Vampire Legend R

   30 years ago, a young knight was bitten by a vampire while attempting
to save a traveler from the creature's terrible hunger. The traveler
escaped, but the knight had no such luck. His blood nearly totally drained,
the knight collapsed....and a painful transformation into an undead
monster ensued. 
   But something was different, this time. Perhaps it was the presence of
the knight's magical demonslayer blade, or maybe it was the intervention
of a higher power. Whatever happened, the knight-turned-vampire was not evil.
He retained all his memories, emotions, and most of all, his personality.
The only thing different was his physical body....
   For the next 5 years, the knight wandered from town to town, wondering
what had happened that would leave him with his essence intact but gain
the blood-hunger that all vampires possess. He was shunned and even hunted
by the villagers, for in his hunger he was compelled to slay one or two
innocents.
   After those first few years, the vampire-knight realized that he could
not continue to kill innocent people. And so, he began to seek out the greedy,
the ruthless, and the cruel to sate his hunger. The villagers were still alarmed
by the vampire's attacks, but they began to realize that only evil or corrupt
people were his victims. Sadly, he was still driven out of towns which had never
seen him before.
   It was about 13 years after his transformation that the vampire-knight faced
his first demon. The battle was long and drawn out, and he barely survived. Only
the fact that he was a vampire, and therefore much faster and stronger than a
normal human, saved him. Realizing this profound new information, the vampire-knight
decided that he would use his supernatural powers to fight demons and monsters as
well as evil humans. The demonslayer blade's ability to drain demonic soul energy
would prove in later years to actually sate the vampire's blood-hunger, and he
turned more and more towards slaying monsters rather than humans.
   Now, 30 years after his transformation, the vampire-knight is gaining a bit of
fame as a demon slayer, even though most people do not know that he is a vampire.
He has become proficient in hiding his true nature, and has actually made a few
friends. Some of these friends know what he is, some do not. The ones that do are
his truest allies.

   Renaku stared out into the moonlit darkness, his supernatural
senses taking in everything. For a moment, he glimpsed something...
then it was gone. Frowning, the vampire launched himself into the
air, his bat form giving him a bird's-eye view. There...in the trees.
Renaku dove at the half-hidden creature, its discovery as yet unnoticed.
Silently, Renaku landed next to the monstrosity, and in a flash, he
was once again human....or rather, humanoid. He leapt at the creature,
the white-bladed longsword in his hands flashing. The creature turned
and at last spotted him, its three eyes focusing on the blade. With
demonic speed, the reptilian thing dodged Renaku's strike and slashed
at him with its talons. Recoiling with three long tears in his skin,
Renaku dove again, this time in a half-feint that caught the creature
unawares. 
   It seemed like slow motion. The white blade entered the creature's
torso, cut all the way up through its head, and left in a splash of
crimson. Renaku jumped away from the flailing demon and held out his
sword. The demon's spirit-energy flowed into the blade, and from there
into Renaku himself. With an inward rush of breath, the vampire
claimed the evil beast's life force. 
   "Never again will you bother the people of this village, Triad.
Your power...your spirit....is mine forever," Renaku whispered to
the melting remains of the demon. He cleaned his blade and sheathed
it, then once again adopted the form of a bat and departed for the
village.

   Some time later, Renaku was on the road again. At night, of course.
Preferring to walk that night instead of fly, he was enjoying the
shadowy scenery. The moon was full, and it bathed the land in a silvery
light. Renaku rather liked the effect...in fact, he had been wishing
for the past 30 years(ever since his true death at the hands of a
vampire) that he could see the sun once more. That was his current
quest...to find a way to bypass the deadliness of the sun's bright
light. Too long, he had been suffering, unable to feel the warmth of
Sol. 
   No more. He had finally discovered a chance....a faint possibility
that he could avoid the curse. In the last village, he had discovered
an apothecary who sold a peculiar drink. It was made with a rare plant,
and was said to sooth sunburn. When Renaku drank a bit out of pure
humor, he discovered that it temporarily restored his ability to stay
in full sunlight with enduring any pain. He asked the apothecary where
the plant grew, and the apothecary gave him an obscure location...the
Rylor Mountains.
   And so, Renaku set out at dusk for the faraway mountain range.
As usual, he only packed his clothes, his sword, and a pouch of gold
coins. Dressed in a black cloak, baggy white pants, and crimson-and-gold
armor, the vampiric hero made quite a sight. Most travelers did their
traveling during the day, but the few that made their way by night
got quite a surprise when they saw him, for he looked quite deadly.
His pale skin, ice-blue eyes, and waist-length white hair gave him
an air of the supernatural. And if he opened his mouth......
   
