George and William stood in the road, surrounded by corpses. The manager hung the flask of blood on his belt and continued to ponder their next move. The infantrymen trudged toward a small camp outside the forest. There were about seventy deserters. The three men would not reach them for another four hours. They wouldn't leave at night either.

"Have you gathered the weapons?" Will finished packing the last two sets of armor and as much civilian clothing as he could. "I took some blood. We need to decide who to share it with."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just drag one body over and let everyone try?" George grabbed the collected items and glared at William. "How else can we tell them all about it without looking crazy?"

"George , blood gives us power. And human blood gives us even more than animal blood," Will looked at the head of security reproachfully. "We'll tell everyone as soon as we can. But there are people who should not be given such power."

It was unacceptable for loudmouths like Malcolm or hysterics like Morey to have power over the crowd. On Earth, Will wouldn't have thought to challenge his boss's authority, but here it was different. They were stuck here and it was worth thinking about power or influence over them. Under the current circumstances, the power would belong to those who were stronger.

"Do you want to force them to your side? How many successful examples of long-term dictatorship can you think of?"

"If necessary, I'm willing to use force to protect the people. But for now, information is our main power."

"Hey, do you feel that?" George abruptly changed the subject and started to look around.

William tensed as well. He felt the temperature around them rise sharply and the exposed parts of his skin began to prickle. The vampire, and the manager had little doubt of that now, looked up to see the clouds parting and rare rays of sunlight breaking through the small gaps. There was a hissing sound. Skin burned excruciatingly, as if splashed with hot oil, and a light smoke began to rise. The scouts pulled up their hoods and wrapped themselves tightly in their traveling cloaks.

"Take the loot and run to the forest! We must warn everyone!"

The vampires sprinted at tremendous speed into the shade of the trees and made their way back to where they had appeared in this world. Running was easy. It was even fun, despite the clothes. Strangely enough, after spending a small part of the day naked, the clothes on their bodies felt strange. Of course, the fact that the clothes were dirty, and it was other people's dirt, contributed to this feeling.

The sun's rays couldn't yet penetrate the canopy of the centuries-old trees. William looked back and noticed something. The weather was slowly changing; the clouds were just beginning to part where they had been, so these changes wouldn't reach the village for at least two hours. The manager's thoughts shifted to other problems.

The most important thing, of course, was to find like-minded people. The spontaneous council provided plenty of food for thought. The people were clearly lost, didn't know what to do, didn't know who to listen to; giving them a common idea and not allowing them to choose from too many options was, in William's opinion, the best solution to the problem at the moment. He didn't like it, but he didn't see any other options, so he went back to thinking about potential allies.

The potential allies were now waiting for him in the hunting lodge. Add George to the mix, and together with Will, the core group already numbered nine people.

The organizational problem remained to be solved. Set up a guard in the hut and distribute weapons to his people. Then feed them blood one by one. And best of all, make everyone hide in their houses so the newly turned vampires wouldn't burn in the rays of Selin, the local name for the sun.

William still hadn't figured out how to get everyone to listen to him. The scouts hadn't been gone long, but Harrington could have easily begun to sway people to his side during that time. The manager had never doubted him as a leader. It was unclear what would greet the vampires when they returned to the camp. They might have to settle things by force.

That was a scenario he wanted to avoid at all costs. Will understood that he didn't have enough people or resources to intimidate everyone and maintain control. Besides, a democratic approach was closer to his heart. He had never thought that he would find it so important to be responsible for such a large number of people. He had to look out for their welfare.

George was right. Following their own tracks back proved remarkably easy - the scent of fresh urine was easily distinguishable in the overall symphony of forest scents. The time spent walking gave the men a chance to think. Now they had several options to choose from. But what to do remained unclear. Too much information had piled up. Another world, magic, bloodlust, fear of the sun, war. There were many questions, but answers... their goal was getting closer.

While the scouts pondered what to do, the village continued to argue. Realizing the futility of arguing with the crowd, Malcolm divided the people into groups and assigned them to houses. The weather was overcast, and rain seemed to pose a significant threat to naked people without a source of heat. Everyone did their best to repair the roofs. Some simply threw branches over them, while others with repair experience did a more thorough job. There weren't enough houses to go around; there were no more than fifty buildings, each capable of housing three or four people at a time.

Harrington took up residence in the largest house in the village center. There he housed all of his followers and most of the other leaders from the office building, except for the cafe owner on the first floor. No matter how much Malcolm tried to persuade Arthur, his harsh words to Rosa had made it impossible for them to have a friendly relationship.

The Assistant Director dismissed the matter and moved on to another part of his plan. Now that the people were divided into small groups, it was time to act. Predictably, Malcolm began to exert his authority as a boss, influencing everyone, especially his subordinates, to see things his way. Moving from group to group, he quietly but persistently pushed his idea.

