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| Blood Overture; Original Fiction | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 26 2011, 12:49 PM (774 Views) | |
| ensis | Sep 26 2011, 12:49 PM Post #1 |
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Apprentice
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Here's a story I've been writing - it's an original work of fiction. I had originally started writing it at another forum 2 years ago but I ended up discontinuing it. I decided that I wanted to restart it again, and revived the story 2 days ago. I figure that this would be a good place to post it, as people here are accustomed to reading a wall of text (I presume). I have university to do, so updating might not be too fast. If you want a lol, read "A Day in the Life of Ren Field" in the extra chapters section. Tell me what you think. Blood Overture Spoiler: click to toggle Synopsis: The story takes place in a world not unlike our own. Vampires and humans have been at each others throats for centuries. The vampires, having taken half of the land of Babylin for their own country of Nosfera, have created their own independent state. The humans had developed a group of vampire hunters named after the legendary hunter Helsing. This group of hunters has grown, and acts as an international army against the vampire forces. Genre: Action, Comedy, School Life, Romance, Supernatural, Mature, Fantasy, Adventure, Tragedy Disclaimer: Series may include blood, violence, and messy situations that make me lol. This story is an original work of fiction. Any resemblance to other characters, real or not, is either coincidental or intentional. Background Information Spoiler: click to toggle Maps: Spoiler: click to toggle Modern Map: Spoiler: click to toggle ![]() Svera: Economic trade center of the continent; the culture is currently experiencing a form of renaissance, and the value of education and healthy living conditions has increased exponentially. They are ruled by King Lucius VI, whose castle is in the capital city of Sveralt. There is some friction between the Senate and the Monarch. The Harker branch of the Helsing organization is based in Sveralt. The port city of Telora, southwest of Sveralt, is the home of the prestigious Academy of Magic, where students go to learn martial combat and the Arcane. Floresce: The religious center of the world. The Legendary Sage Lin F. Reed is said to have "transcended" at what is now modern-day Romus, the capital city of the Floresce. The location of his transcendence is where the Great Cathedral of St. Floresce, the base of operations for Grand Cardinal, was built. They are ruled by Kind Vincentius II, though many suspect Vincentius II to be a puppet of the Grand Cardinal. The headquarters for the Seward branch of Helsing are located in Floresce. Gaul: Dracia: Babylin: Nosfera: Medus Empire: Ancient Map: Spoiler: click to toggle ![]() Species: Spoiler: click to toggle (Under Construction) Human: A short lived species. They are capable of great intelligence, and their short lives grant them greater understanding of the value of life. Humans are social creatures, empathic for the most part, and capable of becoming great warriors or attaining high proficiency for Arcana (magic). Their greatest strength is their sheer number, and their ability to adapt to any situation. Humans have also shown propensity to surpass their limitations. Strengths: Adaptable, well rounded abilities, and the ability to surpass their natural limitation. Weaknesses: Age, falling from high places, other people... anything really. Vampire: The immortal undead boasting great strength. Though they lack in magic proficiency, they make up for it by being difficult to kill. They have their own native powers that are separate from Arcana. They tend to be more solitary than humans and don't have a need to socialize. They are made when a human is injected by the vampire virus, making them vampires. Vampires have vampiric instinct, that of a ruthless predator, and as such are considered by humans to be evil, though there is no concept of good or evil in the vampire community. Vampires do not age naturally, but they will age at an accelerated pace if they don't consume a steady supply of blood. Vampires cannot reproduce biologically like humans can, except when one partner happens to be a human. Strengths: Regenerative abilities, superhuman strength and speed, some level of mind control, and some exhibit shape shifting powers. Weaknesses: Decapitation, impalement of the heart, garlic, counting, high and low tide. Vampire ("Newborn"): Even though they are called "Newborn", only the Nosferatu are born vampires. The Newborns are those who were recently turned into vampires. They have not yet matured into creatures of the night, and so are weaker than normal vampires. This is the only variety of vampire to be injured by direct contact with sunlight. On the other hand, they don't suffer from the "counting illness" that other vampires suffer from (and they still have a reflection in mirrors). Strengths: Regenerative abilities; superhuman strength and speed. Weaknesses: Decapitation, impalement of the heart, garlic, high and low tide, sunlight (burns/kills) Vampire (Pure Blood): The Pure Blood Vampire, properly known as Nosferatu, are like normal vampires except stronger. To be a pureblood, one must either A) be born one, or B) be the first ever vampire. Unlike their unlucky relatives, the Nosferatu are skilled in the Arcane arts. The Nosferatu suffer the same weaknesses as the vampire, but to a lesser extent. Pure blood vampires can reproduce biologically and create lesser vampires through viral infection. Strengths: Regenerative abilities, superhuman strength and speed, higher levels of mind control, capacity for Arcana, control over certain animals, shape shifting abilities, ability to defy the laws of nature to an extent. Weaknesses: Decapitation, impalement of the heart, garlic, counting, high and low tide, daytime (makes them weaker) Dhampir: A dhampir is one who is half human and half vampire. They have the strengths of a vampire but lack a vampire's weaknesses. They are often shunned by humans, and loathed by vampires. Most humans only see dhampirs as weapons to fight vampires and deny them their humanity. As a result, many dhampirs hedge their emotions inside to protect themselves. They still require human blood as sustenance. Strengths: Stronger and faster than a human, better regenerative abilities than most humans have. Weaknesses: Nothing in particular. Nuafær: These creatures were created by the Great Sage Lin F. Reed during the Necrotic Wars to combat the undead abominations that plagued the world. They were made as a last ditch effort to overcome the Death Wyrm. They are wraith-like creatures, whose bodies and souls are in a constant state of decay. They cover themselves with black robes from head to toe, and they stand taller than most men. After the Necrotic wars they forgot their raison d'etre and inspire fear in the hearts and minds of humans and vampires alike. Strengths: True Immortality; other abilities unknown. Weaknesses: Unknown. Death Wyrm: In life, these creatures were noble Dragon Lords - majestic, powerful, and wise - and their kind could grow to 300 meters in length. During the Necrotic Wars the Lich King ensnared them with his diabolical magic, stripping them of their will and turning them into Death Wyrms, powerful demons who are neither living nor dead. Their appearance heralded the doom of humanity, but the creation of the Nuafær brought forth new hope for the world. The Death Wyrms are extinct now, with no trace of their existence remaining. Strengths: Unknown Weaknesses: None Characters: Spoiler: click to toggle Protagonists: Spoiler: click to toggle Name: Allen Alphonse Ruthven Age: Unknown Gender: Male Country of Origin: Unknown Species: Vampire Height: 5'11" Eyes: Violet Hair: Dark Brown; Long Other: Unknown Name: Mina Rose Age: 17 Gender: Female Country of Origin: Svera (sfeh-rah) Species: Dhampir Height: 5'4" Eyes: Reddish-Brown Hair: Black; Medium-Long Other: A relatively straight-forward and compassionate girl, though she can get easily frustrated. Only a few people know she's not really a human. Her magic skills leave much to be desired. Name: Noemi Age: 9 Gender: Female Country of Origin: Floresce Species: Human Height: 4'6" Eyes: Violet Hair: Blond (somewhat dark); Medium-Long Other: Because of her special "gift", she is much smarter than people her age (and some older). Her ability to see past, present, and future in visions has caused her to have a difficult life. Name: His Lordship, the Count Aubrey Marsden Age: - Gender: Male Country of Origin: Boracia (bor-ah-tsia) Species: Human Height: - Eyes: Green Hair: Dark Brown; Medium Other: An extremely optimistic and naive child, born into nobility and spoiled from birth. He has a great love for life, and has an extremely idealistic view of the world. (Note: this character only appears in The Necrotic Wars story arc) Academy Characters: Spoiler: click to toggle Name: Lucy Marianne Reynold Age: 17 Gender: Female Country of Origin: Floresce (flohr-ess) Species: Human Height: 5'2" Eyes: Green Hair: Blond; Long-Medium-Long Other: A human and Mina's best friend. She moved to Svera when she was young and cares very much for her best friend. She worries a lot and hates danger. Her magic skills are at the top of her class. Name: Marcus Quincy Age: 32 Gender: Male Country of Origin: Dracia (drah-sia) Species: Human Height: 6 feet Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown; Short Other: A very level-headed person. Won't lose sight of his duty. Aside from being a officer for the Hunter Corps, he acts as a teacher at Mina and Lucy's school. Name: Aurelianus Sylvestris Age: Old. Gender: Male Country of Origin: Svera Species: Human Height: 5'10" Eyes: Green Hair: Grey; Long (also has a long grey beard) Other: Aurelianus is the current Headmaster of the Academy. He is a wise and kind man with powerful magic, and his intuition is almost never wrong. Almost. Antagonists: Spoiler: click to toggle Name: Ren Field Age: Seemingly in his 30's Gender: Male Country of Origin: Babylin (bab-uh-lin) Species: Unknown Height: 6'2" Eyes: Blue/Orange Hair: White; Long Other: Arguably the most powerful mage in the world. Arguably the most insane mage in the world. Seems to have connections with the Medus Empire. Name: Mihail Dracul Age: Unknown Gender: Male Country of Origin: Nosfera (nohs-feh-ra) Species: Vampire Height: 5'9" Eyes: Red Hair: Light Brown; Medium Other: Mihail Dracul is a member of the House of the Dragon, the ruling family of the Kingdom of the Night. He is one of the few remaining Pure Blooded vampires known as the Nosferatu. Sadist. Has some kind of Love-Hate complex with Ruthven. Name: Ares Age: Unknown Gender: Male Country of Origin: Gaul (gawl) Species: Unknown Height: 6'1" Eyes: Gold Hair: Crimson; Medium Other: Most loyal and powerful servant of Ren Field. Despite having the appearance of a man in his mid-twenties, he has a reputation in battle that earned him the title "God of War"... 