laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Plush pillows of deep maroon, greens, blues and white graced the large bed of furs. Surrounded by a ring of thin columns, drapes of diaphanous white surrounded the resting place as Aodrenig awoke to a familiar scent of roses which made his eyes open immediately. Laying underneath a blanket of dark green wool, he glanced to his right to see his love smiling at him as she crouched at his head.

“Jessica,” he reached out for her and drew her down to his side. “I had the most peculiar dream.”

“Oh,” she kissed him softly and he lost himself in her warmth for a long moment. “Tell me all about it,” she grinned as soft lips carressed his cheek.

“I fought a man who wouldn’t die, then ran into a deep river full of dead.” He hugged her tightly as she kissed his neck. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Jessica rose to whisper in his ear. “They would never hurt their queen,” she stated, then he felt four punctures in his neck. In sheer terror, hands gripped the graceful body over him as his life force ebbed. Soon, he felt himself drift away...

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Aodrenig awoke to darkness. Something he hadn’t known ever and now his world would ever be in that blackness he had fought for the past few years. He sighed and sat up, hitting his head on the cold stone above. Laying back down, he reached up and felt the lid to his new accomodations and in a fit, exploded with both hands which launched the rectangular stone into the room. Crashing to the floor, he jumped up to see the crypt around him. Six other sarcophagi lay in a neat row to his right as a sudden hunger overtook him.
Grinding of stone on stone alerted Aodrenig to the awakening of one of his room mates as he hopped down onto the grey floor and watched. Soon, another male sat up. His long, dark hair and handsome features looked familiar.

“Aodrenig,” the vampire grinned. “Welcome to your new home.” As Vince climbed out and stood with him, the others began to rise also. One of them his love from the Gorgon. Jessica’s revealing dark blue dress and sultry grin made him want her as she strolled up to the gathering group and smiled at him as Robert wrapped an arm around her small waist and she in turn leaned on his shoulder.

“Evening, my love,” her silky voice greeted. “How’d you sleep?”

Aodrenig nodded. “Fine,” blue eyes scanned her agile body as his heart raced.

“Later, darling. First, we have to get you acclimated to your new life.” She moved from the side of her other consort and approached as hazel-green eyes glanced to the broken lid against the far wall. “We’ll have to get that taken care of also.” Jessica looked at him as she stopped within a few feet. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this before, but I wanted you as part of my family. I know you wanted to remain at my side forever also and now you can.”

He sighed as his thoughts fought between running home and forgetting this nightmare and wanting to gather all the knowledge he could. In time, he would be her only consort as the other four rotted outside.

She neared him, placing a soft hand on his chest, “Careful, dear. We’re all mentalists here and I’d hate to lose you to some petty competition when there’s other more dangerous folk outside these walls that would kill us all on sight.”

Taking her hands in his, he kissed them gently, then nodded. “You’re right, of course.” The die was cast and now his life would never be the same again.

“Robert, why don’t you take Aodrenig out and teach him to hunt.”

“As you wish, milady,” the taller vampire moved forward, his short cropped, brown hair and strong build had destroyed many guards dumb enough in the past to be outside when the quartet visited Jedburgh. He had seen the aftermath the following morning and knew whatever had done it wasn’t something he wished to tangle with. Now, he was as strong as these four who had chased him down the main street not two nights ago.
He followed them all up a long flight of stairs and through a banded, oaken door to the main room of their modest keep. Servants bowed as the queen and her entourage emerged and went about their nightly tasks while their newest member followed his trainer out into the cool night. Once down the walled stair and into the bailey, the vampire turned.

“Concentrate upon the bat,” he instructed and Aodrenig closed his eyes for a moment and pictured one of the leathery winged creatures and soon felt himself change. Oddly, the sensation of heightened hearing while the bat flapped it’s wings gave Aodrenig an exhilaration he had never known. Giving the novice a few minutes to practise flying, they soon rose into the air and headed eastward into the forest. Mentally, he could hear Robert talk to him.

‘Feel the heartbeats of the animals below?’

