A Dream, Within a Dream.
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
- Edgar Allen Poe.
P R O L O G E
King Haro smiled with tranquility as he looked down towards Queen Sera and his fourth born child. The infant stared up at the giant, knowing full well who this was. Haro smiled. This baby was born in the first quarter of the year, the Water, which could mean a very many things, yet to be found out. In exactly seventeen years, this baby would know… this baby would become king of his kind. Most of the children born in the forest knew right away who they were. Some though were turned out back into the society of humans, reining so little ways off. Haro knew that the family, the world known to him would be better for this baby when he was older.
Haro turned to Sera. Her eyelids flickered. " Haro? Are you here?"
Turning quickly to his queen's aid Haro responded. " Yes my love, I am here."
In her bed, Sera lay having just delivered their fourth child. " What should we name him? We should pick a name you know. He can't just be … nameless."
King Haro turned his blue eyes back to his friend. There, finally her humor was back and twinkling in her soft green eyes. " What about Rommier? It's the name of one of the great kings long ago," Haro suggested.
" No, I don't think so. What about Horrian?"
" The name is supposed to strike fear! No, he cannot be named that," Haro explained.
" Then, he will be Zaren. I like that one," Sera told her husband. She was as stubborn as a mule.
" Yes, he will be Zaren."
Young Zaren opened his black eyes. He'd inherited that trait from a king long ago. The baby's eyebrows were a dark shade of silver, meaning that some day, Zaren would be a silver and black man. These were now uncommon, for a child to be born in the quarter of the water is rare, and as the town below had killed most of them, hoping that tourists would not think them a not- normal town.
Which, in fact they were no doubt. This could be for their principles and beliefs, like the goddesses and gods that ruled their world. The quarters of the year could also have something to do with it. The moon, sun, fire and water quarters.
Quarters are what you would call 'seasons' or 'months', but as they sound, they are neither. These things, the 'quarters' divided the year. Each fourth of the year would have rituals and sacrifices to the God or Goddess that quarter. For example, since Zaren is born in the Water quarter, he will be an immaculate Water-flyer. These kinds of Invisryn, the water-flyers are very cool tempered. If you thought about it, quarters are like the signs of the zodiac. Each has it's own qualities.
Seven years passed. Moran, Seror, Emmena and Zaren sat quietly by a window watching the rain pour down in buckets. Queen Sera and Haro where in the palace hospital, with their fifth and sixth children, Linnetta and Correseta. Twins, and Moran and Seror and Emmena and Zaren hated the thought. They knew what happened to royal families in the town, they knew. They hated to think that their parents would jeopardize their safety for love. Even so, their parents loved them too, right? Right…
A few days later there was a knock on the palace doors. "Come in," King Haro yelled.
A young woman walked in with her baby. " I am so very sorry to trouble you, King Haro. However now is my seventeenth birthday and my child should not know me as I truly am. Please, may I come to live with my rightful family? I will bring my baby to her father, then I will be free to live on my own until her seventeenth birthday, for I have seventeen years. She is only a few years old!"
Noticing the distress in the young woman's voice, the King and Queen thought it was perfectly a good plan. Zaren was only a few years old too, so he could someday check on her baby for her. " Of course, Miss. That is fine."
" Thank you! Thank you so very much, long live the royal family!"
CHAPTER ONE.
Prince Zaren sat around in the palace loitering. Today was his seventeenth birthday, the largest and most celebrated birthday among the Invisryns. Oh, how good it felt to finally be back in the place he belonged. Home. He'd been in the south territories of his kind for the last three years, fighting for his people. These creatures had been banished from the town, Horsdon, centuries before, for their looks and who they were. Zaren was a six foot one inch Invisryn, with silver hair and black eyes. He was definitely irresistible to his kind. Heck, he was irresistible to any homo-species creature to walk to planet. The interesting part of that was he knew it. Zaren's older brother, Moran stood off towards the other end of the throne room, talking to Gera his wife. Moran was five years older than Zaren, three more than Seror and one more than Emmena, seven more than Linnetta and Coresetta.
Moran was intricately explaining something to his first son, Merror. Zaren laughed silently and stood up and elegantly waltzed over to Moran, Gera and Merror.
" Good afternoon Zaren," Moran said with his drawl. All of the Invisryn had this, however for some it was less defined. Each Invisryn was a combination of a bird, something invisible and a vampire for they had wings, fangs and could turn invisible hence their names.
" And you brother," Zaren said without paying much attention to the fact that his nephew was tugging on his pant leg.
" Sir, SIR!" The young boy said with growing impatience.
