Druid Vampire PG-13 Version by KuroKoneko Kamen
Chapter 3: Python
Nerezza pouted as she watched Slaine walk away from her. She got up and went to sit at one of the tables. In mere seconds she was surrounded by a group of young human males that began to vie for her attention. But there were only three empty chairs at the table. Nerezza tapped her lower lip in consideration while she looked them over with a critical eye. “Why don’t you, you, and definitely you, join me?” Nerezza pointed to three of the young men. “The rest of you are dismissed.” She waved her hand at them.
“Awww man.” The men groaned in disappointment.
“For now.” Nerezza added teasingly.
“Yay!” The men all cheered with renewed hope before walking off.
Nerezza then turned her attention to the three men who were joining her at the table. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourselves?”
“Oh, well, I’m a financial advisor-” One young man began.
Nerezza raised her hand to stop him. “Uh, I meant…why don’t you tell me a little about your sexual kinks.” She placed her chin on her hand and leaned over the table. “What really gets you off?”
The man gulped, his throat suddenly dry. He’d never encountered a woman who was so beautiful and bold about sex at the same time. “Ah, well…” He looked away, blushing. “Handcuffs.”
Nerezza grinned wolfishly. “I totally approve. What do you say we-?”
“Excuse me, Miss Nerezza Cruso?” A male voice drew her attention.
Nerezza looked up to see one of the waiters. “Yes?”
“The owner Mr. Tepes would like to speak to you.” The waiter informed her.
Nerezza frowned. Mr. Tepes? She didn’t know anyone by that name. “Did he say why?”
The waiter shook his head. “No.”
Nerezza sighed. “Sorry, guys. I’ll be right back. I promise.” She told the three young men and blew a kiss to each of them.
“Alright, Nerezza.” The young men chimed at the same time.
Nerezza got up from her seat, followed the waiter through the club, and up the stairs, which led to the second floor. The waiter led her down the hallway and stopped in front of one of the doors. He knocked on the door. “Mr. Tepes, I’ve brought her.” The door opened.
“Please, go inside.” The waiter waved his hand at the open doorway.
Nerezza entered the office and the door closed of its own accord behind her.
“Welcome, Nerezza Cruso, it’s an honor to have one such as you in my club. Please, have a seat.” Seated behind a huge black desk was a man with an incredible presence. His clothes screamed money. He was wearing a dark gray and white pinstriped suit, and an incredible black mink coat. Nerezza studied his chiseled European facial features and the round sunglasses that were perched on his nose. This guy definitely comes in 3-D. Deadly, dangerous and desirable. Nerezza longed to run her hands through his long, wavy, midnight hair that fell past his shoulders.
Nerezza reached out her senses to see if he was a demon too but…she didn’t sense anything. Is he shielding my senses? This guy can’t be human. Standing next to Mr. Tepes was a beautiful woman who unsettled Nerezza. There was something off about her. She was too still. It was almost like she wasn’t breathing.
The woman had her skin painted white, and her lips black. Her long, blue-black hair was braided down her back and she had cold blue eyes. She was wearing a medieval-style gown with belled sleeves.
Mr. Tepes waved his hand at one of the two leather chairs that sat in front of his desk. Nerezza walked over and took a seat. “So you know my work? Are you a fan?” This wasn’t the first time the owner of a club or restaurant had requested Nerezza’s presence. And each encounter had pretty much ended with sex.
Mr. Tepes blinked. “Ah, when I said ‘one such as you’ I wasn’t referring to your being an actress. I was referring to the fact that you’re a succubus demon.”
Nerezza’s eyes narrowed. “But…how do you know that? Are you a demon?” She demanded.
Mr. Tepes smiled eerily. “Of a sort.” He removed his glasses to reveal his red eyes and smiled to reveal his fangs. “I’m a fallen angel, just like you, my dear.”
And then it clicked. Mr. Tepes was a vampire. And not just any vampire but the vampire. Vlad Tepes a.k.a Count Dracula. “You’re…Dracula? The Dracula?” Nerezza’s tone was incredulous.
Dracula nodded. “Indeed.”
Nerezza frowned. “What are you doing in San Francisco of all places? And what do you want with me?”
Dracula steepled his fingers before him. “I’ll cut right to the chase. I’m looking for powerful new allies. I’d like you to join me, Nerezza.”
“Join you…?” She frowned.
“I would turn you into a vampire and grant you even more power than you currently have. As a vampire you would no longer need sexual energy in order to survive. Although, you will of course need blood in order to survive. But I think that would be a preferable existence to the one you currently have…having to give your body to filthy humans night after night. Humans are nothing but livestock.” Dracula’s lip curled in disgust.
Nerezza’s mind was reeling. Dracula wanted to turn her into a vampire? No way. Sure, she’d no longer need to feed off of a male’s sexual energy, but…she’d need blood to survive and would have to kill humans to get it. She’d also lose her chance for redemption. According to her friend Levi Devlin she needed to find a very special human, a Judge, have him fall in love with her, and then she’d be redeemed in the eyes of God.
No, she wouldn’t give up on finding true love. Nerezza stood up from her seat. “I’m sorry, Dracula. But I’m going to have to refuse your offer. I have no interest in becoming a vampire. Good day.” She turned to leave.
“Pity. I’d hoped we’d be able to do things the easy way. Why is it always the hard way? Perhaps, after you spend some time without sex you’ll reconsider my offer.” Dracula drawled before he opened his drawer, pulled out a syringe, and tossed it at Nerezza.
Nerezza felt a prick in her neck as she was heading for the door, and then she collapsed to the floor. Darkness consumed her.
***
Becca was drunk. Very drunk. And having a very good time. For some reason she couldn’t stop giggling. Slaine had stopped at the supermarket on their way back to his place and had purchased several cans of whipped cream for some reason. She suspected that he wanted to make her wear a whipped cream bikini or something. He probably planned to lick it off and Becca was so on board with this kinky plan.
Slaine opened the door to his apartment and helped Becca inside. They made their way to the bedroom and Becca collapsed onto the bed still giggling.
Slaine watched her with heat in his gaze as he took his jacket off and tossed it on the floor. He put the shopping bag full of whipped cream cans on the bed, reached into the bag, and pulled out a can to show Becca. “Do you have any ideas what I want to do with this?” He waggled his white brows at her.
Becca flipped onto her back, blinked owlishly at Slaine, and smiled languidly. “Oh, I have a few ideas.”
Slaine opened his mouth and sprayed whipped cream inside. He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed sexily. “Mmm, you gotta try this, babe.” Slaine crawled onto the bed with predatory grace and moved over her until he was straddling her. “Open that pretty mouth of yours for me.”
Becca did as she was told and Slaine poured whipped cream into her mouth. She savored its sweet taste and smiled up at Slaine dazedly. “Mmm, yeah. That’s good. Sweet.”
Slaine smiled and poured another shot of whipped cream into his mouth. He then neared the can next to Becca’s mouth and she eagerly opened her mouth to get another taste of whipped cream again. Slaine poured shot after shot of whipped cream into her mouth until she lost track of how much he’d fed her.
