PROLOGUE
It had been years since Mila’s mother left Wallachia for the outside world. Mila still sat and watched the door like it just happened. Perhaps it was her naivety that made her believe that things would get better. She looked at her pale skin through what was once a clean mirror now with the rotting silver paint peeling away from behind; she could hardly recognize her own face. She was youthful once, as far as she could remember. How fast time flew by and even though some said it would heal all wounds not Mila’s. Hers was more than just a curse; it was an eternal condemnation.
Freshly etched in her memory, her mother’s voice had not stopped ringing in her head when she spoke those bitter words.
“No Mila, I shall not take you with me,” said her elderly mother ashamed to even look her in the eyes. And when Mila insisted on asking why, “The last thing I need is to be burdened by the rantings of an overgrown child. It’s time for you to grow up.”
The words still stung and her heart had not stopped breaking ever since. Her mother had been the only one she could rely on for the longest time. How foolish of her to think she could follow her to the ends of the world. It had always been just the two of them and after she’d received the gift of immortality, she was convinced it would remain so.
After her mother was gone, she’d had a lot of time to contemplate. She knew of the stories of the first of their kind. The legend of Vlad Tepis was often her favorite bed time story when she couldn’t sleep. Perhaps it was her mother’s gentle touch or her soothing voice that made it so enjoyable but sure enough she’d grown to worship the idea of him. Legend had it that the first Vampire Vlad Tepis the third of Wallachia, once a Christian, and had turned to Satan after the suicide of his wife. Because of her sinful act of suicide, the church had abandoned him and declared that his late wife’s soul would not ascend into heaven. Consequently, the Devil welcomed him with open arms awarding him with the gift of immortality and the night. How seductive to be loved by Lucifer like all the other shunned creatures of midnight.
Struck with grief and anger, Vlad Tepis after attaining his power embarked on a revenge mission razing all of Christianity from his principality of Wallachia. He then turned all the nobility loyal to him into Vampires. He would’ve set his ever hungry teeth upon the world.
Although, it was said that he turned into a hermit years later, his creation lived on in the form of many others like her mother who had no problem turning Mila just before she left.
The story of the surrender of their great leader had been passed on through generations who craved to know what the outside world was like. Most like Mila had no clue what lay beyond the borders. Her mother had promised to take her when she decided to leave but was a living proof that she was just as selfish as the rest of the group that had left the principality years ago.
The memory of her face now angered her. She felt her long nails claw into her palms as she clenched her fists. So lost was she in the thoughts of her mother’s duplicity that she hit the mirror so hard it fractures into pieces that scattered on the cold stone floor. She hardly winced in pain as she pulled shards of glass slowly from her knuckles. Time had not been kind to her. After her mother left, there was no one to take care of her, and she had not yet learnt to. It was not long before the people of her principality started to die of disease, something she had no control over. Eventually, she too began to die slowly on the inside; not just from the loneliness but the hunger. When she fantasized about eternal life, this was the last thing she pictured. Hitting that mirror had been a bad idea and she knew it from her saggy skin the moment she saw herself in the mirror. Although foggy, her reflection revealed the wrinkles that covered every inch of her once soft face.
Mila felt her knees grow weak in despair falling to the ground; she knew she would not have the strength to endure another day of this. The floor felt colder than ever and she desperately wished to be put out of her misery. She was wearing an oversized grey robe; a clear representation of what was going on around her.
As she lay there frail struggling for air with every breath she took, she vaguely recollected her innocent years when everything seemed so much simpler in God’s light. She hated herself for lacking the courage to do what she always dreamed of doing; leave Wallachia. Taking a deep breath, she closed her painfully dry eyes in hopes that her malediction would finally come to an end.
“I hope I am not interrupting anything?” Came a raspy unfamiliar voice that caused her to nearly jump out of her wits. With her remaining strength, Mila jerked up to see who said that. Before her stood the most strangely dressed woman she had ever seen.
“I could not help but notice the smell of despair that has filled the castle, despair only our kind can produce” remarked the stranger clad in a matching brown shirt and trousers and a heavy fur coat made of a myriad of small animals.
Something about her made the temperature in the room somehow a little chillier. Mila wondered how that was even possible. As she eerily approached her, Mila tried to stand up as quickly as she could not sure whether this was a dangerous situation. She seemed affluent by her posture and as she stepped into the light, she could see the shades of red in her bangs. When she finally recognized the paleness in her skin she froze in her tracks.
“Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you. My name is Olivia and I’m here to help dear,” she said allowing her to sit on the small wooden chair that was in the middle of the tiny room.
“May I see that?” she asked taking Mila’s hand. Unlike Mila’s now brownish fangs, she could see Olivia was well taken of from her pearly whites. Her wound was not healing. She wasn’t surprised; she’d been feeling a lot more dead than usual lately.
“I can help you with this,” she began. If there’s one thing Mila understood quite well, it was that nothing ever came free in life, so she listened keenly.
“I would like to help you get back on your feet and leave this place. I promise not to get in the way of your freedom. You will get the chance to lead the remainder of your people in a better place far from here.”
Behind her mesmerizing greenish blue eyes, it was hard to tell what her true intentions were. Regardless, Mila could not ignore the fact that she’d just heard her favourite word just yet; leave.
It did not take too much convincing for her to agree with what Olivia was saying. She seemed like the type of woman who always got what she wanted. Mila could tell that the woman was older than herself from the Olivia’s posture and grace. Once Olivia helped her to feed, she felt alive again; powerful.
“Here’s how this is going to go. I wish to take over a village not far from here. The place I seek is the key to solving all our problems. With your help, it will be as easy as the conquest of Ebro.”
Her eye’s glistened every time she talked about the village and she smiled through her sharp fangs. Mila did not really care for conquering anyone, but she was indeed too grateful to back out now. She listened to her counterpart in awe of her confidence and poise. Mila’s skin was getting back to its original paleness and she felt stronger already.
Grateful for her sudden breakthrough, she snapped her neck as a way to stretch.
“Wherever you go, I will follow.” She declared vehemently. She needed care, she needs comradere.
CHAPTER 1
“Without your brother, I am dead. They might as well have killed my heart.” His imagination ran wild as hot tears stung his cheeks. Isaac knew his mother better than any of his siblings. Being the first born, he knew it was his responsibility to take care of the younger ones. The war they had been fighting had not been as successful as the powers that be had imagined. He shook his head trying to erase the thoughts from his head. His hands were dirty, mud buried deep in his finger nails yet wiped the tears that reluctantly ran down his cheeks.
Isaac did not think he would be able to take it anymore. The sun had not felt hotter in days and he longed for a decent meal.
“Tell mama and Anna that I love them.” He remembered Benjamin’s last words as life slowly faded from his once young face. In their tiny village, every able bodied man over the age of eighteen was expected to participate in the FirstWorld War. At the time Isaac was attending a technical college in order to fulfil his dreams of becoming an engineer. When the letter arrived that he and Benjamin got drafted, his heart sunk. He really had imagined he would not be picked even as the letter read his name.
Benjamin was elated; he had always been the type to help. As for Isaac, he hated the war which went against everything he believed in. If he could he would’ve run away; but that would only bring shame to his brother and family. His younger brother was only nineteen at the time but his bravery was more than that of a hundred men. Isaac always knew that Benjamin was his mother’s favorite while Anna who was their younger sister was everyone’s. Isaac had played the role of a guardian from a younger age ever since his father walked out on them. He was the only one of his siblings who remembered what he actually looked like.
Benjamin was the sweetest boy he ever knew; always trying to make people feel better. Once he’d found Isaac sitting alone crying. He sat with Isaac and comforted him. It was unusual for him to see his twenty five year old brother in his moment of weakness so Isaac had felt the need to explain the incident afterwards. He’d called Benjamin later to apologize but instead his younger brother attempted to raise his hopes.
