by Gloria Dark
“Looks like we have a winner!” Lotteline cheered.
Before Kastian managed to place the bird into Lotteline’s hands, the rain suddenly stopped. The forest became absolutely silent. The cat-like creatures dissolved the shield, looking around with their alerted eyes, their ears twitched, trying to catch the suspicious silence.
Lotteline smiled, expecting the attack.
Suddenly, a soft breeze moved through the sleeping trees, and a tiny drop of water landed on Lotteline’s forehead. When she looked up, Eden hung upside-down on his translucent energy platform, mirroring the ground. More drops slid down the boy’s long hair.
“I’ll count to three before I go after your servants!” Eden announced, eyeing the cat-like creatures. “One…”
“Run!” Lotteline ordered, dismissing her servants. They obeyed without saying a word.
“Two…” Eden created another type of energy - a golden ribbon similar to Leticia’s - to twirl around Lotteline’s body so that she couldn’t move. “Three!”
Eden dashed after the cats, disappearing back into the woods.
“What is he doing?” Kastian’s eyes widened.
“Winning.” Lotteline freed herself from the golden ribbons, “Now run! I’ll see you later!”
“Why do you think he will hunt us now?” Kastian asked.
“Because I know him!” Lotteline replied before bolting to another direction, trying her best not to get caught.
Before she knew it, Eden had already landed in front of her, smiling mischievously. There were two leather necklaces in his hands, both belonging to Lotteline’s servants.
“Here’s your trophy!” Eden pretended to hand her the chokers, but when Lotteline reached her hand to get them, Eden caught it instead, digging his fangs into her wrist without warning.
Lotteline didn’t resist, her lips bloomed with a smile of unconditional love.
Eden tasted the sweet blood, allowing it to heal his wounds while his mind drowned into Lotteline’s subconsciousness. The images in her mind were abstract at first, drawing a silhouette of a glowing tree inside dark purple space. It represented the fon Vorigan family, where a dark flower bloomed on different branches once in a while. The same flower appeared and withered, then blossomed on a higher branch as all over again. It was how Lotteline saw Eden Gracious as a part of fon Vorigans.
Each next drop of blood took Eden deeper into the artistic wonderland, allowing him to step inside Lotteline’s most precious memories.
***
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone upon the castle. Lotteline and Loren played outside in the garden, the day before their sixth birthday.
Both girls, dressed as princesses, pretended to have a tea party. Loren’s long black hair was braided elegantly, but Lotteline had it flowing freely over her shoulders. The silky strands were her pride.
While Lotteline laid a picnic blanket on the grass and prepared toy teacups and an empty pot, Loren had dressed their cat-like servants into girly dresses. Both cats were only young boys, seeming uncomfortable to wear skirts.
“You’ll be Anna,” Loren pointed at one of the boys, then at the other one, “and you’ll be… Ella!”
“Loren, you can’t do this!” Lotteline puffed her round cheeks, unimpressed about the servants being dressed up, “They’re boys! Can’t you see they don’t feel comfortable?”
“Lotte, I can do whatever I want! I’m the princess, you’re the princess. They are nobody! They do what I tell them to do!” Loren crossed her hands over her chest, expressing apparent anger.
“Well, there are two of them! One of them belongs to me, and he doesn’t have to wear anything if he doesn’t feel comfortable!” Lotteline replied.
Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared on the red blanket, forming a black vortex. As if somebody had opened the gate to the Underworld, a large hand appeared out of the swirling portal. Long and sharp fingernails scratched their way out of the vortex, followed by another silhouette. The ugly looking demons just kept coming out, surrounding both girls as if they were their food.
“Call the master!” Lotteline ordered to the servants, and they ran away immediately, turning into cats.
Their sharp teeth flashed behind the crooked smiles, their void eyes seemed empty of life while the bodies moved, making terrifying sounds. One of the demons swept Loren off her feet and lifted her up to hang upside-down. Another demon grabbed Lotteline by her lengthy hair, lifting her in the air.
