Chris: Ahem, new story from me. Another PoR fic. And since I was in a "Vampires are cool!" mood, guess what I wrote. Yeah, that's right. A vampire fic, cause there are like…no vampire fics in the Fire Emblem section.
Disclaimer: Don't own Fire Emblem.
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Chapter 1: Exploration
Throughout the whole history of Tellius, the laguz and the beorc have lived in relative peace. However, with the break-up between the laguz and the beorc in the nation of Begnion, conflict and strife have landed on the continent. The beorc set out to study and research the different type of laguz, to better prepare for the war that was sure to come. They spotted the bird tribes of Phoenicis and Kilvas. They studied the beast laguz in the nation of Gallia. Even the peaceful herons of Serenes Forest were not spared from their investigation. However, they missed one race of laguz.
This one race, cut off from the rest of the world, lived on the Isle of Nephiram, off the coast of Gallia and Crimea. Nobody even knew that this special race lived in the world. This race saw the continent of Tellius and yearned to see what it was like there. This yearning, however, soon turned to lust and obsession. They plotted to begin an eventual control of the continent, for depriving them of all of its sights. And now, finally, they saw the path open for their takeover. The beorc and the laguz of the main continent had finally gone at war with each other. This would be the perfect time to introduce their presence to the other beings. And they would bow down to them.
This race, this unknown race on the Isle of Nephiram, were called the night laguz. Like their name suggested, they did their best work at night, even though day didn't faze them at all. In their normal forms, the only difference you could tell between them and beorc is that small, sharp, pointed tail and the miniature wings on their back, as well as the tiny horns on the top of their head. However, in their true form, they became what people know as vampires. Strong in all ideas of magic, these laguz were physically weak and usually were not seen fighting with their claws and fangs. However, they possessed a few special abilities that were unique to them.
One was the ability to perform a quick hypnosis, which lasted for a short while. Second was the fact that in their true forms, and only in their true forms were they able to fly. Third was that they could shatter all of the battle energies within a laguz, forcing the foe to retreat back into normal form. And finally, the ability that set them apart from all other laguz was the fact that they were able to suck their opponent's blood. Technically, anyone could suck another's blood, but the night laguz had a special effect in theirs. If they drained enough blood from their victim and replaced a small portion with their own blood, the victim would become just like them. They would not be living, they would not be dead. They would just exist for the whim of their master, the one who transformed him/her. However, this ability is also draining on the night laguz itself and takes an enormous amount of time. In special situations, this ability would prove to be more useful that life itself…
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"Look at that land over there, Lankith. Soon, we will be controlling it all." A tall, sandy-haired man smiled at a shorter boy next to him, his smile showing small fangs. "In just a couple of moments, we'll be on their shores, ready to envelop them in a sea of black." He stretched slightly. "Are you excited?"
"You bet I am, sir Yeonis!" Lankith returned, mimicking his leader's grin. "Do you know where we are going to attack first?" He looked over the prow of the ship at the sunlit land in front of them. "I can't wait to take my first step on that continent!"
"Well, from what our King says, we'll be striking a small laguz village near the border of Gallia and Crimea." Yeonis smiled slightly. "I know what you're thinking. Why are we attacking laguz when we ourselves are laguz."
Lankith gulped. "You read my mind!" He gaped at his superior in surprise.
"Haha!" Yeonis chuckled. "Of course not. I only know because I asked our king the same thing."
"And what did he say?" Lankith looked at superior quizzically. "Surely there must be some logical reason behind all this."
"Well, the king said that because we ourselves are laguz, it would be easier to infiltrate a laguz settlement instead of a human settlement. You must admit, it does make sense." Yeonis sighed slightly. "Still, I feel uneasy about killing our fellow laguz."
"I agree…" Lankith returned, looking somber. "Actually, I'm really not sure whether or not I want to do this…"
"Hah! That's because you're a weakling, Lankith! You haven't even tamed your first slave yet!" A cynical laughter spread through the ship and Lankith turned, his long, crimson hair flying behind him.
"What do you want, Rakol?" Lankith shouted, his eyes narrowed. "I don't need to take your insults!"
"Of course you do!" Rakol, a tall, gruff, dark-haired boy sped up to Lankith, punching the small kid in the nose. "Don't mouth off to your betters! I already have three slaves and you don't have any!"
Lankith fell to the wooden planks, clutching his bleeding nose, tears of pain popping out of his eyes. Trying to stem the flow, he glared up at the bigger boy. "Don't be such a jerk, Rakol!"
The dark-haired laguz responded by kicking Lankith in the stomach. "You shut up!" Rakol tugged on a chain that was wrapped around his hand. "Hey slave! Come up here!"
