Vampires

by Elu

Chapter 8: Past Decides

Author's Note:

It's been a long time, and the chapter isn't the longest, but I sure hope you enjoy it!

Also, I'm pretty sure you noticed the change in the title and the cover art. What do you think about these changes?

Blood quietly sloshed in the wine glass Nicholas was holding as he absent-mindedly tilted it from side to side. The dim candlelight flickered, casting peculiar shadows on the face of the vampire. His eyes, glowing crimson, stared off into the distance as different thoughts went through his head. He bit his lower lip slightly and looked down at the table in front of him. There, among many different papers, lay a drawing – a sketch of Princess Luna made with a pencil.

Nicholas took a sip of the blood; it traveled down his tongue and throat, and soon he felt the so much needed relief. Letting out a soft sigh, he let himself fall into his memories of old days. He closed his eyes and summoned the events of long past, reliving them as if he was there again in flesh and blood. His body relaxed, his ears folded, and a vision came to him.

A long time ago, rising from the ashes of the Tribal War, Equestria appeared. In his days of relative youth, Nicholas had only just begun to learn what it meant to be a true ruler, a leader for his kin. As such, he needed to know what was happening around the world. And so, he observed, watching the newfound country with cautious interest. Outside forces loomed over Equestria, watching it with gaze akin to that of a hungry predator, waiting for its chance to pounce and bite deep. The inner problems threatened to pull Equestria back apart, but it seemed the ponies indeed started to get along much better than before.

Close to the northern borders of Equestria at the time, the Vampire Kingdom of Vallaer was present. Hiding in the mountains where no pony dared to go, it lay in wait, watching and observing. Despite the rocky surroundings and generally inaccessible area, the kingdom remained low, trying not to attract attention as it gathered the information it needed to navigate among the politics of the time.

Vampire King Nicholas was very curious in the established royalty of Equestria, especially their foals. Two fillies, Celestia and Luna, were the heirs to the Equestrian throne, raised into nobility and wealth, groomed to succeed their parents once the time was right. Usually protected by no fewer than a dozen guards, they were difficult to get to. Fortunately for Nicholas, even the praised Equestrian Royal Guards were not perfect.

The moon shone brightly from the cloudless sky, illuminating the Royal Gardens with its pale light. Nicholas was hiding in thick bushes, watching Princess Luna playing around. She was carefree and joyful, not noticing the vampire hiding within sight. She was all by herself with no guards around to protect her. To the knowledge of the Vampire King, they thought that the princess was sleeping soundly in her bed. Unfortunately for them, Nicholas knew exactly where she went instead.

His crimson eyes carefully watched her play. She was all his for the taking; either blood or soul. With no one to protect her, Luna was the most vulnerable. Just a small filly barely half a decade of age, she posed no danger to Nicholas. And yet, he didn't attack, merely observing her instead. She had a light azure mane, grayish-blue fur, and a pair of aqua eyes. Her most defining feature, however, was a nearly black dark-blue spot that encompassed both her flanks.

"Sister!" a young female voice yelled out from afar. Nicholas adjusted his position so that he could look in the direction from which the voice came, and Luna stopped playing. Soon, young Celestia and a squad of Royal Guards arrived at the scene, "What art thou doing, Luna? 'Tis bedtime!"

"But I don't wanna go to bed!" Luna protested, pouting, "Can't I play here for just a few more minutes? Just... look at the sky!" she gestured, "It's so... beautiful. And it's not hot at all. I don't like playing during the day, it's tiring!"

"Our parents shan't be happy about this, thou knowest it," Celestia frowned in response, "Go to bed. Now."

Nicholas was silent, not moving a muscle. His eyes shifted from the two sisters to the guards surrounding them, and he saw them looking around as well. Fortunately, they hadn't noticed him yet, and he hoped they wouldn't. He breathed quietly, trying not to disturb the leaves all around him with his breath. His posture was still, his body tensed up.

"Thou'rt so mean..." Luna hung her head, giving up and following her sister and the guards back to the caste. Nicholas followed them with his gaze, not moving a muscle. After they disappeared, he waited for a few more minutes before taking off and flying into the night. Once he was high in the sky, he kept close to the clouds as he circled the castle. Seeing nothing of interest, he left the capital of Equestria and headed back to Vallaer.

