Under the shadow of a mountain

She came from the shadows into the light of the courtyard; she was so beautiful in every way, her eyes shone like emeralds in the light of the moon, her copper red hair ran down her back and danced like fire and drew me towards her without submission. “Hello Sybalius” she spoke quietly, her voice carried the night’s air and echoed round the walls. “My name is Amelia”, the velvet undertones of her voice hypnotized me with no resistance. Her skin pale in complexion, absorbed the splendor of the moonlight, an apparition of beauty to behold that had me transfixed and mesmerized.

I remembered where I first laid eyes on her; she was from one of my uncle’s inns and as I remembered, my head went into a spin, that sent my body into shock and almost crashing to the floor. She caught me in her arms and swiftly held me close to her body. She had been standing ten feet or more away, and now I was captured like prey in a vice-like grip that made no sense. I was left confused and disorientated, with my clothes being ripped from my back and there was no reason I could come up with, within the seconds that had passed me by, as to what was happening or what fate lied ahead.

My heart pounded with excitement as her now exposed body touched my skin, my neck throbbing as blood flowed through my veins, she was playing with my every emotion, and I was in sheer ecstasy. Her lips pressed against my throat and as passion ensued, she kissed my face sending shock waves through my organs, waking up my long dormant body. As she pushed my head to her breasts and bade me to kiss her, she wrapped her arms around my waist and guided me deep into her body. Temptation overcame her weakness and as her icy fingers clawed my back, she sank her teeth deep in to my life, the bittersweet taste of her vindication took each and every last breath, till I had passed the point of no return.

 

I woke to a new moon, with the silvery light streaming through the trees, an air of winter embraced my skin, yet its bitter touch made no lasting impression. As I lay silently staring up at the sky, all recollection of my past was lost, faded away as if it had no place in this world.

I sensed a presence, a figure in the shadows. Yet neither movement nor sound aroused my suspicion, and as I could barely see or comprehend, the logic of my consciousness and the idea of being watched seamed absurd.

Pain erupted through my aching body, as it had never done before. An agonizing need to eat fueled my senses, and as the urge coursed through my veins, I began again to sense I was being watched. “I must move” I told myself, trying to lift my limbs and lever my body up, though the harsh pain flooding my body drew me back to the hard courtyard floor. The feeling of something or someone having hold over me felt more real; but it was no good, I could not move and whatever was happening to me, whatever was in the courtyard with me was keeping me in a state of paralysis. It seemed an age had passed, yet it must have only been minutes, as the moon was still to drift its way through the night’s sky.

Church bells rang out to the hour of two and echoed its way through the courtyard, only to disappear into the night. “I must move” I told myself again, my anger and desperation made my cause ever more difficult, and my inept attempt to move futile.

“Your pain and suffering will pass, and you must conserve your strength” a softly spoken voice echoed around the walls and faded. I was lost in my own world, the pain and hunger taking hold of me caused doubt, that what I was hearing was real and not some crazed dream.

The anguish of being helpless with the need to eat together with the pain was true enough. But I was confused, someone had been watching me and that someone knew my fate, knew the pain and suffering that was causing its way through my life. Yet the figure made no attempt to move from the shadows to help and as the hunger and pain continued to rage, I became evermore delirious.

 

“Listen to me, and I will make this a simple process to understand, for you to survive the night you must eat, take what I am offering, do not ask questions and do not seek answers for now at least and then all will be understood.”

 

The bells struck four, two hours had passed me by without a moment’s delay, and what Amelia had given to me had refreshed my need. I had started to come round with echoes once more filling my head “We must move and seek shelter to sleep” I embraced the velvet tones that had once more been spoken, like under hypnosis I followed the order without question.

“You should be strong enough to move by your own” The direction of the voice had changed, now coming from within the buildings that lead from the courtyard. Time and motion were like a blur; I had lost all comprehension and perception of reality, the figure had moved with some speed and without sound and as I stood compelled and drawn towards the voice, what I could not understand was what I had become.

 

I had been lying in the shadows for hours reflecting on the previous night’s encounter, the bells once more pierced the night air chiming to the hour of six. All I could feel was frustration that I was not able to grasp and fully understand what had happened. I simply had no real answers as to what had taken place or what was happening to me.

 

Seven had struck and as my thoughts had come and gone, I was still no clearer to the truth than I was an hour ago. I felt the need to feed again, I had no recollection as to what I had fed upon the night before. Should I wait to see and hope that whoever it was, that helped me last night comes back, or should I go and seek food for myself? I was in a dilemma, yet my instincts were telling me to go and seek sustenance, though it was obvious after looking around this run-down building, I was not going to find food here.

I moved to the door at the back of the room with some apprehension, once opened the door led out into the courtyard where I laid the night before. The moon yet again splendid and casting its silvery spell and shadow through the trees and across the stone floor. As I breathed in the air, that felt like the first time in a long time, it was filled with the sweetness and scent of honeysuckle.

 

“Good you are awake, now come and sit with me as there is much to discuss” her voice again transfixed my attention and overcame the overwhelming need for food. “Yes, you need to eat, and I will see that you do, but first you must listen to what I have to say. It’s important you focus and stay alert as it’s important for your future survival.”

