The boats silently slid across the sand, as Captain Bird's rag-tag army tiptoed in line up the path towards the vampires' cave.
They could hear unearthly screams and voices coming from the hill.
The stench of rotting meat, and the buzzing of flies hung heavily in the air.

Captain Bird whispered: "I will lead with my redcoats, and then the main body of men will follow.
The archers will spread out to the left and right".
With that the line spread out as commanded.
William was behind Captain Bird, in the first formation of six redcoats.
He noted with concern that only three other archers disappeared into the brush with Tituba and Ricardo.

Torches were lit as Captain Bird yelled at the top of his voice: "MEN - ADVANCE"!

Everyone followed Bird up the path, where the first heads and skulls decorated the spikes and trees.
To the left of the path stood a wide open area, which led straight to the cave.
Bird shouted: "MEN - FOLLOW ME TO THE LEFT!"
With that everyone marched off the path into the clearing.
And that's when William saw them.
It was an unnatural and horrific sight.

Two creatures ran towards them at full speed, their fangs bared, and their arms extended like those of giant apes.
Bird turned briefly and waved his sword: "MEN STAND YOUR GROUND"!
Just as the first vampiric beast approached the line, Bird gave a signal, and the men parted as the natives ran forward, and rammed a sharpened tree-trunk through the creature.
The creature sunk and howled.
Then it stood up and grabbed about, until it had a man in its clutches.
The man stabbed helplessly with a knife, as the vampire threw him into the air with such force, that he landed with a thud a distance away.
The vampire shook its torso in a grotesque dance, and thereby knocked over several of the men with the lance protruding from its gut.
One of the redcoats kneeled, and slid a glistering silver knife from his belt.
He thrust it into the creature's heart.
With that it bellowed loudly, and fell down dead,
The redcoat shouted: "Tomorrow that ash is mine!"

The next creature was already upon them, and again the natives rushed forward with a lance.
The second vampire swiftly flew out of its way, and instead it grabbed a man, and rammed him onto the shaft.
The natives had dropped the lance and attempted to flee.
In a few quick movements the vampire had caught three men, and twisted their heads, thus loudly breaking their necks.
The redcoats came rushing with their swords.
William thought he heard a whistle, and then the vampire stood still.
Blood ran across its face, and after the initial stream, William saw a silver arrowhead and shaft protruding straight from the vampire's forehead.
The creature shook a few times, and then slowly twisted over into the foliage.

Everyone stood silent for a moment, until Bird shouted: "TO THE CAVE, LET"S GET TO THE BLOODY CAVE!"

To William the rest of the Battle was an unreal slaughter.

As the regiment swiftly moved up the mountain towards the cave, vampires who stood in the way were quickly overcome and killed.
Their bodies would remain - often decapitated - until the rising sun would turn them into ash.

Inside the cave the vampire women screamed, as their defensive slashing was met with powerful swords and arrows.

The men laid out chains for the beastly females and pups, as they yelled out for mercy with their blood stained faces and pleading hands.

William felt somewhat superfluous in the heat of the cave.
He suddenly realized that Captain Bird had ordered a genocide.
He saw the vampires chained, and blinded by fire ... and then he witnessed their heads being chopped off by men with axes.
Men, women and children were butchered ... a chorus of echoing screams turned into increasing silence.

The entire floor of the cave was one big puddle of blood, and the foothold of the few advancing men was slippery and unsure.

Just before William and Captain Bird entered deeper into the lair, two soldiers stood before them.
One of them spoke quickly: "Sir, this man thought he saw his wife and children with the undead - he ran towards them and was bitten - what must we do?"

The Captain retorted quickly: "Leave him here".
The two soldiers threw the barely breathing man at the Captain's feet.
The Captain examined the man, and he tore off his shirt, and saw the gaping puncture marks on the soldier's upper left chest.
"There is nothing we can do to save his life now ...".
Just then the vampiric sickness took the man, and he lashed out at Captain Bird with razor-like claws.
After slashing at the Captain the man sat back and grinned with glowing eyes and extended incisors.
The Captain lifted his sword and decapitated the vampire, causing more blood to spill, which further flooded the loosened heads and bodies down the steep hill.
William dug his heels into the bloody mud.

But William saw that the Captain's pants were sinking below his knees.
The vampire had cut the Captain's belt.
Wanting to help, William reached forward, and then he witnessed a crime against nature...

The Captain was a woman!

The Captain screamed: "Help me Rochester - cover me!"
With that command William stood behind Captain Bird in an instant, and he tore the material off his own trouser's leg, and tied it around the Captain's waist.

One of the men screamed:
"Quick, it's a wardrobe malfunction!"

Captain Bird steadied "himself" and called out to his men: "Careful men! This is where the top vampires keep their prisoners - know them by their eyes, which are like stars to fire, and do not confuse them with the human prisoners we must save!"

