Ch. 8

1340 A.D.

I told my disciples of werewolves as well. How they were to avoid all wolf packs on the night of the full moon, lest they receive a fatal werewolf bite. In one of the villages we visited, I was able to acquire dozens of small containers. I filled each with my blood and passed them out to my children, explaining that even a drop could cure them of a werewolf bite if they had need of it.

Of course, I had no intentions of perpetuating the feud my father had begun with the werewolves. I taught my disciples to always show respect to the wolf packs, even when it was not a full moon. I advocated making friends with the wolves and forming alliances with any that would have a vampire as an ally. Then, I put actions to words and went looking for a wolf pack.

It took some time to find a community of werewolves somewhere in the forests of what would one day be Belize, though at the time I had no idea where we were. These were not like the werewolves that might one day exist in the 21st century. Those werewolves were hunted creatures, well learned at hiding and misdirecting. These ones had never been prey and had built an actual town for themselves.

There was suspicion and caution as I approached with a group of my people. Guards stopped us from actually entering the town, staring at us before one spoke up, "The fuck you doing here? We ain't taking in strays."

I smile politely as I reply, "I wish to speak with your Alpha. Will you alert him of our presence?"

The Guard bared his teeth in a sneer, "They know you're here, be a pretty shitty Alpha if they didn't. But you don't smell like wolves. The ones behind ya smell like death, and you just smell fucking weird."

I just continued to smile politely, even as my disciples shifted about behind me, grumbling more on my behalf then their own at the perceived insult. I didn't bother saying another word to the guard, content to wait patiently until the Alpha finished with whatever he was doing and approached. I only had to wait about ten minutes before discovering that my own sexist thoughts had gotten the better of me.

The confident woman who approached was clearly the Alpha of this Pack, despite my assumptions at it being a male and the way the guard had let me continue to believe that. She was tall and muscled, the perfect image of an Amazonian warrior as she took in me and my people with a calculating gaze. I grinned at the idea that she might be as intelligent as she was strong.

Eventually, she spoke, "And who are you?" Her gaze was focused on me when she asked that, so I put on my best disarming smile and stepped forward to respond.

Gesturing to those behind me, I replied with, "My disciples call me the Master."

She glanced at those disciples for a moment before looking back at me, the corner of her mouth slightly turning up as she snarked back, "And what should I call you?"

I grin at the public display of defiance and dominance, her subtle way of telling me she would never call me master. Oh yes, there was a fiery intelligence to this one, "You? You may call me Vali. I would be incredibly insulted if any of your people dared use that name though."

Her eyes sparkled and I could tell she was enjoying our byplay almost as much as I was. And then of course the idiot guard had to step in and ruin it, sneering once more as he spoke up, "And why's that Vali?" He said, drawling the name out to be as insulting as possible. Before anyone could possibly react I was in front of him, my hand curled around his throat as I lifted his choking form off the ground easily.

"Because unlike your beautiful Alpha, you are not worthy of it," I hissed out, knowing that everyone around me had tensed up but none had reacted. Before things could devolve further I let the insulting wolf drop to the ground at my feet and blurred back to my previous spot before the Alpha.

There was more caution in her, her stance had become guarded as she stared at me with wary eyes. Eventually though, she spoke again, "Why are you and your… disciples here?"

I smiled, "I am teaching my children about those who have come before us. You see, we are a rather new species to the world. I started out as a werewolf, and my disciples started out as human. We have ascended to something… more."

This caused the female Alpha's eyes to narrow as she stared at me. I could tell where her thoughts were going, and her words a moment later merely confirmed it, "And are you here to ascend us than?"

It was clear from her tone that she didn't see much value in the idea of becoming like my disciples. I chuckle in response and shake my head to allay her fears, "No, I cannot. I am a special case, only humans can be turned."

Considering her and everyone here would be long dead by the time I'd be able to actually turn werewolves, I saw no reason to tell the truth, and no possible harm in lying. She and those of her pack standing behind her relaxed visibly, though I did note a few disappointed faces. I kept my smile up as I continued where I'd left off, "I've brought my disciples here, because I wish to tell you of my intent to take control of an area both near and far from here."