Nicholas opened his eyes, his mind returning to the present. He glanced at the drawing again and wondered what had changed since he saw Luna all those centuries ago. What deal did she have to make to receive agelessness and power? What deal did her sister make? Up until this point, Nicholas was wary about believing Daring Do's statement about the two sisters being rulers of Equestria after such a long time. But now he had undeniable proof; he saw one of the sisters with his very eyes. It seemed impossible, but he had to consider the fact that he also made a certain deal that granted him a lifetime longer than most.

He took another sip of blood to clear his head. The iron taste soothed his body, and he let out a sigh of relief. Whatever questions he had would find their answers in time. He had learned that knowledge can be difficult to obtain; but when it is achieved, it becomes priceless. Finishing his drink, he put down the wine glass and relaxed.

A few knocks suddenly came from the door. Nicholas put the picture of Luna into one of the drawers and then turned to the entrance. The gem in his crown glowed, opening the door. A vampire entered and bowed.

"Regele meu, Am un mesaj urgent," he said, giving a wax-sealed letter to his king, "Se cere imediat răspuns."

Nodding, the Vampire King glanced at the seal before opening the letter. The symbol on the red wax was familiar but he couldn't quite place where he saw it before. Wondering who sent it to him, he broke the seal and unfolded the piece of paper. Could it be a letter from Luna? But if it were so, how could she have known where to find him? When he finally saw the contents of the letter, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. First and foremost, it was from someone he didn't expect to hear from; and secondly, it was written in nearly-flawless Vampiric. Intrigued, he carefully read it from top to bottom.

Vampire King Nicholas of Vallaer,

We have received the news of your awakening. Our Ancestors foretold your return, and we would like to invite you to negotiate friendly terms with Zebrica. Information about where to travel will be provided by our messenger.

With high regards,
Zebrican Queen Damu Msemaji

After a few seconds of thought, Nicholas turned to the one who delivered the letter and asked: "Unde este mesagerul?"

"Urmați-mă, regele meu," the vampire bowed, gesturing for his king to follow.

---

Daring Do was lying in bed, stirring awake from her slumber. Stretching her body, she rolled over and looked through the window. She hadn't seen the sun in what seemed like an eternity, and she definitely lost the track of time. Had it been a week? A month? For some reason, she couldn't quite figure out the timeline. She had the memories of what she did while being a 'guest' of the vampires, she had the memories of searching for them, but the precise amount of time spent on the latter evaded her.

Months ago, Daring Do was killing her time with one of the folklore books she found during one of her many adventures. This was where she saw the first mention of the vampires. Vaguely equine shapes were drawn on the image of the red moon, and a warning message followed.

It would've been easy to dismiss it if not for one thing. Daring Do knew that many ancient myths and tales had truth to them, and so she dug deeper. To her surprise, she managed to collect plenty of stories, both written and oral, about the vampires from many different sources. In Equestria, Griffon Kingdoms, even in Zebrica, there were stories related to the vampires in one way or another. She isolated what the stories had in common and managed to get plenty of things correctly about the blood-drinkers. At the time, she mistranslated the word 'vampires' into 'vamponies', but otherwise, her research paid off. They drank blood, they hunted during the night and hid during the day.

However, the sources she found were conflicting in the description of the vampires: some depicted them as intelligent beings, others merely painted them as bloodthirsty monsters with no conscience or morals. She needed more information, and most of the tales pointed towards the north.

Just about a week before Daring Do ventured into Vallaer, she found an abandoned village close to the mountains of the Frozen North. Devoid of life, wind whistling and whispering through the empty buildings, the village stood alone in the forest. The adventurer moved slowly, trying not to step on anything that would compromise her position. Despite the emptiness around her, she felt as if she was being watched. The sun was setting, but Daring Do was too deep into her work and research, and so she didn't turn back; not until she got the answers.

Thinking that her mind was playing tricks on her and the many stories about vampires she had read during the past month had gotten to her, she ignored the strange sounds and whispers. They weren't loud enough to understand, but they crawled under her skin, making her tense up. She went into a house after house, searching for anything that could give her the answers she needed.