They finished an entire can of whipped cream together, and Slaine tossed the empty can of whipped cream to the floor. At this point Becca was feeling strangely ligh
Slaine pulled out another can of Reddi Wip and held it up to her. “I want to decorate your body with this and lick it off, baby. What do you say?”
Becca giggled and then snorted. “Sure.” She reached behind her back for her dress’s zipper and struggled to find it. “Help me with my zipper.”
“It would be my pleasure, my sweet.” Slaine reached behind Becca and pulled her zipper down. He then began to slide her dress off her body until Becca was left in a black and red bra and matching silk panties. And her stilettos. Dang, that’s hot. Slaine squirted whipped cream on Becca’s chest and began to lick it off.
Becca moaned in pleasure. She felt high for some reason, like she’d smoked pot or something, and Slaine kept pouring whipped cream shots into her mouth over and over again as he licked whipped cream from her body.
Slaine removed Becca’s bra and panties, and admired her bare flesh for a moment before he began to create a new bra and panties made out of whipped cream for her. “Maybe I missed my calling and should have become an artist? What do you think, my sweet?”
Becca giggled. “Looks like you’ve got some skill.”
Slaine tossed the empty Reddi Wip can aside when he was finished and wasted no time in laving his tongue all over her flesh.
Becca cried out and arched her back in pleasure. Slaine cleaned up all of the whipped cream hungrily. Her natural lime flavor and the whipped cream combined were quite delicious.
Once her flesh was mostly clean, he laved his tongue down her body and headed towards the apex of her thighs. Slaine began to lick her there.
Becca gasped. “Oh my God…oh! Wow…I’m so glad you’re not the shy type.”
Slaine pleasured her with his mouth as he cleaned the whipped cream from her. It didn’t take long before Becca was close to reaching her peak. She was so close. But she knew that for whatever reason she wouldn’t reach it. So she had to pretend. “Oh, Slaine! Yes!” Becca cried out.
Slaine pulled back and looked up at her with a devilish grin on his face. He licked his lips and spread her legs. He captured her lips and while she was distracted united their bodies. Becca cried out into his mouth at the sensation. Slaine began to surge over her until she was feeling dizzy from the pleasure.
Becca made mewling noises as Slaine increased his pace, and raked her nails down his back. He was still fully dressed for some reason, and she could feel his leather pants rubbing against her thighs. So frigin hot. She thought.
Slaine moved from her mouth to begin licking and nibbling at her collarbone. Becca loved it when Slaine did that and eagerly turned her head to give Slaine more access. Slaine licked at the pulse in her throat, and then sunk his fangs into her flesh.
Becca gasped at the sudden pain in her neck. But she still felt numbed to what was going on around her for some reason. Did Slaine just bite my neck? Really? No way.
Slaine sucked Becca’s sweet blood into his mouth and the delectable taste had him finishing inside of her.
Becca’s pain shifted to mind-numbing pleasure and her toes curled. She’d never felt anything quite like this before. She and Slaine felt so…connected. It was like he was inside of her mind, reading her thoughts.
Slaine removed his fangs from her neck and licked his lips.
Becca stared up at Slaine and her heart stopped in her chest at the sight of Slaine licking her blood from his lips.
Blood…
A chill crawled up her spine.
She watched as Slaine bit into his wrist and then held his bleeding wrist out towards Becca. “Drink, my sweet.”
Becca cringed as Slaine shoved his bloody wrist in her face. What the hell? Is he crazy? This can’t be for real. Blood…he wants me to drink blood! Not blood!
A few drops of blood fell onto Becca’s face.
Drip…drip…drip…
She began to tremble in fear. And then she had a strange, overwhelming sensation of déjà vu crash over her. She’d been through this before. She couldn’t open her mouth, because if she did…she’d become a vampire! Somehow she knew this to be true.
No, no, no! Help! Someone, please help me! Becca cried out frantically in her mind. This can’t really be happening to me.
There was a strange burning sensation on her lower back, and she sat up, flinching from the pain. Something was happening. A large, glowing, blue butterfly appeared and hovered directly in front of her, placing itself between her and Slaine in an almost protective manner. “What is that?” The butterfly was so beautiful. It seemed out of odds with what was happening.
“What the hell…a battle tattoo?” Slaine murmured as he looked at it in disbelief. “How is that possible?”
The butterfly opened its mouth to reveal sharp pointy teeth. It hissed at Slaine then flew at the vampire and bit him right on the nose. Slaine howled in pain. “Son of a gun…get it off of me! Get it off!”
Becca quickly got off the bed and grabbed a red, Japanese-style robe Slaine had given her. She put the robe on and tied the belt. Becca knew she had to get the hell out of there. That’s all she was sure of at that point. She wouldn’t even dare to think about how her tattoo had suddenly come to life. She’d think about that later. Or else she’d go crazy.
Becca ran to the sliding glass doors, which led to the balcony. She opened the doors, rushed out onto the balcony, and began to head for the fire escape. She stepped over the balcony railing and landed on the fire escape. Becca began to run down the fire escape’s steel steps.
“REBECCA!” Slaine howled after her.
Crap! Becca looked behind her, saw Slaine chasing her down the fire escape, and he was carrying a freakin samurai sword! No, no, no…! What had happened to the butterfly? Had it been killed? She wondered, frantically.
When Becca reached the bottom of the fire escape she kept running and ended up running straight into someone. “Ugh.” Becca looked up to see what wall of muscle she’d run into and was startled to see none other than Derek. “Derek?”
“Derek!” Slaine called out as he unsheathed his samurai sword. “Are you getting in my way again? Die!” Slaine jumped off the fire escape to get to the ground quicker. He had jumped down more than ten stories. Becca couldn’t believe it. He landed with a thud on the ground and charged Derek.
“Crap! Get behind me!” Derek swiftly pushed Becca behind him and shoved her towards Garth and Malakye. “Guys, get her out of here!”
“You got it.” Garth said as he caught Becca in his brawny arms.
“What? No! I won’t leave Derek behind! Slaine’s not human…he’s a vampire!” Becca argued as she struggled against Garth’s iron hold. “He’ll be killed!”
“Derek can handle himself.” Garth assured.
Derek was forced to dodge the deadly downward slash of Slaine’s sword. And Slaine just kept on coming. “Don’t get in my way, Derek. Becca needs to drink my blood in order for the ritual to be completed! She must be turned into a vampire!”
“Like hell!” Derek raised his arms. “I summon you - wolf, panther!” Derek’s wolf and panther tattoos peeled off his skin, materialized, and attacked Slaine in seconds.
Slaine moved fast and slashed his samurai sword through the air quickly decapitating the wolf. The ink creature exploded into a shower of blue ink. Slaine dodged sideways to avoid the panther’s attack next, and then spun and brought his sword down upon the panther’s neck in a finishing move. The panther also exploded into blue ink.
Blue ink dripped down from Slaine’s katana as he approached Derek with slow, menacing steps. “Derek, get out of my way. Becca belongs to me now.” Slaine charged Derek.
Derek raised his arm and quickly summoned his python tattoo to block the oncoming sword swing. However-
Slaine’s katana cut through the python with ease and then Slaine’s sword was slicing into the front of Derek’s chest. Derek fell back onto the ground where he lay twitching and bleeding.