“We will fight the war to our victory brother…and we will be back home in no time,” Benjamin had reassured. How naïve of him to think so? As painful as it was, Isaac had realized in that moment that his younger brother would need the strength more than he did. Benjamin didn’t understand quite what war was but Isaac had read all the books of the Civil War; no glory, only loss and suffering. When they had first joined the war, none of the soldiers were as enthusiastic as Benjamin; only until their first battle. It was heartbreaking to watch the light go off in his brother’s eyes after he realized how wrong he had been. He can still see the terrified realization in Benjamin’s eyes as he flinched from the sound of every shell in the rain. They say in that trench for hours afraid the next shell would rip them to pieces.
However difficult it was, Isaac managed to shake it off, and Benjamin did not. Nightmares of the battle grounds filled with dead soldiers kept him up at night. It wasn’t long before the fatigue got to Benjamin affecting his performance from day to day.
Isaac tried to get his brother back in shape but by the dark circles around his eyes and his reluctance to participate in anything proved otherwise. It seemed his sanity was slipping but they needed all the men they could get.
Isaac wished he could turn back time to the day they went out and he lost him forever. Benjamin was standing behind a barrier slowly loading bullets into his gun when Isaac spotted a German soldier aiming his gun at him. He tried to call out to him but his attempts were futile. Amid the cacophonous sound of gunshots and explosions it would be nearly impossible to hear anything. Only one thing left to do; shoot. Isaac wasn’t ready for it even when his brother’s life was at stake. God knows he tried to aim and fire but instead, his eyes became blurry and he couldn’t stop shaking.
It had been the worst day of his life; not only because he’d never see Benjamin again but because it was his damned fault. He’d been walking for hours now with no end in sight. His feet were sore and he hadn’t taken off his shoes in days. His jacket was a little wet from the little icy rains that occurred periodically rewetting and rotting the blood of fallen soldiers that had dried on his uniform. The first was his younger brother’s, when he held him just before he died. His face and arms were scratched up following his escape from a losing battle and his dark brown hair looked dingy from all the dust he had collected along the way. Not a single bone in his body broken yet, miraculously, but his spirit was in pieces.
Isaac had no idea which part of the Western front he was in exactly. Separated from the rest of his regiment during a heated exchange of fire, he had somehow managed to escape unscathed reluctantly leaving his brother’s body behind. Not the sendoff he had envisioned at all. He wanted to bury his brother in the way his religion dictated. He already was living in hell. The sky was dull, dark clouds looming over the gray wasteland. The vile smell of death filled the air choking him as he passed through damaged towns and villages. On the ground were shell casings accompanied by wrecked range canons that reminded him of the carnage of flesh sitting in the craters filled with poisonous gas around him. It sickened him to see what the world had become. After the things he had seen in the war thus far, he had absolutely no faith in God whatsoever. Why would he sit back and watch his people destroy each other like this?
Isaac was hoping he could get to a river that would either lead him to a friendly military base or a village if he followed the edge of the mountains. He deeply missed his family and the safety of their humble abode. At this point he just wanted to see another human face. Isaac was aware of his surroundings finally stopping when he arrived at another fallen town. Managing to find a building that was still intact, he settled down there hoping he’d be able to lay low for a while.
Isaac felt relieved when he finally freed his blistered feet from his shoes allowing them to breathe free of the wet leather prison they sat in.
One thing he had learnt to do over the course of the war was to survive. He had a well-hidden matchbox in his inner pocket; his own personal lifesaver that he took out and placed on the floor. Using a few items he had collected in the room’s wreckage, he had managed to make himself a cozy area in the corner of said room. There was a fireplace right next to him but he decided to avoid using it, lest he alerted anyone with the smoke. Instead, he piled up some papers from books he tore up as well as furniture scraps and lit a small fire for the night. It felt nice to be in a warmer environment for once. It was hard not to get lost in his thoughts when he finally took his jacket off and hanged it over the fire to dry faster. Soon after he’d warmed up, he found himself messing around with his rifle as he tried to keep himself busy. He had placed his pistol on the floor right next to him; the only protection he had left. It was in that moment that Isaac realized that he had only three bullets left in the rifle and one in the pistol.
He knew it would not be enough to save him when the time came yet he hoped he would not have to use it. Eventually, he fell asleep succumbing to the fatigue.
There was a sudden blood curdling scream that filled the air right before the loud sound of canons blasting dirt fifty feet into the air. The whizzing of bullets and shrapnel completed the Hellish environment. Isaac started to run in the icy cold determined to get away from the scene but the painful wailing of people seemed to only get louder. He saw many things on his way, most of which he would rather forget; like when a middle aged soldier was getting crushed under a German tank. Such had become the norm in his life; nothing surprised him anymore.
Isaac woke up unceremoniously to find he was freezing in the pale moonlight. He’d been caught up in a dream based on his past encounters and he was glad that’s all it was. The fire had gone out and his woolen jacket drenched in icy cold water still. Somehow, he still felt a wave of warmth wash over is body. Perhaps he was catching a cold because he knew that sensation could only mean one thing; fever. When Isaac looked outside, he could hardly see through the windows. It finally hit him that it snowed heavily overnight.
Aware that he could not stay there much longer, he waited for his coat to dry off a little bit longer then continued with his journey. It was hard to walk through the fluffy frost that had formed all over the ground so he stuck to the edge of the forest road, the trees offering some protection from the sporadic snowfall.
It had been days since his last encounter with human life so when he saw lots of men in the distance, he was sure he would be saved. His excitement got the better part of him causing him to run towards them; a decision he regretted soon after. The moment they spotted him, they started to converse bursting into hysterical chants.
He could tell that they were German from the unfamiliar language they spoke. He had spoken polish decently, it was his mother’s tongue but this was alien enough. Isaac knew he had made a terrible mistake stopping in his tracks.
He dropped his weapon and raised his hands in the air when he realized just how outnumbered he was.
“I surrender!” He screamed out into the open field; first in Polish then in English. He could hear their hysterical yelling as they all reached for their weapons so he started to turn around. Hoping against all hope he could be faster than a speeding bullet, he began to run. They were so many of them; he had not been able to count. Isaac looked back to see a German soldier hot on his heels. He seemed to be catching up each time he turned around.
As the sound of gunshots filled the air, he knew he was on borrowed time. He ran as fast as his feeble legs could carry him, clutching tightly to his rifle and enduring the weight of his empty stomach. He felt a sharp pain in the right side of his abdomen and his knees grew weak. He had been shot! The soldier still running after him shouted something in German infuriating Isaac. He really had no intention of hurting anyone. He just wanted to go home. Flashbacks of his family and Beatrice, the girl who took away his virginity flooded his mind. It was soothing to picture her warm milky white skin and how inviting her full thighs and breasts looked. Beatrice had the loveliest freckles on her plump cheeks and a single dimple on the right side of her face. He remembered how her electric blue eyes pierced through his soul and he let out a frustrated cry. The pain radiating on every nerve in his side.
Isaac turned around to the soldier’s surprise and pointed his rifle at him. The man dropped his weapon to the ground immediately.
“I do not want to hurt you.” His voice was shaking as he tried to sound brave. The German was probably Benjamin’s age or younger; Just a young man fighting the pointless war of his country. Deep down, Isaac really thought he could convince the boy to turn back and let him go. Perhaps even scare him with his gun.
“Stop, this is madness! Do not come any closer.” He exclaimed yet the boy would not listen. Never before had he seen such determination. Even as he stared down the barrel of a gun, the soldier would not stop his pursuit.
Isaac’s hands were shaking which to his disadvantage was captured by his opponent who wasted no time reaching for his weapon. Despite his better judgement, Isaac knew he had no choice. The rules were simple; either kill or be killed. Amid a nefarious smile, the soldier confidently picked his gun from the floor while Isaac closed his eyes and pulled the trigger over and over again. When he opened his eyes, the boy had stopped moving, blood flowing profusely from his wounds. Isaac gasped in horror clutching on to his gun and took off.
