The Vampiric Chronicles Part Eight: An Ordeal for a Change

A day follows my admission, and now John is faced with a colossal challenge. Read on! XD

Another evening passes, and it was the third night that John had abstained from blood. For the past few days he had been able to subdue his vampiric instincts and hold back his hunger for someone else's blood, especially his maker's. Even the thought of blood doesn't drive his brain as powerful as it did before, when he was at the height of his vampirism.

However, he is still stumped with his limitations as a vampire - the inability to walk in broad daylight. Apparently he has tried during the morning when he laid a finger out to the glare of the sun streaming through an open window and he ended up almost burning it up had he not had the impulse to take it out immediately similar to one taking his fingers off a burning hot pan.

Now, nursing a moderately burnt finger, John made his way to the Manor's library, where he pored over the numerous volumes and tomes there, finding ways to empower him to walk in broad daylight despite the consequential power of the sun against them. He had not bothered to ask his friend about it, for he was sure that somehow the temptation would arise once again and he might not be granted the knowledge to this secret. Thus he preferred to do it alone, at a time when Mark was not at home.

From one book to another John pored through the contents, reading up on various vampire hunts and massacres of long past, to the history of their manor and the villages surrounding it, until he found a curious book entitled:

"Vampires ~ Defying the Order of Nature"

Seeming pretty curious that such a title coincidentally meant what he want to be like, John carried the dusty book towards the drawing room and started to read on his armchair. The book did reveal numerous answers on defying the natural order of a vampire, from restraining one's fangs with will power to complete abstinence from blood. However, consequences of the cure and the procedures were all potentially dangerous that when John read about the Total Cure, the consequence can be death.

Feeling less entertained by the terrifying consequences of a cure, John instead settled for finding means to walk without fear of the sun, and there he found his answer:

"Sunlight serves as every vampire's sign to head back to their hide aways and bide the time until the evening returns and the unholy hour strikes, but despite this dangerous times there are vampires who cannot wholly endure half a day of deprived blood, especially when there is much source of blood available at this time.

Thus various vampires have connived with the dark powers of warlocks and witches of old, and altogether they devised one quintessential method to shield themselves from the deadly glare of the sun - a potion, prepared with the following ingredients..."

As John scanned the ingredients he felt relieved, for Mark always had practiced the formulation of potions and vials and always had a store of ingredients. However, the last ingredient struck him like thunder hitting a lightningrod:

"a small vial of your maker's blood, mixed with yours"

*****

The following morning, Lady Sandra was mystified when she heard three soft knocks on her door. As she went to open it, she was thunderstruck and almost dropped the potion bottle she was holding when the vampire John greeted her with a smile, holding one beautiful black rose in his right hand, which had a bandage wrapped tightly round its wrist.

A smile, a hug, and a kiss. That was enough for the two to understand.

All in the name of love~

An Admission [One of the Chronicles' Secrets]

There might have been several people who have started to monitor the storyline of the Vampiric Chronicles, be it on the Chronicles themselves or the Interludes that have followed the storyline after the third Chronicle. And you might have noticed - the latter parts of the Chronicles started to delve into the genre of love.

They say that whatever a writer feels, it always manifests in its writings, no matter how much he tries to conceal it. As for myself, the emotions that mixed in my brains and my heart, totally sending my entire council of knowledges and personalities haywire, have completely manifested themselves in the early and later parts of the Chronicles, and well, this time I'll really say that cupid's fired the arrow of love at me. It's not admiration, nor is it infatuation anymore. Those who monitor my Yahoo! Messenger status might notice that too :P

Yes, I am in love.

With whom, you ask? Well that leads me to the Chronicles itself, and an allusion to my most beloved work, Lance Redfield's Terra Nova. In the Chronicles, you've noticed that John has entered a problematic state when his maker accidentally found out about his biggest secret and thus he resigned to asking the witch Lady Sandra for assistance.

Anyway, he turns to the witch and she offers him advice... and something more than advice... it was during these moments that I started to ponder on my feelings for her, to confirm within myself whether it's just another arrow of infatuation that cupid sent my way or whatnot... but hey, I guess it's for real this time XD.

