Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Isrith

The night had ended, and the sun caressed Isrith’s soft skin. She had always preferred darkness over daylight, but since she arrived on the planet Vierstorp, she had been forced to learn to hunt in the light and live during the day. However, the most important thing was to never let her guard down.

Under her command was the Morgue squadron, the group of undead with the best statistics in the entire southern army. They were excellent assassins who had no scruples when it came to doing whatever it took to achieve their goals. They had emptied the city of Eifhen of troublesome and undesirable humans, but they were still resisting one of their worst targets, a spy named Theorel, who was extremely elusive.

As Isrith left the walled area of the base and entered through the gates into the colossal Cemetery ship, one of the flagship vessels of her army, an underground structure with ten floors that housed a temple, dungeons, a recovery room, special quarters, and all kinds of amenities in the deepest darkness. The vampires that inhabited it were not very fond of going to the surface on a daily basis.

She descended a staircase after a brief inspection at the entrance, which was short given that she was the General and known by all. Her long white hair, General’s armor, and perpetually red eyes were unmistakable. Once inside, she saw the large common hall with its massive black vault, illuminated as always with the characteristic red neon lights of vampire ships, which provided dim lighting to see better.

Isrith briefly sat on a bench while marveling at the vaulted ceiling, even though she had contemplated it countless times. Despite being nine hundred years old, she never ceased to be amazed. No matter how much she reflected on it, she still couldn’t understand how she had agreed to Lady Diuron’s absurd plan.

They had sent a young vampire to track Theorel in the surrounding area. The Council had offered him as a hunter, and he had a good reputation with his mistress, Lady Diuron. However, Isrith didn’t trust warriors outside her squadron, especially males. They all knew that male vampires were weaker, especially in hunts. In general, she had taught her squadron the most effective hunting techniques, observation skills, and all kinds of tricks and abilities to make them lethal against any danger. That’s why she knew that this vampire wouldn’t have been able to find someone as talented at disappearing as Theorel.

She continued her usual walk inside the Cemetery ship. Given its size, Isrith could walk several kilometers a day, just thinking and devising a capture plan to then work on it with her army. The Cemetery ship stood out from the rest of the ships with its large doors decorated with huge illuminated arches. It belonged to an ancient order, and inside the ship was one of the temples dedicated to the creed of the Ascension vampires, to which Isrith belonged.

As the General walked, she couldn’t help but wonder how a mere human had managed to elude an army of undead for so long. She had never been detected by any scanner, and there was no portrait of her face. She was a true mystery.

It ate at Isrith that she had to depend on an inexperienced male vampire who had tracked the rebel. After spending so much time searching with her squadron and failing, Lady Diuron had practically forced the vampire court to use the hunter she considered the best she knew, a bloodsucker named Vaethon.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t contradict a Lady, not even the General of the Morgue Squadron had such power. But she was aware that it was only a matter of time before the order would prove her right again, as the hunter would likely return empty-handed or, even better, fall into the hands of the resistance—a thought that delighted Isrith.

During her walk, she passed beneath a distinctive arch, as it was taller, about ten meters in height, leading to the entrance of the expansive Ascension temple. It overflowed with benches made of black stone from her home planet, where one could sit and pray. As she walked among the multitude of altars adorned with red candles flickering with fire, dedicated to the ancient warriors fallen in battle, she wondered what her own Ascension would be like.

She was considered the army’s finest warrior; only her squadron had been responsible for claiming countless human lives to sustain themselves for centuries. Moreover, she had managed to decimate the city of Eifhen in a short period, and the surviving population didn’t even consider the idea of rebellion.

For a vampire who followed the creed, Ascension meant the end of a life filled with feeding on and killing others, to finally reach a world where they could rest alongside other immortal warriors who had also perished. However, their cult demanded certain requirements to reach that place; not everyone could attain it. The most important requirement was to only feed on the blood of rational and sentient beings, never on animals or beasts. Furthermore, it was strictly forbidden to love someone during their long life. They could only reach Ascension alone, as having feelings for someone could lead to conflicts in the afterlife. There, nothing and no one awaited them—they would be eternal but solitary beings, devoid of fear, pain, or anger, ultimately experiencing eternal peace.

