A/N: WHAT'S UP MUCKACHUNGAS!? It's Travez here and I'm happy, and a bit sad, to bring you this chapter to you today, but you'll find out why later… Now to be honest, I am loving the fact you are all loving this story so far (though I'm kinda pulling everything out of my ass), but I'm going to let you guys know that I'm going to be taking a break from this story for a bit so I can focus on another project that I want to do for a little bit…
This project I'm working on is actually something I had been wanting to do for a while now, but i've been a bit iffy on it due to the fact of my difficult in pinning races with the characters I have planned for it. In any case, the story I'm planning on working on is a Pure Dungeons and Dragons story, but it will also be having some Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver Influences! If any of you have ever heard of the MMO known as Nosgoth, then you know where I plan to go with said premise! If any of you guys like Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver, then I hope you will all love this story that I am planning. It is will be called "Ozar Midrashim" in honor of the theme of Soul Reaver, and the Dhampirs who will be in this story will be modeled in Honor of the Sons of Kain, and the Nosgoth Vampire Classes: The Razielim Sentinels, the Turelim Tyrants, the Dumahim Reavers, the Rahabim Dwellers, the Zephonim Deceivers, and the Melchahim Summoners. So any of you vampire and Legacy of Kain fans out there, be ready for what is to come!
Anyway, that is enough out of me! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with everyone you know who likes Dungeons and Dragons, as well as Game of Thrones content! Also, be prepared for when Ozar Midrashim comes out! Catch ya on the Flipside! NAT 20! *Rolls for damage* DRACARYS!
Chapter 3: The Last of the Rahabim
Lannister Tent…
To say Tywin Lannister was furious for being tricked, one would consider it an understatement… There was no way to describe the rage fueling Tywin Lannister… He knew it was a trick, but to think that Aerys would go so far as to name his heir as a member of the Kingsguard, and to make a spectacle of Lyanna Stark marrying Prince Rhaegar, this was something that could not stand! "DAMN YOU AERYS!" Tywin shouts, slamming his hand on a table, the first time in years he ever made his anger visible and verbal, not since his wife, Joanna, died. He then throws a vase of water towards the entrance, but, deftly, it is caught as somebody walks inside the tent. "WHO GOES THERE!"
"Peace my lord…" A hooded figure says, walking towards Lord Tywin, in which Vlad takes off his hood. "I can taste your rage all the way from my tent…"
"Lord Draculya… What are you doing here?"
"Offering my assistance, my lord." Vlad says, "You see, Aerys is indeed mad, but I have reason to believe this goes beyond what should be considered normal for madness…" Vlad steps aside as Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna walk in.
"Prince Rhaegar, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"My Lord Tywin, I know what my father has done to you, and honestly, I'm disgusted with what I have found out, and his actions… My Father's madness is causing the kingdom to spiral out of control." Rhaegar says, to which he then looks to Lord Tywin, "We've also reason to believe that my father may be in league with the Vampires…"
"Vampires… This new creature showing up is nothing more than a fairy t-!" That is when Vlad grabs Tywin by the neck and utilizes Primal Savagery to transform his face, looking at Tywin.
"To dismiss what you don't understand or comprehend is the sign of a fool, Lord Tywin!" Vlad says, his voice slightly changed, Tywin grasping the man's wrist as he feels the man's powerful fingers around his neck.
"Vlad… Drop him…" Rhaegar orders.
"Yes…" Vlad says, dropping Tywin unceremoniously to the floor.
"Well, that was impeccable timing, your grace…" Tywin says, gasping for breath. He stands up and looks at Vlad, who walks back to being behind Rhaegar. "Say I do believe you about this Vampire nonsense… What would my house stand to gain for rising against Aerys?"
"I would have it that your grandchild, son or daughter, would be betrothed to either Rhaenys or Aegon, depending on their gender, placing your legacy in line for the throne." Rhaegar says, "I'm already on temperamental ground with the Faith, due to my recent gravitation towards the Old Gods."
"And who, pray tell, would Cersei have children with?"
"Vlad, of course…!" Rhaegar explains, looking to Vlad, who hides his smirk. "It seems Cersei, despite only meeting him briefly, is drawn to him."
