Velika

It’s been a while since I’ve written something short enough to post. Most of what I’ve been working on has been on much longer stories that are not quite finished. The other night though a friend came to me asking about a race relating to Dungeons and Dragons. So, I created a character to play with it, and I answered their questions. The next day however, my head was filled with ideas for this character’s backstory. This is what I ended up with…

Life is never what people expect it to be. For example, a perfectly sunny day with a bright blue sky, and slowly passing, puffy white clouds are sure to be good days. Days filled with fun and laughter. Bad things only happen on cold, grey, drizzly days. Even then, it’s only when walking through an ominously dark forest alone.

I wasn’t in a forest. I was nowhere near a forest. I was in a large grassy meadow, wildflowers here and there, having sprouted without a care. It was perfect. The sun was shining. The sky was a gorgeous blue, and the white clouds were the puffiest I’d ever seen.

This was the day I would ask Lucy to marry me. I checked my pocket once more to make sure the ring was still there. A nervous habit I’d had all day. This would be the first day of the rest of our lives. It was perfect. Did I mention that already? It bears mentioning again. The day was perfect. Everything was set, I looked at my watch a few minutes before eleven in the morning. She would be here soon. Lucy. My Lucy.

She had the brightest of blue eyes. Her long hair as red as cherries, was always in a single braid over her shoulder. A single lock of hair always fell over her right eye. It was seductive, yet she was so innocent. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, popping out from her smooth pale skin. Lucy always wore sleeves. She also had a fancy umbrella, I think she called it a parasol, that she used to keep the light from touching her skin. She was a dream. The only girl for me.

Right at eleven, my Lucy showed up, beautiful as ever in a green, lacy long-sleeved dress. Her fancy white umbrella resting on her shoulder. I met her at the edge of the blanket taking the free hand she offered. I wanted to kiss her, but I resisted. She wanted our first kiss to be special. It should mean something. It was what she had said that first day we met. That was a month ago. Today would be that special day.

I gently led her to the spot on the blanket where we would sit. She smiled at me. A beautiful smile that shown on her entire face. It was hypnotizing. I was so captivated I almost forgot the reason we were there. I motioned for her to sit, and helped her as she obliged my request. I sat next to her and we started to eat. Meat first. We always started our meal with meat.

We chatted the entire time. We chatted about everything, and nothing. It was perfect. As we finished the first dish, I found I couldn’t not wait any longer. I turned to her, and looked into those blue eyes. They were so bright they were glowing. “I love you.” I said the words with as much feeling as I could as I pulled the ring from my pocket. “Will you be my wife?” I was proud of myself as I presented the ring. I asked without any hesitation or stuttering. Again, it was perfect.

She smiled at me. Smiled showing her teeth. They almost sparkled in the brightness of the sun, but her canines were longer than normal. I hardly thought about it though as she spoke. “I thought you would never ask.” Her voice was seductive. It drew me in. My desire for her growing, as she leaned in to kiss me. Our first kiss. The one I had anticipated for so long. I closed my eyes waiting to feel her lips on mine. That was when I felt a tiny prick, not on my lips, but on my neck. Adrenaline flowed through my body in anticipation, though I knew not what for.

“This will hurt.” A voice sounded in my head a second before the prick turned into a piercing pain. Two sharp, small objects pierced my skin where my neck met my shoulder. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. After a second it started to feel pleasurable, I barely comprehended that I could feel a liquid being injected into my blood stream. Then there was a pain of the needle like objects in my skin being ripped away. It was so intense, I blacked out.

When I woke, I found myself in in a dark room. It didn’t even seem weird to me that I could see in the dark. I couldn’t before, but something a nagging in the back of my brain told me I had. I was giving thought to getting out of the bed when the door opened and someone walked in. Something about him was familiar, but I didn’t know what.

“Good, your awake.” His voice had been filled with relief. Did I know him? He must have been able to see my confusion because he continued. “You’ve been out for 8 days. You had a fever we couldn’t control. It’s a miracle it didn’t take you.”

He’d said we; did that mean there were others? If so, where were they? Where was I? They were all questions I wanted to ask, but nothing passed my lips. He checked me over, then walked to the door. “I’m Liam, by the way.” He spoke as he opened the door. Then quickly left shutting it behind him. I heard a faint click. I wasn’t going anywhere.

