Athens

Wonderful Luck!

Who loves new powers? I sure as hell do! I was going through the castle cleaning up my mess and piling the bodies and parts in a space just past the cliff. While doing that I muttered how I needed help.

A group of spirits showed up, they slowly began picking up the corpses and tossing them off the cliff like I had been doing. Others I noticed were walking through the blood and it was clearing up. I was amazed at my luck! By the end of the following day, the cleaning had been done. I was starving again. Thankfully I had let the horses go. I didn't want to find myself latched on to one.

I shivered at the thought. I wandered the grounds looking for food. I could find none. Just as I was about to give out hope, I heard a heavy horse again followed by shouting at where the guards had gone. I hoped this was a group from in here that had left and come back. If so, then I could eat them as well. Maybe save a few so I could eat later. Their blood tasted better than the deer and the rabbit.

I went to a hidden window to see at least 13 men surrounded by a caged group of people in a cart. "Open the gates! We bring slaves and women!" One of the men shouted.

"Ooo, perfect!" I rubbed my hands together. A giggle left my mouth as I quietly slid down in the shadows to open the gates. I would let them in and then shut the gates to feast.

I waited until the last person walked through the threshold. I let the gate slam close. I launched myself from the spot I was hidden. After the third man, I started to fill up so I started tieing up the ones I could save for later making sure I knocked them out. I did kill a couple I hit, but I forgot my strength. New skills I am learning.

I put the men in the dungeon and got back to the people in the caged carriage. I saw women, children, and some men almost dead. I had one man who was not as injured out, Telling him to turn the carriage and take them away. He shook with fear just like the others in the mobile prison. "Get out and don't come back," I growled a little exposing my fangs.

Their eyes widened, one young girl asked, "What are you?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea perhaps what they call a vampire?" We had heard stories of a blood-sucking monster but no one had ever actually seen it. That was my closest thought.

They screamed, "Shut it!" I shouted back with a growl. It had hurt my ears when they started shrieking.

They stopped and the man took off with the horses at a run. I couldn't blame them I would have done the same. I shrugged it off and started down toward the cliff to dump the bodies over.

*********

Getting ready for my sleep, I heard the sound of people. Lots of them. Did those idiots bring more back to try to kill me? I could see they brought Lyican fighters with them. Could I stand against the Lyican fighters? They had shifting and healing abilities that were pretty impressive. I left my place to sleep, walking to the top of the main gate.

"Why are you here?" I shouted.

"Death to the young vampire!" One of them shouted.

"I did nothing to you!" I shouted. "I saved you from a worse death than at my hands!" I shouted loud enough the building rocked and vibrated. What was that?

I watched with impressed horror as the Lyican fighters lifted the door, that took a massive wench and cable to lift. I ran, distancing myself from them, running to the cliff I jumped. I was not sure if I would survive but with the number of bodies I had thrown down, I hoped to soften the fall.

As I fell everything went dark. I am not sure how much time passed, but when I woke up I was in an open green field. there were no trees and no hills. I stood looking around trying to find my bearings. I could pick nothing up with my hearing or with my eyes.

So I started walking, I walked and walked. No idea where I was or how I got here. So I walked more. I crested a hill after the third day. I found a large camp, it was filled with people and horses. The horses I noted looked much different from the ones I had back home. The people too, all with dark hair and furs. They did not look as tall as I was. I walked down toward them. I could hear their language and did not understand what it was.

A few women welcomed me in, sitting me down and handing me a cup of odd-smelling milk that was warm. I sipped it, catching flashes of horses in my head. How odd? I sipped it more and it seemed to oddly sedate the intense hunger I felt. They gave me bowls of soup with chunks of meat and I ate greedily. Had the whole experience of drinking blood been just a bad dream? where the hell was I? I spent several days as the women fed and clothed me. I was full and happy, I felt like myself. I just needed to figure out where I was.

Sitting on the hill I had walked down, I saw a cloud of dust in the distance. The closer it came the more I noticed it was warriors on horseback. They descended on the camp like a pack of wolves to sheep. c*****e ensued, screams, crying and the clash of metal to skin. The copper scent of blood tainted the air. I felt something within me stir. The hunger came back full force. I charged down the hill, not realizing the waves of warriors still pouring in. I began killing trying to keep the little group of women safe. Blackness consumed me again.

When I opened my eyes I was in chains in front of a large heavily built man. His long beard and dark eyes piercing into my soul. Looking at myself I was still dressed in my bloody furs. He started to yell at me I was not sure what he said. I hissed back at him exposing my fangs. In doing so my strength had returned. The chains snapped. I ran from the round tent. Running because my life depended on it. I heard the horses behind me and seen the hill with what was left of the camp I had been in. I ran, the ground behind me vibrated with the number of horses and riders. I could feel them gaining on me, I pushed as fast as I could. just cresting the hill I rolled, opening my eyes I looked at the decomposing bodies that laid at the bottom of the cliff.

Where had I gone and how? How did that drink and that food keep my blood lust away? So many questions invaded my mind I was dizzy with them. One thing I would come to realize later was that I had met Genghis Khan. I had gotten away. The fermented mares milk too had enough properties like blood to keep me satisfied should I need to be around humans. I was learning much. Including the biggest. Never let anyone near your place of sleep. That was my biggest, also why now I am so secretive about it.