“Derek!” Garth growled lowly. “Now y
Slaine arched an eyebrow at the meathead human that was charging towards him. “Pfft, what an idiot. A mere human is no match for me.”
Garth reached Slaine and slammed his fist into Slaine’s face. Slaine’s nose broke upon impact, and Slaine was sent flying back through the air. He tumbled head over heels and ended up falling on a pile of garbage towards the back of the alleyway.
Slaine chuckled darkly even as blood poured down his face from his broken nose. “What the hell? You’re not human are you? I won’t underestimate you again, you punk.”
Garth charged down the alleyway and attacked Slaine with his fists. Slaine stood up and lithely dodged Garth’s punches using his superhuman speed.
Garth growled low in his throat out of frustration. He looked around the alleyway wildly and spotted a dumpster. He picked up the heavy dumpster, held it up high over his head, and launched it at Slaine. “Dodge this, vampire!”
“Oh bother.” Slaine grumbled as the dumpster flew towards him. He got into a fighting stance, awaited the dumpster, and sliced his sword down through the air at the last second - neatly slicing through the dumpster and trash that was inside. Unfortunately, the foul smelling garbage fell on top of Slaine as a result.
“Beautiful.” Slaine grabbed a banana peel that had been sitting on his head and threw it aside. He began to tremble with rage. “Oh, you’ll pay for that, meathead.” The vampire attacked. Garth tried to dodge but Slaine was just too fast. Garth threw a punch anyways and only succeeded in knocking Slaine’s sunglasses off his face to reveal his glowing red eyes.
“Those were expensive.” Slaine complained as he moved forward so fast that in one blink Slaine was right in front of Garth, and then biting into the side of Garth’s neck. Garth howled in pain.
“Garth!” Malakye called out concernedly. “Crap…what do I do? What do I do?”
Garth grabbed Slaine by his shoulder and threw him back. Slaine hit the sidewall with a crack. Garth put a hand over his bleeding neck wound and swayed on his feet. Crap. That jerk had managed to suck up so much of his blood and in mere seconds! He felt faint already and staggered backwards as Slaine approached Garth with menacing intent.
Malakye rushed forward. “I may be a pacifist, but I won’t let you hurt my friends!” The alien raised his hand and a telekinetic blast of energy shot out and hit Slaine knocking him off his feet.
In seconds, Slaine was back on his feet, however, and stalking forward towards Malakye. “Oh crap!” Malakye began to back away.
“You’ll pay for that, boy.” Slaine snarled before he charged forward, and then disappeared.
“Ack!” Malakye raised his hand. “Time stop!” He summoned his powers and stopped time. And not a second too soon.
As soon as time was stopped it was to reveal that Slaine had been right in front of him and the tip of Slaine’s sword was touching the very tip of Malakye’s nose. Malakye gulped and backed away several steps. “Holy crap, that was close! I never said anything about wanting a new nose piercing!” The alien stared at Slaine who was a fearsome sight with his glowing red eyes and gleaming samurai sword. “That guy is one scary dude.”
Malakye rushed over to Garth and put Garth’s arm around his shoulders. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here! We only have two minutes before that scary dude will be moving again! Becca, get Derek!”
Becca struggled to help the wounded Derek to his feet. Derek put his arm around Becca’s shoulders and allowed her to help him up. With Malakye leading the way, the group made their way to Derek’s Rover. Malakye got in behind the wheel, Garth got in the front passenger seat, and Becca got in the back with Derek. “We need to take Derek to a hospital. He’s lost a lot of blood.” Becca said as she looked down at Derek concernedly.
Malakye’s lips thinned as he wondered what he should tell Becca.
“He’ll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off.” Garth waved his massive hand dismissively through the air.
Becca gawked at Garth. “You can’t be serious?”
“You saw him, didn’t you? How his tattoos are…magical.” Malakye spoke up tentatively. Telling humans beings these sorts of things was never easy. They rarely believed you, and when they did they usually went crazy. Oh, and there was usually a lot of screaming and running involved too.
Becca recalled how Derek had somehow brought his tattoos to life. “Yeah. What is he?”
“He’s a va-” Garth was saying, when-
“Druid.” Malakye said loudly before Garth could put his giant foot in his mouth.
“A Druid? What’s a Druid?” Becca tilted her head.
“It’s like a wizard.” Malakye said cagily.
“Oh, you mean like Harry Potter?” Becca asked.
“Uh, something like that.” Malakye agreed with a bemused expression on his face. “Look, I’m going to take you to Derek’s place. I know he’ll want to protect you from that guy back there.”
Becca frowned as she looked down at Derek who was unconscious and had his head on her lap. “How can you be so sure of that? I don’t want to impose.”
“He’s been protecting you all along. Derek is a Druid Vampire Hunter. Let him protect you. It’s his job.” Malakye explained firmly. “Apparently. We actually just found out about this tonight ourselves.”
Becca came to a sudden realization. This was the reason why Derek had been following her. He was a Hunter and he was just doing his job protecting her. Doing his job. “I see. Good to know.” Becca said in a slightly agitated tone.
Malakye’s expression turned confused, and he shot Garth a questioning look. He had no idea what Becca was suddenly angry about. “Was it something I said?”
Garth shrugged, looking just as confused and befuddled. “Women.” He muttered under his breath.
It wasn’t long before the group was entering the first floor of Derek’s townhouse, and walking through the tattoo parlor. They then headed towards the stairs, which led to the second floor. Malakye helped Garth, who was still a little unsteady on his feet, and Becca was helping to support Derek.
They were about to take a second flight of stairs to the third floor when Becca spotted the interior of Derek’s studio through an open door. “Whoa, hang on a second.” Becca handed Derek over to Malakye and Garth, who had no choice but to put Derek’s arms around their shoulders in order to keep Derek in an upright position as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
In a daze, Becca entered the candlelit studio, which was filled with paintings of a red-haired woman. But the painting Becca was immediately drawn to was the one that was currently sitting on the easel. It was the portrait of a young, red-haired woman with blue Celtic tattoos on her arms but…she had Becca’s face!
“This woman…looks just like me.” Becca breathed as she reached her hand out towards the painting.
Garth and Malakye entered the studio with Derek supported between them and stared at the painting too. “It does look like her.” Garth pointed out the obvious, in a surprised sounding voice. “Why does it look like her?”
Malakye frowned. “That’s very strange. He’s been painting the mysterious red-haired woman for years. Even before he met you, Becca. I think the woman in these paintings is his dead wife.”
“Derek’s dead wife…?” Becca looked at the other paintings curiously. She was also mysteriously drawn to them. But these paintings were all fantasy. A red-haired woman in a medieval gown dancing at Stone Henge under the light of a full moon. A red-haired woman riding a horse, and using a bow and arrow. A red-haired woman bathing in a river.
“Becca?” Malakye began in a concerned tone.
“Yes?” Becca replied.
“We’re going to take Derek up to his room so that he can rest. He needs to sleep in order to heal.” Malakye explained.
“Okay. I want to stay here and admire these paintings for a little while l
“That’s fine.” Malakye and Garth took Derek out of the studio and headed upstairs.
