The Feeding House (23 page)

“Surely with this information there has to be some other way to stop everything now,” began Jack “I mean
Dreno doesn’t know that we know anything about this, maybe we can catch him out.”

Isaac sighed, he was frustrated “Jack you have to realise that there is no other way, and with this new information it just means that I have to act sooner than I previously expected. I have to fight him and we have to leave for that feeding house now, this is our only chance to save everyone, be they human or vampire.”

Jack wanted to fight off Isaacs plan and think of another way, but he just couldn’t. Isaacs’s idea made the most sense and as much as Jack hated to admit it, it was there one chance to stop all of this “Ok,” began Jack “But I’m coming with you, I’ll be there for you every step of the way just like you were for me.”

Isaac smiled as he looked across at Jack “thank you my friend, now we have to leave, I intend to try and stop
Dreno as soon as possible.”

Isaac and Jack left the old farm house on foot, Isaac knew that this may well be one of the last nights of his life and Jack knew it too. Isaac however seemed poised and ready for the oncoming fight, he knew that he had to end his brother’s reign of
tyranny and this was the only way.

Henry stayed behind, he didn’t want to go with them, and he didn’t want to face the horror of the feeding house again. Thoughts swam around his head telling him that this was all his fault, he should never have betrayed his friends. Now they were dead and the feeding house, his new home, was descending into anarchy. He couldn’t face the shame any longer, as he stood amongst the rubble of his former home, he knew that there was only one way that he could release himself from the pain.

Henry drew a long and sharp blade from his back pocket, he was addicted to Dreno’s cruel pure blood and with no way now to get it he felt himself quickly withering away as the thirst set in. Henry lent his head down on the log that he had been sitting on and turned sideways scrunching his face with fear.

Then his eyes opened and he was calm, tears began to stream down his face “I’m so sorry for what I have done,” with that he thrust the knife down onto his neck, severing his own head in one quick movement. As his head rolled across the floor, he was freed from the life that he had made for himself.

A few hours after leaving, Jack and Isaac arrived at the feeding house they had not spoken for the duration of the walk and Jack had, had difficulty keeping up with the focussed Isaac. They were about to walk down the path that lead to the large and old building when Jack grabbed Isaacs arm “Are you sure that you still want to go through with this, there is no shame in turning back now. I’m sure that given some time we could find another way to stop this.”

Isaac
turned slowly and Jack released his grip on his arm “Believe me when I say that this is the only way, I will most probably not return from this, but we must have faith that this will work.”

“Then I have one question,” said Jack “It’s been bothering me since you first told me that
Dreno was your brother. You had everything, I know how well off the High Council of vampires are, why did you throw that all away for humanity, the very thing that you were feeding on.”

Isaac sighed “I left that life behind me because I knew that it was wrong, I had known it for a long while before the discovery of blood fruit, I tried so many different ways to stop myself from feeding, including starvation, but none of them worked. I believe in the blood fruit Jack, it is the only way for vampires to evolve, for all of our curses, this is our one gift. I would die for this, it is my life and it is the one thing I truly believe in.”

For the first time Jack actually saw emotion from behind Isaacs eyes, he knew that this was the truth and he also knew that there was no way that he could stop Isaac from fighting Dreno. The time had come where one of them would finally come out victorious, and Jack was not about to stand in the way of that. He understood now why Isaac was so adamant that he must fight, and Jack respected that.

Jack did not have a plan of his own but as Isaac began to walk off Jack stopped for a second, and looked down at the doll in his pocket, the doll that belonged to that poor girl who was still stuck in that house, the one that he knew today he would save or die trying.

Jack looked up at the house “I’m coming to get you,” he said as he returned the doll back to his pocket and followed Isaac.

Isaac and Jack arrived at the main doors of the feeding house, a sight that Jack had not seen for a very long time now. Outside stood two guards
, who upon seeing Jack and Isaac instantly recognised them, the two guard’s eyes turned Jet black and they both revealed their fangs. Isaac and Jack did not respond in the same way which, for a moment confused the guards.

“What are you two doing here, we knew that you were stupid but this is beyond even your level of foolishness,” said one of the guards, their eyes still remaining black, their tone was taunting.

Isaac began to speak in a dialect that Jack had never heard before, it sounded strange and ancient to him and he wasn’t even sure if the guards fully understood what he was saying “Deraar Du Caraa Ez Du Drano Mela teia Dreno.” 

The guards stopped and stared for a moment, their fangs retracted and their eyes returned to normal colour. Isaac had spoken the ancient language of the vampires, a language that was only spoken now by the royal elite of the vampire world. Even though Isaac was seen as a traitor by the vampires of the feeding houses, if he spoke in this language to any vampire he immediately commanded their respect.

The two guards stood the
re shocked. It almost seemed as though they were unsure as to what to do next. Eventually they grabbed Jack and Isaac and began to lead them inside, pushing them as they moved along. The guards led them through the winding corridors and hallways of the feeding house, Jack knew where they were heading, last time he had been there Dreno had turned him into a vampire, they were heading for the main hall.

Inside the main hall there was a fight going on between two vampires, the same sort of fight that had been going on for days now. The two fighters looked starved near to death but they stil
l fought on with unnatural rage. The victor would claim rights to a place in Dreno’s new world and as such would once again get to feast upon the pure blood. Overlooking the fight was Dreno himself, he was sipping from his chalice of normal blood.

The doors to the main hall flew open,
it fell silent and the fighting stopped. Everyone looked up to see what was going on.

“What is the meaning of this intrusion,” said
Dreno, but he stopped his sentence short as he saw who it was. It was the two most unlikely people to ever walk through his door.