Setting his jaw, Zaren spun to look at the boy. " What is it now Merror?" He asked with a hint of threat in his smooth voice. "Gera, kindly take your son out of here before I decide that I'd like to knock his face in," He muttered to his sister in law.
The young woman nodded curtly and hastened off.
"Zare, do you think that it might be in your best interest to be a little bit kinder to my son? After all, is the first generation or so of your people under your ruling, brother," Moren asked with a cool air. He knew his brother very well and very well not to anger him. Zaren was known for his temper.
The prince just raised an silver eyebrow and nodded curtly. " Yes, yes. You win, dear brother. Where is Seror and Emmena? They were supposed to be here by now!"
" They are coming, Zaren . Do not worry. As your new advisor, I will personally threaten our siblings if they are late. However I have one final question for you. What if Linnetta and Coresetta decide to come from home?"
" Then they do. There is nothing I can do to stop them; they have their own minds you know," Zaren laughed.
Moran nodded and turned off to go looking for his other brother and sister. They were needed for the Coronation ceremony that was to be taking place that evening for Zaren. You see, it is Invisryn custom to perform the fourth child's coronation on their seventeenth birthday, for that is when they receive their Invisryn gifts. These customs came from a long way back, relating to the oldest kings.
Zaren walked back to his perch by the window. Life for him was monotonous, it had to change. Zaren needed to spice life back up in the palace and he intended to do so. His thoughts began to wander…
Beyond the palace lay miles of forest, ending in a tunnel, which blew out into a cave. This cave acknowledged the end of the Invisryn territory and turned into Human territory. The first house was the mayor of Horsdon's dwelling. He and his daughter lived there alone.
When his daughter was a very little girl, this man had told her never to venture alone into the woods. Here, lived horrible creatures who would take her and never let her see him again. This however, was yet to be found out as untrue. They didn't know that.
" Zaren! There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere. Don't you think it would be nice if you let Coresetta and Linetta in on your coronation?" the prince's mother, Queen Sera asked as she glided towards him upon her silver and gold studded slippers and her maroon gown laced with silver. Sera was a beautiful queen, however she was getting on in her years. " Also, you must be excited about being able to choose a queen in a year, aren't you my prince?"
Zaren turned towards his mother with a look of contempt. His moods were known to change very often, and vary in their length but never as often as this day's. " Yes, yes. I know that I should let them in, but do you think I actually want to? Mind you this is a day of things only I want to happen will. Personally, I am dreaming of the day I pick my queen to take your place mother, and I should think you of all would know to stay out of my way of it," the young man set his jaw; Queen Sera knew full well she would not be able to change her son's mind.
" I see, my dear. Who are you thinking you will choose?"
Zaren rolled his eyes and then lowered them, for he knew that he was not yet king and what he did to his mother did matter yet. " I don't really know …"
" Well, you are your dear Adamina would rule perfectly well you know. What about Jemma? She's still eyeing Queen, yet we all know she would not like the fighting."
" No, I don't think either of them will do. Somebody who can actually love me would be more preferable," Zaren retorted with his usual sarcasm. " They just like to look at me, you know," He added with a cold laugh. " Somebody who can rule without the thought of it getting in their big, fat and stupid heads. Somebody new, that most around here won't know just yet so our actions may be somewhat less predictable."
Now that was just going to push Queen Sera over the edge. " Look Zaren. I'm sorry you are who you are. I am sorry you are our fourth child. I wish that Seror or Moran was. But they are not, and you are. Please, if you will, do as I say and announce one of them as your queen." Queen Sera stormed off from her son.
" Have mercy on me," the prince muttered as his mother huffed off. The Queen turned as if she had heard him, then finally running off sadly.
" Linetta?" Coresetta asked through the door connecting to the hallway which she was standing. Cora, as her family called her, turned around to look at the door across the hallway. This was her older brother's room. Zaren was the nicest of her siblings to her. Seror was second. Linetta was the unliked one. Zaren used to take her on walks when she was a little baby. He'd sing to her. He did things that nobody now would think him capable. But, he did and Cora knew that someday he'd make a perfect father. Nobody but her really knew.
" Cora? Coming, hold on one second please. Who wants us?" The high-pitched chirp came back through the door.
"Zaren does. He says that if we don't get down there he'll lock us in here later," Cora said as she tried very hard to hold in the giggle just waiting to pop out. She missed her brother quite badly for he'd been the on to raise her. He'd taken her through the hard times, and the pleasant ones. Yes, he was her favorite person.
" Okay," Linnetta said as she pushed the door open. " Ready!"
The twins walked silently down the hall towards the throne room. At the threshold Queen Sera, King Haro, Moran, Seror and Emmena stood waiting impatiently.
