It's an unseasonably hot summer night for London. A freak lightning storm was just last night due to such high humidity. Skylar Evans is her birth name but since a young child Skylar has always been called Nyx. Nyx, a hedge witch, decides to go with her eclectic fellow (g/fl) coven 'sisters' and take in the energy of an expensive nightclub. One of the fellow witches is paying for the visit. The club is "All Dark & Mysterious".
Skylar's very best friend, Drew is an amazing at applying makeup. Nance, as Nancy hated her fully pronounced name, is helping with the wardrobe. Nyx couldn't quite figure out why there is such a high stress level to have everyone look picture perfect. The plan is to go, glamour goth, as a threesome set theme. Nyx is doing a doll style look.
In the end, the girlish stress of makeup and 'runs' in your expensive stockings, was going to be forgotten all about. It was a long forgotten concern young women fuss over...
Nyx, Drew, Nance and the final gal, Bianca, wait to get in the club. Nyx's lilac colored eyes glance around to look at people, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, with doe eyes. A chill crawls down her back, so she pulls her hands together then up to her chin. Nyx knows something is not quite right and death is near. A spirit is nearby, softly wailing, in an attempt to warn her but of what she can not make out. The spirits of the dead are often forced to be vague or answer in riddles.
A faint voice whispers in Nyx's head...
"turn around."
The young hedge witch glances over her pale shoulder to gaze upon a man, with long black hair flowing, as if caught by a breeze but there isn't a hint of one. The air is hot and stagnant in fact. The gentleman has an unusual red coat on, that covers a finely stitched double breasted charcoal black suit, with a blood red ascot for a tie. Ascot scarf ties have been out of fashion for some forty years at least, Nyx notes.
A wide brim red hat matches his outer coat. A pair of white dress gloves cover his hands with a pentagram and a language that isn't readable in the dark. It's obviously occult, in nature, like some kind of binding symbol. Nyx is quite curious about the symbol but not rude enough to ask the handsome stranger. All in all, a strange combination of attire. She angles her head slightly to get a better look.
Yet now, her eyes travel to the man's pale face and angular features that make him beautiful instead of ugly and drawn out. His body is long and lean but somehow she knows he's ungodly strong. For all that makes a man sexy or an 'alpha' for Nyx, is the eyes. The fact she can't see his eyes, saddens her. The stranger is wearing reddish-orange tinted sunglasses. Nyx wants to look into his eyes and see what can be seen inside.
Is he beautiful and fascinating or ugly and monstrous?
The dark haired man suddenly freezes in his tracks then turns his head to stare right at Nyx. The long fingers of his left hand tug the glasses down just enough to give an unobstructed view. Nyx thinks she has become lost in a swirling pool of molten lava that churns mainly of red but hints of orange and yellow slip in. The raven haired vampire pushes the glasses backup to conceal his inhumane eyes.
Skylar Evans knows what the world speaks of and science says: vampires don't exist.
Nyx the hedge witch knows by the fact as she walks in and out of the veil: that the man looking at her, is a real vampire.
The man dressed in red, whispers some words out loud but Nyx can't hear over the crowd in line. Then she hears, "I said you shouldn't be here little one...go home and come back another night if you know what's good for you."
The tall vampire is now standing or rather towering at 6'4", next to her. She never even saw the lone man, in crimson, move to her right side. Nyx looks all around but it is if he is invisible to the rest of the waiting club goers.
"Right now I'm in the veil so only you can see me hedge witch...it's not every night you actually meet a witch with true abilities," the macucline vampire chuckles softly.
Nyx swears his chuckle turns to a low growl with sexual undertones, as she has always had exceptional hearing compared to most. Her right hand goes to her mouth as she blurts out.
"Oh!"
The vampire raises his eyebrows. "Who calls you child?"
"Daughter of Nyx..."
"Who just happens to be a strong hedge witch. It seems you draw favor but do realize the Gods take their gift away just as quickly as they lend it to you," this time the laugh is filled with hints of anger.
"You feel your God failed you?" she asks knowing it is a bold question.
"Feel? I know he did so I renounced him and gained so much more," the vampire pauses as if in thought. "Are these other sheep your friends?"
"My coven sisters are not sheep, sir."