He hoped he had run as fast as he could when he finally stopped and collapsed to the ground. The image of the boy had not left his mind; in fact, it would stay with him until the very end. Isaac lay there letting the snow hit his wound until the pain grew numb. Filled with regret, he punched into the snow. Why did he have to pull a gun on him? If only the boy had just listened and turned back to his troop; he would still be alive. Now he had his blood all over his hands. He then dragged himself towards a nearby tree leaving a trail of his blood behind him. Gathering his strength, he managed to pull himself upright then pulled a journal from his jacket. In it he penned down his love for his entire family including his estranged father. He mentioned how he was tired of holding a grudge and he wanted to be free of it. To his mother, he expressed his deep apologies for not being able to stand up for his brother. He was simply sorry. That’s all he could think to say was sorry.
Isaac started to feel lightheaded and weaker. Something wasn’t right. When he looked at his wound, he was bleeding profusely while his fever had hit the roof. He was shaking perhaps from the pain which now began to dull pulsing throb throughout his whole body. In the snow, the trail of crimson glistened to remind him just how much blood he’d lost. He thought it glorious to be given an opportunity to see how his own life would end. He was freezing so much that he felt like he was burning up. Slowly, he felt his eyes grow heavier as he struggled to stay awake.
There was no escaping it now; his consciousness knew he was approaching the end of the road. His breathing was heavy and dry just like his tongue when he tried to speak. So blurry was his sight that he started to hallucinate. As his eyes gave in to a swoon, he saw a white hooded figure approaching in the distance. Slowly, they got closer, seeming to sway graciously and he tried to reach out his wobbly hand.
“God?” he called out helplessly.
CHAPTER 2
Isaac had a dream if you could call it that; he’d had plenty since the last time he could remember. In his dream, he had walked into a huge golden gate in a strange foggy background. He had often wondered why dreams were always so strange. In the strange land, he saw people dressed in all types of attire, some perhaps too modern for his understanding. The air was warm and everyone started to look at him quite strangely. Suddenly a group of men came and grabbed him threatening to kick him out. He had no idea where he was and everyone was staring. A powerful voice came calling and he knew then that it was God immediately.
“That is no son of mine!” he said as the men dressed in all white dragged him back towards the door. Everyone started to laugh as they pointed fingers at him while he begged to be given another shot. The laughter soon started to sound like bombshells bang-bang-bang louder and louder. This dream had been quite recurrent yet he could never seem to come to the end of it.
Each time he had made an attempt to wake up, his head felt heavier than before. He could hardly see through the blur but he could feel the warmth of a bed. It was a bed alright; he could never forget what that felt like; especially after so long. He could feel the heat in the room and his heart started racing. Isaac wanted to lift his hand and rub his eyes but they felt too heavy. Slowly, he turned his head to the right in an attempt to scan the room when he spotted the fireplace. He could see a figure walk up to him and as it got closer, he could tell it was a woman. Suddenly, there were more of them and surrounding them were hunched bipedal creatures. They made little horrifying clicking and hissing noises.
Suddenly, he felt the sharp pain of something being pulled from his side making his hairs stand. So excruciating was it that he opened his mouth to scream yet no sound came out. A tear trickled from his eye and he felt it run into his ear. He was now convinced that his dreams were more than just. Or was he still dreaming? The creatures and figures seemed to be walking on the ceilings from corner to corner as if watching him. What kind of a hospital was this? Or was he in Heaven? No, rather He’ll… That could be the only explanation for such weird occurrences.
He must have passed out once again because the sound of breaking wood scared him out of slumber. He was dreaming about being in battle and he’d been running when he heard a gunshot.
Isaac had been sweating profusely and the massive bed below him felt so wet. He was in a cold room of what seemed like a castle from the architecture. The radiating fire in the huge fireplace however produced enough heat for him. Still confused, he rose wincing in immense pain and sat upright. He remembered that he had been shot when he looked at the wound that had now been dressed and cleaned. Isaac struggled to get on his feet dragging one foot of the bed then the next. The pain was unbearable yet he was determined to find out what was really going on around him.
The windows were longer than what he was used to and he could tell that the place was quite elaborate. The room was gothic and dark despite the lighting due to the curtains being drawn. He was perturbed as to why and it had given him the strangest feeling. He thought the gadgets that lit the room were strange. They looked like balls of light hanging from the ceiling; until he realized it was electricity, in a place this old? His fever had subsided to his relief and his feet felt stronger than his entire being. Carefully, he stood up and walked towards the windows. He gathered his upper body strength pulling the curtains open and what he saw equally scared him just as it excited him.
Overlooking a winter-dead forest blanketed in a few feet of snow were mountains that seemed to surround the castle. From a distance, he spotted a well-lit village hidden in the heart of the afformentioned mountains and it hit him that he was nowhere close to home. A rat ran quickly past his legs, he almost missed it. Where the hell was he?
Scanning the room, it was obvious no one was in there. It was always so hard to be a rat; perhaps the most abhorred of creatures. She stood in front of her window and allowed herself to turn back into her original form. Talya could hear her bones break as she shaped and formed her steady figure once more. She hated that she had to sneak around her own castle but she was all the curious to observe their guest in the most natural of ways.
Things had been a bit tense between her and her sisters ever since she brought the strange man back home. Olivia had been the first to protest even suggesting they turn the poor boy into a full course meal but Talya stood her ground.
“No one touches the boy unless you want to go through me.” She was not sure at the time how Olivia would have reacted. Even when she found him lying in the snow half dead, she thought of letting him die. It’d be a mercy to let this soldier die in a strange land then be eaten. The moment she’d heard him call out God’s name, she even giggled a little. Human beings were indeed the most fickle of creatures. It was ironic that they believed in God yet they were in the middle of such a gruesome war; what did that really say about them if they think they’re made in the image of said God.
Talya then picked up the paper next to the soldier, almost buried in snow. He was out cold by then but the writings seemed to tell a story of loss; a story she knew too well but she did not know of his story. The real reason she had taken the boy in was because she felt sorry for him if not also a little curious. Mila had been helping her with his care while everyone else watched curiously and with their own reservations. Olivia had not spoken a word to her since but she did not care. She was always so vain and quick to conclusion. Talya had suspected from the beginning that it would be a problem but she was willing to handle it. Now that she was sure her collection was alright, she could go about the rest of her day.
She stood staring outside her window contemplating her next move then a knock came at her door.
“Sister, the boy lives!” Mila came running in excitedly. Despite her four hundred and forty years on the planet, Talya always felt the girl had a lot of growing up to do.
She took a deep breath, “I know sister, do you mind keeping it down? Olivia could hear you from anywhere in this castle.” She sighed ” I’d rather she not know of his presence until he has gathered his strength.”
Talya had seen him of course; he just had not seen her. She knew how humans hated rats so she hoped he would have been too scared to touch her when she ran past him.
“What do we do now? Do we eat him?” Mila asked like a timid child.
Unfortunately, she was more inhuman than Talya could ever be. On normal occasions that was not a problem but not this. The boy was her prize; hers and hers alone. Then again… she wasn’t quite human either seeing this human as a prize.
“Let’s get one thing clear, you little imp, he is mine. Not ours, mine! I say what happens to him!” Talya shot back causing her to recoil into a bat that flew into the fireplace in her room. She hated being rough with Mila but as long as she made sure Mila was just as afraid of her as Olivia she’d be too nervous about taking sides.
Talya eerily turned back to her window getting back to her thoughts. Frankly, she had no idea why she saved the human in the first place and now she had no clue what she was going to do about him. He is a handsome young man but would be boring and daft or brutish and ugly on the inside.
Once upon a time, she was just like him- highly unaware of the world beyond. This she thought was a human beings biggest weakness. Their ignorance- their lack of perspective.