In one of the houses, there was an underground basement area. Unhinged, a door lay near the entrance, faded hoof marks embedded into the old wood. A dried out blood splatter was visible on the stone stairs. Her heartbeat increasing, Daring Do slowly descended into the basement, watching her steps carefully. The basement was trashed: remains of wooden furniture and shelves were lying around, broken glass and other debris covered the floor.

The first thing of importance she found was an equine skeleton. Taller than an average pony and bearing a pair of fangs, it immediately piqued her interest. The skull of the skeleton featured a rusted sword stuck through its eye socket and coming out the back. Moving further into the basement, holding her flashlight steady, Daring Do found a second skeleton. It was very close to the first one in terms of anatomy, down to the fangs. This one had a huge iron nail stuck in its chest.

Once the adventurer reached the wall of the room, she saw the third and the last skeleton. This one was definitely a pony, and tattered remains of a red cloak still covered its body. Unlike the first two skeletons, this was in a natural lying down position, and it was surrounded by a dried out pool of blood. At the edge of that pool, an object of interest lay – a journal. Dried out, in some places glued with the blood splatter, but still in a reasonable condition to read.

Later during the night, Daring Do was back home, meticulously studying the journal. Some of its pages were ruined by blood, but plenty of writing survived, allowing her to understand the contents. The journal used to belong to someone whose name began with an 'H', and it described the vampires pretty well. There was information about Nicholas, some of his servants, and the location of Vallaer. Not wasting any time, the adventurer set out to find that city the next day. Believing the civilization of vampires to be gone, she was taken by surprise when she witnessed their return.

Something outside her room rustled, breaking her line of memories. She raised from the bed and looked in the direction of the exit. In a moment, it burst open, and a familiar stallion rushed in.

"Daring Do!" Caballeron quickly sad, his eyes frantically scanning the room, "I know, I know we've not been on good terms, but we, we need to put the differences aside! We must escape!"

"I, uh..." Daring Do began, confusion in her voice. The stallion before her was not the one who tried to mess with her so many times. Thinner than before, and certainly not as arrogant, he was trembling.

"Oh no..." the stallion backed down, his crazed gaze fixated on the eyes of the pegasus, "They... they got you!"

Before the mare could say anything, he dashed outside the room and quickly left the scene. After a second of thought, Daring Do got up from her bed and made her way to the hall, uncertainty in her steps. She stopped as two guards trotted past her, their armor clanking. Orders were issued, and soon a guard appeared in the doorway.

"Do not attempt to leave the room," he said, locking his eyes on the pegasus. Slowly, she nodded in response, getting back to her bed.

"Let her come," another, way more familiar voice said from the hall. In a few seconds, Nicholas himself appeared in the doorway. The guard saluted to his king, stepping aside. After nodding to the guard, the Vampire King addressed the adventurer: "Daring Do... Perhaps, thou art interested in this situation."

Nodding, she got back up from her bed and went past the guard. She followed Nicholas to the hall, where they went in the direction of where Caballeron disappeared. Despite the hurry of the guards, the Vampire King moved at a slow pace, no visible signs of stress or rush on his face.

"'Tis quite surprising he hath managed to escape," he said calmly as the two made their way through the hall, "Tell me... Is he thy adversary? An opposite of who thou art?"

"In some way, I suppose..." the adventurer replied slowly, "When we first met, he wanted to be my partner. However, I work alone, and he... he didn't want to do it to preserve history. All he wanted was money."

"Those who do not value the past are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past," Nicholas replied, looking at the mare with a wise gaze, "He hath not learned that thy own escape attempt failed. Now, he repeateth it... much more crudely, I must add. He made much noise, attracted too much attention. If he indeed wanted to be thy partner... he would have much to learn."

Daring Do nodded silently, her thoughts wondering to where she didn't expect them to. Ever since she refused to let Caballeron join her, he had been trying his best to thwart her adventures and expeditions, doing everything he could to land her in a bad situation. Even when she found Vallaer, he was there to gloat at her, for he thought he was victorious. Arrogant, greedy, having no interest in the actual history of the items Daring Do was searching for. And yet, she felt sorry for him in some way.