Becca looked at the painting of Stone Henge…and something stirred within her. Her heart pounded, and her temples began to throb. Déjà vu.
Becca didn’t know for how long she’d been gazing at the painting when Malakye entered and put a hand on her shoulder. “Becca?”
“Sorry, zoned out. What is it?” Becca turned towards the man.
“Garth and I…are going to leave now. When you get tired feel free to use any of the spare bedrooms on the forth floor, okay?” Malakye said. “I’m sure it’s what Derek would have wanted.”
Becca nodded, still not taking her eyes off the painting. “Sure.”
Malakye frowned as he watched her. He didn’t want to leave, but he had his own responsibilities, like caring for his dangerous alien plants. If they got too hungry while he was away…well.
Malakye also knew Garth had his hands full lately because he’d gotten into the habit of adopting stray cats. Garth’s house was full of stray cats that probably wanted food. Malakye and Garth left Becca alone in the studio.
As Becca stared at the painting of the woman at Stone Henge…she couldn’t help but feel like she’d been there before. “I’ve been there before…but that’s impossible. I must be going crazy after everything that’s happened tonight. Slaine turned out to be a vampire. Derek is some kind of wizard. Garth…has superhuman strength. And Malakye can stop time or something.” She shook her head. “This has been one hell of a day. I still can’t believe that vampires are real. Although I guess since I know about how Tristan is half-incubus I shouldn’t be all that surprised by the supernatural. But still.”
Becca admired the painting of the red-haired woman bathing and could almost hear the sound of the river flowing over the rocks, smell the scent of the forest - sandalwood, moss, cedar, wet earth. Her imaginings felt so real…like a memory.
Becca’s family wasn’t the most glamorous. In fact, they were simple farmers living in Arlington, Iowa. Becca had never been on a vacation outside of the United States, so she’d definitely never been somewhere like Stone Henge, or a forest with a river that looked like that. Becca sunk to her knees as her head pounded. “My head hurts.” She ended up passing out on the floor. And then she dreamed.
Upstairs, in his bedroom, Derek had fallen into an uneasy sleep where he too dreamed and remembered the past.
FLASHBACK
Dearg was the son of the Druid High Priest, Corann. Corann was the leader of the Blood Oak Clan - an ancient Druid clan that specialized in blood magic and hunting vampires. Like the other Druid Vampire Hunters, Corann, was usually dressed in a sleeveless, leather vest with hood, leather pants and boots. Hunters made sure that their battle tattoos were visible in order to incite fear into the hearts of vampires who dared to cross their path.
The hood was necessary to keep the Hunters’ identities a secret. During the day the Druids lived in the village with everyone else, and only hunted vampires at night. Keeping their faces hidden protected their families from vengeful vampires.
Dearg both respected and feared his father. Corann had a commanding presence, and his appearance only added to that. He had long black hair with scattered braids, sharp gray-blue eyes, heavy eyebrows, and a beard. Derek had inherited his father’s blue eyes but his hair was closer to his mother’s in color. His mother, Aleena, had hazelnut-brown hair and kind brown eyes. His mother was soft-spoken and obedient. In their home, Corann’s word was law.
It was the duty of the Blood Oak Clan to protect the villages and tribes of Gaul from the immortal vampires. The Druids practiced a unique kind of magic called ‘blood magic’. Blood magic was a very rare gift. Those who were born with the ability to imbue their blood with magical power were immediately chosen to become Druid Vampire Hunters. It was considered to be their destiny.
The Druids would tattoo animals onto their bodies along with complex knotwork, and symbols that served as defensive and offensive spells. When a Druid summoned their magical power they would then will their tattoos to come to life. The tattoo would peel off their skin and materialize. The creatures would usually be about the same size as the creature would normally exist out in the wild, but if a Druid willed for the creature to grow in size all they would have to do is feed more of their magical energy into the creature’s body.
The ink creatures had a very unique, unusual appearance. Their bodies were translucent, blue-tinged and shimmery. The Druids could control their ink creatures with vocal commands but also with their thoughts. The more powerful the Druid the easier it was for them to control their ink creatures with their will alone.
Because the ink creatures were magical they were able to keep up with a vampire’s superhuman speed. This was very important since no man alive could keep up with a vampire’s speed or strength under normal circumstances.
Once a tribesman or clansman was discovered to have blood magic as soon as he turned eleven he would be taken to Corann to begin his training. Only men were permitted to become Druid Vampire Hunters. This was the clan’s tradition. Because Hunters had a high mortality rate, their families were provided for in return for giving up one of their sons to the Blood Oak Clan.
At the age of eleven, Dearg along with several other boys from the village began their training as Druid Vampire Hunters. During their first year of training they mostly read books. The trainees learned as much as possible about their enemies - vampires. Corann lectured the students about vampires’ strengths and weaknesses, and battle tactics. They also learned things like astrology and philosophy in the school.
Dearg remembered his first lecture about vampires as if it were only yesterday.
Corann had stood in front of the class with an ancient tome in hand that he began to read from. “Vampires have no reflection because they have no soul. A good way to identify a vampire is by checking to see if they have a reflection in a mirror.”
A boy named Aengus raised his hand. “Why don’t vampires have souls?”
“They don’t have souls because when one is turned into a vampire one is granted immortality, but this goes against the will of the gods. They are nothing but monsters.” Corann explained in a tone that was dripping with hatred for vampires.
“How does someone become a vampire?” Dearg asked.
“A person who is bitten by a vampire and then drinks the vampire’s blood will become a vampire. A person who is bitten by a vampire, but who does not drink the vampire’s blood will turn into a flesh-eating ghoul. So you all must be very careful not to be bitten by a vampire…and if one of your comrades is bitten - you must kill him.”
The trainees paled at this news and swallowed.
“What are some of the vampires’ weaknesses?” A redheaded boy asked.
“Vampires are weak against sunlight. They will catch on fire and burn to ashes if out in the sun for longer than a few minutes. Also, vampires need human blood in order to survive.”
“What happens if a vampire chooses not to drink human blood?” Dearg asked curiously.
“Then they shall surely perish.” Corann smiled at the thought. “Vampires are immortal and can only be killed by decapitation, which is why once you learn to control your ink creatures you will command them to attack and decapitate vampires.”
“What powers do vampires have?” The redheaded boy asked.
“Vampires possess mind control, telepathy, hypnosis and telekinesis. Some of the more ancient vampires even possess the ability to shape shift into the form of a bat or even a flock of bats. Vampires possess supernatural strength and speed, and must only be confronted with your battle tattoos. To face a vampire without using your tattoos is suicide.” Corann declared grimly.
At the age of twelve, a Druid Vampire Hunter trainee would get their first battle tattoo. There were different levels of battle tattoos and each level needed a different amount
Level one battle tattoos were usually small creatures that could be used for spying on vampires. The ink creatures would gather information about the location of the vampires’ cave lairs, and how many vampires lived therein. These tattoos were usually: birds, fish, and insects.
Level two battle tattoos were small creatures that could be used for spying, but also attacking. This was the first real attack tattoo that the trainees got. These tattoos were usually: snakes or rats. Snakes were small enough to spy on vampires, but also a good attack tattoo because a snake could constrict around a vampire’s neck and decapitate it.