Along the path, into the lair, the ground was hard and unsoiled.
The group of soldiers came to a torch-lit clearing at the end of the cave.

Here they heard screams and murmurs, and soon the rocky auditorium in the cave was illuminated.
Some humans were chained to the walls, while others hanged from the high ceiling upside-down, where they were slowly bled dry into clay dishes below their swaying heads.

A soldier vomited at the sight, and then ran towards a dangling figure.
He cried out a name, but the figure turned with glowing eyes, and bit him on his face, just below his right eye.
As the soldier fell to his knees in shock, many of the dangling figures changed into bats, and began to fly around the cave.
Those left hanging were people, who cried out to be saved.

To the soldiers the swarm of fluttering and squeaking bats was an annoyance.
They thrust about with their swords, as they advanced to free the strung-up humans.

William needed no more prompting or training.
He sprouted wings from his shoulders, and within a few seconds he was flying after the bats, sometimes ripping them to pieces.
However, in the mayhem, a few darted through the cave's corridor to freedom.

Just as a swarm flew to the corridor and exit, William grabbed one bat, as the rest escaped.
It squeaked, while William held its wings.
Next thing it was as big as William, and slammed him into the opposite wall of the cave.

William lay on the ground, as a vampire landed before him.
It was Mr Richards, in his religious frock, growling straight at William.
"Look what you have done - you have helped to commit genocide against your fellow vampires!"

Another bat transformed into a human form on a higher rocky ledge.
It wore a loin-cloth with jade and turquoise tassels, and its silky black hair hung down below its shoulders.
It kept its wings moving slowly: "This was unnecessary, leave the new prince. A new king comes from Europe. A bigger king and vampire comes from the old country. Hail to the new king ... and you William, your knee shall bow to the new king!"

With that both men became bats and fluttered around the stunned soldiers until they had escaped.

The entire atmosphere lifted, and the men rushed forward to free the human captives.

Afterwards the men in Western clothing stripped naked to make sure none had the condition of the vampire, and unfortunately one was bitten, and had to be put to death, but many human lives were saved in the cave, as the soldiers released the human prisoners.

Only William and Captain Bird did not strip, as the naked men found alcohol and treasures in the cave.
When the dawn came they dragged out the bodies, which instantly turned into ashes in the sunlight.
Some men painted themselves gray with the ashes, and a victory dance began.

By noon most had drifted, or run into the ocean's surf to wash themselves from the blood of the battle.

Captain Bird whispered to William, as both of them lay at the entrance of the cave: "You know my secret now ..."
William whispered back: "I don't care."
Bird whispered again: "It's a pity we cannot bathe with the other men ... normally they would have appreciated that after a battle."

William lay still for a while, and then he beheld Bird's naked shoulders, and she unwound a tight cloth around her chest.
Her breasts fell forwards from their confines, and William could no longer contain his naked desire...

William and Bird embraced for a few moments, and after a brief passionate kiss they drew apart.
William's passion turned to thoughts of Amanda, as a feeling of guilt overcame his sharpened senses.
Bird turned and splashed some water from a bucket over her head and torso, and then re-applied her bandage-like dress and uniform.

Afterwards she settled beside William and lit her pipe.
"You're thinking of your woman Rochester, I know that and I respect that".
William replied, "How did you manage during all those years in the navy? I have heard rumors of women like you. Women who had to feign manhood to become authors, lawyers and physicians ... sometimes their secret was only discovered after death, and then hidden by an establishment that preferred the charade, rather than admitting that the intellectual and heroic qualities of a man could exist in the weaker sex. But the British navy? How was it possible?"
Bird took a swig from an open bottle of rum, roughly wiped her lips, and replied with indignation,"I feigned nothing, the only thing I ever had to feign was being a lady, or a member of the weaker sex, as you put it".

Then she began to explain: "I was not always in the navy, actually only a short while. I had a twin brother, and I took on his role as an officer when he died. You see, our father was a military man with great influence. He hired private military tutors at great expense to teach my brother military subjects and drilled him from the moment he could walk. But my brother hated it, which caused great unhappiness to my father and him. I loved it and would fall into the drill or overhear the lessons, and loudly repeated them when my brother was tested. At first my father thought it was amusing, and had a uniform made for me, but later he tried to chase me away from the lessons. However, my mother was sickened by consumption and could not control my temperament, and eventually they recognized my talents.
It caused my dear father great heartache that my brother was mediocre and uninterested in military lessons, and that his children were the inversion of what he wanted. Yet, he encouraged and trained me, and we found great pleasure in military chats, after my brother entered military training and my mother passed away. My brother barely scraped through his training, but due to my father's influence he became an officer. One night he was found dead outside the barracks with a dagger through his heart. Rumors speculated that he had died by his own hand, or that he was murdered - whatever the case, it threatened to be scandalous for many in the military and their influential families. So, after some plotting and initiative on my part my brother 'reappeared', which first caused some shock, but when the charade worked those in the know went along with it, and all the announcements of my brothers death were scrapped. His corpse vanished, and I was assured private lodgings and an assignment to the colonies. Since then those in the know died or moved on, and I am Captain Bird. But the navy is now no longer my concern."