"I see thy mind is troubled," the Vampire King commented, "Do not feel sorry for him, adventurer. He could not evade punishment forever. Now, he hath it all coming to him."

"And... what will happen to him when you catch him?" she asked, a shiver running down her spine as she thought of all the ways Nicholas could punish Caballeron. She still remembered how he had no problems with turning someone in a pile of dust. He had lived for a long time, and the adventurer was certain he knew many ways to inflict pain and suffering.

"We shall see," Nicholas replied, deciding not to give a definite answer just yet. Daring Do responded by looking away and letting out a shaky breath, knowing well not to be inquisitive.

A guard rushed to the king and saluted, making a short report. Nicholas nodded, and then the guard hurriedly trotted away. The pace of the Vampire King didn't change, and nothing indicated a change of mood.

"Expected just as much," he said to Daring Do, "I suppose thou shalt see the judgment firsthoof, Daring Do. Perhaps, thou canst learn from his mistakes better than he can learn from thine."

The adventurer nodded, continuing to follow the king as they descended into a lower floor of the castle. With each step, Daring Do felt more and more nervous as her ears drooped and her pace became slightly slower. Nicholas glanced at her, noticing her mood, but didn't comment on it. He didn't change his own pace, prompting the pegasus to speed back up.

Their steps echoed in the mostly silent hall, creating an eerie atmosphere. The guards stood at the entrances still, not moving at all, their eyes scanning the surroundings constantly. However, the closer Nicholas and Daring Do came to the next hall, the louder they could hear someone yelling. Soon, the words became intelligible.

"Stay back!" Caballeron yelled, his eyes darting around as four guards surrounded him in a circle, pointing the tips of their halberds at him. The stallion turned around, trying to see a way out. His pupils shrank to pinpricks once he saw the Vampire King coming, "No, no..."

"'Twas quite foolish of thee to think that thou couldst escape," Nicholas said coldly, "Thou wouldst have a better chance if thou had thy associates with thee. However... they seem to be comfortable here. I have talked to them, and the only reason why they were with thee was thy money and the payment thou promisedst. I suppose they have earned my forgiveness, and they shall be set free soon. Thou, however... I am not so certain."

"Daring Do!" Caballeron turned his head to the mare, "Please... I'm sorry for what I did, and... please, I need your help!"

"She won't join thee," Nicholas replied before Daring Do could, "Unlike thee, her thoughts were not of escape but of learning. I wonder... why didst thou want to join her if not for learning? What could it possibly be? I presume it was not... riches. Wealth. Thou art certainly above it, art thou not?" he let out a chuckle of amusement.

"Yes, it was for money! But... I'm done with it now! I am!" the stallion replied in a shaky and desperate voice.

"Only because thou wast caught and punished accordingly," the Vampire King snorted, "'Tis not thy conscience or morals that speak... 'tis thy tiny mind that thinketh in profits and losses. This situation is a certain loss for thee. But perhaps... Thou hast learned the lesson and thou hast changed," he turned to Daring Do, "Help me decide, adventurer... Should I forgive him and let him go or should I put this thief back in his cell? Think carefully."

Silence fell on the hall. Caballeron was trembling, his eyes fixated on the mare. Nicholas was looking at her as well, his gaze calm and patient. Daring Do stared at the floor, avoiding all the gazes, her thoughts racing as she weighed out her decision. A part of her wanted to imprison him so that he would never get in her way, be it for good or evil. However, another part of her conscience felt pity for the stallion. He had finally seen what ancient artifacts may hold, and it was obvious he regretted his decision to come to Vallaer.

"What will happen if I say that... he can't go free?" Daring Do carefully asked, looking at the Vampire King.

"Then he would remain at Vallaer until I see fit to release him," Nicholas fulfilled her curiosity, "He hath not caused any problems other than the fact that he escaped, so I suppose it is only just to return him to the dungeons... to a more secure place, most likely."

"And if I tell you to set him free?" the mare asked another question, trying not to push it too far.

"Then I shall do that, of course," the Vampire King nodded, "However, a certain spell will be put on him to ensure that he doth not tell anyone of what hath happened here... among some other harmless things."

