The Bane of Existence
Published: 21 Dec 2017
Zane’s mother, Erika, who made herself Rinaldo’s Bane by studying dark magic, now decided she wanted to be called Lady Bane. That cretin, Creighton, gave her the idea with all his bowing and calling her milady. She chuckled as she realized how close the incompetent little weasel of a vampire’s name was to the word.
She paced impatiently in her private room wondering why she hadn’t heard from Creighton yet. He should have made contact by now and was supposed to check in as soon as he did. This was his last chance to complete a mission or his existence would be ended in the slowest, most gruesome and painful way she could find.
Lady Bane started for the door to send a small team to find and bring Creighton to her for punishment when she heard, ‘Lady Bane? Can you hear me?’
She smiled and thought to herself, ‘Finally,’ before answering, ‘Go ahead, Creighton. What do you have to report?’
After a short pause again Creighton asked, ‘Can you hear me, Lady Bane? Hello?’
‘Yes, I can hear you. Now report what you found,’ demanded the irritated woman.
Another pause ensued before once again came the mental voice of her lackey, ‘Can you he…’
Suddenly it ended and the Bane could no longer hear her minion or feel his presence. They had been cut off. It didn’t take long for Erika to realize that Rinaldo’s Child had known the vampire was a plant. He had allowed Creighton to call out but not to receive her answers then cut all communication off as a message of warning.
“Were you able to block him and the Bane?” asked Zander when his boyfriend came out of his trance.
“Yes, I was,” answered Zane snickering. “Although I let the Bane hear the Rogue calling but didn’t let him hear her answering.”
“How were you able to do this without him knowing?” questioned Zander with confusion. “Was he that incompetent?”
“He’s not the greatest that’s for sure but I pulled a fast one,” giggled Zane. “The last time I contacted Derek I stayed just below the surface of his mind so when the vampire tried to read him I followed his thoughts back to his mind. I hitched a ride without intruding to prevent being detected. Then when the Bane attempted to answer I intercepted the call.”
“Devious!” grinned the taller teen vampire as he wrapped his arms around his lover.
Leaning back on his partner Zane said, “Now we need to decide what to do with this spy. Any suggestions?”
Zander paused then turned Zane around to face him before replying, “You know he has to die, right? We can’t just let him go. He works for the Bane.”
Zane sighed heavily then agreed, “I know but . . well . . it’s one thing to kill during a battle or to protect someone. This will be too much like an execution. I’m not sure I’m ready to proclaim a being has to die because I read in his mind that he supports my enemy.”
“Try thinking of it as protecting your home base and those that come here to train,” offered the chocolate eyed Samhain’s Son. “Your brothers and friends could be in danger because he is here and trying to contact his boss.”
“I know. I know,” Rinaldo’s Child exclaimed. “It still doesn’t make it any easier. I wish he would do something to make it clear to everyone his life is forfeit.”
“Also, you don’t have to be the one to carry it out,” insisted Zander looking deep into the shorter teen’s eyes. “There are several here who can and would put an end to him if you but suggested it. Grayson, Marko, Shayn, Gavin are all capable. You could even ask me and I would relieve you of the burden.”
“Keep an eye on him while I contrive to find a reason that will satisfy me and I can relay to my brothers. I don’t want to give them the impression that killing is the only or even the first option for dealing with adversaries. We will be in a full out war soon enough as it is.”
“Okay, I can do that for you, Z-man,” agreed Zander running his hand down Zane’s head to his shoulder and then down his arm tenderly. “Just don’t take too long. We need to take care of him before this day is over.”
“No problem. I know it’s what has to happen,” acceded Zane. “But I have to be sure I’m doing it for the right reason. By nightfall it will be over.”
“Are they still following us, Karl?” asked the young man with hair that resembled fire as he flopped against the side of a building.
His partner, Karl, with black hair and ice blue eyes peeked around the corner of the same building replying, “I think we lost them, Drew. At least, I don’t see them now.”
Drew nodded making the flames of his hair dance around. “Good! Wow, that’s the first time we’ve been attacked with magic out in the open,” he exclaimed. “ Where are we? Think you can find where we parked the car? I for one don’t want to walk the rest of the way to North Carolina.”
“Pretty sure we’re in Knoxville,” remarked Karl getting a glare from his husband. “Give me a minute.”
The silver eyed redhead straightened up and kept watch while Karl closed his eyes in concentration. A few minutes later he opened his eyes and grinned.
“Got it!” he blurted then his grin widened. “And it’s only a couple of blocks from here!”
Drew still glared at the handsome face in front of him as he spoke, “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Only that our attackers are between us and our car,” smirked Karl wrapping an arm around Drew’s waist.
“Is it still just the two of them?”
