Vampire Reincarnation

I gathered my army, their blood boiled with the desire to fight. And so did mine. We quickly believed what God told us, it was not difficult after seeing what He did. However, I question, still this decision, but it is what He wills, and we do too. After all, what better world to rule than a world without this curse?

The moon hung high above the forest, its scattered rays sneaking through the canopies, illuminating the dark earth. A rocky, uneven path stretched across the forest, seemingly dividing it into smaller sections. The path split into multiple roads, connecting Monten to the rest of the world, such as the other Dwarven Villages, Evicario and Aravia. Despite its jarring appearance, a lush green ridge ran through its center, with compacted soil on either side and flattened vegetation decorating its surroundings.

A beautiful, yellow flower bloomed next to the ridge, sprouting from the hardened soil. Its petals were closed as it slept, waiting for the sun to rise and feed it. The muffled sound of clopping horses echoed farther into the distance, accompanied by the weak rattling of the carriage and its wooden wheels rubbing against the hardened ground. Owls hooted as the carriage approached, its appearance hidden by the darkness, and its front illuminated by a single lamp hanging above the forecarriage. The wind whistled softly, moving the metallic lamp. Its perpetual motion hid and revealed the figure of a slouching, fatigued driver hiding behind a brown hat. The shadows of the beautiful, white horses accompanied the man’s as they slowly walked through the rugged path.

Bushes rustled into the distance. Someone or something, hiding within the forest's darkness, stalked the man. However, the coachman paid it no heed as he riled the horses to go faster with the crack of a whip, a command which they obeyed to perfection. The rattling sped up, creating a mangled song as it dashed past trees, flattened vegetation, and disturbing the sacred peace. The rustling also sped up, moving not too far away from the carriage.

Its outside didn’t speak of grandeur or lavishness, but instead of modesty. The exterior wore a plain dark color, with a pale brown wood door, with a darker-colored frame. The window, however, was made out of glass, and the curtains of a black material. A strange sigil made the carriage stand out, however - A purple octagon with a whaling dragon in the center, wrapped by a thorny rose sprouting from its back. The sigil of the Magic Academy.

Inside, three men sat quietly on the soft, cushioned seats. One of them wore a fox mask, completely hiding his face, and had a head of flowing black hair cascading down his chest. He wore an all-black getup, which made him blend in with the surroundings. In his hand, he held a large book, the sound of its flipping pages accompanying the incessant rattling echoing in the night. Next to him stood a tanned, shorter boy. He leaned against the window and watched the darkness outside with sparkling eyes.

Opposite them stood a man whose frame suggested a certain character. He wore a dark robe embroidered with the same sigil as the one on the carriage and a black bandana over his eyes.

These three were, of course, Kai, Sverik, and the man representing the Magic Academy - Stefan.

They sat in silence, neither bothering the other. A few hours passed since their farewell, and the reluctant emotions gradually faded away, replaced by nervousness, eagerness, and anxiety.

Stefan cleared his throat and looked at Sverik, knowing where he was and how he looked despite the cloth over his eyes. The boy’s gleaming eyes and fascinated gaze intrigued him.

“Have you never been outside, boy?” His low, coarse voice echoed in the carriage, making both Sverik and Kai turn toward him.

Sverik’s gaze moved from the window to the man, and he nodded, a bit embarrassed. “This is my first time exploring outside, sir.” He said in a respectful, almost reverent tone.

“Hmm, I see. Unfortunate. You can only see pitch-black darkness right now. This part of the path is most beautiful during the day.” He sighed, almost regretfully before turning to Kai. “And what about you?”

“Me?” Kai’s eyes separated from his book. “I’ve been outside more than once, though not for very long.”

Stefan nodded, still looking at Kai, and his lips parted. “I can get you to Brevit, a small town near Aravia, but after that, you’re on your own. I’ll need to go and collect two other people from the different dwarven cities.”

A soft smile creased Kai’s lips, although nobody could see it. He nodded gently and opened his book. “Thank you, that’s more than enough. I am grateful you took me along.”

“Haha, it’s nothing…” The man chuckled, “However, may I ask why you’re wearing that mask, even in private?”

Kai’s gaze faltered for a second, and he raised his head. “I… just prefer to hide away. I hope I’m not offending you.”

