“The correct term is Princess General,” she claims in a voice full of confidence. Holding bunny to her ear, she nods her head as if listening to the animal speak. “That makes perfect sense to me. A war is where you do a lot of fighting with another army. Vampires take their time with such things because they have eternity, so how about we . . . Wait, I heard my father talk about a big war that’s been going on for at least sixteen years. It’s probably because he misplaced me and has been fighting the people who he believes kidnapped me, which is weird since he didn’t know I existed until recently. The timing is close enough and I know he loves me enough to kill everyone who dares to harm me. This is all confusing.”
“What was your suggestion?”
“I thought you had one.”
“I’m not in charge.”
“Don’t look at me.”
“You made this army, Princess General.”
“Oh . . . Everybody bow to me for five minutes!”
The other womb-born quickly fall forward to put their faces to the ground and stretch their arms towards their leader. Lost waits a second to make sure nobody is watching before leaping over the crowd. Aiming for a few feet away from the barrier, she throws her bunny ahead and it rapidly burrows into the damp earth. Too big to fit into the hole, the vampire flips and windmills her arms in order to dig after her pet. The flying dirt hits the nearby Dawn Fangs, which causes enough of a stir for them to look up early. Shouts and screams erupt when they see that Lost is no longer on the mattress, the youngest of the womb-born breaking down out of fear of being abandoned again. Elemental blasts fly in every direction and puff out of existence against the barrier until they realize that their leader is running away instead of being kidnapped. One vampire tries to follow into the tunnel, which collapses at the same time the bunny appears on the other side of the dome. The animal snarls and spits until its master crawls out, her hair covered in dirt and her arms no longer in their sockets. Desperate to retrieve the girl, a massive Dawn Fang leaps at the sunlight and passes through unharmed. He is sent flying back by a kick to the head, which drives his skull into his stomach.
Having scared the rest of the army enough that they stop their pursuit, Lost blows a kiss and runs into the forest. She is almost out of view when the trees around her shiver and twitch, the subtle movements drawing her attention. Fighting against a looming trance, the Dawn Fang shuts her eyes and continues running at full speed. She bangs into the thick trunks with enough force to dent the bark, which causes the forest to shake in anger. It is when she collides head-on with a wide maple that Lost is grabbed by gnarled hands that burst from the wood. Pulling herself free of the weak limbs and opening her eyes, she realizes that the trees have moved to block every path of escape. Looking to the cloudy sky with an impish smile, she prepares to jump clear of the canopy. Instead, thick roots coil around her legs and a square mile of forest merges into a single amalgamized plant. Trapped within the woody center, Lost’s body is pierced by tiny splinters every time she tries to move.
“I’ve become stronger since you left me in charge,” Eighty declares as his face appears in the wood. Seeing the pain on Lost’s face, he creates a clear circle and emerges to sit in front of her with his legs crossed at the ankles. “Sorry about hurting you. It’s just that we worked so hard to find you and now you’re running away again. None of us thought you would leave us for a father you never knew. I feel bad taking away your happiness, but you promised us a war. Unlike you, the rest of us don’t have anything other than the promise to live for. Didn’t you say you had an idea before you got distracted?”
“This tree smells like rotten eggs,” Lost complains while curling around her bunny. She gazes up at the young man, who she named after he was the eightieth vampire to come to her house. “From what I learned, wars take a long time and have a lot of battles. They don’t happen every day, so maybe we can agree on a schedule. As your Princess General, I will lead you against our enemies once every two months. That gives me time to bond with my father and the rest of you can carefully pick a target. I’m sure all of you can live in Nyte and maybe you’ll find your parents too. If not, you can borrow some or turn some mortals that you like. Do we have a deal?”
“Only if we have our first battle now.”
“Fine, but after we take naps. A grumpy Princess General is a sloppy Princess General.”
