Thursday photo prompt: Aflame #writephoto

For visually challenged writers, the image shows an empty landscape beneath a blue sky. Darkness gathers above the horizon and between land and cloud, the sky is aflame…

AFLAME.

Mathew answered Rachel’s howl silently and carefully non telepathically . He knew she would not hear him but also he knew she would understand why he could not answer her.

Looking to the horizon he saw the the sunrise approaching , time to find shelter with the other vampires he was tired, obviously not physically tired but mentally. He was tired of pretending to be part of this rabble of young and surprisingly viscous vampires. Only last night he had had to take part in destroying an entire village of humans. Men women and children slaughtered, these young creatures barely a couple of hundred years old drained and then ripped apart the humans leaving them strewn around like so much detritus. They ate and drunk of the humans stores, so much that they were beyond drunk. Worst of all was how they sort out the good looking males and females and repeatedly used and abused them before draining them of their lives blood, that was at least merciful end to their torture . Not that any of this rabble had any idea what mercy was.

Corvus buzzed around Mathew’s head telling him that Rachel, Lisa and Hope had reached Ewan’s castle and than Ewan was preparing his men for battle. Good, thought Mathew and he dipped his head as Corvus flew off in to the flame red dawn. Slowly he turned towards the dark woods where they were spending this day. As he approached he could hear the screams of the humans that had been kept alive for entertainment . Why, he wondered, had they not had enough to satisfy their blood lust during the night.

The poor unfortunates were pegged to trees and the ground stripped naked and they looked terrified, rightly so, mused Mathew as he passed them. Carefully, so as not to be seen he ripped out the hearts of the younger ones so as to dispatched them without anymore suffering.

Back at Silverman beach Rachel looked toward the dawn sky was it aflame with light or fire or just a reflection of the bloody war .

Calador stood on the ramparts of the elves stronghold, wandering where and how Lisa and Hope were faring. Were they even alive, he put so much faith in Lisa’s magic and Rachel’s strength and determination. At that moment the sky became aflame with the dawn. Calador took this as a good omen, what else could he do?

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To be continued.

If you wish to read Lisa’s and Rachel’s story up to this point you can find it here.

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This is part of Sue Vincent’s #writephoto