text: een doing since she knows you've been doing your usual routine of hunting in the wilderness or preying upon the villages.
  
  You imagine she'll start asking questions eventually, she's probably going to nag you about your actions possibly attracting attention, but for now you're going to just enjoy your new hobby.
  > time passes...
  Year 31
  
  You finish drinking your fill of the girl and release her though she still clings to you tightly like you're her entire world despite the fact that she's already married to some young man in this village.. As usual you have left this one alive since the less outright deaths the better. Besides, the more you feed on these peasants and don't kill them, the more they seem to be enamored with you. The fools believe your "mercy" is some sort of blessing.
  
  "Is there anything else you require of me, m'lord?" she asks in a mild daze.
  "Actually now that you mention it, yeah. Now that I'm done sucking on you, I'll give you the honor of sucking on me. You know what to do." You say.
  
  The girl nods and slowly lowers herself before you.
  
  Now THIS is what being a vampire is all about, or at least what it should be. Lording it over the lessers and reaping the benefits. Not hiding on the outskirts of civilization.
  
  Ever since this arrangement you've actually been enjoying yourself again. Even more than when you used to go hunting in Holgard, which you haven't been going to at all anymore.
  
  As for Isabella, she spends all her time in her precious garden and you're starting to wonder if she even cares what you do anymore as long as it doesn't involve messing with Dert or calling attention to your home. The only time she has asked you a question is she started wondering where you were getting all the children from since she was concerned you might be "over farming" Dert, but she seemed satisfied with your answer. She's benefiting so why should she care?
  
  The girl finishes servicing you and then you send her home in a better status for her husband than before.
  
  Tiring of your own time here tonight, you prepare to leave and exit the "home" that you use when visiting.
  
  Before you leave however, you're met by Vic. Usually he knows better than to crowd you like this so it makes you a little wary.
  
  "That's close enough! Encroach on my personal space any further and it'll be the last! Now what is it that you feel the need to waste my time with?"
  "Well I was just wondering, since I've been so loyal to you lord and helpful in in convincing the others to stay loyal... I was just wondering if there would ever come a time that you might bless me with the same gift that you have. Not that I would be nearly as powerful as you of course m'lord. I live to serve after all."
  
  This again... 
  
  Vic has brought this up before, and this topic has come up with more than a few of the ladies you've been dining on.
  
  You of course always give the same answer, that it isn't a "gift" that can be given so lightly and will only ever go to the worthy. Telling them that you can't make them vampires because you're not old enough to do it yet, wouldn't actually make you look like the "all powerful" dark lord that you've set yourself up as.
  
  Still, as far as you know you ARE able to make them into ghouls. Isabella explained all this to you in your first weeks as a vampire. She always said making a ghoul wasn't worth it since they are some of the most pathetic creatures she's ever had the displeasure of knowing. She made one once and killed it soon after because she found its habits too disgusting and its fawning far too annoying.
  
  Of course Isabella's personality is a little different than yours. You would probably be fine with more fawning. In fact absolute loyalty might be a plus. As for disgusting habits, well you wouldn't have to live with them on a regular basis and so what if they eat a few bugs?
  
  However, it still isn't something you're going to just do right away and would need to think on. After all, you turn one person or multiple people into a ghoul or ghouls, how are they going to act towards the rest of the normal people? Not like you can watch them constantly.
  
  "I'll think about it, now get out of my way!" you say and knock Vic aside.
  
  You head home pondering the possible ramifications of taking that extra step.
  
  When you finally do get home, you find that your night hasn't gotten less complicated.
  