Those who supported William sometimes left the hunting lodge to keep an eye on what was happening in the village. They, too, faced challenges. Arthur and Rosa refused to wait for the scouts and insisted on hunting. The skill and obvious superiority of those who had drunk animal blood over the hungry vampires made only one thing clear to the couple. They had to quench their thirst as quickly as possible.

Richard and those who had already fed understood the eagerness of their allies. But venturing far into the forest was too dangerous. Besides, there was a chance they might miss William and George.

After much debate, the people finally reached a compromise. First, they would do their best to clean up their hut, and then Richard would stay behind to wait for the scouts while the rest went hunting.

Will and George found them hard at work. To say that the repairmen were surprised at the sight of the scouts would be an understatement. Will didn't want to show off his findings, so he quickly entered the hunting lodge, the others following. After the mutual inspection was over, he abruptly sat down on the floor.

"Guys, we're in big trouble."

"Being naked vampires in a forest was just the beginning," Lucas laughed openly. "Turns out you can be in even deeper trouble than that. And I see you've dressed up."

"Don't joke, Lucas. It can get worse."

"How so?"

"We're in another world."

The words were met with deep silence. Surely no one doubted the seriousness of their comrade's words. Humans don't turn into vampires without a good reason. Who had ever heard of someone turning into a vampire before today? But the idea of another world seemed too unbelievable to accept.

Lucas, who had just mocked William, was the first to snap out of it:

"Where did you get that?"

"George, tell them." Will was making his first test of his partner's loyalty, to see if he would obey when given a direct order. And George did not disappoint.

"We met people. Two groups. They were fighting. Then the survivors retreated. William finished off a wounded commander. Drank his blood. Just like with the boar. Saw all the lives of the humans and all their memories. The blood of the first human takes a long time to digest, you have to pass out. After that, it gets easier," George reported in short, maximally comprehensible sentences, his military training evident. "This is another world."

"Are you sure it's another world?" Oliver, approaching William, pulled a sword from the bundle. "Could we have fallen into the past?"

"There are other races here, Oliver. Orcs, elves, goblins and dwarves, and no evidence of known historical names and such."

Oliver twirled the blade in his hand and, after a moment of contemplation, licked the blood from the blade. It's hard to say what effect he hoped to achieve with this action, but just as his friends were digesting the information about another world, he collapsed to the floor at William's feet, who looked at the unconscious body impassively.

"It's normal. We fainted too. He'll wake up soon. But we won't wait for him," Will looked at the others. "Don't do what that 'genius' did. Here's a vial of blood. Drink it. George, get undressed and sit on the threshold. You can wrap a sword in a cloak and place it by the entrance. Just so the bundle isn't visible. Did you fix the roof?"

As Will spoke, he gestured with the flask in his hand. Arthur, who couldn't take his eyes off the ship, replied immediately.

"Yes, we fixed it. Richard convinced us not to go hunting."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"At least you made yourself useful somewhere," William smiled at his friend. "While we were running, we got to warm up under the local sun. Just so you all know, it's deadly to us. You'll fry better than any toast. And it's going to happen in the next hour and a half. "

William's statement was met with a deadly silence. The amount of bad news was overwhelming and did nothing to boost the morale of those present. Realizing there was no point in delaying any longer, the manager uncorked the bottle and began to feed his allies. Each took a big gulp. Arthur and Rosa, who were the hungriest, took two. The bottle emptied quickly. Now William was surrounded by seven unconscious vampires and George whistling a marching tune. The former deputy head of security sat on the threshold, admiring the wild nature. A harmless bundle lay next to his right hand.

The fire crackled merrily. According to the laws of physics, the fire was scorching hot and caused pain when you put your hand in it, but that wasn't what warmed them. The vampires were warmed by an inner force that warmed better than any flame or alcohol.

Friends gathered around the hearth, where the fire crackled merrily, devouring the dry kindling that people threw into it.

When all awoke after the first ingestion of the blood of sentient beings, there was no talking. All but William and George sat deep in thought. No one bothered to dress. Even the women chose not to cover their bodies with what the natives called clothing, mostly because any clothing that was remotely suitable had been taken by the pioneers.

"We have to warn everyone in the village," Oliver added more kindling, not even trying to get up, "or someone will definitely burn in the rays of Selin."

"We will," William stood up and stretched, "and we also have to stick together and not give Harrington too much power. You all know he's a good leader, but frankly a bad man."

Everyone who understood the context nodded in agreement. Still, they made no attempt to rise, instead staring somberly into the fire. George stood as well. He didn't bother to dress, deciding that William would be more conspicuous. Today the manager would be the center of attention. The former head of security took only a sword, well wrapped in a cloak.