"I also nearly lost control of my sense of self whenever I was near her, and she offered me her favor…" Vlad says, placing a hand around his neck, the cloth still there.
"And why should I give my daughter to a Minor Lord? You've yet to contribute to the economy of the Seven Kingdoms, your biggest chance at displaying your goods was days ago with your Mead…" Lord Tywin says, "You're also one of these damned Vampires you seek so vehemently to destroy!"
"I'm a Dhampir, my lord, in fact, we discovered there isn't just one vampire we need to worry about, but six…"
"Six?" Tywin asks.
"One of them is my mother…" Vlad explains, confessing to him. "However, I won't speak of them more until you join this alliance of ours, it's too dangerous to speak any more when we don't have your support."
"Then how am I supposed to trust you? Do you have any other promises you wish to make, your grace?" Tywin asks, looking at Rhaegar.
"I can assure that you will regain your seat upon the Kingsguard, and if Ser Jaime wishes it, I can release him of his vows to take Leadership of Casterly Rock." Rhaegar explains, "What my father did may have been a great honor for Jaime, but to you it was vile and cruel, but also, Jaime would be a great leader of the West."
"How so?" Tywin asks.
"For instance, he has all the strengths of a warrior, but he also has your leadership qualities, but more than that, he has a level of compassion and open-mindedness that would allow him to earn the love of the people without allowing the other noble lords of the Westerlands to walk all over him." Rhaegar explains, "Think of him as a better version of your father, Tytos, just not as weak."
"Hmmmm…"
"But more than that, Jaime can actually see the potential in Tyrion, and while your youngest son will never inherit the Rock, not utilizing the brain inside of us skull would be a complete waste!" Vlad says, to which Tywin gives him a look. "Think about it, if you give Tyrion a place of high responsibility, he will stop all of his wasteful spending and actually make himself useful to Jaime. Plus, Jaime is but a handful of people who respect him, and the more respect he gains, the better off the Westerlands will be, as Tyrion would make a fine Castellan. This way, he won't inherit the Rock, but he will be given a position in it that he can do well, and throw in Jaime as the Leader of the Rock, Tyrion will truly want for nothing!"
Tywin thinks hard on what this dhampir has to say, it would be killing two birds with one stone, besides, any children of Tyrions could create a branch of House Lannister that act as Castellans that would be directly tied to Jaime's line, allowing for a stronger, more loyal connection to the main house. The only problem is Tyrion's status as a dwarf, but that could be worked around. "Say I were to accept this deal, what could you tell me about these vampires?"
"Well the Vampires that came here are the Leaders of 6 different Clans: Razielim, Turelim, Dumahim, Rahabim, Zephonim, and Melchiahim… Each clan has their own sigil that naturally forms into their flesh, similar to that birthmark, but has the appearance of being branded into the skin. Vampires can't reproduce with each other, but they can reproduce with humans, creating Dhampirs, half-vampires." Vlad explains. "My clan in particular, the Rahabim, are the most prolific of this, due to one simple weakness… Vampires who are reborn into the Rahabim Clan can't survive in sunlight outside of the water… That is why the majority of my clan's forces, since my birth, were all made of Dhampirs."
"And what makes you Dhampirs so special that your mother and those she brings into your clan so special that she'd be willing to weaken her clan in such a way?" Tywin asks, it is a testing prod at Vlad, hoping to see more of his character to validate his decision.
"Well aside from our immunity to sunlight, Dhampirs are born with many of the traits from different clans already. Like the Melchiahim, we have such a profound nature that we don't need to breathe in order to survive, like the Zephonim we can scale any wall presented to us, like the Rahabim, we are immune to the acidic effects of water." Vlad explains, "Like the Dumahim, we are slightly faster than even the fastest of vampires, like the Turelim, we have enhanced senses that allow us to see in the dark. Finally, a rare few of us, before our clan was wiped out, began to discover a way to fly like the Razielim, using our natural affinity for water."
"I can see why the Rahabim would be so infatuated with having your people be their primary forces…" Tywin says, "But tell me, what would happen if you, a half-vampire, were to have children with a normal human being?"
