Castle Frankenstein, One Year Later after the Transylvanian Assignment.
Solomon Grey, the current King of the Vampires watched as the dark haired Vampire approached him.
"Valentin," Grey said roughly. Valentin, the dark haired vampire, gave Grey a smile that was anything but pleasant. Grey didn't return the smile. Grey didn't often experience emotions, but now, looking at Valentin, something that felt like disgust twisted and convulsed through him.
"Solomon Grey. I was told that you had taken over from Dracula but I scarcely believed it. I guess I was wrong," Valentin said. His shockingly blue eyes met Grey's eyes.
"Yes well, someone has to step up and control our kind. It's only a matter of time before the humans wipe us out," Grey replied.
"This is demoralising- why should our kind fear the humans? They are our food… our cattle," Valentin's eyes narrowed. "Dracula knew this. It appears that you don't."
"Dracula is dead and I am your ruler. Do not presume to question me, Valentin. Not all of us Vampires approved of Dracula's old-fashioned ways," Grey said. Valentin scowled.
"You are leading us into civil war, Solomon. There are just as many Vampires who do not approve of your decisions as there are who do. Mark my words, there will be carnage."
"And you will like that, wouldn't you? Valentin, there are more humans then there are vampires, and they are learning how to defeat us. Take that Van Helsing, for example- he defeated Dracula, and that was only one man. Imagine what the whole human race could do to us if they decide that they've had enough of being scared of the dark."
Valentin bared his teeth.
"That Van Helsing is going to pay for what he did to my Master- and he will pay for it in blood!"
"Dracula deserved what happened to him. And you leave Van Helsing alone," Grey growled. Valentin glared at him.
"War will come whether you like it or not… and I will be there to rule when it's finished!" Valentin transformed into his Bat-form and flew out of Castle Frankenstein, screetching. Grey waited for a few minutes, thinking over what was to be done.
"Zara!" he called. There was movement and a young vampire came fluttering into the room. She had only been turned the previous year- just before Dracula's death.
She landed neatly in front of Grey and transformed into her humanoid form.
"Yes Master?"
Unlike the other female vampires, who wore beautiful, elaborate clothing, Zara dressed like one of the peasants that occupied the nearby Village of Vaseria. This made her less likely to stand out which is why Grey often used her to run errands that involved the humans.
Her greasy blond hair framed her thin face and her blue eyes shone.
"Go into the village and make contact with the Valerious girl. Warn her about Valentin and see to that she still upholds her end of the bargain. Oh, and take some of the others with you. I do believe they are getting restless for a feed."
"Yes Master."
Grey watched as Zara flew away. He had taken quite a liking to Zara, though he would never admit it to anyone.
Valentin's arrival troubled him. He didn't know what Dracula's former acquaintance and devious follower had in mind, but Grey knew it was nothing good.
Valentin was right about one thing, however.
The younger Vampires followed and approved Grey's decisions. Grey had told them that if the Vampires kept behaving like the monsters that they were, then the humans would find a way to wipe them out.
But the older Vampires, the ones that were at Dracula's side right from the start, hated Solomon Grey. They believed the old ways were the only way, and anything else was an insult against vampire-kind.
It was only a matter of time before the two opposing opinions would break out into Civil War.
That would be a blood-thirsty affair, indeed.
For now at least, there was an uneasy peace between the opposing sides and the humans.
Though Solomon Grey knew it wasn't going to last long, he was content to enjoy it for as long as I lasted.