Blood Apiary

DESCHAIN, the oldest of six continental vampires, lost his taste for killing and blood long ago, and feeds only on the blood of free-range cattle. He exists as a recluse, wandering sprawling high prairie ranges, and shelters in a half-finished modern house. During the days he tends his apiary, and seeks comfort from his only companion, a honeybee he calls, “BEE,” content to disintegrate from lack of human blood. LACHIA, Deschain’s vampire relative arrives at Deschain’s unannounced and informs Deschain that the treaty between the vampires and the United Nations/United is on the verge of dissolution. Deschain and Lachia argue and Lachia disappears. Shortly afterwards, a United States military helicopter transports Deschain to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. A gathering of the last remaining continental vampires, TOSHIRO, KARL, HORUS, BASILIO, and VISHNU convenes with the TICELY STROUD, the President of the United States, who has just been informed of The Treaty. We learn human’s blood has been “polluted” by the consumption of antibiotics/vaccines/drugs and the contaminated blood is poisoning the vampires and making it impossible for humans to give blood and survive. Deschain, Stroud, and the vampires discuss the ramification of the blood contamination and the potential dissolution of The Treaty. Vishnu implores Deschain to meet him in Mexico. Deschain travels to Ciudad Juarez. Vishnu informs him that some of the vampires are working with cartels and the Catholic Church to kidnap children (“organics”) and harvesting their blood in “blood hives.” Deschain knows it is his responsibility to destroy the vampires involved for these violations of The Treaty. Deschain kills Vishnu for withholding this information and for not protecting the children in India. Deschain then kills the High Priest of the Catholic Cathedral in Juarez before he locates a “blood hive” and rescues a teenage girl. He gives her the choice to come with him, and she accepts, and decides she wants to be called “SOL”, because she is finally freed from the darkness of her previous life. Deschain then confronts the lead cartel boss, threatening to slaughter his family if the children aren’t released and cared for. Deschain then goes to Basilio, and they engage in a vicious battle; Deschain takes Basilio’s life, and his fangs. Deschain and Sol travel to the Mexico/US border and begin their journey back to Deschain’s home. They are picked up by an Apache elder that recognizes that Deschain is not human. He brings them to his reservation and makes a sweat for him. Deschain travels through time and the universe and encounters Karl, hiding alone on an island. Deschain takes Karl’s life. He then takes Sol with him to a university in Canada where he contributes resources to fund bee research to save them from extinction. Deschain asks Sol to take on his mission after he is gone. Deschain and Sol travel to Al Bagawat, Egypt, a Christian holy place that has become Horus’s stronghold. Lachia followed them with resources from the cartel and takes Sol. Deschain battles Horus and his vampire warriors and is nearly killed. Jesus saves him and they converse about the meaning of blood, sin, and salvation. Jesus offers Deschain the Eucharist, which Deschain accepts before Jesus vanishes. Deschain travels to the Nagoya Castle in Japan; he and Toshiro engage in final celebrations of life. Deschain is reunited with his human lover, Mikeno, a Geisha. They spend one last night together before Mikeno commits suicide. A heartbroken and vengeful Deschain, sets out with Toshiro on a global hunt, slaughtering cartel members and releasing children from the blood hives. Deschain kills the cartel boss before returning to his land with Toshiro. With a final flourish in the style of a Kurosawa Samurai film, Deschain and Toshiro battle Lachia and Horus. Toshiro sacrifices himself in battle so Deschain can defeat Lachia and Horus. Deschain is mortally wounded; his obligations to The Treaty completed, Deschain, fading from this life, is visited one last time from Bee. Bee settles into his open hand, and they both die. Sol burns Toshiro’s body, removes Lachia and Horus’s corpses from Deschain’s land. She buries Deschain near his dwelling. Spring arrives, Sol tends magnificent flowering gardens nurtured by Deschain’s body, and tends his apiary.