The towering man named Victor would come by from time to time and torment him as if he were a plaything, making him attack again and again and asking whether he was hungry. If he hurt himself, he could drink blood. But it didn't take many rounds before he lost all his dignity.
Marcus was beaten to a pulp by the monster every time. Those sharp claws toyed with him like he was a rag doll. Vampires couldn't recover for long without enough blood, but he couldn't die even if he wanted to. Boundless hunger and pain tormented him without pause.
When he saw James, he shouted that he was willing to do anything for him, begging only that he keep the monster away from him...
"Tell me more about your progenitor," James said, pinching his nose. Having such a keen sense of smell was sometimes a real pain.
"Yes, sir! Adam is the progenitor of all the Holy Race—no, vampires—on the American Continent. He created us. We've never been able to gauge his power, because every vampire he creates is utterly unable to resist him. No matter how much they want to hurt or kill him, in his presence they're controlled by the fear deep in their blood. That's why some vampires who hate Adam secretly train human hunters."
Marcus swallowed a few times, greedily eyeing the rooster tied up by James's feet, then continued, "So I truly don't know how his power compares with yours. But your supreme might fills me with awe. In more than a century, I've never seen a mortal as grand and powerful as the gods. You—"
"That's enough." James impatiently waved his hand, then asked, "You said he was the progenitor of all vampires on the 'American Continent.' Does that mean there's more than one progenitor?"
The rooster tied up at James's feet instinctively spread its wings, as if it still wanted to put up a fight.
Marcus hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That's just my guess. Adam never said so outright, but he once vaguely mentioned that since his birth, countless Holy Race members had fallen over the long ages, while he alone had remained immortal to this day. I think Adam might have had siblings, or perhaps he was turned into a vampire himself."
"Wasn't his sister, Vadoma, one of them?"
"No! Vadoma was also turned by Adam. He just liked her a lot and called her his sister."
Cluck! Cluck—
The rooster was tossed into the iron cage. Marcus scrambled over, the heavy chains on his feet clanking loudly. Without even looking up, he bit down, stealing a glance at James as he left. His eyes held nothing but numbness.
For the past few months, James had repeatedly interrogated the vampire Marcus. Sometimes he'd repeat the same questions after a while, or even offer a contradictory answer to see whether the vampire would challenge him. At first, the sly Marcus had really tried to deceive him. After James saw through his lies, he didn't show up for a long time, only sending Victor now and then to keep the foolish little bat company...
James's letter to President Lincoln had already explained the importance of abolishing slavery. He knew that even if he said nothing, Lincoln would make the right choice.
The Howlett Family's factories in North America were already working at full capacity to produce military equipment for the Union Army. James was also sending people all over to gather large quantities of pure silver and test silver ammunition and weapons. Marcus, a living specimen, had given him a general idea of how much harm silver could do to vampires.
Washington, White House.
"Once the emancipation law is enacted, the Confederate Army will become incapable of putting up a fight. You surely understand that better than I do. But the choice history demands is ultimately yours to make. What we truly need to worry about is Adam and his vampire army. I've already written to you about the current size of the vampire population, but I'm concerned that once the Southern Army is defeated, Jefferson Davis will be driven to desperation and seek Adam's help. That could lead Adam to create vast numbers of lowly blood slaves without regard for the consequences..."
William Johnson read James's letter aloud to President Lincoln. He was a trusted companion who had long assisted Mr. Lincoln. Another person Lincoln trusted was his former employer from his youth, Joshua Speed.
"Just look at the words Mr. Howlett uses. 'Driven to desperation'! Good Lord, how did he come up with such a vivid expression? It's simply splendid!" The president joked with great amusement, then continued, "I must say, his wisdom and foresight make me feel as though I've wasted all these years."
"So you've made up your mind?" Johnson hurriedly asked President Lincoln.
"Yes." Abraham Lincoln spoke with solemn resolve. "Abolishing slavery completely is something I decided on long ago, but I've been unable to make up my mind. The victories in the West have been canceled out by our crushing defeats in the East, and the Southern Army is at Washington's gates. We can hesitate no longer!"
"Joshua, I need you to oversee the collection of pure silver. James is right: we must prepare to fight an enormous vampire army. His factories are already working on it, but only by mobilizing the entire North can we produce enough!" President Lincoln instructed Joshua Speed. Joshua looked unwell, his spirits somewhat flagging.
Johnson continued, "At the end of the letter, he said he'd come North in person before long to help us deal with Adam... Abraham, can we really trust this young Mr. Howlett when it comes to Adam?"
Lincoln said nothing more, simply nodding with conviction.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he, a veteran vampire hunter, would never have believed that a human could truly defeat and kill a vampire through his own strength.
James Howlett had to be the one God sent to bring an end to the utterly evil and wicked vampire race.
September 1862.
The sixteenth president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, issued the Emancipation Proclamation. When the news reached the South, thousands upon thousands of slaves fled north. Almost overnight, the Southern Army was stripped of vital logistical support, including the transportation of supplies, provisions, and laborers. Soon afterward, the North announced a policy of arming Black soldiers, further swelling the Union Army's ranks.
Around that time, James boarded a steam train bound for Washington. Victor was his only companion. Nearly a hundred armed men from the family, already equipped with silver weapons and ammunition, had arrived days earlier.
O'Hara had thrown a week-long tantrum after James refused to let her come along. It was the longest she'd ever gone without speaking to him.
It wasn't until the day he was due to leave that she waited by the carriage, sulking, with a box of homemade toast in her arms.
James stepped forward and whispered a few words against her cheek. A deep blush spread across the beautiful young woman's face. Only then did she start speaking, half chiding him and half giving him instructions. In the end, she watched for a long time as the four-wheeled carriage bearing the family crest disappeared into the distance, standing there, motionless.
A man was going to war. No matter how powerful or safe he seemed, it was still a battlefield.
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