"Honestly, I don't know… I've never heard of any Dhampirs having children outside of our own kind before, so your guess is as good as mine, my lord." Vlad says, Tywin looking at him.
"One more question before I make my decision… If you were to meet your mother, what would you do?"
"That depends…" Vlad says, "If she retains her humanity, then I will spare her and bring her back home with me to Moat Cailin… If not… I will have no choice but to kill her." Vlad explains, "My mother once asked me to be the one to finish should she lose to the Great Hunger…"
"I see…" Tywin says, "My Prince, I am not sure what to make of this, but if these Vampires are indeed as great a threat as your "friend" there says they are, then I suppose the Westerlands are with you."
"Thank you, my lord!" Prince Rhaegar says.
"As for my daughter…" Tywin says, "There is one thing I will require of you in order to finalize this…"
"And what might that be, my lord?" Vlad asks, to which Tywin produces an empty bottle.
"Your honey-wine… Mead… It is part of our culture as well, but your Mead is actually quite different… The idea of adding in fruits and spices hasn't occurred to most…" Lord Tywin says, "You also created a Mead Recipe specifically for the Royal Family… I want you to do the same with mine and send me samples to taste test which would be best for my family."
"Now that can be arranged!" Vlad says, smiling as he thinks of what kind of recipes for making a specific drink for Tywin. Vlad may be a doctor, and he doesn't always drink mead, but he loves taste testing recipes once they are finished. With the Bargain struck, Vlad smiles as he leaves, jotting down ideas with a smirk on his face.
The Last Night of the Tourney…
Vlad smiles as the Tourney is coming to a close, the jousts were far more interesting than he had thought, and after thinking about how things had gone, he couldn't ask for anything better… But then… Before he can lift a glass of mead to his lips, he hears something in the back of his mind… "Vladislaus…" A woman's voice calls, to which Vlad stiffens at the sound of that voice. Cersei, noticing how stiff he had just gone, wonders what is wrong, but then Vlad stands up.
"I need to…" That is when the doors to the main hall open, and the doors to the main hall burst open, and Vlad sees before him a man dressed in a familiar looking set of armor. "VAMPIRE!" Vlad shouts, moving fast as the soldier looks to Vlad and the two crash into each other, rolling out onto the ground, only for the Vampire to kick him off, but Vlad… His eyes catching not only the style of the armor, but also sigil on the armor, Vlad snarls. "A Rahabim Vampire? What are you doing here!?"
"Merely to deliver a message to you, prodigal brother…" The Vampire says, being of Smallfolk origin, and the nobles, having rushed out to try and help, sees Vlad snarling as his claws are out. "Mother awaits you at the God's Eye… Don't make her wait too long…" The Vampire then brings out a stake and pierces it's own heart, much to Vlad's surprise, seeing the Vampire turn to dust before everyone.
"Lord Draculya?" Lord Rickard asks.
"I need to do this alone…" Vlad says, "It seems my mother wishes to have a word with me…" Vlad begins walking off, but he can hear two horses chasing after him as he makes his way to the lake shore of the God's Eye.
It takes him a few minutes to reach it, but rising from the water is a beautiful woman, her long flowing tresses of black hair like a waterfall of everlasting darkness, her eyes gleaming like the sea on a moonlit night, and her pale white skin reflecting the light of the moon. She is dressed in very regal armor, though it leaves much of her body exposed. "Mother…" Vlad says, looking at her.
"Vladislaus… It has been years since I had last seen you…" She walks over to her son, placing a hand on his cheek, "And you've grown so handsome too. You make a mother proud to see you in such a state."
"Mother, as much as I don't mean to be rude, but please get to the point…" Vlad says.
"Oh you're mean… Who taught you such mannerisms…?" Rahab says to her son, but then smirks, "Alright then, business it is… Look my son, I know you are still angry with me when I was supposed to have died when I saved your life."
'Angry, you traumatized me! I thought your death was my fault, even my father and my siblings thought so! For the love of Baator, they sent me off to Strixhaven the moment I was old enough to attend! I had no family left until I met the two idiots who would become my family! Then, after I graduated, I was disinherited from everything! So I had to make ends meet by becoming an adventurer! Then I learned from a desperate fisherman that you and the clan were still alive!" He is shedding tears as he rants, "Why… Why didn't you come home?"