In Terra Nova, I allude myself and herself to the loving couple Dave and Jane, lovers torn by a cruel fate in the past and unknowingly reunite and rekindle a flaming passion long extinguished by time. In the story, Dave meets Jane - very much like any ordinary woman, strong-willed, adventurous, smart, everything he could ever wish for, and little by little he starts to fall for her, but held back by the bitter past that he has experienced, until eventually he discovers that the love that he cherished years back was actually the same woman who was with him all the time.

Some of you might have already picked up the scent, and I commend your wits on reaching that far in cracking my story. Don't worry, it'll still continue after this post, it's just that you'll know some of the mystery this time. In saying this for my readers to see I'm not ashamed to admit it, and whatever she thinks of our relationship I'll accept it with my whole heart. It's not like I'm gonna rush, lol.

Love you, alquanna. :)

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Seven: Cupid descends to the Underworld

Continuing John's romantic turn of events, I now commend to your attention, the seventh chronicle... haay even I tingle while writing this... *giggles*

John closed the doors of the manor and leaned against it, closing his eyes and breathing a soft sigh. He crumpled to a sitting position on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, his head resting on them. Apparently the intensity of the emotion and the mad impulse he had released had intoxicated him in a torrent of euphoria that no vampire could possibly experience, not even with a feast of blood on an entire town.

His mind was racing, his heart leaping, his entire body flying with inexplicable emotions. Never has he felt something like this before. As memories of the past continued to flash back at his mind, he has never had the bravery of what he has done in the past few days - to any woman.

He breathed another sigh, closed his eyes, and smiled, relishing the brief moment of euphoria minutes ago. The feeling was enough to make him human once again, and mysteriously enough, as he felt his fangs, they were not there. Even his usual heightened senses with blood seemed to have abated.

Just then the door opened, causing him to snap out of his daze. It was Mark.

"Now what are you doing there, John?" Mark said, shocked as the door forced John back on his feet. "Are you sure you're not sick or something?"

"Oh, no, not at all." John said, brushing dust off his clothes and forcing his face to return to normal. It was then that he realized that he had been blushing for the whole moment. "I... I was just thinking."

"Lady Sandra had been here, hadn't she?"

"W-well, yes she has. She paid me a visit."

"A visit, eh? Well I suppose you are not really that badly sick, are you?" Mark asked, looking at John concernedly. "You've missed several raids and you're taking in lesser blood than what you are supposed to. Do you seriously want to be driven mad?"

Oh yes I do, John replied to himself. In fact, I am already driven mad... but not of what you think...

"John?"

"Huh? Oh, n-no, not at all." John said, his attention refocusing on Mark. "I... I just figured the witch might know why I'm not hungering for blood lately."

"I see. Or maybe perhaps my blood can re-awaken your senses?"

The tease had returned again on Mark's manners, smiling deviously at his friend. John, however, smiled back.

"I've said it too many times, my friend - I've got a lot of respect for you, being my friend and companion and kin. Perhaps in due time I'll be fine."

Still in a daze, John went up to his chambers and collapsed on the bed. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it like a child, the memories returning and flooding his mind. Finally, cupid had won over him and even in the dark denizens of the underworld, he still has room to fire his arrows at.

I wonder what'll happen next? *smiles*

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Six: Euphoria

Lately I've been engrossed with continuing the series of the Vampiric Chronicles and the Muse on a Moodswing, alquanna, has posted several tidbits to the tale in her point of view. Here is its proper order, so as not to confuse readers :D

The Vampire Within (mine)
Revelations Strike (mine)
Dilemmas and Perils (mine)
Wicca (alquanna)
An Enticer Enticed; A Witch Bewitched (mine)
Petals (alquanna)
Light in the Darkness (mine)
Meeting (alquanna)

And now it is followed by this latest chronicle that I commend to your attention XD~

John suddenly jerked awake after falling asleep on the armchair. Apparently his pondering had finally attracted the sleep that never wanted to arrive a while back. Brushing his half-tired eyes for a moment, he turned to the cold cup of tea that the servant had served him earlier, but was thunderstruck at what he saw next.

Sandra.

John's insides leapt. The witch was seated calmly on the guest's armchair, quietly reading a book that she got from Mark's bookshelves. There was an aura of difference around the witch from the last time he had seen her, and he could not help but smile at the thought.

"Finally you have awakened, vampire." Sandra said, without looking up from her reading. "It's quite fascinating for you to sleep through the sunset and wake late at night. You have had a troublesome morning?"

