THE WRETCHED

Aeschylus the arch vampire groaned in annoyance, what did he have to do for the goblins to submit to his rule? They were becoming a nuisance that he would get rid of one way or another but as of the time, he needed to gather a strong army to destroy the human race... that would be his master's will. He grinned, his blood-stained canines instilling fear in the lesser born vampires falling on his feet; the master would be raised, very soon and they would rule together. He had always known that he was meant to rule among the gods...and when he arose, he would reward him. "master," Deimos his right hand walked into the throne room, his hands holding a blood-stained sword with small pieces of grass on the handle of the sword, he had a massive scar on his left cheek as a result of Aeschylus's own hand, he had been on a bad mood that day, no one would blame him; not that he cared and no one would be a fool enough to stir trouble with him by implying otherwise. "Deimos, tell me you have some good news," Aeschylus said, a deadly look in the depths of his iris. Deimos cleared his throat, he felt a cold chill of fear for about a second. He was a warrior; fearless and strong but under Aeschylus' gaze, all that faded and only fear remained to embrace his cold heart. He felt a slight relief in knowing that he might have just brought some good news to his master although it wasn't with full success... there was a higher chance of him going out alive that day than any other previous day. He straightened his back and stood tall, "we followed the several clues and dug deep along the way..." "just go straight to the point Deimos," Aeschylus cut him short. Deimos nodded quickly, "we have found the location of the seal," "marvellous Deimos! splendid!" Aeschylus cried out, a ghost of a smile playing at the corner of his massive lips. He slipped out his sickly green tongue and wiped it across the blood-stained teeth in a slow satisfactory manner that left his teeth glistening in the dimly lit chamber, "where is it?" he asked.  Deimos had dreaded that Aeschylus would ask the question, it was the part of the conversation that would likely get him killed but then, the other option of not saying anything would definitely get him killed.  He stepped back involuntarily, "we do not know the exact location of the seal but we know where it's likely to be, we just need to go there and look for it," he said, the last words coming out rolling off his tongue in quick waves that would ensure that he wouldn't get killed, "it's somewhere in the valley of the dead," Aeschylus sighed; he began to descend the steep steps of the heights of his throne, his movements slow and deliberate. His feet barely touched the ground. He loved the fear that oozed out of Deimos... it warmed his cold heart with satisfaction. Deimos did well to fear him, it was good he knew his place. For months, he had commissioned his strongest and fearless warriors to go out there and look for the seal yet many had come back empty-handed, one of them being Deimos who had watched many of the warriors get killed in the throne room he stood gazing down like a lost puppy.  The killing wasn't a new thing to Aeschylus, it came naturally to him, it was his natural instinct and he revelled in it, he would just make another army from the humans, after all, they had become excessive and needed controlling. Deimos fought hard to keep his legs from giving way to the massive fear that Aeschylus's gaze gave him.  "well done Deimos," Aeschylus said, his heated gaze penetrating through the skull of Deimos, "I will send the Nephilims and the dragons to find the seal, it will be long before we need it anyway. I want you and the tricksters to find the four rings of the horsemen and bring them to me,"  "yes, master," "Things are finally going as I planned, you can go now," he dismissed Deimos. "Kallias! would you stop looking at your reflection for one second!" Maia shouted at her little sister. She didn't get why Kallias never parted from the mirror. It was obvious that she was very beautiful, everyone told her and Kallias herself knew she was beautiful but then she would rather admire herself in the mirror than do anything meaningful. "Would you stop being annoying for one second!" Kallias snapped back, her gaze barely straying from her beautiful face. Maia struggled to fill the two clay pots with water and carried them from the river bank to the lush green grass under the shade of the pine tree where her sister lay gazing at her reflection, "you carried mother's mirror! she's going to kill you for this," Maia cried out when she noticed the round mirror her mother loved and kept from them for fear that they would break it. Kallias rolled her eyes, "how ould she know if we don't tell her," she said while getting up. she rubbed off the grass that had stuck to her brown dress, "and would you stop calling me Kallias, it's a horrid name! I have told you to call me Kalli just like my dearest Hero calls me," she said, her eyes drifting into an endless