Blood Mates

The Beginning, and the End

"You can't sell that hide here Athena. The Vampire King's goons won't allow us to, they take these kinds of goods and keep it for themselves."

The Vampire King, the mother fucking Vampire King! I was so damn tired of hearing those two words being put together. That damn monster was the reason my village couldn't hold it's own head above water. And for what purpose? To make him forget about his tiny dick? Fat chance.

"Come on Samuel, I need the coin, I don't have anything else. The wood has been quiet this winter, too quiet."

I thought back to my recent hunting trip I just came back from. Usually these trips were no sweat. Go in with just enough rations to make it through a few weeks, kill a few Trebokin, nasty deformed beasts that roam the woods that surround the village, skin and butcher the damned things, and get as much coin as I could out of it to keep me alive.

But this time it was different, there was a shift in the woods, it was quiet, not even a stick would snap in the distance, or a stupid fae trying to lure me into their side of the woods so I would never return, forever getting tortured, maybe worse. Just silence, like everything was hiding, but for what?

"I know Athena, and I wish I could fairly compensate you for your hard work. But if I get caught with this in my stash, they'll turn me for sure! And I need this shop to keep my family alive. There isn't a lot of pures left."

Fuck I hated the Vampire's agenda. See, untouched humans were called pures. That means no fae has tainted our minds, no lycanthrope had bitten us, forever changing us into wolf human mixes, and lastly no children of the night had turned us into soulless, Yurans. You thought I was going to say Vampire? It's not that simple, Vampires are willing creatures, each one had been created because the human had wanted to become one.

They say the God who created all the creatures, created them with their own stipulations. The fae couldn't lie, nor could they leave their side of the wood, only on the transitioning of seasons days. Each season had their own days, one day for each season, it was a huge celebration within the fae. And to mark such momentous days, they were allowed to roam wherever they may choose. All they hear is they get to torment whom they choose. Some chose to give up the fae life and live among the humans, but could not return till next season. Some would kidnap the less fortunate, take them back to their lands where they were never seen again. They were nights of pure hell, the village had their own emergency lockdown when these times would come, trying to save the remainder of the humans.

The lycanthrope were very strong and territorial beasts, traveling and living in packs, incredibly strong as humans. However, terrible tempers, with little to no control. The second they are set off, they change into their wolf forms, and they stay like that however long their beast wants. Some lycan take days before they are able to change back, others have tried to master control of themselves and the beast within so they can change back when they choose. Typically those who master this control tend to be Alphas of their packs. The lycan tend to remain within the mountains of the woods, they aren't seen terribly often.

The Vampires are soulless, disgusting creatures, thriving on the night. They feel nothing, they are incapable of it, they never age, they cannot be killed, nothing ails them, impeccable speed, mind blowing strength, easily compared to the lycans strength, some even are stronger. Pain gets them off, and blood sends them on a frenzy. They typically live by themselves, but if there's a group of them, and they get blood, hundreds will die, they won't stop. Blood is the only thing they survive off of, so the frenzy aspect is a bitch. But there is one thing, one thing that prevents them from going from a few, to hundreds is this, the human needs to be consenting. If a human is turned against their will, they become Yurans, more on that later. Vampires can be very convincing creatures, after all, when you are changed, your beauty is heightened, making them walking sex symbols, impossible to resist. So typically they can make some poor soul fall for them, turn them, and turn them into their own vampire slaves.

The level of power a vampire will have depends on the human they were before. If they were a strong human before, odds are they will be an incredible vampire. But if they're weak and useless, they will be easily overpowered by any creature. That's why Vampires go after the weak, why there's not many of us left.

Then there's the creature I mentioned before, Yurans. When you become a Yuran, any sign of the human you were before is gone. You are a mindless, soulless, ruthless killer. You become disfigured, with dark, black veined, blue skin. Black eyes, long sharp teeth, long claws, with the speed and strength of an average Vampire. At least Vampires can control themselves, appear to be human, you would believe it if they had souls. But Yurans will feast on any they see, and if not killed immediately, will slaughter anything in its path. Enough of them together will create nests within caves, breed together, and could potentially create armies that could kill us all. Let us pray to the Gods that this will never happen.

Sadly pures have been picked off so much over time, that there isn't much of us left. The smaller we've gotten, the more panicked and paranoid we've all become. They have at least, I refuse to be the next creatures play thing.

They say the most powerful Vampire in existence is the King of them all, hiding and living within his castle, controlling all creatures of the night. And of course you have your fae kings and queens of each seasons, each in their own realm within the fae boundaries.

I hope you're caught up to my personal hell, the rest will fall into place for you, back to more trivial matters.

"I will protect you and your family Samuel, I've done it before!"

