Bleeding Nights

In the Distant Past

In the dawning of the rise of man, a time before humanity had developed writing. When the ancient cradles of civilization were new. In the age before empires and conquerors, mankind was united for a single purpose: to fight against a common enemy.

The Nightdwellers. A collective of species that humans would call "monsters". The Strigoi, Lupines, Arachne, Lamia, Owlkin, Mandragora, and the Vouivres. All these different species walked the earth under the cover of night, and would walk alongside humanity while they slept. Some would feed off humanity, usually those that were weak or criminals. Most would simply keep to themselves or live among the humans. All of them served under their respective rulers with almost no boundaries or laws.

No one knows how it happened, but both the humans and the Nightdwellers declared war on each other. Both sides used normal weapons and magic to deal blows to both sides. When it came to magic, the Nightdwellers would easily be able to kill whole battalions of human warriors. But the humans had numbers and the knowledge of the Nightdwellers' weaknesses. The losses on both sides were equally catastrophic.

After a whole century of fighting, both sides needed a way to end the fighting. The leaders of the human kingdoms and the Nightdweller nations eventually met to hold a peace conference and forge a treaty.

After much deliberation, both sides shook hands on the formation of their treaty: the Treaty of Shadows. The Treaty states that the Nightdwellers may live alongside humanity without fear of reprisal as long as they don't bring any harm to humans and dictated that all species live in harmony.

However, with humanity's tendency to forget after a few generations, humanity quickly forgot all about the Treaty of Shadows. The mere existence of the Nightdwellers and their supernatural abilities made them the enemy in the eyes of mankind once again.

The humans formed a secret global organization called the Orion Society. Strigoi weren't their only targets. They hunt all Nighdwellers. The Society hunt the Nightdwellers with ruthless brutality, even killing Nightdwellers that have never harmed humans.

As far as the Nightdwellers were concerned, the Treaty has been broken. An act of war had been declared. Now, the Society and the Nightdwellers wage constant silent war against each other. A war that may threaten the sunlit world, as well.

Twilight was walking with her Lupine friend Sunset. Both were walking through the clearing in the forest talking of familiar things. Not too far away, the rest of Sunset's pack were feeding on the remains of two other deer they had caught recently. Twilight's nestmates were resting from their earlier feedings.

"How've things been for you, Twi?" Sunset asked.

"Things have been pretty good for us, actually. We recently hired a human to guard us while we sleep in the day", Twilight replied.

Sunset raised an eyebrow at her Strigoi friend. "I never thought I'd see the day where you'd hire a human to watch over you all"

"Yeah, but this particular human is quite the find. He was afraid at first, but he was brave enough to not run away from us. In fact, he was curious about us when he did find out" Twilight said.

"What's his name?"

"Spike Drake"

"What does his blood taste like?" Sunset asked Twilight with a smirk.

Twilight put a clawed finger on her chin in thought. "His blood tastes really good. The best comparison I can think of is... chocolate milk"

"What does he look like?"

"He's young, short, and honestly, quite handsome. He has these big, intelligent eyes and this cute spiky hair. And he has the personality of a cute little bunny" Twilight replied with a sigh.

"Maybe I should pay him a visit, myself" Sunset said with a fanged smirk.

Twilight nearly bared her fangs at that. She turned to Sunset with a red glare. The Lupine's response was only laugh and raise her hands.

"Oh come on, Twi! I want to see the human that has you looking like a fangirl backstage at a BTS concert" Sunset said.

Twilight sighed. "Maybe I'll arrange for Spike to meet you and your pack. But perhaps it would be better for everyone to wait until Spike has gotten used to being around us first. He just found out about the existence of the Nightdwellers. We shouldn't overwhelm the poor thing"

"Well, that makes sense. He might not be able to handle seeing Lupines on top of Strigoi" Sunset said.

Sunset leaned in to whisper in Twilight's ear. "I hope he doesn't mind the smell of wet dog"

Twilight did bare her fangs at Sunset for that. She swung her claws at Sunset, who dodged her attacks instantly. Sunset could only laugh at Twilight's reaction.

"You're so easy to rile up, Twi!" Sunset exclaimed at the attacking Strigoi.

