Beau lifted a lock of my hair to his nose, twirled it in his fingers.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" I asked him.
"Maybe. It just depends on how it all works out."
"Some help you are. You're supposed to be older and wiser."
"When you left, I told you I'd be nothing without you, not even wise."
Someone knocked on the door, and then Joann said, "Everyone is gathered."
Standing, I pulled Beau behind onto the makeshift stage I would be on. There were loud gasps as Troop soldiers recognized me, and then they saluted me. Paige stood to the side of the stage and when the salute ended, she said, "I am giving my position back to its rightful owner, our eternal captain, Cherina."
The crowd was silent. Which didn't make me feel very good.
"So, ummm, hi," I said. I know, I'm a genius. I took a deep breath and shook myself back into the leader I once was not long ago. "Listen. I left a year ago and just now got back. I went to the human world, the one that knows nothing of us. I ran from the Troop and all the Civilians we protected and fought for. That was wrong of me, but I didn't know how to move forward here. At the time, I was only eighteen, not really old enough to be a leader. I'm not saying a nineteen year old is any better, but I've changed and I think I know how to fix what's broken in our civilization."
No one threw their sword or daggers at me so I continued. "In my time away, I worked on myself. And I'm going to use those same methods to fix you all. First off, no more 'To serve and protect. And to conquer.' I'm changing that, I don't know to what yet, but I'm changing it. Second, the Troop will kill no more humans. No one will kill another human, or your head be mine. Understand? Soldiers, I said, do you understand?"
"Yes, Captain" flooded the large room.
"Good. Now, if we aren't killing humans, why is the Troop still existent? So the Troop has been assigned a different task. We are integrating into the human world. We will peacefully live with the humans until we can peacefully rule over them. Each squadron leader and a soldier of their choice will go into the human world, and will become apart of it. Start a business, become a superstar, go to prison, grow a family, do something! Prison isn't really positive, but humans go there all the time and so will we. Because we are people too, just different."
"What if they start killing us again, like in the Old Days?" someone shouted.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, yeah? But humans have forgotten we even exist. For the longest, we were the murders. No more." I smiled, my double-set fangs showing. "I'm not saying we won't ever kill again. As you all know, I am a fan of the Old Days, back when war was like watching TV. That's why I wear the armor, why I have the sword and daggers, why I changed my name. So if the humans start killing us again.... Well, an eye for eye, right?" The crowd cheered. "Glad you agree. But remember, we won't be savages. No matter how much our race desires chaos and the likes, we are not savages." I whipped out one of my daggers and raised it above my head. "Bound by blood, my will be done." I sliced a curvy line down my hand.
Some were hesitant, but they followed my lead, cutting their hands and letting the blood drip.
"You guys are great! I'm almost done so just hold out a little longer. I've figured out what I want to change our war cry to. Instead of changing the whole saying, I'm just gonna change the meaning behind it. The Troop is here to serve and protect the Civilians, right? And we will conquer the humans, just not with weaponry. But we will rule over our race and the humans. They will eventually be below us, for we are more than they ever were or will be. So," I said as I raised my sword above my head. "To serve and protect. And to conquer!" Soldiers all around raised their swords with me.
I motioned for Beau to come to me. I grabbed him by the neck and kissed him passionately. The entire room gasped. "And finally, why can't we mate our servants? Workplace love affairs always happen. And this servant here? He's my naulin, my love."
YOU ARE READING
Beyond This Life
VampireA nineteen year old girl, Cherish, meets twenty-two year old vampire, Beau. Immediately, things start to go around in her head, and he tells her she was once the leader of a vampire army...and his naulin. At first, she denies all he says, but as the...