"You can say that I've had a lot on my mind." John said, his voice shaking slightly as he turned to have a drink of the tea. Even his grip on the teacup shook. "Oh, has the servant -?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Sandra said, closing the book and setting it on the side table. "I came here to see how you were doing."

"So it was you." John said, casting a sudden glance at the stairs, on the lookout for Mark. "You've done this to me... haven't you?"

"You do not like it?"

"It's not like that." John said, shaking his head. "I'm grateful for it, actually. You've helped me realize several things I've forgotten during my vampiric state."

"I'm happy to hear that."

Then the hunchback servant approached them.

"Master John, Master Mark has departed for his evening raids earlier than expected. Since he has found you asleep he has asked me to prepare you dinner instead. Would you and your guest like to have something to eat?"

"Oh, yes, thank you." John said. He turned to Sandra. "Will you not mind dining with me? I mean... our food might differ from what you are accustomed with."

"Try me, vampire." Sandra said, smiling.

They had a scrumptious dinner where the servant apparently outdid himself with ordinary dishes that surprised the two. Afterwards the witch prepared to depart.

"Well, I see from your manners that you have considerably improved and taken my advice with care. I admire your honor, vampire, standing up to your resolve without doubts." Sandra said, as she drew her cloak over her head. "But I must be going. I cannot trespass on your hospitality any longer."

As Sandra turned to walk away, a mad impulse suddenly drove John.

"Sandra, wait!"

Sandra turned again, and John suddenly grabbed her by the hands and met her lips with his. The moment lasted for several seconds, but for John it seemed like an eternity. He even took great care not to harm the witch with his fangs, but for that fleeting moment, it seemed, that his fangs had disappeared. In fact, he even felt human once again~

*Sighs deeply* Keep yourselves posted! :D

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Five: Light in the Darkness

Continuing the chronicles after remodeling my blog and publishing Lance's recent work, I now bring you the events after John's curious actions~

While the sun made its regular trek 'round their side of the world, the vampire John lay awake in his dim, candle-lit chamber, the windows bolted and boarded shut to ward off the dangerous rays of the sun. He had mustered quite a tremendous amount of bravery and courage to write a delicate letter to the witch and even plucked the prettiest black rose he could find growing in Mark's manor garden. Much more especially in returning to the witch's shack, although as he was about to knock on the door his mustered courage gave way and he was resigned to leaving the note and the flower instead at the doorstep.

Now he lay on his bed - twisting, turning, unable to sleep, let alone think straight. It wasn't part of the mystical cure and aura that the witch had endowed him as he was walking home two twilights ago... he was definitely sure of it, and whatever compelled him to write a letter and send the flower definitely wasn't part of the mysterious strings pulling him from afar to the correct directions.

More oddly was the fact that his hunger for blood had considerably abated, even his hunger for his maker's blood had considerably ceased and he was even surprised that previous evening that he was able to bide through the unholy night without staring differently at his friend. He even felt satisfied with just on animals than on his regular raids at villages. Overall, his visit to the witch had been a tremendous change indeed. Could the witch have possibly charmed him with a spell? No, he thought. Vampires have heightened senses against their fellow denizens of the underworld. If he felt the weird mood that overcame him the night before then certainly he would've felt if the witch had charmed him.

Resigned to giving up sleep, John dressed up in an evening robe and went down the dark staircase straight to the windowless drawing room, where he found their hunchback servant already up, dusting the bookshelves and arranging the ornaments on the tables. After requesting for some warm tea, he settled himself on his usual armchair and continued to ponder on his thoughts.

And then he remembered.

His vampiric instincts had clouded most of his memories as an ordinary human but now that those instincts had been momentarily held at bay, the thought suddenly returned to his mind - the memorable ball that his parents had held nearly a year ago. It was during this ball that he had first seen Lady Sandra - already eccentric in her manners, but he wasn't still aware then that she was a witch.

There was before... a lonely young man, frequenting the banquet table and hiding behind the curtains when the soft music starts to play, but on that ball he had dared to ask the Lady for a short dance, and the Lady obliged with equal interest. Now he understood - a connection had already been established long before they even met once again as denizens of the underworld.

Then the question arose - could it be love?

He knew the answer.

*Sigh*