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Vlad had a very obvious frown on his face as he kept re-reading the documents, the will, the certificates, the agreements. Just to spare people from the tiniest detail, he was re-reading every single document he was given to him.
If it wasn’t because of the multiple red flags, Vlad would have been devouring a cow right now and enjoying the feast that he deserved so much. But of course, as he soon realized, there weren’t any cows nearby, nor pigs, nor sheep, nor chickens. Heck, not even a single tiny, miniscule, petty mouse!
The whole place was deserted and abandoned!
“You got to be kidding me,” Vlad groaned as he couldn’t believe his luck. Almost 400 years of servitude to his sire and this is his reward? “They couldn’t have picked a better spot or what?”
Mortimer’s instructions were clear: Start the coven at the designated land, start a town of some sort with the provided resources, invite unaware or lost individuals into the town, gain their trust, turn the first fledgelings, work more, expand the coven, work more, keep expanding the coven, get more vampires…
How is he supposed to work like this?!
The land was unusable, for starters. The land wasn’t even fertile at all?! Didn’t Mortimer or whatever scout he sent over here checked that the land was perfect for crops or livestock? Second, there were no animals, which Vlad already stated before. Third and most important, the god damn place was right under the sun! How is he supposed to lead a coven with the sun blistering their skin and weakening them?!
Vlad sighed frustratingly as he had the suspicion that he was just sent here to be ridden off from. 400 years of servitude might seem like an accomplishment… if someone doesn’t count the labors that Vlad had to do. Yes, he did first-handedly choose who deserved to earn or have the gift, which is why Mortimer has so many loyal followers. Yes, he was among the few who could pass away as human as keep the cover prolongingly. And yes, he was Mortimer’s second hand, which is why he was chosen to start a new coven under his name.
A coven that wouldn’t last a week in this place.
Vlad stuffed all the documents into his suitcase as he looked for the map that he was given to. If Mortimer really wanted to start a coven somewhere else, he’ll have to come flying straight towards him and write down the new address himself. Vlad looked through the entire map as he tried to find a suitable location to start the coven, one that would actually allow him to do so.
It needed to be somewhere with a vast population of animals so they could feed both humans and vampires. Somewhere where humans would actually go and live there. Somewhere with enough resources to build and grow a town. Somewhere…
Vlad raised an eyebrow as he found a suitable location.
One that was very questionable.
Sunspire.
Sunspire…
Sun-… Spire…
Why did that name ring so much to him?
Vlad tried to remember the countless, upon countless number of documents, scripts, and writings talking about vampire history that they kept stored in the coven’s library. Mortimer might have even mentioned the place, but that was likely years ago. Vlad sighed as his options were limited in this situation.
On one hand: he would have to start a shambled coven in this “wasteland”, for a lack of a better word.
On the other hand: if he returns to ask to relocate the coven to somewhere else where he knew more about it, it would look like he was defying Mortimer’s words and possibly cost his only opportunity to rule over his own coven.
Or worst: Mortimer would give that chance to someone else less deserving of it just to teach him a lesson.
Vlad sighed as he knew well enough what to do. “This better be worth it.” Starting his own coven would mean he would be on his own. Not listening to any of Mortimer’s commands or orders and even arguing and debating against or for Mortimer with his own will.
No more unnecessary new fledgelings to look after. Vlad would never understand what was with Mortimer and numbers, his sire always turning left and right and right and left anybody he encountered. Even the snacks that he stumbles upon would be turned instead of being left as dried corpses, which could be excused as not leaving evidence behind but still!
Vlad checked the map for the third and final time before he was sure he knew the route by mind. Sunspire was located next to a cliffside in the heart of a forest, a place where there was bound to be a bountiful population of animals to feed on and an already established town with people and potential candidates. If not, one or two individuals living in the forest by themselves, which was even better if he was starting pretty slowly.
Vlad turned into a bat in one moment, the cloud of bats that was always a byproduct of the process scattering away as he screeched at them to go. He then landed on the handle of his suitcase, taking hold of it firmly with his feet before flapping his wings rapidly and repeatedly, raising the suitcase off from the ground as he started to fly towards the general direction that he believed was to Sunspire. It was going to be a long flight, he calculated, but it was certainly going to be worth it if it meant having his own coven.
He just hoped that nothing would go wrong once he arrived at Sunspire.