It was so dark and cold. His head was bounding annoyingly from the hard hit it had gotten from the club of an angry man. He knew the man hadn’t been angry at him but something other thing that had threatened their village. He only had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was his first time to travel outside his own village but it hadn’t been an easy trip. His horse had been stolen and he had met the business end of the club.
When he finally felt sober enough to try and sit straight he tried it. Only he couldn’t get his hands apart from each other. With a groan he finally opened his eyes and blinked in surprise when his brain was kind enough to comprehend that he had been tied with harsh rope. Just great, this one made his trip perfect.
He tried to listen for clues where he was but he only heard the hooves of the horses. He felt the rocking moves of the carriage he was in and harsh wood under him. He was been moved to somewhere and he was sure he wouldn’t like it when he got to know where and what the place was.
Suddenly all movements came to halt and there was a silence until the flap of the cloth covering the cart was moved aside. He saw the face of the most hideous creature he had ever seen. The zombie watched him with one eye, as the other hung on his cheek at the end of the rotting nerves, and reached for him with its greenish hand which was missing one and a half finger.
He made a tiny sound of fear and suddenly the zombie wobbled backwards as if pulled away. He felt nauseous as he had seen that there was a gaping rotten hole in the zombie’s stomach. Then he saw a less hideous but not a bit less scary face of a werewolf.
“You’re awake, human. That’s good… That’s good as our lord is waiting for you to arrive.” The werewolf spoke with a snarling voice and reached to get a grip of his arm.
He tried to squirm away but the creature had very quick reflexes. It hauled him out of the wagon and carried him over its shoulder to the old mansion.
He was paralyzed from the fear when he saw harpies flying around the mansion with the crows and ravens. The animated skeletons and zombies wandered around the yard and some wolves slept right next to the stairs leading to the door. So he had ended to the one place every living being avoided to stay alive.
The doors creaked open and he was carried in. There was only dim light of the candles in the chandelier and it took few moments from his eyes to cope with the loss of daylight and so he didn’t see the little movement at the other side of the lobby.
“Master, we have brought the sacrifice. “ The werewolf spoke with reverence and took few measured steps closer the deep shadow hovering in the shadows.
“So they sent me a male this time. How very disappointing. Maybe we should warn them from playing with my patience…” The voice was aristocratic and quiet with a hint of arrogance.
He knew who it was hiding in the deep shadows. Everybody knew him, the lord of the undead. Drachirra was the last noble blooded vampire, a descendant of the great vampire king and one of the cruelest vampires ruling over the humans.
“My lord?” The werewolf was restless. He could feel the tremble of its muscles. He just hoped it didn’t take it off to him.
“Leave him to the couch. I’m not thirsty yet.” The dismissive note in the otherwise beautifully melodic voice made the beast drop him like a dead meat to the couch and then leave in hurry.
The doors creaked close and they were alone; only he and the vampire lord.
“Do not be afraid. I’m not going to eat you or turn you, yet. It depends…” Drachirra walked closer and left the shadows. He was dressed in nice black pants and white shirt with black vest and he had a black cloak over his shoulders. There wasn’t a single thing to show that he was a vampire. The dim light hid his paleness perfectly.
“It depends on what? “ He had to force his voice to work. It didn’t want to leave his mouth.
A low predatory chuckle later the vampire was only few steps away. “It depends on how good you are to me.”
He didn’t like to the tone in that voice, not a one bit, but he still had to make the question. “What do you mean by how good I’m to you..?”
A predatory smile accompanied Drachirra’s husky tone as he took a step forward. “You will see that before or later. I would vote for the before but first tell me to what did they call you in your village.”
He knew it would be bad if he told his real name but he couldn’t come up with a credible false name. “I’m Chaja…”
There was a rush of the air when the vampire moved to crap his shirt. “Chaja, as in Chaja of the Shilaneir village..? The son of the village chief…?”
Chaja nodded quickly. He had a bad feeling about this.
“Quite a daring stunt to give me a stranger as a sacrifice… You’re not from their village and so they still owe me one human sacrifice. This is turning out to be a nice evening… So tell me Chaja, how did you end up to be the one sent to me?” Drachirra’s voice was curious and he unhanded the human.
“I came to the village after my horse had been stolen and then I was hit with a club and I lost consciousness…” He just knew he sounded ludicrous.