"Then they are cattle just the same as the rest here. You know what I speak of little veil walker," he speaks softly.
The Nosferatu lets a thin smile cross his pale lips. Then two, pearl white and sharp, canine teeth slip from under his top lip. As if he needed to add to the scare factor, the tip of his pointed tongue, licks his lips. Nyx shakes her head again. She feels small and way out of her league, yet her heart knows what it means to be brave and not to fear the darkness.
...any darkness.
"So brave and foolish at the same time, veil walker but then that's what makes you so irresistible to my...kind." The crimson clothed vampire offers his left elbow. "Now do invite your 'sisters' to follow but do remember I warned you to go home."
Nyx tugs on Drew's sleeve then motions with her fingers. Drew taps Nance and Bianca in turn as a tall man takes Nyx towards a side door. Bianca is about to say something when Drew pushes her to follow before others notice and try to sneak in ahead the coven sisters. The vampire finds a spot in a shadowed corner. It is a small C-curved booth with cushions made of crushed red velvet and two gold decorative buttons. Nyx thinks nothing of continuing to go arm over his arm to take a seat.
"Nyx? Whose this guy?" Drew asks with a confused look.
"She is safe with me, now go with Artemis' blessing child..." the vampire smiles wickedly as if he knows all of Drew's secrets.
"How does he...?" Drew freezes then moves off from Nyx as the stranger waves his hand to leave.
"Your 'sisters' mean well but they are not like you," the slender vampire replies with a bored look to him.
Once more Nyx decides the only way to information is to ask, so she does. "So may I know your name and perhaps age, sir?"
"My name? Why? So you can cry out for my name to save you from Thanatos, little human?"
"Because it is only polite on the name sir," Nyx states without hesitation.
"Hmm, I suppose when you put it that way." The vampire moves to grasp her right hand then places a kiss on it.
"My name I am called now is... Alucard and I am the oldest you will ever live long enough to meet my dear Nyx."
"Alucard? Unusual name, as are the symbols on your gloves..." Nyx asks and also comments at the same time. "You are bound like a demon."
Alucard's faint smirk slips to a faint sneer then with a head tilt and a blur of movement his mouth is pressing against Nyx's ear. "Such are you, the clever child but do you taste as good as you smell?"
He takes a deliberate, deep intake of breath. "Mmm yes, your blood is like fine wine waiting to be consumed by the likes of me."
"Alucard does your name mean something in reverse?" Nyx asks, then she takes a long breath in with closed eyes. Her eyes open again and she looks at his gloves on the right hand.
"What happens if I touch your glove?" Nyx inquires before touching.
A low, maniacal chuckle glides forth from his lips, "Nothing whatsoever little one! Dare to touch?"
Nyx studies the symbols among the large pentagram. Her fingers hover for a moment and Alucard thinks she will place her pointer finger to the center of the pentagram. Finally she lightly touches a symbol on one side of the pentagram that appears to be a two cross armed ankh surrounded by two pillars with three cross hatches.
"How about this one... here?"
Once more the arrogance, that is Shadow King's, slips slightly. All the symbols begin to glow faintly. The First Vampire hisses then presses his mouth to her neck. Alucard's right fang grazes over her skin to leave a fine little scratch as his tongue follows the skin opening to lick it.
Nyx quickly places her whole hand over the glowing symbols to hopefully nullify the activation to the occult binding. Her ears hear the clicking of teeth and a faint pained low groan. Alucard's nostrils flare open more as he buries it into the crook of Nyx's neck.
"Veil walker I have not met a female human...like you," Alucard pulls his hand from under Nyx's hand then brings it around her head to still it.
His pale lips gives the lightest of a kiss, like a butterfly kiss then the unmistakable sharp pinch of pain from teeth. Nyx raises her hand immediately to see if she is bleeding.
"I wouldn't do that to such a rare and beautiful creature such as you," his mouth lets a small growl out. "I can't change you for that is a weakness I have. My dear, you have to be a virgin for me to change you..."
Nyx reacts, not thinking she might anger Alucard, pushing his chest away from her. "You think I want to be like you? That's a joke!"