Level three battle tattoo were medium-sized creatures such as: cats, dogs, stags, and foxes. These creatures could be used as diversions to help one escape from vampires, or paired with larger ink creatures in coordinated attacks.
Level four battle tattoos were large-sized creatures such as wolves and panthers. These creatures could easily bite into the neck of a vampire and rip their head off.
Level five battle tattoos were animals used for transportation and riding such as: horses, unicorns, bulls and bears.
Level six battle tattoos were dragon tattoos. Dragon tattoos were the most powerful tattoos in one’s arsenal. It took the most magical power to control this tattoo. Usually, the dragon was placed on the entire back of the Druid, and with lots of Celtic knots and spells in the design for protection.
Corann was an extremely strict teacher and adherent follower of the clan’s tradition. He could be cruel and overbearing at times with Dearg, but that was because Corann had high expectations for his son. He wanted Dearg to inherit the Blood Oak Clan one day. Even though the next clan leader would be chosen through single combat, Corann wanted the clan leadership to stay in the family in order to make sure that things stayed the way they were.
Instead of going easy on Dearg because he was his son, if Dearg failed to remember a passage about vampire lore correctly, the High Priest would beat Dearg’s hands in front of the class to make an example out of him. Corann could sense that Dearg’s heart was soft and tried to beat the softness out of him. In secret, Corann tried to get Dearg to sacrifice animals to the clan’s patron god - Crom Cruach, but Derek continually refused and took his father’s beating instead.
No one in the clan envied Dearg’s position. All of the trainees except for one redheaded boy stayed away from Dearg like the plague. The other boys were so afraid of Corann that they didn’t want to risk angering him by talking to Dearg and maybe doing something wrong. Dearg, for the most part, acted like he didn’t care that no one spoke to him. But he valued his friendship with the redheaded boy named Cinn more than he’d care to admit.
Cinn was the only one brave enough to talk to Dearg and didn’t seem to care that Corann was his father. They became best friends. Another boy who hung out with them was a troublemaker and joker named Baird. The classmate, who hated Dearg the most and considered himself to be Dearg’s rival, was named Aengus. Aengus was very jealous of Dearg and that he was the High Priest’s son.
Dearg would never forget the day he turned twelve and got his very first battle tattoo. His friend Cinn got a butterfly tattoo, which of course all of the other boys teased him about since it was pretty girlie. Baird got a salmon tattoo, which could be used to swim down the river for long distances in order to find vampires that lived far away. Aengus got a rat, and Dearg thought it was fitting since it matched his snively personality perfectly. Dearg’s father had tattooed his tattoo himself and Corann had given him a large hawk tattoo on his upper arm that had hurt a lot.
The Woad plant (Isatis tinctoria) was used to perform the ceremonial tattooing. Woad was the source of a blue chemical called indigotin. The leaves of the Woad plant were harvested, and then dried in order to be used in the tattooing process. The dried leaves were then boiled and strained, and boiled again creating a viscous end product. The Woad paste was then tapped into the skin with needle like implements - forcing the indigo stain under the skin layers, and creating the indelible design. The finished result was a magical battle tattoo.
Dearg had grit his teeth and had refused to cry out from the pain. By the time his father had finished with him, his arm felt like it was on fire! Dearg had run off into the forest, and headed straight for the river. He planned to dive in, and cool off his burning flesh.
Once Dearg arrived at the river, he was surprised to see that his best friend Cinn was already in the river. Cinn’s butterfly tattoo had been quite elaborate, and had probably hurt a lot. Just Cinn’s head was visible above the water.
A grin broke out across Dearg’s face at the sight of his best friend and he waved at Cinn enthusiastically. “Hey, Cinn! Great minds think alike, huh?”
Cinn whipped around to face Dearg. His eyes got big, and he paled considerably. “D-Dearg? What are you doing here!”
“I’m going to cool off my tattoo. Just like you.” Dearg removed his hooded vest and pants, leaving him in only his undergarments. “Here I come!” Dearg raced towards the river’s edge.
Cinn wrapped his arms around his chest under the water. “Don’t you dare! Don’t come in here, Dearg! I’m warning you. If you do…I’ll never forgive you!”
Too late.
Dearg dove into the river. It was freezing cold and immediately numbed his throbbing, burning arm. Ah, Goddess that feels good. Dearg came up for air a few minutes later and saw Cinn swimming towards the shore. “Hey Cinn, where you going?”
“I, uh, my tattoo no longer hurts, so I’m just going to head home.” Cinn called over his shoulder.
Dearg frowned. “But your clothes are over there.” He pointed towards the riverbank.
Cinn flushed. “Would you just mind your own business, Dearg!”
Dearg blinked and narrowed his eyes at his best friend, who was acting very weird. “You’re hiding something. But what…?”
“I-I’m not hiding anything.” Cinn squeaked and couldn’t seem to meet Dearg’s gaze.
“Oh, yes you are. Get your butt over here, Cinn. Are you injured or something? Is that it? Did someone hurt you?” Dearg asked concernedly. If anyone had harmed Cinn - there would be hell to pay.
“No! I’m not injured! Stay back!” There was a note of panic in Cinn’s voice.
The obvious panic Dearg heard in Cinn’s voice worried him immensely, and he began to swim after Cinn.
“No! Stay away!” Cinn cried out frantically.
Dearg reached Cinn and grabbed his arms. They struggled in the water for a moment before Dearg pulled Cinn up against his chest. He blinked at the strange feeling of her being pressed up against him. What the? Dearg looked down through the water at her bared curves. “But you’re a guy…? Right?” Dearg furrowed his brow in confusion.
Cinn slapped Dearg hard across the face. “I’m a girl! You idiot! Now you know my secret. Happy?” Her voice was laced with anger and her green eyes were flashing.
“You’re a girl?” It took a moment for Dearg to mentally process this new information. “Holy Morrigan! You’re a girl!” He shouted.
Cinn slapped a hand over Dearg’s mouth to shut him up. “Shhhh!” She looked around nervously. “Do you want the entire clan to know?”
Dearg quickly shook his head. Cinn removed her hand. “Crap…if my father finds out about this he’ll have you put to death or sacrificed to Crom Cruach. It is forbidden for a girl to become a Vampire Hunter. It would be an insult to Crom Cruach!”
Cinn frowned. “Are you going to tell your father?”
“What? Are you crazy?” Dearg gave Cinn an incredulous look. “You’re my best friend. That hasn’t changed. I would never betray you. In truth, you may be my only friend. The others are too afraid of my father to even talk to me.”
“Don’t forget about Baird.” Cinn said, sounding amused.
“Baird is a fool and too stupid to be afraid of my father. But yeah, I guess he’s our friend.” Dearg conceded. They both la
“Alright.” Cinn sighed. “I’ll go back first and change. I want you to keep your eyes closed, Mister.” She ordered. “I’ll let you know when you can open your eyes and return to shore.”
Dearg nodded agreeably. “Sure.” Now that he knew Cinn was a girl, he didn’t really mind her bossing him around.