“And then the cunning villagers put you to the cart I sent to get their sacrifice.” There was mirth in the voice. “You sure have bad luck, Chaja… Maybe I’ll keep you. You would guarantee a decade without a sacrifice to your village or I could just send my army to get me another one and sent you back as I didn’t demand you.” The vampire watched the young man in front of him with honest eyes.
Chaja had hard time to believe that he had to choose. It was either his life or the one of somebody else. “Why..? Why you even give me the choice..?”
The question seemed to have surprised Drachirra. “Usually humans are happy to hear these words and gladly go home.”
“How could I go home if it means that someone else loses his or her life?” Chaja felt how hopelessness took a hold of his mind. This was his first and seemingly last trip.
The vampire seemed to be even more surprised by this. “You are probably the only human thinking that way, Chaja, and I think I can make your decision easier.” To Chaja’s great astonishment Drachirra made the ropes lose their grip and fell off of him.
Chaja rubbed his sore wrists to make the blood circulate in them properly and watched how the vampire lord turned to walk to the door on the other side of the lobby. “Follow me. Do not stray anywhere or your safety is very questionable.”
He stood up and only now noticed that he wasn’t afraid anymore. The vampire lord hadn’t done anything really threatening in the whole time they had been alone. He even had a choice to make even though he knew the answer already. With quick steps he followed the retreating figure of his host to another room.
***
Drachirra smiled to himself as he walked the human in tow along the long corridors. He was pleased that this man was appealing to the eye and seemed at ease with him. It had been so long since he had had a reasonable conversation with an intellect being. Usually his only companions were the undead and they weren’t conversationalists.
He yearned for the company that could speak with him as an equal not as a slave, he really did, but he couldn’t have that with a human being. They feared him and all they did when seeing him in person was begging for their lives. He had to admit that soon this one too would do that very same thing. It only took as much as his fangs to appear and the fear would take over the curiosity.
Chaja followed him into the bedroom without any questions or protests. It seemed the young man was in deep thoughts and blinked surprised when he took in his surroundings. “Why are we in the bedroom?”
The vampire lord heard the suspicion in the casually asked question and smiled a little bit sadly. It was almost over, the nice feeling of companionship. “This will be your room if you choose to stay and not send someone to replace you.”
The man watched him with wary eyes. “My room..? You’re not going to kill me?”
It hurt, it really did, when the only human he was ready to call his equal questioned his motives. “No… I’m going to let you live but you can never leave this place without me. But this offer is only for you.”
Chaja seemed to think about it before answering. “So if I go away and send someone else to you, you’re going to kill him or her?”
“Yes. This offer is only for you.” He wanted to drink the blood of this young man but not enough to kill him, just a little bite to taste his unique flavor.
It wasn’t really a choice. It was blackmailing and Chaja knew he had to stay. “I’ll stay then. I only would like to inform my village.”
Drachirra felt like laughing. The human was ludicrously worried of other humans and not at all his own situation. “Your village will be informed of your sacrifice and as I promised no other will be required in a decade.” He came closer and to his dismay the young human flinched visibly. “Are you afraid of me?”
Chaja nodded nervously. “Who wouldn’t be? You’re a vampire. Your kind kills my kind, feeds from our blood.”
The vampire lord felt a stab in his chest where his unmoving heart was. “Even though I promised I would not kill you… Don’t you trust in my word?”
“No, I don’t.” It was a short answer told by very firm voice. The marine blue eyes were sure and sparkled in dim light.
Drachirra turned to gaze out of the window to now dark yard. He hadn’t expected that. He had been a fair ruler demanding not more than earlier lords had. “Why…?” The question was out before he could stop it.
Chaja was surprised. The vampire seemed to be upset after his answer. The quiet question was a shock to him and it took a while to form an answer. “You have kept us under your terror for many decades and your minions kill our friends and relatives every week even though you promised only take one of us every year. How could I trust you in this?”
With blazing eyes the vampire whirled around to look at the unhappy human. “I have never broken the deal with the sacrifice. The village is safe if the sacrifice is given to me in time each year. My minions know where they are allowed to go and where not.”
The human seemed to get angry at this cold reply. His blue eyes darkened and his hands clenched to fists. “Then you have no authority over your own minions as they really are slaughtering my people!”
Suddenly the room grew colder and Chaja felt himself be lifted in the air from the front of his shirt as the blood red eyes of the now angry vampire gazed him intently. “Are you implying that I can’t control my army? That I’m incapable to rule over them?”
