Checkmate - by Saku

[Wanted to put this here: it's my very own vampire story and I will update it in little sections like this. Comments welcome!]




The sun shone angrily through the leaves of the Umbrin Forest, causing Ceradril to turn his pale, gaunt face from its harsh glare. Soon, however, the magical shadows overcame this sudden burst of light and it was gone, relieving the traveller of his momentary pain. His path was empty; every creature for miles around could sense the danger given off by his person. He began to sing, softly at first, but growing in volume as he continued:



And so through the Umbrin Forest he continued, trudging and singing, sometimes with a spring in his step, other times without, but always with the message he must deliver at the forefront of his mind. Later that evening, he stepped off the path and into the palpable darkness of the forest - for that was its curse: that only the path should be lit, and if one were to leave it, one would be in total darkness forever, unless one carried the correct charms. Ceradril did carry these charms, and so was safe, but he had paid a high price for them. In the darkness of the trees, he closed his eyes - they hadn’t made much difference - and began to find his way with his nose. He sensed a deer nearby, a stag, and he pursued it for some time, before catching and killing it easily, draining it of that beautifully sweet beverage, blood. Of course, human blood was so much sweeter, but he would settle for less. He dragged the carcass back to the path and left it for another animal - no one could say he was disrespectful or impolite. Then he continued his walking. He had no need to sleep.

Fantastic but.....


WRITE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes WRITE MORE......



NOW!!!!!

Suddenly he turned on his heel, instantly crouching into a defensive position. There was someone following him - he had heard a twig snap. There it was again! The movement of leaves a few metres away. Ceradril tested the air, sniffing out an oddly familiar scent. the noise came again - this person obviously wanted to be heard. Ceradril's whole body tensed, each nerve on full alert for the slightest sign of danger, his legs bent, ready to pounce. And then, a flash of white in the gloom of the forest. He jumped six feet in the air, landing perfectly on his target. Next thing he knew, he was being thrown on the floor, hit back hitting the stony path with a dull thud. He opened his eyes and stared directly up into the pale, heart-shaped face of a mere boy. Ceradril reached up and grabbed at his shirt, growling. The boy had pinned him down by the shoulders with surprising strength.

"Unhand me," he said, in a low, dangerous tone.
"Not until you apologise!" replied the boy, his voice high and melodic.
"Why should I apologise to you?" Ceradril cried, throwing the boy off him and into a thick tree trunk. "You were following me!"
"Was not!" the boy mumbled sulkily. Ceradril sighed; there was no point in arguing with this childish fool.
"Why are you passing through the Umbrin Forest, then?"
"I'm on a mission," said the boy importantly, standing up and brushing himself off. He seemed completely unscathed by Ceradril's attack, confirming his belief that this boy was, indeed supernatural. And he was on a mission, he said? Well, so was Ceradril himself. "I'm going to the Verant Citadel," he continued, head held high in pride.
"The Citadel?" Ceradril shot back instantly. How unusual that they should be travelling to the same place.
"Yes, to see the princess."
"The princess?" Now this was peculiar. The same destination, the same goal. "Were you sent by your clan?"
"Yes." So there were two of them going. What if all of the clans were sending a representative to the Citadel? It would be chaos. Ceradril had been chosen as the most calm of his clan; they wanted to make a good impression on the princess. He could control his bloodlust well, which meant he would be able to stay with other beings for a long time without attacking them. But he knew he was one of the few who had this self-control - not all vampires were so relaxed. Most were aggressive and short-tempered and violent.

After a long pause where Ceradril had been very aware of the boy staring at him, he said, "Well, if we're both going, we might as well go together. My name is Ceradril, and I am of the Sagente clan."
"I am Samsa, of the Purite clan." At least their clans were not great enemies. The Sagente and the Purite were mostly on good terms, save for the occasional brawl that comes as expected from two villages quite close together. Their leaders were both wise and level-headed chiefs, meaning they usually forgave each other. This journey would not be so difficult if the two travellers were looking out for each other.