Cinn swam back to shore and dressed quickly. As she wrapped a long cloth bandage around her chest she felt self-conscious even though Dearg still had his eyes closed. “You can open your eyes now.” She called out, once she was fully dressed.
Dearg opened his eyes to see Cinn standing on the riverbank, looking like a boy again. That is so weird. What had happened to those nice curves of hers? He wondered and had to hide a lecherous smile behind his hand. She must bind them. He realized with a frown. That couldn’t have been very comfortable.
Dearg swam back to shore, and Cinn closed her eyes as Dearg stepped out of the water in his wet underclothes. Once Dearg was dressed, he and Cinn made a fire and the two sat down in front of it together so that they could dry off.
As they watched the flickering orange and red flames, Dearg spoke: “Why? You know it’s forbidden, right? That it’s a crime punishable by death…so why?” Dearg’s voice was thick with emotion and worry for his only friend.
Cinn released a heavy sigh. “When I was born…my father could sense that I had blood magic. He decided to raise me like a son in secret, just in case our family ever fell upon hard times. My father is a simple farmer, and when that drought hit twelve years ago, we had no money and no food. My mother and younger sister fell ill…and we were starving to death. That’s when my father decided to tell Corann about me. My family gets all the food and medicine they need as long as I’m a Hunter. Don’t you see, Dearg? I’m doing this for my family.”
Dearg nodded in understanding. “I get it. You had no choice. But…tradition is tradition-”
“I bet your father told you that. But what is tradition, really? It’s just a bunch of rules our ancestors came up with for whatever reason. How do we know for sure that my being a Hunter will offend Crom Cruach? Maybe he doesn’t even care! If he cared then why hasn’t he done anything about it? What say you, Crom Cruach?” Cinn threw her arms up into the air and began to yell at the sky at the top of her lungs. “Do I offend you? Do you want me dead? Or do you want me to kill vampires in your name!”
Dearg looked scandalized by what Cinn was doing. “Holy Goddess! Cinn! What are you doing? Quiet! You’ll offend Crom Cruach!”
Cinn lowered her arms and stared at Dearg, her deep forest-green eyes blazing. “You see, I’m still in one piece. I didn’t get struck by lightning or anything.”
Dearg ran a hand back through his shoulder-length brown hair. “Crap…you’re amazing, you know that?”
Cinn blushed at Dearg’s unexpected praise. “No, you’re amazing…for not turning me in, for breaking the rules, going against tradition, and seeing another way. If your father finds out you hid this from him…you’ll be punished.” She nibbled on her lower lip nervously.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve gone against my father. I still refuse to sacrifice animals to Crom Cruach. I just don’t see the point.” Dearg admitted with a shrug.
Cinn gave Dearg a disbelieving look. “You really don’t get it, do you? What your father is trying to prepare you for?”
Dearg raised an eyebrow at his friend. “What do you mean?”
“You know about the Unknowables, right?” Cinn began tentatively.
Dearg nodded. “They are the village outcasts. Those who are made to do the most undesirable jobs like tanning. They were born deformed.”
Cinn nodded. “Yes. But did you know that the Unknowables are sacrificed to Crom Cruach as payment for our gift of blood magic? Once a year, an Unknowable is chosen and sacrificed as a form of payment. The sacrifice is also said to bestow the god’s blessing on our war against the vampires.”
The blood drained from Dearg’s face at this horrifying revelation. “Sacrificed? But father told me only animals are sacrificed to Crom Cruach.”
“The Unknowables are not considered to be human by our clansmen. That is why it is forbidden to talk to or even get near them. They are walking, live sacrifices. They were ‘marked’ for sacrifice by their deformity. Or at least, this is what our clan believes.” Cinn explained in a grim tone.
No, no, no. Dearg was in a state of disbelief. The Unknowables were sacrificed to Crom Cruach? There had to be some kind of mistake. Dearg decided that as soon as he got home he would ask his father all about this, and learn the truth.
***
One year passed, and the secret that Dearg and Cinn shared seemed to strengthen their friendship instead of driving them apart. Dearg was incredibly glad for this. He would always appreciate how Cinn had bravely approached him and befriended him. She’d saved him from his loneliness. And for this very reason Dearg would protect Cinn’s secret with his life.
When Dearg, Cinn and the other Druid Vampire Hunter trainees turned thirteen they got their level two tattoos. Dearg decided to get a python tattoo that could be used to spy on the vampires, but could also be used to kill them by willing the python to coil around the vampire’s neck and constrict until the vampire was decapitated. Cinn had also gotten a type of snake for her level two battle tattoo.
After the Hunters-in-training finished learning how to summon and use their new snake tattoos in a fight, High Priest Corann gave them their very first mission - a scouting mission. The trainees were divided into groups of two, and given different parts of the forest to scout.
First, the trainees would use their level one tattoos to search the area of the woods they were assigned to and search for vampire lairs. If the trainees found a lair they were not supposed to engage the vampires, but head directly back to the village and report the lair’s whereabouts to Corann, so that he and the adult Druid Vampire Hunters could go and destroy the lair themselves.
The day of the scouting mission, Dearg and Cinn had been paired up and assigned to search the western woods. Once Dearg and Cinn arrived at the woods they summoned their magical powers, and their tattoos began to glow with a blue-tinged light.
Dearg held his arm out in front of him and his hawk tattoo began to peel off his skin. Once the hawk was free it was the size of a real live hawk. Its body was a translucent blue color. Cinn quickly followed suit and her butterfly tattoo began to peel off her arm and solidify.
Dearg and Cinn then willed their ink creatures to fly off into the forest and search for vampire lairs. Because the tattoos were made of Dearg and Cinn’s magical energy they could sense where the ink creatures were at all times. Dearg and Cinn sat down on a fallen log and waited.
An hour passed when their Druid sense began to tingle. Dearg and Cinn’s eyes snapped open and they looked at each other, wide-eyed. “Looks like they found something.” Dearg hopped to his feet.
“Yeah.” Cinn stood. “Let’s go check it out.”
Dearg smirked at her fearlessness. “Definitely.” Even though Dearg had discovered that Cinn was really a girl, it hadn’t changed the fact that out of all of the trainees Cinn was still the bravest and smartest of the bunch.
The two Hunters-in-training took off into the forest, heading in the direction of their ink creatures. Ten minutes later, they exited the forest onto a sandy bank next to a shallow stream, and spotted a cave directly across from them on the other side of the stream.
They sensed movement and quickly ducked down behind some bushes. The two Hunters peered out at the stream that was lazily flowing past over hundreds of round, gray pebbles. Crouched directly in front of the cave was a young boy that appeared to be around the same age as Dearg and Cinn. He had shaggy brown hair and wide brown eyes. He was wearing something that looked like a burlap sack and he had no shoes.
H
It went against the traditions of the Blood Oak Clan for an Unknowable to live in secret. And if a clansman encountered an Unknowable outside of the village one was supposed to either report the Unknowable, or try to capture him or her, and bring he or she back to the village to face judgment. But in Dearg’s case, Corann had told him that if Dearg ever encountered an Unknowable outside of the village that Dearg was to kill him or her.