It hurt but not too much and Chaja gasped in fear. It never was really good thought to provoke the vampire lord. “M-maybe…you don’t know…what they are doing…when away from here…”
A sigh and Drachirra lowered the blue eyed youth to the floor. “Forgive me my lack of self-control. I’ll look into this matter.” The blood red eyes slowly turned back to the greenish gray and he raked his hand over his black hair. “Please stay in this room and rest. Don’t let anyone in.” With hurried steps the lord left the room.
Chaja felt his legs start to shake and he wobbled to the bed where he sat down and shook uncontrollable for a while. Drachirra was a very powerful vampire and it was a miracle that he was still alive after their heated conversation.
***
Drachirra stormed to his private study and banged the doors shut in his fury. How dared a mere human insult him like this?! How dared he to question his rule over his minions?!
It had been really long time since someone had questioned him and he had missed the feeling of being annoyed to someone who really cared about it. He smiled to himself and sat on the comfy chair in front of the crackling fire in the fireplace.
His fury settled down and he finally could think straight. The human had no need to lie to him and that meant only one thing; he had to inspect his troops. Standing from his chair the vampire walked to sit behind his desk and raised his voice: “Ralidur!!” Then he just waited.
Drachirra studied his papers on his desk and huffed in annoyance as he noticed some report from a village which refused to give a sacrifice. He was about to put the paper aside to read better later when the name of the village took his attention. Shilaneir, what a wonderful coincidence this was.
He put the paper to the stack where was the reports that were dealt with. There was no need to punish that village as he had gotten the best sacrifice from them already.
As the door creaked open the vampire lord raised his gaze to the entering werewolf. “Come here Ralidur. I have something I want to get straight.”
The furry creature came closer and bowed his head when stopped before the table. “What is bothering you, master?”
“I have heard that some undead creatures have been bothering the villages that have already paid their protection… Is there possibility that the mentioned minions might be from my troops?” Drachirra new already what the canine creature was about to say as he could hear his minion’s heartbeat raise a notch.
Ralidur bowed his head and spoke meekly. “My lord, there is a chance that one of your necromancers has taken too many freedoms… I tried to advise him to refrain from attacking villages but from what you have heard it seems he hadn’t taken the advice. Shall I go investigate, my lord?”
“No, bring me the necromancer and I’ll take care of this matter myself. We will meet later tonight at the basement.” The vampire stood up and motioned the werewolf to go. He had other things he needed to care for.
“As you wish, master.” Ralidur excused himself leaving the lord alone. It was nice to deal with the furry creature. It never questioned his orders and was loyal as ever. He had rescued Ralidur from burning alive at the stake when he had been just a pup.
After he had been left alone, Drachirra moved back to the comfy armchair and rested there for awhile. He had to feed at some time tonight too and he had every intention to taste the new blood of the young human. He just had to make the man believe to his word or he would fight him all the time.
That in mind the vampire left his study to find something edible to eat for his guest.
***
Chaja had settled to his bed after he had gotten his body to relax. He could finally think about his situation.
It seemed that he was to live with the vampire lord at this mansion and accompany him to his travels. From the hints he had gotten from their conversation from the earlier it also seemed that their undead ruler wanted something more from him. Luckily Drachirra wasn’t ugly or anything like that. The young looking vampire was handsome and seemed civilized enough to understand the limits of the human body. So it wasn’t totally impossible for him to imagine himself in the vampire lord’s bed.
He realized that this was how he would live the rest of his life and he knew that sooner or later he would die. He was a sacrifice. It was not a pleasant thought but he accepted it. This way his village would be safe for a whole decade.
The door creaked open and Drachirra stepped in a tray in his hands. “I apologize for the poor quality of the food but your coming wasn’t expected. Tomorrow you will get food more suitable to you.”
Chaja watched the tray containing only some bread luckily only dry and some cheese. He couldn’t tell what was in the old looking bottle. “It’s more than enough. Thank you.” He should be thankful to his host from whatever he chose to give to him.
“Don’t thank me from this, Chaja. It pains me that you have to go to sleep with only this light dinner after your journey.” Drachirra put the tray on the table and motioned the young human to sit and eat. “I hope that we could discuss about what it means to you to live in my mansion.”
The human male watched the vampire on the other side of the table and took a piece of the bread. “I assume you will be requiring my services in your bed…”
Drachirra didn’t answer right away as he had difficulties to form a right answer so that he wouldn’t scare the human. “I admit that I will ask some favors from you and the one you mentioned is among them but I don’t want to force you.”
Chaja nodded while eating a mouthful of the bread and cheese. He had been right. “You mentioned favors, what else there is I should do for you?”
