Chapter 11

• *Whispering Port*
• In the middle of the night, Lamia knocked on the door of Caid’s dwelling. Opening the door only a crack, to see who it was. Caid opened the remainder of the way so that Lamia and his 20 followers could have entrance.
• “This is not good news!” Lamia commented after Caid told him there was no way he could pause the departure of the shuttle.
• The only good news that he could give was the fact that they were using the alpha’s attack to get some of the citizens out due to harsh conditions. It had been Marable’s quick actions that things were able to move ahead with some difficulties. “The lack of telecommunications did help gain the support that is needed.” Caid finished his update to Lamia.
• “This means there is no more time to waste on chatter.” Lamia grabbed his cloak. “I will continue with my search for Balavalur.” Glancing over at his companions, “I want all of you to continue with the escape plan. I don’t want to know where or how, the less information I have the better.”
• “Zane is on this as well! He has given us explicit instructions on what to do!” Caid informed Lamia.
• “Again, the less I know the better!” Lamia said as he placed his hand on the doorknob. “The next time you speak with Zane, tell him where I am going. He worries about his plan and I will be concern about my plan.”
• Caid bowed, “as you wish master!”
• Those who were part of the underground society worked night and day to get everything prepared to evacuate those of Erolzwald as well as themselves. The danger had not yet reached them. Many times in their minds that would play out the worst-case scenario, which only made them work harder and longer hours. Only rest when complete exhaustion takes over.
• Their goal was to have the next shuttle leave in 5 days. Caid wanted to make sure that all the supplies that the passengers would need would be available for them. Only a handful of adults knew what the real plan had intel. Each shuttle would have to supply roughly five days worth of food and necessary articles to get them to the destination.
• The few that travelled with Lamia stayed behind, making sure that no unregistered vampires fouled their plans.
• Isabella, a registered vampire, had offered her services; she was going to make sure that no unregistered vampire would be allowed to board the shuttle. Everything they had planned depended on secrecy.
• *Erolzwald*
• It was early in the morning when the Ancillae fighters made it to the capital. Not wanting to waste any more time they took a mental note of how many different sets of footprints were left in the wet soil. They figured with all the activity and dead bodies, at least sixty to 120 unregistered vampires were hiding in the woods. Though the numbers could be higher.
• The group had two basic needs that needed to be met, food and a bath. “You all go get something to eat and bathe while I speak to Lord Ascelius.” Damillan rushed to find Lord Ascelius and inform him of what was going on.
• While the others continued to follow Damillan’s instructions, Melantha made her way to the house where she believed she would find Straightarrow.
• ***
• Knocking on the door Damillan heard Lord Ascelius tell him to enter. Opening the door and closing it, Damillan bowed with respect. Relaying back to his commander everything that had happened, Damiilan made sure he did not leave out any details. Handing Lord Ascelius the shuttle tickets he made sure that the wishes were known and to be followed.
• “Do you know who the underground society are?” Lord Ascelius asked as he studied the pile of tickets.
• Chuckling, “Who? I do not know though some of the members are closely linked to Rimvan Longarm.” Damillan replied. “It appears to me that the underground society was not going to settle with waiting for action, that they were going to ensure their survival and if able to save others as well.”
• Without saying a word Lord Ascelius motioned his head up and down as Damillan spoke. “I will honour the request with these tickets, I will call for an emergency meeting for the elite warriors. While you were gone, many Erolzwald warriors had donated their blood with the good faith that we would get their family out of here.” Lord Ascelius' nose was flaring, “I want to honour that as well, though I think it is imperative that we get the humans out of here first. What are the chances that we could get another shuttle shipped in this direction?”
• Damillan shrugged his shoulders, “Caid and Marable did not take the time to go over the smallest details. All I knew was that there were enough tickets to cover every underground family member plus over a hundred more families. These shuttles are to have a white cloth outside of the shuttle cabin, from there the shuttle is to leave, and at some point, the shuttles will be stopped and the people will be ushered to the safe houses that the underground society has been working on for over 300 years.”
• Lord Ascelius, “I have to say I'm impressed! They seem to be well organized and prepared for what is coming. A lot better off than what we are. Get yourself fed and bathed, preferably bathed first before you eat, you smell like dong!”
• Damillan laughed as he exited the office.
• ***
• Melantha knocked on the door to the house where Straightarrow was living. A man opened the door rubbing his eyes, “This better be important!” He said as he yawned.