"And normally I'd accept such offer, but more Vampires have arrived in the village. No one knows why, they say the Vampire King is looking for something, or someone. It has everyone on edge, I can't afford to risk it. I'm sorry Athena, you know I think of you like a daughter, and I'd give you the shirt off my back if I thought it would help. But I have little ones and a pregnant wife to think of. You understand right?"

I understood, of course I understood. He actually cared about his family, unlike my own mother. She saw my beauty has a means to an end, an end to her debt she collected over years. She would sell me to men within the village, or Vampires who sought out the company of a weak human. It worked for her until I became old enough to protect myself, I taught myself to fight, got enough coin to purchase my own set of throwing knives, and I fought any man who dared to lay a hand on me. And the Vampires around here typically are of the weaker kind.

The more powerful Vampires think higher of themselves, don't want to be seen around the dirty poor humans. So that meant I had a better chance of taking the Vampires who wanted me as well.

After I wasn't of much help, my mother's debts became too much. Shortly after she was turned into a Yuran, then killed. I of course never met my father, my mother said he was some drunken nobody. But I couldn't trust a damn thing that came out of that bitches mouth.

This I promised myself from what she did to me, I would never let anyone take advantage of me again. I'd fight like hell, till there was nothing left.

I sighed "Of course I understand Samuel, keep them close tonight. I'll try to find out what's going on within the Vampires."

"Be careful Athena, in all my life, nothing has felt this.. strange. I don't like it."

My hand mindlessly went to the knives that were tucked in their holster around my right thigh, the only things that made me feel truly safe in a world like this.

"You and me both, see you later Sam."

I walked out of his shop and over the the village's square. Maybe James would have an idea of what's going on. James was my best friend, my only friend. He had an abusive father growing up, so naturally we bonded over our shitty lives, most days we were the only thing each other had to get by. He's the brother I never had.

"River, River over here!" I cringed at my nickname.

The day I met James, he gave me that nickname. I was crying by the tree near the edge of the woods after the recent session my mother sold me for, I was 8. James was only 10 when he walked up to me with black eye and a swollen cheek. The only thing he said to me at first was River.

All I said was 'What?' He said the different hues of dark brown in my hair flowed together like a beautiful river. It was the first sincere compliment I had ever received in my life. He sat down next to me and started to talk about how he got his injuries, said he didn't feel safe to go home. I told him I didn't either, so he talked all night, that morning we swore we'd never leave each other's side. We'd protect each other. And protect we did.

Now I was short, lanky yet oddly toned 20 year old. He grew into a striking, bright red hair, tall and nicely toned 22 year old. His seemed to collect more freckles on his face as well.

I ran up to him "Stop calling me that you fart muffin."

"How can you be-? Never mind, I don't want to know. I've been collecting some interesting intel, care to know?"

I elbowed his side "Of course I do, these assholes are preventing me from making a good coin today."

"No luck huh?"

"Do I have a bag of rations with me?"

"Guess not. Anyway, they're all waiting for a specific arrival. Special company on it's way. It's why everyone's in the village square."

"And this special company is?"

"No clue, the Vampires won't say. And considering everyone is on edge already, they're not going to push the matter."

"So we're supposed to just wait and see?"

"Yup, though I don't think it should be much longer. They've been out here for hours."

As if summoned by James himself, three horns sound off. An eerie, somehow dark sound. They sound a song, a very specific sound, one that sent a chill down my spine. Luckily James said it before I could.

"The Vampire guard, straight from the Vampire King's castle. They never leave that place, most people thought they didn't even exist. What are they doing here?"

One really tall, bone chilling Vampire stepped forward. He had badges littered all over his armor. Clearly the leader of the guard. He held out a scroll in his hand, opening it he started to read.

"To the village of the edge of the wood, the Vampire King has requested his guard to hand pick 5 pure human females to take back to the castle. There you will be put on trial to see if you are worthy to be the Vampire King's Queen! If you prove to be worthy, not only will you become Queen, you will have endless power and riches as well as your family! You will never have to live in poverty again, or be scared of what lurks in the night."

What the hell was this? The Vampire King has never taken a Queen, they were the only realm to be ruled by one. The fae thought that made them weak, but they never tested that claim.

I can't believe the whispers of excitement I'm hearing.

"However, if you fail, you and your family will perish within the castle's pit of Yurans."

I heard gasps all over, no one knew the castle had a pit of Yurans. What else could they be harboring? All I knew was I didn't want to be picked, I didn't want to become the Queen to a disgusting evil King. I needed to hide before they started picking.

I leaned over to James and whispered "I need to leave."

He nodded and started slowly guiding me towards the back of the crowd. We didn't make it far.

"STOP!"

Two Vampire guards stepped in front of us, their eyes glowing. Did their eyes always glow?

"Bring them to me."

Shit shit shit! What was I going to do now? Gods please smile upon me now, bless me with a miracle!

This was anything but.