The sun rose over the City of Kigali, Rwanda, driving the night critters back to their lairs. Darkness must give way to light, it's the way of the world. The owls, the honey badgers, the porcupines and the pole cats went back to their hiding places, driven away by the light of the sun. Abdel Karangwa headed back to his place, a two-story townhouse located in the wealthy Nimepata District of metropolitan Kigali. Abdel Karangwa made it home just as the sky turned golden. Even though Abdel Karangwa hadn't breathed in decades, he sighed in sheer relief.
"Thanks, brother," said the cab driver, overjoyed with the generous tip that Abdel Karangwa had given him before exiting the vehicle. Even with a Vampire's preternatural strength and speed, Abdel Karangwa had his limits. After completing his task in the wild, Abdel grabbed his cellphone and summoned a cab as soon as he reached the City of Kigali. It would have taken him too long to cross the vast West African metropolis on foot. Modern technology does have its conveniences, especially for the Undead. Abdel Karangwa made it home safely, beating the arrival of daylight by a hair...
"Home sweet home," Abdel Karangwa said to himself, as he closed the door behind him. The townhouse had heavy drapes on the windows, shielding its inhabitants from the sunlight, and Abdel welcomed the cool darkness. As a Vampire, Abdel could potentially live forever but sunlight was his bane. Normally, Abdel would have been home hours before dawn, but he'd gone on a mission which took him far from his comfort zone. When duty calls, a warrior must answer. Even nine decades after becoming one of the Undead, Abdel, a former soldier, was still a warrior at heart. Some things simply never change...
Abdel grinned as a quartet of furry forms came bounding toward him in the darkness. The house's dogs, Lucky, Dakota, Marquis and Harriet rushed to greet their master. Abdel knelt down and petted the dogs. Collectively, this quartet of canines are known as the Familiars. The animals had been recently fed. Abdel could smell the goat meat that the dogs consumed. Abdel allowed the dogs to lick his hand and face. Even as a Vampire, Abdel loved his dogs more than anything. Dogs are loyal, unlike people, or Vampires, come to think of it. During the day, the dogs had the run of the entire house. They're the daytime protectors of the Vampires...
"Cutting it a bit close," came a female voice, and Abdel smiled as Lady Jannah came forward. Six feet tall and curvy, with dark brown skin and long black hair, Lady Jannah looked no older than forty, even though she had been walking the earth for centuries. Lady Jannah In the dark, Lady Jannah's golden brown eyes glowed. Lady Jannah smiled at Abdel, briefly baring her pearly white fangs. Abdel took off his coat, which had a hood and gloves in the pockets, a last ditch defense against the sun's rays.
"The deed is done," Abdel replied, and Lady Jannah nodded, pleased to receive the good news. Abdel had gone to the outskirts of Kigali, into the wilderness, and taken care of business. The Cult of Tukur would be diminished now that its leader Father Basil was dead. Abdel had gone into the wilderness and infiltrated the Cult of Tukur's woodland compound, and then he killed their leader, the infamous Father Basil, one of the most dangerous men in all of West Africa. Father Basil, a former Catholic priest, had found an ancient tome of forbidden magic and used it to summon rogue Orishas, forcing them to do his bidding.
In West Africa, from Nigeria to Ghana, from Senegal to Congo, from Gambia to Benin, a delicate balance exists between the world of Man, and the world of the Supernatural. Demons, monsters and creatures of myth and legend walk among ordinary men and women, disguised as seemingly ordinary people. In Europe and North America, the various species of sentient nonhumans have been hunted in the past, but in West Africa, the sentient nonhumans have always commanded respect. A truce has existed between Man and the Supernatural in Africa since time immemorial.
