Whilst I was out riding my steed, a beautiful stallion with a mane as black as the dark, and legs strong enough to carry a kingdom over. A thought came over to me, a fond memory I kept private. I was a child back then when I had my first time… It’s still fresh in my mind, the feeling of digging my fangs into someone’s flesh, and the way their blood dripped down their skin. They struggled, spasmed, cried and begged. Under the watchful gaze of my family, I drained that man dry. It is said that only then, can the hunger be sated, once you take the life of your victim. Otherwise, the illness will come to you, sooner or later, and it’d be too late to regret it at that point.
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The moon shone over the dark alleys, peering through the clouds, watching over the boy it had hurt and looked over during his life. It seemed to mourn, as its light slowly descended on his pale white skin, and a thunder broke the silence of the night. It rained, like never before, it rained. Large drops of water crashed upon the paved roads, tiled roofs, tall canopies, and everything else. It drowned out footsteps, breathing, yelling, laughter. Everything stopped.
In the dark alley, Kai, with his silhouette almost unrecognizable and shadow resembling a maddened beast, latched onto a man. His fangs dug deep into his flesh, past clothes, past armor, past skin, and muscle. Fresh, warm blood dripped and dripped, most of which landed inside the boy’s mouth. He drank with large gulps, seemingly devouring the very essence of that man, whose stature didn’t flinch, nor back away.
The harrowing sound of Kai’s swallowing, his racing heartbeat, his growls, snarls, and hissing. They all landed clearly, cleanly in the man’s ears. And he sighed, then raised his hand and brought it to the child’s head. Not to strike or push away, but to caress his soft, black hair. It slowly turned white, the paint used to dye it disappearing under the torrent, dripping and mixing with the river of blood he created.
Kai flinched upon feeling his gentle touch but didn’t back away. Instead, out of fear perhaps, he dug his nails, his claws, into the man’s torso. He bit down even harder, and tore apart the layer of cloth and padded armor he wore, revealing the mangled skin underneath. His pupils became like those of a reptile, vertical and thin, their crimson color shimmering with an intense, unnatural light.
A wave of warmth and pleasure, unlike any other, spread out from his chest, his veins burning as fresh blood rushed through them. The grip he had on the man tightened, and he used both sets of fangs to tear away at his flesh, swallowing it in one gulp, then licking and drinking all the new blood splurting out like a fountain.
The man shuddered but said nothing. Not even a grunt escaped his lips, despite all the abuse his flesh went through. He didn’t reject Kai’s ferocity, but instead bore through the pain, and embraced it, and the boy.
More and more blood flowed, and the more it did, the greedier Kai got. However, he didn’t bite any more flesh, but instead latched onto the shoulder and drank like a dehydrated man finding an oasis in the desert.
His rapid gulping echoed, and rippled, and the rain grew heavier. A pink, red color returned to his face, tears bubbling up in his eyes, and finally, the last of the old paint got washed away by the rain. His beautiful silver hair stuck to his skin like glue, becoming whiter, and shinier as time passed. It began to look a lot like his mother’s, which in turn resembled her own mother. Just like the painting stashed away inside Haniard’s throne room, the three individuals began to overlap.
Suddenly, something called, from deep inside Kai’s soul. Something familiar, yet distant, something which fueled his desire for blood. It pushed him deeper, farther, to lose himself more in his instincts and in the pleasure that the act of drying someone of their life force, of their vitality, brought. It told him to kill the man before him, to devour, and to leave nothing behind but an empty husk.
However, another voice called out to him. One which was much too familiar to him, a soft bark. A muffled howl, filled with an emotion of longing and worry, a sharp yelp, and rapid tippy taps through the rain.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Onyx! Kai’s pupils flashed with sanity, their shape returning to normal. His mind became clearer, and he awoke to a sweet, addicting taste filling his mouth and throat. An unmistakable, intense feeling of pleasure made him shiver as he unconsciously drank more and more blood.