  "Have fun with your human whores?" Isabella asks.
  "Thought you'd be in your garden. That's where you like to spend all your time isn't it?" you say, not even answering her question.
  "True, but perhaps I've been sticking my head in the flowers for far too long and ignoring the situation that's going on."
  "What situation?"
  "The situation where you've apparently dominated an entire village to your will. Maybe even more."
  "No, just the one. What difference does it make? I'm not attracting any attention and I've been bringing children home to you on monthly basis."
  "Yes, which is why I haven't said anything, however I've been noticing a change in your behavior with me."
  "You have? Surprised, considering all the time you spend in your garden."
  "Okay, if you're bitching about us not spending enough time together, all you had to do is say something and I would have obliged. Since when have I not helped you out in any way I can? It's why you're here in the first place."
  "And THAT right there is the problem!"
  "What?"
  "You treating me like a second class citizen around here!"
  "Are you kidding me? I gave you fucking complete freedom!"
  "You know that doesn't matter. Not really in the scheme of things. You're more powerful than me. You always will be and you will always see me as your lesser. Sometimes it feels like you scold me as if I was some child."
  "Well when you act like one at times, that's what happens. And if I really saw you as my lesser, I wouldn't have even bothered with you in the first place. I saw something special in you, but obviously I was mistaken. Besides all that, don't give me that I never let you have fun business because it's not even true in the first place. If anything I've been TOO permissive. You're on a fucking power trip right now and while I get it because you feel like you're getting the attention you feel you deserve, I'm telling you right now that if you continue like this, it's going end badly."
  "I don't understand WHY you're giving me shit for this. You do the same thing with Dert, you're just less hands on."
  "Exactly. I'm not rolling around in the pigpen with the pork chops! You're in there, not only rolling around with them, you're also fucking the pigs. AND don't even tell me that you don't do that, because you stink of humans most nights when you come back. Though I'm not so much mad about that bit as I am severely disappointed."
  "So what are you saying exactly?"
  'What I'm saying is YOU are heading down a path that I've seen play out several times with others I was close to in the past. Not really willing to go through it again."
  "So, what then? You're going to forbid me to do this then?"
  "No, actually I'm not. You're a free willed vampire, go play with your mortals and lord it over them. That seems to be what is making you happy. What I am saying however is if you insist on doing this though, you'll be doing it elsewhere because I'm not going to sit by and watch the inevitable, let alone get caught up in it. Obviously you feel stifled here, so maybe you need to go do this anyway."
  
  Well that's done it for you. You're not going to get threatened by an ultimatum. You and Isabella haven't been getting along for a while now anyway. If she's giving you the option for a clean break now, you probably should take it while you can.
  
  "I'll be gone tomorrow night. I trust that will be okay." You answer.
  "Fine by me. You can sleep elsewhere in the crypt though, because you certainly won't be sleeping in my bed." Isabella says.
  "Yeah, probably for the best."
  "Well then, it was fun while lasted and I hope you succeed in whatever it is that you're trying to achieve. Goodbye."
  
  And with those cold last words, Isabella turns and leaves you.
  
  While maybe you sort of knew this was coming for some time, there is a part of you that's going to miss Isabella. She did do so much for you, but ultimately you needed your freedom the most.
  
  And now you have it.
  
  The next night, you leave the crypt with what little belongings you still have attachment to as quick as you can. You don't bump into Isabella; you assume she's in her garden as usual.
  
  You make your way to Maldito, where you are met with the usual praise and submissive behavior.
  
  "Vic, get all your best builders and tradespeople together, I want a meeting with them." You order.
  "Um, okay m'lord." Vic answers.
  
  You meet with them to let them know that you're going to be around a lot more often, so you want a proper home, rather than the simple empty one room house they just let you use when you are here.
  
  Your news is met with an overjoyed reaction for the most part, though you get the impression some are just reacting more out of fear of defying you. In any case, you aren't asking for much in the short term. Just a small underground area underneath the house you stay at.
  
  "Oh! So like a root cellar!" one of them beams.
  "Yeah... just like a root cellar." You answer rolling your eyes a bit.
  
  In any case it's a simple enough task for them that you figure they won't take long in doing it. In the meantime, you have the unpleasant task of digging a hole in the forest and sleeping there. The first night is a real wake up call of how much better it was sleeping in a nice soft bed next to Isabella, but you need to get over that.
  
  A month passes and it's still not finished mainly because one of the more skilled carpenters had a heart attack on the job. You're pissed about this inconvenience, but it is what it is. In the meantime, when you make your usual meeting with Green Eye's community, you tell the guard at the entrance that you won't require a child every month anymore. Instead, they can just bring a girl like Green Eye originally suggested.
  
  By the middle of the second month it's still not finished. You have no idea what the hell is holding these idiots up. Vic says something about the structural integrity is shaky and there being a danger over everything caving in. You're getting irritated to the point that you almost lash out and kill one of them, but then you realize you need these fools right now.
  
  So you kill the tavern owner instead. Not like serving drinks is a job that requires special skills that you need. Besides, his wife can take over and she's more compliant to you anyway.
  