But all of this was part of a creed not all bloodsuckers believed in. However, Isrith was a staunch believer, which is why she had decided to lead a life fully dedicated to war and to herself.

She traversed the temple with her gaze fixed on a point, her footsteps resonating throughout the hall. She approached a row of large, exquisitely carved female statues on the left side of the room, and her eyes were drawn to a towering black stone statue holding a sword, adorned with ancient armor and a stone embedded in its chest. Isrith paused in front of it, caressing its cheek, then slowly knelt down and uttered a brief prayer.

«Lizbeth, grant me your strength. I need your dark power to overcome my enemies. May Ascension await me, and may we find a solution for our people. Above all, watch over…»

Her peace was interrupted by a female voice.

«General, forgive me for interrupting your prayers, but we have fresh news. Vaethon has arrived with multiple injuries, and I thought you would want to know,» said a young vampire with light brown flowing hair, honey-colored eyes, and a black lightweight armor.

Isrith’s gaze turned piercing, her anger evident. She didn’t expect to hear news of him so soon.

«Vael, what did you say? Is he stable?» the General asked, rising to her feet.

«Fortunately, yes,» the young vampire hesitated, puzzled by Isrith’s serious expression.

«Where is he? I need to see him immediately,» Isrith raised her voice, striding towards Vael with determination.

«He’s in the recovery room… he needs rest now,» the young vampire murmured, stepping aside to make way for the General.

«He’ll rest when I’m done with him!» Isrith’s shout was so powerful that the few vampires present in the temple turned to see what was happening. Recognizing Isrith as the source of the commotion, they returned to their respective tasks.

The General walked briskly, heading straight for the recovery room. As she left the temple behind and made her way towards the main staircase, she pondered how she would handle the situation.

She was convinced that he had pursued the rebel and failed to capture her. That would be impossible for someone as insignificantly powerful as Vaethon. Isrith needed to at least confirm his failure in his mission and erase the idea from the court’s mind.

As she approached the room, some of the vampires gestured to speak with Isrith, but she ignored them all. A few even reached out to her, but the General acted as if she hadn’t noticed. Despite being in high demand by the Cemetery, she had to reach the undead as quickly as possible, at least before Lady Diuron.

She finally arrived at the recovery room. The entire ship was dark inside, illuminated only by red neon lights, and the recovery room was no exception. Upon entering the room, Isrith saw Vaethon connected to a machine that was draining blood through small cables into his chest. He lay there, battered and bruised, and for a moment, Isrith feared that he had finished off Theorel.

«General…» the young vampire began, groaning as he tried to sit up.

«Silence! I did not give you permission to speak,» Isrith cut him off sharply. «What happened? Where is Theorel?» she spoke with a hostile tone as she approached him directly.

«She… you see, General, she led me into a trap,» Vaethon stammered, struggling to stand upright. «There was a massive Minotaur in a cave,» he added, crestfallen.

«She led you into a trap? And you were foolish enough to fall for it? A Minotaur, you say, and it didn’t go after her?» Isrith said, gritting her teeth tightly. Her eyes turned a deeper shade of blood red, and her expression overflowed with anger.

«Well, General, she activated her suit while we were in the cave,» the vampire added with difficulty, his jaw trembling as he spoke.

Immediately, Isrith raised her right hand towards Vaethon, and to the vampire’s astonishment, he began levitating slowly.

«No, General, it’s not necessary…» the young man’s screams echoed throughout the recovery area.

«Of course, it’s necessary. It’s incredibly necessary. You just told me that Theorel escaped from you, and she didn’t even have her suit activated. And you call yourself a hunter? You’re nothing more than a burden to our kind,» Isrith spoke as she raised her hand even higher.

She finally managed to make the vampire touch the ceiling of the room with his head, despite it being a height of four meters. His feet flailed up and down, forward and backward, and his hands struggled to maintain balance without any success.

«Tell me, how did it end? Did she die or escape? Tell me the truth!» the General shouted as she held the young undead in the air. She slightly closed her hand and furrowed her brow with anger.

