Alexia of Armadine

Prologue:

I am Alexia of Armadine. I am daughter of Lord Damokiv of Armadine and the sole survivor of our people. Let me first explain my life's story and my reasons of how I come to write my account revealing the hidden secrets of my kind and probably angering those held most dear to me. Perhaps by doing this and to those to whom this may offend, I will bring light upon their situation, and allowing them for the first time in their strict, secret, ritualing lives, I will make them see we need not live with in such confined communities. That the wars and memories of the past should be lain to rest, Old enemies and foes should be forgiven and forgotten. We should all walk around and live in harmony with each other and within modern day society..

And so my story begins…

Chapter 1. Memories:

For 500 years I have searched for those responsible for my peoples downfall. As the only survivor I see it as my duty to justify their grizzly deaths. All my coven and my people perished on that stormy night. The night that marks the Autumn equinox.

It just so happens that upon this night, my new found senses began to manifest themselves but not in time for me to make sense or use of them. For in my sudden burst of hysteria, my father and coven trying their best to calm me during our public ritual equinox feast, I had no time to warn them of the reasons of my outburst. For amidst the laughter and music of our towns people within our castle walls and the clashing of the rain, wind and thunder, I had foreseen with a quickening realisation that all of my coven and towns people within were oblivious to the approach of those who would soon commence the massacre of all within my homes walls.

Nearly as quick as my foresight occurred, the reality of it erupted around me. I was frozen as I was protected and pushed to safety by my father and two elder brothers into the confines of a hidden archway. Not daring to breathe or move even to help my coven in case the invaders saw me I kept hidden. Here in this hidden archway I crouched as before my eyes I saw first the villagers and the weaker coven members being savagely dismembered. The attackers I saw were of our kind, wearing long velvety black cloaks.

Without realising how, I mentally called out.

'Father!'' I whispered in my mind too afraid to think loudly.

To my surprise and also to his he heard my call.

Slightly glancing towards my direction with a pleading look of obedience in his eyes on my part for once, he mentally answered my call.

'Shh Alexia!! It is of the utmost importance that you stay hidden my child. You are only just developing into your adult hood as one of us. It is not safe for you in your weakened state! You are nearly as helpless as a mortal at this stage. You must remain hidden. No matter what you see happen or hear you must not intervene! Do you understand?'' he said pleadingly

''yes! But'' I began. My father interrupted me.

''I need you to hide well until it is safe to leave. Once it is, flee. Head to your mothers old coven in the north pass. Your aunt and the elders there hold a promise to your mother they can not break by our laws. You will be safe there until you have reached adulthood.''

''No! ''I screamed in my head at him, my eyes brimming with tears.

''I won't leave without you or Jayan or Luca!'' I continued.

''Alexia! Please!'' my father sternly demanded

''For once, please stop being so stubborn! Call to the coven in the north pass when you are near, just as you have just done with me. They will accept you into their coven and help you to grow into your adult strength'' He suddenly stopped his mind communication to me . Puzzled and frightened, I followed to where his gaze lay. I saw the last of our guards , our elder coven members and my two elder brothers fall, drained of all of their power and life. I gasped as a dry scream tried to erupt from my throat and quickly covered my mouth to prevent it erupting further as an eerie silence fell throughout the hall. Quickly glancing through the hall I was sickened by the dismembered and torched bodies scattered around both human and vampire alike.

Hearing movement close by I shrank further into the crevice of the archway, hidden by the drapery that hung there.

From my hiding place I could clearly see the hooded, black caped figures bearing a golden incal of an entwined bat and wolf over a sword over the back and sleeves of their capes.

There now were at least 20 of them within the hall! Others I could hear elsewhere outside. They began to surround my father with astounding speed from all angles making his escape impossible.

Then one of them spoke.

''Lord Damokiv! You, your coven, family and town have been extinguished. I will let you live providing you give me one thing my master wishes''. he said

''Oh? And what might that be?'' asked my father calmly, no fear in his voice. I inched myself further behind the drapery.

''You know what it is we seek my lord! Your daughter!'' the leader of the caped men replied. Shocked I shrank even further back finding a slight hole hit against my back. I silently edged myself into the hole making sure my father was still in sight.

''Oh!'' said my father. ''You are too late. She has already left!'' he finished

''Ha! I find that hard to believe Lord Damokiv '' the leader of the attackers once again began.

''Today was her birthday into adulthood! I hardly believe you would send any of your coven who is at this most weakened state of development and growth into their abilities, let alone your own daughter. Where are her gauds? I'm pretty sure I counted your whole coven here'' he indicated to the mass of bodies behind and continued

''I give you one more chance Lord Damokiv, where is she?''

All of a sudden I felt my father's presence in my mind.

'I love you. Be strong my fallen angel . Head to the pass and keep hidden. Be safe!' he said lovingly.

'No father! No!' was all I could say back to his mind as I realised he was sacrificing himself for my survival. His attention now focused back towards the leader again.

'' Ah ha my old friend! '' my father began.

''Tell your master he is too late once again! Her abilities have already begun to show! She is strong! Much stronger than thought, which is why she has already left this place tonight! She knew of your coming here. She is a quick learner and knows how to stay hidden and out of sight. You will never find her!'' my father finished with a crooked smile playing upon his face as once again I felt his presence in my mind.

'Take care my angel and good bye' .he said to me as the sword of the leader came swiftly down upon his neck before my eyes.

I sat there frozen in fear staring out at where the body of my father lay. The caped men's conversation around me not seeping in.

