Chapter 17: Duties

What are the priorities of a man? To whom does he owe duties? You enter a burning building, in it are the man who will discover the cure for cancer and the woman who you love. If you can only save one of them, who do you save? The answers to the right and the wrong of any question are never one hundred percent. The world is grey. At the end of any day, all we can do is hoped we made the right choices, and be resolved to live with the ramifications of those decisions. We throw the dice and hope they land right side up.

"I need to go to my family. They need me."

"We need you. Now is the time to act. Are we not Hunters? With every wasted day Kaan becomes stronger, his forces larger. We need to hit him fast and hard. With your help we have a chance against his armies."

"Drake is right, we must act fast. We cannot needlessly throw away lives."

"I do not care about the lives you throw one way or another. I can feel her pain."

"Ioshari, your people need you."

"My family needs me."

"What would you have us do, attack them madly? Should we blindly attack Kaan's palace, storm the steps and kill his millions of demons? What will he do when he sees you coming? Do you think he will just give them to you? Shall we madly charge him; sacrifice thousands of lives, all to save your four women? Will he just give them to you? Will he kill them when you show up just to fuck with your head? What if everything works perfectly and we save your women? What then? What do we do after our forces have been dwindled to almost nothing and we have saved them? Will you then fight with us against Kaan? My Hunters will not sacrifice themselves for anything less than the survival of humanity. We cannot foolishly attack Kaan in his palace."

"I do not need any of you. I will go myself... They need me."

"Great, not only do you sound like a scratched record, your track was crazy to begin with."

"I'm not the one who believes the world is going to be saved by an angelic demon. I am not a hero, I am nothing. You are the ones who think I am going to save the world. Who the fuck am I? Everyone bow to the great Ioshari. You know what, I don't care. I just don't give a fuck about this world. The only thing it has given me if my family. And you know what... it just took that away from me. I just want to save my family. Lord knows why I need to do that even. With them safe maybe that bitch will stop crying and I can get a good nights rest."

Tim, the child who had so little time to cope with anything that had happened, stood to his feet, his chair roughly scrapping the ground. He stalked out of the room.

"Don't worry about him, just a little angst. He has a lot on his mind. He's harmless, just angry."

"Harmless! He's a vampire, remember, they eat people." Drake didn't appear as upset as he spoke.

"I am a vampire, Drake. He isn't a vampire. No, not a vampire, Ioshari, they also eat vampires."

"That makes me feel so much better." Drake looked right at Sinbad, his voice portraying his mirth.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, Hunter." After a moments pause, they exchanged smiles, "I'll go talk to him. I am sure he needs a friend right now... he will just have to settle for me."

Tim was making his way to the roof, the weight of the building pressed heavily on his shoulders. He needed some fresh air. Everyone he passed quickly stepped out of the way. They would offer some form of greeting, he demurely placed them aside.

The weather had darkened since he had entered the building. It wasn't raining, but the night air had an ominous feel about it. Dawn was fast approaching, though the clouds prevented most of the day's light from shining in. Someone screamed in the night, no one else cared.

Tim stood over the rest of the buildings of the complex. He stared off into the distance, thinking. He felt someone approach from behind him. It was a vampire, a familiar one.

"What?"

"Who me, I am just enjoying the sunrise."

"You're a vampire, Sinbad."

"I can still enjoy the scenery."

"I guess I am still learning the rules, huhh..."

"The rules, as you call them, are very simple. Like I told you when we first met, if you think you can do something, do it. If the world disagrees, try harder."

"I don't know what I am doing here."

"There is a reason The First created six houses. He didn't know what he was doing either. He did his best. He tried."

"Everyone keeps calling me Ioshari. They compare me to The First. It's true, I am Ioshari. I was human, but I lost that life. I lost that body. This is what I have now." He took a wing into his hands, stroking the bottom corner, tracing the patterns of the feathers.

"Are you going to ask the 'why me' question now? You will never get a good answer to that. There are no reasons, no master plan. Things happen and we have to live with them."

"Is this your motivational speech? I'm not buying it."

"I don't do motivation. I can feel that you don't need it anyway. Everything has aligned and you are one of the major fulcrums. Every action you take will cause momentous change. I can tell you know the part you have to play, no matter how you feel. Thousands of lives lie on your every decision." After a pause the bizarre vampire continued relaxing his stance from the partial loom it had taken on. "Do I sound ominous enough?"

"I understand."

"Good."

Sinbad turned from the ledge, walking back to the door. "Take some time to clear your head, there will be plenty of opportunities to be heroic tomorrow."