“No, no, that’s alright.” Stefan gestured with his hands. “I was just curious, however, I must warn you as well. I don’t know why you’re hiding, but people with eyes like me could easily see through your disguise. Or people with special eyes and spells. Although we are rare, it’s better you take precautions and don’t make an enemy out of them.”

Kai nodded again, and went back to his book after saying a brief “Thank you.”

The quiet atmosphere returned, the clopping of the horses and creaking of the carriage filling the silence. Accompanying them were the nightly creatures, grasshoppers and owls, and the occasional rustling coming from the forest.

Onyx sure is hiding well for someone his size. Kai thought to himself, still absorbed in the book. He hadn’t bothered to read the journal parts, as he couldn’t understand most of it. Instead, he opted to fill his brain with knowledge of the land, its history, and races. Despite the book’s age, most of the information still held up. Is that proof of how strong the races and beasts are, or of their incompetence? Either way, this information will prove to be useful soon enough.

He glanced out the window, the eerie darkness surrounding them disappearing as his eyes shone with a faint light. The outside world became clear, as if it was daytime, however even so the forest’s creepiness didn’t decrease. The trees’ crowns danced slightly with the wind, whistling a melancholic song as the carriage advanced. The leaves intertwined, fluttered, broke apart, and floated down, carried by the chilly breeze. It was peaceful, calming, and weirdly reassuring.

Eventually, Sverik’s heartbeat slowed down as he fell asleep, still leaning against the window. Kai followed soon after, his fatigued mind resting under Stefan’s watchful gaze. A light sigh escaped his body as he stared outside, his ears twitching as the cacophony of sounds mixed in a soothing melody.

A thunderous boom, accompanied by a flash of lighting invited a drop of water to crash against the ground, breaking apart into a million pieces. Then another, and another. Rain fell upon the ground, the muffled hitting against the grass and dirt contrasting with the violent crashing on the carriage. Another instrument joined the symphony of nature, guiding the two boys along the jugged path with a beautiful melody of farewell.

…

The sun rose, and the carriage stopped at the edge of the forest. Sverik, Stefan, and the coachman lay on the soft grass, taking a break from the uncomfortably comfortable cushioned seats. The rain from last night lingered on the blades of grass and leaves, however, nothing a short wind spell couldn’t blow away. Kai opted to remain in the carriage, hidden away from the sunlight and ate a small piece of fruit with his eyes glued to the book.

Due to the black curtains blocking away all the sunlight, Kai hung a small light crystal above him, illuminating the entire carriage. Letting out a soft sigh, he glanced toward the curtains, a longing expression manifesting on his face. Pushing one aside, the sunlight quickly infiltrated the interior. Kai groaned in pain as the light hit his hand, forearm, and face, even through the mask. He quickly blocked off the sun with the curtain and rubbed the spots where he got burnt. The smell of sizzling, burnt meat filled the interior. Biting his lower lip, a small, red pill appeared in his hand, which he quickly swallowed. The fresh wounds healed as quickly as they appeared, leaving no scar behind. I hope Stefan doesn’t question my displeasure with the outside too much…

With a bitter taste left in his mouth, he returned to his book and waited for the carriage to depart again. Brevit is half a day’s away, thankfully. We’ll reach it during the night so that means I’ll be able to leave as is. He glanced at the fruit he just finished eating, and chuckled. I wonder what Onyx is eating.

The carriage’s door opened quietly, and Stefan and Sverik entered quickly. Thankfully the sun didn’t reach Kai, as he made sure to subtly avoid it. The wheel rattled into motion as soon as Stefan knocked twice on the walls, and the quiet journey continued. The other two made some small talk on the way, with Stefan explaining how things would be in the Academy and trying to understand more of Sveirk’s character. Kai remained silent, reading his book and trying not to give away too much about himself.

Eventually, as the sun set and the moon rose, the silhouette of a small town decorated with orange lights appeared over the horizon. The tallest building inside seemed to be the church, which towered over everything else. As they got closer, the details became clearer. After the church, the second most important building was the ‘Guild’s HQ Association’, a fancy name for the central hub of all the existing guilds.

Brevit was by no means small, however when compared to the other places Kai visited, it was definitely amongst the smallest. A tall, four-meter wall made out of wooden spikes stretched around the entire village. Watchtowers, within which archers hid, were placed every twenty or so meters. In front of the iron-reinforced wooden gate sat a few guards, their eyes lazily opening and closing. They wore leather armor and clutched long wooden spears in their hands. One of them looked over at the carriage, not paying it too much attention. He nudged his colleagues, their backs immediately straightening as they waited for the carriage to come close.