“Leave my sister alone, you ugly freaks!” Lotteline tried to fight back, kicking and yelling.
Loren was too scared to make a sound. She hid her face under her palms, crying and fearing to be eaten.
“Let her go!” Lotteline tried to kick the demon’s face.
“Aren’t you scared of us, little girl?” one of the demons asked, his voice sounding like three at once.
“No!” Lotteline spat in his face.
“That’s not very ladylike!” the demon swooshed his sharp nails through Lotteline’s stomach, injuring the vampire girl severely.
The demons licked their chipped lips, smelling the air filled with fear. They didn’t come for blood or flesh, their strength grew by feeding on fright and panic.
“Let her go!” Lotteline kicked once more, feeling her strength fade and vision blur.
Suddenly, a tall shadow appeared from afar, bolting towards the demons with incredible speed. It was a tall pureblood with flawless skin radiating youth through its pale glimmer. Long hair moved in the air like black snakes, ready to whip anyone who dares to come near him. His purple-pink eyes tamed godly power, glaring mercilessly at the demonic beasts before destroying some of their smiles with his graceful fingers daggering through their demon hearts.
“Morcie!” the man said, placing his hands over his chest. A black violin with moving symbols appeared out of a golden light that left his chest.
The mysterious pureblood started playing a melody, the same one that had whistled through Eden’s mind many times. The song made demons dance against tier will.
“Disappear from my eyes before I destroy you!” the hypnotic voice demanded, watching the demons bow before him and disappear back into the vortex. Those who didn’t obey got destroyed by a single swipe of the violin bow, melody dispersing the beasts into grey dust.
The man managed to catch both girls before they fell on the ground after their captors disappeared.
“Go to your parents!” the mysterious man spoke to Loren. The girl ran away as fast as she could.
Then, the man bit his wrist, pouring his blood over the injured girl’s lips.
“Drink, Lotte!” the hypnotic voice spoke softly, “My blood will heal you!”
“But you’re a vampire…” the girl choked on her words.
“Drink,” the man repeated, his voice caring.
Little Lotteline listened to the man and drunk the blood from his wrist. Her wound healed immediately, her powers returned twice as strong. She sat up, gazing at her saviour.
“But how?” Lotteline glanced at the pureblood’s hand. “I… I saw your soul, I saw into your mind! I…”
The pureblood stroked the girl’s hair gently and smiled.
“Have you ever heard the legend about the ancient vampires, Lotte?” the man asked.
“No, never!” Lotteline admitted.
“I will tell you all about them once you get changed into clean clothing!” the man promised, placing two fingers on his forehead as a sign of wisdom and honesty.
Lotteline lit up with a bright smile, but it withered when she noticed her bloodstained dress.
“Don’t worry, Lotte!” the man said, “You don’t have to be a noble lady if you don’t want to. You don’t have to have the longest hair either. All living creatures are the most beautiful when they are happy with themselves.”
“Thank you, Eden Gracious!” the girl smiled cheerfully, running back to the castle with no fear.
***
The memory dissolved, turning into
different pictures. Darker, stronger. Eden saw Lotteline grow up, train hard. He saw how she got inspired by the noble pureblood.
“Enough,” Lotteline took her hand back, not allowing the boy to drown in her memories.
Eden’s eyes became dark purple, fully satisfied with the food. His skin healed, energy flowed throughout his body. He glanced at Lotteline, expecting her to look tired from the loss of blood, but she seemed livelier than ever.
“You’re not tired!” Eden pointed out.
“That’s what happens when a vampire bites another vampire with love! We become stronger both ways!” Lotteline replied cheerfully.
“Does this mean I’ll be called a loser for the rest of my life?” Kastian asked, watching his relatives with hands crossed over his chest.
“Of course not!” Lotteline giggled, “You did bring me a trophy, didn’t you? Both of you won today!”
“Does it mean I can taste your blood, too?” Kastian grinned.