fantasy. "How am I sisters with you honestly!" Maia said, a frown forming on her features, her green eyes shone even though she wasn't happy, it was one of those things that set her apart from her sister. It had been quite obvious from the day Kallias was born that her sister was the beautiful one and she was the calm and shy one with plain features compared to her sister. The grey hypnotizing eyes of Kallias had earned her so many suitors from her young age and the way she walked with a grace only seen on a queen was enough to have men drooling over her. Kallias smiled with her eyes and always had an inviting gaze that called you to her while Maia had scolding eyes that seemed to mock anyone who was brave enough to look into the depths of those green orbs. "When he breaks your heart don't say I didn't warn you Kallias," Maia said. "Whatever,"  As they were about to load their pots and go home, they heard sounds from the bushes. Maia knew very well that it had to be Hero and his no-good crew coming to stir up trouble, "did you hear that?" Kallias asked, her ears straining to hear the sounds from the thick shrubs. "Come out Hero," Maia called out, "we know it's you," "stop it, Maia, how are you sure it's them?" Maia sighed, "no one is mischievous enough as your darling Hero," she said as a matter of fact. There was quite and then Hero jumped out of the thick bushes, surprising Kallias. "You guys are very dumb," Maia snapped at them, furrowing her forehead. Hero and his two friends Kastor and Nike sat down, not caring that their white robes would get stained. "Relax Maia," Kastor teased. "Oh shut up beaver," "my name isn't beaver!" "Oh isn't it... didn't your grandmother say it means beaver?" Maia teased back, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Kallias sat next to Hero, her head resting on his lap. "Have you heard?" Hero started, "the arch vampire is looking for the rings of the horsemen," There was a  sudden hush that fell on the group, a sudden fear engulfed them from every point. The four rings would be a sure ingredient to the end of humanity, the rings were barely spoken of in the daylight; it was an abomination to speak of such things in the daylight when God had his light on the people... the darkness was a spice added to the mystery and secrets of the rings. It had first begun as a legend but then again.. all the supernatural creatures roaming the lands had also been a legend once until the god of the damned decided he had enough of the shadows and decided to come out in full power and might. "You know we don't speak of such things in the light of day!" Kallias scolded the apple of her eye. Hero looked down at the beautiful damsel laying on his lap, "don't be so cowardly Kalli, all those tales are myths to scare the children," Kallias frowned, she didn't like it when her darling Hero called her out. "it's unlikely that they find the rings," Nike said, his brown eyes darting to Maia who shook her head in disagreement, "I heard the arch vampire isn't sparing anytime... my father and the chief of the village were discussing it the other day. It's only time before they find the rings," Maia said, her face solemn. "And you didn't think to tell me!" Kallias exclaimed. "Nothing interests you more than your mirror dear sister," Kallias released herself from Hero, sitting upright next to him, "perhaps, but this is a serious matter," "With fewer warriors on our side... it'll be a matter of time before we are extinct or made slaves," Nike said. "Legends will rise, Nike, we will conquer the evil among us," "The goblins are sure to fight with us, they do not bow to the arch vampire," Kastor added. "Argh, those ugly grotesque creatures! The fairies would be a better ally," "the fairies keep themselves away from matters of the surface, they live peacefully in the skies. They wouldn't help," Hero said. "the werewolves and the warlocks are likely to help, they have an outstanding enmity with the vampires," Maia said. "That is likely," Hero said, giving Maia a glance that made her flush red. He smiled at her. "We should get going, mother will be worried," Maia suggested, her gaze falling on her sister who had a dreamy look on her face. No one knew whether they would make it alive or if they would become slaves to the arch vampire. The lands were now swarming with malicious creatures with the sole intention of destroying them. It was rare to find a wondering human outside the human villages. A walk alone outside of the tall gates guarding humanity was like a death wish, no one ever dared; even the ones that wanted to commit suicide never dared to venture into the exterior... it was better to die by a spear or poison than by the teeth of the damned creatures. They showed no mercy and it was always a slow painful death of watching your body torn apart until God had mercy on you and let you take your last breath. Aeschylus gathered his army, Deimos went out to search for the rings and Lucious the leader of the Nephilims and dragons set out to the valley of the dead.