"Well," I sneer after chasing the dark thoughts away, "I've got the feeling that the populace didn't enjoy being seen as cattle, for some reason. There's only so much people can accept before revolting."
There's a threshold that shouldn't be crossed.
History has proved time and again that people could accept a lot until they couldn't. Humans were sheep until they turned into wolves; until the despair made even death seem like a sweet dream, a deliverance they would rather embrace than endure a life of servitude not worth living. Controlling a populace with fear is like a sword of Damocles—you never know when it'll fall and sever the little sanity left.
I've read about what the vampires did and how they toyed with their prey. Not gonna lie, I retched at some passages, and so did my brother. I truly hope that the hunters of the time exaggerated things and that their successors added colourful details over the years. History books are written by the victors, and they rarely reflect the reality of the past. Not faithfully at least.
To start with, none of these records brings up the royal family's involvement. How typical.
And now that I know the vampires implicated were acting with the king's benediction, these archives feel even more disgusting.
Jonthan rubs the bridge of his nose, appearing tired. "Well, yes. Survivors of that hell told of the many riots there had been, but the sub-clans had no difficulty whatsoever in quelling them. Whatever we say, vampires are apex predators."
Right. Ordinary humans are no match for vampires. Even if a whole army were to launch a coordinated attack, they would be no better than a swarm of flies to a vampire clan. To be fair, that's not exactly the case nowadays, with all the heavy weapons the military has developed over the years. Still, a few dunces with some guns wouldn't be able to do much. They would be easily disarmed by vampires with a bit of a brain and no dead wishes—but as for those overconfident pricks like Oliver…
I can guess what happened at the time.
These idiots grew complacent, thinking they were above everything, and that humans were not worth being cautious around.
It's a tale as old as humanity.
Even in this day and age, people do the same with their peers, with ethnic groups they see as below them.
—Never mind a whole other race whose physical abilities make them look like gods in comparison. The idea that blood sacs are weak-minded, frail little things probably made its way into their heads back then, turning humans into harmless beings they didn't have to care about.
But even a cornered mouse would attack the cat, something these apex predators tend to forget.
"There's one thing that has always bothered me in my clan's records," I sigh after some time. The answer is pretty glaring, really, but I ask anyway. "Why did it take so long for the hunters to intervene? It took at least two decades, from what I've gathered."
"For the same reason that they're not going after revenants' lairs despite them feeding on humans."
Yeah, I figured. Hunters just turned a blind eye until they couldn't anymore. It wouldn't be the first time, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were bribed by the nobles or just saw it as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. I mean, the vampires' playground was pretty limited at first, a fief most likely given to them by a lord, and they left the other territories alone. It's just that at some point, there was not enough prey left. The vampires wanted more and wanted fresh toys.
Hunters started to act when the situation couldn't be ignored anymore; when they were getting affected as well, and their territories got involved.
Sickening, isn't it?
Not like it has changed much since then. Even though the Association exists and oversees the hunter clans and lone hunters, it's full of corruption. It also loves to put on blinders and pretends everything's fine if given enough, let's say, reasons to.
At the end of the day, there are not many righteous hunters like my father who would put their duty before everything else, family and themselves included.
Fine. That might be a little harsh. Admittedly, many take their duty seriously, just so their clans wouldn't be swallowed by otherworldly beings. But, well, they're more interested in keeping equilibrium than protecting their fellow humans.
"So," I slouch into the couch a bit more, "any idea why Katherine would be in contact with Miria?"
This time, it's Jordan who answers, not Jonathan. His voice, like always, is calm and soothing.
"Most likely because she's missing the time when she could hunt whoever she wanted, and drain people of their blood completely." He gives me a glass of water and sits beside me. "Nowadays, hunters usually don't care whether a vampire snack left and right, as long as it remains a snack. It's an unsaid agreement that both sides have been abiding by since the end of the great hunts."
I nod and bring the glass of water to my lips.
Ah, the water is just cold enough.
"She's most likely not alone, too," Jonathan grunts, his small face contorting into a grimace. Not gonna lie, I can't take him seriously with that boyish appearance. It just makes me want to pinch his cheeks despite the heavy topic. "Looks like some elders have been busy brainwashing the youngsters while I slept. These annoying brats… They never learn, do they?"
No, they don't. Be it vampires or humans or any other races, rotten apples always exist, and they love to spread the rot to the not-yet-ripe apples.
"Anyway," Jordan cuts Jonathan's ramblings short, "Katherine is most likely in touch with Miria to revive that old practice in some way. Maybe not to the scale it once was, but just big enough to satisfy her and her people's thirst for thrills and dominion."
"Let's ask James if he knows something." The comment earns me questioning gazes, and I shrug. It's not like I know all that much, either. "Miria was complaining that he didn't turn a blind eye to their smuggling. That's why they were trying to get rid of him and replace him with someone more attuned to their cause."
"Maybe you should start by telling us everything you heard," Jonathan frowns, his eyelids dropping ever-so-slightly. He's getting tired, but is fighting against drowsiness. Now isn't the time to sleep. "Snippets aren't helping us to draw a clear picture."
"I don't want to repeat what I've heard a dozen times." I force the words out. "Let's wait for James first. Then I'll tell you everything I've heard."
Jonathan opens his mouth, but closes it just as soon. He pinches his lips and stays quiet.
Yes, I know, no need to tell me. I'm stalling.
I wonder how long Miria's words are going to echo in my mind. How long they're going to haunt me. I doubt I'll be able to forget them any time soon, if ever.
"Do you want to eat something in the meantime?" Jordan probes. "You haven't eaten much today."
That's true. I've barely eaten anything, yet I'm not hungry. I stare at my glass of water. Even if I don't feel like eating, I should still force something down my throat to fill my stomach. A smile, and Jordan gets up again to go fetch something for me.
I watch his back retreating into the kitchen.
…Wait. He can cook…?