Free Bloodmoon: Peace Treaty by Mike J. Banes

Prologue
     
    War. Conflict. Dispute. Since the beginning of time, the clash of interests resulting in often violent confrontations has pervaded the world and more than a few times threatened to bring it to its knees. As old as time itself, this relatively inadvertent and essentially ancestral aspect of our various natures has arisen from the most logical of reasons to the most irrational and all round off-the-wall concoctions of varied makings.
    As much an outlet for inbuilt aggression as a simple excuse for complete overthrow or score settling, the various reasons for which wars have arisen always seem to fade into oblivion in the wake of the war itself. Everything else dissolves and the major task becomes winning, except now, for the personal reason of survival above the original reason.
    Some wars, so old that the reason for their existence has faded into the annals of time, have left behind devastating effects long after they have ended. While others go on still, even when the reason for fighting has long since been forgotten.
    For as long as either side could remember, the werewolves and vampires had been at war.
    Theirs was such a war that despite extensive casualties and horrendous consequences suffered by both sides, the boisterous tempo of the chaotic exchange never seemed to waver. Their hatred for each other burned brighter and each tumultuous clash was carried out with all the venom each side harbored for the other.
    Several attempts at peace had been made and had each ended in varying levels of fervid failure.
    Demetrius Thorin, the wizened vampire king and Phelan Roz, the belligerent and equally wizened werewolf chieftain, as legends passed by word of mouth claimed, were once friends. Theirs was a friendship that bordered on brotherhood, and as with brothers of varying strengths and qualities, a simple, initially, seemingly harmless rivalry had existed between the both of them. The details of the evolution of the rivalry to a full blown enmity and the inception of the conflict had been subjected to bias. Each side would claim the other was responsible for the complete dissolution of what was formerly a prosperous friendship.
    Other legends still, attributed the hatred to simple base instinct. A natural hatred deep within each side for the other. As much a part of their respective natures as was their urge to feed on blood, or turn under the full moon.
    All that had changed though. An uneasy peace treaty had finally been reached between both sides. Unsure of what to expect in this brave new world where it was hypothesized that vampires and werewolves could coexist, each side watched with bated breath and simply hoped for the best.

Chapter One
     
    The wind rustled, scattering a few leaves that had gathered at the base of an ancient looking tree. Branches of other nearby trees creaked as the wind picked up and settled again in the rhythm it had employed for the night.
    The night was silent apart from the occasional owl hoot far off in the distance. Otherwise, all was seemingly peaceful.
    Too peaceful.
    She listened carefully. The wind rustled again. She could not be bothered by that. Her senses were tuned to one thing, and one thing only. For a minute, she zoned in on it, but then it was gone.
    The wind rustled again.
    Smart move staying upwind she thought.
    She flexed her knuckles, protracting and retracting her claws in the process, a subconscious habit she usually engaged in when she was in deep concentration.
    She took a deep breath again, assessing the various smells.
    Pine.
    Fig leaves.
    Rotten fruit. Peach.
    Dead squirrel.
    Snake.
    Her ability to differentiate between smells was second to none in the entire Kingdom and had earned her a lot of accolades and as was normal, envy.
    She turned around, trying to stay cantered but trying to get as much of an angle on the scent as was possible.
    Nothing. Dammit.
    She listened now. Her ears, while very acute, were not as good as her nose.
    She heard the snake