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  When she had finished the chalice, she hurled it at him. She missed wildly and he laughed louder. As the blood filled her body, she leapt to her feet. She snarled at him again. She could feel the power. Her once fatigued muscles rippled under her skin. She slowly rose. She uncurled her soiled body. She licked the blood and mud from her lips. Her piercing blue eyes stared at him. He continued to chuckle as he sipped his drink. Her fangs grew.

  "What have you done to me?" she asked again, but she did not lunge at him.

  He sighed. "I have already answered that question. I gave you what you wanted."

  She touched the fangs in her mouth. The tip pierced her flesh and blood oozed from the wound. She licked the blood from her finger. She liked it. She looked at her pale, naked body. She had been resting in the dirt. She knew that she had become the creature that was only read about in legends and myths: A vampire.

  "You made me into a monster. I never wanted to be a monster," she hissed.

  He chuckled and stood. He casually approached her. He was confident. She found him even more strikingly handsome than their first meeting. He seemed stronger. He cradled the chalice gently in his hand. She eyed him lustfully. He smiled confidently and, to her surprise, it unnerved her. As he approached, he took another long drink from the chalice before he handed it to her. She took it greedily and drank quickly. Again, the blood leaked from the edges of her mouth and dripped down her chin.

  "So you still believe that you didn't want this?" he asked as he continued to stroll away.

  "You have made me into a vile creature that lives off of the blood of innocents," she answered.

  He chuckled as he turned around. "That is not what I asked you," he retorted.

  His stare was powerful. As the nourishing blood reached her system, her unnerved feeling waned. He didn't seem as intimidating as she grew stronger. She stared at him with the same confidence that he exuded. He smiled.

  "No, I didn't want to be a monster that murders innocents," she spat. "I am not some creature that lives off of human flesh and blood."

  He threw his head back and he laughed mightily. Her anger grew. He was mocking her. She wanted to rip out his throat and drink his blood. She wanted to feel his undead blood covering her body. She continued to seethe until his eyes fell on her once more. This time, he unnerved her again.

  He smiled evilly. "My Queen, you have already consumed human flesh."

  She was stunned. "I have not!" she protested.

  "Remember the soup?"

  She gasped.

  "How did your neighbor taste?"

  She wanted to vomit. She put a hand over her mouth and one over her chest. Lord Viktor threw his head back and laughed loudly. The cave walls shook. The wind howled. She thought that she heard it laugh. It sounded eerily similar. She began to curl into a ball. She wanted to cry. She hugged herself. The wind and the laughing stopped. Lord Viktor stared at her.

  "Rise!" he commanded.

  She stood. He slowly approached her. Fear overwhelmed her.

  "I…I…I…"

  "Yes, you do," he said, "And you should."

  She shivered. He had read her thoughts. She was trying to find the courage to say that she was not afraid of him. She had lied to herself.

  "I…I…I will never be like you," she said.

  "Yes, you will. One more task and your transition will be complete."

  "Complete?" she asked.

  "Yes, unlike the fables, the transition from human to vampire doesn't happen instantly. You must drink the blood of your vampire sire after being buried in blood soaked earth for three days…"

  "Three days?" she blurted.

  "Silence," he ordered.

  She wanted to speak, but again he controlled her. She tried to protest, but her voice was gone.

  "Yes, three days. Your family threw such a beautiful funeral. Now, that the three days have passed, you are in emotional limbo. You still cling to your human frailties while you possess all the physical prowess of a vampire. You have one more task to complete in order to obtain the world that you have always wanted. Speak," he said.

  She was frightened for her family. "Wh…Wh…What task?" she asked, but she didn't know why.

  He smiled. It would have frozen a fire. "You must drink the blood of the ones that sired you."

  "I don't understand. You said that I already drank your blood," she said.

  His smile widened. "No, not mine."

  She gasped again. "I could never harm anyone in my family. I could never drink…"

  "It drips from your chin," he said fiendishly.

  She looked at the brownish blood which was caked to her body. It was the life's blood of a family member. She glanced up slowly. Her eyes pleaded for an answer.

  "Since you are in the early stages of your transformation, I started small. Your little brother was more than willing to see his big sister again. However, I drained him slowly so it would be fresh."

  She screamed and fell to the ground. She sobbed. The blood of her ten year old baby brother, who she had played with in the fields, now dripped from her body. She peered into the golden chalice. She thought that she saw his image hidden within the metal. She could feel the metaphor haunting her. She wanted riches but they were at the expense of others. In this case, it was her brother that had started her journey. She hung her head.

  "Rise," Lord Viktor commanded.

  Again, she rose to her feet. She was his puppet. She lifted her chin and she stared at her evil sire. He sipped again from his chalice. He licked his lips. Every possible human emotion ran through her body. She trembled. She couldn't control anything. Her mind raced. Images of her life flashed through her mind. Faster and faster they moved. Her heart raced. She saw her brother laughing and playing. She could hear his voice. The images clawed at her mind. She closed her eyes, covered her ears and she screamed.

