Larten Crespley -

The Tale of A Vampire General

Chapter 1 - No Going Back

22-year-old Larten Crespley paced in his room, how could he do it? He couldn't leave his hometown, he'd lived here for 22 years, born in this very bedroom, how could he just leave…But he had no choice. Seba had told him of the Vampires. Of their cousins the Vampaneze, the fact that the Vampaneze were out to kill him, just because he was friends with a vampire.

Larten felt cold sweat run down his face. The reason was fear, he'd learnt all about the vampires, their Myths and read about them in books, watched movies, and he'd even base everything he did to do with them. When he met Seba Nile last year, a real vampire, and how he'd come to worship him as a mentor.

Larten tightened his hands into fists. He grabbed a bag and clutched many of his most desired items inside, and went to walk out of the door, when he heard a loud bang.

They were coming for him!

Larten shuddered and felt the fear rising, he must get out another way! He slung the bag over his head and ran to the window, slid it open and began to climb the building, scaling and ascending higher and higher, until he reached the roof. Then he saw them, the purple skin monsters known as the vampaneze were surrounding him, and he was trapped with no where to go but through.

Larten wouldn't give up without a fight, being a craftsman who made combat weapons; he pulled out a sword from his luggage on his back.

"I'll kill you if you get any closer," he shouted angrily.

The adult had trained himself in the arts of swordsman's craft for many years; he'd beaten many of his comrades in duels. However, he knew about the Vampaneze, about the Vampires, who'd been brought up to use these weapons aswell, and were probably much more agile than him.

They grinned at him and pulled out there own weapons, he wasn't the only one with a sword now. Larten gave them a nervous grin, and swept forward, he battled hard and fast, killing two of the monsters out of the five. However, he wasn't good enough, one sword impaled on his shoulder, biting back a cry because of the unimaginable pain he fell back to the floor.

He waited for his death, atleast he didn't have to leave his hometown, atleast he was going to die in his home. The sword was about to hit when a figure in a bright red robe came infront of him, a sword in their hand.

"Leave now and never return…or I will spill your blood…" said the familiar figure.

"Seba…" groaned Larten, "run--go quick…" he said quietly. Trying to warn his friend off. However, Seba wouldn't leave and the vampaneze wouldn't either. "So be it!" cried Seba.

Larten prepared himself for the worst. However, Seba was too quick, Larten gaped at the speed of the vampire and when finally when the vampaneze were all dead, the man turned to Larten.

"Larten--you're hurt…!" he said sadly. Looking at the gaping hole.

Larten laughed weakly. "You were great--" the man said trying to stay alive as long as possible. Seba spat on the injury and it began to heal quite quickly. The vampire gave a sigh of relief.

"You are going be ok! You just need a little rest," he said to Larten who grinned as the vampire helped him to his feet.

"Thank you Seba, I am always in your debt--you need anything and you can say the word…" said Larten and Seba smiled.

"No problem my friend…I am afraid though that I must leave…" Lartens face went pale.

"LEAVE! Why?" he said angrily, "Why now?"

"If the Vampaneze find their dead and find out I did it, they will hunt me down and kill me, I must leave this town forever and hope they never find out!" said Seba sadly. Larten shook with anger, this couldn't happen.

Seba gave him a handshake and went to flit away, when Larten shouted at him. "Wait Seba stop!" he said, "Let me come with you…"

Seba turned to him surprised. "What?"

"Let me come with you…" the human said again. "I'll be your helper…"

"You can't," said Seba sadly, turning away from him and Larten was furious.

"Why not!" argued Larten.

"Because I am going to Vampire Mountain to report the attack, and as I told you countless times, only vampires can go there. You are not a vampire Larten…" said Seba.

Larten clenched his fists as he felt something click. Like a light bulb in his head. "Then make me a vampire!" said the man seriously, Seba turned to meet him head on. "I mean it…I love vampires…what you have told me brang light to my life…I am alone, no one will miss me…"

"What about your younger brother?" said Seba. "You said you were both close…"

"I know--but he has more things to worry about than me, he has a wife a family," said Larten, "Please Seba, make me a vampire…"

Seba sighed, "Is this what you really want." He said, putting a hand on Lartens shoulder. "I am a tough and hard teacher…you will only be half vampire, you will remain young whilst your old friends grow old. You live to see the death of your families, your human friends, maybe even me…is that what you want?"

"Yes, friend…" vowed Larten adamantly. "I'm not changing my mind!"

"I noticed that," said Seba weakly. " Fine, hold out your hands."

Larten was shaking in fear. Not knowing how humans become creatures of the night. After all he had never asked Seba, he held out his hands and closed his eyes. "My vampire blood will channel into yours…but it will hurt you…" said Seba tensely " Do you trust me Larten".

"I'd trust you with my life…" he said solemnly, "I don't care about the pain," Larten said lying weakly but he would be brave. A vampire is loyal, a vampire fights evil, a vampire needs to understand trust, and a vampire needs to know no fear or pain he thought to himself after all that was what he was about to become. Larten then felt a sharp pain in his fingers. He screamed, he didn't open his eyes only closed them tighter as the agony shuttled through his body like fire. He looked at what was happening to him, Seba and him were connected at touch. His blood was going through the vampire and vice versa for the man of the undead.

When the pain stopped he fell to his knees shivering like mad. Larten looked at his hands; the fingertips were bleeding rapidly. He was terrified, and when he looked up at Seba he sighed,

"There's no going back now is there…"

Seba repeated the same guesture of sadness. "No…you are now a half vampire--my assistant." He said and helped him steadily to his feet then put some spit on Lartens fingers to stop the bleeding. "Now come…we have some work to do…" and began to walk away.

Larten didn't register straight away, still staring at his blooded hands and the ten tiny scars on his fingertips in pure disbelief, and then it passed through his mind and went up to face his new ally.

"Work?" asked Larten puzzled.

"I cannot send you to Vampire Mountain unprepared! You'd tear to pieces before you even reached the place!" he laughed, "Come Larten, I will show you your old human world through my eyes…"

Larten nodded reluctantly and turned to look at the sunset, how he used to love it as the sun rose. He then knew that he would never admire the sun in the same way again. Then the two vampires headed off into the night, whilst sun approached just behind them.

***