William scratched his forehead in amazement, "So who else knows?"
"A few of my men know, and Ricardo and Tituba know ... and ... Amanda knows."
"Amanda? Why does she know?" William asked in a tone that moved from curiosity to anxiety, "Did you ... you two didn't ... well ... kiss?"
"No Rochester ... well maybe like we did ... briefly, but we left it, so I guess you two are even. But no, that woman loves you too much ... but she understands me. She only knows since yesterday. You were sleeping after your meal, and we fell into a discussion, and it was good for both of us to chat about being women, and what we have to go through in this world. I really had to tell her Rochester, because she first assumed my sensitivity to her plight was an attempt at seduction, or even worse, that I was a male invert, which could cause just as much trouble in my new attempt at life as being a woman living as a man could cause. Women are better at noticing such things than men. The natives are too shocked and confused by the horrors we have brought them, and white men see somebody as commanding and successful, and that's what they believe men to be, so they don't question me. But a white woman could see through me, or even fall in love with me, and thus she can be my greatest danger or ally. However, upon being forthright, Amanda and I swore bonds of sisterhood rather than romantic love."

William was somewhat relieved at the reply, and asked: "But are you going to keep this up in your new life? Maybe your men and the natives do not care? We are far from the conventions and laws of civilization, surely you can be yourself now?"
Captain Bird sighed: "For now I will keep my secret, and I implore you not to mention it by speech, or to imply it by your behavior. Our position is on a lawless frontier, where the men must be ready to fight at any moment. Besides, I am Captain, my sex notwithstanding."

William pulled off his boots as he headed a few steps towards a make-shift bed in an opposite corner of the cave.
He turned and asked the dressed and sleepy Captain: "So what did they think happened to the female you? When you stood in for your brother - didn't anybody miss the female daughter of your father?"

The Captain swayed her head to find comfort in her pillow, as her body began to ache from the battle. And yet she found the strength to reply to William:

"Yes, they did, although we had few relatives, partly due to my father's dislike of them. My father told them I had developed my mother's consumption, and that I had been sent to Italy for recovery, and to find a suitor. Then I arrived with an actor at a few social occasions with my dress and wig, and I told them all how happily married I was, and then the social set didn't care anymore. It happens to a lot of women who don't fit in - those gentry wenches are glad to see you gone. It's one more problem from their hands ...
And by the way, what's your story that you can be a vampire, and yet you act better than most nobles and kings? Or are you just a slow turner ... I hope you're not a vampire with a food fetish or phobia ... on my island you must eat what you can get ... I hope you're listening Rochester ..."

The Captain turned slightly for an answer, but William was already asleep, and began to snore heartily.
The Captain smiled, and nodded off to sleep.

As the evening sun disappeared, William and Captain Bird joined the men on the beach.

All were washed, and some were adorned with the sweet smell of local flowers.

A few bottles of blood were made for William, and then the bodies of the fallen warriors were burnt.

The treasure taken from the cave made two dune-like mounds on the beach.

Each of the men took what they could carry from a seemingly endless treasure of gold and silver.
Some took coins, and others intact statues that were plundered by the Spanish before they could be melted into bars or tender.

These treasures of the New World were but a mere fraction of the spoils of the conquest.
The conquest of once mighty kingdoms, and spectacular cities.

The dunes of unwanted "trash" rose on the beach.
The men took the precious metals and discarded the rest.
The "trash" of the conquest ... objects for which noble warriors had once given their lives.
The finest vessels of clay in the world, made by the mere fluttering of skilled fingers, were flung onto the mound to shatter into dust, and the most beautiful azure cloths that still bore the bloody stains of Spanish steel and conquest were ripped to pieces and discarded.

Rolls and rolls of jaguar skins were discarded, some with sacred inscriptions.
Beautiful feathers and jade were torn from the gold ornaments, until two mounds of multicolored feathers and bricks of jade had formed.

The men stood silently as the fire was lit.
William saw many silent tears and painful glances, as magnificent feathers collapsed into the flames, until only rocks of jade remained, covered in black soot.

The canoes and boats were loaded with the loot of gold and silver.
Despite this the rowing of the men was halfhearted.

In the dusk, Captain Bird and William glanced at each other.
Then the Captain stood up and began to sing:

Rule Britannia,
Britannia rules the waves,
Let vampires stay in their graves!

Rule Britannia,
Britannia rules the waves,
Free soldiers will never be slaves!

The men sang, and heaved and rowed, as William led the chorus for a while.
Soon they were back at Bird Lair's Castle.

William stepped ashore, and Amanda ran towards him.
They flew into each others' arms, and they hugged so tight that they fell into the water, and it seemed that nothing would ever tear William and Amanda apart again.