Isrith desperately hoped that Theorel had managed to survive. The idea that a young, untrained male vampire had defeated her main rival would have been devastating to her reputation. Currently, capturing the spy was a challenge for her and her squadron.

«She escaped, my General… I’m sorry, but she must be in Eifhen,» Vaethon paused to catch his breath amidst the pain, and finally let out a scream. «Aaaaaargh!» The scream was gut-wrenching, and Isrith began closing her fist tighter and tighter, while a timid smile of pleasure escaped her.

The General breathed a sigh of relief and began to think that fortunately, Vaethon had not achieved the feat for which he was sent, and Lady Diuron would reconsider her proposal to include him in the Morgue squadron.

¡No! Stop, General, I can hardly speak.» The tone of the undead was almost muted, a force was gripping his throat while he felt claws slashing his chest like sharp needles.

«What else do you know? Tell me!» Isrith shouted angrily at the young hunter, her hands clenched tightly, almost completely closed.

The more she closed her fist, the more Vaethon suffered, and slowly, several streams of blood soaked the dark floor. Blood continued to pour from his mouth and the multiple cuts on his body.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Isrith abruptly stopped when she felt a cold presence behind her. The vampire collapsed to the ground, groaning continuously as the bleeding didn’t stop, resulting in a heavy impact.

«What’s going on here?» asked a dry voice from a vampire with long blonde hair and light brown eyes as she observed the vampire on the floor. Isrith approached the door, intending to leave. «Not so fast, General,» the blonde vampire grabbed her arm. «I don’t think we’re finished,» she concluded, tightening her grip.

It was Lady Diuron, with her long hair and black attire adorned with golden shoulder pads, followed by a large red cape. She was unmistakable, as only she could dress in such a way on the Cemetery ship.

Isrith swallowed hard and tried to disguise her unease.

«What’s happening? I only came to find out how young Vaethon was doing, right?» Isrith lied as she looked at the partially unconscious young vampire.

«Is that so?» Lady Diuron asked dryly, without even looking at the General.

«Of cour…» Isrith was about to say, but the newcomer’s gaze silenced her, and she would have preferred not to have said a word.

Isrith thought that if she had known that Lady Diuron was so close to them, she would have postponed the interrogation for later. But her thirst for knowledge about what had happened to Theorel made her act unconsciously.

Although she was the general of the squadron and a legend among vampires, she had to obey the Lady, even though they rarely saw eye to eye. Lady Diuron knew nothing about war or how to achieve victory, but her rank within vampire society made it clear that one could not contradict a Lady. It was strictly forbidden.

«That’s right, my lady. I returned after a long hunt, but I had to face a massive Minotaur, and Theorel managed to escape,» the young vampire stammered as he did his best to sit up on the gurney.

«Did you notice if she took anything with her in her escape?» Lady Diuron asked, puzzled.

«No, she didn’t take anything. She was just trying to infiltrate, and we detected her before she could do anything. She ended up fleeing,» Vaethon said.

«Perfect, good job,» Isrith lied. «Did you manage to see anything, her intentions, or any details?» she asked with little interest.

«Yes, I was able to see her face up close,» the vampire proudly said, directing his gaze at his Lady.

«What? Wait a second, you saw her face?» Lady Diuron said. «I thought the squadron had never seen her face,» she added with an arrogant tone.

There were a few seconds of silence. If there hadn’t been anyone else on the ship, Isrith would have slit Vaethon’s throat and would have relished impaling her Lady, but unfortunately, she couldn’t do any of that.

«No, it can’t be! That’s a lie!» Isrith shouted irrationally, her inner rage burning.

«It’s true, my Lady. I collided with her while trying to escape from the Minotaur, and I saw her face as she fell to the ground. I swear!» Vaethon’s face showed nervousness. «Enter my mind if necessary, I won’t resist,» the desperate vampire pleaded, addressing both vampires.

«Do it, Isrith. You have my blessing,» ordered Lady Diuron, finally releasing the General’s arm.

«It’s ridiculous! How could he have seen her face? It’s impossible. We have never been able to see her face up close. No one has been that close,» Isrith confidently shook her head.

The General would have sworn that Vaethon was lying as a survival mechanism to get out of there alive.

