Gray The Grand

The silence stretched on for a few seconds, after the Duke's statement. I could see the uncertainty on the vampire's face, while the Count merely let him fester on what he just said. Even as the Count stood there, his magic was in motion. I was memorizing every detail I could perceive, understanding that I was nowhere close to replicating it. It was a seamless blend between his force of will and the divine power of his talent. Without something similar I could never recreate what I was witnessing. It made me wonder how many people he had slain because I was staring at the depths of a sea.

The Count rubbed a hand on his chest before raising it towards the Duke. "It has been some time, has it not, Ben?"

The Duke smiled, "You remembered my name!" He clapped his hands together, as the Count gave a warm smile to him.

"I remember the names of all my children, and those of every unique bloodline. Are you still the only ink blood?" His deep voice was soft as he addressed the Duke, almost like speaking to his own child.

The Duke shrugged, "I'm sorry to say I am. Not for lack of trying mind you, there were a few men and women that caught my eye, but well it didn't work out. I might stay forever alone because of my talent. Which means I get to do all the paperwork, forever." He turned to me with a whisper, "The Count won't kill you if you're special. Though you messed up when you made more of your bloodline."

"I heard that." The Count gave Ben a disapproving look, before slowly bobbing his head. His eyebrow raised in thought, "Though he is right, I will not end a bloodline for mere words. I will make your unlife a living Hell if you overstep too much."

Ben snapped his fingers, pointing them at the Count, "Yep, like making me do all the paperwork for the Kingdom. Making endless copies, and just making me feel like a little ink magic slut."

This was difficult to process, and I shook my head in disbelief. The Count sighed, "I will break you, should you choose to continue."

"Already have, Vladdy." He winked at the Count, who just shook his head in disappointment. "I love my job!"

The Count shuddered at the name, "You are very lucky I have need of your services." Ben puckered his lips, as the count hissed, "I will have the stages in Eclipse burned to the ground, and the play documents destroyed if you continue."

Ben straightened up, "Yes, sir." He saluted with a fist over his chest, bowing slightly. Though he gave me a sly wink.

The Count rolled his hand, before gesturing at me. "Ben was trying to protect you, in case I was upset for some reason. It seems you two are friends."

"Thank you," I quietly whispered to the Duke. Though it appeared the Count still managed to hear it.

The Count continued, "As for the service I am about to request." He reached into his suit, pulling out three pieces of paper. "Charles has decided to let me take out my ire on a certain pair. He knew I was going to be upset, by this." He gestured to me. The Duke quietly walked forward, taking the pieces of parchment from the Count.

Ben tilted his head, "Bounties?" The count made a gesture for me to come closer.

I froze when I saw who the bounties were for. A sudden dread washed over me, as I looked at the drawing of my Queen, and her lover. The Count smirked, "It seems you know them already. I had wondered why the king gave these to me, but now I understand perfectly."

Bennett's words came back to me. It was too big of a risk to lie, so I needed to pick my words and responses carefully. I spoke through gritted teeth, "I do know them." Keep it vague, don't reveal too much, but keep it truthful.

The eight-foot (244 cm) tall vampire loomed over me. I could feel his focus on me, while Ben was trying to figure out what this was about. I honestly didn't know either, but I couldn't let my Queen face this monster yet. She still wasn't ready yet. Bodies six and seven were recalled to a safehouse to put as much focus on this as I could spare. "How do you know them?" The Count's words were less a question, and more a demand. The softness gone, despite his cruel smile.

"There are many things I do not know about them, but I do know they were involved in making my current form possible." What does he know? How much is he aware of? The king likely knows more, but how much has the Count been told? I started to make an emergency connection to Pandora but felt the Count's will lingering. I see, that's how he determined the truth.

The Count raised a brow, as I felt around his connection to me. A pocket of domination, something I couldn't rid myself of. I was compromised, and he might spread to the others. In the face of a monster like this, I knew I had to keep the Hive safe. I would grow my strength despite having already lost the war. I felt somber, as I steeled my resolve. I had no idea when the Queen would be ready, but there would be a time she could fix this. Until then, I wouldn't risk any connection outside of my isolated Hive. "That's hardly an answer."

Ben spoke up, "What is this about? Are these three important?"

I nodded, "Yes, they are. Though I have no communication with them. They were exiled a few weeks ago. I had wanted to follow them, but was forced to stay."