200 years ago. Name: Abaddon Age: - Gender: - Country of Origin: - Species: - Height: Unknown Eyes: Decayed Hair: Black; Medium Other: Also known as: the Lich King (Note: this character only appears in The Necrotic Wars story arc) Scholomance Characters: Spoiler: click to toggle Name: Lin F. Reed Age: - Gender: Male Country of Origin: - Species: - Height: - Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond; Long (back part ponytailed) Other: Created the Nuafær. Name: His Lordship Vladislov Basarab, the Count of Dragwlya Age: - Gender: Male Country of Origin: Rümen (rüh-muhn) Species: Human Height: - Eyes: Blue-grey Hair: Black; Long Other: Fellow student with Count Marsden and Lin F. Reed. (Note: this character only appears in The Necrotic Wars story arc) Name: Helel Age: Unknown Gender: Male Country of Origin: Unknown Species: Unknown Height: - Eyes: Orange Hair: White; Long Other: Most powerful magician to have ever lived, Helel is the Headmaster and owner of Scholomance. History: Spoiler: click to toggle (Under Construction) The Necrotic Wars: 2000 years prior to the events of the story, a series of wars called the Necrotic Wars occurred. In these wars, the humans fought desperately against the necromancers, who called forth undead creatures in an attempt to wage massive war against the humans. The battle culminated with the appearance of the Death Wyrms, which decimated human civilization. The Death Wyrms were ultimately defeated by the Legendary Sage, Lin F. Reed, but the destruction they caused changed the face of the Earth. Humans ultimately adapted to their new world, and built up kingdoms from the ashes. War of the Kings: only 700 years after the end of the Necrotic Wars began the War of the Kings. The vampires, having gained great strength, gathered in Babylin and waged a bloody onslaught to take the land of Babylin for themselves. Needing aid against the vampiric assault, King Baphomet of Babylin called upon the aid of the newly formed Dracian Union - once a land of many lesser nations and lesser kings, now united under the banner and name of Dracia. The Dracian kings sent their armies to Babylin to fight the vampires. After a long battle, Babylin had to concede half of its land to the vampires - creating the vampire state of Nosfera - and King Baphomet of Babylin was betrayed by his own people and driven south, to the land that would soon be called the Medus Empire. Story Arcs Spoiler: click to toggle The Necrotic Wars Spoiler: click to toggle War of the Kings - not yet written The Abysmal King - not yet written Lost Memories Spoiler: click to toggle Chapter 1 - Garden of Eden Chapter 2 Part 1 - The Fall Chapter 2 Part 2 - Genesis Chapter 2 Part 3 - Original Sin Chapter 3 - Blood Offering Chapter 4 - Embarking Lord of Darkness - not yet written Extra Stories Spoiler: click to toggle Special Chapter - A Day in the Life of Ren Field Spoiler: click to toggle 8:45am. The inside of the room is old and full of memories. The stone floor and walls are cold yet refreshing to the touch; there is no furniture or ornaments in the dark, damp room, which is circular in shape except for a flat wall where the door lies. Opposite of the door, towards the southeast in the rounded wall is a great window, through which one can see the endless forest underneath. The trees of the forest are odd, but not because of their size, for they were not particularly large, but for their shape. They are twisted beyond recognition - one could not, in all fairness, call them trees in the natural sense of the word. Nature has been perverted in this place; the bark of the trees is jagged and curved, like great hooks used for fishing. Only misfortune comes to those "hooked" by these trees. It is a cursed forest, with no evidence of civilization save for a large stone castle built on an eminence in the ground. From the rooms in the castle, should one watch the forest all day, one would swear that the forest was alive, that the trees moved freely - though slowly. Inside the aforementioned room, in one of the castle towers, sat the castle's master. He was a man, a man with a young face but snow white hair, and had heterochromatic eyes (one blue, the other orange). He sat cross legged in the center of the room, resting the backs of his open palms on his knees. He wore loose fitting grey clothes over his well sculpted body. His visage, should there have been anyone to see him right now, would have been that of a wise sage on the brink of enlightenment. This man, on closer inspection, seemed to have some strange translucent liquid in the palm of his right hand. Around him there was no furniture, only glass jars filled with live flies and spiders and creeping things. There were also feathers scattered on the floor, and some drops of blood, but no birds to be seen. There was a knock on the door behind this man; the would-be intruder received no response, and so continued to open the door after knocking again. "Excuse me, my lord. The salve you requested has been acquired." "..." There was no response, not even an affirmation of the guard's presence. Suddenly, from out of the great window, a fly flew into the room and rested in the liquid on the palm of the man's hand. "My lord, if you don't mind me asking, why do you keep all these... creatures? I know you to be a man of... unique... taste, but this seems to serve no purpose", the guard questioned the odd man, as the fly on the man's hand drank the sweet water on the man's palm. "Ares... what business have you to question me? What mortal comprehends the mind of a god?" Ren Field, unusually calm, replied. The energetic enthusiasm usually present in the man's character was nowhere to be seen. "But if you must know, I capture the flies with sugar water and feed them to the spiders and other creeping things, which in turn I feed to the young sparrows of the air. And so on. It is the transference of life itself." This made the guard Ares more inquisitive than before. "Is there some purpose to it? Perhaps some strange Arcana of which my lord has the insight to understand?" "You are correct. It is for magic. It is a ritual, to keep away the Periwinkles", Ren Field, calm and unmoving, replied. "Periwinkle? You mean the color?" "No you imbecile! I mean the snail!" "... you feed animals to other animals to keep snails at bay...?" "Sea snails." "Sea snails..." "You didn't know?" The man sitting cross legged finally turned toward the guard. "Periwinkles are always present. They read our minds and consume our life force, resulting in our bodies aging over the decay of time." This reply from the more than odd man visibly startled Ares. "So sea snails read our thoughts and drain our vitality...?" "Yes." "..." "..." "And... you transfer animal life to combat the sea snails..." "Yes. The Periwinkles absorb the energy of all the life transferred to me, rather than my life." "So you eat raw birds to combat sea snails..." "Cats. I would like a dog, though. Dogs are nice." The guard was in disbelief. Ren Field took this opportunity to continue. "Periwinkles can't tell the difference anyway. They are much too inebriated from all the life they drink." "... so drunk sea snails are eating our life force..." "Yes." "..." "..." "..." "They're pink too," Ren Field said, as he broke the silence. 8:43pm. In the castle's bathing chamber. Ren Field was bathing in the large bath with room enough to bathe 300 people with space to spare, when someone knocked on the door. Ren Field didn't reply, so the guard knocked again and came in anyway. "Excuse me, my lord. The ambassador has given his reply and..." The guard stopped in his tracks, and looked wide-eyed at the scene before him. The large bath in the chamber was filled with mud, with the castle's master bathing in the center of it. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you taking a bath in mud?" The guard, somewhat used to his master's oddness, asked. "Mud and salt." "I see..." "Snails don't like salt." "... Periwinkles?" "Yes." "... how did you manage to fill such a large space with mud-" "Shut up." "..." "You remember that Periwinkles read our thoughts, do you not? I take these mud baths to keep them away from my mind." "Really." "Yes." "..." "... I don't want someone manipulating the Periwinkles and reading my mind, you see." "... so these inebriated pink sea snails make us age and read our thoughts...? And so mud keeps them away from our minds..." "Mud and salt." "I see..." "Snails don't like salt", Ren Field answered, in matter-of-fact fashion. "Is there anything else about Periwinkles I need to know?" "They fart a lot." "They fart... a lot?" "Yes." "..." "..." "Drunk pink sea snails farting..." Ares said in a near whisper. "Don't underestimate the force of their flatulence. Their farts bring disease to all living creatures in the world." "Really..." "It's because of all the life energy they eat up." "..." "Anything else?" "No, sir. I apologize for disturbing you." And so Ares took his leave. From that moment on, every time Ares saw a snail, it always reminded him of the drunk, telepathic, pink sea snails whose farts bring death to the world. A Day in the Life of Ren Field ~ End Update: LM Chapter 2 complete and NW Prologue added! Update: NW Chapter 1 added! Update: Characters updated! Update: Maps updated! Update 10-11-11: LM Chapter 3 completed! Update 10-12-11: Characters updated! Update 10-14-11: Story arcs rearranged in chronological order! Update 10-15-11: Characters and Species updated! Update 12-05-11: LM Chapter 4 completed! Update 01-30-12: NW Chapter 2 updated! Edited by ensis, Feb 2 2012, 03:47 PM.
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| Pikastache | Sep 26 2011, 01:33 PM Post #2 |
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Practitioner
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Should this be in a different forum? It's a bit of a waste putting it here in spam haven. It's quite nice. But I'm not going to lie, I only read a small snippet of it. |
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| ensis | Sep 26 2011, 02:40 PM Post #3 |
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Apprentice
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Hmm... I searched for a suitable forum, but I couldn't find one. The only place this belings is off topic, unless they make a sub forum for fanfiction/original fiction. Anyway, thanks for reading (if only a small snippet). |
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| ensis | Sep 27 2011, 03:16 AM Post #4 |
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Apprentice
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I tried adding the rest of chapter 2 part 3, but it was too long a post, and i couldn't... what to do... |
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| Amarante | Oct 1 2011, 02:58 PM Post #5 |
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The swirling blue butterfly
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Then start a new post. When I read the intro, I saw asociations with manga: Hellsing, Trinity Blood and the book Dracula itself... But I want to read the continuing. Have you uploaded this work somewhere else?