 It was three days later when he’d once again come in to check on me that Liam said anything. “We weren’t quick enough.” He then cursed. I was surprised to find I knew the language, because it wasn’t in the common tongue. Liam must have noticed my confusion, because he sighed.

“Lucy, she’s not what you thought.” I stared at him. How could she have not been what I thought? “Lucy is, was a vampire. She had entered the town in the middle of the night. It was suspicious so we were watching her. I… We, never expected you to propose.”

“What do you mean vampire? Those are only in fairytales.”

“No, my dear br… boy” His choice of words intrigued me. Had he been ready to call me brother? “Vampires are very much real, and more ruthless than any fairytale humans could come up with.”

Humans? The way he had said the word made it seem like there were other sentient beings. There couldn’t be. There was something in the back of my mind. It felt like an itch I couldn’t scratch. A memory maybe that couldn’t be pulled forward. I tried pushing it aside so I could listen to the rest of what Liam was saying.

“This Lucy, she was powerful. More so that we assumed. Usually, it takes a minute after they start to feed before they inject the poor person with a liquid that turns them. We pulled her off of you seconds after she bit you, but the injection of liquid had already started. You didn’t get a full dose, but…” Liam’s words trailed off. It seemed he couldn’t bring himself to finish, like it was painful for him.

I had noticed his words trail off, but my mind was swirling with everything Liam had told me. As his words swirled in my head memories came back. Memories of Lucy and me. Every memory, it was easy to see now. Now that I knew Vampires existed. She avoided the sun, took precautions. She always ate meat, but the rarest she could get. Though now, looking back I realized she never actually ate the meat. She’d only ever sucked out the blood. “How could I have not noticed that?”

“You were charmed,” Liam answered the question I hadn’t realized I said out loud.

“But how…?”

“Her looks, her eyes,” Liam interrupted what I was trying to ask, not that it mattered because I didn’t have the words. “You look into her eyes and she could get you to do anything she wanted you too; including stab yourself.”

“But…” I wasn’t sure what to ask at that point. I sat there dumbfounded. I always knew love could be blind, but this was something else. We sat in silence for a minute before I remembered what Liam had been saying before.

“You said I didn’t get a full dose. What does that mean?” Liam frowned. I could tell he didn’t want to answer, and I could see how he chewed his lip. He was nervous. Why was he nervous?

“It means you’re no longer… human, but you’re not fully turned.” I stared at him. He had hesitated when he’d said human. I wanted to ask, but I could see he had more to say. “You’re what we call Dhampir.”

“And that means?”

Liam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, for starters, you don’t have to breath.”  As Liam spoke, I realized I hadn’t drawn a breath since I had awoken. It was like I was in a constant state of holding my breath, but without the struggle of needing to draw a breath. “You might be able to climb walls as a spider would. Common trait, but sometimes lacking in those who don’t get enough of the liquid injection. You will also start having an insatiable thirst for blood, as that is what Lucy fed off of.” Liam paused looking me over. “Other than that, you’re perfectly normal, well, you can grow fangs too when threatened.”

“N… normal?” I stuttered. “How is any of this normal?” Liam nodded. Why did he just nod? That wasn’t an answer, but he also looked, what was it. He looked remorseful, no that wasn’t it, or was it. I couldn’t tell.

“In your realm it’s not normal, that’s true, but where you’ll be going… you’ll be more normal than most.”

“Where I’m going?”  I asked still trying to discern the look in Liam’s eye. It was something I couldn’t place.

“Yes,” Liam nodded once more. “I will take you to our…” he paused giving his head a shake. “I will take you to my home real. I will help you adjust.” I opened my mouth to argue, or question. I’m not sure which. He had started saying one thing, but then said something else. Was he going to say our realm? I didn’t even know what realms were. I only got as far as opening my mouth when Liam took my hand.

That’s the last thing I remember before I started dreaming. I was in a restaurant. A fancy one. Much fancier than I could afford, and I was dressed in a suit. Oh, I didn’t like this. I always hated suits, and I pulled against the shirt collar hoping to loosen it. The action didn’t work. A figure approached as I tried to get more comfortable. His skin was black, the eyes were pale, hair somewhere between grey and silver flowed behind him, and a mask covered the top half of his face. I had no idea who this strange figure was as he sat with me.

“This is not how things were supposed to go. I had other plans for you, butu what is done is done. I can’t fix it, but I can offer you a gift. It won’t always be helpful, not at first. Maybe in time you may be able to control or even use it to your advantage.”