Everything I am telling you is true, I am sorry, but it requires to be told in this way, like it has always been told. Countless centuries have passed, and our empire is now on the verge of destruction and with new blood needed for its continued existence, you have been chosen and it is your destiny. We once ruled with power, our kings and queens once held command over their kingdoms and its disciples. All we have now is our dark black past, which is our most valued possession and hindsight our only weapon.

You must understand that I had no choice but to do what I have already done. We have followed your every move, watching you from a far, many of us have come and gone without you ever knowing. We have kept you under observation with great anticipation to make sure that your life followed the path that our forefathers have written.

 

“I am sorry, what do you mean you had no choice? What have you done! I do not understand what you are trying to tell me.”
“Let me answer your question: I have condemned your life to immortality, and what you experienced last night was your body dying. Every part of your human life has gone, you do not need what you once had and though you are not dead, you have been reborn and cannot die in any humane way from now on.”
“Wait a minute!”
“No, you wait, I have yet to finish, you wanted answers, and I am giving them to you. You have been chosen by us to lead our people through war, never have we had to look beyond our own, our people fear man and what they have become. The strength that we depended upon has slipped away, they are destroying our people for trophies and glory. We are no longer the hunter that ruled the underworlds more the hunted, we are becoming an endangered species, you are one of us now, but you are stronger and more resilient. Ignore the guilt and self-reproach you may have towards me, your way of life was for the benefit of us all, to fight and save our existence. There are very few of us left, and time is running short, this is no longer a contest for us and with our heartlands being burned and destroyed, without you and what you have become, would have started our countdown to extinction.”

 

Come into the light, let me see what fate you have dealt me, now is the time for you to show me who you really are. I believe I have gained that right. “OK, but I warn you, any harm you try to inflict upon me for the fate I have dealt to you will not go unpunished.” You are strong, yes, and you will become much stronger night by night. But there are those amongst us that still possesses the power to overcome you.” As she entered the courtyard, her flawless beauty shone like marble under the moonlight, her movement strong and graceful. She did not look a killer, although her eyes told a different story. Man must have over the years fallen at her feet and pledged to do anything for her. Enthralled in her sex that wrapped itself around her taught and radiant body, man must have swarmed like bees to their queen, dancing to the glow of her internal beauty. This is why she was chosen, to draw them in and to take them under her wing, to guide them for the war ahead. I had no recollection of the entrapment or what was going to happen to me. Suffice to say I will never understand, or will I ever try to make sense of everything.

 

The walls of the courtyard started to vibrate and erupt like thunder. “And when you kill a man, you are a murderer, kill many and you’re a conqueror, kill them all and you’re a god” her words boomed and echoed like a preacher giving a sermon. “You are Sybalius, a vampyr with the power of gods that have stood before us. I am the daughter of our last god, empowered to seek you out, as many have tried before. However, they were hunted down, as man discovered our existence. Our exile to our homelands was in vain, as man went out of his way to track us down and burn our land. I was the chosen one of my kind to end our destruction and bring harmony to our kingdoms.”

 

“Who gave you the right to play god at my expense” asked Sybalius “That’s just it, you are a god” replied Amelia. “Do you not understand what I have just said? You are a god, the chosen one. It was written millions of years ago in the Book of Realms, that a man bearing the name Sybalius would be born our redeemer. We have waited a millennium for the prophecy to come true.” “What makes you believe that the prophecy is true and that I am that redeemer” answered Sybalius, by now full of rage and torment that he may have been chosen to fulfil a destiny that has been bestowed upon him without question.

 

The Book of Realms explains that the redeemer would be born many years into the future and would bare a symbol that represents a serpent into the crown of his head. You have the symbol Sybalius, the birthmark no other carries, and as I have told you, we have made sure that you are the one. You have to understand the reasoning behind your very existence and the challenges that lie ahead and battles you must and will win. Furthermore, you will come with me now and read the Book of Realms for yourself.
“If I fail to believe what you have said, what happens then, Amelia. I am dead either way am I not, and it seems as though I have no choice. Is this not the case?” “Yes, this is true, you have no choice and in the same way that you had no choice in what you have become. Look Sybalius we have to move with hast; the night is fading fast, and the sun will rise once more. There are many here among us Sybalius in your old world that can enslave us, use our power to turn us. You are far from healed and strong enough to fight, and though I am strong, and my beauty holds me well, I am unable to stop them if they find us.” I became agitated, “Who are these people Amelia who do you speak of, I know not of such people on earth that could even try to capture us.” The Dawn Patrol are mercenaries, a death squad sent out before dawn to hunt and scavenge the land. Created by NATO, they have always gone under the radar of civilization. Their aim is to stop us from returning home, to imprison and as I have said turn us against our own. We have to move quickly now, soon they will be here. “The Dawn Patrol” I do not understand, I was frustrated and annoyed that I had never heard of them. “I do not have the time to explain now, it’s becoming too late for us. You must stay close to me, or you will be left here to fend for yourself. Come, follow, and hold onto me as we are going.
Pools of light started to cascade from the morning air, and I began to feel dizzy, tired, and confused. Before I had realised what was happening, we had passed through the light into what seamed another realm.

Author's Note

Critique most welcome as I'm a new writer, and this story has been an ongoing love affair between my head and the keyboard.

Reviews

[Kim S.]

Has wonderful detail and descriptiveness, enjoyed

[Guarin de Maule]

Thank you so much for reading, and I’m glad you enjoyed the book so far.