"Because I couldn't Vlad, and now you know why… After I made my sacrifice to save you, my evolution was granted to me… I was able to swim with you, but at the cost of being incapable of walking out in broad daylight anymore, not even on highly overcast days could I leave the water. So as much as I wanted to return to you, your father, and your siblings, I physically couldn't!" Rahab argues back with her son, her eyes glowing at him as she starts to get angry. Vlad lights up his own eyes as he bares his teeth, though Rahab bares her own in response, and Vlad, despite wanting to stay strong, cowers to her and closes his mouth submissively. Rahab, looking at her son, closes her mouth as tears flow down her face. "In any case, Vlad… You are right to be angry with me, but there is a reason why I called you here…"
"And why might that be?" Vlad asks.
"You see, the Abyss of the Lake of the Dead was not just a means of execution, some vampires who managed to survive long enough to pass through the deepest part of the Abyss discovered that, at the base of the vortex, there is a Blue Veil portal." Rahab explains, "The Blue Veil is a connected Planar Portal that connects different Material Realms. If one knows what one is doing, they can pass from one realm to another, and when you began hunting Vampires, the Clan Heads used this portal to transfer themselves here…"
"And the last to try and escape was Melchiah…" Vlad explains, having remembered how he had fallen into the Abyss with the Vampire Lord. "Do you know where each of the Clan Heads are?"
"I don't know, but by guessing their habits, I can predict where they might be located. Raziel's territory was to the West of the Abyss, and he also preferred wealthy targets… Turel is more one to go where the strongest warriors are located. Dumah's clan territory was in the mountains, so he would prefer to be in that kind of region. You know my preferences… Zephon was more one for locations where secrets could be easily gained, traded, or lost.. And Melchiah would prefer to be in locations where his prey are beautiful and exotic." Rahab explains.
"What do you gain from giving me this information…?" Vlad asks, looking at his mother.
"You know I despise my brothers more than anything, Vlady… When I was human, I was a vampire hunter, but I eventually learned that, in our world, the original Vampire Species wasn't the monstrous kind you grew up knowing…" Rahab explains, "It was thanks to Orcus that our race became what it is now, for he tricked our ancestors into believing he was a God and thus set our ancestors, the Aasimar, against the Tieflings, whom we would come to call the Hylden as part of our propaganda. In order to ensure we would meet Orcus, they forced Orcus's Curse of Vampirism upon our ancestors, and thus almost all vampires who die are doomed to be his slaves. That is until your Grandsire was created… In any case, your uncles had killed your Grandsire whilst I was raising you, and sold their souls to Orcus… Now I am the only remaining Vampire that remains free of Orcus's corruption… But my brothers will know of my betrayal soon enough… So I only ask of you one thing…"
"No…" Vlad says, looking at her, dawning horror coming upon him as he realizes what she is going to ask.
"Yes, Vladislaus…" She then snaps her fingers and water flows around her, and reveals her in half-plate armor, wearing a trident. "It's time you made yourself a true vampire hunter… and killed your first Fully Fledged Vampire! "
"Mother… No… I won't do it!" Vlad says, looking at her.
"You must… If Raziel and the others find me, they will make my death as slow, violent, and painful as possible… They may also decide to sacrifice me to Orcus, and I don't want to be sent to that monster." Rahab says, her eyes shedding tears. Vlad sheds tears, summoning his sword and armor, knowing his mother is just as stubborn as he is… Or rather… He is as stubborn as her… The two of them ready their weapons, and…
That is when something flies past him, twin pairs of lashes and a bolt of flame striking Rahab and sending her reeling at the impact. Moving next to him are two hooded figures as their hoods flow backwards, one of them revealing a man with skin as pale as milk glass with a crown of frozen horns on his head with white hair and icy blue eyes looking at him with a cocky smirk, and the other is a woman, covered in suture scars on every joint of her body two golden eyes, and beautiful beyond imagining as she holds a book in her hands. "Evening…" The horned man says.
"Tch… As if my day wasn't going badly enough…" Vlad says, smirking slightly, "It's Abraham Van Helsing…"
"Sorry we had to interrupt your family reunion, friend… But we heard everything…" The woman says, smirking.