“And what do I have to do to receive this, gift?” I spit out the word gift. I didn’t like the sound of what the man was proposing. It sounded ominous.

“All you have to do is be available when I call on you.” It seemed too good to be true, but studying the man, I could tell he was being truthful. Did it really matter though? Did anything matter?

“Fine, I accept. Do I sign a contract or something?”

The figure grinned and held out his hand. “A handshake will do.”

I reached, my hand grasping his. A pulse went through me, shocking me. I found myself opening my eyes. I was once again in a dark room, but this was different. It was different. It was bigger, much bigger, and I was looking at it through a bed canopy. The bed, the bed was bigger, much bigger than the last one.

Looking around the room again I noticed a couple more things. There were clothes, hanging on the door of an armoire along with a cloak draped over nearby chair. It was almost as if they had been picked out specifically to be worn this day. I also noticed a crest painted on the wall. I could only assume it was that of the family who lived here, but what kind of family was it? IT was done in purples and blues. There was an image of a man with dark skin in a mask crushing a spider beneath his foot. Something about it seemed familiar.

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts. “Come in.” I said the words loudly to make sure I was heard. A man dressed in robes walked in. No, not a man, an elf. “Drow.” I whispered the word to myself as it came to me. How did I know this word?

“Morning brother.” The one walking into my room spoke. “Do you remember anything yet?”

“I…” I looked down at my skin. It was black like his. Reaching my hands to my ears I could tell they were pointed. I was an elf. So, then, was the rest a dream? I didn’t understand. “What should I remember?”

“Me, for one.” I shook my head. The male elf in my room sighed. “Like this then?” I watched him as he performed some magic. Illusion magic. The male elf in front of me now looked like a human. The human who had been there.

“Liam?” The male elf nodded. “But you were… I was… I only remember being human.”

The man I now knew as Liam dropped the illusion. “It was how mother wanted it. The one immersing in the human culture couldn’t have any recollection of being Drow. Mother knew there was a chance of memory loss happening. It’s why you volunteered big brother. You were protecting the rest of us.”

“But, Lucy, the vampire.”

Liam bowed his head. “That was my fault. I knew what she was. I should have aborted the mission, but…” Liam bit his bottom lip. “I thought I could be a better judge on timing. I failed you brother, I am sorry.”

“So, then, I… I…” As my words trailed off, I realized I hadn’t taken any breaths the entire time I had been awake. Liam was nodding with his head bowed.

“Mother would like to see you. She said, He spoke to you.”

I nodded. I didn’t know who my mother was, but I knew the ‘He’ Liam spoke of. It was the man from my dreams. The man on the family crest, my family’s crest. I got out of bed and went to the amoire where the clothes were hung. They were just regular clothes, a set of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Then there was the cloak over the chair. I studied it before I put it on. The family crest was emblazoned on the left breast. I also realized that the cloak was what my kind called a piwafwi. Are they still my kind? The thought crossed my mind as I donned the piwafwi. I could sense the magic attached it.

It was then I noticed my brother looking at me, his eyes wide. He was pointing at something behind me. I turned, but didn’t see anything. I looked back at my brother confused.

“The shadow… your shadow, it… it is holding a weapon. I thought…”

Liam’s words trailed off as I looked at my shadow. Sure enough, it held a weapon. I moved and it followed as a shadow would. The only difference was, I wasn’t actually holding a weapon. It was weird, sure, but maybe it was a Dhampir thing. I shrugged at Liam, telling him to take me to our mother. He obediently obliged my request.

I walked quietly behind him, as he led me to our mother’s chambers. The walk brought back pieces of memories, but not enough to make sense. Liam knocked on the chamber door when we arrived, then led me inside once we had permission to enter.

“Vierthrae as you requested.”

“Thank you, Liam. Now leave us.” The woman before me spoke with such authority and waived Liam away as if he were nothing more than a fly. I said nothing though, instead turned the name my brother had said over in my mind several times. Vierthrae didn’t sound bad, but I wasn’t sure if I liked it. I looked up at my mother, though made sure not to meet her gaze. Something told me it would be bad if I did. She seemed to appreciate that because I did see her smile at me. “He said your memories would slowly return. You’ve managed to remember your place.”

I bowed my head. “Yes mother. We may not be as other Drow, but the women of the house are still to be respected.” I had no idea where the words came from, but I could tell they pleased my mother. Then my mother sighed. I wanted to ask why, but knew it was better to be quiet. So, quiet I was. The silence lasted for a couple minutes before mother broke it.