The door leading up to the roof stayed open longer than it would take for one person to pass through. Tim felt another presence approach him from behind. He hadn't known this vampire long, but she was calm and resonated concern.

"I was chosen to become the next Aaisha by the Empress of the house. Of all her daughters, I showed most what she was looking for. For a hundred years I was uncertain what exactly it was she had been looking for. Sometimes I am still uncertain I have it right. I will never know for certain.

"It has been two hundred years since I have taken the title of High Empress, and before that I was Aaisha for fifty. I have the memories of all those who have born my name before me. I can feel their lives as if they were my own. Their experiences help to lead me in mine. I have made peace with myself.

"I know that you have to work some things out yourself. The world is a complicated place, and your life is particularly so. I understand if you don't trust me, we don't know each other. But I am much better at this than Sinbad is. He tries to turn everything into a joke."

"Hehh... I know what you mean." Tim took a deep breath and started, his words becoming more fluid the more he spoke. "I was from this world as you know. I was turned by a monster and found my way to Sinbad. He taught me how to survive and I repaid him by running off. I became a monster, just like my sire. I went crazy for the blood, something unforgivable. I don't know if I turned any of those who I drained. I was Kazikaan.

"I was different though — stronger. I didn't burst into flames with the sunlight. I was able to control several minds before I collapsed. I know now that Kaan had been controlling me. Some things just don't quite add up. When I got home that day, Sarah, my oldest sister, was completely devoted to me. I know that this hadn't been her normal mental state. I know that she couldn't have been like that... but it felt so good — so natural.

"I love her. I love all three of them. I love Crystal. They were the first people who ever accepted me, they were my first family. I have such love for them, but it is strange to me. Since I got to know them I cared for them as my family. But the last four years I haven't even been human, I was on a new world without my memories. I don't know who I am supposed to feel like now, and I didn't know what I was missing then. Every night I would have nightmares. I saw the things I had done during my bloodlust. I saw the things Kaan did to my family. Every day I awoke thankful that my memory hadn't returned. Every night I went to sleep, praying that I wouldn't turn into a monster when I awoke.

"I was tortured by what I didn't know. I was plagued with the fear I would become enlightened. Now I know everything. My fears came true. I was a monster. A hundred and fifty Ioshari gave their lives to join with me. They are with me to fight against Kaan. It is my duty to take him on. I just cannot do this while he has my family. I need to save them. I just don't know what to do here. I am not a genius tactician. I am a hunter, trained in the last four years. Compared to my past life I can do amazing things. Kaan has been fighting for his entire life. If I attack him, he will kill them. If that happens I will be finished. I cannot care enough about this world if those I love are no longer in it."

It was silent for a few minutes; Tim's words floating through both their minds. He started talking again, "I am sorry for getting angry down there. I need to save my family though."

"The world needs you, but only if you are focused. We will get your family back... I promise."

Tim stayed up on the roof for another hour. He stood there, alone, remembering the past. He did just what Sinbad had told him to do, he cleared his mind. It would take a lot for him to finally make peace with his new life, but he was firmly on the right path now. As terrible as it had been, he was still attached to it.

Three Hunters surveyed the military base. Once known as Vandenberg Air Force Base, the compound was now emptied of its usual human activity. Not one human walked the patrol of the gates. There were no humans commanding the repairs on an aircraft. No flights were being fueled. The Hunters observed demons in the places the military usually were posted. There were vampires on patrol in the rugged lands. Patrol might be the wrong term to use. They weren't regimented, or well organized. They were kazikaan predators kept in the same place wondering the land.

"Base, this is Owl, we have a lot of movement. My team and I are going to go in closer to see what is happening. Radio silence, only contact when absolutely necessary."

"Roger that Owl."

These three Hunters, Owl, Crow, and Condor, had been chosen for this mission. They were all well trained at reconnaissance. They could be shadows when it was needed. The three of them had also learned over the last months how to cloak their existence from the rest of the world. They couldn't become invisible, but they would be unnoticed. Anyone looking over at them would feel that there was nothing there. It was still possible to find them, just harder to do. The three covered each other, constantly watching as they snuck into the base. Of all of the populated areas in the United States, Kaan had sent armies against the two military out posts in this area. There had to be a reason.

They passed several mobs on patrol. The demons were much like monstrous animals leashed to the base. Kazikaan guarded the base, most of them freshly turned. Nothing resembling stationed guards was in sight. No one saw them. Nothing sensed them.

A school bus rolled down the road. It didn't have on its headlights, the driver could see in the dark. The three hid in the shadows, willing that no one see them. No one noticed them. The bus didn't slow down. No one was called over to investigate the unimportant lumps lying on the ground. After the bus passed, they finished crawling across the open field and slithered over the wall.

