Andrei had stood and stared on the outskirts of the village, the cries that met his ears a terrifying sound to behold. People had begun to run from the village now, crying children bundled into the arms of silent fathers and whimpering mothers. Some made it to just outside the flames where they would collapse, only to be dragged back by a hungry vampire. Really, Andrei thought in a detached sort of way, the vampires wouldnât be so hungry if they had not been forced into feeding on animal blood for so long.
The vampire in question turned to look at Andrei with bright eyes once he had his fill, regarding him with a cold stare where the older vampire stood and watched the chaos. The Romanian was aware that most of the vampires detested that he was so old and knowledgable on the war, yet he refused to take part in it. Already Andrei could tell that this was complete chaos, he had led better infiltrations with weaker, less desperate men against a harder enemy and had come out victorious. This attack had been clumsy, desperate, yet effective. A sleeping village of humans would hardly put up much of a fight.
He could see the vampire turn and run off throughout the fire, probably to go and talk to Mensah, tell him that Andrei had been doing nothing. Served him right, he had told the coven leader he wanted no part in this, yet the man had been arrogant enough to force Andrei into coming along. Well, Andrei had come, he had seen, and heâd had his own flashback of the wars heâd been in.Â
In a bout of cold fury, Andrei ran forward, chasing after the young vampire with ease. How dare they. He was considered old before they had even been born, and their youthful face were young not just because they were now frozen in time, but they spoke of bloodthirsty without discipline. Iulia would be laughing right now, eager to get to them and teach them some manners and control, just like she had him. As it was, Andrei lunged forward and kicked the other square in the back, the young one falling to the ground. In a display of cold calculation, he placed both hands on either side of his head and twisted, cracking his neck efficiently. It was harder than a humanâs neck, but not much harder than a deers, or rather a stags. Then, to make sure, he ripped the head clean off the torso. Let Mensah hear of that.Â
Then he kept wandering. Some buildings had been burning for a while now, and the poor conditions the humans were living in meant that some places were just blackened rubble now. Andrei had no sympathy. Let them live in a cave instead and see how their weakened bodies handled it. The vampire moved through the chaos, killing everything that dared to come and try attack him, not caring if it was wolf or human. Interestingly enough, he didnât meet any angels. Andrei spared a thought for Celine, wondering if she was still alive. Most likely.Â
That was when he heard a soft whimper, coming from one of the ash-covered patches of ground that had been some sort of home, some of the support still looming above him. There was a body lying there, Andrei could see it now, but even better he could scent the oncoming death. One knew what to smell for when one had been in enough situations.
Andrei walked over to the man - boy, to the boy, he looked quite young on closer inspection - and was about to kill him swiftly when something made him stop. That face. Those features -
âDalca, my dame back home, I promised - â Andrei shook his head, panting as he watched the boy in front of him try to stop the bleeding at his stomach. Gun-shot wound. Fatal. Heâd be dead in less than a minute.Â
âDonât you mean your old lady, Wilks?â he soothed, ignoring the battle surrounding him to move his fingers gently though dark locks, tenderly. But Wilksâ eyes had already gone blank.
Andrei could save him now. âWhatâs your name, kid?â he muttered, kneeling next to the body that reminded him so much like one of the lives that had left in his arms.Â