Dracula quietly opened the coffin cover as evening fell. Shirra rested
peacefully still. He sighed quietly. When she awoke, there would be a great
deal to talk about. He closed the coffin gently- only to come face to face
with –Aleera. She looked distraught.
"What now, Aleera?"
Of all his brides, she was the most immature and vindictive of them all. And, she had tested his worn patience one too many times.
"Oh, Master,"
she bawled. Dracula cupped her mouth and dragged her outside before freeing her mouth.
"All you care about is that-girl...do you not love us anymore?"
Holding his tongue, he held her gently and soothed her.
"Of course not...I still love you Aleera-and the others..."
"Shall we feed then?"
"I'll go wake Shirra-
"No, my Lord, just us both!"
wailed Aleera like the spoiled child she was.
"Shirra needs to feed. She has lost too much blood."
"Its all her fault she cut herself-
Dracula then screamed at her to hold her tongue-a rare one at that. She whimpered like a puppy scolded by its bad-tempered mater.
"What's all this tulmut?"
Shirra stood in the doorway, still pale but otherwise fine. The dress really suited her. She looked lovely, especially her pearl earrings.
"Where is Velkan-
"He's escaped. He's gone."
She fell to the floor, as if his words were a stake to her heart. Not that it would do much good anyway, with the spell he placed on her earlier. She felt a myriad of feelings: Joy, that he had escaped. Sorrow, that he was gone- and without her. Perhaps Dracula was right....
"Did you think that mangy beast actually cared for you?"
sneered Aleera, her shock and jealous anger at Dracula's earlier reaction directed at Shirra now.
"Aleera!"
warned Dracula, but Aleera was on a roll. However, she forgot one thing: Shirra had a lot of Dracula's blood in her even before she was turned. Shirra looked up, and her eyes turned ice blue.
"Do not speak ill of Velkan..."
she whispered, her voice filled with intensity.
"Oh, isn't that sweet? The widdle vampire loves a mangy widdle werewolf-
Despite wearing a dress, Shirra moved as swiftly as ten panthers-and slammed Aleera against a wall. Dracula looked on with shock. Aleera too, gasping as the newborn tightened her hold on Aleera's neck.
"Don't. Make. Me. Repeat. Myself. "
She hissed, baring her bleached fangs.
"And stop gasping. You don't need air,"
she spat coldly, releasing her hold on Aleera's neck. She wiped her hands on her dress as if she had been touching something disgusting. She looked at Dracula. His expression was priceless. When he found his tongue, he said,
"We have to talk."
888888888888888888
EARLIER....
Velkan stopped to rest as the sun rose. He was far away from Castle Dracula now. He could rest easy now. Slowly, the fur fell off in clumps. His fangs retracted and became teeth. The yellow in his eyes became gray brown. In short, he became Velkan Valerious again.
He drank from a lake deeply. Sweet nectar of Life...He stopped as a piece of fabric fell onto the water surface. It was a piece of Cassandra's cloak. Guilt filled him. He HAD to save her, no matter what she was!
"I will NOT let her stay a Child Of The Eternal Night, or my family name is not Valerious,"
he swore, as he made his way gingerly back to the Valerious estate.
8888888888888888888
"...So he left?"
"Yes."
She looked down at the floor.
"I can't blame him –after what you did...he didn't deserve it!"
Dracula could not believe his ears. She still defended him.
"If he really loved you-he would have saved you, isn't it?"
Dracula whispered, his voice a sweet poison secreting into her mind.
"Yes, but perhaps he'll come back-
"I doubt it."
She stopped. He tilted her chin up, to let their eyes meet. Obsidian met ochre and black.
"Forget him, Shirra."
She closed her eyes. She couldn't if she tried.
"We'll see."
Was her enigmatic reply.
"Do you forgive me then-
"We'll see."
But there was a (sad) smile on her face. That was enough for him. He passed her a bottle of what appeared to be red wine.
"What is it?"
" Blood of a Japanese ronin. I went to Kyoto some time 400 years ago. A 400 year old."
Shirra raised her eyebrows at that.
"I'll drink to that, my Lord."
She said, as he poured her a glass. She sipped it.
'Nice, fragrant and strong."
She said, as Dracula poured himself a glass.
"Cheers."
8888888888888888
A FEW HOURS LATER.....
Dracula was impressed. She had the anger of a Fury-and it was quite admirable the way she fiercely protected Velkan- and was sober despite downing a few rounds of 400 year old ronin blood. He wondered....