"We're going to the village. Tell everyone what we've learned. Hold another meeting. We don't confront Harrington directly, but we stick to our position. We don't tell anyone about the blood until the time is right. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Arthur stood up as well and looked at his wife, who was staring into the fire with a sullen face. He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, but he didn't dare.

"Next, weapons. Choose what you want to use. I'm telling you now - spears are better. Swords are much harder to use, but it's advisable for someone to take them."

"I'll take a sword, Will," Oliver, who stood up next, replied almost immediately, even interrupting the leader, "I've always dreamed of actually wielding a sword."

"Well, here's your chance. As they say, be careful what you wish for - it just might come true," George called from the doorway. He decided to go last and cover the procession from behind. So he gestured invitingly towards the exit.

The group fell silent, moving forward to the sounds of nature around them. Soon Arthur caught up to William and, standing next to him, they walked side by side. A fully clothed man and a fully naked man walked together for some time.

"You may have left too many tracks. You know, villagers or deserters will find the bodies; the animals will not have time to eat the dead overnight, and then they will be curious as to who was the third party who participated in the skirmish and stole the armor. It wouldn't be hard for a mage to follow you tracks. And there's definitely one among the deserters."

William had already thought about this, but fortunately the problem wasn't urgent.

"The Baron won't be looking for his subjects for the next two days. First the remnants of the militia must reach the village, then a messenger must be sent to the nearest fortress. There they'll verify the information and inform the lord. Then they have to gather a detachment of about a hundred spearmen to wipe out the deserters. So we have about four days before they even get here. It's even easier with the deserters. They're too few to travel through the forest. And their supplies are running low. So they'll probably attack Mordo. There are fortifications against goblins there, and if the infantrymen hole up behind the walls, the barony will have to spend another week laying siege."

"And the Baron's army?"

"The army is too far away. They're in the middle of a war. You understand, they don't want to deal with who killed their former comrade right now."

"Yes, but Baron Mirid holds his veterans in high esteem. It is this policy that maintains his power and the loyalty of his warriors. He even knew Rollo by name. If he doesn't react to the death of a subordinate - he could lose his authority."

"Raised the issue? Excellent. Now think about how to solve it."

"And you, I see, operate under military law - initiative is punishable?"

William turned and looked into Arthur's smiling face.

"I assign the task to the one who found the problem and had the courage to speak up. That means they can also solve it."

"You know, you don't look very smart. But you say very wise things.

"Talking is easy. It's doing that's hard. And what we do now will determine not only our lives, but the lives of several hundred people."

"Vampires..."

"What?" William even stopped and stared at his interlocutor.

"Not humans. The lives of several hundred vampires depend on us," Arthur continued, looking directly into the manager's eyes.

"Exactly. Time to get used to the new reality."

"Then I'll assign our women the task of washing and cleaning all the clothes we've acquired. We'll have to meet the locals soon. To do so naked is inappropriate," Arthur chuckled, "and the militia clothing should not be recognizable."

"Go ahead. Just be careful that your wife doesn't bite your head off for such tasks. She's got quite a temper."

The silence lasted all the way to the village, each person lost in their own thoughts. William mentally processed the people's memories of the world they had appeared in, trying to make sense of it all. It turned out that they had been thrown into a rather wild, sparsely populated area. Under other circumstances, you could hide in these forests forever, but they showed up just as trouble was brewing for the first time in several centuries. And they landed almost at its epicenter. The local fauna, including goblins, did not help matters.

The camp greeted the party with surprised eyes and a confused hustle and bustle. They had forgotten to build a fire. The houses looked like anything but shelter. Here and there were holes in the roofs. Everyone was doing what they saw fit. And although it was obvious that Malcolm was still trying to organize the work, he was doing it rather poorly. Obviously, he had spent most of his time scheming instead of organizing the people properly.

"Ah, the hunter scouts have arrived! I was getting worried. And who did you rob? Is there some kind of masquerade nearby? When will help arrive?"

Ignoring the exclamations of his former boss, William shouted as loudly as he could, calling everyone to gather. The effect was minimal. Some turned around, but the majority continued with their tasks.

Will began to seethe with frustration. These lazybones obviously wanted to get to know Selin. He pulled his sword from its sheath and slashed diagonally at a nearby tree. The trunk creaked and fell with a crash. The new inhabitants of the settlement stopped and stared at the manager, then began to approach him. William climbed onto the fallen oak and surveyed them.

The deputy director was clearly upset that his words were being ignored, but he did not escalate the situation or seek conflict. He was also curious. Besides, the sword trick made it wise to keep any complaints to himself. Most importantly, there was the scent. The clothes worn by this leader of the "idiots", as he privately referred to the group arguing with him, smelled tantalizingly of blood. The scent was faint. The blood had dried, but his nose caught it, and a desire to possess the liquid ignited within him.