LOL!!! |
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| ensis | Oct 1 2011, 05:46 PM Post #6 |
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Apprentice
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That's a great idea. I have some time now, since I studied a bit for my courses. I'll get started on it. I should mention, though... the size of the central tower was changed to make it bigger (800 meters). Also, it's funny that you saw Hellsing, Trinity Blood, and Dracula as influences, because they were! There's also a little of Zero no Tsukaima... mostly for the Academy idea and the romantic comedy. Anyway, this includes the completed chapter 2 part 3, which as never been released here until just now. The divide is where the line of asterisks are. Lost Memories Arc, Chapters 1, 2, and 3 Spoiler: click to toggle Chapter 1 - Garden of Eden
Spoiler: click to toggle 1:00pm. A group of hunters, about sixteen persons total, were making their way through a dense forest. For some reason, the trees and the vegetation in this forest are abnormally large and rampant. The leaves of the trees, high up in the sky, blocked out the rays of the sun. The air itself seemed to be tinted a yellow-green. What is this... one of the female hunters thought, You can't even see the sky. The girl wore a grey-blue pleated skirt, a white blouse, and a black overcoat over the blouse. The coat was thick, as it can get rather cold in this place to the north where the sun's light fails. Her hair was black and passed her shoulders slightly in length. "Mina. Don't start daydreaming. We're here on duty", said a male hunter with short brown hair, apparently Mina's superior officer. "... It's great that we finally got a real job to do, but why here in Lilia of all places...", the officer grumbled. Lilia: an island north of the country of Svera. Its land is untamed and its trees grow up to 100 meters in height. All sorts of dangerous creatures live here. "It can't be helped," said another officer, "Holmwood's researchers have been given a task here. It's rather dangerous, which is why we came as well." "Dangerous?" "Yup. I heard there's a 300 year old basilisk livin' on these grounds. Why, you scared Mina?" "D-don't be ridiculous..." Ooh... a basilisk? N-no way... Mina thought, partially frightened and partially excited. Just two days earlier, the headquarters of the hunter's organization in Svera, known as the Harker branch of the Helsing Corps, received a notice from Helsing. The notice informed the hunters of a new duty; to accompany the researchers from Holmwood Intelligence and Research branch of Helsing on their voyage to Lilia. As a result, the current party consists of twelve hunters and four researchers, with the researchers trailing behind their armed guards. "Hey, Mina..." The voice came from a frail-looking girl with blond hair slightly longer than Mina's. They wore similar clothing, perhaps it was a uniform of sorts. It was Lucy Reynold, Mina's childhood friend. The voice startled Mina. "What's wrong, Lucy?" "What is that...?" She pointed towards something. Coiled around one of the large trees was an enormous serpent, 50 meters in length. A basilisk, and a dead one at that. All that remained was its charred corpse, confined to the tree by poisonous life-leaching vines. Its eyes were forcibly removed, leaving blood to trickle down it's head. "... Magic." Marcus, the commanding officer with short brown hair, remarked. "It's still fresh. I take it a mage made his way through here recently. A powerful mage at that; take caution." "Sir, there are footprints leading north of here..." "?? You're right Mina. All right, everyone. We're going to follow these tracks. It's illegal to enter Lilia without permit. Moreover, we cannot let this mage jeopardize the mission in any way." The group, a dozen hunters and four researchers moved out, following the tracks. What's with these tracks... they're going all over the place... Within five minutes the group was back, standing face-to-face with the dead serpent. "..." "..." "..." "You think the mage knows we're here?" The one to break the silence was Lucy. "I don't know", replied Marcus, "A mage of this level could easily hide his tracks with magic. He wouldn't need to try to lose us by backtracking." "..." "W-well, in any case, he can't be too far ahead?" said Mina, somewhat worried. After a few laps, the group finally followed the tracks to an opening outside the forest. There was an old castle of sorts there, obviously abandoned for many years. The walls and windows of the ruins were cracked in many places. All over the towering structure vegetation thrived; the castle had become one with nature. Littered around the premises of the ruin were corpses of monsters, mostly ghouls. "This is the place", one of the researchers spoke out, "we're supposed to investigate this place. Well? What are you standing around for? Go in there and settle this mage matter!" What a jerk. "Hey Profes- I mean, Mr. Quincy, sir. I've been thinking about it for a while but... what exactly could Holmwood need in a place like this? And why did I have to come anyway? I'm not even a hunter, I'm just a student! It should be illegal to force students to join the hunter's association against their will", Mina complained. "Be quiet Mina. You know as well as I do that all dhampirs are required to serve Helsing. There were a shortage of hunters for this job too. You, being a dhampir, are at the top of the recruitment list." "Yes, sir..." A despondent Mina replied as they were entering the old structure. Strangely enough, the inside of the castle was well preserved when compared to the outside. They passed though an old hall with many doors, and made it into some sort of chamber. In the past, this room was likely used to entertain certain guests; the interior had high quality furniture that, though old and dust-laden, would fetch a high price at a market. The chamber itself was large enough to hold a ballroom dance, and on the far side were long tables that could seat many for a dinner party. The once splendorous room is now ridden by gust, webs, and insects... though the furniture, tables, and chairs showed no sign of decay. "Anyway, I haven't the slightest clue as to what Holmwood could want in this God forsaken land", Marcus answered to Mina's earlier question. "... I don't like this..." complained a low voice, nearly inaudible. "Lucy? What's wrong?" Mina worriedly lacked at her friend. Unlike Mina, Lucy was just a human. A human with strong magical powers, but still a human. She volunteered for this role when she heard that her friend was being dragged to Lilia. "We shouldn't be here! It's not fair! Normally girls like us don't go vacationing in lands filled with basilisks and ghouls! God knows what else could be living here. I wouldn't be surprised if there were vampires too!" Poor girl... you're not cut out for this sort of thing... "It's not that bad. Look at the bright side, we-" "Shh!" Marcus interrupted. Everyone stood still. In the darkness of the castle, in which the only light seeped in through the vine covered windows and the breaks in the ceiling, footsteps could be heard. Faintly and growing fainter, the sound started to dissipate. Marcus whispered in a commanding sort of way that seemed to cut even the air itself, "That way!" The mages in the group used light spells to better illuminate the area around them, and the group ran through one of the many hallways. After running through the labyrinth-esque castle for about a minute, having made a few wrong turns, they finally entered a large room. It was a chapel, well preserved for the most part though some of the stained glass windows were cracked with vegetation seeping in through the cracks. At the other end of the chapel was an elaborate stone alter, and on the far side of the alter was a tall man with long white hair, his back facing towards the intruders. He was wearing a white sorcerer's robe with light blue lining. "Is this it? Is this it? This is it??" The white-haired mage exclaimed, voice trembling. "Art thou the Master?! Where is the King?" Shouted the eccentric man. Something about the man seemed... off. His speech, mannerisms, and behavior betrayed his fractured mind. Mina was dumbstruck. She had her misgivings when following the crazy trail, but this was just creepy. "Who are you? Identify yourself!" Marcus bellowed. The white-haired man turned. His face was young, his right eye blue and his left orange. He had a white stub on his chin. Despite the snowy hair on his head, the man was likely in his 30's. He held a straight, black staff. "???" The mage had a confused look on his face, as if he lost all purpose in life. "Who am I? Who are you?" "...We're from the-" "Silence! I care not who or what you are or where you come from! I already found what I came here for", the mage said, pulling out a silver kukri knife out of the lower part of his robe where most men would fear to hold a knife. The Harker group was alarmed. They had drawn their swords and wands, and prepared for the worst. A powerful mage is a dangerous opponent. An insane mage is even worse. "Answer the question! Identify yourself! Why are you here?!" "...? Oh yes! Oh yes oh yes oh yes! Yes, yes yes! Me? I am a mage." The mage kicked something away with his foot. The view was obstructed due to the alter, but it sounded like a heavy board hitting the ground. "It matters not who I am or what I do or why I do what I do. What I do cannot be stopped as I already have done it, the thing that I do. As I have already finished doing that which I have come here to do, telling you what I am to do is useless, and knowing who I am or what I do is also useless, is that not so? But I will say, only so that I can do more, and in time; I am Ren Field." As he was saying all of this, he cut open the palm of his hand with the kukri, and let the blood spill out on something evidently on the other side of the alter. "Lord Ruthven! I have done what is needed of me! Make haste, the King awaits!" After saying this he warped out of the ruined castle. The group quickly made their way around the alter and found an open, black coffin with the heavy cover laying on the floor beside it. Evidently, the mage kicked this heavy lid off of the coffin. There was a mattress inside the coffin in the shape of the coffin. It looked very comfortable. But on top of the mattress... Oh my God... All of the hunters thought simultaneously. Inside the coffin lay and old man with closed eyes and with long white hair. He was dressed in aristocratic fashion standard to royalty. He wore a black coat with gold lining over a silk, white shirt. His pants were black as well, and matched the coat. Over the coat he wore a black mantle. His mouth was covered in fresh blood. Slowly youth and vitality began to return to his face. He stood up, a pair of white fangs visible over his blood smeared lips. Chapter 2 Part 1 - The Fall Spoiler: click to toggle It was dark. The Sun had yet to make his way over the horizon. In the midst of the clearing in the forest, two men stood facing each other, and One lay motionless on the ground. All three were well dressed. "What have you done?" The man with crimson eyes and wavy brown hair demanded an answer, his voice filled with unbelief. "..." "I said, what have you done?!" Rage quickly overtook him, and his eyes burned like fire; his body had been consumed with wrath. "I did only what was necessary. Had this dragged on without incident, they would not survive; no, not one." This other man replied, conviction in his voice and remorse in his violet eyes. "I'm sure you understand the implications involved." His dark hair, which neared the length of his waist, was motionless in the still night air. "Silence! Mother was right about you! You should be killed for this treason!" The melancholic man