"Yes, Victoria Frankenstein… My mother desires to be put to rest to avoid being sacrificed to avoid being sacrificed to Orcus." Vlad says, looking at his mother, sadly.
"Then let's give her what she wants, better she die on her terms than those of others…" Abraham says, "I know she would want it this way."
"I know…" He makes his salute with his blade, "Doesn't make it any easier though…" Rahab looks at her son stand side-by-side with these two next to him, but then notices several others riding towards them.
"Shall we?" Abraham asks.
'You'll do fine without me, Vlady… You have your friends beside you… And you'll not be alone… I'm so proud of you, my son…' Rahab thinks as she readies her Trident and charges forward, with Vlad and his friends charging at her. Rahab uses her first strike to thrust her trident forward at Vladislaus, missing her first strike on purpose to make a return strike that sends her son flying to the side. To this Abraham attempts to swing his whips in order to try and land his attacks on her, only for all three of his attacks to miss her. Vlad, recovering from the whack to the face, he aims his sword and charges forward, aiming his sword true as he lands two blows on his mother, both strikes, accompanied by his swarm lashing out at her, Rahab takes the strikes, but there is a smile on her face. Not long after that, Victoria breathes in deeply and releases a blast of dragon fire from her mouth, Rahab screaming in agony as it hits her, but she smiles as she sees her son working in perfect synchronization with these two. Her injuries begin to close, and she goes in for another attack, this time intent on taking out the Wizard.
Rahab smirks as her Trident Strikes true in the Wizard's Leg, but is surprised to find an armor of magical energy appear to soften the blow. "You clever little sneak!" Rahab says, smiling as she pulls out her weapon and goes for a second strike, only for the armor to react and block it as Victoria raises her arms to block the attack. Seeing the Vampire Lord preoccupied with their Wizard, Abraham swings both of his whips, lashing out at her three times, landing powerful strikes upon the Woman's back!
The group riding up are composed of the Starks, Prince Rhaegar, the Kingsguard, and a few other nobles, including Tywin Lannister, whom all watch in shock as they see the Vampire in front of them snarling at the three who fight her. Ned Stark attempts to stop them, but Rhaegar stops him. "This isn't an honorable battle!" Ned says.
"This isn't a duel for honor." Rhaegar says, "They are taking this battle seriously! One of them can't take that creature alone, only together do they stand a chance!"
"Brother, he is right…" Brandon says, "Despite our misgivings, we need to watch and learn how to fight these creatures." Ned clenches his fist as he is forced to watch this.
Rahab turns to see her son coming at her dodging the first strike, only to be unable to dodge the second strike, his blade and bats biting deep fairly deep into her. Victoria breathes in deeply and breathes out another cone of flames, only for Rahab to see this one coming as she ducks low to the ground, pulling her trident away and landing two powerful thrusts on Abraham, who doesn't have enough time to dodge out of the way. Smiling as his blood is flow, Abraham lashes his open wound with his whips, and draws blood on both of them, one of them igniting with purifying flame, the other with divine light, but because of that, the pain that rips through him prevents him from being able to attack. However, Vlad takes over from here, and dives forward at his mother, his fangs now bear for all to see, and he sinks his teeth into his mother's exposed neck, Rahab screaming clenching her teeth as she feels her son's fangs burn with acid. 'He combined Primal Savagery with his own piercing fangs! Clever boy!' Rahab thinks, smiling at her son, in which Vlad pulls back, coughing and hacking as the taste of her blood was overwhelming. 'Not clever enough though!' She then pulls her trident out and charges at Vlad, aiming her strike at him, landing a blow, only this time, she isn't holding back. "Take this seriously!"
"I am!" Vlad says, groaning as the strike had landed in his stomach, causing blood to flow from his mouth. Rahab pulls her trident back and gets ready to strike again, landing another blow into his shoulder this time to show her how serious she has begun to take this. However, just as she does this, she feels three excruciatingly painful lashes hit her back, again, but this time it was far worse than before. "I'm just the bait!" Vlad says, smiling as pushes his mother backwards, Victoria smiling as she held back for a moment and places a hand on Vlad's shoulder, healing him before unleashing her breath weapon once more. Rahab snarls as she takes a direct hit, but realizing she had been lured into a trap, she braces for the burns and manages to come out unscathed. Vlad then strikes back with all the power that he can muster as he looks at his mother, who screams in agony, despite her flesh beginning to regenerate once more, but her healing rate, though constant, is slowly being overwhelmed. Rahab drops her trident, exhausted, and falls to her knees, Vlad stepping forward as he looks at his mother.