Daring Do went back to thinking. Unblinking, Caballeron stared at her, hope in his eyes. The air was thick, filled with desperation, anxiousness, and fear. The silence was almost unbearable, and one could almost hear the beating hearts of everyone present in the hall. With a heavy sigh, the pegasus was ready to lay her judgement before the Vampire King.

"Set him free," she said quietly. Nicholas nodded and ordered for his guards to escort Caballeron to the surface and away from Vallaer, as well as to put the aforementioned spell on him.

"Thanks you... Trust me, I won't forget it!" the stallion gratefully said to the pegasus, "Thank you..."

Daring Do was silent, only letting out a sigh of relief once Caballeron disappeared. She wondered if her decision was right; but even if it wasn't, she had no power to change it. One thing was certain, however – that stallion would not be in her way anytime soon. Perhaps, not at all if he was as grateful as he claimed. The outcome of this event would show itself in the future, Daring Do knew it.

"We shall see where this decision leadeth," Nicholas said as if he could read her thoughts, "I have some different news for thee. Wouldst thou like to travel with me to Zebrica?"

"Zebrica?" Daring Do blinked, confused by the change of topic, "I, uh... I would like to!" a realization came to her that it would finally be the time to see the surface again. Until this very moment, she didn't fully recognize how much she longed for it. A breath of fresh air, sunlight on her fur, the blue of the sky, she could almost feel it already.

"Good, then," the Vampire King nodded, "We are departing in a few hours. In the meantime, I suppose thou shouldst visit the tailor; she will make clothes for thee. 'Tis hot in Zebrica in this time of the year, so I think some protective clothing is most welcome. I also recommend thou getst some mental rest. A cup of tea, perhaps, or listening to music. Thou couldst go out in the streets, there are plenty of performers that would love some ears."

---

A few hours later, Daring Do and Nicholas met on one of the towers of the castle. The mare was dressed in a well-fitted white robe with a keffiyeh on top of her head that also covered most of her muzzle. However, the Vampire King was dressed slightly different. A white robe with red edges, a wide-brimmed white hat with a red strip of silk around its top. A red keffiyeh was wrapped around the neck of the vampire, covering some of his muzzle as well. Protecting his eyes, a pair of circular orange glasses with thin metal flaps at the sides sat on his muzzle. Along with the two, a chariot was present with four vampires pulling it, each of them dressed in all white, covered from head to hooves, leaving the wings free.

"I suppose we can depart now," Nicholas said, "Didst thou take everything thou needst?"

Daring Do nodded, gestruing at her saddlebag. In it, there was some paper and ink along with a couple of quills. Since food and water was in the carriage itself, she didn't feel the need to take anything extra.

Nodding in response, the Vampire King got into the carriage first. Daring Do followed him, closing the door behind her, and in a few seconds, the carriage took off. The adventurer didn't know what business Nicholas had with Zebrica, but she was interested in it nevertheless. Hopefully, it would prove to be more than a simple trip to the surface. For some reason, she thought that it would be so indeed.

Comments

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

"We shall see where this decision leadeth," Nicholas said as if he could read her thoughts, "I have some different news for thee. Wouldst thou like to travel with me to Zebrica?"

Zebrica...that's the Equestrian version for Africa isn't it? Ooooh, I really want to see what its like!

Aside form, another very well done chapter! For a second there I though Cabelleron was done for! Glad to see that she decided to have him go free, with the magical supervision that Nicholas will have on him.

As for the cover art, it looks even more darker and spookier than ever!!!

[Elu]

9332682
Thank you!

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

9332706
No problem.

[Out of Place]

However, the Vampire King was dressed slightly different. A white robe with red edges, a wide-brimmed white hat with a red strip of silk around its top. A red keffiyeh was wrapped around the neck of the vampire, covering some of his muzzle as well. Protecting his eyes, a pair of circular orange glasses with thin metal flaps at the sides sat on his muzzle.

You cheeky bugger.

[Elu]

9332713
Are you sure you didn't mean "cheeky something waffle"?

[Alfaridwan Setiabudi]

9332729
More please

[Edguy0009]

I SO sense a potential ship.