• “Are you Straightarrow?” Melantha first wanted to make sure the man before her was who she sought. With the confirmation that she needed “All the units of the species support each of the singular elements, and the elements vow to support the whole!”
• Straightarrow opened the door all the way and ushered for Melantha to come in.
• “When does the evacuation begin?” Straightarrow asked.
• “I'm not sure, all I know is that we were handed a very thick pile of shuttle tickets. Those who were trained by Rimvan, their families are the ones that are supposed to have the first batch of tickets. After that we are to get as many humans out as possible. Caid and Marable were not given with information. I do know one thing, the shuttle should be here in five days so we need to move now.”
• Straightarroow rubbed his hands down his face, “I will have everyone ready to go in three days then.” He wrinkled his nose, “No offense but … ah … you need to go and get a bath and clean up, you smell like a sewer.”
• Melantha chuckled, “by the time I get back to the barracks, the others should have finished.” Taking her leave, she left Straightarrow with a lot more on his mind.
• *Erolzwald*
• Beta Morris, Lord Ascelius and the original elite warriors met in the conference room. “I understand the wishes behind these tickets, and I will honour that but first I also need to honour the agreement with the blood donors.” Beta Morris to the Warriors. “There are 1200 tickets, with 154 already given to the donors.”
• Lord Ascelius began speaking while he held the pile of shuttle tickets. “How many tickets do each of you need?”
• Davder glanced at everyone, “500!” He leaned forward. “Those that can’t walk to the destination will require a ticket.”
• Counting out 500 tickets Lord Ascelius handed them to Davder to duel out properly. “I will need a list of the names that are boarding the shuttles.”
• “Davder, you said that those that can't walk will be taking the shuttles. That would imply that there are more that will be leaving?” Beta Morris questioned Davder.
• Narrowing his sight on the pile of tickets in Lord Ascelius's hands, “If all of our kin took the shuttles there would not be enough tickets. We are accustomed to travelling by foot. Not that the women folk like it, but they can do it.” Davder looked over at his brother. “We all agreed that those that can’t walk will take the shuttle, that way you can get more humans and children out of here."
• Commenting, “This will be a start!” Lord Ascelius then bright his attention to Beta Morris, handing him a ticket for his wife. “For your wife!”
• With a downcasted expression, Beta Morris told Lord Ascelius that he and Ire had already had a discussion about this and she refused to leave Erolzwald while several others were in need of the spot.
• Not disputing, Lord Ascelius placed the ticket back in the pile. Pushing out a clipboard, “Don’t forget to write down the names of those who you are giving the ticket to!” Lord Ascelius made sure there was a writing tool for the elites to use. Once the name of the family member was written down, the warrior left the location to get ready for training.
• ***
• Lord Ascelius was nearing the barracks with the 154 tickets in his hand along with whom he was to hand the tickets to and how many. Calling the names of the warriors, he duelled out the tickets accordingly. “Orien Riverbank!” Lord Ascelius glanced up from the clipboard, after saying the last name on his list.
• “Sir!” A young man strolled over to Lord Ascelius. Handing the five tickets, Orien wrote down the names of the people he was giving the tickets to. “Thank you, sir!” He strolled back to his bunk, placing the tickets in a chest with his name on it.
• “Gentleman, I will see you in training at your scheduled time.” Lord Ascelius said as he walked out of the barracks.
• ***
• Beta Morris wandered the halls of the castle with the shuttle tickets. The weakest link, at the moment, was the humans, even if they did not want to admit it. The feral vampires would turn them, using them in this war that they were creating.
• Maids and servers would tell Beta Morris something similar each time they were offered a way out of Erolzwald, "even though we are human, I will not leave my family or kin behind." Beta Morris was finding this frustrating. He could not force someone to leave.
• Several times he explained the severity of the situation, in the hopes they would change their minds. Again the maids and servers would politely decline the offer to evacuate Erolzwald.
• Beta Morris was stomping his feet when his path crossed Lord Ascelius. Lord Ascelius glanced at the pile of shuttle tickets in his hand, “how many humans are willing to leave?” Lord Ascelius was past pleasantries and went to the point.
• “12!” Beta Morris was huffing, “everyone else said that they have no family outside of Erolzwald. Or they would not leave their family and kin. They will not leave!” Beta Morris sounds defeated.