The night was kind to them and their training paid off. They were completely unnoticed by those watching. Passing a row of bunkers the Hunters viewed an open courtyard. The yellow bus had stopped there. A long line of people were being lead out of it and lined up against a wall. Over a hundred people had been crammed into the bus. Stalking around them, fifty vampires appeared to know that dinner was about to be served.

All of the vampires so far had moved with the characteristic slouch of the Kazikaan, the movement of a demon who shares the mannerisms of a beast as well. They were all dressed in military uniforms — at least the remnants of them. They were freshly turned and filled with the thirst. Something was keeping them at the base.

"These won't last long."

"Hard to find. The cattle are running. They try to get out."

"I bet they are getting harder to find, you blood crazy bastard. Hehhhh... gotta love that their own people have trapped them in though." One of the vampires was wearing a military uniform with a captain's stripes. The other was dressed in a well kept black Italian suit. The one in black walked over to a young girl, no older than seventeen. She was covered in dirt and already bleeding from numerous cuts. She had a bruise forming on her right cheek as well. Her clothes were torn and she was trying her best to hold the rags together with her hands.

"She's mine. I'll be entertaining my guest in my quarters. Get me if something happens." The vampire grabbed the girl's neck and shoved her hard, he started heading behind the bus to another set of bunkers. He turned back a few feet forward, "let me know as soon as the device is ready."

The Hunters watched with hatred as the demons attacked their food. More vampires showed up as the feast continued. The count had to have been near four hundred. The Hunters didn't want to stick around and passively watch. They had some things to check out while many of the vampires were busy with the bloodbath. This device was certainly something worth investigating. There had to be a good reason why there were so many kazikaan here.

Owl signaled for Crow to go back to a safe distance and report what they had heard about the device. They used hand signs, vampires had excellent hearing. It wasn't worth the risk of talking when signals worked just as well. Crow snuck back the way they had come, as Owl and Condor headed deeper into the base.

The call came over the radio at 2113 on Thursday, "Base this is Owl, I have found the device Crow called in. It is a satellite. I don't know for certain its purpose, but it is covered in strange characters."

"Owl, this is Base, we never received a report from Condor today."

"What do you mean Base, I sent him out less than an hour ago."

"We haven't received anything since your message of radio silence."

"May he have clear skies then, he ha-..."

The line broke into static, followed by a scream. As the line died toward silence, laughter could be heard over the screams — cheers and taunts.

"I will not hear one more word about this. I have made my decision. We don't just need to find out what is going on over at Vandenberg. We need to stop it."

"Why aren't you saying anything Sinbad?"

"My empress has been out of sorts lately, Drake. With the return of the Ioshari she has regained her fire. If she thinks that this is the best course of action I will support her. This is almost certain to draw Kaan out of his nest too. It will give Tiro an excellent opportunity to save his family. "

"I will allow this only if Aaisha agrees to leave as soon as Kaan is sighted. I don't want to know what he would do to her."

"I am not afraid of that monster."

"You talk like I'm not in the room. I am the Ioshari aren't I?"

"This is my decision gentlemen. It is for the good of the war. I am going to the base, and I will destroy whatever device they are creating. Kaan has already betrayed me enough times. He cannot be allowed to continue. Drake, if you will not consent to have your Hunters come with me, I will go without them. Your stubbornness will cost your people a chance at striking back where it will truly count."

"Well... when you put it that way," Drake started. "You're still insane! Hahh... It is an insanity I share. We are Hunters. It is the job of a rabbit to create a cave to hide in. We will go together."

"If this will cause Kaan to leave my girls alone... thank you."

Aaishar House was very old. Along with age, it had amassed a fortune rivaled by few. When Aaisha called her house to her, with it came the wealth of a thousand shadow companies. The Hunter organization was already wealthy, and the amount of money they received from Aaisha went to huge advances in resources. When a gift of money doesn't have to go to paying the bills, it can go to so many more creative facets. Planes for the deployment of troops, helicopters, cars, weapons, and provisions, appeared at the office of the Hunters.

Already trained in tactics, weaponry, and multiple forms of physical combat, the Hunters were able to make great use of their new resources. Millions of DKR's were produced. Combat suits were designed and created. It is one thing to say, 'I don't care how much it costs.' It is another to actually mean it. Designing something new is easy to do. The problem develops when you are in quarantined zone. It can be difficult to get something shipped in. At times the Hunters simply had to resort to taking their old supplies and giving them a twist.