The ink hawk and butterfly flew over and joined Dearg and Cinn. Their jobs completed the tattoos returned to their rightful places on Dearg and Cinn’s arms.
“An Unknowable.” Dearg began while giving the hunchbacked boy a wary look. “What does he think he’s doing all the way out here? Do you think he could be in league with the vampires?”
Cinn gave Dearg a look of sheer disbelief. “That’s ridiculous. The reason he lives out here is so that he can keep on living and won’t be sacrificed to Crom Cruach. Out here in the middle of nowhere…he’s free.” She smiled slightly at the thought of living out in the forest without having to worry about her secret ever being discovered.
“It’s forbidden for them to live in secret like this. My father told me that the Unknowables are evil monsters. We should kill him.” Dearg began to stand.
“No, wait!” Cinn grabbed Dearg’s arm and pulled him back down behind the bush. “Why don’t you observe him for a little while longer before you pass judgment on him so quickly, Dearg. Tradition isn’t always right. If tradition had its way I would already be dead. Don’t forget that, Dearg.”
Dearg ground his back molars in frustration, but finally sighed. “Alright, fine. Let’s watch him for a few minutes. It won’t change anything though.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
Dearg and Cinn watched the hunchback as he fiddled around with a small box in front of him. Hunchback reached inside of the box, started to do something, and pulled out a long white bandage before tossing it aside. Hunchback then reached into the box and pulled out a small bird, which he held carefully cupped in his two hands.
“Your wing is all healed now, little one. It’s time for you to leave me. It’s time for you to be free.” Hunchback said before releasing the bird into the air. It flapped its wings and took off into the sky. He watched the bird soar away and leave him behind with a sad look on his face. “If only I had wings, I could escape this place…my life.”
The sound of a branch breaking had Hunchback turning around to see an injured doe approaching him. She had an arrow stuck in her hind leg and the wound was bleeding profusely.
Hunchback smiled warmly at the doe and opened his arms wide in an inviting gesture. “Come, little one, don’t be afraid. I will help you.”
The doe cautiously approached, her ears flicking back and forth. Hunchback reached out and began to pet the creature in order to soothe her while his free hand moved towards the arrow. He gripped the base of the arrow and yanked the arrow out with one firm yank.
The doe startled, but Hunchback held her, and soothed the creature until she calmed down. “Stay here, girl. I’ll go get you some bandages and hot water.” He limped into the cave and returned a few minutes later with a bowl of streaming hot water, a towel, and a roll of cloth bandages.
Dearg and Cinn watched as Hunchback tended to the doe’s wound and bandaged the creature. As Hunchback worked the strangest thing happened. Several forest creatures - birds, squirrels, a small fox, rabbits - began to appear and surround the boy as if to keep him company.
“Well, I’ll be.” Dearg scratched the back of his neck. He felt like a fool for believing his father’s poisonous words. “What the hell is going on? I’ve never seen anything like that before. It’s like he can communicate with them.”
Cinn was smiling knowingly. “They’re his friends. They can sense that he won’t harm them. Well, there you have it, Dearg. He doesn’t seem like an evil monster to me. Quite the contrary, he seems like a very kind, sweet boy.”
Dearg sighed and ran a hand back through his wavy brown hair. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Cinn. It’s getting late.” Dearg looked at the sinking orange sun. “Let’s hurry and get out of here before someone wonders where we went. Listen, we can’t breathe a word of this to anyone, got it?”
Cinn readily nodded. “Agreed.”
Dearg and Cinn were just about to leave when the sound of a branch breaking was heard. “I smell bloooood.” Came a giddy sounding male voice.
Dearg and Cinn watched as a handsome man emerged from the woods beside the cave. He was definitely no ordinary man, and appeared to be a knight or mercenary. He was dressed in black leather from head to toe, and wearing expensive looking, steel armor. A large sword was strapped to his side. The man had pale skin, dark hair, and his eyes were a dirty red color. But when the man smiled at Hunchback he revealed his gleaming white fangs.
A vampire! Dearg thought wildly. Crap!
Hunchback’s eyes widened in fear, but his first concern was for the animals that had been giving him company. He stood up and began to shoo them away from him. “Go on! Get out of here! Hurry! It’s not safe! It’s a vampire!”
The vampire quirked his head at Hunchback and chuckled at his antics. “How very admirable of you, boy. Trying to save your little forest friends.”
Hunchback then began to push the doe that had frozen out of fear. “Go on! Get out of here! Go!”
The vampire became distracted by the smell of blood, and the blood that was on Hunchback’s hands and on the ground. “Blood…so much blood…” His pupils dilated. “Smells so delicious.” He strolled forward with menacing intent.
Hunchback moved to stand directly in front of the doe and stretched his arms out at his sides. “Stay away from her, vampire!”
The vampire chuckled darkly. “No one tells me what to do, boy.” The vampire raised his hand and backhanded Hunchback hard across the face, sending the boy flying into the shallow stream and close to where Dearg and Cinn were still hidden behind the bushes.
Hunchback sat up and his eyes widened in horror as he watched the vampire grab the doe’s neck and bite into her. “No!” He cried out, his brown eyes filling with tears.
The vampire drank hungrily from the doe’s neck as her body convulsed and then finally stilled. Once the vampire had his fill he tossed the dead carcass aside coldly.
Cinn covered her mouth as she looked into the doe’s lifeless eyes that had been so bright and full of life only a minute ago. She’d been such a beautiful creature while she’d been alive. But at the hands of a madman beauty could be destroyed in the blink of an eye.
“He’s the real monster here.” Dearg muttered under his breath as he eyed the vampire and the blood that was dripping down the creature’s chin.
The vampire turned to focus his ruby-red eyes on the hunchback. Tears filled the hunchback’s eyes. “How could you? She was just an innocent creature. You should have taken me instead.”
“Oh, I will take you too. You’ll be my dessert.” The vampire strolled towards the hunchback, who was still sitting in the stream, with predatory steps.
Hunchback was trembling in fear, unable to move.
The vampire crouched before Hunchback, bared his fangs, and prepared to bite the boy.
“I can’t watch this.” Dearg objected as he stood up. “Cinn, stay here.”
“What? Wait, Dearg-!” Cinn began to object.
Dearg leapt over the bush and extended his arm. He summoned
“What the?” The vampire leapt backwards as the hawk tried to claw his eyes out.
Dearg concentrated on controlling the ink hawk to attack the vampire again.
The vampire batted his hand at the hawk. “Tsk. I grow tired of this.” His hand shot out, gripped the neck of the hawk and squeezed. The hawk was destroyed in an explosion of blue ink and ink ran down the vampire’s hand and arm.
“Crap.” Dearg swore before running over to the hunchback and offering a hand up.
Hunchback looked up at Dearg in bewilderment. He hesitated before he took Dearg’s hand and let himself be helped up.
“Run. Get out of here!” Dearg told the hunchback as he stood in front of the boy protectively.
Hunchback shook his head. “I can’t run very fast. Leave me instead.”
The vampire licked his lips as he approached and eyed Dearg.