  You start wondering if this would go faster if you made them ghouls. The main problem that you can see is that they're all weak humans that aren't even in the best of shape in the first place and require sleep and regular food. If you made them ghouls they'd work for you tirelessly night and day. (They'd be able to see in the dark as well) And they could eat... well anything really.
  
  There isn't really much stopping you now, since you now ARE here constantly to monitor their behavior.
  
  Though there is a real desire to still not do it too, since you'd essentially be "rewarding" them all for shit work so far. If you were going to do it, you'd rather do for those that deserve it at least.
  > make some of them ghouls
  You might as well start making ghouls if you're going to be using this place as your new home now. You'll feel safer if with absolutely loyal day guards around anyway.
  
  You call everyone to the village square the following night. It's a little surprising for everyone, but of course they don't want to disobey you.
  
  "Okay, I've gathered you all here because it's come up many times that some of you desire the same gift I have. This makes sense since you would indeed be better in every way and you would also be closer to your god. However, none of you are yet worthy of such a thing. In fact some of you never will be! Yet, I am a merciful master and as such I will bestow a minor bit of my power so that you may get a taste of it. Who knows, maybe in time you will impress me to the point that I will eventually complete your transformation."
  
  At this point your words are met with signs of hope and excitement. You expected that, so that's one less thing to worry about. You're still wondering which people exactly to choose and how many. You probably want to pick the key members in the community though, so you figure you might as well give Vic what he's always wanted first.
  
  "Okay Vic, come on over here and we'll get started." You say and cut your arm to drain some of your blood in a cup.
  
  "Um, me m'lord?" Vic asks.
  "Yeah you! Who the hell else's name is Vic in this village? Now come on."
  "Uh, that's okay I don't think I'm quite worthy yet. I believe that there are many others here deserving of your gift more."
  "You're joking right? You've been begging me to turn you since I took control of this place. You're just nervous, come on."
  "No, I really realize now that I shouldn't have annoyed with my petty request as I did. I thank you for your generous offer, but perhaps one of the many lovely young women that... "
  "Vic, stop being a bitch and get over here!" you say raising your voice.
  
  At this point the crowd is getting agitated with Vic's stalling and begin pushing him forward, telling him that he's a "chosen one" and he should be embracing this moment.
  
  Vic slowly moves towards your position and then suddenly his eyes roll in the back of his head and he wobbles a bit before falling over.
  
  "Oh for fuck's sake... " you say shaking your head.
  
  One of the other villagers goes over to help Vic, but after some inspection... 
  
  "He's dead m'lord!" the village "doctor" exclaims.
  "He's fucking dead?!" you say.
  "Heart attack it seems. I believe all the excitement of being a benefactor of your glory was too much for him."
  "Maybe... "
  
  Something about this doesn't seem right.
  
  "Kick his body. In fact I want several of you to stomp on it." You say.
  "M'lord?" someone asks.
  "You heard me."
  
  Not wishing to anger you, several of the villagers comply. Vic's body just absorbs the kicks and doesn't move.
  
  "Okay, I guess he's really dead, set his body on fire, no need to waste anymore time burying it. Actually never mind, there's a torch right here, I'll do it."
  
  You take a nearby torch and go over to Vic's body. As you slowly lower the flaming piece of wood closer to Vic's body, you watch his eyes.
  
  You watch... 
  
  Then just as you touch Vic's body with the actual flame, his eyes open and his entire form changes into a thin smooth gray skinned creature. Its face isn't anything like you've seen before, having only slits for a nose, a simple line like mouth and its eyes are just white orbs.
  
  "SHIT!" it shouts in different voice than before and immediately rolls away and attempts to scramble for safety.
  
  While the villagers are confused and scared by all this, you of course keep your cool and easily catch this creature and drag it into the empty house you reside at in the village to interrogate it.
  
  "Okay, what the hell are you?" you demand.
  "Please! I'm a doppelganger and I'm only doing my job!" it pleads pathetically.
  "By job, you mean spying and infiltration! I only know ONE person that rules over a ragtag group of multi-racial misfits that might have the balls to do such a thing. How long have you been working for Green Eye?"
  
  The doppelganger wastes no time in selling out Green Eye. It says it's been with Green Eye for quite some time, but only was infiltrating Maldito shortly after you threatened Green Eye. It says it was originally masquerading as the head carpenter, but soon changed into Vic (and in both cases obviously secretly killed) when it realized you were serious about making the village your permanent home. It of course has been in contact with Green Eye off and on the whole time.
  