“That’s all I noticed,” answered Karl as he guided Drew into the flow of pedestrians hoping to be able to slip past the ones who accosted them earlier.
They easily avoided the pair for the first block but before they could turn to go down the second block to where their car was parked both assailants appeared between them and their destination. Drew and Karl tried to use other walkers to block the view of the two trying to assault them but Drew’s flaming hair attracted their attention.
The redhead had to use a magical shield to deflect energy shots at not only the two of them but a couple that went wild and almost caught bystanders. Angered by the indiscriminate attacks Drew’s hair began flare out as he began a spell to counter attack.
“No!” called Karl with a hand on Drew’s shoulder. “Let me. There are too many innocents around.”
Nodding his agreement Drew relaxed and let the magic force dwindle away. Karl guided them through the parking lot drawing the other pair away from the crowds. When he finally had them at the edge of the lot with a clear line of sight Karl faced the duo while his ice blue eyes began to glow. A mere half a second later a frosty blue beam shot from Karl’s glowing eyes incasing the twosome in ice.
“Nicely done!” remarked Drew as he and Karl raced for their car then hurried out of the lot, out of Knoxville and eventually out of the state of Tennessee.
Early in the morning, Zane and Zander contacted Radesh and Rogan then teleported to the training cave. Back in the original cave Grayson and Creighton continued the mental dance started the night before. Grayson had a definite edge this time since Creighton was disconcerted by his inability to reach the Bane.
About a mile or two away at the house, Zach and Derek were beginning to stir awake. The sounds of their awakening alerted the three vampires in the house; Shayn, Gavin and Marko, that morning had arrived. As the two humans stretched out their bodies the vampires rose from their meditation positions. The day had begun.
Zane sent the werewolves out to patrol advising them to remain in wolf shape and stay out of sight as much as possible. Then he and Zander went through a series of exercises and stretches to warm up their muscles in preparation for the day’s activities.
Above them on the other side of the hill Grayson also began exercising and stretching ignoring Creighton’s questions and comments. By the time he had finished, the Rogue vampire’s nerves were frazzled and his patience was at an end.
At the house the five also went through a stretching routine before hitting the trail jogging to the cave. They arrived a couple of minutes after Grayson finished his workout and the Z’s were coming around the hill. Seeing the others approaching caused Creighton to get excited thinking he would meet the Brat now. But as he looked over the group Creighton realized three of them were blondes and young looking which was all the description he had of Rinaldo’s Child.
Sensing the Rogue’s frustration Zane quickly urged the others to only communicate mind to mind while he kept Creighton blocked. They all agreed and fell into formation to start running through forms. Creighton watched for over five minutes without a word being spoken or any sound made at all. It was eating away at his already harried patience.
“You’re welcome to join us,” offered Marko at the end of one of the forms. Then he turned back to the front as the next form started.
Creighton watched more closely for a moment or two then tried copying the movements of the others. He did fairly well through several forms then the group picked up the speed at which they performed the routines. Creighton struggled more at the faster pace but managed to just barely keep up
About thirty minutes later the experienced martial artists in Zane’s troop increased the pace once more. All of them were still moving with no problems and without tiring. The same could not be said for the Rogue trying to infiltrate their squad. Creighton was a lazy vampire that only hunted when he absolutely had to feed so he was really floundering and sweating in spite of the cool winter weather not long after the acceleration in pace.
After another six or seven minutes Creighton stopped and demanded, “Don’t you ever take a break?”
“If you want to join us you need to get in shape,” replied Zach who was closest to the panting Rogue.
This was the final straw for Creighton’s patience and nerves and he lashed out raking claws across Zach’s shoulder and dropped his fangs. Before he could strike again Zach’s defenses kicked in and sent the Rogue sprawling three feet away.
Jumping to his feet Creighton tried to advance on the young human but found he couldn’t move forward. Zach was now facing his attacker in full concentration using a magical wall to keep the monster at bay. Snarling threats, the vampire continually attempted to reach his intended victim promising painful tortures before draining him dry.
“Enough!” shouted an enraged Zane approaching the Rogue. “For the crimes of being a Rogue, of spying on me and of being a follower of Rinaldo’s Bane and most of all for attacking my brother, for yes, I am the one you’ve been looking for, I, Rinaldo’s Child and Heir sentence you to death.”
By the end of his statement the small, blonde vampire’s eyes were glowing a bright emerald green and on the word death beams shot forth striking the Rogue. Amid screams of anguish a green flame consumed Creighton so completely there wasn’t even any ash to blow away on the wind.
As his rage dimmed so did the glow in his eyes until he was back to normal. Zane swayed a bit as if he would collapse causing nearly all the group to start forward. Before they had taken half a step Zane suddenly straightened, stood firm and turned to face his friends.