Born of an incredibly old Noble, Talya had taken pride in being a good person and so had her father, Kanan. She remembered Vlad Tepis, the Dragon, a leader who’s brief undead reign had shaped her into who she had become. Kanan was a man who Talya aspired to be like. Her father was a man of many mistakes however, he was the only person she’d known to always stand up for what he believed in. As a young girl, her first encounter with the Lord Tepis was when he visited their family home. Too young to understand back then, Talya overheard Tepis who now went by, Dragulia, offer Kanan the gift of immortality. Kanan wanted to live the rest of his life like the ones before him, in the light of Christ, for that was what he believed was natural. Vlad Dragulia could not help but think of Kanan as a weak man. Frustrated, he turned his back on their family and left their lands. She still wonders why Tepis didn’t just kill her father for still being a Christian? Maybe some sense of loyalty from all the battles and war, a mercy almost?
Years passed by while Talya took care of her father to his last days. Life had not been kind to her. She was lucky enough to be married however to a man she cared very little for. Her recollection of him made her laugh because she could hardly remember his face. For women it was never a choice of who you loved rather what do you bring to the table? She had no living parents so no one really cared to wed her off. Her husband had been a kind man, most women would not have complained- not Talya. She wanted more out of life. Her marriage seemed to get worse when she discovered she could not bare a child for her husband; the only thing a woman was good for in these times. Then he joined a crusade against the Muslim Turks and died foolishly without even leaving a bastard son behind; such a tragic end to a uninteresting man’s story. Honestly she couldn’t care less now but reflect life’s peculiarities.
Vlad Dragulia had taught her everything she knew and she would remain grateful to him for eternity. In fact, eternity is what Dragulia had gifted her. She had accepted the invitation when he came back and found her father dead and she widowed. It seemed like a small price to pay after all she’d been through. Talya bravely narrated her story to Dragulia and politely negotiated her terms. Dragulia was more than respectful; seemingly passing her father’s courtesy to her.
“I will be your most loyal soldier only one on condition. I refuse to become your concubine; I believe I’m destined for much greater things that a whore in a castle. My destiny is to devote myself to the understanding of man.”
Dragulia seemed pleased that she wasn’t a woman of God but of science and modernity. She and Vlad Dragulia came to an understanding soon after for he admired her wisdom. He often told her that she reminded him of her father before all the wars had robbed him on reason and instead filled him with faith.
Talya aspired to be the best leader she could be to her people. She enjoyed spending time with the children in the villages and reading during her free time. No one had warned her about natural calamities like plagues. It was still a foreign phenomenon during those trying times. Combined with what she later called poor harvest, the plague wiped out most of the people in her principalities. They had no choice but to flee in search of greener pastures.
Olivia appeared to Talya as a ‘good samaritan’ someone with a better plan than she ever could think of. She was older and it seemed at the time, wiser. Desperate, Talya joined Olivia in executing her plan for a better future.
“Some future has become!” Talya hissed as she recalled all the things they had been through to get there. She had been thinking about leaving for a while but Olivia had always disapproved. Because of this their relationship was a little bit strained.
She looked over the mountains in vigil; one never could trust a quiet day. Suddenly, she sensed some commotion. Talya picked up on a distressed cry as it got clearer.
“N..no.. Noooo! Please stop. Stop!!” a desperate call for help came through the walls.
It was the boy! Talya rushed out at her inhuman speed.
Now what? Was all she could think.
CHAPTER 3
“Stay away! Stay away!” he cried frantically. Isaac was now convinced that he was in some sort of Hell. He was not even sure what he was seeing anymore. Was he still stuck in a dream? He just wanted to wake up already.
He covered both his ears with the palm of his hands. Isaac closed his eyes in disbelief when the foggy figures appeared in front of him one after the other.
“Hmmm.. the first but definitely won’t be the last,” one of them joked, who seemed to be wearing a cloak. It was strange how he looked human yet Isaac could almost see right through him. He closed his eyes harder as if it was supposed to make a difference.
“The living, they never cease to amaze me. They refuse to believe even when the truth is right in front of their eyes.” Another ghost emerged from the wall. Isaac could hear the echoes within the castle as the apparitions appeared hovering around him. They were all so curious as to how this man hadn’t been ripped open from chin to collarbone by the lovely undead women.
“If I were you, I’d leave this place. It tends to eat people alive.” They said in unison in an almost humorous tone.
Isaac screamed falling on his knees then wincing in pain when he remembered he wound on his side as it tore open partially.
“Get lost phantoms, before I do it myself!” shouted a woman’s voice so stern the room went dead still.
So shaken was Isaac, he failed to notice the ghost disappear back into the walls from whence they came.
“You mustn’t be so afraid. They are only ghosts, no possibility of them harming you whatsoever.”
The woman’s voice sounded kinder this time yet Isaac could not seem to get himself up. He was coiled up at the corner of the room shivering like he was out in the snow again. The wound brought back all the traumatic memories. His mind couldn’t even begin to compile itself.
“Your wound is open, we have to cover that up this instant.” She said moving swiftly towards him.
“Don’t just stand there, Mila, help me.” She said pulling the blanket off the bed.
There was a bat hanging from the fireplace which surprisingly turned into Mila just when Isaac had lifted his head up.
“What are you?” He shrieked jerking upright j. Almost an instant with a wince. It would’ve hurt more but now his adrenaline was pumping. “Stay away from me!”
Just then another one appeared from nowhere; now they were three.
The look on Isaac’s face said it all. He had a feral twist in his eyes. He was horrified and felt completely outnumbered by his captors but all he could do was think about the violence he’d seen. He didn’t want to be gored like his little brother.
The one who had just arrived was dressed like the average German man, only that she had the features of a woman. It was not normal to see a woman dressed in a tailored trouser suit. Isaac could still remember that women got the right to vote in his lifetime let alone dress so.. masculinely?
“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded when she found the two sisters moving around the room. “What is all the commotion about?” Her fists clenching so hard her pinkish fingers turned white.
Olivia was angered to find that it was the human who had woken her up. She liked to sleep during the day and stay up all night; most vampires did. They found themselves weaker during the day but never vulnerable to the sun. Talya asked Isaac to get on the bed so she could check on his wound but he was still frozen in his fight or flight, she was convinced she could hear his art beating from across the castle. Mila had just finished arranging the new bandage on the table next to the bed and she was scanning the room nervously. She was always anxious when Talya and Olivia were in the same room, it almost always ended in some sort of stand off…
Too afraid to move, Talya carried Isaac effortlessly herself much to his surprise. He hadn’t been held in sometime and it soothed his rattled nerves.
“This has to be the most outrageous thing I’ve ever seen.” Olivia rolled her eyes watching pensively as Talya laid the young man on the bed. She would have laughed but she was too disgusted by the show of affection.
Isaac did not know how it was possible but the room had gotten colder since the last woman had arrived. Being carried by a woman made him feel weak and he wondered how she had managed to do it with such ease. In most other instances he would’ve struggled to free himself but the pain and terror had turned him into a statue.
“You are scared aren’t you?” Talya sensed his every feeling and she figured all her sisters did. She quickly changed his bandage and threw the old one into the fire. It was taking every fiber of her being not to sink her teeth into him. He’d been through enough however despite having made a delicious meal.
“He is quite intriguing, isn’t he? I can feel his pulse get faster when I look at him and the sound of his blood flowing furiously through his veins. Can you hear that?” Olivia asked, nefariously walking towards the bed trying to taunt the young man. She’d heard stories of soldiers traumatized by war- she thought them cowards
Talya watched quietly saying nothing. Instead tending to Isaac’s wound. His heart didn’t slow down and she could feel the tension in every muscle like someone tuning a violin string.
“He’s wondering who we are, where he is and whether he is going mad.” Olivia ran her long pointy nails across his legs and it gave him goosebumps. The room was quiet and all the sisters could hear was Isaac’s heart pound in his chest.
“Smells delicious, doesn’t he? Tell me sister, can you taste him on your tongue already?” Olivia’s fangs had grown longer out of her mouth like they did when she was ready to feed. Her greenish blue eyes glistened in excitement and Mila hopped next to her.
“I can taste him sister. Can we eat him now?” Mila asked slicking her sharp fangs to stop the saliva from trickling to the floor.