with violet eyes looked slightly down and replied, "... It matters not. The war will end now that He is dead and His plans thwarted. Where His heart once beat now rests a void." The wrath filled man looked towards the One lying on the ground. "Damn you! You've undone everything! Damn you Allen!" His face contorted with rage, making the bloody glow in his eyes seem menacing. "I'll kill you!" "Then come at me, Mihail Dracul. We both know which of us is greater." Mihail, eyes blazing, rushed towards the man called Allen Ruthven at inhuman speed, sword in hand. He swung, meaning to cleave the other in two from the head down. The blow missed by a few millimeters, or rather, it was avoided, cutting only a few stray strands of hair. Ruthven had back stepped the vertical blow and drew his own weapon, dislodging his opponent's extended arm. Mihail screamed. For the Nosferatu, a maimed limb isn't too much of an issue. However, it takes time to recover and is excruciatingly painful. Mihail keeled over, clutching the open wound. "It's over." Ruthven readied his sword over his head, preparing to bring it down over Mihail's neck. "Oh, no. No no no no no no! We can't have this now, can we? No, not yet." A voice echoed, resonating throughout the forest and onto the clearing. Alarmed, Ruthven turned. "Who's there?!" The answer he received was not a verbal one. The ground under his feet turned into spear heads and tore their way through his feet. "Aaaagh!" He tried to move and dispel the magic, but couldn't. He could no longer open his mouth to speak, for he was muted. Out of the Earthen spikes sprouted vines, vines that made their way into his body via the exposed blood veins. Paralysis magic. Dammit! A faint voice rang out behind him, "What are you doing, turning your back on your opponent..." It was Mihail. A diabolical smile spread over his face. It was an ecstatic smile, but also the smile of one without hope. A very vain smile. "Don't worry... I'll make this feel good..." The next sensation was one of pain, then of blood spilling through the mouth. Chapter 2 Part 2 - Genesis Spoiler: click to toggle "..." The air was cold. But the mattress was comfortable. "..." ...? Blood... The man in his coffin-bed could taste blood. It was all over his mouth. My body is gaining strength, but... my head hurts. The man stood up. He stood motionless for a moment before noticing a handful of people near him. He turned to face them. Mina could hardly believe what she was seeing. She knew what stood before her, but could not bring herself to believe it. Before her, behind the alter at an abandoned chapel, stood a vampire. His face was that of one nearly sixty years old. His white-grey hair flowed down his cape clad back. His violet eyes were dull, they held no light in them. "Who are you? Why are you here, so far from vampire-country?" Marcus pointed the tip of his wand-sword at the old vampire. Everyone expected something to happen and they prepared for the worst. With twelve hunters surrounding one vampire, if a battle ensued the chances of winning are high. "... Not sure. Where am I?" The vampire's reaction was unexpected. He spoke as a child would, innocent and without malice, with concern spread over his face. Mina, having vampire blood in her veins, was the least worried about the vampire, so she took the initiative to ask another question. "What about that person who was just here? That Ren person. He seemed to know you." "Ren? ...I've never heard of him. Actually, I can't remember anything right now." Marcus stood still, his eyes set on the vampire. Amnesia? Perhaps he slept so long he lost touch with reality? No, that Ren Field would have no business knowing a man who knows nothing. That person is crazy though... "In any case, we need you to come with us. Holmwood came here in hopes of finding something, and I think you might be related to their search. Do you have a name?" "Allen... Ruthven, I think." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Saturday (five days later) - At the Academy of Magic in the Sveran port city of Telora, in the south. 2:16pm. It had taken longer than it would have taken normally to get home had they not gone immediately to the capital city Sveralt to file paperwork about the new discovery. Marcus was at the archives, in the easternmost building of the Academy. It's Saturday, so there weren't any classes. The Academy is thus divided: on the northeast side are the male dormitories, and on the northwest side the female dormitories. In the geographic center of the Academy stands a large tower, about 150 meters in diameter, and 800 meters in height. It contains all the classrooms, the dinning room, and the public library. To the east of the Tower are structures that house valuable items and relics owned by the Academy. To the southwest of the Tower are the faculty residences, where the professors stay. The premises of the Academy are walled by a great stone wall, 15 meters in height and three meters thick. "Just as I thought..." Marcus whispered aloud as he was looking through some old records. "Ren Field... I knew I've heard about him." Professor Marcus Quincy tends to mumble to himself when researching. He had tried finding any information on persons called "Ruthven", but to no avail. It seemed that any information relating to "Ruthven" had been destroyed over time, likely intentionally, but luckily Marcus was able to find information on the man called Ren Field. "Well, it should be okay like this... but I hope she won't mind these arrangements." Marcus chuckled, as he felt a foreboding sense of dread mixed with amusement. 4:19pm. Lucy and Mina had gone out that day to go shopping. They lived in the school's dorms, and the Academy provided three meals a day, but food cooked yourself always tastes better. Or at least, that's what Mina and Lucy say. "Really? That's so funny!" Lucy was giggling. "It's true! I swear it!" The two girls were laughing amongst themselves while returning to the school from the west side, were the entrance to the Academy was. The buildings around them were similar to "Baroque era" architecture; predominantly Gothic. A carriage pulled by two horses sped past them. "Oh... we're at the school already." Lucy almost sounded sad. "Yup. I'm going to head back now. I've been waiting to try out my new storage thing... I think they called it a 'refrigerator'?" (Of course, the fridge is magical device used to store certain foods and preserve them) "I'm kinda sweaty, too. Gonna have to bathe." "Aren't you lonely? All the other students share a dorm. I keep asking the staff to put me in your room too, but they say it's too danger- oops! I'm sorry!" They both understood why it was "dangerous". Even dhampirs need blood. "Don't worry about it! I don't mind, really!" she said while holding up her hands in a friendly gesture. "Well, see ya tomorrow!" Mina had returned home. She felt bad for making Lucy worry, so she quickly put away the shopping and stored perishable goods in the new refrigerating unit. The refrigerator seemed to work. Should take a bath now. The door to her room was closed and locked, so she undressed on her way to the bathroom. She was fully naked when she reached the door, with only a tower in her hand partially covering her, and she went in to bathe. "..." "..." Two people stared at each other with blank expressions. In the bath, also completely naked, was another girl- no, wait, boy. He looked somewhat feminine because of the long dark hair. His eyes were violet, and by his face he'd probably be in his early twenties. His name was Allen. Allen Alphonse Ruthven. "H-hey... um... I'll be staying here starting today..." Mina covered herself with a towel, screamed, and threw squarely at the boy's face a readily-available bucket of water. Chapter 2 Part 3 - Original Sin Spoiler: click to toggle 10:14am. It is the weekend, and Marcus and Ruthven are standing in a rather elegant room near the top of the central Tower of the Academy. There are many bookshelves lining the walls, and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling with blue crystals hanging from the ends that give off a fleeting blue light when it is dark. At the room's entrance is an eloquent set of wooden doors, engraved with carvings of heroes and monsters. Opposite to the doors is a glass window, nearly the size of the entire wall that it rests in. Before the window is a large black marble desk, complete with an old man sitting at one side of it. The old man looked like... a wizard. He wore grey robes, had long grey hair and a long grey beard. His face was long and saturnine, which belied the true warmth of his nature. "So this is what Helsing asked you to search for?" The old man asked, his voice brimming with wisdom, should wisdom have a sound. "Yes, Headmaster. As you know, Holmwood Intelligence sensed a strange vortex from Lilia. We found Ruthven there, and brought him to the headquarters at Sveralt yesterday. They determined that he may be related to the Arcane signals they felt." "And they sent him here? Why?" The old man questioned suspiciously. "There is growing resentment towards vampires at the capital. There have already been several demonstrations, not all of them peaceful. The Senate is concerned for the well-being of the citizens, and so refuses to keep the "subject" in such a hostile environment." "And so they decided that this Academy is the safest place to keep and watch him..." "So they said," Marcus replied, evidently finished speaking. The Headmaster turned to Ruthven. "You're name is Ruthven, correct?" "Most likely," the vampire replied, unconcerned. "Ah, yes. The report mentioned that the 'subject' seems to suffer amnesia. Why did you agree to come with the hunters without resiting? Did you forget in your amnesia the bitterness between our species? Or do you not even remember the species anymore?" The Headmaster asked, calmly. "I remember the species and could tell from their faces that they bear hostility." "Then why?" "There are books and resources in cities, and especially in academies. It seemed like a good opportunity to learn." "You are not afraid?" The Headmaster asked intently. "No. I remember at least that I have no reason to fear humans." "I see... I have nothing more to ask of you. Outside these doors are members of the Academy's security guard. They will take you to your quarters." The old man motioned his hand slightly and the doors swung open. "The guards waiting outside know not what you are, neither does anyone else save for me, Marcus, and the two girls from this school who aided in finding you. Make sure no one else finds out either." With that, the guards waiting outside walked in, and escorted the vampire to his quarters. Once they were clearly gone and the door closed, Marcus questioned the old man: "... 