Chapter 50: The Rising Begins

Deep within the subterranean lair of the vampires where no human had ever ventured, no human would dare to venture if they knew what would be down there waiting for them.

In a gigantic dark cavern, one hundred well-trained vampires were honing their skills. Scores of the creatures clung to the walls then flew in formation across the vast expanse, repeating their movements over and over again until they flew as one airborne killing machine.

The remaining vampires lined the cavern floor, sparring with their steel swords, moving in gravity-defying leaps that the poor kids who passed themselves off as soldiers of The Brotherhood would find both terrifying and amazing seconds before they were sliced to pieces.

Roxy carefully opened the door to the training hall and stepped inside unnoticed. She stood in the shadows, admiring the results of her work as a leader. Her brothers and sisters had gone through years of punishing training to reach these heights of physical and tactical perfection. They moved as one, their swords an extension of their arms and they shared one desire, just like all vampires.

To feed. At the expense of all other life.

Roxy stepped out of the darkness and made her way to the centre of the cavern. Those who noticed her tall imposing figure slink past stopped what they were doing and stood to attention.

Slowly but surely, the silent deference spread through the hall like a wave and all one hundred vampires made their way to the middle of the floor, either marching or swooping down from the walls, eager to hear what their leader had to say.

‘Tonight is a very important night,’ she began, knowing there was no chance of this speech being interrupted. ‘Tonight is the night you have been training for all of your life. Tonight is the night we will show the world the true power of our species. We will not stay in the darkness forever. We will rise up and take our rightful place as the dominant force in this world.

‘I’m not going to lie to you,’ she continued, ‘not all of you will make it back. But you can be sure that you are serving a higher purpose and very shortly a blow will be struck that will echo around the world. Alive or dead, each and every one of you will have your place in history. In years to come our people will look back on this day and know that it was the day when it all began. Now let’s get out there and show them what we can do. Hit them. Hit them hard.’

The premature roar of victory echoed throughout the hall.