“No!” Lotteline pinched the boy’s shoulder, “Eden hunted me down first!”
“Fine!” Kastian laughed, then became serious, “Did you kill her servants?”
“I only asked them to remove their chokers.” Eden grinned mischievously, “I didn’t want to hurt them. My aim was a big prize!”
“So where are the cats?” Lotteline sounded relieved.
“I told them to return to our spot,” Eden replied.
“Hey, since we both won, when are you going to tell us the story about the ancient vampires?” Kastian insisted impatiently.
“Why don’t we build a fire and stay here for the night?” Lotteline suggested.
“That would be amazing!” Kastian and Eden shouted out at the same time.
All of them returned back to the picnic blanket and made themselves comfortable. Lotteline’s servants built a fireplace and cooked the bird that Kastian had brought as a trophy. Fon Vorigans didn’t need anything else. The open sky, beautiful nature and a good company were all they wanted.
Lotteline used her transparent energy to create pictures in the fire to make the legend seem more vivid.
“The legend says, the first vampires were created by a god of Eternal Life, the god of all gods. He gifted them with immortality and the power to share their life with others. He gifted them with eternal energy that would allow them to heal the weak ones.” Lotteline sounded like a professional storyteller, “At first, vampires lived in a tribe. They danced around the fire, they sang beautiful songs. They were happy, just the way their god created them.”
Lotteline created 13 beautiful silhouettes of fire dancing in a circle. She made happy faces to reflect the joy.
“Unlike for any other race, vampire love was the strongest of all. Their hearts were the core of their energy, pumping blood full of different powers. They were pure.” Lotteline continued the story, “However, caging powers in a body was not acceptable among the vampires. Just like their god had created them, the pure beings drunk each other’s blood to make the energy flow. Together, they created harmony. Their tribe was a symbol of pure love.”
Lotteline made the fire take the shape of a beating heart.
“Although the first ones were brothers and sisters, sharing such deep connections, experiences and emotions, made their love grow. The god of Eternal Life saw how beautiful were his creations, and he gave them another gift. A gift to give a new life!” Lotteline smiled at the boys.
“Babies!” Kastian giggled.
“Yes, the first vampires had their children. The tribe expanded, and their powers became even stronger because they constantly shared them with each other. Unlike other creatures on the mortal land, vampires were the only ones who didn’t have to feed on the world’s resources. They fed on each other!” Lotteline explained, reflecting purebloods biting purebloods in flames. “However, their love was not limited just to their own kind. Their god had given them the power to share their life with other beings as long as these beings were willing to drink the vampire’s blood.”
“Really?” Kastian seemed surprised.
Eden watched the beautiful images inside the fire.
“The first vampires and their descendants used their blood to heal other creatures. It could heal even severe wounds and prolong their youth as long as they had the blood. Vampires shared their compassion to make the world a better place!” Lotteline continued with the story, reflecting it into the flames, “However, the rumours spread around quickly. Even faraway lands heard about the miracles. Mortal jealousy took its place, and they wanted the powers to themselves. Humans and many other creatures craved for the eternal youth, they craved to be invincible.”
“Did they attack the vampires?” Eden asked impatiently.
“Yes, they attacked the tribe and captured the weakest ones first. Although vampires were invincible and couldn’t die, they had a weak spot. Their heart.” Lotteline said in a sad voice, making the fire redder, “When the mortals captured vampire children, they demanded the grown-ups to surrender unless they wanted to see their children in pain. When the purebloods tried to fight back, they had to watch their younger generation suffer. The mortals drained the blood without permission and drunk it to gain more strength. Temporarily, it worked.”
“It’s disgusting!” Kastian seemed annoyed at the mortal kind.
“Because the little vampires were kept with no food and couldn’t share the energy with each other, their hearts stopped.” Lotteline spoke quietly, her voice full of sorrow as she made the fire reflect sad images, “Although the ancient vampires were the incarnation of love, the mortal evil planted hate into their hearts. To avenge their little ones, vampires started draining the mortals. They showed no mercy.”
