Hidden Truths - Ethan

60 - The Revelation

"Butcher!" Lyall shouts out when I enter the clearing. His head is bandaged with an eye patch but by the way, he holds his arm at his chest, walking over to me, he is still healing, just like I. My tense muscles flex at the sudden possibility of seeing another threat coming.

With a fast pull, I take my ax at hand and change into a defensive stance. Lyall only arches an eyebrow as he stays put in a safe distance. Reaching out his hand in my direction, I hesitantly move over to him to take the offer.

"Good talk," he says with a serious face and a good grip at my hand.

"Good fight," I answer before pulling him close to bump his shoulder at mine, just as I did with Connor after our first real encounter. He obviously relaxes a little at this gesture. We both know what happened, no need to discuss this further.

"You look ready. I heard we are going to hear what's truly going on?" He tries to start a conversation as I store my ax again at my hip and make my way inside the main cave where I suspect Tobias and Eve. The sun is about to come and so is the end of all of my misery, I'm sure.

When I enter the sick bay, my eyes wander over the rows of still healing vampires. Some of them struggle with different materials to create ropes out of hay or to sew clothes and shoes. I guess most of them have not ever had the honor to use their hands for that kind of work. These are either soldiers or elite vampires, who never needed to work hard. The few humans who are already back on their feet try their best to introduce them to this kind of work.

For a moment, I wring my hands at the thought of Henriette sewing the special glove for me.

"Ethan, good you are here!" Erwin approaches me, dragging me out of the fond memory.

"Have you been able to separate the fitting blood?" I ask straight forward and he nods.

"Your son has a very fine sense for scents. I wouldn't have expected less from someone of your blood," he praises.

"We are not of the same blood," I answer dryly and can see Tobias turning around from a patient not too far away. His face is straight and his eyes are gleaming. "He achieved this all on his own," I then add and can see a smile forming on his face.

"Oh, well, either way, I think it is safe to say, that we are over the worst..." Erwin's words fade out and I wonder.

"What is it?"

"Some of the humans seem to starve as much as some of the vampires were hallucinating about some fresh blood," Erwin answers and I nod.

"Lyall, what are you doing with the meat from the hunted animals?"

"We usually give it back to nature. There are enough other predators out there, who need to feed and it never gets to waste that way," Lyall explains, "I guess this changes now. Is someone of the humans able to cook?"

"I am," Tobias shows up next to Erwin. We all look at him surprised. "I never gave up on cooking. It is a very good way to blend into a society of humans and just recently I met a vampire lady who shares that passion for human food."

I slightly shake my head. "Erwin, find one of the humans to cook and then I want you to take a rest, do you hear me?"

"Due to all respect, I am a grown man. I don't need to be told to take a rest," he straightens out.

"That was not a subject for discussion but an order," I explain and his jaw tightens.

"Yes, Sir, what about the vampires?" 

"I will think of something. Maybe we do it Lyall's way, but for now, they need to contain themselves. We will take care of that as soon as we are done with our meeting," I explain and he nods. With that Erwin leaves.