  "So what the hell is Green Eye exactly planning?"
  "Well originally he just wanted to keep a check on you, but when you made Maldito your permanent home, he got more concerned. I think he's planning on attacking you directly and most likely destroying the village."
  "Because that worked out so well last time. So what then has he hired hunters or something? Should have known he wasn't going to be above doing that."
  "No, actually he's been crafting silver weapons for everyone. Mostly daggers, but I know for a fact he's been focusing on silver shot for the few firearms we have."
  "Where's he getting all this silver from?"
  "The mine I guess. Green Eye said it used to be a silver mine before it ran out."
  "Well apparently it didn't completely run dry if he's got enough to scrap weapons together. Gotta hand it to Green Eye, though. He's been busy and I underestimated his fear of me. Smart of him to not tell me that it used to be a silver mine too. I didn't even think of that."
  "So... what are you going to do?"
  "Kill my enemy of course, might as well start with you. Wonder what doppelganger tastes like... " you say and prepare to bite.
  "No! Wait! Please! I could help even more! If you attack now, you'd never get Green Eye. He's got a whole system of hidden tunnels, traps and shit. You might wipe out everyone under his leadership, but I doubt if you'd find him. He knows those mines like nobody else."
  "Oh, I'm sure I'd find him eventually."
  "Well, maybe, but as I said, he's probably trapped the entire place too and considering he's been preparing for you, some of those might even be dangerous to you. Let me go back and... "
  "You think I'm stupid? You sold out Green Eye so quick and you were supposed to be on his side. How quick would you sell me out?"
  "But this is different, I can see you're the more powerful force in this instance and I always side with the winning team. It's what my kind does. Green Eye doesn't know that you know that you know anything. In fact I can probably get him to meet with you. You're supposed to pick up your new tribute soon aren't you?"
  "Yeah, so?"
  "Well let ME go and pick it up. Except I wouldn't go as me, I'll go as YOU."
  "Wait, you're going to copy me?"
  "Yes. And I'm going to arrive at Green Eye's place during the day to do it. I will pretend that I'm such a powerful and old vampire that I have the capacity to walk around in the daytime! This will throw them all off so much that they'll scramble to appease you quickly. When they drag out the girl, I will then claim it isn't good enough and that I will be back at night to renegotiate the deal with Green Eye personally. He'll be concerned enough that he'll meet with you, probably seeing if you have any other weaknesses, since thinking you can walk around in the daytime is going to cause him to discard his original plans. Of course it'll actually be you who'll meet him at night, at which point you'll easily be able to over power him and whoever else is with him. Trust me, it'll work!"
  
  An intriguing plan you suppose, you just aren't convinced though.
  
  "Sounds like a shit plan, and I still don't trust you. I don't think you can convincingly copy me anyway." You say.
  "The hell you say! I'll have you know that I am one the most skilled of my kind! I can easily copy you, right down to your quirky mannerisms. Especially since I've been observing you for awhile now." The doppelganger says a little insulted.
  "Is that so? Well prove it, and maybe I'll make a decision based on how good your performance is."
  
  You let the doppelganger go and it has prepared itself to display its powers to you. It takes a bit longer to transform into looking like you than when it transformed back to its real form.
  
  The first thing you realize is you haven't seen yourself in years. The dop looks like you, or at least what you looked like before you became a vampire, then again you haven't aged since then so that's presumably what you still look like.
  
  The dop then begins to talk like you and act like you. It's very arrogant, condescending and just an all around dick.
  
  Which means it's copying you exactly.
  
  "See? I can pull this off! Just give me a chance and hey, when Green Eye is dead, I could help you in other ways as well!" the dop exclaims as it transforms back.
  
  It certainly is an eager creature. You just aren't sure if you can trust it. And if you can't trust it, then why take chances?
  > trust the doppelganger
  You're not so much trusting the dop, so much as you're going to take a chance that it fears you enough that it's being honest. Since if it IS telling the truth and willing to work for you, he would come in pretty handy.
  
  Still, you're going to be careful as you can about this.
  
  "Okay, first of all, are you absolutely SURE this plan is going convince Green Eye to meet with me?" you ask.
  "Yes, I am. If he thinks something is wrong, but fixable he'll more often than not take a personal approach to it even if it might risk his life, just like when he first spoke with you. If I know him, he'll probably want to appease you so he can give himself more time to re-think a new strategy of how to deal with you if he believes you can walk around in the day time." The dop says.
  
