Introduction to the world of vampires
My name is Nikolai Drozdov. I am a vampire. A strigoi to be exact. We are undead vampires who hunt the living vampires known as moroi. The moroi call us evil. I used to call strigoi evil. You see, Drozdov is a royal name among moroi. I used to be a moroi. I was turned strigoi 256 years ago. When I was moroi, I was the prince of the Drozdovs. I was the eldest of my family (which is what made me the prince). I was eligible to become king of the moroi world. Its interesting I remember this stuff. It was so long ago. anyway, there are some things you should know about Strigoi.
The first thing is this. Strigoi aren't born. They are made. There are only two ways to become a strigoi. The first is to kill a moroi, dhampir (I will get to them later), or a human by drinking all of the blood from their bodies. this way is exclusively for moroi who want to become strigoi. The second is for a strigoi to drain a moroi, dhampir, or human of all their blood then, proceed to feed that Strigois blood back into the body. I was one of the latter. The "forced" method as the moroi call it.
It doesn't really hurt to be bitten or drained. Actually it feels blissful and sweet. You see when a vampire, moroi or strigoi, bites someone, it releases endorphines into the bitten persons bloodstream, giving them, what humans call a high. The difference between moroi and strigoi bites however, is that our bites are much more potent and addictive (if they survive long enough). Humans in particular crave the bite of moroi just so they can get that impossible high renewed. It is interesting what humans will do for something they think they need. Even strigoi will hunt for these humans we all call "feeders". They are pitiful beings who only live for the bite. We take them with us back to wherever we may be staying at the time and feed from them when its daylight outside (once again i will get to that). We will also occasionally pick up a human or two who wish to become strigoi like us. We make them a deal. We will turn them so long as they pledge their loyalty to us and become what is known to most humans "indentured servants". we occasionally fulfill our end of the bargain but... what fun is there in that?
The next thing about us you should know is this. Strigoi are immortal to time. We age but do not grow old and frail like humans do. We stay the same forever only growing more powerful as the years go by. Think about it like this. Take the strongest being on Earth that you can think of and multiply that strength times ten. That is roughly what a newly turned strigois strength is like. That strength only grows as we age. Take me for example. I have been a strigoi for 256 years. All that strength I must have. Strigoi are also extremely quick and light-footed. We can move miles silently in a fraction of the time a speeding car can when we want to. Putting that speed and power together makes us deadly to almost any foe.
Now then, we enter the downsides to strigoi. We are unable to walk in the sunlight. If we ever enter sunlight for more than a second we will turn to dust. The reason for this is that we are undead beings. The sun is full of life and destroys us when we touch it. Its sad really how a being like me has this kind of weakness but no matter. Our eyes are designed for the dark. We have extremely heightened senses, so it is rather difficult to go to certain places. Take a flower garden for instance. All the smells of the flowers would impair our physical capability. Along with sunlight there are only three possible ways to kill a strigoi. Each is harder than the last. Those three ways are these; Burning, decapitation, or a silver stake to the heart.
Burning and decapitation are rather self explanatory. In burning, all it takes is to light the strigoi on fire and turn the full body to ash. Its tough to keep the fire burning most of the time but with us being dead its easily re-lit... unless the strigoi is quick enough to stop it. For decapitation, it takes alot more skill to pull off. The first thing is that you need to be able to get close enough to make an attempt. Another is that you need to be able to attempt. Strigoi are extremely fast beings so it is rather hard to get us. Its a tough one but.... the last is hardest to do. Staking.
Now this is the hardest thing to do, despite it being the most common way. First, not any stake will do. It must be silver. Along with that it must be enchanted. The silver stake can only kill a strigoi if it is enchanted with the four elements; earth, wind, fire, and water. The reason for this is because those elements are full of life, just as the sun is. What makes it hard is that the staker must be able to get close and shove that stake into a strigoi, pass all the muscle and bypass the ribs, and still strike the heart. The only being I have heard of that has done so are the half- vampire race known as the dhampir.
Now then, the dhampirs. A strigoi's worst enemy. The dhampirs were born when moroi started to have children with humans. It resulted in a half- vampire half-human hybrid. The dhampirs have the good parts of each side of their blood. They are quick and graceful as the moroi, as well as having the moroi night vision. They also have the strength and resilience of a human making them able to take heavy damage before they lose it. They can also walk in the sun as often as they want for as long as they want. Even moroi can't stay out. It won't kill them but they get drained of energy the longer they are out. That is why they have dhampirs. They are guards. Guardians are their title. They spend their entire school career learning to fight the strigoi. there are few who are truly good enough to take on a group of us by themselves ,however, they almost always travel in groups of three or more unless guarding a certain moroi. That isn't very important though.
Well, you now know all you need to know about us strigoi. Now it is time for me to tell you about a different world. A world I didn't think was possible. Well I guess it is possible now.
It all started one night when I fed. When I found the bloody remains of a pony at my feet. And it was delicious.
Author's Note
Well this was actually really fun to write. Of course I left out a few details to tell in the story. This first chapter was not meant to be part of the actual story. This talks about the lore and only opens up the start of the story as shown by the end. I hope you all like it. I have worked really hard on this.