Tale of the Dragon-prince
-------------------------
   Two years before the present, Renaku entered the kingdom of a
ruthless frost dragon who was as tyrannical as he was huge. The
dragon, who could shift to human form and thereby disguise himself
among the peasants, had also been insuring that he would have heirs.
When Renaku came to the dragon's capital, he found out that the dragon
had taken fourteen wives and killed most of them after they gave birth.
His only surviving wife was said to be as cold and ruthless as the dragon
himself. The dragon had seven sons and six daughters, all of them halfbloods
with warped features. The most human-looking of the group, a warrior by the
name of Aiger Nova, was hated by both parents, especially the dragon.
   One night, as Renaku was staying in an inn in the dragon's capital, loud
noises erupted from outside. He went to the window and looked down at the
street, to see two strange humanoid creatures battling. One of them was
truly monstrous; it looked like a very small, misborn dragon. The other
was mostly human, although his pale skin, snow-white hair, and pointed
ears betrayed a nonhuman origin. The dragon-thing was winning.
   Not wasting a moment, Renaku leapt out the window and landed on the
street. He drew his sword, and the sound of metal sliding through its
sheath filled the air. Both combatants looked at him briefly, then the
dragon-thing turned back to the humanoid. That was all the initiative
Renaku needed. He leapt at both of them, and with an eerie cry cut into
the dragon-thing's hide. The blade bit deep, and the creature roared, turning
away from the humanoid and attacking Renaku. For once in his life, Renaku
has underestimated his opponent. The thing opened its tooth-filled maw and
bit into Renaku's shoulder, tearing into his pale flesh. Renaku screamed,
a blood-curdling unnatural shriek that could never have come from a human
throat. Those few who had opened their shutters to watch the battle closed
and latched them immediately. All people on the streets disappeared.
   Suddenly, a cross between a cry of rage and a roar erupted from behind
the dragon-thing. As Renaku watched, a twisted, glowing blade cut clean
through the creature's head, severing it and sending it flying. A few of its
teeth were still lodged in Renaku's shoulder. The body of the dragon-thing
collapsed, and behind it stood the humanoid, in a full battle stance and gripping
the long, glimmering sword. Both stared at each other, not sure what
the other would do. At last, the other relaxed and sheathed the immense
sword. Taking this as an offer of peace, Renaku sheathed his own blade.
Suddenly, he teetered a bit and almost collapsed. The humanoid rushed
forward and caught the faltering vampire. Without any prompting, he took
Renaku into the inn and back up to the room. 

   Renaku awoke days later, his shoulder-wound covered in bloodstained
bandages. As he turned his head and blinked to clear his eyes, he saw
the humanoid slouched in a wooden chair, looking at him. When he saw
Renaku awaken, he smiled and stood up. 
   "Glad to see you alive, vampire. ...Never thought I'd say something
like that, but then you're probably less of a monster than my father,"
he said, with a tone of anger when he said the last. Renaku sat up slowly,
and gingerly touched his shoulder. The dragon-thing's teeth had been removed,
and the wound had been treated well. Renaku turned to the humanoid.
   "I...who are you? And WHAT are you?" he asked, recovering from his
slightly-dazed state rapidly. The humanoid shifted position.
   "My name is Aiger Nova, and I'm the son of the thing that sits on
the throne of this kingdom," he said, with ill-concealed hatred. Renaku
stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
   "That would explain your appearance. What was that other thing?
Another child of the dragon, I suppose?"
   "Yes. That was my sister Aeri'dia. She was sent by my father,
or maybe my mother, to kill me. I know not what to do now...my
parents will be looking for me." Renaku sat silently for a moment.
   "Maybe I can help....I've heard many terrible things about this
father of yours. Are they true? Is he a ruthless tyrant?" Aiger nodded.
   "He is....although it took me 15 years to realize that."
   "Then we shall challenge him. You are more than human, are you not?
Together, we should be able to slay even a dragon."
   "I....don't know. It was bad enough, having to kill my own sister,
but my own father....even as bad as he is, could I do that?" Renaku breathed
in deeply, and nodded slowly.
   "You have a point...but I am a monster-slayer, and this father of
yours is apparently a monster. I will slay him, if you cannot." At this,
Aiger looked a bit taken aback, but agreed quietly. He looked at the
shuttered window.
   "It is midnight, vampire, and by now the guards are getting sleepy.
Now would be the time to attack, if you wish to do so. I will help you
as far as my parents, but beyond that I can't promise anything."
   Renaku shook off his bedcovers and stood up, walking over to where his
armor had been thrown. He reminded himself silently not to forget his
armor in battle ever again, as he placed a shoulder plate over his bandaged
shoulder. As he donned the rest of his armor, Aiger left the room. Just
before Renaku finished dressing, the halfblood returned, a pair of black
cloaks in his hands.
   "I think we should approach as discreetly as possible. I've brought
these to help..." Aiger began, then blinked as Renaku smiled and transformed
into a bat. "...or not. I see that being a vampire has certain advantage."
He smirked, then put on one of the cloaks. Renaku, perched on the edge of a
chair, spread a wing and pointed at the closed window. Aiger nodded and opened
the shutters, and Renaku flew out into the dark night. 