"What I'm about to tell you is unbelievable, but I beg you to believe me and take my words very seriously."

He managed to get the attention of the crowd, although it didn't take much effort in such a scenario. After such a demonstration, a man in armor naturally attracted attention even without speaking. People stood still, ready to listen. The man struggled to find the right words.

"I understand that you are all in shock. But we've run into much bigger problems than we expected," Will looked at George and gestured with his hand. While everyone in the cabin was stunned, the scouts had agreed that the former head of security would go hunting when the time was right. They had seen several deer on their way back, and a couple of large carcasses would make a more convincing argument. The bushes rustled, and Joe and the other allies disappeared into the depths of the forest. "We can't expect any help. We scouted the area and it's definitely not the outskirts of our town. I think you've all figured that out. There will be no rescuers."

The people stood and watched him, waiting for more. Even Serena and Harrington were silent and didn't try to say anything. Not about the rescuers, not about their location.

"There's a road north of us. We haven't seen any cars the whole time, but we've met some locals." A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of those around them, and people began to whisper to each other. "Quiet, don't interrupt. The meeting was not pleasant. For one thing, they speak a language I don't understand. And they don't look like civilized people. They staged a real massacre in the street. With this very weapon.

Will raised the sword in his hand. Everyone stared at the piece of metal, but remained silent. The crowd did not react. Will thought he would get some harsh criticism, but for now the people just listened. While he and George went to the site of the battle, the other vampires also considered their situation. They, too, were getting used to their new abilities, which did not contribute to logical versions of what had happened. And the more they thought, the less rational explanations remained. The young manager's words were just another theory, no less crazy than the ones they had in their heads.

"As you all remember, the blood of living beings gives the ability to see their memories. I..." Will hesitated a bit. "I touched the blood of one of the dead natives. We were thrown very, very far from home."

The manager took a deep breath. Until George returned, it was necessary not to reveal all the cards. The phrase "We are in another world" would immediately cause unnecessary anxiety. Will decided to start with a monotonous and confident recitation of simple facts.

"We are in the Kingdom of Solarion, the County of Ember, the Barony of Mirid. In this part of the kingdom, no one has ever heard of vampires or beings with similar abilities. The mountains you see to the west are called the Karti or Kartiy Mountains. They serve as the border between the kingdom we are in and the kingdom of Avalor. The road we found is called Erik's Trade Route, named after one of the first rulers of these lands. It leads to the rich mines in the south of the kingdom -- the Xardian Mines and the Fortress of Xard." Will paused. "This forest is not settled by humans at all. The local wild inhabitants, who live in mountain caves, drove all the villagers out of here a few decades ago. They look a lot like humanoid apes. We are in one of the abandoned villages."

"First he talks about blood and calls us horrible, vile creatures. Now he says we're in a strange place, not on Earth. Next he will claim that we are the spawn of hell, created to kill humans in order to live!"

Support came from an unlikely source. Malcolm interrupted her attack.

"Serena, my dear, let's not get into this now. Whether we're in another world or anywhere else is irrelevant. What matters is that we're too far from home to wait for rescuers. Rebuilding shelter, making fire, and finding food are our top priorities right now. Given the circumstances and everything that's going on, Will's version might actually be the truth."

"What truth? What truth are you talking about? This guy is..."

"Calm down, my dear. Let's put this aside for now and concentrate on organizing the people for the construction."

The woman stopped mid-sentence and exhaled loudly. As hysterical as she might be by nature, she loved power with every fiber of her being and understood even more than her boss was trying to convey.

"All right, Mr. Harrington. We'll deal with this upstart later. Right now we really need to take care of these people."

"Have you all lost your minds? What other world?" Voices shouted from the crowd. "What do you mean, consider all options?"

Not everyone present could maintain the same calm as the Deputy Director.

"Silence!" William raised his sword again. "Sunset is in about three hours, but the weather could change within that hour. So you must eat."

A group of people emerged from the edge of the ancient trees. It seemed that William's allies had overdone it and slaughtered an entire herd of deer. Even the frail girls, Rosa and Amelia, carried two huge carcasses on their shoulders. George came out last. The former soldier, holding the dead by the antlers, dragged four bodies across the ground. All had been killed by snapping their necks, even though the deer were twice the size of their largest terrestrial relatives. The group did not want to alert the crowd prematurely with the smell of blood.

The crowd. An all-consuming hunger rose from the depths of their being. Hundreds of eyes, burning with desire, focused on the young man in armor. William stepped down from his makeshift tribune, swung his sword, and slit prey's throat.

"Bon appétit, gentlemen bloodsuckers."

[https://i.ibb.co/LZdZ2L9/Meating2.png]