Death of A Vampire

Hector Voss sat upon his throne, staring down at the large doorways that were his last line of defense. Outside the halls, he could hear the last of his spawn dying to the angry mob. As the screams of the dying and the shouts of battle drew near, Hector sat proudly upon his throne.

The doors burst open, and an angry mob of humans barged into the throne room, the torchlight flickering across the stone walls and the crimson tapestries. The mob comprised soldiers and farmers alike, led by a tall man in heavy armor and a silver sword.

Hector saw past the hoard as the doors swung open, revealing the corpses of his followers. As he stared down at their broken corpses, he felt a deep sensation of pure sadness in his heart. Truly, he wished they had not been forced to pay for his father's mistakes.

The knight with the silver sword removed his helmet and gestured for the mob to be quiet. The man was handsome and young with long golden locks and piercing sky-blue eyes. It was a face that Hector knew all too well.

The Vampire Lord stared down at his lifelong friend, his blood-red eyes soft and filled with regret. "Victorias, was this truly the only way?" Hector asked, watching as the young man raised his blade.

Victorias nodded solemnly, "I am sorry, my friend, but we cannot allow vampires to continue to rule. Your mere existence now brings about nightmares that our people will never forget. I understand that you stood against your father in the end, but you were far too late to act."

"I see. Then is this my end?"

"It is. I wish you a peaceful rest, Hector."

The two stood in silence. Neither moving for a moment. Hector could see the wariness in Victorias's eyes. He was prepared to battle his friend if he must.

The tension became nearly tangible as the Silver Knight approached the Vampire Lord. The mob was tense, awaiting the storm of blood and death that would come from a battle with the Vampire Lord Hector.

No battle came. Instead, the only actions taken were the steps up to the throne and a swing of a silver sword. "I wish you all well. My family's sins are deserving of this fate."

Those were the last words spoken by the last vampire. Hector Dracula Voss died a noble death.

***

After death came darkness. An empty void of nothingness where the soul drifted aimlessly with no rhyme or reason. It was an impossible feeling—an endless moment of foggy consciousness. Hector could feel the void pulling on his mind, soothing his will and tempting him to let go of his soul.

Despite this, Hector felt another soft pull. It was an ever-so-gentle desire to live again. He could barely focus on the emotion. He felt the pull of life and the soothing release of death.

Instinctively, his body began to accept the pull of life. As he did so, his mind began to clear, and his will slowly reshaped itself.

The void began to fade as a strange light shone through the darkness. It was a bright and warm light. Oh, so welcoming in its existence, he felt the darkness clinging to his soul flee in its presence

His will remained, but his form began to shift. The light enveloped him, pure energy transforming his perceived form. The power was overwhelming. The energy field flowed through him, reshaping every molecule within his body. The light became unbearable, causing Hector to scream out in pain.

His bones began to twist and snap into place, his blood and muscles wrapping around the strange skeleton, and his skin enveloped his internal structure.

The light was too bright! It shone through his very soul, he screamed out, even the shadows of his mind being unable to hide from it. It seared him, his soul tried to repel it but failed. Instead, he felt as if the body that he had just gained was about to melt into nothingness, annihilated by the strange energy that had dragged him from the dark abyss.

Just as the storm of transcendent light threatened to truly purge his existence, it vanished.

Hector was stunned. Suddenly, the world existed around him. He whirled his head around, looking around for anything that he could recognize. The trees bent in the powerful winds that ripped through the valley, the blades of grass bowing to the overwhelming power.

The cold wind rushed against his skin, the bone-chilling cold, a welcome feeling after what seemed like an endless moment of darkness followed by an overwhelming moment of light and pain.

Those alien experiences had been so long and so short at the same time. In comparison, the familiar feeling of chills and the wind against his skin was welcome.

Hector glanced around, the strange valley was magnificent. The sky was clear and filled with countless stars that shone their lights down on the peculiar mountaintop garden. The clearing was immaculate, with thick, soft grass beneath his feet and garden beds filled with flowers that he did not recognize.

The world was also filled with strange scents that he had never known. One such scent appealed to him, its peculiar sweetness drawing him over to a bed of red flowers hanging from a strange black tree. The stark contrast of the pitch-black wood and leaves paired with the strangely liquid blood-red flower petals was a beautiful sight.

The strange, delicious scent that lured him over to the trees wafted off the flowers. It was the rich, wonderful smell of blood. Not just any blood, either. It was truly the most wonderful scent he had ever experienced. The thick aroma evoked a primal desire to feast.

He reached up to touch the flower, which caused him to notice the color of his skin. He paused, the hand being a very normal tan caucasian. "What in the nine hells?" He whispered as he looked over his body more closely.

His skin was normal, and he realized his form was utterly naked, revealing a particular body part that vampires did not possess.

"Am I Human?" Despite his entirely human appearance, Hector could still sense the blood in his body and was drawn in by the flower's incredible bloodlike nector.

He reached out and grasped the delicious flower, his hunger being the foremost thought in his mind. His stomach felt like it was devouring itself, so he tossed aside provocation and plucked the flower from the petal. The pure scent of the flower calmed his nerves. If it genuinely was blood, it was uncorrupted and would only serve to nourish him.

As he gripped the strange flower, he was stunned by its odd texture. It felt like a liquid in his hand despite maintaining a physical form. "How curious," he muttered, enamored by the mysterious plant.

Raising it to his lips, he bit into the petals, allowing the cold, sweet liquid to pour down his throat.

It was euphoric, the delicious flavor filling his stomach. As it did, he could feel his body growing lighter, a strange power surging through him. His body grew lighter, and his mind significantly exceeded anything he had ever experienced. It was blood of an unparalleled quality.

"Truly delicious. I feel wonderful." He mused, observing the still-intact blood flower.

As he devoured the flower, a sudden cold washed over his body, followed by a low, intimidating voice. "Who dares intrude upon the Heavenly Demon's Peak?"