A/N: Hello Everyone!
I am truly sorry for the lateness of this update! As many of you know, I have been tossling with my muses lately-trying to will them to give inspiration. It's been an interesting struggle and it has yielded this. I hope that you will find that it was worth the wait. But before we begin, I would like to humbly thank the following people for reviewing chapter 16 (I sorely needed the comments and am truly greatful to all of you):
EyesofEmerald: Thank you so much for the kind words of encouragement.
WotcherTonks: Thank you for continuing to read my story and for aways reviewing.
The Grim: Thank you for always reviewing my chapters and I will definately check out "In the forests of the night".
The Parrot has ceased to be: Thank you. You always know just what to say.
browneyedgirl2004: You have definately inspired me to write! Thank you.
esta-gr: I am truly flattered that you would think of my story so highly as to add it to you favorites.
GrEeN DrAgOnFlY/BlackKat99: There is no need to apologize, the fact that you have continued to read and review time and time again, is more then I could ever ask for.
The New Dark Artist: Thank you and welcome to my little story. I hope that you will continue to read and review.
Aerlalaith: Thank you for always reviewing! You will notice that I will continue to reveal more and more about vampire, as well as, werewolf culture as the chapters proceed.
lilyfan: I hope this chapter will answer some of the questions that you have about Kaida's nature and thank you again, for always reviewing.
Riaelfgirl: I'm sorry for that cliffhanger, I had no idea where I was going to go with the next chapter...so it was a cliffhanger for the both of us:D Thank you for continuing to review.
Padfoot-rulz011: No need to apologize, I understand fully what it is like to have a semi-functioning computer. Thank you for taking the time to read and review.
Yavannie: I hope that this chapter will provide enough intellectual sustenance to qualify as a "feast".
Dark Vampiresss: Thank you for all the kind words you've given me over the whole run of this story. I hope you enjoyed your holiday:)
Lillei: Thank you and Welcome to my little story! I hope that you will continue to find it entertaining and that you will continue to read and review.
HolsyEvans: I'm glad you enjoyed Adelais' letter-frankly I wasn't sure if I was going to include it in the story at all...I was worried it might be too cliché. Thank you for reviewing.
Chantel J: Welcome back and thank you so much for reviewing!
Thank you to one and all! My mind is still swooning from the number of reviews I've gotten. I don't think that even in my most manic state could I ever fathom that I would recieve over 160 reviews-I am truly not worthy of your praise (but nonetheless, I enjoy recieving them; )
Thank you again,
Ninde Annare
Chapter 17:
I would spend the rest of that evening reading my Maker's words-committing them to memory. I devoured his words with a fervour matched only by my desire to know more. As I read Adelais' words I came to realize that all the years of tireless research about my kind had amounted to nothing…I knew nothing of vampires…I knew nothing of myself… I wrapped myself in Adelais' words; I retreated into a chyrsalid-refusing to immerge until I knew what I was.
I left the safety of my chambers to find a place where I was certain I would not be disturbed. As I walked by Remus' office I felt a great longing…I longed to be with him, to be near him, to touch him…but until I was certain that my dream had only been a dream I could not risk it. I scribbled a note onto a card and slipped it under his door-it simply read: Forgive me, Remus. I walked away swiftly before my feeble heart could persuade me to do otherwise.
I continued with my isolation, denying all my presence. Every night I would retreat to a new location in the school; every night I would leave Remus a note of apology and suggestions for his class. It became a routine, and so it was for a month.
Tonight I've retreated to the Southern Tower. I perch myself on the wide sill of the window; the moon's brilliance tore through the grey of the storm clouds igniting the room in a muted luminosity. I hear the gentle tapping of raindrops upon the glass; the steady beating produces a hypnotic rhythm almost like the soft beating of a heart. I stare blankly at the curly lines of blood and ink, like water the words washed over me but left nary a mark.
It is often thought that vampires keep harems, coteries of random victims waiting for us to feast upon them on a whim. This act is to vampires as promiscuity is to mortals-sullied and empty. Unfortunately, many of our ilk have taken to this lifestyle; but there are some that cling to the romance of tradition.
The act of drinking blood is not a violent act; by all means, it is far from it. The drinking of blood is a sensual process. Blood is precious to us-sacred. It is this feeling of sacredness that leads some vampires to drink from only one-the Lamoure. The Lamoure is one whom the vampire loves so completely that they want to have that mortal's quintessence flowing through them…to have a part of their lover with them always. For many vampires, it is their mortal wives or husbands, their lovers, someone significant to them.
I paused, as I entertained the idea of a lover…the idea of having someone with me always. Only one person came to mind, Remus. If I were ever to take a lover it would be him, and only him. He fills me with a joy I have never experienced before-it is like being a bird and only just realizing what your wings are for, the joy of flight. I feel myself become lost in thoughts of Remus…his wonderful smile, his gentle voice, his presence… I shake my head, in an attempt to focus my mind…to will it to continue reading…
As you may have noticed, vampires have often been depicted in mortal literature with a large variation between one author's descriptions and another. This is partly due to sloppiness on the part of mortals but can also be attributed to the fact that there are 3 stages in which we vampires can exist. These are known as: Plumatus (The Fledgling), Potor (The Drinker), and Messor (The Reaper).