'your quarters'?" "He needs a place to stay, obviously," the Headmaster answered as if there were no problems. "There is nowhere to place him. There is no room in the faculty residences, and we cannot place a vampire in dormitories where humans sleep! If we keep him at the eastern buildings, we'll not be able to maintain constant watch over him," Marcus replied, rather energetically. "Correct me if I am mistaken, but there is a student here with a room all to herself, and she happens to not be exactly human, hmm?" Marcus knew where this was headed, and was too dumbstruck to reply. "Young Miss Mina should be a perfect candidate," the Headmaster stated something unbelievable. "But she is just a girl..." "She is stronger and more durable than most humans. Most would not survive a sudden, unexpected attack from a vampire, but she would... though it's not as if I don't trust this Ruthven..." The Headmaster trailed on quietly. "So he really is not feigning ignorance?" "I do not believe his impaired memories to be an act, and I can tell that you don't think so either." "You are right. When I first saw him, I determined that Ren Field would have no use for someone suffering from amnesia. I suspect this to be the result of some magic, perhaps something that even Ren Field himself did not anticipate." "Magic indeed... I noticed the remnants of strange Arcana, ancient, on his person. My guess is that he had been induced to sleep centuries ago by some powerful spell. This magic likely erased his memories as well." "And you're certain of all this?" Marcus, ever cautious, asked. "I am certain of nothing, but my heart tells me this is so." "... if you insist, I'll believe you. But who could be powerful enough to put a vampire to sleep for centuries, and erase his mind even?" "Now you ask the truly pressing matters. There have only been a few magicians in history strong enough to cast such magic. This Ren Field in the report, however... I have heard of him. Someone of his caliber could cast such a spell." "Ren Field is just a man," Marcus denied, "he could not live for so many centuries." "Perhaps. But he seems to know more about this Ruthven than any of us. To solve the mystery of the Lilian vortex, and the mystery of Ruthven, I believe Ren Field is the key. That being said, I want you to search the archives for information regarding 'Ruthven' and 'Ren Field,'" the Headmaster said resolutely. "... Understood." Marcus, the ever dutiful soldier, agreed. He understood the wisdom in the old man's words, and obeyed accordingly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1:28pm. Marcus, having decided to uncover information concerning the situation, had gone east after exiting the Tower - towards the Academy's "collections". It's a structural complex, many buildings all connected to each other, whether by corridors, or hanging walkways, or underground tunnels. The end of the complex is merged into the outer wall of the Academy, which lines the perimeter of the campus. These buildings are the treasury; they contain antiques, relics, artifacts, and resources too valuable to make public. The archives are also part of the treasury, as knowledge is more valuable than gold for those who live here. Naturally, one of the outer wall's towers has sentries posted to keep watch on the entrance to the archives, to ensure that no one causes trouble during the day. During the night there are no guards on duty, but the doors of the archives are magically sealed to keep people from intruding, making entry difficult. Leaving while inside, though, is a simple task. Marcus was inside the archives ever since he was dismissed by the Headmaster. The interior of the archives were like a library, only darker since there were no windows here. Instead, there are beautiful engravings on the walls, patterns that curve and intertwine, and these engravings glow with a faint blue light, perpetually illuminating the archives. The books here are all old or valuable, or both. As such, exposure to sunlight is avoided, to ensure the rays of the sun don't damage the valuable parchments. At one of the desks in the archives sat Marcus, the desk covered with ancient books. Marcus had been looking for any reference to vampires called "Ruthven", but his search proved unfruitful. He stood up reluctantly, and gathered some of the books carefully with his gloved hands, and proceeded to return the books to their proper place. Once done, he turned and was startled; standing behind him was a man with a young face, violet eyes, long dark hair, with the attire of a noble. "Ruthven... don't scare me like that!" Marcus, perhaps for the first time in his life, had lost his composure. "I'm sorry if I frightened you; that was not my intention," the young(?) vampire replied, sincerity in his voice. "I simply came to check the archives." "Aren't you supposed to be with the girl right now? It was decided that Mina would look after you." "She is not here. In fact, I had not seen her at all since we split up at Rokshire." Entry to the forbidden land of Lilia is impossible, and no matter how hard you try, you can never reach it by sea. Men have sailed for years and could never near that island, even when they can see it on the horizon. The only way in is through teleportation, and the mountain city of Rokshire has such a device. By international agreement, however, permission to use a country's teleporter is forbidden without permit. "That's right... the two girls left for Telora right away, and the rest of us went to Sveralt. I thought she would have arrived by now..." Marcus replied, somewhat concerned for Mina's and Lucy's safety. "She made it back. Her stuff is in her room, and one of the neighboring students said she left earlier today for the city. On that note, are these arrangements going to work out? I'm sure havoc will break out once the students of this Academy find out that I'm cohabitating with a girl in the girl's dormitories..." Ruthven said, clearly concerned and disturbed. "... well, you could pass for a tall female..." Marcus replied in a whisper, equally concerned. "What?" "Nothing. You and Mina are going to have to figure this one out on your own. Regardless, what business do you have in the archives?" "I intend to learn." "You can go to the public library in the central Tower to do research." "No. I can't. Honestly, word has already spread in the girls dormitory of my visiting Mina's room. They don't know I'm going to stay there, but this alone is already pretty big. I don't want to be recognized by anyone," he said, motioning to his conspicuous noble attire, "so I think it's best to avoid other students for a short while." "That sounds reasonable." "More importantly, if you went to the archives right away to find information about me, doesn't that mean I won't find information about myself in the student library?" Ruthven had a point. There's no way information on him would have been at the student library. "I see. Unfortunately, you won't have any luck here. I've more or less exhausted all the books related to vampires here," Marcus replied. "You read fast." "No, there just isn't too much information about vampires. Not specific vampires, at least. This land has never been home to vampires before. Here," Marcus walked over to a shelf and picked out a book, "if you still want to learn about anything else, this book would be a good place to start." Marcus handed the book over to Ruthven. "?? 'History of Rinswalt Academy'..." "This school's proper name is 'Rinswalt Academy', but everyone just calls it 'the Academy' or 'Academy of Magic'," Marcus said, as if answering a question. "You would do well to learn at least some basic information about the place in which you currently reside." Marcus took some other books out of the shelves and decided to search information regarding "Ren Field", and Ruthven had opened the book he received and read it while standing, leaning on the end of one of the bookshelves. nearly an hour had passed after Marcus had found something relating to "Ren Field". Ren Field... estimated to be around thirty years old. Evidence suggests that he comes from the wastelands of Babylin... currently considered to be the most powerful mage alive, by some standards. There was some information regarding the mysterious magician, but not too much. Marcus was content with this, though. If this book had any information on Ren Field, chances are high that other books in the archives would also have something to say. Marcus, slightly relieved, changed his focus to... other pressing matters. He mumbled something to himself about the current "arrangements", and then laughed slightly. "You can laugh?" Ruthven asked, amazed. "What are you implying." "Nothing... I just was shocked. You don't seem like the type that can laugh. Actually, it's kind of creepy. What are you plotting?" Ruthven asked, somewhat jeering. "Damn you." "Heh." The two seemed to get along fairly well. "... I was just wondering what's going to happen to you." "??? What do you mean?" "Mina has a strong personality. Don't get on her bad side. Though, just with you being thrown onto her like this, I doubt you can avoid her frustration. Just try not to do anything stupid. You won't recover if you do." "Is she that strong?" "Even a vampire probably won't survive having his head cracked open." "I'll keep that in mind... I should probably try to find her. Should probably explain things to her sooner rather than later, I guess." And with that, the two separated. Marcus remained in the archives, and Ruthven went back to the dormitories. In order to avoid running into unwanted trouble, he entered the outer wall from the archive stairs, walked along the top of the rampart, mostly northwards to the dormitories. From the outer wall, he jumped onto the top of the dormitory (which was also connected to the outer wall), and climbed down the wall of one of the buildings constituting the dormitory. His manner of climb was like a lizard scurrying about on a vertical surface - an impossible feat for humans. He made it to his "quarter's" window, on the fourth floor, and infiltrated the interior. No one's here... Ruthven thought as he looked about the room. I suppose I should just wait here for her... Ruthven was rather sleepy, being naturally nocturnal. He had slept a bit in the carriage from Sveralt, but he was still rather tired. Too tired to hold out, Ruthven took off his mantle and coat, and collapsed on the bed (which was, in fact, not his). This room smells nice... he thought, as his mind drifted to nothingness. 4:08pm. Ruthven woke up. Most vampires, when sleeping, enter a deep sleep, one that lasts for hours and cannot be awoken from, but Ruthven maintains the rare ability held by only a handful of old vampires that allows him to wake at will. Ruthven, rested well enough, sat up and looked at the table by the bed. There were strange clothes there, and a letter. You might need this - the Headmaster. The clothes seemed to be a uniform... "..." Well, my clothes right now are rather old and noticeable... they haven't been cleaned in who knows how long... Ruthven thought as he stared at the dust on his mantle, now on the floor. He gratefully accepted the uniform, not yet aware of the true meaning of wearing a school's uniform - perhaps he was still somewhat sleepy, after just waking up. Either way, he took this as an opportunity: imagine not having showered for centuries? Well, since his sleep was the sleep of the dead, his body didn't increase in odor or bacteria so much as it did in dust. There was a bathroom to the far left of the room's entrance. He went in, stripped himself, and stored his clothes within a large towel, as if to keep them in one place until he could wash them. He filled the bathtub, large enough to lay in comfortably with room to spare, with hot water. He took a bath in a bathtub that's not his, after sleeping in a bed that's not his, without asking permission of the current resident, and he felt great. The water was somewhat bubbly from soap, and the soap smelled pleasant. Overall, this was a very relaxing time. Then the door opened. The was a girl there, partially covered by a towel. "H-hey... um... I'll be staying here starting today..." Ruthven said, flustered and confused. He remembered no more after that. Chapter 3 - Blood Offering Spoiler: click to toggle There was a faint sound in the air, birds chirping happily. Ruthven, his eyes still closed, and himself not fully conscious, could feel that he was submerged in water that had cooled slightly. That's right... I was taking a bath and then... He had difficulty remembering the following, and as he tried he felt a great pain in his head; perhaps he injured himself while bathing? He decided to open his eyes and check his surroundings... he was certainly in a bath, somewhat tainted with blood that dripped from his forehead. There was a person kneeling over him on the