Twilight had been trying to maul Sunset for a few more minutes before she finally settled down. Sunset was still smiling and laughing. Wanting to change the subject away from Spike, Twilight decided to ask about how Sunset and her pack were doing.

"So, Sunset. How are you and your pack doing?" Twilight asked.

"Honestly, things have been pretty normal for us. However, we recently received new information from the NightNet" Sunset replied.

The NightNet was a global information exchange network used by Nightdwellers for various reasons, but mostly to keep an eye on the Orion Society's movements.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"Well, we've been looking into the genealogy records of known Society members and we found out something really interesting"

"Like what?"

"Apparently, Spike's mother is actually one of the lead Hunters for the Orion Society"

"What?!"

"Yeah. I think it would be safe to conclude that Spike doesn't know about this."

"Well, he did say that his mother was a wildlife biologist on a business trip"

"More like a hunting trip"

Twilight couldn't believe it. Spike's mother was one of the Hunters, the sworn enemy of the Nightdwellers. And the worst part is, Spike doesn't even know his mother is a mass murderer.

The Nightdwellers have a special policy when it comes to dealing with the Hunters: the average Nightdweller citizen has the authority to kill them without a trial under Nightdweller law.

"Is there anything else?" Twilight asked.

"Well yes. Apparently, the Elder that oversees the North American continent is coming to Canterlot to see you"

Twilight's eyes looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her head. Forget Spike's mother being a Hunter, this was even bigger news. The Elders were the direct offspring of the original Strigoi, Queen Veratos. There was said to be one Elder overseeing the Strigoi populations on every continent, with two in Asia. And the North American Elder is coming Canterlot!

"I wonder what she wants to talk about" Twilight wondered.

"Could be anyone's guess. But I know it must be super important if one of the Elders is coming here" Sunset said in reply.

"What you and the other Lupines? You get any word from the Highwolf?" Twilight asked.

The Highwolf was the commander of the world's entire Lupine population. They are regarded as being incredibly skilled in leadership and combat ability.

"No, nothing. But I have heard that the Highwolf's been traveling more frequently, lately" Sunset replied.

"What for?"

"No idea. Anyway, you all better get your nest ready for the Elder's arrival"

"Of course. Have a good night, Sunset"

"You too, Twilight"

The two friends hugged and went their separate ways. The took their groups back to their homes to prepare for the upcoming events.

In the Australian Outback- Luna's Team

A black tactical van was driving at a decent speed through the Australian Outback. Within the van is Luna's Hunter team, affectionately called "Nightmare Squad". They all dressed in the long black uniform coats and owl masks that the Orion Society gave them. Hanging on the walls of the van were all the various weapons and traps used by the Hunters to ensnare and kill the different monsters that walk the night.

Driving the van was Sombra, wearing a dark gray owl mask. He was one of the Squad's frontline fighters, with an Enchanted silver longsword.

Next to him was the Squad's captain, Luna. She wore a dark blue owl mask. Her weapons of choice were a pair of Enchanted silver machetes. They didn't have a lot of reach, but she used magic to increase her speed and agility to make up for her weapons' lack of reach.

Behind Luna was Chrysalis, one of the team's long-range fighters. Her owl mask was a toxic green color. The weapon she used was an Enchanted rifle that fired bullets made of Enchanted silver. Her rifle's Enchantment was designed so that she could hit her target every time.

Next to Chrysalis was the team's oldest member and the one with the most experience hunting monsters, Tirek. He was wearing a bright red owl mask with four eyes instead of two. His main weapon was a pair of Enchanted silver gauntlets with retractable talons for ripping his enemies apart. Despite his age, his use of magic have kept his body far from frail. In fact, he was the physically strongest out the entire squad.

And lastly, there was the youngest and arguably smartest member of the team, Cozy Glow. Her owl mask was paper-white in color. She was another one of the team's long-range fighters, using an Enchanted crossbow that fired Enchanted silver bolts. Not only was she a gifted strategist for one so young, but she also had the most ample knowledge of the monsters they hunted.

They Nightmare Squad was driving off to meet a special contact at a designated location located deep within the Australian Outback. The meeting place was in a place super remote so that the monsters couldn't spy on them.