   Renaku darted into a high window of the castle, then transformed and began to
descend into the keep's depths. As he quietly went down the stairs, he heard the
footsteps of an approaching guard. He transformed again and flew up to the ceiling,
and waited there until the guard had continued on his way upward. Deciding to
remain in bat form for the time being, Renaku flew down the spiral stairs. His way
was lit by a number of brightly burning torches, but as he continued, the air
got colder and colder. At last, he came upon a huge chamber, many stories high.
The whole room was coated in a thin covering of ice, and in the center of the room
lay the dragon. Its heavy breathing sent out steady bursts of frigid air, continually
renewing the frost. It was talking to a beautiful woman dressed in white and ice-blue,
and Renaku guessed that this must be the Queen. He darted behind a statue and transformed,
and watched the two converse for a time. After awhile, the Queen departed, and
the dragon closed its eyes, laying its head on the cold stone floor.
   Suddenly, sounds of battle came from a corridor on the opposite side of the chamber
from Renaku, and the dragon looked up sharply towards the noise. Renaku took the
moment, and attacked. Drawing his sword as he leapt, time seemed to stop. The dragon
heard his approach, and began to turn its head. It was too late. Renaku's blade sliced
into the dragon's face, cutting through an eyeridge and blinding the dragon in that
eye. He dropped to the ground and jumped away, just as the enraged dragon roared in pain
and slashed at the ground. Dark blue blood dripped from the dragon's face as it whirled
to face him, and Renaku dodged again as the draconian breathed a gust of icy wind at
him. A statue that Renaku had been in front of turned brittle and shattered, and the
wall behind it gained a thick layer of ice. Renaku leapt again, this time towards the
dragon, and slashed at its chest. The dragon was ready this time, and brought a claw
up. Renaku went flying as the clawed leg swatted him, flinging his sword away. 
   "Foolish mortal! You thought you could kill ME????" the dragon roared, and inhaled,
preparing to breathe its frigid breath again. Renaku smiled from his position on the
floor.
   "Well, you're right about one thing....but I am NOT mortal," he said, then transformed
into a bat and flew straight up as the dragon breathed. He whirled down to his sword,
transformed, and grabbed it. The dragon's eye widened. 
   "A VAMPIRE!?" it roared, then charged him. Renaku slid under it, using the icy
floor to his advantage. He brought his sword up and was about to stab into the
dragon's belly. Suddenly, the dragon reared on its hind legs and slashed at him
with its claws. Unprepared, Renaku took the full brunt of the attack. The claws cut
deep into his chest and pinned his sword arm. Bright flashes of pain obscured the
vampire-knight's vision, and he fought to stay conscious. The dragon smiled evilly,
a toothy grin that held more malice than anything human could ever invoke. It withdrew
its claw from Renaku's chest and raised it, preparing to rend the helpless vampire
into shredded vampire-bits. 
   A roar of pain and Aiger's battle-cry was the last thing Renaku knew, and then
he sank into pain-filled blackness.