right side. It was Mina; she was completely dressed, though it looked like her clothes were thrown on in a hurry. She had a look of fierce determination on her face such that one could mistake her for a demon. She held a hammer in one hand, and with the other a large wooden stake, situated over Ruthven's bare chest. "... what are you planning to do with that stake?" Ruthven asked suspiciously. "I'm going vampire hunting." "... why do you even have a wooden stake in the first place," Ruthven asked, wondering why this halfling girl would keep a stake and hammer in her room. "For situations like this." Mina raised the hammer. Ruthven, having finally realizing his doom, quickly squirmed out of the bathtub. "W-w-w-wait! What are you doing?! That's dangerous!!" He exclaimed, having gotten near to the bathroom door. "Of course it is!! Now get back here!!" Mina was overtaken by some destructive spirit. Ruthven ran. He ran fast. As fast as he could out of that place. He ran out the door and through the hallways, trying to preserve his precious life, all without a single shred of clothing. A demon incarnate followed him closely. "What are you trying to do?! What did I do to deserve this?!" Ruthven could not remember everything due to his head trauma; his memories were blurred. "What do you think!" Mina yelled. Ruthven, having reached the stairs, quickly descended. Several people had opened their doors to see what the commotion was, but Ruthven and Mina moved at superhuman speed, leaving them behind and confused. "I'm sorry for using your bath! I'm sorry I slept in your bed!!" "YOU WHAT?" Ruthven had chills. His situation became much worse. They had left the dormitory by now; Ruthven, freshly bathed and smelling like spring, was running amok on the grassy expanse between the Tower and the dormitories. Cold unmerciful Death followed behind. People who were outside saw two figures run past as a blur, though they were certain that one was stark naked. Ruthven turned his head back towards Mina to apologize, but a long shaft passed in front of his turning face at high speed, scratching his nose. It was a quarrel. He turned behind to see Mina aiming another bolt at him. "Where did you get a crossbow?!" The only reply was another bolt coming for his head; he turned and ran towards the Tower. The base of the Tower was wide, with many open corridors and many people with full view of the grassy plains and whatnot else. Ruthven ran through the many corridors to the sounds of people screaming in surprise (and some cheers). Disaster followed behind. They ran through the many halls and rooms. Marcus was walking through the hallways, holding books in his hands that he intended to bring to the Headmaster. His keen eyes noticed something naked running past him, followed by something angry. "... dear God..." Ruthven eventually reached the center of the Tower, were a glowing magic seal, a teleporter, was situated. He ran straight into it, not caring where it lead. Ruthven came out of the teleporter to one of the higher floors in the Tower, where the Headmasters room was located. I think I'll be safe here... He thought, hoping that his assassin didn't follow him. He had no such luck. Out of the teleporter came a demon. So he ran. He ran with all the strength available to his exposed self. He ran to the large and beautiful doors of the Headmaster's office and collapsed to his knees. "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" He struck the doors with both fists with all his vampiric strength, but the doors did not give way. They were enchanted. The Headmaster's voice resounded from the other side, "Just a moment..." Ruthven fell into despair. To his right the terrible Mina stood. The grey walls of the Tower resounded with unearthly screams. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ruthven was sitting in the Headmaster's office. Actually, sitting was not the proper term. It was more like he was just... existing there, and barely at that. He was a bloody mess, with crossbow bolts sticking out here and there. He was covered with a brown cloth. On a nearby chair sat Mina with her eyes closed, her face calm, and her hands resting on her lap. The Headmaster sat opposite to Mina on the other side of the black marble desk, his eyes also closed, and his face grave. Marcus was standing off to the side, leaning against a bookshelf holding his face with his palm. "... I see," The Headmaster began to speak. "So that is why Ruthven here is like this," he looked at the mangled thing lying on his floor. "It's just as I feared," Marcus replied. "Miss Mina, I understand your frustration, but there was no need to go so far if it was an accident." "M-more importantly, why was he in my room! Boys aren't allowed into the girls dormitory, let alone private rooms!" "I thought Ruthven would have told you that he was going to stay under your care?" "What? Why?!" The Headmaster looked at the thing lying on the office floor. It seemed to be unconscious still. "We need to keep watch over it, and you really are the best choice in the matter." "B-but..." "It's not as if I think Ruthven is dangerous... I have yet to sense malice in him. But we must ascertain what manner of vampire he is. It's one thing if he's an ordinary vampire, but quite another if he's a Nosferatu. That's why I need you to keep him under constant surveillance. As I've said, I can only entrust this task to a dhampir like yourself." "I don't know what to do though..." "Observe him to see if he has potential for Arcana. The Nosferatu have the ability to use Arcana like humans do, as well as powers native to vampires, many such vampiric powers being unique to certain vampires and indistinguishable from Arcana. Since you have vampire blood in you, you should be able to sense when his magic is Arcane or vampiric." "That's too much! I'm just a student!" "You won't be alone. Marcus will watch Ruthven when he has time, particularly during magic classes." "I'm still against living with him... if the other students find out, I'll never hear the end of it..." "I agree," Ruthven, starting to sit up, said. It seems he had regained consciousness. "If I stay with this girl, I'll die!" "Hmm hmm hmm," the Headmaster chuckled quietly, "Don't be ridiculous. You won't die." "Look what she did to me!" Ruthven motioned to his body, which seemed to show signs of natural disasters. "You're body may be bruised, bloodied, and broken, but it is far from dead. What would be mortal injuries for most humans are nothing but superficial wounds for you. You'll be fully healed within an hour at most. If she wanted to kill you, she wound have decapitated you. Miss Mina had no desire to kill you, only to destroy you." "And how is that better..." "You two should go back to your rooms and rest. I imagine you are both weary from... recent events." "... Yes, Headmaster..." Mina complied against her will. She stood up and, seeing the mess sitting on the ground, sighed, and went for the door. The mangled abomination sitting on the floor reluctantly stood up and followed her. "Oh, and Ruthven? Try not to run around naked anymore. I delivered those clothes to you for a reason. Starting on Monday, you'll be a new student of Rinswalt Academy." "... What?" Ruthven finally realized the importance of the uniform he received. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The two were outside the Tower, walking along the grass. Ruthven recovered enough to walk normally, it seemed. His powers of regeneration are quite remarkable. The brown cloth he was covered with in the office turned out to be a cloak of sorts, allowing him to move about without being naked - luckily, with the speed with which they were running earlier, his naked form was much a blur to everyone, and no one recognized it to be him. Ruthven looked back towards the large Tower that pierced the sky; it was ridiculously large, and made from dark grey stones.The shape of the Tower was somewhat ominous in its design; to think it was a school was nearly unimaginable. "... I'm sorry." "What?" Ruthven asked, surprised at what he thought he heard. "I said I'm sorry. I guess it wasn't your fault." "..." "..." "... It's fine. It wasn't really a serious injury for me anyway," Ruthven said, trying to console the person who attacked him. "Do it again and I'll break you." "..." Ruthven smiled slightly. Part of him was glad to have someone who could speak to him without reservation. "... I have a question, though. I read a bit about the Academy at the archives, but there's one thing I don't understand." "What is it?" "What is the Tower? Its size is monstrous, and most of it remains unused by the students and faculty. Rather, it seems the Tower has been here since before the Academy was." "You're right. No one actually knows why we use the Tower as the school, let alone why the Tower exists. There are many different rumors about the Tower's true nature, though all of them seem weird. What we do know is that the Tower - or rather, the Marsden Spire - was built nearly two thousand years ago by St. Aubrey. It was built over one of the Inheritance Seats." "Inheritance Seat?" "Yes. The Inheritance Seats are the places where Arcana flows into the world most strongly. Because the concentration of magic here is extremely high, this is the best place to teach magic. There are other Inheritance Seats, too; the Great Cathedral in Floresce was built over one, the place where the Great Sage Reed transcended. I've heard there's another Tower, similar to the Marsden Spire, built over an Inheritance Seat in Nyxis, the capital city of Nosfera. That place is overrun by vampires now." "... Who was St. Aubrey?" "He's one of the nine saints who, together with the Great Sage, saved the world two thousand years ago. It's said that all the saints were martyred eventually, betrayed by the people they loved. Why do you ask?" "I recognize the name." "Maybe you fought him in the past? After all, the saints fought against the undead. That would mean you'd have to be two thousand years old, though!" Mina said jokingly. "... Perhaps." Ruthven turned around and looked up at the gigantic spire that dominates the earth and envelops the sky. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Headmaster." "Yes, Marcus?" "Here." Marcus dropped a load of books on the Headmaster's desk; these are the books he was carrying in the halls earlier. "This is?" "Books containing information, directly or indirectly, about Ren Field." "And you bring them here why?" "If I had to read them, so do you." "..." "... But look at this," Marcus opened a particular book. "Ten years ago, a spy from the Medus Empire journeyed to Dracia in search of the Key Stone. His journey brought him to the wastelands of Babylin, where we assume he received help from a powerful sorcerer. When the King of Babylin sent his guards after them to the Alter of Desolation, all they found was the guardian of the Key Stone, its body torn and charred, bound by earthen vines." "Your point being?" "I have seen such brutality before; during the mission to Lilia, we found a large basilisk dead, its eyes torn forcefully from its sockets, its body bound and burned. The style of magic was identical, and the sorcerer we determined to be responsible for the mutilated basilisk is Ren Field." "So you're saying Ren Field is in league with the Medus Empire..." "It's very possible. We have to be careful. Whatever Ren Field wanted in Lilia, to break the international agreement, the Medus Empire is up to something. In the worst case scenario, this could very well lead to war; the Medesians have always been hostile with the rest of the world in the first place." "... The situation is much worse than I anticipated." The Headmaster frowned. Night was beginning to set, and the moon shone brilliantly over the great Tower. Edited by ensis, Oct 12 2011, 04:22 AM.