A lithe, ragged looking girl stumbled forward. She looked at Rakol fearfully, struggling against the chains. Rakol walked up to his slave and kissed her roughly, before tossing her aside. Licking his lips thoughtfully, Rakol turned back to Lankith, who had struggled up, still clutching his nose. Grinning, the bigger boy rushed Lankith again, only to be stopped by Yeonis.
"Don't lay another hand upon my student." Yeonis warned, looking down at the dark-haired vampire. "Go down with your slave and satisfy your sick desires some other way."
Rakol spat at Yeonis before doing as the older man ordered. Yeonis looked distastefully at the bully before turning and examining Lankith. His eyes softened as he cradled his young apprentice. "Are you okay, Lankith?"
"Y-Yeah…" He mumbled, feeling that the blood had finally stopped flowing from his nose. "I…I better get washed." He smiled half-heartedly. "Don't want to be in a battle looking like I was already wounded."
"That's the spirit!" Yeonis patted Lankith on the back. "But…Do you think you will…take a slave in this raid?"
"I…I don't know…" Lankith muttered. "I feel uneasy thinking about it…Maybe…" He stumbled towards the sick room of the ship, intent on cleaning his blood-caked nose. Yeonis watched his apprentice carefully.
"If you want the bullies to stop…You're going to have to act tougher…" Yeonis said thoughtfully, looking at the land in front of them. "Soon…We will attack." Yeonis smiled, images of control and slaughter resounding in his mind.
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"Melissa! Can you please bring in the laundry?"
"Yes, mother!" Melissa, a young, cat-girl with deep brown hair smiled cheerfully as she bent over the wicker basket she used to carry the laundry with. As she pulled down the clothing from the clothesline, she sniffed appreciatively at the different, pleasant scents that were wafting in. "It's such a beautiful day today…"
As she took down the last piece of clothing, however, a new scent drifted across her sensitive nose. It was different, entrancing, and slightly disturbing as well. She had never smelt something like this before. Rushing back inside her small house, Melissa dumped the laundry on the floor. "Mom, do you smell that?"
"Yes, I do, Melissa…" Her mother sniffed the air again. "I don't like this…Melissa, go find someplace to hide. This isn't a beorc smell…But it still is dangerous."
"But mom, I can fight!" Melissa protested. "You know that as well as I do!"
"Listen, dear…" Melissa's mother kneeled down and grasped her daughter by the shoulders. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I can't bear thinking about what would happen if you were to die."
"O-Okay, mom…" Melissa sniffed and ran off somewhere to hide.
Confident that her daughter would be fine, Melissa's mother rushed out to face this new danger.
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Lankith looked down at the village before him. Apparently, the laguz villagers were ready for them. They stood at the shoreline menacingly, glaring at the ship that dared approach their homes. Lankith gulped. It wasn't that he was afraid, but he didn't really like fighting all that much. He knew it was that attitude that branded him easy pickings by bullies like Rakol, but he couldn't help it. Bloodshed wasn't his department, which is why he honed on his hypnosis powers more than his strength.
The ship finally docked at the shoreline as the night laguz disembarked. To be frank, it didn't look that good for the vampires. Since they were just a exploration group, their numbers totaled around fifty. However, the village laguz that faced them were somewhere in the hundreds. Lankith gulped again. He wasn't sure if they were going to win this fight.
"What do you want, visitors?" A male laguz, apparently the mayor of the village, stepped up. "We have never seen the likes of you before!"
"And you won't ever see us again!" Rakol yelled as the energies of battle flooded his veins and he transformed into his true shape. All around him, other battle-loving laguz transformed and attacked.
The laguz from the village were caught off guard by the sudden attack and the revelation that their attackers were laguz as well. However, thanks to their quick reflexes, some were able to transform in time and avoid the surprise attack. Lankith joined in the fighting, even though he was only in his normal form. The battle energies did not flow to him as well as they flowed to others, and he would have to wait before he could transform.
'…I don't want to do this…' Lankith thought to himself as he finally felt his blood charge with power. Screaming, he tossed his head back as his wings exploded into their true forms, majestic and mysterious. His fangs grew deep and his nails extended to claws. His eyes flickering, he turned and grabbed a random enemy by the shoulder. "Look into my eyes!"
The person he was holding suddenly went limp, controlled by the mesmerizing gaze of Lankith. The crimson-haired vampire drove his claws deep into the laguz's stomach and withdrew it, causing a fountain of blood to burst on his clothes. Grimacing, he turned to find another target.