Talya remained calm although she would have preferred to protest.
“Don’t be silly Mila. We’ve gone through this already.” She spoke calmly.
Isaac’s pain had subsided after the first aid but he really could not move. Like a prisoner in his own body. The moment he looked into Olivia’s eyes, the stiffness of his body grew more intensely, even his mind which raced with fractured and horrible memories grew disturbingly still. He was now convinced that this was no dream and as he watched the women converse, he tried to make out what they were talking about. Isaac was numb yet he could feel Olivia’s cold sharp nails gliding on his skin. And what kind of creature had teeth that long? The bubbly one was hungry, clearly but never had he pictured himself as a meal for anyone.
“P..please.. D..on… don’t kill me. I have a family who need me.” He managed to whisper under his breath.
All three women stopped talking and looked at him.
“He speaks! Oh how exciting. That makes him even more fun.” Olivia peered over and started to caress his hair. It was disturbingly soothing; as if a lullaby was being sang to him.
“My sister here thinks she has a choice when it comes to you but even you know that’s not the case. I can feel it when I look in your eyes. You know you’re a dead man. It’s only a matter of time; she’ll probably even do it herself.”
Isaac’s mind felt like melting butter with every word she spoke and his eyes felt heavy. As he struggled to stay awake, he saw the women surrounding the bed. They were still talking and it seemed like they were getting heated though he could not hear what they were saying.
He started to hallucinate again; perhaps. The strange creatures he had seen walking around the ceiling appeared again. This time, they seemed to dance over him. His eyes grew heavier until he could not keep them ajar any longer.
CHAPTER 4
Isaac woke up to a tranquil environment and his heart skipped a beat. He thought he was in the comfort of his own bed when he realized he was still in the same place. He was now coming to terms with his situation. When he touched his wound, there was no bandage. Miraculously his gunshot wound had already fully healed. In fact, there was only a faint scar to prove that he had once been shot. How long had it been since he had fallen asleep?
He got out of bed and walked to the gigantic window. He wanted to see his mother and Anna but he had no clue whether that was ever going to be possible. At least he could walk without wincing in pain. The castle was far too high to see what was right below yet he longed for some fresh air. The mountains looked so majestic; almost like they were enchanted. Then it all came back to him. How could he forget those fangs that glistened like newly minted sabers? He remembered her pale fingers on his skin; the way he could not move when she looked in his eyes. But what did they want with him? Why did they have to pick him up when he was ready to die?
Isaac supposed he should have been grateful. After all, they saved his life. But what a life they brought him to. He decided to step out, perhaps to see what the place was all about. There was a closet next to the bed on the other side of the room where he hoped he would find his clothes. The nightshirt he had on was quite comfortable but he needed something warm to brave the winter cold. Isaac opened the closet to find his clothes well stored. No more blood and dust stains on his uniform. He had almost forgotten what it looked like when it was clean. It filled him with a sense of pride but also guilt and shame. He might be tortured by creatures of hell but he still slept in a warm bed by the fire. Every single man in those trenches would’ve gladly switched places with him- braver men.
At the bottom of the closet, he found his shoes and inside them, his pistol tucked carefully away. He remembered he had three bullets left in his pistol but the rifle was nowhere to be found. It was probably left because it was empty. He found himself shaking, his hand nearly dropping the gun as guilt filled his conscience. He remembered the cracking sound of violence as he pulled the trigger and the bloody boy he left in the snow. He snapped out of his daze. Isaac carefully hid his gun behind his belt and put on his shoes. He was going to figure out how to get out of there, one way or the other.
The door was made of mahogany, so heavy; he’d had to put in some extra effort to pull it open. He was impressed by the workmanship behind it; whoever designed the castle sure had an interesting attention to detail. It had taken him a while to notice the tiny engraved patterns in the corners. Whatever was written seemed like a foreign language he had never seen before. Isaac had been taught Polish by his Jewish mother, he also could speak a little Russian and even though it had not been his strongest area of expertise, he could not remember seeing that one. He supposed it was Latin or another lost language.
The hall way was long and seemed to have no end in sight. Isaac stood outside the door for a while wondering if it was a good idea to keep moving.
“Now or never.” He reassured himself while taking the first step into the unknown.
Every step he took resulted in an undying echo as he moved into the dimly lit corridor. On the walls were paintings of different people all as pale as he had seen the women. It was as if they were watching him. At what seemed like the middle of the hall way was a shrine of sorts. A painting surrounded by what seemed like ever-burning candles sat there, below it read: Count Vlad Tepis. Not much detail attached to it but from the golden frame and extra care, Isaac figured he was someone important.
So fascinated was he by the detail in the golden frame that he barely noticed the figures dancing around the darkness. He tried to touch the painting and he saw it move. At least that was what he thought he saw. Isaac froze unaware that someone was watching him. He was too scared to touch the painting again, but he wanted to see whether his eyes were deceiving him.
“You really must not touch that,” came a voice echoing in the corridor. Isaac nearly jumped out of his skin. He saw a dark figure approaching him. His entire being urged him to run yet he could not move a muscle.
“Going somewhere?” asked the voice as the figure emerged into the pale light.
He could now see her clearly and his mind registered her face from his memory- So much for his brilliant escape plan.
“You… I remember you. You were the one who saved me.” He announced in an accusatory tone. She was tall, pale and almost stoic yet she was a woman- or whatever she was. She was a little bit shorter than him and her skin was as pale as moonlight. Her eyes were mesmerizing brownish red, giving him goosebumps when she looked into his soul. She was wearing an off white thin slim gown with a low cut U to expose her ample cleavage her neck and cleavage were adorned in blue and black pearl necklaces of the highest craftsmanship. It was hard for Isaac to ignore the enticing visage of her breasts. Her rich black voluminous hair was wavy all the way down past her chin. She had held her gaze until she finally stopped in front of him.
“Who are you people?” Isaac asked bluntly, trying to sound brave and polite at the same time. She kept her eyes on him as if analyzing what type of answer to give. While her fangs peeped through her deep red lipstick. Her teeth were a little distracting.
“Who do you think we are, Isaac?” she asked just as bluntly calling his bluff of strength. Not once had she blinked since she started to look at him. Isaac’s knees were wobbly but he kept his composure. With no idea where he was, he felt outnumbered. What if he said the wrong thing? Then what?
“I… I just want to go home.” He spit out. Isaac wished he could just go back to where it all began.
“Try again Isaac.” The way she smirked revealing her fangs when his name left her red lips sent chills down his spine. How did she even know his name? He wanted to run and never look back.
“Demons- or you’re Vampires like in the book? You are vampires aren’t you?” he finally found the courage to ask or rather declare.
“You’re no fool. I like that in a man. Now, shall we?” she said leading the way down the almost infinite hallway.
Isaac had choice really. He did what she had said but she knew it was practically a command at this point. Her gown swept the floor behind her while he followed closely. Despite the winter cold, she seemed highly underdressed. He could make out every curve and ridge of her body. She had a woman’s body in every sense of the word; a Venus in the flesh
“You are wondering how it is possible that we exist.” She asked, still leading their precession, rendering him speechless.
There was an awkward silence as they turned the corner into a much darker tunnel. Isaac was trying his best to keep his composure but he could feel something lurking in the darkness. When he looked up, his eyes met the strangest creature. Hanging by the ceiling, its eyes were bloodshot and focused on them. Everything about the place was creepy. The further they walked the more of them he saw. Some casually walking on the ceiling while others; dangling as if they were asleep.
“Those are the strigoi. They do not speak like us but they are definitely not to be trifled with.” her words ladened with caution towards Isaac.
Isaac noticed that they looked like human beings even though they were emaciated and bald. Some he recognized could have been male while others were female. He had no idea how that was even possible.
“And now you are wondering where they came from?” she turned to him startling with her glowing red eyes. It’s as if she could read his mind every time he thought of something.