"Such is the pride of humans, that in their arrogance, you think you can refuse the offer of immortality, if it is given by a monster. It is not quite so easily turned down." Alucard nods his head when a wine glass is sat down on the table. Nyx notes the consistency of the red 'wine' is unusual. She decides not to be that brave.
Then Unholy King continues,"Should something happen this very night and you glimpse Charon coming down the river Styx to claim your soul then you better have money to pay the ferryman for I won't snatch you from Thanatos' grip."
"Sir, I think this is where we part company," Nyx stands up. "Good night good sir and thank you for seeing me in."
"Hold your hand out..."Alucard tells her.
Nyx looks at the vampire suspiciously. He drops to very old coins in her hand. "Charon doesn't take debit cards, draga mea..."
"Thank you?"
Alucard simply laughs then crosses his legs. His left hand picks the wine glass up and begins to 'swirl' the contents. The vampire takes a swallow then holds the glass.
"Care to taste? You have been 'dying' of curiosity haven't you..."
Nyx glances then slides her fingers around the base of the wine glass. Alucard takes this opportunity to hold her hand once more then trails his fingers along her arm before she raises the glass.
"Skin of Egyptian alabaster...such a beautiful young woman just as is the flower called Angel's Trumpet. Your scent is a fragrance to match. The flower blooms at night but alas most don't know that Angel's Trumpet is dangerous due to being highly poisonous..."
Nyx tilts her head, thinking she will look up the flower, °Angel's Trumpet, when she's home after this weird night ends. Her hand brings the rim of the glass to her lips as the cool, earthy red fluid trickles into her mouth. Her eyes open up in surprise, as the wine is nothing like she has ever tasted. She feels silly for assuming it was some kind of drink with blood in it.
She licks her lips, "Mmm... that's good. Here take it back or I shall drink it all, sir."
"Do you know the way you say 'sir' makes my skin crawl in a dangerous way for you, little veil walker?" The Vampire King rests his hand against his cheek. "Finish it for me. I have business to attend to soon."
Nyx nods her head and gives Alucard a little curtsy then walks to her sister witches' table. Drew pulls Nyx's arm to sit down with them. A lively chatter starts up. Such is the shame, the vampire hums. Nyx will most likely get caught in the crossfire when Alucard completes his mission. One of the last old vampires has resurfaced. One of the last of the children created by a bride is here tonight.
Shadow King calculates "Laurentiu" is nearly 400 years in age so should have considerable power. Of course not like Alucard, formly Prince Vlad Ţepeş until renouncing God, so not to lose his head, among other things.
Alucard can still smell her scent from where he is at. His vampiric eyes watch with fixed intent when Drew and Nyx step onto the dance floor. The two begin to slowly dance, hands and bodies come together then they entwine only to slip away as fluid like water flowing around pebbles in a stream.
Drew glides fingers down Nyx's bare thighs that her dress reveals quite easily. Alucard can see youthful pale flesh with crisp lined tattoos. The sheer fabric clings to Nyx's body as if it is shadows like the Goddess she's called after. Alucard learned, from her brief slip of thoughts, that Skylar was her name. That given name was never her real, true name to begin with. Alucard's mind imagines it's his hands trailing over Nyx's body so intimately and wonders if Nyx is lovers with Drew as they make such a beautiful couple. The long locked, black haired vampire leans back and simply watches.
He hums softly thinking how another time and another place long ago they would be his wives. Hellsing called his wives, brides, but they were more, a great deal more. In Alucard's time as Vlad he was more than open to the Ottoman Turk concept of wives and concubines. That was a marital concept Victorian raised Hellsing couldn't wrap his intellectual mind around.
Alucard concludes the most beautiful feature to this fabled human rendition of the Greek Goddess Nyx, is the mortal Nyx's lilac purple eyes. So soft but shine with hints of the greater mystery on her being a hedge witch could grasp.
As the song finishes, Nyx whispers in Drew's ear. They laugh then Nyx heads to the restroom. Her hands begin to push the door open when she hears loud, wet sounds and a female voice faintly begging for her life. She stops and glances over shoulder. Alucard is not the only vampire here currently.
Of course he isn't!
Nyx knows she and her coven sisters need to get out.
Now.