«Are you implying that my hunter is a liar if you refuse?» Lady Diuron’s eyes turned completely red with her anger towards Isrith.

Then Isrith understood that she had to cooperate. If she lied, the vampire would die on the spot. Isrith knew how to distinguish a false memory invented by a mind.

«Fine, I’ll do it,» Isrith resignedly affirmed.

She looked into Vaethon’s eyes, and her gaze turned as black as the deepest night. She vividly saw his face colliding with Theorel, falling to the ground, and the image paused for a few seconds.

It was Theorel, with black flowing hair and large brown eyes, a youthful and frightened face. His skin was darker than a vampire’s, and his armor had shades of gray with black shadows and a hint of purple light—a level of sophistication beyond what was typical for their kind. But what struck her the most was that she could almost sense his scent, almost perceive his defiant nature, and hear his heart racing in fear.

Isrith’s face returned to normal, her eyes once again red, and her gaze refocused on Vaethon. She fell silent. The General couldn’t believe it. She had seen Theorel right in front of her. No one had ever gotten that close. It was an achievement that she, to her dismay, desired for herself.

Lady Diuron smiled. She knew exactly what that meant. Isrith had seen into her hunter’s mind, and the sensation of victory was so overwhelming that she couldn’t help but imagine Isrith screaming with hatred when they were alone.

The Lady savored the moment, but she needed a little more pleasure from her victory.

-Very well, it seems we were right. We have a great hunter here. It was a wise decision to recommend him for the squad, don’t you think, Isrith?» Lady Diuron’s smile was immense, only surpassed by Vaethon’s, who seemed unaffected by his injuries.

-It appears so, my Lady. You were right after all,» Isrith said, trying to swallow her pride as a part of her consumed within.

-Excellent. You may leave, General. Vaethon will pass on the report to the Queen, and she will evaluate how to handle the information. You will receive a copy accordingly. Furthermore, I will strongly recommend that my hunter joins your squad, as it seems they are in need of effectiveness,» Lady Diuron said with a hint of disdain, accompanying Isrith to the door.

-Of course, I will eagerly await that report,» the General lied once again as she looked at the young vampire smiling.

When she stepped out of the door, an explosion of hatred erupted from the depths of her being. She couldn’t help but wonder how a young male hunter had been able to see Theorel’s face.

Her squad hadn’t come within meters of it, and as much as it burned inside her, that young vampire would end up in her team. Perhaps she had underestimated his abilities or maybe it had been a stroke of luck. But in the end, a female vampire was ten times more powerful than a male, and yet Vaethon had managed to embarrass them in front of a Lady.

The anger drove Isrith to need to leave the Cemetery.Her mind was clouded, and she wanted to see her squad to deliver the terrible news and intensify their training to prove to the court that her team was more than capable without the need for new recruits, especially male ones.

She walked until she reached the first floor, continuing until she reached the farthest point within the Cemetery, near the port. Along the way, she repeated to herself multiple times to calm down, reminding herself that once she was with Cuervo, she would be in a position to make better decisions.

Inside this mothership, she always felt out of place. Years had passed, and although she was highly regarded by almost everyone, the atmosphere felt cold to her.

Finally, she was nearing the vehicle deployment area, and Isrith felt a great relief. She approached the boarding area where her ship, named Cuervo, was stationed—a short-range, deadly black ship. Its reputation had grown after the victory in Eifhen. It was a machine capable of single-handedly destroying fortifications and infiltrating systems unnoticed. It had two enormous black wings with dozens of cannons, resembling wings with feathers. Its completely dark appearance had led it to be baptized as Cuervo.

It was designed exclusively for Isrith and required a blood scanner every time it was activated. Only she could operate it unless someone managed to obtain her blood, which was unlikely since she had emerged victorious from every battle she had faced so far. Additionally, she had been equipped with an artificial intelligence capable of recognizing her voice. Cuervo was lethal in the sky and on the ground, and the entire planet knew it and feared her.

Once she arrived at the deployment port for ships, another even younger vampire approached her, this time with long black hair and light eyes. Her face was youthful, adorned with a much lighter armor. Without looking directly into Isrith’s eyes, she asked, «Are you leaving now, General? Your ship is prepared and ready.»