“I just want to show you the village and what we’re about. Isn’t that why you left the room?” she looked at him pensively as if trying to convince him that she was right. Isaac simply nodded.
The moment they stepped foot outside, Isaac felt like he had been born again. Thank heavens he was wearing his woolen french coat because he would be freezing to death from the icy mountain wind
The pathway outside the castle was lined with snow all the way to the entrance. Isaac wondered if his boots would be heavy enough to protect him from the heap of snow. They took the path walking straight out of the castle gates. When Isaac finally looked back, he was in awe! At the castle entrance were two huge gargoyles curved at the top of the door with red jeweled eyes beaming down at anyone who’d dare approach the gate. The castle itself was grandiose. To him, it seemed unlikely that this was a place well visited by how close the trees had grown to the walls of it.
Isaac was amazed to see the village so close to the gate. From up in the room, he could have sworn it was miles away.
“How did you know my name?” he finally got the courage to ask. He hadn’t read Bram Stoker’s book in years but if it were anything to go off of- he’d never thought of them as mind readers.
“I can read your mind.” She said playfully causing him to stop walking.
“Wait! So this entire time you’ve been reading my mind?” he asked upset for the violation of his privacy. Deep down, he had considered that a possibility but was too in denial.
She had not stopped walking despite the tone in his voice. She seemed to glide over the ice leaving little to no trace of her footprints. It was surreal to behold. The woman in front of him was a creature beyond understanding.
“Relax Isaac. Yes, I can read your mind but that is not how I found out your name. Here, perhaps you should see this.” She pulled out his journal that was secured to the side of her breast in her gown. and he hurried to catch up with her.
“How did you get this?” Isaac was first angered but then embarrassed but that did nothing for her. She wondered why a human would be so concerned about their writings.
“My name is Talya, I found you half dead in the snow and that was in your hand. Would you have me leave you there?” she was expressionless but curious to understand the woman that walked beside her.
He grabbed the journal from her hand and opened it. The last thing he had written in it was his letter to his family. This time Talya stopped walking to study the young man’s expression.
“You read this?” Isaac asked self- consciously. Never before had he felt so invaded even as this woman read his mind. It took him back to when he was inspired to do so. The letter was unfinished however because he had fallen into death’s grip.
“I thought I was dying when I wrote this.” Isaac sighed. Talya said nothing and he assumed she did not understand what he meant. She understood all too well. She might’ve been mortally wounded ever but she could remember the fear and panic of being turned. How the blood of Tepis poisoned her own.
“Why did you save my life Talya? Forgive me for being forward but you are a vampire are you not? Did you save me and give me strength back just to eat me?” he began. Knowing she had gone through his journal, it was useless to hide what he felt around her now, his mind was nude in front of her.
Talya had not been able to block out Isaac’s thoughts from the moment she had found him lying in the snow. She could hear how wild his mind ran in his panic. She was aware of his nightmares and his greatest fears; however, her kind was not one of them yet she found herself with pity and curiosity on his condition.
“Let’s keep walking shall we?” she turned to continue her majestic glide. Pondering her choice to save him had only pushed her further into a rabbit hole of conflicting thoughts.
Isaac was more determined than ever to find out what was going on so he stayed hot on her heels. The village was spread across acres of land.
“This is our principality. Perhaps you will feel a lot better seeing your own kind.” When she spoke, she tried her best to sound kind even though she hadn’t comforted a human in years.
At first, Isaac had pictured a group of unhappy emaciated people but instead, he was met with the opposite.
“Do the Strigoi live with here as well?” he was curious now more than ever. The houses were built by bricks and powered by electricity.
“The Strigoi are like guardians of the castle. They are not like the people.”
Isaac could tell that the people liked Talya by the way they received her. It was as if he was not even standing next to her. There were some people selling vegetables at a makeshift market while others seemed to go about their activities. The moment they spotted Talya, they stopped everything they were doing and bowed for her. It was the strangest thing Isaac had ever seen. Talya had no interest in acknowledging what was happening. Instead she turned to Isaac and said, “I think we’ve had enough of the tour. Shall we go back?” Her words seemed more strained than they should’ve.
Her skin seemed paler than usual and she was gliding a lot slower. Her eyes seemed to be dulled of their red and a more human brown.
“I know you think it’s strange that we have people here.” She would do her damndest to empathize with Isaac but it proved a challenge given her years of inexperience.
For someone who could read minds, she was awfully inaccurate with her deduction. The only thing he was thinking in that moment was how he could escape that unusual place. She could feel his mind jump from option to option of escape. She’d rather not pry and let him believe he could. It’d give his mind focus and give him hope. All humans needed hope; especially this one.
CHAPTER 5
Isaac tried his best to think happy thoughts, lest anyone got into his mind. He found the notion quite disturbing. When they returned to the castle, Talya’s face seemed to go back to normal; well whatever normal meant in her case. He had no intentions of asking her what was wrong in the first place. Already well known to Talya, Isaac had taken his time to scan the vicinity and the path they had taken out of the castle. All he needed was the perfect opportunity and he was out of there. Perhaps if he got close to one of the sisters, he could trick them into trusting him.
Talya seemed friendlier than all the others although he had not seen them around in a while. She had taken the time to give him a tour, even saved his life and kept his journal safe. Although she had made it clear that he could not leave the castle whenever he liked, she had said little about roaming inside it.
Back in his room, he sat staring outside forming the path from which he thought would be best to use. He had to be careful around the sisters now that he knew they could read minds; not very smart of Talya to reveal that information he thought.
He had no idea how long he had been there since he first arrived. Now that he had his journal back, he had been recording. It had been a little over a week since he had gone outside and he was now struggling to keep his sanity. The fear of the unknown as well as the silence began to get to him. He especially wondered why they were keeping him alive.
Talya would often come to sit with him and ask questions of his life. He’d of course oblige but she surely knew the answers before he moved his mouth. It didn’t bother Isaac however. He enjoyed talking with someone to help pass the time. He even started asking Talya about her life and past. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what it was like living for more than 400 years. Talya explained what that did to a person, especially a Vampire’s psychology. But Talya was different, she was kinder than what she insinuated, she was interested in him and the modern human condition.
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“Did you miss us boy?” he heard a familiar hissing voice coming through the walls as the phantoms emerged. He knew he was not crazy the first time. Indeed he had seen some strange things since his near death experience and prolonged stay. Sometimes he truly believed he had already died. Everything that was happening around him made him question the very foundation of his existence.
“You… I’ve seen you before.” He sighed giving way to the ghosts that hovered over his room. He started to recognize them one after the other.
“You’re on the paintings around the castle. Did they kill you? Or have you always been here?” His fear had subsided and he wanted to get to know those around him better s
“You are a smart one. We like them smart.” The voices would not stop. It was hard to figure out which of them was speaking. This time, he wasn’t going to let their mocking get to him.
“You should really leave this place boy. You might not be here for very long.” One of the old ghosts emerged from the lot of them coming down before him. Isaac could not tell which of the ghosts was friendly for they all seemed to take pleasure in torturing him in one way or another.
“What is it you really want from me sir? I just want to go home.” He asked the ghost summoning as much gusto as one can when faced with the dead.
Isaac was still in disbelief even as the ghost floated right in front of him. The rest just seemed to disappear into thin air as if they understood the privacy of the conversation to come.
“My friends call me Lord Frakklin and you are Isaac correct?” he asked reaching his hand out for a greeting however ironical that was. Isaac was not sure what to do with that. By this time Isaac had already come to terms with the fact that everyone in that castle already knew his name.
“Oh, I am sorry about that. I often go too far forgetting that I’m dead,” he chuckled, retreating his ghastly hand. Isaac returned with a small bit of laughter.
“I have been watching you for a while you know. We’ve all been watching you. You see, it is a lot of fun for us ghosts to scare people but now that you do not seem so afraid any more, they left. I’m the only one who does not need to scare you to have a good time.” His words held the tone of lordly confidence.
