Dracula: Vampire Primarch

I was shocked as four vampires leapt from the shadows.

Not because they had. I knew this, too, had been one of my lost powers. I could bend shadow to my will and travel from one to the other.

Or stretch my shadow to leap from one place to the next.

It gave incredible mobility in battle.

No, what shocked me was I hadn't sensed them at all. Hina had known they were there before I did.

I had a feeling I should have known they were there.

I should have been able to reach into the shadows and drag them out like kittens out of a sack. The shadows were my domain!

Fury burning in my heart, I reached for the darkness and made to leap into it. The world should have bent and curled around me, whisking me forward with a speed none could counter.

Instead, I grasped nothing and stumbled off balance onto my knees.

The tallest of the four aimed a finger at me; "Get the fledgling!"

 With a disgraced hiss, I realised he thought I was newly awakened and not in control of my powers yet.

"Don't forget about me," Hina called, her melodic voice cut off by a thumping rhythm as her weapon coughed its projectiles in sharp staccato bursts.

The vampire closest to me lurched unsteadily as bullets drilled into his chest.

Sneering, he took a step towards her. "Stupid bitch. I'm a vampire. Bullets don't affe-"

Then cut himself off with a shriek as fire spewed from his chest on a river of molten flesh. Throwing himself to the ground, he writhed and tried to roll as lights flared and burst under his skin, consuming him with shocking speed from within.

Even I froze in awe.

"These ones do," the little Renfield giggled, not pausing as she skipped closer to me.

"Filthy Renfield," rasped the tall vampire. He dodged a spray of bullets and disappeared into a flickering shadow at his feet. His voice whispered from nowhere. "You're supposed to be dead! Well. I guess we'll have to fix that, won't we?"

I glanced around. While I could see shadows twitching, I couldn't locate him. I didn't know where he was. I tried to push my sense out, to feel the world around me.

Still on my knees, I slammed my fist into the ground in frustration.

Nothing.

I felt nothing.

I reached for my Meridians again. In my mind, I clutched them in my fist, squeezing them tight as I glared down at them.

"Open," I snarled at them. I shook them hard, squeezing tighter. "Open!"

A hand snatched my shoulder. Firmly.

"Master!"

Then I was flying. I barely had time to register anything before I slammed into the wall, which shattered on impact. As I slid to the ground, heavy debris tumbled over my body.

Groaning, I struggled to lift my head.

Hina whirled in place, searching the shadows. Sending a few bursts where she imagined a vampire might be hiding. But earned only mocking chuckles.

"They said you Renfields were dangerous," the disembodied voice slithered from the dark. "You don't look too dangerous. Still. Your tits are small, but you've got a pretty face. How about you drop that toy of yours, and I'll let you decorate my lair? I'm in need of a new blood doll since I broke the last one..."

"They are not small!" With a scowl, she spun on her heel, weapon held firm. "I'm just not fat!"

"Tsk. Such spirit," he chuckled. "I look forward to breaking you, too."

The voice threaded further down the alley, closer to me. I could see shadows squirming along the walls but instinctively knew that's not where my enemies were.

With difficulty, I pushed myself up onto my knees, trying not to wheeze as my ribs sent sharp spikes of pain up my nerves.

My head hurt.

I couldn't believe how weak I'd become.

"This is ridiculous," I grumbled.

The tall vampire pounced from the shadows behind me and wrapped his arm around my neck. Jerking my head back, he peered down at me with a fierce grin on his face. "Tell me. Whose Clan do you belong to, fledgling?"

"You're one of Sabetha's." I said, gaze drawn to the way shadows twitched around him like nervous ribbons of pure darkness. "You do not have much control, do you? Your flow is erratic. That's why you can't make it obey you."

He blinked. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

I passed a hand through one of the ribbons and shook my head. "It's not even solid."

"It's a shadow, you dumb fuck! It's not supposed to be solid."

I held his glare, not letting my feelings surface.

This wasn't the time for emotion. "It is shadow. It is night. It is the void between worlds." I let my lips form a sneer. "Darkness is anything you want it to be."

"Bullshit," the vampire grunted. "You been suckin' on meth-heads or something?"

Hina's weapon spat a few bursts.

Another vampire let out a squeal.

But, before I could feel satisfaction at the little Renfield killing another vampire, the Renfield yelped and I saw her small body sail past my vision as she hit the wall nearby. Her gun dropped with a clatter, and she crumpled down beside it.

