VAXUR…..
The sun had hardly set when Lykaios threw open his coffin and jumped out, pacing the castle he tried to get the images from his mind. For the past fourteen moons it had been the same, the same damn dream over and over again. The hills and fields, the water even the damned deer re-ran constantly. He had to rid himself of the vision, stop the bloody thing before it drove him mad and the only way to do that was to find the place and the reason for its haunting.
Opening the door he flew into the night, for whatever reason his direction was known, west was where he headed. Flying all night he rested in a deep cave then once the moon rose he took off again knowing exactly what to look for.
Finally he came to his destination, the hills and fields familiar, the creak an old friend. A deer looked up and spotting him jumped back into the cover of the trees.
Her body still her eyes closed tight, she waited for death. The illness ravaged her body causing immense pain. At first it had been a sickness, violent vomiting unable to keep anything down, then the pain came, her head, her limbs all became lead weights that hurt like hell itself had given her a beating. The hallucinations and fever brought new discomfort, lying on the grass she had given up and waited for it to end.
On his knees Lykaios smelt the weak spark of life. She moaned, in her dream she thought she saw him, thought he was with her.
Two nights later Cailean knocked on Zarina’s door. “Please get dressed, we need your help” Handing her a long dress she changed and followed him down the long corridor. Opening a door Cailean murmured “In their” Stepping into the dim room she saw another of his kind and backed off, Cailean touched her arm and pointed to the figure laying on the bed “Can you help?” Zarina stared down at the unconscious girl, her silver hair and pale blue skin told her she was not one of them but what? Bending down she checked for a pulse, the fever was ferocious, turning she looked at Cailean “What medicines do you have?”
He shook his head “None, we have never had need for any” Zarina looked at the other one, they looked alike, brothers? Touching the girls forehead she guessed her temperature was well over one hundred. “Do you have a watch” the man shook his head. “A clock?” Again he shook his head. “Can you count?” The man growled his eyes flashed with irritation but he nodded. “Count to sixty then tell me to stop” He nodded. Lifting the girls hand she put her thumb and finger over her wrist “Start counting”
Lykaios counted then hitting sixty growled stop. Zarina chewed her bottom lip, thirty five beats a minute a healthy adult should be at least sixty but then whatever she was it could be normal. Pressing her ear to her chest she listened to the heart and lungs, god she wished she had some of her stuff with her “I need to get her temperature down” The man looked at her but said nothing, she thought for a moment “Do you have any Elder flowers and Camomile?” He shrugged. “Can you find out?” He nodded but didn’t move, she looked at him, what the hell was he waiting for…… an elderly woman who introduced herself as Nalia entered and handed her what she’d asked for. Zarina looked at him, how did he do that?
Crushing the flowers she added hot water giving them a few minutes to soak “Can you lift her, I need her to drink this” The man moved to the bed and with surprising tenderness lifted the woman into a sitting position, Zarina spooned the mixture into her mouth, it wasn’t perfect but it was the best she could do for now. Taking the Camomile she soaked it in the hot water then wrung it out, rolling it into a sausage shape she flattened it then draped it over the girl’s forehead. Straightening she looked at the strange girl, she didn’t hold out much hope, turning to the dark figure behind her “Now we wait” The man nodded as he took his seat, she guessed he was staying.
Opening the door she expected him to stop her but with no reaction she closed it behind her. The corridor of dark panelling was poorly lit, walking its length she wondered how anyone could live like this. “How is she, will she survive?” Zarina jumped at the voice and turned to find Cailean at the top of the stairs. “I don’t know” she mumbled as she studied the floor. “It can’t be easy without your mortal medicines” She shook her head. “Please join me” he smiled then taking her arm led her downstairs.
Cailean offered a seat “Tell me about yourself” Startled she looked at him “Why, aren’t you just going……” The Vampire smiled “No, we do not live that way, you will not be harmed by any of us” She didn’t believe him, the other one looked as if he would rip her throat out. Cailean laughed “My brother Lykaios, he is not as mean as he looks” he lied. “Tell me, do you have brothers, sisters” She nodded “A half brother, we, well, we don’t get on I don’t see him much” Sad he couldn’t imagine life with Lykaios “And your parents?” Zarina looked at the floor “Both dead, my mother when I was very young and my father last winter”
“Where am I, what do you want of me?” Cailean sighed and slowly explained in more detail. She listened with suspicion, Jajij, Elf, Fae she couldn’t believe it. “And you are Vampires?” Cailean nodded “My brother and I are they only two of our kind, born Vampires” Born Vampires? “And the girl” Cailean looked up at the ceiling as if looking at the sick woman “She is Quella and a friend” Zarina saw tenderness in his eyes and perhaps a little sadness “Do you know what it is?” Cailean shook his head “It started about six full moons ago, what you call six months, it affects the young, old the Fae, Quella” he indicated upstairs “To Vampire”
Zarina gasped “Vampires but I thought you were dead” her face flushed as she realised what she’d said. Cailean chuckled “True but whatever this is it does not discriminate” Cailean rose; taking a few steps he stopped “I have something to ask of you” Zarina froze. “Nothing as bad as that” he turned to her with a smile “We are desperate, the realm under threat once more” he sighed “Our kind has never had the need for doctors or medicines and the healers of the realm, they have never seen anything like this” Rising from his seat he walked a few steps then stopped, he seemed to be hesitant. “Stay with us, help us” What did he mean once more, she looked into his eyes, there it was again the sadness....but there was also compassion.
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