*****
Having followed the tracking squad to the edge of the southern jungle, Lost’s army breaks into cheers at the sight of a military camp. Smelling vampires instead of mortals gives them hope that this will be the start of the war they were promised. Following orders, the Dawn Fangs remain between two curved hills, the path partially blocked by a trio of boulders that are covered in dry moss. Fearing that they are exposed, Eighty snaps his fingers to get those with silencing and invisibility powers to cloak the entire army. No longer able to be seen or heard, the vampires whisper about the armored warriors who are less than a mile away. The tightly packed tents are black and topped with flags that bare a fanged maw symbol surrounded by twelve crimson droplets. Powerful steeds have been corralled on the eastern end of the camp, the hungriest of the womb-born openly asking if they can eat the horses before joining in the battle. To prevent any mistakes and rampages, blood bottles and bags of stolen cookies are handed out. The last of their supplies is devoured in minutes with very little decorum and a chorus of muted belches. Wearing her bunny like a hat, Lost refuses everything that is offered to her before climbing up to the top of a hill. She takes a seat and begins picking fluffy dandelions, which she blows away with her nose.
“Are you going to tell us why this army isn’t a good choice either?” Eighty asks as he joins the Princess General. Refusing to hide his annoyance, the blue-haired boy stands in the path of the white seeds. “For days, you’ve claimed that our targets are too mortal, too vampiric, too shiny, or smells yucky. I agree that the beginning of our war needs to make an impact, but perfection might not be possible. If you want to go back to your father before we demand a second battle, then give us the first one. The others are already starting to wonder if you’re still one of us.”
“That is a good question,” Lost mutters with her bunny over her face. Having the animal fly circles around her, she flips to her feet and stares at the army. “They have fangs, but no heartbeats. I smell stale blood, which means they haven’t eaten in a while. Yet, I see no signs of weakness in the movements of those who are covered. The sunlight gives us an advantage, but I don’t want this to be a slaughter. Would the men, women, and others be willing to wait until the sun goes down, Second Sergeant Twice Removed?”
“We ate the rest of our supplies, so we need to attack now,” the boy replies while standing at attention. His heart beats faster at the thought of fighting in their war, the previous raids feeling like nothing more than practice. “You don’t have to worry about us. Since you left, we’ve been training every day. Our sessions lacked tactics since those must be designed by our leader, but all of us are strong enough to survive. We even found out that you can reattach a Dawn Fang’s head if it’s cut off. The body stops moving, but all you have to do is press neck stumps together and the flesh heals. It’s destroying the heart and decapitation combined that puts our kind down for good. This is a secret, so don’t share it with anybody.”
“My throat is sealed,” Lost replies, her attention more on the army. Glancing down at her own forces, she takes control of a quarter of them and puts them in the first formation that comes to her mind. “It’s easier to do it this way. Everyone who isn’t my puppet should step to the side and I’ll get to you! So, we’re going to put the ones with range attacks in the front, so they don’t hit anyone else. The rear will be the physical fighters because they need the most amount of distance to build up speed. Anyone who can fly can take the extra rear and play games until I call for them to attack. Everyone else can be put in the middle, which will fan out to the length of the enemy camp once we’re clear of
the hills. The front and rear will stay tightly packed during the initial charge and the flying force will get into a line while having their fun. That way we’ll look like a dragon’s shadow if anyone sees us from above. It’ll scare them away.”
“What about our healers and support soldiers?”
“Everybody in the middle means everybody.”
“Shouldn’t they stay back to help those who are hurt.”
“If they’re in the fight then they won’t have to travel far to help.”
“Good idea. That’s why you’re our Princess General.”
“Thank you, Second Sergeant Twice Removed. I promise to promote you to Once Removed if we win.”