At that moment, however, a sudden force pulled him away by the scruff and smashed him against the wall. The impact fully awoke him, his mind once again in control of his body, and he coughed. Bits of flesh, iron, and cloth spewed out of his mouth, some remaining stuck to his lips. Wiping it away, his black, dirty sleeve turned a muddy crimson color. As his vision cleared, he looked up, and saw the man he had been feeding on for what seemed like an eternity, yet but a moment at the same time.
The moonlight shone upon him, and the wind blew his clothes wildly about, yet Kai could not mistake that face, full of disgust, pity, and disappointment as it may be. Hideyoshi! He cried out internally, an intense feeling of fear and panic spreading from his heart. However, they were quickly shut down by the adrenaline and euphoria still flowing through his veins.
For a moment, the two looked at each other in silence, the tension between them speaking more profusely than any words could express.
“Have you had enough?” The man finally asked, his disheveled, white hair, bleached by age, unable to hide the pain in his voice.
Kai nodded, gulping at the same time. His lips parted, yet no words came out, and his hand lifted toward the man, his blood-covered claws reminding him of the deed he had just done. He quickly took it back, shamefully hiding it away from the man that had barely grown less cold, yet taught him so many things.
There were so many things he wanted to say, so many thoughts, words, ideas, and excuses rushing through his brain. However, none could express how he felt, as he himself couldn’t discern. His body screamed with happiness, radiating satisfaction, yet longed for more. Involuntarily, he licked his lips, and the man’s eye twitched. He inhaled sharply, and raised a hand to his shoulder, barely stopping the bleeding.
“Leave as soon as you see fit. Raymond will not hear a word of this, but he isn’t stupid, kid.” He said, turning and slowly walking away. His slouched posture made him seem like an old man, his slight limping putting him with one foot in the grave, and a great loneliness exuded from his body.
Kai watched the man leave but didn’t dare reach for him. He couldn’t get up, as his legs trembled, and he couldn’t cry out. A knot seemingly formed in his throat, making it so no words could escape his body. They remained as muffled cries, as tears dripped down his cheek. Whether they were of happiness -a natural reaction of his body to finally being fed- or sadness, either due to having done something he couldn’t stomach, or having lost someone he considered a friend. Either way, his tears flowed like a river, mixing with the rain, which seemed to pour harder and harder, drenching his body, and cleaning him of blood.
He looked up at the sky, a tired expression decorating his face as the heavy drops crashed against his skin. However, he didn’t react, seemingly numb to all feeling, he just stared at the dark, starry sky, and scattered moonlight kissed him through the clouds.
…
Kai woke up in a pool of rain and tears, the blood long since washed away by the torrent. A chilly shiver ran down his spine, and he cuddled his knees, sitting in a fetal position as the sunlight touched his skin. The sun! He quickly reacted and wanted to flee. However, much to his surprise, it didn’t hurt. There were no burns, no hissing of the skin, no weird smell… just, it was just the sun.
His head rose, and he squinted as he looked up at the large star that, until now, would have killed him in a matter of minutes. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes or senses. For a moment, the happenings of last night seemed like nothing but a dream.
The soft rays of sun landed upon his face, kissing his pale skin with their warmth, sending a light tremor all throughout his being. Inhaling deeply, he felt his muscles tremble, and he slowly rose to his feet. It’s been so long… oh so… so long. I- I’m out, during the day, basking in the sun, and not fearing for my life! Kai wanted to cry out in joy, to jump and let loose. However, the lingering taste of coppery blood awoke him from the stupor, and he immediately collapsed in shame, his mood quickly dropping.
His ears perked up, and the sound of rushing footsteps quickly put him on high alert. Squirming around for his mask, he finally saw it, sitting damp in a corner. Quickly picking it up, he hid behind one of the mounds of trash, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest as the footsteps got closer and closer.
Finally, they rang out, clear in his mind, and he rushed to put on the dirty, damp mask. Just as he tugged it over his face, a figure loomed over him, and he let out a light, startled shriek as his pupils widened in shock and fear.