  "Good," Lord Viktor cooed.

  She panted. She looked at him for answers. He said nothing.

  "Come," he ordered.

  He started to leave the damp cave. Painfully, she made her legs follow him. Part of her wanted to kill him. Another part of her wanted to follow him. She was torn. The part of her mind that desired to kill him wanted her to rip his head from his body. However, it was also the same part of her that wanted to hold his severed head above her mouth and drink the escaping blood. Without answers, she didn't know what to do. She continued to follow him.

  After a very long walk, they arrived at a stone wall. Lord Viktor placed his hand on the wall and slowly it started to move. She could hear the stones grinding as the hidden chains pulled the mysterious stone door into the wall. As the wall disappeared, the three blonde women, who had helped her earlier, waited on the other side. The woman who had been infatuated with Mikhaeli licked her lips.

  "Take her and prepare her for her journey," Lord Viktor commanded.

  "With pleasure, Master," the same woman stated.

  The woman moved towards Mikhaeli. She immediately grabbed her. She pulled her closer. Mikhaeli shivered. The woman's hands began to explore her despite the dirt that soiled her body. Mikhaeli moaned. The woman became excited and she threw her head back in pleasure. Mikhaeli snarled. She bared her fangs. She slammed them into the woman's flesh and ripped out the woman's throat. Blood sprayed everywhere. Mikhaeli pressed her mouth to the gushing wound and she drank deeply. The woman's perfect visage changed into her vampire face. Mikhaeli continued to drink deeply. The other two women bared their fangs and they approached the frightful scene. Lord Viktor raised his hand and they remained in place. The vampire's body began to shrivel as Mikhaeli continued to feed. Blood sprayed in every direction. Moments later, she let her go and the shriveled, undead corpse fell lifelessly from her arms. Lord Viktor applauded.

  The two women ran to the corpse. They were crying. One of their own had perished. They looked at Lord Viktor in distain. The taller of the two women stood.

  "Why did you permit this?" she demanded.

  "I
didn't permit anything. Things happen for a reason," he retorted.

  The vampire took a step forward. She pointed a finger at Lord Viktor. "We have served you for a century. It should be one of us, not her who should be your Q…"

  Before she could finish another word, Mikhaeli grabbed her by her long, blonde hair. She yanked her head back viciously. Before the woman could struggle against Mikhaeli's growing strength. She ripped out her throat, with her fangs, like a wild animal. The blood poured down her body. She held the vampire's head back as the blood pumped into the air. Like a child in a fountain, she let the blood spill over her. When the vampire stopped struggling, she drank. The third vampire blanched as Mikhaeli's cold blue eyes looked at her as she continued to drink.

  Mikhaeli looked at her as she briefly pulled her mouth away. She smiled seductively as blood dripped from her mouth. "I think you should be preparing my bath," she said.

  The vampire vanished from sight. Lord Viktor watched as Mikhaeli drank the vampire's blood. Again, she drained the body and left a shriveled corpse. She licked her lips as she cast another body aside. She seethed with an uncontrollable anger. She stared at her sire. He nodded approvingly.

  "You've done me a favor. I've been meaning to rid myself of those troublesome women for some time," he said matter-of-factly.

  Mikhaeli looked at the two corpses and then back to her sire. "I couldn't control myself," she admitted.

  Lord Viktor smiled. "You are accepting your fate."

  She staggered. She grabbed her head. She felt weak. She looked at her sire for answers.

  "Vampire blood," he stated, "Isn't the same as human blood. It won't sustain you."

  "But…But why did I want it?"

  "Dominance. They were infringing on your…territory."

  She staggered again. He took her arm.

  "You need to complete your journey."

  "H…How?" she asked as she realized that her anger had waned. She was willing to do whatever was necessary to sustain herself.

  "You already know."

  * * *

  The surviving members of the Lanaova family had returned home after a painfully exhausting day in the fields. They were forced to return to work despite the disappearance of their children. They had buried an empty coffin to mark the memory of their eldest child Mikhaeli. Just a day later, their son, Josef, had disappeared while playing in the fields. The other serfs had told them that they saw Josef leaving the fields with a tall stranger. However, whenever they asked someone to describe the stranger, they always got a different answer. They started to wonder if there ever truly was a stranger.

  They sat down at the dinner table. The soup, which they had been eating for several days now, bubbled in their bowls. The large black cauldron had simmered in the fireplace for the entire day. They would take turns during their breaks to rush home and check on their meal. It always tasted the same, but it was nourishment. After working for hours in the fields, they were ready to eat just about anything. Mr. Lanaova lifted the spoon to his mouth, but he dropped it when heard a voice.

  "Papa," a female voice called.

  "Did you hear that?" he asked his wife.

  "Mama," the voice called again from beyond the door.