Once again her eyes narrow and she becomes agitated at the idea of losing territory, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

I smile and pull out a rolled up large piece of parchment. Unfurling it I crouched and let it roll across the ground. The Alpha crouched as well on her end, staring at it with some confusion. Her confusion was justified though, as I'd basically drawn a very rudimentary map of the Americas and that sort of scale wasn't something anyone in this time period was usually called to think in.

She tried anyways, staring at it for several long moments before frowning and shaking her head, "Explain." She finally state crisply, clearly not enjoying being forced to admit she needed help.

I grinned and did so, "This is the landmass we are all standing on right now. On either side are very large bodies of water, almost impossible to cross with how large and deep they are." I pointed at where we now stood in the small tendril of land that connected the Americas, "This is where we are right now. Your pack holds a very pivotal position, the chokepoint that connects these two larger masses of land together."

I looked up to see her nodding slowly, her brow furrowed. She understood, but seemed to be doubting given how small their land looked compared to the larger pieces. I just smile and continue, pointing at the entirety of South America now, "This will be where my people will settle. Over the next hundreds and hundreds of winters we will build a hidden empire."

At this her eyes flashed up to mine, "Hundreds and hundreds of winters? No one lasts that long."

I just chuckle, "Did I not mention that? I and my people do not age and we do not die of natural causes. We will be here a thousand winters from now. That is ten hundreds. All of those here have already seen a hundred winters"

Her jaws clenched as she comprehended the meaning of that, before eventually she spoke again, "Then why bother approaching us? Your empire will be here long after we are gone."

I grin and nod, "True, but your descendants, those born of your children's children's children and so on will still be there, if you ally with us now. While we may live far apart by your standards, it takes one of my disciples less than a day to get from our territory to yours. I am offering a hand of friendship, so that a thousand years from now your Pack will still be here, even if you are personally not. It is called a legacy. What you leave behind after you are gone."

She grunts, mulling over what I was saying before eventually repeating my own words, "Legacy eh? I like the sound of that. Fine, you have an alliance."

I grinned wider now, enjoying the ease of it. Werewolves were so much easier to work with than humans would be in the 21st century, "Excellent. As you raise your young teach them of us. Tell them this; The Vampires to the South can be trusted. There may come a time when there are those in the North and across the seas who would hunt you. If that day ever comes you must make sure your descendants know that they can call on us."

She nods jerkily and stands. I roll up my map and do the same, putting it away and holding out a hand. She looks at it for a long moment before stepping in and grasping the inside of my arm. I grasp hers back and we exchange equally wolfish grins. A moment passes and she releases me from her grasp. Without another word, I and my disciples flash away from the werewolf town.

This would continue for the next few decades, as we hunted down every wolf pack in the land between North and South America. Most had never met a vampire, as most of the vampires my siblings had turned were still across the sea. They ate up what I had to say and I formed alliances with at least fifty werewolf packs. By the time vampires not sired to me arrived in the Americas, the wolves allied with me would have a network connected by my fast moving disciples.

Most of my disciples and their own children remained in the South, building the shadow empire I'd spoken of. The humans in the area would be allowed to grow relatively unhindered, but my disciples would infiltrate their communities as time went on and help things along. South America would grow to appear what it was in the 21st century, but behind the scenes it would be a haven for vampires, a hidden kingdom.

Inevitably I was forced to make a decision as time went on. The next doppleganger, Katerina Petrova, would be found by my siblings in 1492. If left to their own devices, they would let her escape and turn herself into a vampire, leaving us to wait another five centuries for the next one. I'd probably have been better off leaving sooner, but I'd gotten so focused on my work and my empire over the last few centuries.

Still it was time for me to make my way to the old world and seek out my siblings so that I could make sure this damnable curse was finally lifted and I regained my full strength. My people were secure in their knowledge of my plans and our organization had laid the framework for the hidden world of vampires that would control South America for the next several centuries. They would be fine without me for a century or two, and I would enjoy the break from managing the lot of them.

-x-X-x-

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