  You can't really tell due to its nearly featureless expression, but it sounds confident in its words. You suppose that will have to do.
  
  "Alright then, we'll try the plan." You say.
  "Y... you will? Oh thank the gods! I swear I will be loyal to you!" the dop exclaims.
  "We'll see, but first I need to prepare you a bit." You say and move towards it.
  "Prepare?"
  "Yeah, just relax a bit, don't move and...  brace yourself!"
  
  You suddenly lunge on the dop who is taken by surprise by your speed. You bite the dop in the arm and drink a little of its blood. It actually tastes pretty terrible and you nearly spit it out.
  
  In the meantime the dop is making a horrible screaming noise and doesn't stop until you smack it upside the head.
  
  "Stop that, it's annoying." You say and release it.
  "Y... you bit me!" the dop says rubbing its arm.
  "Sure did. Call it an extra precaution in case you get the bright idea to try to betray me. I can always sense where you are now. So if any of this goes south, I'm going to know where to find YOU immediately."
  
  The doppelganger might have those empty white orbs for eyes, but you can still see the fear in them. Honestly, while you will be able to sense it if it's close by, you aren't going to be able to instantly track it from anywhere. Still, it doesn't know that.
  
  "I wasn't going to betray you." The dop whines.
  "Well, now I know you won't. Now you stay here, I'm going to go get one of the villagers so you can blend in again. I'll drain them and you can walk out like nothing happened. The body can be disposed of later." you answer.
  "Wait which one?"
  "What difference does it make? I dunno the tavern keeper's wife I guess. Might as well considering I already killed her husband. Plus it's an easy enough task even for you and you'll hear all the village gossip at lot easier, not that it matters I suppose."
  "Mm, okay. I don't have to worry about you suddenly picking on me to bite now and I prefer female forms anyway, it's always easier when the gender matches."
  
  You pause for a moment.
  
  "Wait... you're female?" you ask.
  "Well we doppelgangers are pretty flexible about it all for obvious reasons, but yes, I personally identify as female. Can't you tell?" she says.
  "Um, no not really. I mean you're just a smooth gray nearly featureless being. It's not like I can see tits or anything. I mean... I can't even see a hole down there... or anywhere for that matter; then again I haven't really been exploring. I guess if you were a guy it would have been more obvious I suppose."
  "Oh you solids with your constant exposed reproductive organs. We doppelgangers transcend such concerns since we only display them when necessary such as for sex or expelling waste. Until that time they remain hidden and protected."
  "Okay, well however works... don't really want to know, but if that's the case how the fuck was I supposed to be able to tell that you're female or not?"
  "By my eyes of course! Those of my kind that identify as female tend to change our eye color to white while those that identify as males tend to change them to black."
  "What color are they normally?"
  "Oh gray."
  "Great. Very illuminating. Next time I run into one of you doppys, I'll try to remember all that."
  "Erm, could you please not call me a doppy? It is considered offensive to my... "
  
  You glare at the doppelganger as your patience wears thin.
  
  "Um... nevermind. Just happy to serve and being included, sir." She says submissively.
  
  You leave the house and find that a minor crowd has gathered from a safe distance. They're probably wondering what exactly happened, time to make up a story.
  
  "Is that... thing gone m'lord?" someone asks.
  "Yes, of course it is. Didn't you hear its death scream? I interrogated it first though. Apparently those bandits I thought I took care of have regrouped and will be trying to attack again. However, we know the truth now and can prepare. I'm going to track them down and finish them off for good, however I'm still going to bless some of you and when I do, you will be charged with helping the defense of this village. I trust you all will be up for the challenge should it come to that." You say.
  "Of course m'lord! We all will!"
  "Then we will start tomorrow night, for now though I wish to spend time with you. The rest of you go home and worry no longer about any of this." You say and point to the tavern owner's wife. She goes over to you immediately.
  
  As the crowd disperses and obeys your command, you head into your home with your victim.
  
  You don't bother with the foreplay and get straight to the feeding. You've done this with her several times already, but this time will be different for her. As usual she puts up no resistance and even as you're obviously killing her she still whispers "I love you" in your ear and holds you tightly.
  
  You finish her off and drop her body to the floor. Meanwhile the dop was watching the shadows. You look at her and from her body language she cringes a bit.
  