"Got her, boss," another voice hissed.

"Is she dead?" I asked.

"Don't think so," the dull voice called back. "Bitch got my arm, though. Stings like a sonuvvabitch. What the fuck they put in those things? Shit, it burns. Think she got Brian, though. Bri? You alright? Bri? Yeah, nah. She ashed Brian. He's gone. Fuck…"

The tall vampire glanced at Hina's unmoving form. "Dammit, Joe. I wanted her for a blood doll."

"Chick was dangerous, boss. She'd have staked you while you slept."

"I coulda got Martin to D her."

"She's a Renfield. That shit probably doesn't work on her. Their minds are already broken. Everyone knows that."

"Martin's D works on everyone."

"Still think I did you a favour." Pause. "This really fucking hurts."

"Don't be a pussy."

Hina didn't move. Her precious weapon was far from her hand.

Blood glistened in a little wet puddle by her head.

A puddle that was spreading.

I stared at the blood, feeling emotions I wasn't sure I entirely understood. They felt alien to me. Like I wasn't used to them.

But they were there anyway, and they were growing.

The tall vampire clapped me over the head. "Hungry, Fledgling?" He chuckled. "Yeah, you look scrawny. Haven't fed in days, I bet. Well, she ain't yours, man. I figure me and Joe will have her. If you're lucky, I'll let you lick what's left off the floor."

I felt cold.

So cold.

I lifted my hands and wrapped them around his wrists.

"You have made a mistake," I said, with a short jerk which snapped bones. "I am not a fledgling."

"What the fuck?" He staggered back, howling in pain, able to jerk free before slipping into the shadows.

Joe blinked and made to do the same as I threw myself at him with everything I had. My fingers wrapped tight around his forearm and I pulled him close.

Using my legs, I swept his out from under him and slammed him to the ground.

His head bounced off the ground with a sickening thud. But he managed to keep his senses.

"Help," he choked. "Boss!"

"My fucking arms!" The tall vampire lost his concentration and fell out of the shadows as his control over them faltered. "You broke my fucking arms!"

Ignoring him, I stared down at Joe whose eyes were wide as he struggled in my grip. But I wasn't letting go. His nails gouged lines down my forearms as he tried to wrench himself loose.

Curiously, he lacked my strength. I could feel he was stronger than a mortal. He'd had enough strength to toss Hina across the alley. But it was still only a fraction of what it should have been.

These vampires, I concluded, were different to any I had ever Turned. Or were they?

With one hand, I tilted his head to one side.

There was one way to be sure.

"You can't," he gasped. "Boss, he's gonna drink me! Boss!"

"Don't be a fucking idiot," the tall vampire moaned. "We're vampires, Fledgling. You can't drink our blood. It doesn't work like that. Take the Renfield bitch and go. If you run, you'll get away before my arms fucking heal."

"I told you before," I said evenly. "I'm not a fledgling."

My fangs drove deep into Joe's neck and his blood, thick and syrupy, gushed from the wound. It tasted bad.

But with every drop, memories tickled at the edge of my consciousness. The taste was familiar.

Thinking about my newfound understanding of blood Types, I considered deeply what I was tasting. It was oily. Rich, but not sweet at all. Bitter. Not as metallic as a normal human male might be, either.

Instead, there was something… empty about it.

That emptiness reminded me of something. It was like a word sitting on the tip of my tongue. There, but not there. I closed my eyes.

What was it?

What was so familiar about this blood?

"He's drinking me!" Joe shrieked, flailing madly. "Stop him! I don't wanna be drunk! No!"

A faint note of sulphur.

Charcoal, but greasy. Like the wick of a freshly-blown candle.

It was…

"Stop," the tall vampire moaned. "Stop it! You can't drink from us, man. It doesn't work! I'm telling you, it doesn't work that way!"

As Joe's squirms faded into nothing, his body caved in on itself like a dry mummy until only a pile of ash remained.

Poking his ashes, I frowned. I had almost come to a conclusion. I had been close, I know it.

I lifted myself into a crouch and turned thoughtfully to the whimpering vampire who was crawling along the alley towards Hina's still form.

He hoped to reach her.

Drink from her.

Heal faster.

"Tch." I stepped on his broken wrist as he stretched for her hair. The break splintered further, but he didn't scream. He was too terrified to scream. Bending low, I grinned at him, my tongue sliding over my fangs. "It doesn't work that way…"