The Persecution: Part One

Melodious music wafted through the air as Salvatore wove between the women in their colorful gowns and the men in their pristine suits, not even a hair out of place. Casual conversations provided background to the music, complimented by the occasional outburst of laughter. Sal had never been one for parties, but as he made his way to the buffet table he smiled at the ballroom around him, with its glittering chandeliers and exquisite stained glass windows filtering the light of the moon. It was the eve of the summer solstice, and it was a big night. The biannual solstice galas were some of the biggest parties of the year in Neovia, and anybody who was anybody attended. And he had to admit, these parties were a blast.

     Once Sal reached his destination, he took a pause to admire the special delicacies at the end of the massive line of food. A three tier fountain took up the center of the table, flowing with ruby red punch. Carefully placed around it like small sentries guarding their queen were plates of pastries and finger foods. Red velvet cupcakes, blood sausages, and delicate chocolates filled with what looked like strawberry jam were just a few of the treats adorning the beautiful plates. Normally, Sal would dig into these delicious looking treats but he knew they weren't made for people with his tastes. He paused to adjust the fancy "Vampires Only" sign.

     "They aren't real, you know."

     Sal turned to the owner of the voice, a blue Eyrie who was carefully selecting chocolates.

     "Excuse me?"

     "This food. They say its made for vampires, but it really isn't. It's a placebo, a fake." He turned away from Salvatore and continued down the line of food. Curious, Sal picked up one of the filled truffles and took a small bite of it. The Eyrie was right, it tasted like cherries.

     Some people would be very taken aback at learning that vampires openly lived among the mortals, but here in Neovia, it isn't much of a big deal. In fact, it was rare for someone to not know a vampire. They lived in town, they worked jobs, and they were normal people and accepted. It was just the way it was. Surprisingly, most of the largest parties were hosted by vampires. They had the time and the resources, and everyone knew that vampires threw the best parties around.

     "Salvatore!"

     Sal turned away from the buffet and mustered up a fake smile as a extravagantly dressed white Draik sauntered toward him. He kept up that fake smile, this was Hayden's gala and he wasn't a person who liked to see his guests unhappy.

     "Hayden, it's great to see you. The party is excellent as always."

     The Draik laughed loudly and thumped his jewel topped cane on the tiled floor. "Of course it is! I spent months planning this; it had to be perfect!"

     "Just like the winter solstice, eh? I have to admit, I think you overdid yourself this year."

     "Well, I try. It's tricky to keep things fresh and new after five hundred years." He smiled broadly, flashing his sharp fangs. Sal returned the smile.

     "Just how to you do it?"

     "Oh, how I would love to tell you but you know as well as I do that a magician never reveals his secrets!" There was that laugh again, loud and spilling with self-confidence. Salvatore sighed inwardly. Kissing Hayden's tail was never fun, but he couldn't afford to loose the Draik's friendship. The cheeky aristocrat had too much influence on the small town.

     Sal decided to change the subject. "So Hayden, how have you been? Hunting still plentiful?"

     "Well, things have slimmed down a bit, but we haven't been having any problems." A lie. It was obviously a lie. Sal could see in the twitch of the corner of Hayden's mouth and the way he shifted his feet that something else was going on. Pressing the issue would be pointless though, Hayden was too proud to admit any weaknesses. He was the head of the most affluent and powerful vampire clan in Neovia, and any sign of weakness was an opening for someone to steal his power. Sal figured that was fair enough, but he had to find out what was going on. That's why he came to these gatherings.

     Though this party was hosted by a vampire, there were plenty of living Neopets here as well. Sal wasn't interested in those, they wouldn't know anything about vampire affairs. He couldn't see much from his vantage point, so he went to sit at a table where he had a full view of the ballroom. Normally, it would be very difficult to pick out the vampires from the mortals, but it wasn't a problem for Sal. All you had to do was notice the small things. It was easy to see the fangs on many of the women, they laughed and talked loudly, opening their mouths enough to show their fangs to the world. They also avoided silver jewelry, the touch of which would burn them like fire. The men were a little more tricky to notice, you had to watch for the way they avoided silver flatware and taking the hands of ladies with silver rings. It wasn't difficult for a trained eye like Sal's, however.

     There were several vampires that would talk to Sal about what he wanted to know. There was Frankie, a distant relative of his who was always surrounded by members of her clan. She wouldn't do; the eventide Xweetok was never alone. Then there was Sam, the motherly Kougress that knew everyone in town. Sal caught sight of her but she was busy dancing, so she wouldn't do. There was one other perhaps, and Sal smiled as he picked her out from the crowed. Across the room sitting alone at a table was a royal Korbat sitting quietly and drinking the ruby red punch. She had a neutral look on her face, and he could tell that she was carefully observing everyone in her line of sight with her sharp eyes. Earlier, he had seen her talking jubilantly with many other Neovians. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be this woman.

     By the time Sal reached her table, the Korbat had already noticed him. She smiled as he walked up.

     "Oh hello, Mr. Malice. Are you enjoying the party?"

     Sal sat down next to her. "Oh yes, Hayden's parties are always a great time."

     "Yes, they are. So to what pleasure do I owe you for your company?"

     Sal drummed his fingers on the table to give the illusion of casual conversation. "I was curious about something Hayden mentioned. He said hunting wasn't as easy as it was, is that true?"

     "Oh Mr. Malice, why does that concern you? Everything is perfectly fine, as always." She was still smiling. It was starting to get a bit unsettling.

     Sal shifted his position. "That isn't what I heard. I know how you vampires work, you lure people to dinners and parties like this, and then you take your meals from them. Are you losing volunteers, hm?"

     That smile was still there. "Oh never, we have friends. Regular customers. We always leave our guests unharmed, and we always give them something in return. It would be against the rules not to."

     Rules. All of the Neovian vampires lived by rules. In order to live in town, you had to live a certain way and eat a certain way, and vampires like Hayden and Villia watched over younger vampires like hawks to be sure that they behaved. No harming guests, no taking more than you need, always listen to your elder vampires... these were just a few. Salvatore only knew of the main rules; non-vampires usually weren't allowed in on their secrets.

     "Yes, yes, though I'm not sure how many people are willing to do a trade with a vampire anymore. If hunting gets even more scarce, you might have a rebellion on your hands."

     Villia's eyes turned to ice, however that grin remained frozen on her face. "That would never happen. Everyone in town knows what happens to vampires who break the rules."

     "Perhaps, but they will still take chances. Remember that Acara that attacked that little girl last summer?"

     "We dealt with him. Ran him out of town. Last I heard, he was living in one of the woodland clans, the uncivilized monsters."

     Ah yes, the woodland clans. Salvatore remember learning about them as a kid. They were every nightmare you dreamed of, hunters stealing travelers off paths never to let them return, and large clans wiping out entire groups of people at a time. Neovian vampires liked to think of themselves as better than them, as more proper and more pure. But they still drank blood. They had to, they were vampires.

     Sal crossed his arms. "It's funny how your group functions. You supposedly care about each other, but as soon as someone slips up you kick them out, not giving a slight care about what might happen to them."

     Villia suddenly frowned and stood up. "Mr. Malice, we have been hunting in this fashion for over three hundred years. The system has always worked, and it will always work." She paused, then the smile returned. "Now please, I have other business to attend to. Good night."

     With a flourish of silks she was gone, stalking off to the dance floor to presumably seek out her next meal. Sal sighed as he resumed watching the party-goers, sipping his own cup of grape punch. There was definitely something going on, and he was going to find out what.

To be continued...