With the passing of time, a vampire not only becomes more beautiful but also more dangerous. Like the calm of twilight passes into the danger of daybreak, so do a vampire's instincts, growing more dangerous with time. It is in our nature, in our base metal, to kill; with each passing stage this nature becomes more predominant until, ultimately all that is left is our true forms.
The first stage is one that all newly formed vampires will enter into, Plumatus, more commonly known as, the Fledgling. The fledgling although the most homely of all vampire forms is far fairer then any mere mortal. They wane in the twilight of mortality and immortality. As such, the fledgling exhibits many mortal traits, such as the warmth of mortal flesh-which remains supple and soft. Their bodies still cling to their mortal nature-something that will eventually fade with time, as they come to adjust to the dark gift.
The fledgling well feed on the blood of animals; starting with small creatures, until they build enough confidence and skill to drink from humans. The fledgling will only need to feed every month or so, drinking only a small quantity of blood, as they are weaned off of mortal food. A fledgling may ingest mortal food but they will find that it does not satisfy them, as it does not contain the potency of blood. As such, Fledglings generally do not pose a threat to humans.
The fledgling stage can last an indefinitely long period of time; they must first 'graduate' from animal blood to mortal blood before they enter the second stage. The taste of human blood awakens the vampiric instincts that would otherwise remain dormant. It is essential that the fledgling first learn to control their hunger before they enter stage two, should they fail to do so, they shall become an uncontrollable plague upon all in their presence-slaughtering several humans in one sitting.
Stage two is known as Potor, also known as the Drinker. The Drinker will need to consume more blood than that of a fledgling. Their bodies are undergoing a physical change and require more sustenance then their fledgling forms. Their bodies will lose its warmth, their beauty will increase exponentially and their fangs will become more prominent, as will their claws. The Drinker will wear beauty and serenity like a silk robe, hiding its true weapons under the folds of its cloth.
The Drinker will need to feed either upon several victims or on one several times-taking small mouthfuls of blood at each sitting-to satisfy their hunger. I must make it clear that as vampires, we are not to take the lives of mortals. We take from them only what we need to sustain ourselves- no more, no less. It is an unspoken promise that our kind has made to our prey; one that we must never break. Should we break this ancient promise, we will become nothing more then murderers, devourer of souls.
This vow is almost as sacred as the banning of magical blood. This brings me to a most important point: No vampire shall ever feast upon another creature of magic. It is cannibalistic to feast upon our kin. Any creature of magic is considered our kin, from the noble centaurs to the beautiful veela; we shall never drink from a child of magic. Unlike witches and wizards who simply wield magic, we are made from it-bore out of its mysterious core. Magic is in our flesh, in our blood, in our very souls. Not only is partaking of this magical blood sacrilegious, it is dangerous to the vampire that dares to do so. The magic within the blood of the beast, amplifies the power of our own magic accelerating our stages-forcing our bodies to become something our minds cannot handle, forcing them into the third and final stage: The Messor.
The Messor, more commonly referred to as the Reaper, is the bringer of death; they are the third and final form of vampires. It is very rare that a vampire should even enter this stage, as many Makers will deny their fledglings magical blood. However, for those lost fledglings who's Makers have abandoned them, the temptation of magical blood may be too great. I have been told that the blood of humans pale in comparison to that of a magical creature's-I suspect it is only a case of longing for the "forbidden fruit".
Know that once the forbidden blood touches ones lips ones soul will become cursed, damned for eternity. The infidels will be reduced to a shell of themselves, losing all reason and humanity. They will simply become a vessel for the hunger to wield, a tool of destruction. Reapers surrender to their blood lust, killing everyone around them in a futile attempt to satisfy their hunger. A Reaper will never know satisfaction; they could slaughter a village of people and still feel empty.
Pray dear child, that you will never know the emptiness of the Reaper.
I know that this may all play heavily upon your mind, but do not be deterred from feeding. It is vital that you do not, for a vampire in a weakened state is easily overpowered. Remember that this world is full of wizards that mean us harm; that wish for nothing more then our destruction.
I look back on Adelais' words as they sink into my subconscious and disappear from memory. My mind is filled with thoughts of Remus; it has been a month since I've seen him…. I reread the passage referring to fledglings.
I have never touched human blood; therefore, I am still a fledgling! How wonderful…I can see Remus again. I do not have to fear my vampiric instincts awakening…I do not have to fear my dream! That night in his office…those thoughts…they were not the result of my blood lust but of my…mortal lust…hmmm…perhaps there is still something I should fear…or perhaps something that Remus should fear. A smile stretches across my face, as thoughts of seducing the mysterious professor swirl in my mind.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I will do my best to update soon...but it is more likely that I will need another week or so to formulate the next chapter. But as you know, reviews have a way of forcing my hand to write faster;). I can promise you that it will be doubly long as this chapter-so if you are all willing to wait, I will try my very best to produce something worthy of your praises.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Ninde Annare