Chapter 1
Marcella
Darkness is our friend... the cold is our cousin... stealth is our forte... and blood is our joy.
Yes, we are vampires, this is not one of those stories where we are rich, vicious, or sparkly. But maybe yes some of us are good looking, strong, and most of us have a gift. Our kind was at war with one of our most ancient rivals ...we've lost. That was hundreds of years ago, before I was born. My name is Marcella and I live with my mother Melissa in this so call Vampire Palace. It's more like a crack house underground for hideouts and I've never knew my father.
My mother --- she was a hand lady for a very important high-born vampires back when we were roaming the lands, she uses to tell me stories of how big and powerful we were, and how everyone was afraid of us. I remember she told me that they have something important of ours and we need to get it back, so that one day we can take back our lands.
We have been searching for these 'something' for centuries, and no one seems to know anymore what we are looking for, we are lost... lost of our ways, lost of our time, we are just a blood sucking being, trapped.
"Marcella, please do not run out again, what if you got caught?" said my mother so softly to me getting up while she's still laying on a beat up ancient looking couch in her usual centuries old long black dress which made her look like she was coming out from a painting.
She still looks stunning though even it has been ages since she last has a proper care of herself. She has a gorgeous thick long wavy black hair which I got from her and of course the pale white skin, we all have. Her eyes are almond shape suite the high cheekbone and that good jaw line, plus those plumed full lips, anyone who saw her no matter which creatures always fell for her, I admit I am lucky to get all of her features. However my eyes are somehow blue instead of the redish brown like her, which is extremely rare for us vampire.
"But I'm hungry" I pouted, lying.
"We ate yesterday, remember? Please don't make me worry" she sighed, close her eyes and slowly falls asleep.
We are immortal..yes, we still need to drink blood but nowadays we were just hunt anything to survive and sleeps most of the days and nights to preserve energy so we wouldn't have to drink often. This was not living... this was slowly turn to stone!
I am fascinated of the outside world, I know... classic.. what a cliché, but if you know this dungeon I've been call home your whole life, you would feel the same way. I am almost 60 years old, and the furthest I've been is the closest town from our hideout. It is surprisingly close, I would say not even a 20 minutes' walk away, this is how we survive, by being very discrete and fast. We don't usually hunt people anymore, only rare occasions, we now live of animals instead. Oh, and by the way me being 60 doesn't mean I look like a grandma, all of our body either stop ageing when we got turned or in my case it stopped ageing at 25 since I was born vampires.
I've made sure my mother has slipped off, before I use one of my best skills, sneaking out! I've closed many doors behind me on my way up to the surface, this helps concealed our smell. I look out through the creeks of the outer door of the underground palace which was covered by another thick layers of vines and bushes. From outside looking in you will not be able to tell that there's a door here.
Inhale...
I took a big breath trying to make out all the smell outside, this is my gift, I have an excellent sense of smell, hearing, and a good sixth sense, it is a real thing!... I can usually tell which way to take and what to do, base of this sixth sense. My mother said it's not a thing and my sense of smell and hearing gifts are pretty dull. Most of us already have a good sense of smell but they also blessed with some actually amazing gifts. Like my mother, she can control people's mind by touching their skin, or sometimes she can kind of read people's thoughts when sits in the same room. I know some of us can even controlled elements, but since we are weak the gifts weaken with us.
Trees, dirt, humility, I can smell it all. Tiny wings, small creatures chipping and creaking, owls, I can hear it all too. The moon was not too bright tonight, there's clouds slowly move through the sky, stars was not shining. It was the perfect night. I slowly reached outward to gently open the vine drapes and bushes, stepping out discreetly.
I brought myself to the edge of the town, still hiding within the dark tree lines. My eyes widen, pilpuls diaurated, scanning the crowds that walking pass by in this evening market. The sun had set but the night was still young, I smiled with excitement. So many smells, so many fascinating things. I slowly walked among the crowds but still hiding in shadows, very lowkey all to myself but I was looking and listening to everything.
So dangerous, I know.. but so much fun!
In this town there's mostly locals who have a shop in the market with just simple game from their hunts or a simple goods from their farm, though there's still some of a foreign item from different countries for sale. It's a suburb right outside the capital of a very large wolf pack land, Freygarde, after all. People in this town were pretty diverse, it was a perfect location for us actually, not too heavy on any kinds in particular, easier to hide or even blend in.
I was walking from one edge of town to another with such joy but caution, kids were laughing running up and down the road. There's food in every corner, candle lights lit all around. Seeing all these people living their live and I felt envy.. I love my kind and I love my mother, but sometimes I wish I could be something else.