He was no longer there, my father. The presence I had felt moments ago at the edge of my thoughts was gone. There was just emptiness. I heard the caped attackers smashing things in the other rooms of my home thankful not one strayed too close in my direction. Finally as the light of the coming dawn was approaching I heard the men round each other up, taking most of our covens horses with them, their pockets jingling full most likely with our gold and jewels. I heard the horses hooves disappear in the distance. Finally all was silent but for the occasional rat scurrying around.

I crawled deeper within the hole in which I was hiding and let the exhaustion of the nights events take over me.

My sleep was not dreamless.

I woke late in the afternoon the next day, just as the sun was showing signs of setting. My stomach growling hungrily in my ears.

Before me, from my hiding place I smelled the stale sticky scent of dried blood of my family, coven and towns people mixed with the unpleasant scent of scorched bodies. The scent of the blood sent my mind whirling, consuming all of my thoughts. Never in my life had blood smelt so appealing to me. I drank when needed, yes. I also ate food like mortals (although my meat was almost always rare). I realised then, that I finally was becoming a fully developed vampire and that thought scared me.

I was alone, weak and with no guardian or mentor to guide and teach me in our laws and ways, to help me grow into my abilities.

You see, I was born a vampire, as was everyone in my coven. Unlike those of which you hear about in comic books or in the movies, which do exist, only they are a weaker version of ourselves.

They were once mortals, drained to the point of death of their mortal blood and given a drop of our vampiric blood into their wounds, they change, however unfortunately for them, not with our abilities it seems. If a mortal is changed into one of us, they have limits to their abilities, they are immortal yes, and stronger than 10 humans together, however, they are highly sensitive to daylight. If they venture out into it they will instantly die.

For us, the 'Born vampires' , the sun is but a mere minor irritation except during our transformation to a fully developed vampire where if prolonged to sunlight in this weakened state our eyes itch and burn causing us to become highly nauseous and suffer migraine or what I suppose you mortals would call, sun stroke. Once we are developed and into our full adulthood however, the sun does not affect us so, though if we were to venture out into the full light of a sunny day, you would be to tell us for what we are. Our pale skin casting off a fluorescent shimmer. A beautiful hypnotic sight for the mortal eye to behold however a nuisance for casually fitting into every day 'mortal' society which is why since the beginning of our time we prefer to congregate ourselves around cloudy, overcast places. We are not as invincible as we may seem as you know from my earlier account of my covens destruction. We can be killed through our blood being drained and decapitation and fire.

Unlike the weaker 'made' vampires, we 'born' vampires before adult hood ( before we develop into our full abilities and strength ,some of us showing to be stronger than others) can pass easily for human. Our skin though considerably pale does not yet cast off the fluorescent shimmer as one whose abilities are fully developed. We in our undeveloped stage are able to consume mortal food although we still need blood to survive and sustain us but are not as dependant on it as our elders, as a healthy dose of once or twice in a month is sufficient enough that is until we reach our delicate stage of entering adulthood. We like to call it the 'transformation' stage to becoming a full vampire.

It is during this stage, depending on our bloodline that our abilies manifest themselves and our senses increase, weakening our strength at the beginning of the transformation allowing us to develop and be taught control. We have mentors to help us grow and understand these changes, usually our blood parents, however if they are no longer around, the job is given to your guardians (normally also family) unless your power shows to develop quickly. If this so happens, your mentor changes to one of the elders of your coven. A position all young vampires long for, as your status in the coven also changes upon an elder taking over your mentoring giving you shall we say 'more freedom, less restrictions of our laws'. As mentioned earlier, our abilities are mostly inherited from our parents and passed down through our bloodline. Occasionally our abilities develop stronger than others.

It is a difficult process, the transformation, often in a weaker vampire causing serious consequences. Our bodies yearn to run savagely wild, we ore continuously thirsty for blood. Our increased senses can be disorienting and startling to us…

Enough of my rambling! Back to my life's story…

The night went on. I heard a few, perhaps 10 of the caped men return, checking I hadn't returned or emerged. I dared not move lest I be found.

For three nights this happened. They came, waited and they left.

On this third night I overheard the conversation of two of the men who had stayed behind in the entrance way. Shocked I could hear them from my place of hiding three rooms away, I listened further.

''Well Lord Damyr, I guess the late Lord Damovik was telling the truth after all. The Lady Alexia is gone. We have searched every room and under-passage of the castle and village. There is no sign of her. We should return now to our master and deliver the bad news . He will not be pleased!'' said the speaker fearfully.

''No'' replied the other man. ''he will not be pleased at all! I know this is not the first time he has failed in his quest of bringing her to our community. However if we are quick we may catch up to her upon leaving this place. She won't have gotten far yet. There are but two ways of leaving this village and both as treacherous as the other, over the rocky mountain land to the north or by the sea. Both of which are at least a two days ride away and the Lady Alexia did not take her horse. With the condition she will be in now, and on foot, it will be easier to find her. Come my friend. Lets round up the others and return to our camp, feast for a night and then we will set out again at first light. It will be harder for Lady Alexia to concentrate with the daylight upon her. We will need less men since she is alone, we will split up and search in both directions. I always find the ones going through the transformation easier to find, don't you? They cast off a sweeter scent to follow''.

'' ah ha!'' laughed the first speaker '' that is true! You are right as always my friend. Lets not despair yet. Lets go''.

Both footsteps disappeared . Finally there was silence.

Thirst and grief at my loss struck me. I found I still couldn't bring myself to move from my hiding place. My fathers head lay with open eyes but a few strides away from me. I lay curled up, motionless for a long time.