“Take some wine. It is quite a fine year.” The vampire poured some of the crimson liquid to the nicely shaped goblet. “It will ease the dryness of the bread.”
The human accepted the sweet drink and gulped some of it to wash down his dinner. “Thank you. This tastes nice. Could you now please tell me what you want from me?”
The vampire lord smiled to Chaja and stood up walking slowly around the table. “What I want from you is quite simple. I want you to give me some of that delicious blood you have.” When seeing the fear in the young man’s eyes Drachirra turned away and walked to the window. “I won’t force you as it fouls the taste. I just hope you will trust me when I say that it is not my intention to drain you. I only want to taste you.”
“Can a vampire control his urge to drink every last drop from his victim?” The question wasn’t meant to be an insult, it was only meant to inquire for more information.
Drachirra turned around and his eyes betrayed his thirst. “No, not all of us can. Only those of the noble blood have that much self-control. But I must warn you that I haven’t feed tonight and I’m quite thirsty.”
Chaja swallowed to dismiss the lump he was feeling in his throat and watched the blood red eyes of the vampire not so far away from him. “How could I stop you if you want to feed from me?”
“You couldn’t. I would just keep you still enough to feed in peace. But I won’t do that. If you are not willing to give me your blood I go and feed somewhere else.” Drachirra felt an odd sting in his unmoving heart. Was it disappointment?
The blue eyed man sighed and stood up walking to the bed. “If you don’t kill me, I think it’s better if you feed from me than from some unlucky villager.”
Drachirra took a step closer. “Are you saying you trust my word?”
“I trust your word if I’m alive to do it after you have fed from me.” Chaja didn’t know where this courage came from but suddenly he felt calm and sure.
“Then take of your shirt…” The vampire’s voice had taken a soft alluring tone. “You don’t want it to stain with blood.”
The man stared to the blood red eyes and started to unbutton his shirt. It took awhile and when the last button opened Drachirra closed the distance with soft steps. It seemed that the vampire was still unsure if the human was really offering his blood or just teasing him.
“Lie down and close your eyes. It doesn’t hurt long…”
Chaja could see the sharp fangs as Drachirra spoke and obeyed the soft command. He settled comfortably to the bed and closed his eyes with a little shudder running along his spine.
“Do you still fear me?” A soft whisper caressing his ear like a silky summer breeze had Chaja nearly open his eyes.
“Don’t open your eyes, Chaja, keep them closed…” The whispering voice moved to his neck and then he felt cold lips kiss his tender skin. They lacked all the warmth every living being possessed and reminded Chaja that this man over him wasn’t a living person.
The lips kept kissing for a while and then without any warning the sharp fangs pierced the tender skin hitting their target.
Chaja’s eyes flew open and a scream escaped from his lips put he couldn’t move. It was like he had been paralyzed and then the strangest of all sensation hit him with full force. The warmth spread from the point where the fangs pierced his skin to whole body and centered to his groin. The feeling made his manhood to stir and when Drachirra pulled his fangs a little bit the jolt of pleasure made the man moan and clench his hand to the black mane of the vampire.
Drachirra felt the pure sweet blood flow to his clod lips and he closed his eyes in bliss. He had heard the scream and the moan after it but he couldn’t make himself to stop what he was doing. He kept pushing and pulling his fangs in and out of the holes he had made to the tender skin enjoying the blood’s warming effect in his cold body. Every moan of pleasure was like music to his ears and he wanted it to continue but it couldn’t last.
With regret he pulled away from the human and licked the wounds he had made. Two tiny puncture marks still seeping blood. His saliva stopped the blood flow but he still needed to dress the wound. With care he licked all the blood away and reached to the night stand.
Chaja moaned from the loss of the fangs in his neck as the pleasurable feelings settled down to the background hum. He opened his eyes and saw Drachirra searching something from the drawer of the nightstand.
When the vampire felt his gaze all the movements stilled. “Close your eyes, Chaja… I’ll dress your wounds for you.”
The youth could only see Drachirra’s back and it seemed the vampire had no intention to turn before he closed his eyes again. “Why? Why I can’t look at you?” Chaja wanted to see the effects of his blood.
Drachirra didn’t turn or move. He just sat there a roll of clean bandage in his hands. “You don’t have to see this, Chaja… Please, close your eyes.” The voice was soft and gentle holding nothing from the arrogance the human had heard the first time they had talked.
“What is so awful you don’t want me to see, Drachirra… ” The young human was leaning to his hand and reached the other to touch the vampire.