Wizards and witches smell like herbs, tiny fairies smell like a small light flowers, human smell like greed, us vampires probably smell like blood or death, and the wolves? They smell like a wet dog! I'm kidding.. they actually don't smell all too bad, they smell like earthy dirt. There're still so many kinds that I have never seen or smell before, but one day, I'll meet them all!!
On my way back, I was admiring some small items I have snatched from the market, oh no I've never said I was good. There's a pair of earrings that I would love to give my mother but first, I have to come up with the answer to the question that she will yell at me with a dead stare 'how on earth did you get this?!'
"Where have you been, I was looking everywhere for you!" said a voice beyond the shadow, I paniced and hind everything behind me. The voice was low and stern but urgent. Redish eye slightly shine in the dark moving closer and closer.
"You scared me! I thought you're my mother!" I sighed in relief.
Ciaran walks up to me with a little grinned, he is the perfect description of a vampire's prince, he's tall with blond hair. We vampires are not known to have a big structure body but for him, he's pretty big with broad shoulders. He's lean and you can see all the muscle, but again not too much, just like how all the ladies love it. Don't let me start on his posture, the way he sits, talks, walks, a true prince and a bonus on top of that..he the nicest and kind person.
"I know not to wake her when I can't find you around, I've learnt" said the young prince, bending down to get his eyes to my level, the soft charming smile lifted my spirit.
"Good!" I said, slightly blushed.
We both walked back down to the underground palace together exchange our days, we have been great friends since I can remember, and my mother is so proud that I caught the attention of the price. He's descending from one of the oldest bloodlines of a loyal vampires. His mother is the only one left he got also it was about 100 years ago when his father was hunted down and killed, all kinds hate us, and we hate them.
You can see dim candle lights at the end of the tunnel, and there it is, the common room or we call it the great hall as if we actually still in the palace, we gather here sometime to strategize but most of the time this room is for socialize. There's almost a hundred of us here and we know that multiples other hideouts around the land also have about the same each.
"Do you wanna come with me to the meeting today?" asked Ciaran.
"Why? What's it about?" I asked nonchalantly still fidgeting with the new toys I've got.
"You know, how to fight back" I can hear confusion in his voice.
"Ciaran, we have been at this for decades, and probably longer for others. There's no way, they are too strong, and we are outnumbered" I looked at him with no hopes in my eyes, I mean.. we tried.
"This time will be different, there's some intel, we are getting out of here and rules again!" he said full of hopes and dreams.
The last time we tried to fight back the wolves, we've lost almost half of our people, and they even gain another ally, those fairies. Somehow the fairies seem to think we are bad news, even though we barely even care about them. Like I said, they smell like little flowers and their blood tasted like one too. You might think flowers sounded good, maybe you can try eating a flower, maybe a rose, and let me know if you like it.
"We didn't even make it anywhere last time, we lost so many. I don't think I can do that again." I looked down, all those memories flushing through. I was not even 20 yet, very young, inexperienced and full with so much drive. The only thing on my mind was to fight, I didn't really use my head, but I was good at fighting that was all I did. But since then, I seem to give up, I'm now only hope that we might be able to live in peace without being afraid of getting hunted.
"If you can sit in this one for me? I promised you it will be different this time." Ciaran hold one of my hand up, slightly squeeze it. His eyes straight without blinking, my heartbeat raise a bit.
Sigh...
"Okay.." I mumbled with a little smile.
The prince didn't say anything but walked towards the big table with a big smile, I followed. All of the important member of the coven were here gathering around the wooden table, there were various of senilities both males and females. Ciaran walked up to the head of the table, and everyone pauses, all eyes locked to him. We are good at that at least, order and respect.
"There's news from our intel, the Regalia is still out there" commotion instantly erupted, I was still not sure what is Regalia myself.
"Non sense! It has been lost or destroyed years ago, don't bring it up to try to get us to support you!" One of the members yelled pointing at his prince. Some of them agreeing with him.
"But if it is true, then we might actually have a chance" said another lady wishfully, looking at everyone.
"But where is it?"
"Do you even know what it is? How does it look like?"
"And once you get it, how to use it?"
"How are we going to take it back?" many members slur throwing questions like there's no tomorrow.
"Please everyone! ...My intel is quite reliable this time, we will find it, we will bring it back to us, and we will take back what's ours!" Ciaran said with such confident, all the member quite down and agree. I was just there looking at him, not sure what to feel or think.
Regalia.. I have never heard of it before, could it be the long lost 'somethings' that we were all searching for? It has been decades since they gave up on searching for this 'somethings' many said it's a myth, some said it's destroyed by the werewolves when we lost the war hundreds of years ago, very few still believe in its existence and its power. Could this be it, and could it save us all?