   Some time later, Renaku awoke, cold and still on the floor of the chamber. His
chest and arm ached from the claw wounds, and his blood-hunger had risen to new
heights. He knew that if he didn't feed soon, he would perish. Looking around him
dazedly, he saw Aiger and the dragon still locked in combat. The dragon's wings
were in tatters and it was bleeding from a dozen other wounds, but Aiger looked
worse. It appeared that the dragon would win, after all. Renaku could not let that
happen!
   Aiger was faltering. Even his skill with the sword was no match for the power
of his draconian father. His armor shredded, bleeding from a number of wounds, Aiger
was not going to survive the dragon's next onslaught....but it never came. He stared
as Renaku brought the edge of his sword down on the dragon's neck, snapping bone
and cleaving muscle. The blue blood of the dragon sprayed everywhere as Renaku's
strike seperated its head from its body, and frosty air escaping from its lungs,
freezing the blood on Renaku's sword. The dragon's body collapsed, and Renaku dropped
beside it. He raised his shining blade, and the dragon's soul-energy flooded into
him. Aiger's eyes widened as he watched the energy crackle around Renaku like
miniature lightning. He swore quietly and watched in fascination as Renaku's wounds
closed, his skin flushed, and his eyes took on more life. The dragon's body, which
normally would have simply laid there, began to crumble and disintegrate.
   Renaku, though bloodied, was in perfect health. Aiger could only shake his head.
That was all he had time to do, before the other offspring attacked. The Queen
stood in a balcony high above, her face contorted in rage. Renaku turned and caught
the first dragon-like creature full in the face with his sword, and drained it like
he had its father. Aiger hefted his blade and parried an assault by one of his
brothers, not in nearly as good shape as Renaku. Still, he was a skilled warrior,
and he managed to defeat his sibling before another attacked. Renaku was faring
much better than he, dodging claws and fangs. Renaku's and Aiger's swords were
swirling tornadoes of activity, parrying and attacking, attacking and parrying.
Chipped bone, claw, and fang flew through the air as both heroes' strikes hit
home, bluish blood painting the floor a dark azure. 
   Suddenly, an arrow lodged in Aiger's side. He roared and collapsed, clutching
the weapon. Renaku decapitated another of his attackers and rushed over to defend
Aiger. Aiger glared through pain-slitted eyes at his mother, who held a bow in
her hands. She smiled evilly and nocked another arrow, no doubt intending to
put down Renaku as well. Aiger shouted a warning, and Renaku leapt away from his
current position just as the arrow connected with the ground. The Queen fired off
another arrow, but Renaku's superhuman agility kept him one step ahead of her.
The one remaining offspring, only slightly less human than Aiger, turned tail and
ran out of the chamber. Renaku turned from the remains of the other dragonlings
and stared solemnly up at the Queen, who was aiming her last arrow at his forehead.
With a snarl, she loosed the arrow, and at the same time Renaku hurled his sword.
The arrow zipped by the vampire-knight, but the sword did not miss. Like a great
metal spear, it drove clean through the Queen's chest, the point piercing her
spine and protruding from her back. Dark red blood welled up around the hilt,
and she collapsed. Renaku transformed and flew up to the balcony, descending on
the rapidly-dying body.

   "Thank you, friend," Aiger said to Renaku, as the vampire-knight helped the
halfblood into the former King's throne. The throne, originally held by humans,
had not been remodeled by the usurping dragon. Instead, he had chosen to take
a human form when he used the throne. Now, Aiger had claimed it in the name
of the wise and good kings who had preceeded the dragon. Although it had been
several weeks since that climactic battle, Aiger was healing much more slowly than
Renaku. The people of the kingdom, hearing of the dragon's death, were overjoyed
and flocked to their new prince's court. Although the people were a bit nervous
around Renaku, they took to Aiger as a true hero. Those who attended Aiger's
court knew what Renaku was, and they tried to be polite, but more often than
not they avoided him. 
   The frost dragon's former sleeping chamber had been cleared of debris and
turned into a dancing hall, and Aiger had had a wooden throne constructed
there. This was the throne he occupied now. Renaku stood at the prince's side, but
after watching the festivities for a moment, he turned to Aiger.
   "It is time that I leave. There are many more places I must go, and I don't
think I am truly welcome here," he said, and Aiger sighed and nodded.
   "You will always be welcome here, knight," Aiger said, and Renaku smiled. He bowed
slightly, then turned and walked out.