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| ensis | Oct 1 2011, 05:56 PM Post #7 |
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Apprentice
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Here's where I'm going to upload the first few Necrotic Wars chapters, once they're done. Perhaps I should put a directory into the original post, for ease of access? Oh, and I forgot to answer one question: I am uploading this story on another site as well, but they don't comment on it much, so I'm rather apathetic to the people on that site. But I have uploaded all the chapters I've written thus far here, and will upload as I write them. Enjoy The Necrotic Wars arc, which is one of my favourites. The ending, when I get there, will be really touching... in one way or another. Got chapter one of NW up; might have some script errors though. Pretty sure I fixed all of them, but gonna have to double check. The Necrotic Wars Arc, Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Spoiler: click to toggle Prologue - Agnus Dei
Spoiler: click to toggle The Earth was trembling beneath; the sky itself was torched and scarred. The surface of the Earth was consumed in fire, and shadow. The oceans were bitter, and in all places was heard weeping from sorrow and agony. Truly, this is the end of all things. Amidst all this chaos, in a large chamber underground, there were six people, all exhausted and tired. None had the strength to stand; they all kneeled in despair, though some were collapsed on the ground. The floor had engravings in it, large and spectacular magic circles, many of them intertwined and overlapped. These carvings in the stone floor emanated a horrific aura - the circles cast orchid and crimson light throughout the chamber. In the center of the circles kneeled a young man, his face contorted with grief and tears were streaming down his face. In his arms he held a child tightly, as if to cradle it. This child's face was remarkably peaceful, and drenched in cold tears. The child did not stir at all, he just lay there in the young man's arms. The young man, his grief too strong, raised his face to the heavens and screamed with all the energy remaining to him... but his screams were drowned out by the tremors of the Earth around him. The others, given over to desperation, passed out of consciousness. By the time the floor's engravings ceased to release light, all six of them had died. Chapter 1 - Introitus I Spoiler: click to toggle The sun had set, and twilight covered the ancient city of Silur. The great stone buildings, built from skillfully cut stones, cast long shadows on the already darkened cobblestone road. The architecture, though made of stone, was elegant in its craftsmanship. There were great pillars, and aqueducts, and arches that characterized the architecture of the more populous cities in Boracia. The architecture was imported from the Apollinian culture, which widely influenced much of the civilized world. Boracia, northwest of Apollin, was one of the more developed and civilized countries in the world, and had long since adopted the nobility hierarchy that was developed in the far northeastern countries of the continent. On the cobblestone road could be heard the footsteps of a great multitude; many people were on their way home, and some by carriage. It seems that there ended a performance in the public stage of Silur, where actors and performers go to entertain the higher echelons of society. Under the dark blue sky mixed with purple twilight walked a particular family; the Marsden family. They took no carriage, for they believed that walking was much better to experience the city. The father, Count Arthur Marsden, wore a purple tunic underneath a red overcoat, trimmed with silver lining. The Countess, Marie, followed close behind her husband, wearing a simple dress. She held in her arms her sleeping infant daughter, Sophia. Trailing far behind his mother was a young boy, perhaps four years old, clothed in a green tunic. He was focused intently on the cobblestone road, trying to jump from one stone to another. "Aubrey," the Count Marsden called, "hurry up. Look at this!" The young boy quickened his pace and ran to his father's side. His father pointed to the side of the road, where flowers grew. "Isn't this a rare sight! The Moon's Tear!" The orchid colored flower, with its long petals opened, emitted a violet light. This flower was commonly called the Moon's Tear, due to its association to a tragic story in Boracian mythology. The petals only opened up and glowed once a year, the exact timing unpredictable. The violet rays had a very melancholy qualia. "What is it?" the young boy asked. "It's a very special flower. They say that, hundreds of years ago, a pair of lovers loved this flower. However, on one night, when the moon was full, one of the lovers had died, betrayed by his best friend. The woman he left behind mourned his death and ultimately killed herself, and her tears and blood caused the flowers to glow. Now, every year at around the beginning of winter, the flowers bloom and glow this sad color." "I don't get it..." Aubrey said, as he didn't yet understand what death meant. "If her boyfriend left, why didn't she wait for him to come back?" Aubrey asked innocently. "... he could not come back. You'll understand someday." "?" Aubrey had a puzzled face. After some time had passed, the family decided to head back home. The night grew darker, so Count Marsden gathered some of the flowers and used their sorrowful glow to light the road home. After they had left the central area of the city - for their manor was on the outskirts of Silur - something had happened that no one would ever have expected: from in front of Count Marsden, obscured from Aubrey's vision who stood behind his father, a shadow approached. Alarmed, the Count spoke up, "Who are you-" He did not have to finish his sentence, as his body fell to the ground, the Moon's Tears scattering. From the Count's throat gushed a red liquid. Aubrey could now see, in front of his father's corpse, a group of men seven or eight strong, and all were armed with swords or spears, and two with bows. The Countess, horrified, began to shout, "Arthur!" But soon she was run through by a rusted spear. Young Sophia, fallen from her mother's arms, began to cry, and was soon silenced by the sword. "What a loud brat!" one of the bandits said. "The point of waiting here was so that no one would notice!" "Check the Count's body! Surely he has something valuable on him! This cloak looks like it would fetch quite some gold..." "What about the boy?" The bandits then looked at poor Aubrey, who stood in place, trembling. "What should we do with him? Kill him? Once we get the key to Marsden manor from the Count's body, we can loot ourselves a fortune! We should hurry and kill this kid." "No," a large man missing his left eye said, "The southern countries really value slaves. A boy of high birth would fetch a fortune as well." The bandit, apparently the leader of the group, said. Right after, his men crept closer to Aubrey, who started back, nearly petrified with fear. Just then, two bolts of lightning had fallen on the two bandits who approached the boy, and they fell to the dirt trail, dead. "What?!" As the bandits said this, a great flame consumed about five of them, and left nothing, not even ashes. Only the leader was left now. "What devilry is this?! Show yourself!!" The one-eyed man bellowed. "Disperse." A voice proclaimed. Just then, many gales of wind tore through the bandit, and his body, dissevered into a hundred pieces, was scattered on the night's breath. Aubrey, just standing there, not sure what's happening, looked forward. There was no one there... but a wind gathered the fallen Moon's Tears, and they whirled in the air for a short time, and from among them appeared a man, hooded, and his body hidden by a crimson cloak. "Poor child..." The hooded being said, as he raised his arms to pull back the hood. His face, now revealed, was that of an adult, youthful, but his hair was long and silver. His orange eyes seemed to glow. "... Who are you?" Aubrey managed to ask, still unsure of what transpired. "I am Helel," The man replied. "I am sorry I could not save your family." "Mama and Papa... are they sleeping?" "...Yes." "When are they going to wake up??" "... they won't." "What do you mean?" Aubrey asked, his mind unable to understand. "They are dead; your sister too. They will never wake up..." "Why not??" Aubrey, his eyes becoming wet, asked the stranger. "Their souls have left for the afterlife. Look upwards; see those stars? That's where your family is now." "... can I go with them?" Aubrey asked, crying now. Slowly, he began to understand what death meant. "No. You can no longer see them. Come with me." Aubrey hesitated. The man called Helel held his hand out, invitingly. "I cannot be a father to you, but I can teach you." Aubrey, unsure of anything anymore, took hold of Helel's hand. In a single moment, the two of them had disappeared into the wind. Chapter 2 - Introitus II (incomplete) Spoiler: click to toggle The scenery had changed. Until just a moment ago, Aubrey was with his family in the city of Silur, in the refreshing cool night that was about to give way to winter. His family was gone now, and the last thing young Aubrey remembered was taking the hand of Helel. And then something happened. Aubrey was not sure where he was anymore, but certainly knew he was not in Silur. The first thing Aubrey had noticed was the sky; it was early morning - or perhaps evening - and the sky was lit up like a flare, shared between beautiful shades of pink and purple. Despite the sky, lit up as a bright twilight, all the stars were perfectly visible. No, more than visible - the stars were more clear than ever, and even stars that could not be seen in a crisp, clear night were visible in this place. More than the stars, however, the moon was slightly discoloured - a rusty red, compared to the usual snow colour - and five times its normal size. Many craters and other geological features of the moon not normally visible were now plain. The unusual sky was not the only thing different, however. The environment itself had changed. There was a great lake, reflecting perfectly the heavenly bodies, whose opposite shore was could be seen across the lake's immense breadth. All around, the lake was encircled by mountain ranges, on its east, north, and southern banks, and between the mountains and the lake were expanses of forest. To the west was a valley leading out of the mountains, covered also in lively forest. Looking carefully, there were great structures carved from and into the mountain side. "What is this place?" Aubrey, awestruck by his new location, asked, forgetting momentarily the tragedy that unfolded moments earlier. The mysterious man called Helel promptly replied: "This is my home, on the remotest, far eastern ends of the earth, in Babel. This is Scholomance, young Count Marsden, and now your home also." Edited by ensis, Jan 30 2012, 02:10 PM.