‘Yes.’ Red signatures of the birds and deer as well as rodents scurrying about took precedence over the trees and bushes below as he concentrated on one of the deer as it turned and sprinted from them. Dodging limbs and leaves alike, he pursued the animal until finally swooping down upon it, morphing back into human form as he dropped from above. With outstretched arms, he grappled the deer to the ground and within seconds bit into it’s neck as the prey struggled to free itself and finally lay still in his arms.
Life flowed through his veins and he soon stood as Robert clapped. “Well done. See how easy it is?” He watched as his mentor then turned his attention to the left and in a flash, raced to another deer in the distance. Silence was soon interrupted by the crash into the ground and snapping of saplings as another victim fell.
Aodrenig breathed heavily as he felt the the life ebb away from the second deer and then noticed a pack of wolves not far from them as they apparently waited for their opportunity to gather their own spoils once the duo had left. Initially, he wanted to delve into the mind of the alpha, but allowed the wolves to remain unmolested as he moved to Robert as the vampire rose. Moonlight picked out the broad shoulders and slick hair as his comrade glanced to him.

“You learn quickly. Although, hunger drives us to do what is only natural. It’s once you learn magic is when you truly become powerful,” he grinned. “Making someone do your bidding is true power. Taking a noble’s daughter when he’s bought the allegiance of the best mercenaries in his lands to protect her without a fight is so much fun,” he chuckled. “Knowing they’re helpless to keep anything from us. Taking whatever we want, whenever we want.” A strong hand clamped upon Aodrenig’s shoulder. “There’s nothing like it in the world.”

A smile arced across his face as the newest member followed back to the keep. Many weeks of training followed as he soaked up all that they had to teach him, then enjoy Jessica’s company whenever she allowed. Another perk to being here, he thought. Their passion was unmatched and he truly loved her. Something the others couldn’t fully understand.

A cool breeze wafted through the bailey as Aodrenig stood upon the parapets at the top of the keep, looking out into the night. Above, the constellations shimmered in the darkness high overhead between two of their world’s moons and he wondered how his family was doing right now.
He felt her presence before she wrapped her arms underneath his and lay her head upon his left shoulder.

“You’ve been quiet. Is everything alright,” Jessica asked.

“Fine,” he took her hands in his and held them to his heart. “I was just wondering if they missed me at all.”

She chuckled softly. “Why not? You’re their brave son gone off to rid the world of evil. Why wouldn’t they miss and admire you?”

Aodrenig turned to gaze at the beauty at his back. “Just that, they told me this would happen. Funny when you think about it. Here I thought bards would sing tales about me when I had killed the four vampires that plagued these lands and I end up being in love with their queen and becoming one of those I swore to vanquish.”

Hazel-green eyes gazed into his. “Fate is an odd teacher sometimes. I never thought myself a whore either, but all those people use that term when they speak of me.” A term that made him turn and hold her closer. “I hate all of them and never thought I’d fall in love again until I met the son of a knight,” she smiled and lovingly kissed him, then backed. “Guess this makes you a king, doesn’t it?”

A sudden chuckle erupted as Aodrenig was taken aback. “I don’t think so.”

Jessica retreated a bit. “Really? We’ll see.” She backed and morphed into a large bat, flapping it’s wings furiously to keep aloft. ‘Come with me,’ she mentally instructed and prompted him to copy the form, then fly with her northward. Racing over miles of forest, they cleared more territory than he had ever seen in his lifetime.
Upon the eastern horizon, he became nervous as the sky slowly began to lighten.

‘We have to get back,’ he warned. ‘It’s getting close to morning.’

‘We’ll be alright. Not much farther now.’

Soon, his eyes caught site of a walled city upon a tall, rugged hilltop. Firelight from torches burned fiercely and he prayed this place was friendly or that she had planned on landing within the forest short of danger while they slept.

‘You worry too much,’ she chuckled. ‘Trust me, my love. I wouldn’t lead you to danger. We’re both in this together but, don’t tell the others about this when we get back, okay?’

‘Of course.’