quagmires littered with bodies of both man and beast.
Shattered remnants of war machines lay scattered across
the fields, picked through by the scavengers which
descended upon every battlefield at day’s end. The mortals
were now heavily engaged in what they conceitedly and
self-deceptively called the “war to end all wars.” But now,
beneath this one, another war waged. Within the realm of
darkness, a solitary flame had been lit, and that solitary
flame declared war for the righteous. Though the camp
consisted of but one warrior, he brought with him the
strength and resolve of several battalions. The evil amidst
which he had been created now destroyed established the
path Petbe knew he must take.
The boy-warrior continues to patrol relentlessly, cleansing
the capitals of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He is
driven to purge any and all, both vampire and mortal, who
would feed upon or pervert the innocence of children.
Whisperings of the monstrous child assassin float upon
the currents of the swirling winds, spreading both his
threat and word of his deeds. And the phrase that
everyone fears to hear are the three cold words that spell
their destruction: “I am Petbe.”
David Crerand continues his work on The Village, a concept piece that
involves a series of stand-alone stories based on vampires whose lives are
crafted after occupations of typical medieval residents. He has been a staple
of The Dark Sire since its debut, as well as had his work published in
Lost Worlds, Crossroads, and Dogwood Tales.
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