"My boy… My sweet boy…" Rahab says, looking at him with tears in her eyes.
"Vlad, let us do it… You don't have to-"
"No…" Vlad says, "I have to do this…"
"But your family already thinks you killed your mother, don't let them be right in this!"
"I have to do it…" Vlad says, "If either of you did it, I know that I wouldn't be able to forgive either of you… Besides, I'm already called a kinslayer… I think giving my mother the mercy she deserves is something that only I can give her…" He walks over to his mother, the woman smiling at her son with tears in her eyes. "I love you mother, and I will miss you…"
"Don't miss me, my son… For if you drink all of my blood, I will be a part of you, so long as you live…" Rahab says, to which Vlad cries as he kneels to his mother, and looks at her neck. "I love you…"
"Forgive me…" Vlad says, opening his mouth as he channels Primal Savagery to deal the finishing blows, his bats appearing to aid him. Vlad bites down as hard as he can, his mother not screaming, as she hugs her son comfortingly as she feels her body losing it's strength, her son not only killing her, but drinking her blood to the last drop.
"There is nothing to forgive…" She says as the light fades from her eyes, "No regrets…" She breathes her last as her flesh turns to ashes and Vlad holds her skeleton in his arms. Shedding tears as the weight of this sin fills his heart and mind, Vlad unleashes a long and loud scream filled with sorrow and anguish as he holds his mother's skeleton in his arms. However, unbeknownst to the grieving Dhampir, his Nature's Mantle reacts to the power surging through Vlad as his swarm flies around him in a hurricane… The Black Mantle transforming into a pair of black angelic wings shrouded in a white mist…
"He's done it!" Victoria says.
"Vampiric Exultation!" Abraham says.
"What is going on?" Lyanna says.
"It's Vampiric Exultation, it is the pinnacle of a Dhampir's vampiric power, granting them the ability to fly for short periods of time by manifesting the Wings their ancestors, the Ancient Vampires, once had. Only Raziel had managed to do so naturally, but rumors had it that Dhampirs could obtain such a power as well, but it was said it could only be obtained by a Dhampir devouring all the blood of a Full-Fledged Vampire. Though, unlike the Razielim, who could do so indefinitely, the Dhampirs could only sustain this transformation for a limited amount of time!"
Vlad's scream soon stops as he holds his mother's corpse close, his wings folding and returning to becoming his Mantle… "Lord Stark…"
"Yes…?"
"Do we have something to place her bones in? I want to take her home, so she can be entombed…" Vlad says, to which Lord Stark places a hand on Vlad's shoulder.
"Of course…" Lord Rickard says, giving the man an understanding look. Unexpectedly, Vlad feels a pair of arms wrap around him gently, and Vlad can recognize whose scent it is, and he gently holds her hands with one, feeling comfort from her embrace.
A Few Weeks Later, Moat Cailin…
Vlad stands as a service is held in the Faith of the Old Gods, and Vlad has his mother's bone's put to rest, and thankfully, a statue made in his mother's image, thanks to Abraham's artistic talents, was made in perfect likeness of her. Vlad smiles as he places her in the highest spot of honor in the crypt, with her trident in hand. "I will make you proud, mother… Prouder than you ever were in life…" He sheds tears, and places her favorite flowers, roses, upon her sarcophagus, "Rest in Peace, Lord Rahab…"
Vlad exits the crypts beneath the keep, and wiping his eyes as he makes his way to the Brewery, in which he had invited the Northern Lords to Moat Cailin, as well as his future Good-Father, Tywin, and the rest of the Lannister Family, to partake in the Mead Tasting, as well as a feast to send off his mother. He smiles as he smells the mead brewing, and hear the sound of the bees buzzing, "Mmm… Smells delicious as ever!" Vlad says as he walks up to his mead master.