“I will do everything within my power to keep you all safe,” Rinaldo’s Child declared forcefully. “From this moment on we are at war!”
“Wow! Did you feel that?” Drew asked as they drove east on Interstate 40. “That was some powerful magic being used just now!”
“Yes, I did,” answered Karl gripping the steering wheel after the mind jarring jolt. “It came from the same general direction that we are headed.”
“Do you think you could track it?”
“I think so,” replied Karl hesitantly. “For what purpose?”
“I dunno. Just to check it out. See who it was and why such strength was used.”
“Don’t you think it could be dangerous to intrude on a mage or witch able to yield that kind of power?”
Drew was silent a moment in reflection of the feelings that went through him when the magic hit then answered, “No, I don’t believe we will be in danger from the user of this magic.”
“What makes you say that?” questioned Karl throwing a quick glance Drew’s direction before putting his attention back on the road.
“It’s the feeling I got from the ripples of the magical blast,” returned Drew choosing his words carefully. “There was great anger directed at something or someone but not at us. I got the impression it would never be directed at us.”
“You got all that out of that one quick blast? Maybe you should be the one tracking the source.”
“No, you’re still the best at directional tracking, Karl. I just felt the intent in the magic,” supplied Drew settling back in his seat. “Where do we go?”
“For now we keep on like we’re headed,” responded Karl. “This is the best road to get us near the source.”
“Okay,” yawned Drew leaning the back of his seat to a more comfortable angle. “Wake me if you need help or when it’s my turn to drive.”
Erika paced the length of the room getting more and more agitated as she contemplated her dilemma. How long should she wait to see if she would hear from Creighton or should she go on the assumption that the Brat rid the world of the incompetent cretin? Would her oldest son have the balls to kill off an enemy spy in his camp or would he wimp out?
“Aarrgghh!” she growled out her aggravation. “Wendell! Get in here!”
The luckless Rogue scurried to the Bane’s room and bowed deeply saying, “Yes, Lady Bane? How may I assist you?”
“First, stand up and quit sniveling,” ordered the Bane. Then more to herself than to the kowtowing vampire she said, “I wonder if the Child is surrounded with such ineptitude.”
“What was that milady?” inquired the Rogue almost standing upright.
“Nothing, Wendell,” dismissed the Bane. “Have my scouts found anything of interest?”
“Most assuredly, Lady,” answered Wendell happy to be able to hand the Bane some good news.”They report at least two small groups not too far from here. One is a group of five witches and one wizard located in the mountains of Virginia near the Kentucky border and the other is a group of eight mages in the middle of North Carolina but close to the Virginia border.”
“Perfect!” grinned the Bane evilly. “I want two teams ready to go as soon as possible. Don’t use any of the new, improved Rogues just about five or six normal Rogues should do. Let me know when they’re ready. I want to brief them myself.”
“Of course, Lady,” replied Wendell bowing once again. “I’ll inform you as soon as I have them formed.”
Once the lackey had left on his errand Erika began to pace and fret over the fate of Creighton worrying mostly whether he had revealed anything to her enemy such as the location of this house. With another slight growl she ceased pacing, walked to her yoga mat and positioned herself to do some meditating.
After several minutes of relaxing she had finally achieved a modicum of calm and was able to contemplate how to proceed with being a thorn in the side of her oldest son, Rinaldo’s Child. Erika was also able to spend some time while she was in the zone bolstering her magical energy. By the time Wendell returned to tell her the two teams of vampires were ready for their raid she knew exactly what she wanted them to do.
“They’re waiting for you in the living room upstairs, Lady Bane,” announced Wendell after knocking and bowing. “Would you like to address them there or have them come down to you?”
“I’ll go to the living room,” decided Erika. “Please serve them all a glass of blood and I will be right up.”
“Yes, milady,” said Wendell bowing his way out of the room then he turn and nearly ran up the steps to carry out her instructions.
Lady Bane waited several minutes then primped to make sure she looked perfect before ascending the steps to relate her plan to her troops. The gathered Rogues all stood when she entered the room then gave a shallow bow. Erika nodded in acknowledgement then stared hard at the vampires in front of her.
“Troop One to the my left; Troop Two to my right,” ordered the Bane while motioning with her hands where she wanted them. “Troop One, you will be going to the Kentucky-Virginia border where there is a coven of witches with one wizard. Troop Two, you will be going over the border to North Carolina to a group of mages. Here is what I want you to do.”
Before the Bane could outline her plan of destruction every strong magic user among the Rogues jerked alert sensing a burst of magical energy being expended. Only Erika among those gathered in the living room heard the words spoken with power, “We are at war.”
The Lady Bane smiled evilly at those around her waiting for instructions and spoke, “A change of plans on how I want you to attack our targets. It seems the Brat has declared war and we’re going to make the first strike.”
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