  They dashed from the table and ran to the door. Mrs. Lanaova tipped her chair over when she pushed herself away from the table. Mr. Lanaova was the first to reach the door. He lifted the large board that was used to bar the door. His wife began to cry as she impatiently waited for the door to be opened. Mr. Lanaova placed the board next to the door. He looked at his wife and she nodded. Slowly he opened the door. The frightened face of Mikhaeli waited on the other side of the door.

  "Mama?" she asked.

  Mrs. Lanaova threw her arms around her daughter. Mr. Lanaova began to cry. They hugged and kissed her. They squeezed tighter and tighter. Mikhaeli hugged them both. They all cried. Mrs. Lanaova pulled away and she looked at her daughter.

  "You are so cold," she said.

  "I have…I have been lost in the woods," Mikhaeli said as she shivered.

  "Come in, come in," her father urged, "And sit by the fire, we will feast together."

  "Oh thank you, Papa," Mikhaeli said.

  They passed the threshold of the door. Both parents cried. They turned to see their daughter but she was gone. They looked around again and Mikhaeli stood in the center of the room. Her beautiful visage smiled evilly. Her white fangs shone in the firelight. Her mother screamed. Her father grabbed his chest.

  "Yes," she said, "I am starving."

  Before her mother could say another word, Mikhaeli leapt. She knocked her mother to the floor and sunk her teeth into her neck. She ripped out a hunk of her neck and spat the flesh onto the floor. She pressed her mouth over the gushing wound. The warm, red liquid filled her mouth. She inhaled deeply and her mother's life pumped through her body. She grew stronger. Her mother screamed and Mikhaeli bit harder. She sunk her teeth into her mother's bloody neck again. Her throat cracked as her windpipe was crushed. More blood gurgled into Mikhaeli's mouth. She drank deeply until her father struck her with the board that he had used to bar the door.

  Mikhaeli tumbled away. Quickly, she was on her feet and she leapt at her father. She screamed. Her father held a cross to her face. It was a pain and a fear that she did not understand.

  "Demon!" he bellowed.

  Mikhaeli hissed. Her father pressed onward. She backed away. She could feel some unknown force burning into her. She screamed in agony as her face reverted to its human form. Her father's hand trembled. He wanted to pull the cross away because he still saw his beautiful daughter. He glanced away. There was another scream. This time, it was from him.

  When he had looked away, he hadn't realized that she had walked him towards his tools. He always kept an axe near the door to protect them from thieves. When he turned his head, she capitalized on her opportunity. She had swung the axe into his arm. Her incredible strength, added to the heavy blade, had severed his hand. The cross tumbled away as his hand fell to the floor. Her father dropped to his knees and he clutched his arm. He looked up at the creature that was once his daughter. Her vampire face had returned.

  She leaned over and picked up his twitching hand. She seductively sucked the dripping blood from one of the fingers. Her father cried. She could feel the blood mixing in her system. She was becoming even stronger. Her body told her that she needed more. She could smell the blood as it pumped from her father. He looked at her again and his eyes told her to stop playing with him. She leapt and her father screamed. Minutes later, she was fulfilled.

  * * *

  Knock! Knock! Knock!

  The repeated sound had awakened Sergei Romanoff. The burly man in his early thirties was one of the masters of the fields. He made sure that the serfs were working and that the fields ran efficiently. If the fields were not tended to properly, then Sergei Romanoff had to answer to his lord. Like everyone else, he never had met Lord Viktor but he knew his reputation. Whoever was waking him from his slumber had better had a very good reason because he didn't want to be tired when he arrived at the fields in the morning. If he was tired, he would be grumpy. If he was grumpy, then the serfs would feel his wrath.

  Knock! Knock! Knock!

  He didn't grab his robe. He staggered to the door. His long nightshirt covered most of his body. He didn't expect to be talking for very long. He would scare whoever it was away and return to his dreams. He scratched himself several times. He ran his hand down his face. He was already grumpy. He decided that he would take out his frustration on his serfs. They probably would deserve it anyway.

  He never barred his door. He grabbed the handle and he angrily opened the door. "This had better be worth my time," he growled.

  Mikhaeli stood outside his door. She wore a completely revealing outfit. She was dressed in an all white dress. It was extremely low cut which highlighted her chest. Her breasts pushed against the restrictive fabric. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle. The corset under he
r dress flattered her already shapely frame. She smiled at Sergei Romanoff. The older man began to sweat despite the cool night air. He couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful woman.

  "Mr. Romanoff," she said as she slowly dragged a fingernail across her right breast, "I hope that I am not bothering you but I have something important to discuss with you."

  Sergei shook his head. He was trying to focus but she had him completely entranced. He had admired her for years. If she hadn't been the daughter of a serf, he might have considered approaching her father. However, if he wished to become a lord, then he couldn't be seen consorting with a younger, lower class peasant such as her. Her beauty, however, was beyond compare. He had thought about saving his money and buying her from her father, but now she stood at his door and she seemed to have an interest in him. He swallowed hard.