• Ire rounded the corner and spotted her husband, yelling his name to get his attention, “I need 51 tickets, the family is a mix of shifters and humans, more humans than shifters. They will only leave if they are all able to go at the same time. I told them that it would not be a problem.”
• The beta and Lord Ascelius glanced at each other. Without saying a word, Lord Ascelius counted out 51 tickets. “Do not tell anyone that we gave these tickets to shifter,” Lord Ascelius whispered. “They were meant for the weak.”
• Ire snorted, repeating what she had said before, “you will find that the families here are a blend of shifters and humans. And many will not leave a family member behind. But if it makes you feel better, there are more humans in the bloodline.” She said with bitterness.
• Matching her temper, “I am honouring the agreement for these tickets. We need to get the weak out of Erolzwald after the debt is paid off.” Lord Ascelius brought his attention back to the beta, “I don’t care how you do it, but find a way to get the humans to agree to leave the capital when the shuttle gets here.”
• Lord Ascelius handed the remaining tickets to the beta then turned on his heels to leave. Ire gocked at Lord Ascelius as he left, “he can’t do this! If the people don’t want to leave, they won't.”
• Kissing her forehead, “there were more bodies found in the north section of the woods. Ire, the Ancillae fighters found several sets of footprints. A shifter can not be turned into a vampire, but … a human can. And there are more humans here than I desire at this moment.” He cupped his wife's chin. “It is not an ‘if we will be attacked’, it is now, ‘when will we be attacked’. This pile here is the difference between new vampires to humans out of danger.”
• “The people don’t believe that they are in danger. They know that there have been attacks but think everything is taken care of.” Ire snatched the tickets away from her husband's hands, “Mr. Morris you can command an army and win a war, but your skills of persuasion suck. I will have all these tickets gone before the midday meal.” Kissing her husband goodbye she was on her mission.
• Yelling, “don’t forget to write down their names!” Beta Morris handed his wife the clipboard.
• *Yadah Plains*
• As Iun had promised he had gotten Alpha Zevar to a more stable path. “Keep to this trail, if you find that you are sinking into the dirt, you have gotten off the path. All you have to do is head more to the right until you are on solid ground again.” Iun told him.
• “You have no idea how much you have helped me out! I greatly appreciate your time and effort.” Alpha Zevar said as he got himself out of his clothing and began to shift.
• Before the alpha could carry his bag in his mouth again. Iun did one last favour for the alpha.
• Pulling out some rope from his bag he told the alpha that the rope normally would be used to set up traps to catch small game, but he was going to use it to fasten the bag around his neck making it easier for the alpha to travel. The only issue that the alpha would have is when he shifts to human form, then back to his dire wolf, getting the bag on his back again.
• Hoping Iun would understand, Alpha Zevar told him in his way that he would not change until he made it to Dorasea. In human form, he was too slow and he wanted to gain the distance that he had lost.
• Iun lowered his head as the alpha did the same, departing from each other's company. Alpha Zevar watched as Iun dashed into the woods leaving him to his own accord. Based solely on his memory the alpha figured that he had three days of travelling in his dire wolf form until he reached the lake of Daha. With Iun’s guidance, he had warned the alpha to stay to the right of the lake. Autumn season the ground became saturated with water. In some locations, the Earth would come so wet that many have lost their lives but the land swallowing them up.
• Not wanting to disregard Iun's warning the alpha was making plans to follow the instructions that had been suggested.
• Alpha Zevar had a newfound burst of energy. With a full belly and plenty of rest, the alpha was prepared to take on any challenges that might come his way. To his relief, he still did not find any hint that any feral vampires were in the location. With the weather in Alpha Zevar’s favour, he was able to move forward with no issues.
• Though there wasn't a river nearby for him to drink out of when he wanted to. There was plenty of fresh game for him to kill and eat. The alpha always kept his ears on alert listening for the sounds of water, paying attention to any possible threats. One thing the alpha did notice was the number of saplings that were in the area. It was as if the hunters would drop the seeds in the location, extending the forest into territory that could not be claimed by habitants. The alpha made a mental note, wanting to follow this trend in his domain. This was not only great for the environment but it also was pleasing to the eye.
• Trotting forward Alpha Zevar was fully well aware of the mission that he had to accomplish, but he could not resist but admire the beauty of the landscape. It was wild, untamed and could swallow you up if you did not pay attention. Still, the landscape offered much to please all of his senses.