“You would have made a good King to our people,” she paused, clenching her fists, “but that bumbling brother of yours…” her words trailed off and I risked her wrath.

“It’s not his fault mother. It is mine. I did not take into account all the possibilities.”

“Always protecting your siblings.”

“They need a lot of protecting.” Mother laughed at that. It was always a good sign if I could make her laugh. Usually meant we avoided punishment.

My mother sighed. “He gave you a good gift.” She pointed at my shadow. “It has been pointing that weapon at me the entire time.”

I looked at my shadow. Studied it. IT was going to take a while to get used to it. “Why would He give me such a gift?”

“It was the only one he could give for your efforts. Despite what happened to you, the rest of His will was accomplished.”

“I am pleased.”

“As am I, my son. Though we now must give you a new name, as you are no longer Drow.”

“I look Drow.”

“Yes, my son, because He was able to accomplish it, that is now why you are to be His servant when He has need.”

I nodded my head. It was not how the deal had been described to me, but then again, the masked man could do as he pleased. “What shall I be called then?”

“From this day forward, you shall be known as Velika. You will still be apart of the royal family, but you are no longer the crown prince.”

“Understood mother.” I bowed my head.

My mother then did something she had never done before. She hugged me. It was a long awkward embrace, but when it ended, she forced me to look into her eyes. It was rare to happen. It usually meant trouble. I braced for the worst, but as I looked, I saw tears in her eyes. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. The situation was new and I didn’t want to offend.

“You did our family proud, and even in this form I am sure you will continue to do so.” She then released my face and I immediately bowed my head.

“I will not let you down, mother. Thank you.” I knew the honor she had just bestowed upon me. No one, not even the other females of the house saw the mother of the house cry. She then dismissed me as she had Liam. Couldn’t show favoritism.

…

The name Velika has grown on me the past few years. I don’t even miss my Drow given name. Being an actual living breathing Drow feels like a lifetime ago, though everyone still thinks I am Drow. Even after they notice my shadow. They just think I’m a cursed Drow. I let them think that. Especially my enemies. It lets me get close. My shadow stuns them. Then my hunger can be satiated. I never thought blood would taste so good. The first taste, the first time I gave into the thirst turned out to be dangerous. I couldn’t stop. Liam had to knock me out before I attacked members of our own army.

Tonight though, I’m on my own. He came to me in a dream last night. Told me about a Spider Queen led surface raid. Of course, He had not meant the actual Spider Queen, this raid had her favor, meaning it would succeed should it be left alone. He did not wish for it to succeed, so I was to disrupt it. It wasn’t the first raid He had asked me to disrupt, but it was the first one where I had been given permission to end as many as I could.

The priestess of course was my main priority, as with any raid I disrupted. However, this time, the entire party was female. He wished for them all to be gone. He did not regard females as being worthy. The exception was my mother. He liked her. She had done something that pleased him. It was why our house was different.

Getting rid of all the females in the raiding party was a tall order for me to fulfill on my own. He knew this and He said He would be satisfied with whatever I could get. I smiled to myself as I waited in my shroud of darkness. I would not fail. I would please my master.

They started to come through the crevice one by one. Before they could reform into their bodies, my shadow had reached out, putting the dagger where their heart would be. They would reform, heart around the dagger. A quick twist, and they were dead. I would move the body in time for my shadow to start its next attack.

We were quite the pair, my shadow and I. We killed each one of those females, including the high priestess. We didn’t submit her to the blade however. We stunned her instead. Then, I feasted on her blood. She awoke part way through, panic at having me on top of her. I’d had enough though to make her weak. She could not fight me. I continued to drink from her until no more blood flowed. It was a painful process to die this way, and I drug it out as long as I could. I wanted to enjoy her. He had promised she’d be the best I had tasted and He had been right. Nothing I’d had so far could compare.

I went home, no one the wiser as to what I had done. That was for the best. I technically was not a part of the house. I wasn’t Drow. The Spider Queen had no qualms with my mother’s house. We didn’t go to the Underdark, so the Underdark let us be. Dhampirs however were not safe from her wrath, especially in our area. It’s a good thing I look Drow. I’m sure one day the Spider Queen will figure it out, and when she does, we will be ready. He will tell us when it comes and we will be able to take her. I fell asleep this morning dreaming of what Queen Drider blood would taste like.