It was a relief to know that the ghosts were probably gone for good or just wildly bored of him now. Some of them really did give him a good scare. He had spotted one of them take his head off the first time and that still did not sit well with him.
“I know you have been trying to devise a plan to leave this place. I can tell you this; your plan is near to impossible without any help.” The ghost of Lord Frakklin said.
“Can you help me? I will forever be grateful Mr. Frakklin. I have a family who are depending on me to go back home. My mother…. She can take the loss of one son but both… She would not survive it. My sister… she needs me…” Isaac could not stop mentioning those he was beholden to.
Lord Frakklin nodded and looked at the boy with concern in his eyes. It was unlike him to befriend anyone, especially a human marked for death. He knew better than to do so, especially if they belonged to one of the sisters.
“Listen Isaac, I would be more than glad to help but that is not my job unfortunately.” His words ting Isaac as the ghost turned to pace. Isaac found it odd seeing no legs but he could hear the faint echo of boots on the stone.
Isaac wanted to leave; not because he had any idea what lay ahead for him but because he needed to see his family. He had to keep trying, he hadn’t survived all this just to die. In a way, he was glad Talya had found him. He did not think he could stomach another second of that God-forsaken war.
“Let me tell you a story instead. That will help you put things into perspective a little bit.” Lord Frakklin went to sit on one of the lavish chamber chairs It was the funniest thing Isaac had seen all day causing him to snicker. Lord Frakklin shot him a dirty look causing Isaac to stop.
“Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who had a vision to unite all her people. You see at the time, she had seen all the world’s worst occurrences of war. At the time, her people had lost all hope and had started to abandon their homes. The young lady was born of a family of five children, four of whom were men. Life was hard for women then especially for her. It was hard enough to fight for a voice but she also had to fight for her position in her family. The best thing she could have done for her family was to find a suitable husband while the boys took all the respect in the household and on the battlefield. Born of a family of warriors, and a ruthless father, she had to prove to her family that she could be just as good. She saw how her father took pride in his sons and she envied them. All she ever wanted to do was to please her father, nothing else mattered. Her father only saw value in those who could produce value to him. To say it bluntly, Isaac, she did not think any of her brothers held a torch to her. She was smarter than all of them combined but she could never be as strong according to the people of the time. The strength of a man was measured by his ability to further his generation as well as defend his family’s honour. A man was judged by his physical ability and she was no match against that. Even when she managed to prove to her father to be a great financial advisor, he either ignored her counsel or took credit when it worked. The girl remained firm in her determination to remain a force to be reckoned with even when no one saw it. Her experiences made her ruthless in every decision she made in her life and she waited. For years, she watched her brothers receive praise for the mere fact that they had a ‘manhood’ between their legs. She practiced for years until she could finally prove to the rest of her family that she was worthy of the battlefield. Her father would start to respect her when her brothers began to die in battle one after the another until it was just her left. She could not have been happier; after all that, she had been the one who was worthy. She fought side by side with her father until times began to change. It was the dawn of a new kind and her family would not be left behind. As powerful forces took over their lands, they welcomed the Satanic power with open arms to create a world that was meant to exist forever in the night. But even forever has its ups and downs. Their immortal leader began to show weakness and some of the followers lost hope including her father, Codrin. Once again they disagreed causing a rift between father and daughter. The woman stood her ground by this time strong enough to stand on her own. She did not need her father’s approval any longer. If he could not respect her to date, he never would. She stayed back with her people and remained loyal to them until nature began to take its course. She would soon start to learn that no matter how long you lived, you could not control the way of the universe. Natural calamities caused her people to die while others fled in search of greener pastures. It took her a while to find a way but she found the key to uniting all her people. She travelled far and wide in search of the perfect lands to execute her plan until she finally found it. In the heart of the mountains, she found a small village that would make the perfect location to plant the seeds of her principality. All that was left to do was find the strongest females of her kind and convince them to unite their people by relocating to ‘paradise’. It was easier than she thought following the recent drought that had hit the region. With the power of three, she created a haven hidden from the world where they would rule for eternity. Anyone who came into the village would belong to them forever. This is Olivia’s vision. Olivia Varyska daughter of the warlord Codrin Varyska, Sworn to the Order of the Dragon, by transitive properties, sworn to Count Dragulia, also known as Lord Vlad Tepis, third of his name.”
By the time Lord Frakklin was done, Isaac knew he had to leave. He was just now realizing that he was in grave danger and he could only save himself from these hell spawn. This was a perverted Garden.
He finally got the courage to leave his room once again after careful consideration. No one had come to see him in a while; not even Talya. Perhaps there was no one in the castle. They’d have surely made an excursion to eat some people. He decided to check it out for himself. Isaac carefully opened up the door and walked out. Using the same path, he studied the corridors once again, this time focusing on the Strigoi. As he walked down the dark hallway, he looked up and spotted the vile creatures. They seemed to be asleep so he creeped through the hallway quietly. He wondered what was in the rooms he passed. Nothing was more important than his escape mission but curiosity got the better part of him.
He opened the door and saw another path that was almost identical to the one he was on. This castle was like a maze. At the far end of the room was a large slightly open door that stood out from the rest. He had no idea why by he felt compelled to go to it. He feared someone would see him yet he kept walking towards it. Maybe he would find a weapon of some sort in there. He could hear something move but he was not sure what. As he got to the entrance; he tilted his head to peep inside.
He could see all three vampires one was standing, it was Talya, and they seemed to be doing something. He moved closer trying to listen in on what they were talking about when he heard slurping noises. When Talya moved away, he saw what they were doing. There was a sofa where Olivia and Mila were sitting between them was another person; a woman who seemed limp and incoherent. Olivia was holding on to her neck as Mila’s fangs found her flesh and pierced into it. With one jerk, she pulled away savoring the taste of her thick blood. It was Olivia’s turn to feed. Her fangs glistened as her eyes scanned for another spot on the poor girls neck. Olivia bit the young woman ravenously like a lion with its prey violently tearing her skin open. The helpless girl shuddered in her arms as Olivia drew mouthful after mouthful of blood into her fanged maw. Isaac watched aghast as the victim moaned in pain and confusion until she stopped moving. With that they were done with her, licking the blood off their fingers and fangs.
It was as if Isaac was stuck there, unable to stop watching. How was this gore sensual? He’d seen violence and blood and it nauseated him and filled him with terror but this- this was different. Too scared and intrigued to move he waited to see what they would do next. Olivia let the girl’s head fall to the seat that was stained in blood. She reached out for Mila and Talya’s hand as they stood up staring into each other’s eyes in delight.
With husky breath, Olivia wrapped her slender fingers around Mila’s neck licking the blood off her lips and biting her lips playfully a. Mila was dressed in a fluffy white gown that resembled the snow which was now a little stained from her messy eating. Her stormy blue eyes matched the winter sky and her nails were shorter than Olivia’s black claws; resembling those of a human’s a little bit more.
Talya joined in grabbing Mila’s waist from behind. Talya’s fingers sinking into her supple flesh so deliciously. Olivia slowly ran her long tongue down the trail of blood on Mila’s throat loving the taste of it. Olivia’s unnaturally long tongue wiggly and writhing. Mila was helplessly lost in the domination moaning softly. She stuck her tongue out tasting the blood off Olivia’s lips and cheek. Talya slowly ubuttoned Mila’s dress one button after the other as Mila and Olivia broke into a passionate kiss. Isaac could see some marks on Mila’s back healed but clearly visible as her dress fell from her chest revealing her small perky breasts. It had been almost a year since Isaac saw a bare woman let alone three! It was the most unnatural thing he had seen yet he was faced with a dilemma to run or stay and watch.
Despite their undead nature and Satanic nature, they were still the most gorgeous women he’d ever seen. Mila’s waist was tiny just like the rest of her features which portrayed innocence in the arms of the two others. Still they were stone cold killers with a corpse right next to them! Isaac didn’t know whether to be terrified, turned on, or both. He continued to watch holding his breath as Talya began to caress Mila’s breasts gently. Mila’s mouth was filled with Olivia’s tongue muffling her soft moans as she draped her arms back to grab on to Talya’s delicious rump. Talya began to work her lips and tongue in Mila’s neck. Olivia ripped off the rest of the dress that rested on Mila’s hips allowing it to fall to her feet and rendered her completely nude.
