbed by the young Acara sitting on her left.

     "Frankie, don't-"

     "No, Alice, I have to say something!" She turned to Hayden and Brandon. "Stop this craziness! I don't agree with any of this! If people start thinking that we only care about blood, we won't have any pleasant contact with mortals at all! And think of it this way, they WAY out number us. If we attack them, they will treat us like the brutes in the woods and hunt us down! There are mortals out there who could wipe us all out without breaking a sweat!"

     Alice shivered slightly in her chair. "I don't want to be hunted."

     Frankie patted her on the shoulder and said comfortingly "Of course not, no one does."

     "But Frankie, don't you see?" Brandon turned directly toward Frankie. "That's exactly the mindset we've trapped ourselves in! We are the hunters, not them!"

     Frankie replied, unintimidated, "But they are those who hunt us, you know that. They build careers out of it. Would you have us be their targets?"

     Brandon spread his wings slightly and stood up straight. "We're better than them, why are you letting them stop us?"

     "Because they'll just hunt us worse! Look!" Frankie pulled off her elbow-length gloves and showed everyone the small burns dotted all over her arms. "I'm tired of walking through the street and people grabbing at me with silver! If we just get worse, we'll all end up like poor Tiberius!"

     "Hey, Tiberius got what he deserved."

     "Yeah, he made us all look bad!"

     Everyone in the room started to argue among themselves. Brandon growled angrily and curled his hands into fists in frustration. He threw his soda glass across the room, shattering it against the wall and splashing soda all over Hayden's imported rug. The room fell silent again, and everyone turned back toward him.

     "Why can't I get this through your heads?! We were doing everything right! We were nice, caring, considerate. And they still treat us like dirt. They hate us despite how nice we are to them. Maybe this would teach them respect, maybe they'll keep hating us, which is nothing new, but at least we wouldn't be staving anymore! Tiberius snapped because he wasn't getting the food he needed, and we can't let that happen to anyone else!"

     The room fell silent, all eyes still on Brandon. Eventually Hayden crossed his arms and stood up taller.

     "Fine, Brandon, fine. If you want to do that, go ahead. But, you won't last long. I have lived in these woods for five hundred years, and every vampire I have seen with your mindset either lives in the woods eating the scraps they can find, or end up as prey to monster hunters. You aren't an old vampire, Brandon. Listen to me."

     Brandon grinned. "That's because it's only been one or two at a time. But if we banded together, we could accomplish great things! But we have to stick together, I know this. Right now we're starving together, I'll stave with you, because I believe we have potential still. Potential to be full together as well. But like I said, your house, your rules, Hayden. "He went over to the table and poured himself a fresh glass of soda. The blanket of silence stayed draped over the room, the only sound being Alice chewing her fingernails nervously. Eventually Hayden collapsed back in his chair and sighed deeply.

     "Yes, we are starving. Yes, the people of the town are disrespecting us. Our lives have yet to be seriously threatened, though, but as soon as they are, I'll rethink what is going on. For now, though, we have guests coming, and I want no injuries at this dinner, mortal or vampire. Are we all clear?"

     There were a few murmurs but eventually everyone nodded and fell into silence. The tense minutes ticked by until the silence was broken by Hayden's butler stepping into the room.

     "Sir, the guests are here."

     Hayden stood and nodded. "Thank you." He turned to the group. "Now let's all forget about this conversation for now and go enjoy dinner."

     As everyone filed out of the room, Villia paused in front of Hayden. "He won't let this go, you know."

     Hayden sighed. "I know, but I'll deal with this later. Right now I just want to enjoy this dinner."

     Villia frowned as she followed Hayden through the doors. This matter isn't going to fix itself. If Brandon's mentality spreads, we're done for. It seems I have to do this myself, I have to keep taking matters into my own hands. If I'm going to get to the bottom of what's going on in this town, I have to make Brandon keep his mouth shut first.

To be continued...