The Count stared at my mask, and it felt as though he were staring directly into my eyes. I glared at him, as he spoke. "Gray is a new bloodline, though I hate how it works. Honestly, it shouldn't work, yet here we are. His 'sire' is dead, but also not dead. Our kind was always close to death, yet this bloodline is a step closer. The soul of the vampire is ensnared by the monster living inside its body. A strange sort of union, not unlike doppelgangers from the mimic lineage."

I started to nod before the Count tore out my throat with crimson claws. My blood fell from his hands as if it were water. I could feel him absorb what used to be mine. "Bring another body here, I know you have spares."

Body six appeared as I shifted it to number one. The old number one collapsed to the floor, the mask falling off it as I picked it up. Ben stared at me, as I let the old number one die. "How?" He murmured.

The Count hissed in frustration, "Your sire managed to do something I have been attempting since Eclipse was founded. Ben, you need to understand that this is a new bloodline. A very dangerous one, since it can feed off the blood of others and use their magic against them. This is one of many, a hive mind vampire as it were. The bloodline will not die unless each body is destroyed, use them as you see fit."

Ben blinked, "I don't understand."

The Count looked at the Duke, "I cannot take his bloodline into my own. I cannot use their power without submitting to their sire. It is everything I wished to create, and yet I cannot have it. I am being taunted by their mere presence, and yet I have been forbidden from taking direct actions against the sire of this abomination. Abomination it may be, it is still a new bloodline, and they shall be protected as any other bloodline has been."

Ben held up the bounties, "What are these for? Why did you need my help?"

The Count gave a wicked grin, looking me over. "You shall serve me, or I shall put you into an eternal slumber. Your sire may wake you up, or they may never know your fate. I cannot take actions against them, but I can have you betray your maker. The king mentioned you were at war?"

I lowered my head, looking down at the mask I held. "Our Queen left us here, and we fight amongst ourselves. We do not have a leader, and we are no longer connected to each other. The war your king spoke of, was most likely the gang feuds going on in this area."

The Count looked over to Ben, as he nodded in confirmation. "There are the remnants of the Fiend's Eye, known as the Blind Eye. The Gray triangles, as they do not have an official name yet, and a few other gangs. Those two are the most prominent right now, my Count."

The count stroked his beard, "What is the purpose of this war?"

"With the absence of our Queen, it was meant to find who was most capable of leading without her guidance. An auxiliary queen or king to take over should she perish or lose connection to us. Such as how the recent exile required her to not interfere with Eclipse." There were more reasons, but the Count appeared to buy the surface explanation.

"I see," the Count nodded to himself. "This means killing the queen doesn't stop the Hive, but can spark a civil war after their passing. Hive minds were always troublesome to deal with, though most had the kindness to die with their queen. Tell me, will you be accepted back into the Hive if you raised the bounty on your Queen?"

"I have no intention of rejoining the Hive for the foreseeable future. If anything, raising such a bounty will mark me as a traitor. I cannot think of a better way for you to claim my services." The others would hopefully pick up on this and keep their connections to themselves. I cannot let this monster's influence spread to them. Even if it costs me my life, and they hate me for it. I will protect the Hive.

The Count plucked the paper from Ben, "For every coin you add on to their bounty, I shall give you two." He hand Ace's to me, confirming that he didn't know Richard and Ace were the same person.

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I understood it was a display of wealth, as much as it was of power. I couldn't go too low or he'd suspect something. With a heavy heart, I held all three papers, handing one to the Count. "Firefist Ace, Dead or Alive, a bounty of twenty silver." The Count smirked, as he handed it to Ben. I handed him the next sheet, "Richard Adams, Dead or Alive, a bounty of forty silver." The Count grinned, repeating the same action. I looked at the drawing of my Queen, wanting to tear the paper to shreds. "Mimi, Queen of the Vespe, Alive, a bounty of one gold."

I handed the paper to the Count as if it were about to catch fire. The Count raised a brow, "Alive."

I nodded, "If she is to die, I would rather it be by my own hands." That way I could make it swift and painless, or help her escape.

The Count laughed, "Alive it is then." He handed the last sheet to Ben as he altered the ink. Books fell from their shelves, as blood magic came from the Duke. I could sense text being altered, and other parts rewritten. The Count gave me a welcoming smile, "Is there anything you'd like to put on there? Something to cement your betrayal?"

I scowled under my mask, as the Count seemed to savor what he was forcing me to do. I lowered my head, "Under the amount put, 'there is no glory.'"

The Count tilted his head, "Care to explain?"

"In our youngest days, when our minds are fresh. All in the Hive have sought glory for the Hive. It will tell them that I am leaving the Hive. If you put my name as the one placing the bounty, then it will be more of a statement. Are we done here?"

