Chapter 1-The Beginning
Dimitri's POV
Vampires were something I never thought existed, let alone be part of their species. My first day as a vampire was what I guess to be a good day. The pain ended and I could see everything perfectly: specs of dust on the floor, sand for miles and miles, emerald green eyes.
That was before I heard her, a voice humming a tune in the momentary blurriness that my eyes produced as I woke as a vampire for the first time. Having that voice as the first thing you hear in a new life is like a human smelling their favourite scent for just a moment before you can have it forever. Having those eyes as the first thing I saw as a vampire is like finally having that one thing you always wanted, the only problem being that you couldn't own it-if you did, you couldn't have it forever. Nothing lasts forever.
I had given up everything I had without wanting to, but now I have everything I ever wanted and possibly needed. It just wasn't mine per say, like a family dog or a certain seat on a sofa.
In my old life, I had come from a family of hunter's. We caught and sold various meat to various people. I had a knack for tracking and found finding animals quite easy. I hunted with my father and two older brother's, all three of them were bigger, stronger and faster than me. They also thought very little of me.
One morning, about four or five days ago, I left my family to prove myself to them. I thought if I could track, catch and kill a fairly large crocodile or some form of animal then I would be seen as a man and not a boy. Before I knew it, I lost my way. The sun was rising and so was the temperature, then I saw something glitter in the distance. I walked towards it, curiously, and before me stood a man.
"Hello, young man. I am Amun. What would you do if I said I could give you everything you had ever wanted, all you have to do in return is give up what you already have?" I had found out then and there that Amun would make deals with people that were always in his favour. However, I still agreed as I had learned the lesson a few minutes to late. "What is your name, young man?" He asked after I had agreed to his deal.
"Dimitri, son of Atron" I replied.
"Ah, a hunter." He said, "A hunter with a son who has a perfect talent but doesn't except him because he's different." I then looked at him in shock, "My spies are everywhere Dimitri, don't forget that."
Before I could take another breath, pain seared through me. Faster and faster by the second, all through every vein, every cell in my body. I felt like I was falling before I was floating and seemed to be flying. I blacked out and woke up here, to find a beautiful girl moping my brow and humming to herself.
I blinked out of instinct before I found myself asking "What song is that?" She didn't even flinch.
"I don't know, Sir, my mother always sings it to my brothers and I to calm us down." She said as she turned to ring out her cloth.
"I've been a few things, but I am no Sir." I replied, "It's a pity you don't know what the song is though."
"I've been told to call you Sir by Master Amun. You are his son now." She spoke to me but never looked at me.
"I'm-"I was about to say before she interjected me.
"Your name is Dimitri, I know. I am not to talk to you unless it is to serve you. I am not allowed to look at you as Amun believes red haired women are cursed. I am only allowed to stay due to the shade of my hair and the fact that it is from my father's side of the family and not my mother's." By now I was sat up on the bed I had been laid on and she was stood in front of me, her green eyes boring into mine.
"Well then. Should you really talk to me like that?" I asked.
"No, but you-"Now it was my turn to interject her. I slipped off the bed and pushed the girl to the wall behind her, my hand on her throat. "Careful, vampire. My blood is poisonous to you, you know." She taunted.
"Who said anything about blood?" I asked. Before I knew it, my lips were on hers. The kiss was as hot and passionate as it would be had we been lover's separated for months at a time. A few seconds, I pulled away and she gasped for air.
"Watch were you tread, vampire." She whispered, "If Amun saw that, he would say you were cursed." She then made her way to the door.
"At least tell me your name." I said.
"Abigail, and I'm here to serve your every need Master Dimitri, sir." And with that, she disappeared.
Abigail's POV
I had no idea what was happening, I was in a state of shock and didn't know what to do.
He'd kissed me. The vampire I was supposed to wait on hand and foot for had kissed me. A million and one thoughts rushed through my head; what should I do? Should I tell Amun? Should I go back in there? I wanted to return to him but I couldn't, it wasn't my place. I was a servant and he was the adopted son of my parent's master.