The team were eager to hear what it was the contact had to say. They arrived in Australia with a hunt on their hands from the get-go. While eliminating an entire vampire nest was good at testing their skills, it was nothing compared to fighting one of those "mixed lairs" they fought before.

Mixed lairs were a combination of different monster species that lived and hunted together. The combined strength of different species working together was enough to put Tirek down for a week. It was only one fight with a mixed lair, but it was enough to leave the squad with almost fatal injuries. Cozy Glow was almost beaten to death.

Eventually, the team arrived at the meeting spot. The meeting spot was a rocky hill overlooking a large grove of cacti and shrubs. Waiting at the spot for the Nightmare Squad were three individuals standing near a black car. Two of them were masked Society bodyguards, a man and a woman. Standing between them was their contact.

The contact's name was Discord. Unlike the other Orion Society members, he wore a bright suit of mismatched colors. He stood waving at the team with a smile on his face. Despite his appearance, his intellect rivaled even Cozy Glow's. His information-gathering skills were unparalleled.

The Nightmare Squad exited their van and greeted the dignified contact.

"Greetings, Nightmare Squad! I'm glad to see that you're hunt was successful!" Discord greeted.

Luna walked up to Discord and shook his hand in greeting. "Nice to see you again, Discord. I trust you have some information for us?"

"Yeah. But to answer that, there's a question I'm sure you're dying to ask me: if you're from the Society's American Branch, why are you here in Australia? Why isn't the Australian Branch doing its job?" Discord said.

"Exactly, Sir Discord. We've been wondering that ever since we got the order to come here" Chrysalis.

"In fact, I got the impression that the higher-ups were panicking over something" Tirek said.

Discord's smile went away. "Actually, there is a reason behind their panic"

The entire Nightmare Squad was listening intently now.

"What happened?" Sombra asked.

"The entire Australian Branch was nearly completely wiped out by a united horde of Nightdwellers. Even the Headhunter Riley was killed" Discord replied.

"What?! What happened?!" Chrysalis demanded.

"Tell me, what do you all know about the Strigoi Elders?" Discord asked.

"They're the most powerful Strigoi in the world under the Queen. It's said that there's one Elder on every continent with two in Asia to help the Queen rule the entire Strigoi population" Cozy Glow replied.

Discord smiled at Cozy Glow. "Exactly! According to the remnants of the Australian Hunters, Headhunter Riley organized an attack with the intention of killing Australia's Elder" Discord replied.

"What?! The Society hasn't made any moves to kill an Elder before!" Tirek shouted.

"Well, Headhunter Riley thought he could do it. Although, even with the two hundred Witches he had involved in the attack, the Elder reportedly simply walked through them. He even yawned in boredom" Discord responded.

"Then what happened?" Luna asked.

"The Elder responded in kind. A night after the failed attack, the Elder organized a large horde of not only Strigoi, but other species to a coordinated attack on the Australian Branch's central HQ. There were no survivors apart from the Hunter squads that weren't there at the time" Discord said.

"That many experienced Hunters were wiped out?" Cozy asked.

"Yep, they were. That's why the higher-ups called in the most experienced and successful Hunter teams to deal with this. But there's more to this than the annihilation of the Australian Branch" Discord said.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"Apparently, the Nightdwellers are going to start fighting the Society directly. They're going to actively hunt us and kill Hunters. It would seem that the act of trying to kill the Elder was considered an act of war" Discord said.

"So the monsters are pissed that we tried to kill one of their Elders and they're just now declaring war on the entire Orion Society?" Sombra asked.

"Yep. The Nightdwellers are sick and tired of the Society's bullshit. But the attack on the Elder made it personal. Besides, given the swift and brutal destruction of the Australian Branch, it's painfully obvious that this turned into a war. And the Nightdwellers are ready for it" Discord said.

"But why have the monsters decided to declare war on us now? We've been hunting and killing them for centuries" Chrysalis said.

"So far, they've only been on the defensive. They've been more than happy to keep to themselves and simply defend their families and territories. But now, their going to seek us out and kill any and all Hunters they find" Discord replied.

"So what do we do now?" Luna asked Discord.