The Count let out a soft laugh, "That depends, are you certain this will force you to leave your little hive as you call it?"

The children were going home now, as the count drew out every word. He wanted me to see the implications of what he had to say. There was less stimulation, and it left me aggravated with every word. I nodded my head, "Yes, unless they are willing to let me explain I have placed an attack against the Queen. Such an action is viewed as unforgivable."

The Count raised a brow, "You aren't going to ask why I'm making you do all of this?"

"I can think of a few reasons, but the most likely is that you are forcing my dependence on your underlings. I understand the differences in our power, so I have no means to defy you. Lashing out at other bloodlines will only earn your ire, which will end poorly for myself. All resentment I have at what transpired is focused solely on you. If there comes a day that I can claim your head, I shall."

Ben whispered, "Last Rites." He bounced a little, having completed his work.

The Count stroked his beard, "It is refreshing to hear such direct malice." He closed his eyes as if savoring my frustration. "Ben shall be the one you report to directly, and he shall be the one giving you the coin I promised." The Count looked at the Duke, "Mal is occupied with preparing for the Carnival. The Leeches have been dormant for too long. The Minotaur cannot be allowed to claim the Southside, and I will be taking the Earls above ground. The others above your standing shall be aiding them with supplies and blood. Meaning, you and the other dukes and duchesses shall be left alone down here in the Underground."

The Duke's eyes went wide, "Do you think they'll listen to me!? Count, this is too much. Why are you taking everyone?"

The Count's grin stretched as he bared his fangs. "Oswald is dead, and I fell in battle to a dragon. The King is weaker now than he has been in centuries. The Kingdom of Fire will not let this chance slip by. I must prepare a warm welcome for the army they send, which is why I am taking everyone with the ability to fight."

The Duke swallowed audibly, as tomes opened and letters fell to the ground. Ink rose from the dark stone, writing invitations and other documents. "Understood, when can we expect the Carnival to happen?"

"On the evening of the first snowfall. There shall be no ball this year, and I have less than half a year to prepare. Let's hope that I do not have to reveal myself on the fields of battle. Perhaps more bloodlines shall blossom, or some of the rarer ones will sire their own young. It has been far too long since something this exciting happened." The Count began to drip blood, as his form began to lose features.

Ben nodded, "Just make sure Kobe doesn't take over and keep the others from killing each other. Got it, anything else?"

The Count was halfway into the floor, "No. I'm curious to see who will please me the most. If you feel any bloodlines are in danger, do let me know. I will spare some time to rectify such problems." He moved through the dirt and stone beneath us, his presence hiding itself as the torches regained their normal color.

Ben's shoulders slumped, as he turned to me. "I'm almost upset he gave you more attention than the biggest news in decades. Though the Count does focus on keeping bloodlines going more than anything else. Sorry about whatever he forced you to do, even if I don't recognize what happened."

I shook my head, as all bodies were put on patrol, save for the two altering memories. "It is not your place to apologize for the actions of those above you. If you have sympathy for my plight, then please enlighten me with answers."

Ben smiled, perking up a little. "Another quote from Redemption, and a great one for the scene we're in now. The Count can be rather possessive when it comes to bloodlines. He wants all of them under his power or resting so they can be preserved. There are rumors that he was the first king of man, coming into power when the elves first rebelled. Others claim he was born on the 'Darkest Night' spawning from the demons that fled whatever evil came that day."

"Please Ben, I'm tired." I softly grabbed his shoulder.

"Ah, well long story short; he is the first vampire that gave rise to all other vampires. His blood grants him the power of all others under him, and he can bind bloodlines to his own. Sort of like how you can drink blood and use the magic of others if what he said was true. I don't know his personal reasons, but it's safe to assume he will use any bloodline he needs when pushed. Kind of like how the king can use all forms of magic. I don't know how they do it, but they do."

"My Duke, I am asking what the Carnival is supposed to be." It was useful information, but I couldn't share it with those that needed it most. I could feel the embers of the Count's dominance still lingering. If I tried to remove them, he would know. He might try a more subtle approach, and it wasn't worth the risk of compromising the Hive.

Ben rubbed the back of his head, "I see, well that's harder to explain. Everyone knows Eclipse is surrounded by spatial magic. That only certain portals can work, and even those need keys to get into Eclipse proper. The reason for that is because the inner walls and innermost walls have runes on them. These runes distort space around the entire city, kind of generating it. The city is supposed to be able to house the entire world's population, and that's just what the Count said. I can't pretend to know how it works." He shrugged.

"What does it do? What is the carnival supposed to be?" I was on the verge of pleading with him, the whole conversation starting to grate.