  "Geez...  you really are ruthless. I mean I've seen you on occasion drink people, but... never quite like that. She said she loved you and you just... look I just want to remind you, I am definitely NOT going to betray you."
  "Glad to hear it, now stop wasting time and take her form or whatever it is you do."
  
  The dop wastes no time and soon there is a "new" tavern keeper's wife... actually you find out her name was Kayla. The doppelganger knew her better than you actually did, despite you feeding on her on a regular basis.
  
  After "Kayla" leaves to get more acquainted with her new role, you look around to make sure you can dispose of the real one safely. You aren't sure why you're bothering being so secretive since the villagers would probably be fine with a doppelganger if you told them to be fine with it.
  
  However, you do think it's probably a good idea to slowly introduce such things to them. While they may accept you as a master, they may be less willing to accept some other non-human lurking about as well.
  
  At least not until you make some of them non-human.
  
  The next night you start again with what you originally planned. This time you pick a married couple at random and decide to see how it goes. You give them both some of your blood which causes them to gag a bit and then generally feel "weird."
  
  The pair of them eventually stagger back home, and you tell Kayla to keep an eye on them both since you won't be able to observe them during the day.
  
  A couple days and nights pass and you repeat the process with them and just when you're starting to get frustrated, they start to show a change. The pair of them become more fawning than usual towards you and you don't even have to do anything. They're also paler and beginning to move in a less normal fashion. It's more of a loping gait. Their appetite becomes a lot less normal as well.
  
  You think you've finally changed them into ghouls. You're glad it didn't take as long as Isabella once suggested it would if you attempted it.
  
  However, you soon discover all her warnings were correct. First off, they ARE very annoying with how much they're underfoot all the time. Still, they are very obedient and they soon finish digging out the area meant to be your new resting place under the house. It's crude, but you figure it can be worked on continually. For now though it's functional enough that you don't need to sleep in a hole in the ground in the forest nearby.
  
  Keeping them subdued when you're asleep is another matter however. While you attempt to tell them to stand guard over you, they're little like children in that they get bored and have short attention spans.
  
  While they haven't actually attacked anyone yet, they're acting aggressive enough that it won't be long. This naturally causes some of the other villagers to be wary and now that's potentially messing up your relationship with them.
  
  To counter act this, you give a few intimidating speeches, re-hyponotize a few of the key villagers again and have the two ghouls whipped before the mob and scold them for their behavior. The pathetic creatures soon learn that they aren't going to be chewing on their neighbors anytime soon. Still, it does make other villagers less eager to want to become ghouls now, though you're sort of wondering if it's worth it anyway.
  
  While you're trying to keep a precarious balance of humans and non-humans together through your powers and plain old fear, Kayla reminds you that it will soon be time for her to meet with Green Eye's people and start part one of that plan. You originally thought you might send one of the ghouls with her, but that would probably just confuse them, or they'll fuck up the plan and they might even eat Kayla. So she's going alone. You're still fairly concerned about this, but this is what you've decided on, so that's what you're going to do.
  
  You don't even go to sleep that day; you stay awake mostly pacing in your underground sleeping area. You send Stinky and Fatty (Your new names for your ghouls since you never bothered to learn their real names) to go fetch you a "drink" so you can keep your strength up. You also tell them to keep an eye out for Kayla.
  
  At any moment you fully expect to hear the sounds of an attack above you. You aren't going to be able to help, so you hope Stinky and Fatty are up to the task.
  
  However, the pair of them eventually come back with Kayla who is back in her human form.
  
  "Here she is master!" Stinky says excitedly.
  "Did we do good?" Fatty adds.
  "Yeah, now get the hell out of here. Go dig up one of the corpses in the forest and reward yourself or something."
  
  You hardly need to tell them twice and they both leave you alone.
  