The guards brought Jack and Isaac through into the main hall and the vampires
, including Dreno, all looked shocked. None of them had expected to see Jack again, most of the vampires thought he was dead, but for those who remembered Isaac, the surprise was even greater. No vampire ever thought that Dreno’s brother would dare show his face. They knew that he had been on the run for so many years now that they just couldn’t believe that he was standing before them.

Dreno
gathered himself and a small smirk appeared on the corners of his mouth “Dreano,” he said as he stood up from his chair “How lovely to see you again. You know I have been looking for you for a long time now. I think it probably is about time that we have a little family reunion.”

Isaac said nothing but continued to stare at
Dreno, remembering the pain that he had caused him, and the pain that he had caused his friends. Dreno went on “You realise that this is a bold move in you coming to my home. I could easily have you both killed where you stand, after all you are both very irritating thorns in my side.”

“You will not kill us my brother,” Began Isaac as he looked directly into
Dreno’s eyes “I evoke the ancient rites of our blood line, you have gone too far this time and you must be stopped, and I am the one that will stop you. I am here to fight you for the title of High Chancellor, for the feeding houses and for control over the vampire masses.”

All eyes in the hall turned to
Dreno ready for his response. Dreno began to laugh “You’ve come here to challenge me? You can’t be serious, brother dearest. I knew you were desperate but I didn’t think you were suicidal. Do you have any idea how strong I am now compared to you? You know, I enjoyed killing your friends, but I have a feeling that I’m going to enjoy killing you so much more than that.”

“”I realise that this may not be the best
of ideas but you’re my brother. I watched as slowly the power of being high chancellor began to go to your head. I watched every day as the power corrupted you more than the blood that you drank, and I stood by and did nothing. Well I’m here to change that now and right the wrongs of my past. You’re a monster,” replied Isaac.

“Look around you,” said
Dreno “according to this world run by humans we are all monsters, including you Isaac. I just want our kind to be given the respect we deserve. We are the dominant race, we are humanities natural predator and as such we should rule the world and not them, they are nothing more than cattle for us to feast upon.”

“No
Dreno you’re wrong, we may be monsters in their eyes but that is only because of our past. It’s time that we move on as a race and integrate fully. Sure we can hunt and feast but humanity builds and betters itself, it’s about time that we learnt a lesson from them. You’ve allowed your stubbornness to get in the way of every vampires life, and all because you wanted the power. You wanted to be in control and make the decision for millions as to how to live.  I’m not a monster, not since I left the feeding houses anyway,” replied Isaac the tone of his voice filled with a mix of rage and passion.

Dreno
’s blood seemed to be boiling beneath his skin, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His brother was here now to try and pull down everything that he had been working towards and he wasn’t about to let that happen. Dreno was power crazy and he couldn’t let Isaac take that power away from him. Dreno channelled his anger ready for the fight ahead, he had been waiting to kill Isaac for so long now, and he was pleased that he would get to kill him with his own two hands.

Dreno
displayed his fangs and let out a great vampiric war cry “Very well we shall fight for everything, to the death. If you win you shall inherit everything that I own, including the title of High Chancellor. Believe me when I say that you shall not taste victory. I shall strike you down where you stand brother. The fight will be over before it even begins. Now fight me brother, I cannot wait to tear your beating heart out from your chest and show it too you before you die.”

Dreno
drew his fangs and his eyes turned jet black “Let’s see what you’ve got,” he said as he motioned his hand for Isaac to come closer.

Isaac also drew his fangs and his eyes turned black, he began to charge up to
Dreno and they collided with a great force, knocking them both back slightly. Jack watched on as they fought, his mind was swimming in fear hoping that Isaac would come out of this victorious. The fight was like nothing he had ever witnessed before, they were going at each other like savage animals and fighting with such power, it would be lucky if the building remained standing, let alone Isaac.

Isaac managed to grab
Dreno and throw him against a wall, the force of Dreno hitting the wall caused it to crack. As Isaac approached Dreno, Dreno looked up and smiled “Is that all that you’ve got?” Dreno shot his foot out which connected with Isaacs stomach causing him to fly half way across the room. He slid across the floor like a rag doll.

Both of them got back up to their feet and stood looking at one another “Face it brother,” said
Dreno tauntingly “You’re no match for me, you never have been, you have always been filled with such weakness.”

“It didn’t have to end this way
, there was once good in you,” replied Isaac.

Dreno
laughed “Please, spare me the intervention. What you’re referring to was weakness, the same weakness that rots you to your very core. You stand no chance at destroying me because unlike you, I have destroyed the weaknesses that have held me back.”

Dreno
leapt an unnatural length to meet Isaac in the middle of the room, the fight continued on and it became evident for all to see, that Dreno was quickly gaining the upper hand. Isaac fought back valiantly but Dreno’s power and brute force was becoming far too much for him to handle, and eventually Dreno over powered him. Dreno threw Isaac, who landed bloodied and bruised in front of Dreno’s chair.

Isaac tried to get to his feet but his body was too weak and he fell back down to the ground, spitting blood as he did so.
Dreno slowly began to walk up to him “You see brother, what did I tell you? Your compassion for the human race has made you soft and weak, it sickens me just too look at what you’ve become,” Dreno kicked Isaac in the stomach and then spat on him.

“Pass me my knife,” yelled
Dreno, and quickly one of the vampires ran over holding Dreno’s ceremonial knife, it glistened in the light, ready to draw blood.

Jack looked on in horror knowing that it was all over, knowing that there was nothing that he could do
about it. He was helpless. He knew that if he intervened now that he would get both himself and Isaac killed. Every bone in his body told him that he couldn’t just stand there and watch but equally he knew that if he did do something, it would do no good. Everything was over, this had been their last hope, and this truly was the end of the road.