Eighty smiles wide before leaping off the hill and hurrying to the front of the army, which is still moving into formation. Placing her bunny on the ground, Lost tightens the cord of her pajama pants and wipes the grass off her butt. A cold breeze hits her from behind, so she whirls around and scans the distance for more enemies. The movement causes those she is controlling to turn and cock their heads to the side, the action making them laugh. Unsure of what is going on, the other Dawn Fangs imitate their manipulated friends and whisper about the possibility of another retreat being called. A sharp whistle from Eighty helps Lost regain her dwindling focus and she goes about fixing the small mess. Walking to the edge of the hill, she scratches her head and struggles to figure out what feels wrong about her forces. Clicking her tongue against her fangs, she crouches and waves to anyone who is looking in her direction. A simple glance at her grazing rabbit makes the vampire realize that she never made a flag. On the verge of panicking, an idea comes to her mind and she immediately puts it into action. Each Dawn Fang with fire powers raises an arm to create flames that snake out of their palms. Those with wind abilities manipulate the attacks to form a burning rabbit image above the army.
Satisfied with the creation, Lost leaps through the open eye of the symbol and lands next to Eighty. She is about to yell for her army to charge when she considers that her voice might be too much of a warning. Instead, she steps to the side and bows while gesturing for the other Dawn Fangs to go ahead. The silence and invisibility spells explode as the roaring womb-born flow around the three boulders in their path and charge across the open plain. A trumpet blares from the camp, which becomes a hive of panicked activity. The soldiers scramble to get their weapons and armor, those who are without night cloaks moving slower than their protected companions. Arrows fly from the back of the camp, but none of the projectiles hit the sprinting raiders. By the time the Dawn Fangs reach the edge of the camp, their enemies have barely prepared themselves and steadily fall into chaos.
Hearing a warning in his head, Eighty is about to step into the camp when he skids to a stop and tries to yell for the others to do the same. Excited to start their war, the rest of the army continues charging and several of the Dawn Fangs fall into pits that appear for a moment then vanish once more. Tents are knocked over and vanish before they hit the ground, which gives the attackers pause. It is only when they cross swords with the enemy soldiers that they notice all the men and women have the same face. Confusion sets in as they kill the armored vampires and the bleeding corpses disappear as soon as they look away. Nobody is sure how the bodies vanish, the effect almost like the enemies are blinking out of existence. Those flying above the action are unable to help as blinding swarms of black-feathered arrows repeatedly soar towards them, but the archers never come into view. When a trio of Dawn Fangs target the eerily calm horses, they are snared by webs that burst from the animals’ mouths. With garbled whinnying, the steeds drag their captives through the fence, which shimmers like a mirage before regaining its solid appearance.
Staying on the edge of the battle, Lost scratches her head and does her best to shout orders to her people. She attempts to control the enemy soldiers, but finds nothing more than blips of mental activity that elude her grasp. Turning her attention to the horses, she reads their simple minds and catches a vision of Bob. The sight shocks her enough for her head to become filled with whispering voices, one of them belonging to the elf. She is unable to make out the words, which have become a high-pitched whine that drives Lost to her knees. Jamming her fingers deep into her ears, the Dawn Fang muffles the noise and stands on wobbly legs. Screaming for her friends to fight defensively, the Princess General waves her foot for the flyers to return to the ground and protect the healers. She smiles when Eighty starts to run over, but he abruptly disappears from view with an echoing yelp.
Squinting at the battle, Lost rapidly blinks until the entire campsite has faded away along with the soldiers. Only the horses, a red flag, and a series of pit traps remain, the holes nearly filled with hapless Dawn Fangs who think they have been buried alive. Freeing her fingers from her ears, she tries to look for a real enemy and freezes at the sight of a man in black materializing to her right. None of the others notice as Clyde walks towards their leader with his arms up, the gesture doing very little to put Lost’s fears at ease. Turning to run, she notices that the three boulders have been replaced by Bob and two other vampires, who are patiently waiting to stop the womb-born from retreating. A distant figure can be seen sticking out of the curved hilltop’s shadow, the lithe silhouette missing its legs. Terrifying thoughts come to Lost’s mind as her friends continue battling the illusions and tripping over the full traps.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” Clyde whispers, keeping his hands up. He stops when the girl takes a step away and waves to stop someone near the hill from approaching. “You’ve been causing some trouble and we have questions. It took a while to get you to take the bait and show us what you were up to, but I promise it isn’t as bad as it looks. All of you are young and unaware of what you truly are, so we want to help. Come back to Nytefall with us and we can figure something out.”