  "Well?" you ask.
  "Well, I'm back and it's done. I made enough trouble that Green Eye will be willing to speak with you tonight. I didn't really want to be at Green Eye's any longer than I had to anyway, let alone directly confront him. Fairly certain that gem eye of his sees through disguises. In fact, I highly suggest that you not talk to him and just attack as soon as you see him, lest you fall under his command." Kayla says.
  "You're joking right? I'm a fucking vampire. I am the one who commands."
  "Yeah, I know you've got powers of your own, but it's that gem eye. It's magic. How the hell do you think he got that motley bunch to work for him?"
  "You seem immune considering you're selling him out."
  "Well I imagine that might be a combination of being a doppelganger, along with not being in his presence for an extended period of time. Whenever I was though, I felt the urge to serve him. I mean think about it, he managed to convince YOU not to wipe out his group the first time around. How the hell did he do that? I like to think I've gotten to know you well enough that you're not really a man that takes chances on potential future threats so you sparing him and everyone else seems a bit out of character."
  "I spared and took a chance on you."
  "True I suppose, but still... I dunno I'm just saying you probably shouldn't speak with him just to be safe."
  "Your concern is touching. I'm guessing it's dark about now, I'll be heading out with the ghouls then."
  "Okay, well did you need me for anything else then?"
  "Not right now and assuming you haven't set me up, I will remember your actions on this task."
  
  You take your leave of Kayla to go get your ghouls. You find them quite easily in the forest nearby finishing off a corpse. One of them hits the other and points at you.
  
  "The master is coming! The master is here!" Fatty says excitedly and runs up to you until you smack him down.
  "I need the pair of you to accompany me to an important meeting. When we get there though don't do anything until I say so."
  
  Fatty and Stinky follow you happily as you make your way to Green Eye's mine. You feel like you're walking into a trap the entire time, but at least you've got some help. Normally you wouldn't even be concerned, but you haven't rested or fed too much so you don't feel like you're a full strength either.
  
  Eventually you see the mine and you also see a short figure surrounded by several figures at the entrance. They don't look like his usual men though. They're all female and look very cowed for one thing.
  
  "I wasn't expecting this." You say.
  "Well considering you arrived here in broad daylight demanding your tribute and then saying it wasn't good enough, I figured I'd offer you a selection. All of these girls are from the nearby villages." Green Eye says.
  "What if I want them all?"
  "Well then I guess you're getting them all, far be it for me to fight a vampire that can walk around in the daytime. Interesting trick. Didn't know you guys could do that. Almost hard to believe... "
  "Well you saw it with your own eye."
  "Actually I didn't, I got the report second hand from one of my men. Granted I trust him... or rather I trust that he believes what he saw, but let's just say, I have some questions."
  "I'm not here to answer yours."
  "True, but I'm going to ask anyway, because I strongly think something weird is going on here and I'd rather we talk than it come to violence."
  "Of course you would, because you'd be on the losing end of that deal."
  "Most likely, but are you so sure? I see you've brought two friends with you, meaning you're smart enough to not take this meeting lightly."
  "Choose your next words carefully dwarf."
  "I always do. I have a hunch that we're both being set up to kill each other. I'm betting you've been talking with that treacherous dop haven't you? I bet that's even who impersonated you. It's a liar you know. All of their kind are, and I should have known better than to have one in my community. Our relationship has been cordial and can remain that way. I will even increase the tribute. We don't have to fight." Green Eye says.
  
  Something is very weird about all this. Green Eye seems a lot more relaxed than you are right now and with how much he's talking; it feels almost like he's stalling you for some purpose. Maybe he's got his men hiding elsewhere to ambush, but there really isn't any place to hide nearby.
  
  The fact that he's pointed out potential treachery of the doppelganger makes you suspicious though. For all you know Green Eye's telling the truth.
  > attack
  Whether you're getting set up or not isn't the issue. The fact remains Green Eye has obviously still been spying on you at best and gearing up to kill you at worst. You can deal with Kayla when you return because you don't intend on dying tonight.
  
  "Kill everything!" you shout.
  "SHIT! FIRE!" Green Eye shouts back.
  
  Stinky and Fatty both advance forward and every one of the girls that looked so submissive, suddenly draw pistols out from their clothing and Green Eye raises his own large barreled rifle.
  
  What happens next is a bit of a blur. Your speed, your ghouls and the nervousness of the girls helps you avoid most of the shots, however at this close range you still catch one to the leg.
  
  This is enough to cause you to stumble long enough for Green Eye to pick his shot, which would have probably hit you in the head, if it wasn't for Fatty taking the silver bullet straight to his body and ripping his gut open and tearing up his insides.
  
  You roll out of the way to avoid being crushed by the falling ghoul, and scramble to get to Green Eye who is already in the process of taking his next shot. Meanwhile most of the girls that fired at you are either running, or they're being mauled by Stinky.
  
  You grab one of the girls that was trying to run and throw her hard into Green Eye. His shot goes wild as she hits him. By the time he recovers, you grab his rifle and then break it over his head. He falls and then you grab the girl you just threw and sink your teeth into her neck for a quick taste that you don't even finish. You then toss her dying bleeding out body aside and refocus your attention back to Green Eye who is trying to get back up.
  