“Stay away from them, vampire!” Came Cinn’s voice as she leapt over the hedge, and landed beside Dearg in the stream with a splash. She raised her hand and summoned her ink snake. The snake tattoo began to peel off of Cinn’s lower arm and materialized. “Get him!” Cinn launched the snake at the vampire and it coiled around the vampire’s throat. “I can do this.” Cinn concentrated her magical power and clenched her hand into a fist - the snake began to constrict around the vampire’s throat.
The vampire gasped and sunk to one knee.
Cinn smiled. She could do it! She could kill him.
“Just kidding.” The vampire stood, gripped the snake with his two hands, and ripped the snake from around his neck. The vampire then pulled the snake apart. Blue ink splattered through the air and onto the vampire’s armor.
“Oh no.” Cinn breathed in horror. “He’s too powerful.”
The vampire eyed the trio curiously, and took in Dearg and Cinn’s hooded leather vests. “Druid Vampire Hunters…? Pfft. They send kids to fight us now? Your clan must be truly desperate.” The vampire continued his approach. “You all look so yummy…I don’t know who to start with.”
“Jerk!” Dearg charged towards the vampire and punched him hard in the chest. He managed to make a dent in the vampire’s armor but it still felt as though he’d just punched a stone wall. “Crap…” Dearg shook his red, throbbing hand.
The vampire looked down at Dearg’s red fist and chuckled. “Is that the best you’ve got, kid? I’ll show you a real punch!” The vampire sent a right hook into the side of Dearg’s face that sent him flying downstream.
“Dearg! You’ll pay for that, vampire!” Cinn took down her bow and nocked an arrow to it, which she aimed at the vampire. She let her arrow fly and it struck the vampire in the center of his breastplate. The arrow had managed to pierce the armor and had even imbedded itself in the creature’s chest.
The vampire looked down at the arrow protruding from his chest, smiled, and began to approach Cinn as if he couldn’t feel the wound.
Cinn released arrow after arrow at the vampire, and they all hit their marks until the vampire had five arrows protruding from his chest in various locations and gaps in his armor, but he did not slow down.
Cinn’s eyes were wide. “Impossible. I pierced his armor…he should be in excruciating pain.”
The vampire reached out, grabbed Cinn’s bow out of her hands, snapped it in half, and tossed it aside. The vampire stood in front of Cinn and took a deep breath. “Mmm, you smell delicious. Wait, what’s this…?” The vampire leaned closer and sniffed at Cinn’s neck. A leer spread across his face and he licked his lips with anticipation. “Are you perhaps-?”
Dearg leapt to his feet and charged the vampire. “Get away from him, vampire!” Dearg attacked the vampire and unleashed a series of punches and kicks the vampire’s way. He sent a particularly fierce roundhouse kick right to the vampire’s head.
The vampire turned his attention towards Dearg. “I grow tired of you, boy. Perhaps, I’ll start with you.” His hand snapped out and wrapped around Dearg’s throat. The vampire lifted Dearg high off the ground and began to strangle him. Dearg clawed at the vampire’s hands futilely as black spots swam in his vision.
I need to concentrate and summon my python. I must stay conscious. Crap. Dearg thought as his vision began to darken. However-
A strange wind began to pick up all around them. “Let him go!”
Hunchback walked forward, glared at the vampire, and his eyes flashed gold. A blast of magical energy hit the vampire, who was blasted back off his feet. The vampire let go of Dearg in the process.
Dearg fell to the pebbled ground on his knees in the water, and coughed and gasped for breath.
“Dearg, hurry! Now’s our chance! Let’s get out of here! Let’s escape!” Cinn called out to him.
Dearg struggled to a stand and shook his head. “No.” He turned to face the fallen vampire. “I won’t let him live. He’s a vampire…and I am a Hunter!” Dearg stretched his arm out in front of him and summoned his magical power. His new python tattoo began to peel off his arm and materialize. “Go get him.” Dearg commanded in a low tone.
The ink python slithered off Dearg’s arm, fell to the stream, and swam towards the fallen vampire. The python leapt for the vampire’s neck, wrapped itself around it, and as Dearg clenched his hand into a fist, it began to constrict.
The vampire’s red eyes snapped open. “Oh no you don’t, boy!” He began to tug at the python.
Sweat dripped down Dearg’s brow as he concentrated all of his magic power into the attack. “Die, vampire!”
“No…impossible…how can you be overpowering me? You’re just a kid. Just who are you…?” The vampire’s eyes widened with the realization that he was about to get decapitated. “My brethren will avenge me, boy…count on it! Arghh!” The vampire’s head was severed from his body, and his body began to disintegrate into dust.
The vampire was dead.
Dearg had defeated a vampire!
Dearg sunk to his knees, panting for breath. “Crap…I can’t believe it. It’s over. And we’re still alive.”
“Dearg!” Cinn rushed to Dearg’s side and crouched down beside him. “You okay?”
Dearg grinned. “Hell yeah, did you see that? I just killed a vampire!” He puffed his chest out proudly.
“Yeah, I saw.” Cinn’s green eyes were sparkling with admiration. “You were amazing. Your father will be proud.”
“I didn’t do it alone.” Dearg glanced over at the hunchback. “Hunchback, come over here.”
“Y-Yes, S-Sir.” Hunchback limped over to them.
Dearg gave the boy a searching look. “You used magic, didn’t you?”
Hunchback hesitated and a fearful look crossed his face before he eventually nodded. “Y-Yes, Sir.”
Cinn gasped. “A hunchback with blood magic? Do you know what this means, Dearg?”
“That Crom Cruach has given the gift of blood magic to an Unknowable. This means that tradition has been mistaken about them or maybe the will of Crom Cruach has changed.” Dearg shook his head ruefully. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“I think it’s obvious - this hunchback is not evil. Nor is he a monster. How else could he be blessed with blood magic?” Cinn insisted.
“Yeah.” Dearg looked at the hunchback.
Hunchback trembled as he looked at Dearg and Cinn wide-eyed. “You two are Druid Vampire Hunters? Of the Blood Oak Clan?”
Dearg nodded.
“What do you intend to do with me?” Hunchback questioned as he began to tremble in fear. “Are you going to kill me?”
Dearg sighed and scratched his head. “Hell if I know. Let you go, I guess.”
Hunchback’s eyes widened like saucers. “You’ll let me live? But…I broke the rules. I live out here to avoid getting sacrificed…”
“And you also have blood magic. That changes everything. Cinn, maybe we
“Are you crazy? Your father will kill him. Especially to hide his secret that an Unknowable has been born with blood magic.” Cinn argued.
“Why do you say that?” Dearg angrily narrowed his eyes at Cinn.
“Look, Dearg, I hate to tell you this. But your father…enjoys sacrificing Unknowables to Crom Cruach.” Cinn reached out and placed her hand on Dearg’s shoulder in a consoling way. “I’m sorry, Dearg, but it’s the truth. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“My father simply upholds the tradition of the clan to the best of his abilities.” But then Dearg let out a heavy sigh and his shoulders slumped. “But you’re right. We must keep Hunchback a secret. For now.” One day I will be powerful enough to protect Cinn and Hunchback from my father. One day I will have the power to change the traditions of our clan.
To be continued in…Tattoo 4: Cat