“I wouldn’t show them mercy either…” Eden muttered.
“No vampire could ever forget any of their loved ones, their eternal love also made them suffer. Their hated turned their teeth venomous, punishing the mortals with eternal life they had always wanted, but cursing them to spend it solitude. Without any chance for salvation, pureblood venom froze mortal lifespans, forcing them to spend the rest of their lives in the same age and with no possibility to have a family. No possibility to have any children!” Lotteline explained.
“Are the first vampires still alive?” Eden asked curiously.
“No, not any more. Even the pureblood vampires rarely remember where their true roots come from.” Lotteline replied, “Seeing their children suffer, the god of Eternal Life gave them the ability to return to their creator if their hearts got ripped out so they wouldn’t have to live forever in pain. But after ages of war against the mortals, the tribe scattered across the world, creating new families. However, the venom of their teeth passed over to the next generations.”
“Did they go back to feeding on each other?” Kastian asked.
“Instead of love, vampires started living in hate. To protect their families from harm, they stopped healing the weaker species and started feeding on them.” Lotteline replied. “As a result, their divine powers weakened, making them more vulnerable. Without feeding on the power of love and sharing it with their own kind, vampire bodies became invincible. Unless they fed on something, they became as fragile as the mortals.”
“You are what you eat, right?” Kastian poked the images in the fire with a wooden stick.
“Some of the descendants found peace in their hearts to forgive the mortals. They were the only ones who carried on with sharing their energy instead of taking it. Some of them even fell in love with mortals and made new families. But the purebloods saw them as traitors.” Lotteline explained.
“Could they have children?” Eden asked.
“Yes. The purebloods could have children from any race, as long as their partner wasn’t poisoned by the venom that froze their lifespan.” Lotteline explained, “It works the same ways to this day! The only ones who cannot have children are the vampires that have been turned.”
“So if a vampire bites another vampire…” Kastian wondered,
“Would they be able to generate some sort of energy?”
“When a pureblood feeds on another pureblood, they don’t need anything else because it’s how we were created in the first place!” Lotteline replied, “However, the feeding must be mutual. It must be based on pure love, or else it’s just a game of venoms. When a pureblood bites another being based on anger or selfish hunger, the venom stings. It is poisonous to most animals because it gains nothing. It’s considered evil in the eyes of the god of Eternal Life. But… If a pureblood’s bite hides good deeds, it turns into a painkiller. And when we feed on mortals without hate, the venom lures the mortals back to us.”
“I hope I’ll make all my victims suffer for what they did to the ancient vampires!” Kastian’s eyes reflected anger.
“How can we turn another being into a vampire?” Eden asked.
“There are two ways. As I said before, the venom makes the mortal blood mutate. The mortal could survive and sustain it’s life if they feed like us.” Lotteline replied, “If we bite them and then give them our blood, it heals the venom and turns it into something beautiful. It creates a life with no suffering and symbolises the purity of vampire love, but this act bonds the turned vampire and the pureblood with a sacred bond. Why are you so curious about it, Eden?”
“Is it like marriage?” Eden giggled.
“No, it’s greater than that. It makes two beings feel each other to a much deeper level. It makes them… One!” Lotteline smiled. “Would you want to turn anyone?”
“I just wonder if Ermelinda Morinji had a vampire lover that gave her the eternal youth.” Eden replied, creating his own image of a heart inside the fire, “If not, I’d like to turn her one day, so she stopped hating the vampires so much. I think her heart is full of hate, but if anyone could show her love, it would change her mind. I want to change her mind.”
Chapter 7: The Gift
The Gift
Eden sat inside his bedroom and played with a glass ball. His bedroom was large and beautiful. Two walls were covered in purple wallpaper with black floral paintings, but the other two walls were made of glass shaped like a crescent. His black furniture had glamorous engravings, but his bed was covered in black silk. There was a large wardrobe that led into another room, and its door was made of mirrors.