  "OBEY VAMPIRE! O... " he shouts as one last attempt to stop you.
  "Not likely." You answer and then rip out his green gem eye.
  
  Green Eye (Now No Eye) screams in agony as you crush the gem. You aren't entirely sure if it ever had an effect on you, but no point in taking chances.
  
  He tries to pathetically kick at you from his prone position, but even with silver lodged in your leg, you easily move out of the way.
  
  He shouts a bunch of curses at you, some that are probably dwarven, but you finally put an end to his flailing with repeated stomps to his head.
  
  It's done. Green Eye is dead and all the bitches that were shooting at you are either dead or run off. Stinky is busily eating one of them, unconcerned with her dead husband lying nearby. You guess she's probably just happy eating and that you're alive.
  
  You have no idea if you rest of Green Eye's people are lurking in the mine or if they fled ahead of time. Chances are, without Green Eye's leadership, whatever remains of the "community" isn't going to stay together anyway. You suppose you could go hunt them down if they are in the mines, but honestly you're a little wary that Green Eye might have set up a system of traps or something to get you in case he failed. You see no reason to bother playing in tunnels trying to avoid traps and ambushes with a wounded leg.
  
  Instead you start destroying to support beams around the entrance and eventually you cause a cave in. If anyone is hiding inside, they're going to have a hell of a time digging their way out.
  
  "Come on Stinky, let's go home." You say.
  "Did I do good?" she asks.
  "A lot better than Fatty, that's for sure.
  
  Stinky makes a weird laugh and snuffles about looking for a choice piece of meat to take with her on the way home.
  
  "Oh that reminds me... " you say.
  
  When you get back to Maldito, you toss the mushy decapitated head of Green Eye towards the feet of a nearby villager who is standing "guard" as a night watch. He's a little horrified by the head, but stays put wondering what this all means.
  
  "Rejoice citizens, Green Eye and his band of cutthroats truly are no more. I have finished them off utterly. Spread the word." You announce.
  
  Your words and actions of course get the desired effect of praise from the villager, who immediately runs off to tell everyone (and considering that it's fairly late, waking most of them up).
  
  You tell Stinky to go find something to do since you've got something important to take care of. She complies and runs off back into the forest.
  
  You head to the tavern and apparently it's a slower night since not many are in. Kayla is cleaning a glass with a bored expression Everyone though looks when you enter.
  
  "Everyone except Kayla leave. Celebrate the death of our enemies outside." You say.
  
  You don't need to say it twice, everyone obeys and Kayla puts down the glass she's cleaning.
  
  "So... I take it you killed Green Eye?" she asks.
  "He had some interesting things to say about you before I did." You answer.
  "I'm not surprised. Probably was trying to save his own skin."
  "Probably, but I get the impression he wasn't completely wrong. Tell me the truth, did you sort of set that up hoping that we'd probably kill one another? Maybe just side with whoever came out the winner?"
  "No, I knew you'd win. I mean you obviously had more power than Green Eye who was essentially a crippled dwarf with a bit of magic to help him. As I said, I am loyal to you now."
  "Now. Interesting choice of words. Sort of implies you might not be in the future."
  
  You stare at Kayla who begins to look very nervous.
  
  "So... um... you gonna kill me too?" she asks.
  "Should I kill you?" you ask.
  "Probably not doing myself any favors, but I suppose if you wanted to play it safe, you should. However, I of course would rather you didn't. I said I could continue to help you and I meant that. There are other villages nearby, and I don't see why you can't take those over as well. I can help."
  "Oh, right. The little pose as me, walking around in the daytime trick to make out like I'm a REALLY powerful vampire."
  "Well, it's not a bad idea, you have to admit. It'll keep the rest of the ignorant villages guessing of when you'll show up or not. Plus you'll be able to directly take tribute, instead of relying on Green Eye now."
  "Still don't see why I really need you. I mean I could easily put the fear into any village all by myself. I can create ghouls for the daytime."
  "And you trust your creatures completely to not mess things up? I think we both know the answer to that. Perhaps they do learn in time, but honestly you can't afford to wait around forever for them."
  "Okay, this sounds all very nice, about you wanting to serve and all of that, however WHY?"
  "Why what?"
  "Why