“Halt, identify yourselves.”

The coachman grunted and pulled out an iron plate with the Academy’s sigil on it. As soon as the guards saw it, their eyes widened and immediately creaked open the gate, too afraid to utter a word. Kai walked out slowly, accompanied by Sverik. He locked eyes with his friend, and held his hand out, reaching for a handshake. Kai smiled, and accepted, bidding Sverik a silent farewell.

The carriage left soon after, heading toward the other Villages scattered across the Dwarven Mountain Range.

Kai whistled. The bushes behind him rustled as Onyx flew out from the forest, rushing toward his companion. He used the spell to decrease his size, going from a four-meter-tall monster to the size of a normal wolf. Kai patted his fur and pulled out a piece of dried meat which Onyx instantly gobbled up. “Let’s go, boy.”

The two passed through the gate, ignoring the flabbergasted guards, and finally entered Brevit. Kai took a deep breath, inspecting his newfound surroundings and the town he planned to call home for the next few days. Due to its location in between the human kingdom - Aravia, and the Dwarven Mountain Range, the city flourished as an adventurer’s heaven. All the big guilds gathered here, at least in spirit, as a few dozen representatives from each lived here.

Instead of hunting and completing missions, these people worked at the ‘Guild’s HQ Association’ - a large building that housed them, and in turn, the guild they were sent here by. From recruitment or signing up, to payouts and accepting missions, all adventurers met at the HQ. Luckily for Kai, it was open all day and all night.

But first, lodging. Kai thought, walking through the cobblestone-paved streets. Tall, wooden polls worn out by time illuminate the roads via the lamps hanging on either side. Fire and Light crystals nested inside the metal-framed box, with glass on all sides for the easy passage of light. Beggars and adventurers often lay below them, hoping to get money or sell their wares.

Buildings made out of timber stretched across the roads, some of them having balconies decorated with vines and flowers, giving a beautiful look of the city below.

Unlike Nivero, whose nightlife consisted solely of bars and brothels, Brevit’s streets were bustling with activity. Hooded figures sneaked through the crowds with purpose, while small children begged and stole from the passersby. Adventurers of all shapes and sizes, decorated by shiny armor and sharp swords stretched as far as the eye could see.

Kai walked through one of the narrower, emptier streets, hoping to avoid any altercations and misunderstandings. I need to get to the town center and make my way from there. He thought as he looked behind him.

Onyx walked by his side, carefully looking around for any potential danger. Kai’s cloak fluttered as he walked deeper and deeper inside the dimly lit alley, his expression changing to one of disgust the more he saw of it.

A weird smell oozed from the surroundings, potentially due to the human or animal feces, the blood-stained clothes, and rotting corpses of animals, or what he hoped they were. Trash littered the floor, in stark contrast to the earlier scene of the bustling streets. However, he didn’t mind it much, the fewer people that saw him, the better.

The noisiness of the main road slowly died down, replaced instead by an eerie silence that sent a shiver down his spine. He activated ‘Vision’, his eyes glowing faintly as the darkness before him dissipated. His footsteps echoed, accompanied by Onyx’s muffled paws, bouncing off against the walls that got closer and closer the further he went. Looking ahead, he saw a strong, blinding light due to the spell, and the city's distant noise landed once again in his ears.

A creak startled him, his footsteps halting right next to a corner. The sound of rapid footsteps approached his location. Focusing on the darkness, his pupils widened as he didn’t see anything, even with ‘Vision’ activated. However, he could feel a strong, imposing presence far into the alley. What is that?! He took a step back and glued himself against the wall. Onyx did the same, however, his white fur did nothing less than make him stand out.

The footsteps crept closer, faster and faster. Kai’s heart raced, his hand trembling slightly as his thumb pressed against his ring. His muscles tensed in anticipation, adrenaline coursing through his veins. And as the unknown figure drew closer, so did his desire to flee. They beat rhythmically like a drum against the cobblestone, echoing in Kai’s heart. Kai felt its presence a few meters away from him, even if he couldn’t see it.

He gulped and silently drew his sword, his pupils narrowing as he got ready for whatever lurked within the shadows.