A giant cat leaped at his throat, no doubt intent on ripping his throat out. Lankith flew to the side, dodging the attack. He lashed out with his claws, scratching the giant beast on the side. However, his attack barely fazed the creature, who only turned and bit down on Lankith's arm, causing the young vampire to scream in pain. He ripped his arm out of the cat's teeth, feeling the flesh tear off of his arm.
Feeling anger and rage well up inside of him, he glared at the cat. "Look into my eyes!" The cat fell for the trap and froze. Lankith brought up his uninjured hand to stab his claws right into the cat's eyes, but someone else killed the beast laguz first. Feeling anger well up in his heart again, he saw the person who had stolen his rightful kill. "Rakol, you bastard!"
"If you can't kill them, don't even bother fighting!" Rakol returned, scowling. Lankith spat at him before returning to the battle, ignoring his bleeding arm. Since he was a creature who practically harvested blood for a living, he could live without blood for a short amount of time. Certainly, he would have to have his arm healed, but that could wait.
The crimson-haired vampire looked for another victim. Unfortunately, it looked like everyone was already occupied. A couple of the vampires had fallen, but the vampires had taken a heavy toll on the beast laguz because of their surprise attack and now the numbers were almost even. Lankith decided to raid one of the houses to see if he could find some sort of medicine for his throbbing arm.
When he opened the door, he was suddenly tackled by a long, brown-haired, brown-eared girl. The girl brought her hands closer on Lankith's throat and he hurriedly kicked her off of him.
"Stay away from me!" Lankith shouted, his crystal-blue eyes wide open. "Listen, I don't want to fight! I just want to get medicine!"
"Too bad! I'm tired of hiding all the time!" The girl shouted, her arms becoming legs and her hands turning into palms. In a couple of seconds, a lithe, brown-furred cat stood in front of him, hissing angrily.
"I don't have the patience for this! I don't want to fight!" Lankith retorted, his patience nearing a minimum. The cat didn't listen to him and leaped at his stomach.
Screaming angrily, Lankith gathered his own battle energies in his hand and shoved it at the cat. It passed through her body and exploded through the other side, draining the cat of any excess battle energy she might have possessed. She toppled to the floor, quickly changing back into a human form. Lankith sighed as he felt himself change as well.
"How…How did you do that?" The girl whispered, her shining, yellow eyes wide.
"It's just something I can do." Lankith said angrily, searching for some sort of balm for his wounded arm. "Let me just get some medicine and I'll leave you alone!"
"Hey look! Lankith's found a girl!" Rakol shouted, pointing to the crimson-haired boy. He quickly dispatched the laguz he was fighting and walked over to Lankith, smirking. "Come on, hand her over. I can always use another slave!"
"Hold it!" Yeonis rushed over to Lankith's side. "He found her first. He has first claim on any people he might wish to change!"
Rakol laughed and spat on the ground. "Lankith? Convert someone? Hah! Don't make me laugh! He would never do something like that!"
Lankith looked frantically between the fallen girl in front of him to Rakol and Yeonis. Rakol was smirking with his arms folded and Yeonis was nodded slightly, looking concernedly at Lankith. The girl looked at Lankith, frightened.
"He doesn't have the guts! Come on, Lankith! Don't keep me waiting! I'm going to have some fun with her!" Rakol crowed.
Lankith gulped and looked at the cat-eared girl in front of him. "Um…I'm sorry…But…I…I have to…" He looked back at Rakol before turning back to her.
"Wha? N-No…" She crawled backwards, fright rampant across her features. "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let you do it!"
"You have no choice…" Lankith sighed and looked at the cat-girl. "Look into my eyes!"
The girl froze, entranced by Lankith's eyes. She remained motionless, shuddering slightly as she tried to break from the vampire's gaze. "W-W-What….What is…is this? I…I can't…I can't move…"
Lankith walked towards the female laguz. "Just don't do anything." He kneeled next to her. "I…I don't want to do this myself. But I have to." He gingerly held the spellbound girl, looking deeply into her eyes. "Please forgive me."
The girl just stared at him, unable to move. However, Lankith could notice that she was shivering a lot and was suppressing the desire to break out in tears. Sighing at what he had to do next; Lankith ran a hand across her smooth neck and captured her lips in a kiss. The girl gave a small gasp of surprise, still unable to move.
'Please forgive me.' Lankith moved lower and lightly kissed the girl's neck. Next, he brought out his fangs and with careful precision, tore into the girl's throat and slowly, gently, drank her silky, succulent blood.
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Chris: Well, there you go. Hope you liked it and if not…I dunno, go bitch about it in a review. Anyway, review please and good luck! And I don't know about the update time for this. I like the idea, but I dunno if I'll have enough time to update consistently.