Getting up, he took a sword from the wall and threw it at her. She caught it by reflex-and with the strength of a trained ronin of Kyoto, 400 years ago. He smiled. Perfect. He drank to that.
"What now, Aleera?"
Of all his brides, she was the most immature and vindictive of them all. And, she had tested his worn patience one too many times.
"Oh, Master,"
she bawled. Dracula cupped her mouth and dragged her outside before freeing her mouth.
"All you care about is that-girl...do you not love us anymore?"
Holding his tongue, he held her gently and soothed her.
"Of course not...I still love you Aleera-and the others..."
"Shall we feed then?"
"I'll go wake Shirra-
"No, my Lord, just us both!"
wailed Aleera like the spoiled child she was.
"Shirra needs to feed. She has lost too much blood."
"Its all her fault she cut herself-
Dracula then screamed at her to hold her tongue-a rare one at that. She whimpered like a puppy scolded by its bad-tempered mater.
"What's all this tulmut?"
Shirra stood in the doorway, still pale but otherwise fine. The dress really suited her. She looked lovely, especially her pearl earrings.
"Where is Velkan-
"He's escaped. He's gone."
She fell to the floor, as if his words were a stake to her heart. Not that it would do much good anyway, with the spell he placed on her earlier. She felt a myriad of feelings: Joy, that he had escaped. Sorrow, that he was gone- and without her. Perhaps Dracula was right....
"Did you think that mangy beast actually cared for you?"
sneered Aleera, her shock and jealous anger at Dracula's earlier reaction directed at Shirra now.
"Aleera!"
warned Dracula, but Aleera was on a roll. However, she forgot one thing: Shirra had a lot of Dracula's blood in her even before she was turned. Shirra looked up, and her eyes turned ice blue.
"Do not speak ill of Velkan..."
she whispered, her voice filled with intensity.
"Oh, isn't that sweet? The widdle vampire loves a mangy widdle werewolf-
Despite wearing a dress, Shirra moved as swiftly as ten panthers-and slammed Aleera against a wall. Dracula looked on with shock. Aleera too, gasping as the newborn tightened her hold on Aleera's neck.
"Don't. Make. Me. Repeat. Myself. "
She hissed, baring her bleached fangs.
"And stop gasping. You don't need air,"
she spat coldly, releasing her hold on Aleera's neck. She wiped her hands on her dress as if she had been touching something disgusting. She looked at Dracula. His expression was priceless. When he found his tongue, he said,
"We have to talk."
888888888888888888
EARLIER....
Velkan stopped to rest as the sun rose. He was far away from Castle Dracula now. He could rest easy now. Slowly, the fur fell off in clumps. His fangs retracted and became teeth. The yellow in his eyes became gray brown. In short, he became Velkan Valerious again.
He drank from a lake deeply. Sweet nectar of Life...He stopped as a piece of fabric fell onto the water surface. It was a piece of Cassandra's cloak. Guilt filled him. He HAD to save her, no matter what she was!
"I will NOT let her stay a Child Of The Eternal Night, or my family name is not Valerious,"
he swore, as he made his way gingerly back to the Valerious estate.
8888888888888888888
"...So he left?"
"Yes."
She looked down at the floor.
"I can't blame him –after what you did...he didn't deserve it!"
Dracula could not believe his ears. She still defended him.
"If he really loved you-he would have saved you, isn't it?"
Dracula whispered, his voice a sweet poison secreting into her mind.
"Yes, but perhaps he'll come back-
"I doubt it."
She stopped. He tilted her chin up, to let their eyes meet. Obsidian met ochre and black.
"Forget him, Shirra."
She closed her eyes. She couldn't if she tried.
"We'll see."
Was her enigmatic reply.
"Do you forgive me then-
"We'll see."
But there was a (sad) smile on her face. That was enough for him. He passed her a bottle of what appeared to be red wine.
"What is it?"
" Blood of a Japanese ronin. I went to Kyoto some time 400 years ago. A 400 year old."
Shirra raised her eyebrows at that.
"I'll drink to that, my Lord."
She said, as he poured her a glass. She sipped it.
'Nice, fragrant and strong."
She said, as Dracula poured himself a glass.
"Cheers."
8888888888888888
A FEW HOURS LATER.....
Dracula was impressed. She had the anger of a Fury-and it was quite admirable the way she fiercely protected Velkan- and was sober despite downing a few rounds of 400 year old ronin blood. He wondered....
Getting up, he took a sword from the wall and threw it at her. She caught it by reflex-and with the strength of a trained ronin of Kyoto, 400 years ago. He smiled. Perfect. He drank to that.