"Lord Draculya, you honor us with your visit!" The Brewmaster, a man named Barth, says, "What brings you here today, milord?"
"I've come to check the progress on my gifts to my future goodfather…" Vlad says, looking at Barth. "Are they ready?"
"Of course, milord, I've already set aside samples that would provide the greatest tasting experiences for your future goodfather!" He brings the Lord towards a table where three sample chalices are set. "This first one is what I would like to call the Rains of Castamere, a Mead made from the honey of red roses, mixed with Raspberries and a dash of lavender!" Vlad tastes the wine and smiles as he tastes the sweetness of the honey and golden raspberries paired with the lavender, "Lavender, as I have come to learn, is quite a powerful ingredient, so used sparingly is best for such recipes!"
"A very wise decision, and quite an interesting choice." Vlad says, putting the cup down, then taking the second.
"This one I like to call The Golden Tooth… It is a mix of Goldenrod Honey, with a mix of Apples and Persimmons!" Vlad takes a drink of the wine, and finds the flavor being sweet but also very strong.
"Wow! That is some strong stuff!" Vlad says, forcing himself to swallow it. "That was really strong! How did it get so strong?"
"The Goldenrods, my lord, they have a very strong bite to them, no pun intended. The only thing that even made a dent in cutting the flavor was the Apples and the Persimmons, the milder sweetness cut the strength by half, but even then it was a hard punch to the face." Barth explains, "I would end on this one, any good mead taster knows you start with the weaker meads first and build up to the stronger ones."
"I will take that into consideration…" Vlad then moves to the third glass, and looks at it.
"This one is known as the Clever… It is a mix of Goldencup Honey, with Foxgrapes and Meadowsweet!" Vlad smiles as he tastes this one, it is a rather dry mead, but it also has a sweetness to it that is undeniable.
"Delicious!" He then turns to see a bottle nearby, "And what is that?"
"That is an experiment I am running my lord, it should be ready for tasting!" He smiles as he looks at Vlad as he pours a delectable looking mead that was as red as freshly shed blood, that caused Vlad to lick his lips in anticipation. "I haven't named it yet, but from my experiments done on Blood-Bloom Honey… The honey it produces is rich in color, and appears to make the mead cloudy, but as a result, it has a delectable velvety mouthfeel and adds a richness to the mead, but also a satisfying sweetness. The flavors that combine with this are cranberries, which not only give it a level of tartness that just pairs well with the Blood-Bloom Honey, Weirwood Syrup, which gives it's color and enhances the flavor, and mint, which gives it a cool and relaxing flavor. This experiment is meant to combine the flavors to see how they perform together!"
Vlad is given a glass as he takes a sniff of mead, finding the scent of the Blood-Blooms, the Cranberries, and the Mint to mix surprisingly well, and it actually is pretty damn close to the scent of actual blood for him, making him salivate more as he lowers the glass to his lips and tastes it, and his eyes snap open as his pupils tighten into feral slits. The flavor is undeniable, sweet and tart, perfectly balanced together with a cooling freshness… But whats more, thanks to him being part vampire, his desire for blood is actually satiated, as if it has been put to sleep for a while, and Vlad lowers it from his lips. It has been so long since he felt this calm, and his mind is racing trying to figure out why that is. "Barth, what do you know of Blood-Blooms?"
"They are a very unique plant, my lord, they grow on the corpses of the dead once their seeds are dropped onto them by bees. It is also known that Blood-Bloom Pollen is used as a spice in a number of recipes of the Crannogmen, due to the fact it enhances the natural flavors of meat up to ten times their normal flavors… It is not surprising that Blood-Bloom Honey actually amplifies the flavors of any confections using nuts or even in Mead. Also, Milord, considering you are part Vampire, it wouldn't be surprising that you-" Vlad grabs the man by the vest and pulls him in close.
"I… Need… More!" Vlad says, his eyes scaring the man, "I will pay you a great price if you make this the mead of my family!"
"M-Milord?" Barth asks.
"S-Sorry!" He backs off, "I am just in love with the taste of this mead!" The Brewmaster, taking a few breaths, smiles at his Lord, realizing that the reaction his lord had was actually a positive one, and sighs in relief.