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| ensis | Oct 4 2011, 07:37 PM Post #8 |
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Apprentice
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I've updated the original post - it is now a directory to each chapter. EDIT: Also, I thought I should explain something; you might have noticed the personality shift that Ruthven underwent from before his battle with Mihail and after Ren Field awoke him - that was indeed intentional. The Ruthven with his memories in tact (referred to as Lord Ruthven) has a much more inhuman and indifferent personality than the blank slate Ruthven. Lost Memories Arc, Chapter 4 Spoiler: click to toggle Chapter 4 - Embarking Spoiler: click to toggle Sunday, 1:13am, port city of Telora. "Please... stop!!" The old man screamed just before his head was dislodged, the arteries in his neck painting the beige wall a beautiful crimson. "Kehehe..." A young man laughed in the darkness. Upon closer inspection, one could see the dark room was littered with bodies and parts of bodies. The man laughing in the center of the room licked his black claws clean of the blood. From his mouth two long sharp canine teeth were jutting out. His cold steel blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "Now... come and find me... so I can kill you..." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, 7:23pm, Rinswalt Academy. In the sizable room stood two people, a bed, and to the left of the door a small magical cooling system (refrigerator). The first of the two people, a girl, was standing near to the bed. She wore a white blouse, a grey-blue pleated skirt, and a light blue velvet coat that neared the end of her skirt. The other person (not a girl) was standing closer to the door. "What is this..." The girl said calmly and coldly. "It is a bed, mistress," replied the boy, a tremble in his voice. "There's an awful lot of dust on it." "Perhaps you forgot to clean it before embarking on you quest to Lilia?" "I cleaned my room earlier today. There was no dust on my bed then." "Then it was the dust fairy, my lady," Ruthven answered confidently. *Sigh*... Mina, too tired to care anymore, picked up the bed sheets and shook the dust off. Seeing this, Ruthven exhaled a sigh of relief. He was no longer wearing that brown cloak from before, but rather was wearing the uniform that had been delivered to him earlier in the day. It consisted of a white shirt, black pants, and a men's redingote made from dark red velvet. The tails of the coat where long enough to nearly reach the floor, and were split in the back through the middle at the waist down. "So where are you going to sleep?" Mina turned around and asked. "On the bed?" "No way." "There's no other bed." "You're not sleeping on my bed - that's where I sleep." "Then we can sleep togeth-" "No!" "... Then where will I sleep?" "That's what I'm asking you. You can't sleep in my bed, and I don't want a guy sleeping in the same room with me." "Then I'll sleep in the bathroom." "No, that's inconvenient. What if I need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? Besides, I don't want to risk anything like today happening again." "Then there's nowhere for me to sleep!" "... You can sleep in the wardrobe?" Mina and Ruthven looked towards the wardrobe. It wasn't particularly large, five feet across and six feet high. There weren't too many clothes inside, since all that's needed on the premises is the uniform. "You don't seriously expect me to-" Ruthven started. Mina looked at him with a cold glare. Ruthven, thoroughly understanding his defeat, sighed. He got up, went to the fridge, and took out a canister. "Hey! That's mine!" Mina, clearly upset, bellowed. "It's either this or I attack people as they sleep." Ruthven opened the canister and started drinking. The Academy does more than teach, it performs all sorts of research and experiments. They collect blood from willing donors to experiment on in the hopes of creating new spells to cure diseases. Extra "resources" are sent to Mina, who, being a dhampir, needs to feed every so often. "The Academy had better start sending a share for you too," Mina said in a near whisper, still somewhat upset. Ruthven, having taken his fill, put the canister back in the small box from whence it came, and stood up, a stern expression on his face. "Someone's coming." "What? Here?!" To this, Ruthven merely nodded. "Quick! Into the wardrobe!!" "What?!" Mina grabbed Ruthven and tossed him into the wardrobe, closed it, and locked it. Just then, without knocking, the door of the room swung open; it seems the two residents of the room forgot to lock it. The intruder was Mina's good friend, Lucy. "Mina! What was that!" "W-w-w-w-w-what??" "A few hours ago I saw some naked man run through the school really fast! And then I saw you chasing the naked man! Really fast!" "Aren't you mistaking it for someone else???" "No! You're the only one in this school who can run that fast! That other person... was it that thing we found in Lilia?" There is a superstition that saying "vampire" is bad luck and will cause you to run into one, so Lucy instead called Ruthven a thing. Mina sighed slightly, today wasn't such a good day for her. She told Lucy everything - except where Ruthven would be staying. "... I see... that's so unfair. The school's already making you go on dangerous missions, and now they want you to look after a... vampire and make sure it doesn't do anything bad." "It's not as bad as that. Professor Quincy will also be keeping an eye on Allen." "'Allen'?" Lucy asked, puzzled. "W-well, that's his name, right? I'm not going to treat him poorly just because he's different!" Indeed - she treats him poorly for different reasons. "..." Lucy smiled slightly. "What's with that smile..." Mina asked, skeptically. "You're awfully familiar with him, even though we don't know if he's good or bad." "It's not what you think. It's just easier to say 'Allen' than to say 'Ruthven'!" Mina replied, exasperatedly. Lucy thought on this for a second. "But aren't both names two syllables long?" "That's not what I meant! The name 'Ruthven' is creepy. 'Allen' is a much more normal name." "If you say so." Lucy said, earning herself a nasty glare. Meanwhile, in the wardrobe, Ruthven furrowed his eyebrows. "A-anyway, it's getting late, isn't it? Why don't we go to the Tower and play something? It's boring in this room, anyway." Mina derailed the topic. "That's fine, I guess. I still have a lot more to say, and I guess I can say it over there!" Lucy wasn't going to let it go. "Fine! Let's go!" Mina grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her away. Meanwhile, in the wardrobe, Ruthven was locked in. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Looking up, he could only see the night sky; the stars unseen for the thick clouds. He lay on the snow covered ground, his limbs non-responsive to his will. His skin and clothes colored by blood and ash, the small child continued to watch the sky, having no energy left to move. Around the small boy could be heard the sounds of people screaming, but the child could not hear them for the ringing in his ears. All around him lights were flickering as if a fire enveloped him on all sides. "... Sorin..." the young boy mustered the strength to call out someone's name. He lay there, waiting, his surroundings burning, waiting to be saved; but no one came. Minutes passed, and then hours, the boy regained his hearing, but the screams around him had subsided. The fires had calmed down, illuminating the area with their fading flames. Snow had begun to fall from the thick clouds, and the boy waited still for what seemed to be an eternity. "...!" In the child's fading vision he saw a tall figure. The man he saw had long dark hair and he was garbed in a black mantle, and he protected himself from the elements with this dark cape. "Sorin..." The boy called with the strength that remained to him. The man met the child's gaze, a gaze which pleaded for rescue. The man's cold and hard eyes were struck with sorrow, and he looked upon the child with pity and regret. "...rin.." At this utterance the man turned his head, and walked away. The young boy, helpless as he watched Sorin leave, kept looking towards Sorin even though that man was no longer within sight. The child then looked up towards the night sky. The boy looked upwards as the falling snow looked down, and fell out of consciousness. "...!" He opened his eyes to the sight of the embers in front of him. "A dream... again." He looked down at the remnants of a campfire, his crimson hair ruffled by the wind. He had fallen asleep momentarily, only to experience unpleasant dreams. It was still dark out; the sun had yet to rise. "Haa..." The man stood up shakily, wearied by a dream of ages past. His clothes were the same dark green of the vivid forest in which he found himself. His golden eyes shone with a red light from the dying campfire. Having stood up, the man readied himself for the long journey ahead. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sunday, 6:50am, Rinswalt Academy. Mina and Ruthven were sitting down at the Headmaster's office. At the other side of the large desk sat the Headmaster, and beside him stood Marcus. ...The previous night Mina had returned to her room a little late. Lucy interrogated her relentlessly, suspicious that her best friend was hiding her true feelings concerning a recent development. Of course, Mina was keeping a secret - the fact that Ruthven was currently in her room (and that he is to stay there). Naturally, trying to keep the fact of her permanent guest a secret caused her to to behave rashly and flurried... which only caused Lucy to be more suspicious. Hence, the interrogation took quite some time. After an uncounted number of hours, she returned to her room, Ruthven still locked in the wardrobe. Rather than unlocking the wardrobe to let Ruthven out, she simply fastened garlic to the door of the wardrobe and said a weak "goodnight", and went to sleep... Ruthven, wearing his Academy uniform and sitting in a chair in the Headmaster's office, was shifting to and fro in his seat without regard to aught else. "Ruthven? Are you all right?" The Headmaster asked, a puzzled look visible on his old, stern face. "No way I'm alright... my back hurts, I haven't slept well in days, and now I have garlic poisoning..." "Hrm. Being young is so nice," the Headmaster said. "..." Everyone was at a loss of what to say. "You can play all sorts of kinky games and wake up the next morning with only minor arches and pains," the Headmaster clarified. "Wha-!!" Mina shot up, her face visibly reddened. "Why does everyone think it's like that?!" "Ho ho. Calm down. It was a jest," the Headmaster cheerfully said, waving his hand slightly. Mina sat down, still vexed by these unending accusations. "Headmaster, this is not the time for that," Marcus, ever dutiful, reminded the Headmaster of his priorities. "Hrm." "Mina, Ruthven, early this morning we received emergency notification by Arcana signal from Telora proper - there was an incident. Seventeen people were murdered last night in the Lower Town. Evidence suggests it was a vampire attack." Marcus looked at Ruthven. Mina interjected: "It wasn't him! He couldn't go anywhere, he was locked up all night." "'Locked up?' So there were kinky games... hrm..." The Headmaster stroked his long grey beard. "NO!!!" Mina shot up again, embarrassed and humiliated. "What does this have to do with me?" Ruthven asked calmly. "The Headmaster has decided to send me to Telora to intercept the vampire. I decided to take you two along," Marcus said. Mina understood immediately; this is an opportunity to gauge Ruthven's abilities. That, and Marcus cannot afford to be separated from person he was supposed to watch. "When do we leave?" Mina asked. "Immediately." Edited by ensis, Dec 5 2011, 12:52 AM.
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| ensis | Oct 14 2011, 04:42 PM Post #9 |
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Apprentice
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pfffff.... I'm starting to regret making this story a romantic comedy. 2 years ago someone told me to include romantic comedy, but it really doesn't fit in with the rest of the story. And I don't know much about romance. Should have kept to the original plan and kept it a pure horror/tragedy with some comedy and minuscule amounts of romance, but I guess it's too late now. When I'm done with the story, I'll probably edit out some for v2.0. |
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| Amarante | Oct 15 2011, 03:04 PM Post #10 |
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The swirling blue butterfly
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There is no need for that. Mina or Lucy can always fall in love with the vampire king (asuming that there is one) along the story. Or both fall in love with him and become enemies
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| ensis | Oct 15 2011, 04:11 PM Post #11 |
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Apprentice
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I amazed that you knew there is a vampire king! Though he's already dead... He was killed by Helsing and Rinswalt in a story arc that I haven't so much as named yet. The chief villians of the story are the Old God, the New God, and the Abysmal King. More so the Abysmal King. Actually, concerning the gods, they fought endlessly across space-time. They have the power to create entire parallel universes with their thoughts alone, and they wage their war across these multiple parallel universes. The universe in LM is just one such universe imagined by the gods. But yeah. I do have something terrible planned for the main characters in the LoD arc (the sequel to LM). |
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| ensis | Dec 5 2011, 12:30 AM Post #12 |
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chapter 4, which was incomplete before, is now finished. |
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