" Where were you two? I've been looking all over, if you hadn't just shown up I think Zaren would have killed me," Moran said with a deep sigh.
" We all know what would have happened Moran," Seror grumbled annoyed.
" Stop fighting you two! Zaren is probably just a little… edgy today as it is the day he becomes king. We ought to support him, you know?"
" Mother, I think that is going a tad far, don't you," Linnetta stated with a purse of her lips.
Emmena stifled a laugh as she saw her brother come striding towards them quietly. She tried to make a motion to have them stop talking about him but they did not get the hint.
" He is as stubborn as a mule, he'd do anything to hurt me," Linetta insisted.
" Shut up you big cat," Cora started, then trailed off when she saw Zaren creep up behind Linnetta with his side sword unsheathed, then he turned invisible. His eyes where glinting mischievously. Cora knew he wouldn't hurt her … would he?
" You know," Cora started, " I think that our family should stop talking about each other behind their backs."
Emmena seconded her motion. " Yes, Coresetta I agree full heartedly."
Back to person form, Zaren just couldn't take it anymore. He was shaking with laughter. " Not support me? I think then you'll live in a dungeon, remember I can do that now Linnie," Zaren said as his eyes placed a threat on his younger sister.
" Now now Zare," Seror started as he smirked and raised the end of his eyebrow in challenge to his favorite sibling. " Zaren, would you really have hurt her?" Seror awaited his brother's reply curiously. He seriously didn't know the answer.
Zaren crossed his legs and leaned on the sheath of his sword, trying to make it look like he was actually contemplating it. " Yeah, I think I would," He said with a chuckle. They all knew he could and probably would but they also knew that he would do anything for his siblings.
" Well, shall we go? I think your people Zare, are awaiting their king," King Haro said as he stepped into the picture with Queen Sera's arm fastened onto his.
Moran, Seror, Cora, Linnetta, Emmena and Zaren nodded and from the oldest child to the youngest, not including the King, the family would enter the palace's event room. This was yet another old custom that showed the respect of their new King. The family would walk in before to make sure that it was safe for their king to walk out.
The Invisryns were starring intently at the pine stage that over looked the flat landing where the people would stand. Standing showed yet more respect for their upcoming King.
" My dear family, my Invisryn people," King Haro started and paused for the theatrical effect. " I present to you your new king. King Zaren."
At this point, the new king, Zaren, would walk out and stride confidently towards his father. Then, he would say a few words to his people. " I, Zaren, will uphold the position of King, confidently and keep you all safe. This does mean I will die trying, so please don't get yourselves into too much trouble," Zaren added a laugh. " I will protect you like your parents would, and in return you will honor me." The crowed cheered. There were a few who didn't totally agree with him however most of them did. Especially the women, they did all like him, no exceptions.
" Now, for your new advisor, we give you Moran with his assistant, Seror," Haro told them. As if noted by a light or some kind of signal, Seror and Moran walked out onto the stage beside their brother who held a confident stare and nodded towards them. This was all they were going to get from him for applause for they knew that this was a terribly big event in his life. In fact, it would change his life forever.
Two hours later, in human time that is, the entire population's appointments had been canceled. This did include school. All of the little invisryn children were definitely happy. They all went out into the forest to play, while in the Palace things were a little less chaotic.
" Zaren, what are you going to do tomorrow as your first day as king?"
Zaren looked dully amused by this question. " I don't actually know. Probably go into the front cave and have a look around. I don't know…"
Sera looked annoyed by her son's antics. He was usually this undecided, but never so unorganized. Why was this happening to her king? Oh, how she wished Seror was the fourth child instead of Zaren. He was just so, much more kingly if you get the drift. However, she was just slightly pleased with the way he was addressing her as Queen Sera still. The effect that she wasn't the queen anymore hadn't worn off.
Zaren strode off briskly towards his own room that he had shared with Seror. Now, that whole corridor had to be stripped of it's inhabitants and it would become the Royal Hall. A slight, eerie noise filled his ears. It was coming from Cora and Linetta's room. Zaren decided to investigate, so he knocked twice, which in the old days for them would have meant, I'm coming in.
" Cora? What is that?" He asked with a funny look on his face. Zaren was trying to be considerate that he had to kick them out of their rooms, but he wasn't sure he could care.
As Corresetta opened the door she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Her brother would not be there for her anymore. How could she be so selfish though? The rest of their population depended on him! " It's just the old music box Jorrium gave you when I was born," the girl mumbled quietly. She hadn't meant to annoy him by it.
" That old thing? You still have that Cora?"