Lost hugs her bunny and growls like a cornered animal before saying, “Nytefall is where Clyde lives. I was told about him. Is he your friend?”
“I’m Clyde.”
“The one that kills Dawn Fangs who make trouble.”
“Yes, but-”
“Run for your lives! Scatter! The big bad man is here to kill us all!”
Controlling all of her friends for an instant, Lost helps them to see through the illusions and notice Clyde. Her words ring in their ears and they scramble to escape, those in the pits punching and digging tunnels into the earth. Those who can fly grab as many friends as they can before they soar into the clouds while the more brutish vampires charge back to the hills. The womb-born are running in so many directions that Lost is able to disappear into the chaos and make her way towards the trees. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Clyde take a step in her direction, but the weakened ground gives way beneath his feet. Dirt flies into the air and the area shakes as the hastily made tunnels combine to create an oddly shape pit filled with chunks of earth. Screaming in fright, Eighty and fifty other Dawn Fangs rush out of the rubble to get away from the cursing man. Not waiting for Clyde to recover, Lost sprints into the jungle and leaves a path of toppled trees in her wake.
*****
Vaulting over a river, Lost twists her body to see if she is being followed and lands against a thick tree that is covered in vines. Fearing that she has lost her bunny, she frantically looks around and finds her pet clinging to a branch. Tangled within the thick plants, she stretches to jam a finger into the trunk before biting through the leafy bonds that try to yank her back. It takes a few minutes for her to get free, the sour taste making her want to throw up. Climbing a little higher, she freezes at the sound of trampled underbrush and prepares to retreat. The Dawn Fang barely relaxes at the sight of a monkey-like creature with a long, white tail that it uses to hit various trees with incredible force. Waiting for the animal to leave, she drops onto the lower branch and scoops her bunny into her arms. Lost sniffs at the air to pick out the scents of her pursuers, but the jungle is filled with too many smells for her to sift through. The Dawn Fang watch
es the sky for signs of her flying friends, but all she sees are tropical birds and a few monkeys leap out of the canopy.
Movement on the other side of the river causes her to step out into the open and wave to what she hopes is a friend. Instead, Titus emerges from the thick bushes and Lost immediately ducks back out of view. The mere sight of the enormous vampire terrifies her too much to attempt a psychic attack, so she waits and listens to figure out where he is going. His footsteps head in the opposite direction of her hiding place, but stop too early for her to be sure he has gone far away. Peeking around the tree, Lost’s bunny covers her mouth with its ears before she can scream. Bob and a trio of incredibly thin horses have joined Titus, the pair talking and occasionally pointing in the hiding vampire’s direction. Turning away, her eyes dart from side to side in search of an escape route that will not make any noise. All she sees are thick bushes and logs with the only clear path too far away to reach in one silent jump. Sliding down the trunk and into a crouch, she taps at the ground to see if she can dig a tunnel like her friends had done to escape the pit traps.
Realizing that she can travel along the thick branches, Lost smiles and looks up for the best place to start. To her surprise, a raven lands above her head and stares with eyes that send a chill down her spine. She takes a step away from the bird when she hears someone warn her that it is more than it seems. Another voice in her head utters the name Luther and talks about how he is in his raven form. She catches faint words telling her to calm down and nobody wants to hurt her, but the mention of Clyde causes Lost to snap again. With a hard kick, she knocks the large tree over and forces the bird to take flight. Rushing further into the jungle, she looks over her shoulder in time to see a red-haired man drop out of the branches. He waves for the others to join in his pursuit, which is slowed by her throwing whatever she can lift into her path. Tree stumps, boulders, and hapless animals are blindly hurled, all of them causing more frustration than injury.
Lost (War of Nytefall Book 2) Page 13