"I will gladly make it for you, Milord!" Barth says, to which Vlad smiles and leaves, but not before having another glass to wet his appetite for later.
"Just one question, how did you get the Weirwood Syrup?"
"It's not something I would normally tell anyone, but my family descends from the Green Men of the Isle of Faces, and from them we learned how to gather sap from Weirwoods without killing them. My mother said my ancestors would make a special sticky and sweet liquid from the sap of the weirwoods, and this liquid, once it has been mixed into a loaf of bread and into water, has the power to make a single slice of bread and cup of water sustain a man for a full day's worth of work and travel!"
'Just like goodberries!' Vlad thinks, smiling as he walks off.
Hours Later…
The feast is well and underway as Vlad sits at the High Table with Lord Rickard and Lord Tywin near him, and he smiles as he enjoys himself, but then stands, stopping the dancing and the music. "My fellow Northmen, and Honored Guests from the Westerlands, I thank you all for coming here today. I hope that the food is to your liking, but right now, we come to the main event, the Mead Tasting…" Servants come in with pitchers of mead as they prepare to pour for each guest of age to drink. "My Brewmaster, Barth, has been working tirelessly to produce the finest mead for all of you, and has finally come with three presentable meads for your tasting pleasure!" Vlad explains, and one by one they taste the the Rains of Castamere, the Clever, and finally the Golden Tooth, in which many enjoy them, though the Golden Tooth is really strong for most of their liking, however, as Tywin tastes it, along with Cersei and Tyrion, they look stunned, at first at the flavor, but then Tywin, after finishing his glass, has a look of satisfaction on his face.
"I would like some more, Lord Draculya…" Tywin says, smirking and Vlad pours him some himself with a smile. "What do you say of this mead, Cersei, Tyrion?"
"This is… It's flavor is strong, but it's more delicious than anything I've ever tasted!" Tyrion says, smiling at his father. Cersei herself, takes a second sip and closes her eyes, savoring the flavor.
"It reminds me of the lion's strength and majesty with the strength of the Goldenrod Honey, whilst the sweetness of the apples and persimmons provide a cut that underlie the richness of the Westerlands, and combined, describe the treasures protected by it's name sake, the Golden Tooth." Cersei elegantly describes, smirking, to which Tywin nods. To this, Tywin stands and raises his cup and looks to Vladislaus, who takes his seat again.
"Normally, it is considered shameful in the Westerlands for the North to marry into us, but for such fine a gift, I shall concede that you have matched and outdone my expectations, Lord Draculya. I hereby announce the betrothal of my daughter, Cersei, to Lord Vladislaus Draculya of Moat Cailin!" The Northerners cheer as they raise their glasses to Vladislaus, who looks to Cersei with a smile, who gives her own grin back.
Then something appears in Cersei's mind, the image of a beautiful woman holding an infant in her arms, kneeling before a man whose eyes and bearing remind her of her father, but the smile upon this terrifying man is genuine and joyful. "Rahab, you have brought to use the Future of our race…" The Man says to the woman, smiling as he gently takes the child and holds him in his taloned hands, gently taking him to what appears to be an altar, and gently anoints the child's brow with a red oil, much to the five men who look at the man with shock and outrage. "From this day forward, I name this boy my heir, Vladislaus Dracula, the Prince of Darkness, and future King of the Vampire Race!" He holds the child above his head, "Is there anyone in heaven and earth who challenges my rites?" The five men open their mouths widely, snarling and hissing, only for the man to draw a sword and aim it at them, causing them to back away in fear, closing their mouths in terror before he sits down upon his throne with his child in his arm, whilst the woman, Rahab, stands by her father, smiling proudly. Cersei comes back from her dream and notices a raven in the rafters, looking down at her before flying off. The woman merely smiles as she places a hand on her belly, remembering what Maggy had promised her…
"You shall have six children born of your womb, but you shall also have more children, not of your womb nor his seed, but they shall carry his blood, as will you when it is your time." Maggy had promised her, and Cersei smiles as she looks upon Vladislaus, the Son of Rahab… The Prince of Darkness… And…
The King of the Vampires…