«Yes, that’s right. I’m going to visit my squadron. If anyone asks about me, tell them I’ll be gone for a few days,» Isrith replied amiably. Her anger seemed to diminish, and since Lirie always took care of Cuervo, Isrith tried to maintain a good relationship with her.

«I will make sure they know, General,» Lirie said, giving a slight bow and gesturing towards the ship. «It’s waiting for you. I have cleaned the air vents so that you’ll have greater speed when you accelerate, and I noticed that some cannons were a bit dirty. Your reaction time should be reduced now.» She stepped back slowly, allowing Isrith to pass by towards Cuervo.

Isrith struggled not to let a small smile escape, but she managed to maintain her serious demeanor.

«Thank you, Lirie. I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Clear the sky so I can take off as quickly as possible,» the General said, keeping her gaze fixed on her ship.

«Of course, right away, General,» Lirie replied, then hurried off towards the control tower.

Isrith walked, aware that Lady Diuron had won that small battle at court, but her squadron would do everything possible to capture the spy and extract as much information as possible, doing whatever was necessary. The thought of draining all the blood from that rebellious young woman thrilled her.

She was close now, and she could already see her ship. A faint halo of light from the hatch that led to the surface touched Cuervo’s surface, revealing its curious form with enormous wings and all its cannons, which, despite their dark color, shone. Lirie had once again done an excellent job.

The front part had a half-dome of glass to allow a view of the outside while piloting, while the rest was made of a combination of metals, providing a strong yet lightweight structure that remained intact since its construction. Cuervo had never been hit; its enormous wings were folded and would unfold once it took off.

She reached the end of the platform and finally stood before Cuervo, placing her hand on one of its enormous wings and uttered the words she always repeated:

«Help me find her, or become my revenge.»

A compartment then opened, revealing a set of small stairs. She entered her ship, which was completely black on the inside, with a few small white lights.

«Voice recognition accepted. How are you, Isrith?» a male voice sounded within the ship.

«Yes, it’s me, Cuervo. Did you miss me?» the vampire replied as she headed towards the controls.

Inside the ship, there was room for two more people. It was relatively spacious on the inside, but Isrith liked to travel alone. The feeling of absolute silence calmed her. On rare occasions, she would engage in a small conversation with Cuervo, although they were usually short due to the general’s reserved nature. Inside Cuervo, there were several panels that displayed the weather conditions and nearby enemies. There was a black leather seat and control panels in front of it, topped with a reinforced dome that provided better visibility on the battlefield.

«Of course, General. Where shall we go today?» asked the ship.

«We’re heading to the Ciénaga ship. I need to see my squadron immediately,» Isrith replied curtly.

«As you wish. First, we need to activate your blood test, and then we’ll set off. Shall we also engage the autopilot, General?» Cuervo asked neutrally.

«No, you know I prefer manual mode,» Isrith said as she fastened her seatbelt and placed her hands on the ship’s controls, activating various sensors.

At that moment, a tiny needle emerged towards her left hand, and she placed it on top, making a small cut. Isrith clenched her jaw slightly, and suddenly, various panels lit up, accompanied by the sound of an engine starting. The needle retracted back into the controls.

«General, the sky is clear. You can depart whenever you’re ready,» a female voice sounded from a small speaker placed amidst the controls.

«Thank you, Soldier Lirie. We’re taking off to the surface right now,» the General replied through a small microphone nearby.

Suddenly, a shrill sound erupted from the back of Cuervo, and a burst of fire roared from its exhausts. The ship began to levitate, reaching a height of about twelve meters. Isrith tightly gripped the controls and brought them close to her chest. The ship accelerated abruptly and departed from the base.

Isrith looked towards the dawning sky, which was completely clear. She watched as she left behind the Cemetery ship, which was practically buried underground, heavily defended by hundreds of bloodsuckers guarding it. She left behind the red neon lights of the mothership and ascended over the mountains.

A few kilometers to her right was Eifhen. For a moment, she hesitated whether to approach with Cuervo and unleash indiscriminate fire throughout the city, but she dismissed the idea.

She set the route on the main console and headed towards the third tomb, her beloved Swamp.