“Use me sisters…” she begged as Olivia took her breasts in her palms and squeezed them. Mila’s moans grew louder as Talya spread her legs from behind with such force.
“You’re so submissive,” Talya confessed, breaking the ministrations she was making upon Mila’s neck. Talya pushed Mila’s arms away and those same arms found themselves now wrapped around Olivia. Talya began rubbing and kissing down Mila’s back lightly before getting on her knees. Olivia broke her ravenous assault on Mila’s mouth and moved on to her nipples giving each equal attention while Talya’s lips traced Mila’s pale supple rear. Mila got goosebumps at all the gentle attention mixed with anticipation of what was to come next.
Isaac felt like he was stuck in a spell; lately nothing he was seeing made any sense. He pinched himself to make sure he was not dreaming then turned to see if anyone was watching him- watching them. Olivia sucked vigorously on Mila’s pink nipples making them hard and sensitive. Mila tilted her head back and let out a soft desperate moan as her fangs bit her lower lip. Talya tongue extended unnaturally as well disappeared into Mila’s crack causing her to groan as her left hand ran through Talya’s hair pulling her further into her depths s
“Yes! Please lick me like that. I love feeling your tongue deep in me.” She called out. Isaac was spellbound holding on to the wall to keep him from falling over in shock behind the door. He stopped watching for a second trying to convince himself to leave but he wanted to see more. It had been so long since he’d been with a woman. He felt his manhood strain in his trousers and beginning to grow as Mila called out Talya’s name. Olivia sucked harder on her nipples while Talya held Mila’s hands back sucking and licking her from behind. He would have preferred a better angle but he would take what he got. He felt so dirty and wrong. What was wrong with him. He had no better chance than now to escape!
“You like that?” asked Olivia coming back up to kiss her. Talya’s was moving up and down over and over again causing Mila to cry helplessly with pleasure. Isaac was startled feeling the full length of his manhood in his now impossibly tight pants.
Mila was helpless in the hands of her sisters who were now watching her with mefaeious smiles. Olivia and Talya helped each other unbutton their gowns revealing their naked pale bodies. Isaac was hypnotized by Talya’s body. She had a softer glow in her skin that blended into her beautiful round breasts. Her wavy black hair rested gracefully and framed her face excellently. She had a tiny bush covering her womanhood making her even more mysterious. She got on top of the sofa shoving the corpse aside and spread her legs. Isaac mouth watered when he finally got a glimpse of her glistening sex. He had lost all his senses, watching quietly as Olivia’s hands ran against Talya’s skin stroking her thighs and then moved in towards her wet pussy. Now that she was sitting on the sofa, Isaac had the perfect view!
Isaac wondered whether they did this sort of thing often. He had never seen women pleasing each other before. In fact, he was not quite sure he knew how to pleasure a woman this way. Mila came up on the other side and started to lick her nipples while Olivia got down to her knees. Isaac felt like his cock was going to explode. He could see the anticipation in Talya’s dark red-brown eyes as she waited for Olivia’s next move. She mouthed for her to taste her and Isaac lost his mind shuddering at how delicious Talya must taste.
He could tell she felt every inch of pleasure as Olivia began to suck and lick on her wet cunt. She probably had a taste and musk unrivaled by any human woman ever, Isaac thought. The view of Olivia’s wet pussy from behind as she continued to please Talya sent him mad with envy. Isaac desired so much to kneel behind her and push his hardness into her wet welcoming hole. Wondering what Olivia was doing to her at that moment and started to wish it was him liking Talya’s cunt instead of fucking Olivia. If only he could join them; have them use him however they pleased. Honestly, he would not mind at all. Isaac could not take the confines of his trousers any longer. Mila was stroking her pussy as her tongue made circles on Talya’s juicy breasts. Talya groaned in ecstasy begging for more as she moved her hips to the rhythm of Olivia’sperfect licking. Mila stopped pleasing Talya and got on her knees crawling towards Olivia from the back. Mila got on all fours spreading Olivia open and began to lick her pussy from behind. It was an unusual sight! He never thought of women doing this act let alone this beautifully. In fact, he loved how she bent down lower allowing her access to the most forbidden part of her body. They were all moaning now and thrusting and grinding making his dick throb into almost pain. He had to go before he found himself joining in. As hard as it was, he snapped back to reality, creeping away as Talya’s moans echoed down the long corridors as if specifically to call out for Isaac’s hard cock.
All he could think about was her voluptuous hips and breasts. He longed to taste every inch of her and it made him feel guilty. She was a vampire; a creature of the night. Even though he had lost his faith in God, surely even he would not approve. Somehow, a part of him still cared about God and the love he held for his people.
Soon, he was back on the path that would lead him out of the castle. To his luck, the Strigoi were still fast asleep. Just a few steps and he would be home free.
He finally got to the exit where he started to see the sunlight. Isaac began to run as fast as he could afraid to look back until he finally felt the wind in his face. The minute he smelled the fresh air, everything else did not matter. All he knew was that he did not belong there. When he got to the gate, he pulled it open turning around to see the castle one last time then ran into the village.
CHAPTER 6
Isaac still dwelled on the strange tale the old ghost had shared. The afternoon was colder than usual and he had no idea where he was going. His uniform made him stand out from the rest of the people in the village but so far he hoped they had all been too busy to notice him. He had been hiding behind stables and homes to avoid being spotted. He knew he would have to change eventually if he wanted to blend in and bide his time to get materials and get out.
The people in the village behaved strangely as Isaac observed them. Despite the fact that he was desperately trying to hide, it was clear that no one even dared to look up at him, a detail he missed on his last venture out with Talya. It was as if they were all stuck in a trance. Isaac didn’t know who to trust so he took his chances. There was a large building where he saw people walking into. He was hiding behind a barn contemplating on his next move when he peeped inside. From the looks of it, it seemed like some place of worship. It was an interesting detail to have a church in the town despite the Vampires holding them hostage clearly being of Satanic origin. He hoped the leader there would at least understand his plight and help him.
Isaac grabbed a woolen robe hanging from one of the display sections of a clothing stall carefully so as not to be seen and covered it over his jacket. His boots were a little conspicuous so he took them off and dumped them behind a heap of snow. He was only wearing socks that were doing little to cover him from the snow on the ground. That had to be the only way he could pull off the look of a homeless person. The ground was icy cold but he took every brave step towards the church. It was easy to blend in with the crowd afterwards.
For a small village like that, the building was awfully huge. It was not surprising though, Christians did take a lot of pride in their places of worship for his experience. Somehow he failed to spot the pentagram engraved in the door knob when he walked through the mahogany doors. The room was separated into two columns of benches where either person could sit. Isaac chose a hidden spot at the back on the right side of the church. He thought it best just in case someone spotted him and he had to make a run for it. His socks felt wet now that he was warming up and he wanted to remove them but stayed put. People kept pouring in till he could hardly see the entrance. How could he leave now? There was a woman next to him holding a black book held tightly in her hand. Everyone had one apart from him. He must have been the only one in a church without a Bible.
In his attempt to blend in, he tried to move a little closer so he could share her Bible. She did not even seem to notice his closeness. As everyone in the room settled down, he turned one last time to check the blocked entrance. The place was packed to the brim! Majority of the congregation was standing and he felt a little embarrassed because he did not belong there.
“Excuse me, do you mind sharing that?” he got the courage to ask. The lady turned around robotically to face him as if not quite understanding what he had said.
“The Dark Lord asks only for your devotion. He asks for only your undying loyalty. He requires you to carry the scripture whenever you enter his house and you carry his word in your heart wherever you may go.” She had a kind voice despite her cold answer and she wore the warmest of smiles.