A Preview To Sink Your Teeth Into

Do you ever wonder about the things that we think? I found myself wondering about them just last night and this morning between classes. Personally, I live in a different world than other people. Call it an alter ego, if you will, but I fantasize about immortality and fighting vampires, wizards and elves, and faeries and kings. If I were to be anything but human, I couldn’t tell you what I would choose. A combination? Yes!
There is another creature that has been lost to us over the ages due to lack of knowledge. There is another race that was above all the others and yet similar. They are what Legends were all about.
Prologue
The sun was just beginning to set over the amber soil of the red man’s state and creatures were stirring to life. Creatures that lived for the twilight hours. Creatures of the night. Bats, wolves, owls, and other beasts woke in search of prey. Mother Nature’s balance was once more being up held. This was Ardra’s favorite time of the day… or night as it was. It is true that she also loved the sun risings, but sunset had a magic all of its own. The sheer beauty of it alone would make one forget about the dangers that lurked behind every corner once the sun’s last bit of energy was robbed from the soil. Dangers that Ardra knew all too well. Dangers that she had to confront constantly, as is her duty.
She knew she should be making preparations for the up coming counsel, but over the centuries Ardra has learned you have to stop and smell the roses. Most of the preparations were already done. Damia had seen to that. There was no better friend than Damiana. Ardra smiled, there would never be anyway to completely thank her close companion. She’s the only person living in a solid form who knew her for everything she was. With a heavy sigh, Ardra stood from her porch swing and looked around. The sun was now set and preparations or not, there was still much to do. It was her responsibility to summon the heads of counsel for their tri-century court. Many things had been brought to her attention, many things that required an iron hand and an unbreakable courage. She closed her eyes and the smile was gone. Another war loomed in the distance. After so many lifetimes it was still quite a burden. A burden only she could bare. Alone.



Druce awoke when the last of the sun’s great power was gone. True that he could have risen before it fell, but it left him drained. And he had not been successful in his agenda for the previous night nor had he fed properly. He walked out of the broken down house all the while undoing his safe guards. Before he took that first step outside of the house he sought outside himself to check the immediate area for danger. Once he was sure that nothing was out of the ordinary he went in search of prey. This would be an unlucky night for some poor, unfortunate human. Hunger beat at his very soul. If he even still had a soul, he dared not to think on it. Druce was too tired to even soar across the country side. Deciding to conserve energy by walking so as to not loose control and allow his blood lust to devour the first passer by.
It had become so hard to exist the last few hundred years. The pact that his people had made with the Legends was very strict and moral. After centuries he felt himself being drawn away from that path, but…anything for Ardra. The vampire Kingdom would never have bowed to another. It bowed for Ardra. He bowed for Ardra. If he truly could feel it was because of her. She breathed life back into this bleak shell of an undead King. It was through her that all the immortals were kept in line. There had never been anyone else capable of such a thing. In his mind’s eye she was on a pedestal of admiration. He was nothing to her though and he never would be. Druce did a mental shake, he was on the counsel and the pact truly made life better for his people. That was what a King was there for, wasn’t it? To make his people happy? Was it fair that he could not be happy also, with them? He forced air in and out of his lungs and with a heavy heart he started walking again. Anything for Ardra. Anything.
The lights of homes and businesses alike glittered in the distance and the scent of warm blood filled his deadly senses. He was very near the city now and hoped to find several beggars out tonight. He must still honor the pact, even though the demon within was screaming for sustenance, begging him to slake his eternal thirst. The nights of innocent victims were gone and it wasn’t that Druce missed those days. In fact, it was a relief to his conscience. Those were the days with horrible guilt and the remembrance that his humanity was teetering on the edge of extinction. Druce still couldn’t be certain that his humanity hadn’t already shriveled to dust many centuries ago. He couldn’t discount that his new found feelings weren’t simply a renewed hope for his people. Either way he was their King and he would do whatever was necessary to ensure the continuance of their race. Was it even a good idea to allow his race to continue on? This was not the time for him to second guess himself. The tri-century court was nearing and there was much to do. Some of his people had denied the pact from the beginning and were now planning a revolution. More to the point, Druce feared the revolution was already underway.
He strolled through several allies, not bothering to conceal himself. Then he came upon three drunken vagrants and once more was filled with a since of hope. The pact would not be broken this night by him and no innocent would come to an early grave. Three vagrants would allow him to sate his appetite fully and keep the good citizens free from hell’s doors. Come the day of the counsel he would be able to hold his head up high and meet Ardra’s intense glaze with complete confidence. Well, almost complete confidence. It will be his fault that his people have strayed from the pact. Druce accepted that and whatever chastisement that he would receive from Ardra. Just to be near her would be enough. The years spent apart from her counsel were always dark and empty. Druce was dark and empty. Alone.