The other male flinched when he heard his name called. It had been so long since anybody had called him by his given name. He wanted to turn around, he wanted to show everything to this human but he knew that the moment they had now would shatter when the youth saw his true form.
“Let me see you, let me see what my blood did to you.” Chaja knew that vampires weren’t considered as beautiful creatures in their true form but he wanted to see. Was the vampire lord hiding his true form to save him from the knowledge?
“Chaja, please, just close your eyes. I don’t want you to see me like this.” It was soft plea and the hands clenched around the bandaged roll. Drachirra didn’t want to end this yet. He wasn’t ready to lose his new…what? A friend..? Hardly… Partner…? Guest..?
Suddenly he felt hands on his shoulders pulling him backwards and he fell on his back on the bed. He stared to the marine blue eyes with his crimson ones and shook his head in denial. No, it was too soon… He could see the shudders run along the fragile form of the human and closed his eyes. It had been too soon…
“Drachirra… Look at me..?” He felt a warm hand on his cold cheek and dared to open his eyes. There was a gentle smile on the human’s face. “You’re beautiful, Drachirra. Why did you want to hide this from me?”
Chaja felt like laughing, how wrong had the people been when saying that vampires were ugly in their true form... The face he was looking at was beautiful and ageless. It was bluish from the lack of blood and the ears were pointy. The sharp fangs showed as his mouth opened to say something.
“How can you look at me and not to fear me?” The vampire’s voice was now full of wonder.
“I promised to trust you if I survived from your feeding. I’m alive and well and you promised not to kill me yet.” Chaja smiled as he let his fingers map the narrow face of the vampire lord. He felt irresistible urge to kiss him.
Drachirra was surprised to no end when the human bent lower and kissed him tenderly on his cold lips. He wanted to deepen the kiss put it would be dangerous to the human as his fangs were sharp as razorblades and the taste of blood could excite him too much. So with care he pushed Chaja away.
It was almost too good to be true. He had someone to talk with, someone who was alive and warm and didn’t fear him. Drachirra smiled sadly. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you continue this.”
Chaja had hard time to believe that the vampire reclining on the bed was really the undead ruler of their land. Their ruler was supposed to be cruel and bloodthirsty but this man was gentle and kept himself under strict self-control.
“You’re not like everybody thinks you are.” The statement left his lips before Chaja had properly thought the words.
“Neither are you.” Was the calm reply before the vampire closed his eyes. “Normally humans fear us. You don’t really fear us, not like others do. Why is that Chaja..? Why you don’t fear my undead soldiers..?”
Chaja snuggled closer the cold body of his bed partner and he too closed his eyes. “I do fear your kind but not every single individual. If you weren’t you I might be in shock from horror.”
Drachirra chuckled softly at this. Just because he was he the human should be trembling from fear. A mere mention of his name used to send shivers through humans spines. “What a peculiar creature you are Chaja, peculiar indeed.”
“I can be even more so…” The husky whisper near the vampire’s ear made him jolt and open his eyes to see how close the human had come without him noticing it. Chaja was only an inch away from the other male’s lips and before Drachirra could say anything he closed the distance and locked their lips in deep kiss carefully caressing the needle sharp fangs with his tongue.
The soft, warm tongue caressing his mouth from inside made Drachirra moan softly to the human’s mouth and his tongue started to gently spar with the other. He couldn’t believe this to be true but there he was; kissing the warm and tender human who wasn’t afraid or disgusted, only insatiable in their kiss. He answered to the calling of his need to be close with this person and wrapped his arms around the slender form pulling him to lie on top of him. The warmth made his cold skin under his clothes tingle and he hissed a little to the feeling.
Chaja just snuggled even more tightly to the embrace and grounded his pelvis to the other’s showing his growing interest with quite certain way. He was starting to ache from delay. He really truly needed this right now. “Do you want to see how peculiar I can be, my lord?”
The whisper was like electricity sending shivers down his body. Drachirra shuddered from the excitement and smiled seductively. “I would like that very much, Chaja…” He caressed the human’s face with his slender fingers careful not to harm the beautiful skin with his longish claws. “Show me everything.”
“That I shall do, my lord…” Chaja’s voice was husky and his eyes betrayed the urgency he was feeling. If he didn’t soon get to the business he would come to his pants. With anxiousness that had nothing to do with the fact that his bed partner was a living dead and everything with that he would soon lose his precious self-control the human started to strip his soon to be lover.
***
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