She steps back, one foot at a time but when she goes to turn she hears a low growl that her ears shouldn't have. Nyx bends her back to try and dodge a pale hand reaching for her throat. The hand moves past but another grabs the back of her head by the hair. Her body is yanked back as if a mere leaf in a breeze. She tries to relax her body and not struggle.
Maybe this vampire will only feed some then let her go?
"What do we have here?" a man with a thick Eastern European accent asks rhetorically. "A little moonflower for me to pick and I shall indeed pick it..."
Nyx sees the darkness part and swirl then feels a sharp pain as if two large gauge needles pierce her tender skin over her breast. Her gothic style doll dress affords absolutely no protection from such a bite. Her body trembles in pain but Nyx refuses to make a sound. The hedge witch's eyes grow heavy and her body feels cold now.
Somewhere in the darkening hazy, the ear splitting sound of gunshots can be heard from a large caliber handgun. It seems the gun firing is like being in an artillery field being shelled. The vampire draining the hedge witch, shouts out commands then let's Nyx's body slide to the cool, linoleum floor.
Nyx manages to right her body to have her legs partly spread so to try lifting her lower body up and hands pushing her upper body to stand. The young witch finally stands but her legs shake like a newborn fawn. As Nyx begins to take steps, she feels like a puppet on marionette strings. Her arms and legs jerk heavily as her body struggles to stay upright moving. Her mind struggles to grasp that Alucard was right.
She wants to live.
Now more than ever.
The self proclaiming immortal monster is right.
A wild desperate idea fills her dying brain.
What if she stole blood from Alucard?
Nyx decides right then and there she will figure a way to get blood from Alucard. When she was at the table with her coven sisters they looked the coins over. The coins are Hungarian from 500 years ago and Nyx decides Alucard is Dracula spelt backwards. She believes that Alucard is Vlad and Vlad is the All Father to the other vampires in some way. His blood should be the best to stop this situation, her mortal death.
Perhaps the young witch is missing a valuable lesson from her Goddess. Or perhaps the Goddess Nyx is accepting that her hedge witch child, isn't ready to meet Hades in the Underworld. Whatever it is, Nyx the human girl finds Alucard in heated battle with Laurentiu.
Nyx discoversLaurentiu brutally tearing into Alucard and the Vampire King is not defending himself. Bits and pieces of the Unholy King drop on to the floor with a sicking wet sound. Nyx's cloudy, dying eyes see a pool of blood from Alucard's body spreading out. Her body collapses onto all fours then she shoves her mouth parallel to the dance floor to lap the Shadow King's blood up.
It seems as if time stops. The sounds of the dying are but insects buzzing. Gunfire is far off thunder and the darkness is penetrable now to Nyx's eyes. Her blood boils with a new and strange form of life force. Her fingers produce long sharp nails as her eye teeth stretch and pull on her gums until sharp fangs extend to peek from under her top lip.
The fire of Alucard's blood burns through her blood system causing her legs to fill with renewed strength. What was once a frail human girl, wobbly like a fawn, is now a fully born vampiress that is free of any Sire.
There is no master's name she has to say...
Alucard turns as his shadows pull his body back together. An arm still in the process of reattaching, removes his sunglasses, to get a better look. A Cheshire cat grin crosses his face except the teeth all sharp, pointy fangs. "Look at you little veil walker! Did I not warn you about immortality from monsters?"
"You did All Father but I am also young and foolish so here I am," vampiress Nyx says then cocks an eyebrow. "Like this?"
The nightclub is filled with a horrible laughter that only one creature can truly produce...Alucard, the First Vampire.
"Well done little vampiress! Now go test all those sharp teeth on that undead piece of dog shit, that thought you would just roll over, like the good little human and die," Alucard shadow drifts up and around vampiress Nyx. His fingers trailing up her bare left thigh the across her breasts to stoke at the faint bite mark scar left on her right breast.
His mouth presses to her ear and his right hand slips over the bite mark on the breast. Alucard gives the nipple a slight tug then purrs, "When you get sick of looking down and seeing that worm's mark then come see me... veil walker."
°Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) is happiest growing in zones 8 through 11 but can be grown farther north if brought indoors for winter. It's worth the work. The plant-which is, by the way, highly poisonous-puts on a show of dramatic, peach-colored, bell-shaped flowers all season long, and the fragrance is appealing.