I have carried heroes, murders, and everything in between. Stricken with vampirism and given human intelligence. And in my five hundred and two years of living, I will never forget the boy who was the first, forgive me, I am getting ahead of myself, my name is Shadow Mare. I am the horse of Sithis himself.
Shadow Mare
Chapter one: The beginning
I was born a frail foal; and just like you I had a mother and father, though at the time all I could care about was to eat, sleep, and drink my mother's milk. I lived in a stable just outside the city that is now known as Chedenhal; there I and my parents lived under the stables owner, I was a black horse, expensive as they come, though due to my weakness my master soon grew tired of my presence, I could not pull a plow, and I could not be ridden. Soon, his patience grew thin. And what would happen next would send him over the edge.
One very dark night, the air was stale, my parents were fast asleep, and I was observing the shining moon, when I heard rapid footsteps, I looked up to face a man dressed in regal clothing, his eyes burned red and his teeth sharp, I grew scared and let out a low whine, the man bent over my neck, and sunk his teeth into my soft skin.
At this point, my mind is clouded, though I remember that I had only given him a split second to enjoy my blood, next thing I knew he was face down in his own blood, I could see why he enjoyed the crimson liquid, it looked beautiful in the moonlight. His expensive dressings were now useless to him.
My master came out, shouting for me to silence myself then he stopped, "The count, YOU KILLED THE COUNT!"
My master led me in the darkness to a recently abandoned fort behind the city's walls; he then buried the body, muttering to himself, he did not notice the young imperial teenager sneaking up on him, a sliver dagger in his hands, the boy who would later be called, "Father" by so many, I would call him my friend, and occasionally master, though always by his name, Sithis.