"For now, simply wait at one of the old strongholds that haven't been destroyed yet and await further orders. I have to leave and alert the other arriving squads to the situation" Discord said.

"Very well. We'll take our leave" Luna said.

Luna and the rest of Nightmare Squad went back to their van and left the meeting spot to make their way to one of the few strongholds still being held by the Australian Branch. After a few minutes of driving, Cozy Glow spoke up.

"Hey guys. There's a troubling concern I have that I think I should voice here and now" Cozy Glow said.

"What is it, Glow?" Luna asked.

"I don't think we should fully trust the other Australian Hunters" Cozy replied.

The rest of the team were shocked at what Cozy Glow just said. But given how smart and insightful she was, they knew she wouldn't be suggesting this without reason.

"Cozy, can you please explain you're saying?" Sombra demanded of the young Hunter.

"I think someone in the Society is a traitor" Cozy replied, much to the shock of her other teammates.

"What makes you think that there's a traitor amongst us?" Chrysalis asked.

"Think about it: Discord said that the Elder led an attack on the Australian Branch's central HQ? How would the monsters know where that is?" Cozy replied.

That question hit the others like a shotgun blast. That was a good question. How would the monsters know about the compound's location. Cozy continued with her suspicions

"Also, all of our compounds are protected from outside interference by powerful magic. If the monster horde attacked the compound, the defense barrier would have to have gone down long enough for the horde to overrun the compound. And that could only be accomplished by an expert Witch" Cozy said.

"Do you have any ideas about who might be the traitor?" Luna asked.

"None yet. If the traitor was in the compound, they're either dead or the monsters escorted them away. Discord said that there were no survivors, so I can't be sure who among the remaining Australian Hunters might be a traitor" Cozy said.

"Alright, then. As team leader, I say we keep a close eye on the other Hunters. At least until we can identify a traitor" Luna said.

"Yes, Captain" the rest of her team said in unison.

We will find the traitor. And I'll kill them for betraying humanity myself. I swear it!, Luna thought.

In Discord's Car

Discord was sitting in his car being driven by his two bodyguards, with the man driving the car. He was smiling to himself with pride. Everything was going exactly as he planned.

The woman looked back at him through the mirror. "You sure seem proud of yourself, sir"

"Of course I am. They reacted to the news in the exact way I anticipated" he replied.

"If I may ask, sir, was it a good idea to inform them that the Shadow Parliament has declared war on them?" the man asked.

"I do. They were going to find out at some point. Besides, telling them about the direct attack on the Australian Branch seemed to strike fear into their hearts. If the Society starts panicking, they'll be making mistake after mistake" he replied.

"Do you think they suspect that you're the one who told the Elder where the compound was or that you disabled the defense spell?" the man asked.

"Oh, I know that Cozy Glow suspects a traitor. But she'll never suspect me. She's like a daughter to me and I am like a father to her. There's no way she'll think I'm a traitor" Discord replied.

"Good thing we were wearing these masks. It'd be bad if they found out we were Nightdwellers or that you've been on our side since the beginning" the woman said.

The man and woman took off their masks to reveal their true forms. The man was a Lupine with his golden yellow eyes and the woman was an Arachne with four red spider-eyes, no nose, and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

Discord was a secret agent working for the Shadow Parliament, the global Nightdweller government. He had gladly infiltrated the Orion Society and gave their secrets to the Nightdwellers for decades. He hated the Society with a burning passion that constantly burned in his chest. A hatred that never seemed to go away, but this mass slaughter of Hunters seemed to quell it for now.

He looked out the window to admire the full moon.

"What do we do now, sir? Where do we go?" the Lupine man asked.

Without even looking, Discord spoke. "As for what we're going to do, we're going to make sure that the Hunters and the Society become the architects of their own destruction. As for where we're going, we're going to Sydney to tell the Elder where the other Society compounds are located as well as give him a list of the Society reinforcements coming to Australia".

"Roger that, sir", the Arache woman said with a toothy smile.

I'll make the Orion Society pay for what they took from me. All of them. They will pay!, Discord thought with determination.

He would see to it that the Nightdwellers win this war. And he will do anything to ensure that.