"I don't understand why you're being so standoffish! Did you think you'd be the only one in this sect who was, 'different'? Don't be naive."
I thought this through and she was right. How could I be so judgmental? I mean, I was a werewolf.
"This might come across as being rude, I assure you it's not but, what are you?"
I tried my best not to anger her.
"Heh, no offense taken. I'm a hunter of the night like yourself. Though we differ somewhat and technically should be at each other's throat."
"So, it's what I suspected then, you're a vampire?"
As I finished my sentence she nodded, opened her mouth and bore her fangs. Fascinating. I wondered though what she meant by "at each other's throat".
"You mentioned at each other throats? What do you mean by that?"
She smirked.
"How much do you know about Vampires and Werewolves?"
"Not much actually, just what I've seen in the movies, both are fearsome hunters of the night, vampires seem to be far more aristocratic whereas werewolves seem to be more, wild"
She nodded.
"Close. Let me explain our history. There are many opinions on how vampirism came about. These stories vary from country to country, culture to culture. No one is quite sure how it began but alas we are sure of how to spread it. That is one part the media managed to get correct. A simple bite. A simple bite is all it takes to sire a fledgling. To sire a fledgling, simply put, is to become the superior of a newly created vampire; a fledgling. You see, as you guessed previously vampires follow a elective monarchy of government so to speak. We have a leader known as The Warlord. The Warlord holds absolute power over all vampires. He is the head, of our 'organization'. He is responsible for driving the Nobles and Lords towards a specific goal, whether that's increasing wealth, power or otherwise... Below him, we have a number of Nobles. Nobles and their dynasty are sworn in by Warlords. Usually a vampire needs to have done something of great importance to receive such an honor. As it stands, there are currently 11 dynasties sworn in as Nobles. They hold all the responsibilities of a Lord but also, they are responsible for the voting of New Warlords, should something befall the current one. Below them are Lords. Lords are vampires who govern each Coven. There is usually 1 or 2 covens in each country depending on the its size and significance. For example, here in England, there are two covens. Lords receive their orders from the Noble who hold charge over them, who subsequently receive their orders from The Warlord. Finally, below them is everyone else, we've no specific charge over anyone save for our own fledglings, and must follow our Lord's every command."
Wow. They were so structured and organized. It's amazing, no wonder they've survived for so long.
Wow. They were so structured and organized. It's amazing, no wonder they've survived for so long.
"That's amazing! I would have never guessed it was so, structured."
"Yes, well, structured to a fault some would say. Anyhow, moving on wolfen society. Your kind has two distinct factions. Wild and The Resistance. Wild werewolves are exactly that, wild. They remain trapped in their bestial form, thinking only with their animal instincts. They are often seen in small packs with one central leader, The Alpha. Alphas are usually those who are bigger or stronger than the rest. Apart from not much else is known. On the other hand, we know a great deal about The Resistance, to which you now belong. The Resistance live in what they call Dens, much like the Covens of vampires, it is a place of sanctuary where one can get the latest news, gear, products etc. The Resistance follow a militarized system of leadership where once rises through the ranks. There are 5 ranks excluding Alpha they are; General, Brigadier, Colonel, Major, Lieutenant. One must also earn a rank, prior to this you remain rank less, a private. Only by gaining the favor of higher ranking werewolves can you advance. However, once you are of Brigadier rank, you can no longer be promoted by higher ranks. You must participate in The Trial. The Trial basically is a gladiator competition within your own rank. It is performed yearly. The two best competitors are promoted up one rank while the two bottom performers are demoted a rank. Once you have achieved the rank of General, you only have the opportunity to advance to the Alpha rank in two ways. The first, most common way is via a 10 year election. Whereby ranked werewolves are allowed to cast their vote. The second way, is to challenge your current alpha to combat. Should you win, you are promoted to Alpha rank and he demoted to Brigadier. Should you lose however, you will be demoted to Private. No doubt you can see why this is the less popular option."
"It seems far more, violent compared to vampiric society."
"Do not be so sure, werewolves are forthright with their bestial nature this much is true, however vampires like to conceal it. It does not mean it is not used. There is much political backstabbing in our society, both literally and figuratively."
"So, why then do you say we should be at each other throats"
I felt as if though she was dodging the question.
"Hmph, during the renaissance.."