After I left Dimitri, I really had only braced myself against the wall on the other side of the door. I brushed my fingers over my lips, touching the soft skin that his lips had touched. My thoughts going back to his rush of power as I was shoved against the wall. He had to know by now that I was different. A human would have died just by the force he had processed in the second it took for him to get up and push me about seven metres into the wall. If that didn't kill a human then the force of impact of their head against the wall certainly would have.
I come from a family of Animorphytes. We are the immortal beings that humans deem to be vampires in this world. We have fangs, however they differ in amount depending on status, and we feed on blood more often than we would like to admit. The exceptions to what people think of us, however, are as follows;
We were created to keep the peace between Vampire, Shifters and Werewolves-the way we keep the peace, though, is by controlling their populations. We feed off of all three species but Werewolves are currently becoming less common. We are designed to feed off vampires and get the same nutritional benefit that they do from blood. However, when we drink from a victim, we can taste what they have fed on themselves. For example, if an animorph was to feed on an intoxicated human who had only drank wine, we can taste every wine they had drunk in their blood. We also don't have to kill those we feed on and it is also an extremely pleasurable experience for both parties. When we feed off our prey, whatever it may be, our venom releases a high level of dopamine's and endorphins, which create pleasure and block pain. We also exchange memories with our prey, whether they are human or otherwise.
We have a hierarchy. If I were to serve my own kind, which it is normally my place to, my status would be an advisor to either a royal, council member or lord. This is due to the fact that I am telepathic. I can see another's memories, potential, thoughts etc. I also have a secondary ability of physical shields and my level ability is to block other telepathics-no matter their species or method, when I want. The hierarchy generally goes; Royals, Lords/Ladies (also known as the Court), Assassins (The most dangerous killers on the planet), Warriors, Advisors, Council Members and then Common Folk.
Level abilities; this is the diminutive term for partner abilities. When I find someone else with the same level ability as me, we will be the perfect hunting team. The likelihood is that my partner will have more offensive abilities then I do.
Fang numbers. The number of fangs an Animorphyte possesses is due to their job rather than their status. Common Folk have two fangs, that's the status the majority of my family has. Council members have four, Advisors and Warriors have eight, Royals have ten and Assassins have twelve. Our fangs can break/snap and if they do, they must be pulled out before the new ones grow back. Having them pulled out is one of the most painful experiences of an Animorphyte, that and changing from a fledging to a fully-fledged being. Speaking of…
Our transformation. We are born like humans are, and we develop like they do. However, we basically go through puberty twice. There is the human one and our one. We have to be turned to go through it though. In other words, we must be bitten by a fully-fledged animorph (status isn't an issue) and it is ten or twenty times more painful than being turned into a vampire. However, if our turner has a disease or if we are not strong enough, then we won't survive. Only the strongest of us may survive. I haven't gone through it yet and I dread the time I do. My mother says that it'll be someone from outside of the family due to my superior status, they don't want to risk anything. Normally, a family is of one status but there are rare times that determine otherwise, like me.
That night, there was a knock on my door.
"Abigail, darling." My mother, "Master Dimitri needs you". Vampires need to consider that Animorphs need sleep, especially when they are young.
"Yes mama." I replied.
I made my way to my master's room, only to find the window open. I made my way to the window to close it and just when I did, a breeze blew against my back and I was suddenly pushed up against the wall, again.
"Sir, what-"
His lips once again crashed into mine. Full of hunger, they were sweet, wet and the one thing I had wanted all day. He pulled away to let me catch my breath as I still needed oxygen.
"Dimitri, you shouldn't. WE shouldn't." I said.
"I don't care" He replied in a hoarse whisper. "All I want is you." He started kissing my neck, holding me in place with one arm round my waist and the hand of the other arm entangled in my long hair.
"Well then, you'll have to catch me, tracker."
Catching him off guard, I ran off.