The little girl shrugged. In her small and vampired drawl she answered. " Of course, I miss when we could all go out in the back yard and play a game of Bite or tag." When they where littler, all of the seven Invisryn Royals would go into the woods behind the palace and play a game of what we'd know as tag. One would become invisible and chase the rest around. Bite would just be a way to survive their vampire's bloodlust, since it did not hurt any of them.
" Yes, you're not alone. Why don't you and Linetta head out there and I'll meet you in the yard in a few minutes. I just have to pick the room that I want for mine," Zaren said lightly.
" Okay, how about we get everybody in our immediate family? Moran, Meror, Gera, Seror, Emmena, You, Linnie, me, Kies'o and Kalip'sae." Kies'o and Kalip'sae were the two children of Misa, they were thought quite royal for their father, was King Haro. Sera and Haro were only together still for their two youngest children. Haro had cheated on Sera, almost accidentally, but how was that possible? Misa had come to them just after Zaren had been born, telling that she was a daughter of Vora, the most sacred Invisryn line. Haro had always been an easy man to have his loyalties swayed.
" Sounds good, but do you actually think we should play Bite? I mean, I think that if I accidentally hit Kies'o and Kalip'sae they'd die," Zaren said with a smirk and a cold laugh.
" You probably would. Don't though, okay?" Cora said, a little bit scared of her brother. Zaren was one of the most feared and infamous Vampires that the earth knew, well to the humans at least. He wasn't a vampire who killed for the fun of it, however he did when he needed a BM, as they called it. ( Bm blood meal).
" Yes, I won't. Now, go get her and I'll meet you out there," Zaren ordered. Shaking his head, he headed down the hall towards his old room. Sorry Seror, you're moving out!
Zaren headed down to the woods a few minutes later. Already there was Misa, Kies'o, Kalip'sae, Seror, Moran, Gera, Meror, Emmena, Sera, Haro, Linnetta and Coresetta. " Zair, who do you want to be it?" Kies'o asked.
Zaren scowled. He really did not like the two little boys but, naturally they were obsessed with him. " I'll be it," He said coldly. If they so much as put a foot near me, I'm not even going to try to control, Zaren thought. It, was his bloodlust. However hard he tried to keep it in, it always had a way of seeking the outside world. Today, Zaren didn't think he would be able to control himself into not biting the twins that were his half-brothers.
Emmena was the first to get Zaren's wrath. She laughed at him when he almost caught her in the tree but broke the branch and fell. He lunged at her and tossed and arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Then, he wrapped his other hand around her neck and bit. She screamed and he bit harder.
" Let go!" Emmena screamed.
Zaren wouldn't budge. Emmena could feel herself becoming weaker. " Let go Zare!"
Begrudgingly Zaren pried his fangs from her neck and coughed. He wiped the blood onto his black shirt sleeve. " Thanks, I was hungry," He mumbled as he turned invisible and fled off to find one of the twins. He first came upon Kalip'sae, and when the little boy heard a tiny noise turned, and fell into Zaren's open arms. Zaren was in such a horrible mood that he pulled the tiny pocket knife imbedded into his pants and slit the boy's throat. He then did as he had to Emmena and finished the last bead of blood, simmering out of the cut.
And there you go, Zaren would not let anything in his way, let alone let it live after. Zaren moved the body into the woods behind a tree. I told you so! Back by the forest entrance, Emmena told the family she had no idea of where her brother was.
" Where is Zaren? And Kalip'sae? I thought they were still in the woods with you!" Arura cried.
Seror bit back a laugh. " Kalip'sae probably just did a silly little thing and knocked Zaren into a bad mood! Zair is probably getting him lost right about there," Seror pointed into the woods where a blur was stirring up leaves. " We all can see him because we're able to turn invisible but since the boys cannot yet, they can't even see the faintest outline. He has no idea that he is even remotely lost most likely."
A few minutes passed. " Where is Kalip'sae?" Arura demanded.
Zaren appeared a few feet behind her. " I have no idea," He said, trying to sound innocent. Only Seror, Moran, Cora and Emmena could see he knew full well where the boy was.
" Where is he Zaren Galino Horrian Invisryiana!" Haro demanded of his son.
" Well let's see, shall we?" Zaren mused, " He could be anywhere in the heavens by now." Obivously pleased with the stunned looks he was getting, Zaren backed off. " Didn't I tell you all that someday I'd show you I don't care? Someday I'd show you that I mean what I say? Well, today was that day." Coughing from the mix of Emmena's blood and Kalip'sae's Zaren winced. He had forgotten that as a young Invisryn, you were not supposed to mix blood.
Arura fainted. Zaren stifled a laugh and turned off. It was not in his nature to be sorry. Under his breath he muttered sorry so that only his siblings and father could hear.