My face was soaked in blood, much Iike the ground where my kill now lay. I licked my lips and shuddered in delight at the sweet taste of the blood. It was a new taste. A taste I have never experienced before. What could it be? I looked down at the bloody carcass on the dirt ground and saw, to my utter surprise, a black horse.
"What in the hell?" I looked down at the body and the pool of warm crimson with something of a shocked expression. "What the hell is a horse doing out here?" I thought for a moment. "How the hell did I not realize I fed from a horse to begin with?" I shuddered again feeling the leftover blood on my teeth and mouth. I licked again and tasted the sweetness it gave me. "But it is so good."
I knelt down to the bleeding horse and took another bite into it, drinking down several more gulps of the sweet red blood. How had I never known it was this good? I don't even know of any strigoi who has ever lived off of horse blood. Of course I have never heard of a strigoi choosing to drain a horse to begin with. I wanted more. I need more. I stood and ran, looking for another to drain for that delicious essence.
I ran so fast, looking for another horse, wild or tame didn't matter to me. I just needed to taste another. To see if they all shared that flavor or if it differed between them. I thought about what happened as I searched. It was so weird. When I pounced, I could have sworn I heard a scream from it. But that doesn't make sense. Horses can't scream. I know that much. I must have just imagined it at the time. I have heard so many screams in my time. It has just become a habit I suppose.I stopped running, in the center of a clearing. I looked around with a deep anger.
"Damn it. Where the hell am I? I don't remember ever being here before." I sighed deeply and just ran in one direction. It was a moonless midnight tonight but my eyes made it seem like morning. It wouldn't be hard to find this place again if I need to. I climbed a hill in mere seconds, and when I did, I found myself face to face with a dense forest.
"Okay, I know this was never here before." I looked at the trees rather timidly. After a moment, I struck myself hard on the cheek, shocked at myself for my hesitance. I stepped into the forest and was engulfed in eerie silence. It was silent before but this. This was so much worse. It was so very silent. I felt worry grow inside me, which caused me to strike again, hating myself more for each moment i feared these damned trees. I walked quickly. I did not run. I walked at a fair pace. This place was so strange.
It wasn't long before I reached a parting in the trees. When I reached the area, however, I found it was only a bare spot in the forest. I was still deep inside, the end nowhere in sight. I looked back and saw nothing but dim black. Not even my eyes could break totally through the darkness. This truly did worry me. Worry I didn't need to strike for. This was a worry that any strigoi would feel.
I am a solitary being. Don't get me wrong. I hate being in a group. Especially with others of my kind. But even then, I feel as though I need another body here. I have no idea why I would want that, but the thought made me bite into my arm. A small trickle of my own blood leaked from the small wound. I stared at it for several seconds and watched it heal as quickly as it was inflicted. I dropped my arm and walked through this small section.
At the very end, just before I passed back into the trees, I heard a menacing growl, making me jump back. The moment I did so, a lion with a scorpions tail jumped from the brush and roared in intense anger at my presence. All I did was stare and smirk at the creature. While it is unique to my mind, this creature has clearly thought to attack me. Big mistake.
The lion pounced at me, claws outstretched, ready to tear me to pieces. I easily sidestepped the beast and with one swift motion, I snapped its hind right leg with my fist. It started to limp as it turned, mostly unfazed from my strike, as it used its strength to jump me again. This time I ducked underneath it, and lifted it high above my head. I grabbed the lion by its ruined leg, listening to it cry in pain, and slammed it to the ground head first. I got over the beast and wrapped my arms around its neck and squeezed as hard as I could, listening to the neck snap beside my ear. I then dug my fangs into it and drank greedily from the fresh kill. Its blood was bitter. Almost sour like a lemon maybe. It wasn't bad but I would rather find another of those horses.
Wait, right the horse. I had totally forgotten do to the obscenely short fight. Yes indeed, I was looking for another horse for my test. I stood from the lion and walked away with a new gleam in my eyes. I walked for what had to have been an hour. I wasn't in a rush at all anyway. After the hour passed, I found myself on the edge of a hill. At the bottom sat what looked like a small village. I stared down at it.
"A village way out here is bound to have a stable or two for horses surely." I proceeded down the hill to the town. It was silent. A much more regular silence this time though. everyone must be in bed, making my job that much easier. As I walked through the small town I saw it had everything as expected, ranging from an inn to the town hall. But I found no stables in the slightest. Well I was still hungry.
I quietly snuck into a random house. I searched the house silently, trying to find its occupant. I came to a door and when I opened it, there was the bed. I could see the bulge in the covers made by the sleeping person. I walked over and as I pulled back the covers oh so carefully, I shot back. Inside the bed rested a white horse, fast asleep. I was shocked I didn't even take a bite from it. I ran from the building and tore away from the town.
There was no way that was even remotely possible. Even for us its impossible. There was a horse in that bed. What the hell is happening? One way or another I am not going back tonight. Tomorrow I will find out.