Ben sighed, "I'm getting there, anyway, it's basically an ace. How do you protect your population, the buildings, the goods, and your kingdom? Just bend space and let the war happen over unclaimed lands. Everything above the sewers will be transported to a sort of pocket space. Do you know what lives in the sewers? Vampires, vampires are what live in the sewers. So, the Carnival happens when the invading army decides they want to attack the kingdom. Then everything worth looting is gone, and the vampires rise out of the sewers and feast on the army sent to attack."

I was impressed that such a thing was possible. "How many times has this happened?"

Ben looked away, thinking back. "Maybe once? I say maybe, because it was probably a test to see if it worked. Either that, or some kind of gigantic monster that could erase memories showed up and triggered it. Trust me when I say monsters that can fuck with a vampire's head are the absolute worst!" He swatted his hand in an exaggerated gesture, with a smile.

"Got it, is there anything you need from me? I believe I would like to rest." Please let me go so I can read a textbook instead of continuing this conversation.

Ben gave me a crooked smile, "The Count said the leeches need to make themselves appear. He also said you have disposable bodies, and that you're incredibly hard to kill." Why me? Ben spread his arms wide, "Congratulations on your promotion from a young blood, to a hunter!" He clapped. "You're on par with Bennett now, and I just so happen to need a capable vampire to deliver letters to the other dukes and duchesses in the Underground."

I forced a smile under my mask, "Wonderful, what does this promotion entail?"

Ben chuckled, "A map complete with all the ways to get into my domain, more responsibility, and bragging rights for getting here so quickly."

"Lovely, you mentioned letters? Do I get maps to their lairs as well?" I just wanted to do odd jobs for them for extra coin. I didn't want to be this involved. I could already feel my spare time slipping away, so many papers left ungraded, so many books left unread.

The letters Ben filled out just before the Count left suddenly started to float. "A crude map, with instructions on who to give them to. I can't have anyone poaching the only other vampire with class in this damn place." The letters floated in front of my chest, stacked neatly. "I mean it, Gray." He stared at me, "Don't you dare work for another duke or duchess. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to talk to someone about plays. You can't just give me hope, and walk away." His tone suggested something would happen if he thought I was leaving him.

I crossed my arms, "I have to keep up appearances, but if you truly are the only other vampire to talk to about plays. Well, you don't have to worry. We're both gentlemen, and our class speaks for us. I would prefer not to shift into another territory, but as the Minotaur becomes a bigger problem, I might need to."

Ben smiled, "Thank goodness, I was worried I might have to threaten you! Let's never speak of this again." What would you threaten me with? I squinted at him, but of course, he couldn't see my reaction. "Now, you have deliveries to make. I'll be here, do know the sooner the better. I expect them to all be delivered within three days since it does contain the words of the Count. Do you need any young bloods working under you by chance? I have a few we could rouse given the situation."

I shook my head, "I'll consider the young bloods if you could give me documents to go over for them. I'd like to know who exactly I'll be watching over. That said, I could just turn them into more bodies for myself if you aren't against it. I'll be sure to deliver the letters as quickly as I can."

"I'll get you those documents, eventually. Goodbye, my wonderful prodigy. Let the moonlight guide your way." Ben clasped his hands in prayer, "Let the stars sing of your praises. May the gods themselves envy your success!" He twirled, and I decided right then that all future contact with him would be done exclusively through a shade. I just needed to wait for one to grow to that level. "May the demons themselves speak of your name in their darkest nightmares!"

I gave a soft clap, "A wonderful farewell, that I simply cannot top. Time waits for no one, and I have tasks to complete, my most generous duke." I bowed, before leaving. Focus was shifted from body four, to a teleporter as I rounded the corner. I shoved the stack of papers inside its open ribcage and closed it before we both teleported home. I quickly skimmed through the letters, before separating them into piles. I moved into a fresh body, chucking the slumped one into the wall. Bodies two through four were swapped, and the first round of letters were sent out.

The sun would be rising soon, but the crystals in the ceiling didn't impart its danger. Vampires could function at any time of the day here in the Underground. I was given three days for this task, and I would have it done by tonight. I relaxed the patrols, putting more focus on the textbook, and grading the papers. I needed to form a plan to keep the others safe, while still giving the illusion of war. The more valuable I became, the more the Duke would rely on me. I could potentially force the local vampires to assist against the Minotaur, keeping the Hive relatively safe. After all, I had to make the Count believe I wanted to end them with my own hands. I barely tasted the blood on my lips from me biting them too hard.