It's Downhill From Here (Open)

The air smelled of sulfur as Razer took in another deep breath as he walked down hill from the large hill he first observed the Tular Plains. One more breath filled his nostrils with the charcoal smell of ash and fuels on fire. It was not unknown what lie in wait here for him, Razer had heard all the stories back in the Gregory Orphanage.

"Evil lurks in the plains of demons, none who travel there come back."

Flashbacks of the nuns lecturing the orphans, the religious fanatics that never truly cared. Tattered robes clung to his pale, dry skin. The sun beat down over his head like a merciless father on their sons.

Water, just a sip..

His mind made wishful thoughts. The craving of just some hydrating substance was overwhelming. Luckily, caves lied about everywhere, refuges from the heat of what Razer was beginning to call Hell. He was sure the name Haide had some relation to the concept of hell.

Razer pulled himself to the nearest cave, falling face first to the cold, rocky ground. Blood seeped out his nose caused from the fall. He was weak, so weak. It seemed this may have just been the end of him. Darkness reached out around his vision, threatening to close in on him, engulfing Razer into the unknown.

Is this how I am to die?

Razer's thoughts were few and far between withing worth remembering. He was ready to brace death with nothing to live for.

As the darkness enclosed around him, echoes of footsteps ringed in his ears like chimes as a silhouette slowly appeared in the little bit of vision he still possessed. Minutes turned to hours as Razer drifted into and out of consciousnesses while being drugged deeper into the cave. He swore at one time they stopped, and water was poured down his gullet, his dry throat feeling less hoarse than before. Razer could only guess what was going on here, but his mind was to groggy to attempt thought in such a complex way.

Eventually, Razer came back to, rising up from where he lay in a hurried manner only to have a soft, but a cold hand press against his chest to push him back down. His eyes viewed yellow eyes glowing at him with white hair to complement them. Pale skin bounced light back, giving it a soft glow while a voice gently reached his ears.

"It is okay, you are safe."

Razer stared at the mouth as it moved, fangs gleaming a threatening streak as light hit them.

"W-where am I?"

The hand moved across his chest in a circular and comforting motion.

"You are safe. I am Teleressa, and this is my home."

Razer's vision blurred in, and came back causing his eyes to squint. As he went to talk once more his throat became scratchy, and caused him to begin coughing. Teleressa lifted his head, and placed a cup to his lips. Razer sipped on the cold water savoring the liquid like it was the best thing he had ever tasted. Then he was out of it again.

His eyes fluttered opened as Razer finally regained full consciousness finally. Every muscle in his body ached, any movement sent pain up his spine giving him a groggy headache. Fire from a lamp made shadows danced across smoothed out cave walls. The air itself seemed thick to breathe in while making his lungs feel frozen it was so cold. Razer shivered finally as he rose up from the hammock that he slumbered in.

"Easy half blood." Teleressa said.

Razer gave her a look, only now realizing his robes were off, and his arm very much exposed. Razer attempted to hide it away from her eyes, only to be chuckled at.

"It is too late now spawn. What has been seen can not be unseen, plus I have had many chances to observe it, to touch it." Her voice was silky, and lulling as if culling him to do as she wished. Razer relaxed, letting his arm, black and clawed, dangle beside his body like his more human one.

"Where am I...Teleressa?" He said awkwardly.

She stood up and moved over to the bed. Sitting down next to him, her eyes met his and for a moment they just stared at each other in silence. "Yes...I think you are him...you have the eyes. The aura about you is much more like his than the little one who sits crowned king nothing." Teleressa's hand moved over the demonic entity that showed Razer for what he really was. He flinched some, too embarrassed.

"Please...may I have something to cover this abomination?" Teleressa smacked him in the face causing Razer to give her a bizarre and confused look.

"Do not insult the gift you have been given." Teleressa grabbed his arm, and placed it in her lap. Her fingers danced all around it.

"It's so smooth, so soft. You are vibrates with power almost." She smirked as she felt up on him.

"Look...I am thankful...for you saving me..but this...this is too much to handle right at this moment." Razer seemed almost like he was ready to make a run for it.

Teleressa let go, nodding at him. "You are right. This is my home, we are in the cave keep of Ilmira. The largest of the vampiric keeps."

He had never heard of vampires before, they were almost myths now. Blood suckers, if he recalled correctly.

"And you smell...so sweet my dear guest."

Razer's eyes widened at the comments, what was this woman talking about? He attempted to scoot away but her strength was incredible as she held on with a death grip. Teleressa continued to stroke his arm, while taking in whiffs as her eyes locked onto his body. Nothing about Razer was muscularly impressive, he was scrawny, but agilely built. The demonic arm was proportion to his body too with it's almost liquid black color, and long talons on the tips of it's fingers.

Her fingers rode up to his bicep to his shoulder when her own talon dug into his skin, drawing out blood. Razer winced at this as suddenly Teleressa was upon his shoulder with her fangs. Razer gritted his teeth, unsure what to do as pain shot up his neck, then dissipated but the feeling of his blood slowly leaving his body was scary, and unnerving. Saliva mixed with plasma trickled down his upper arm.

Finally, Razer grabbed Teleressa by the throat with the demonic hand, pulling her away from his shoulder with ease only to rip some of his flesh along with her teeth. With little strain, Razer threw her across the room, and attempted to flee. The vampire was much faster than he was as she suddenly appeared in front of the door.

"And where do you think you are going?"

Razer stopped in his tracks, and held out his left arm in a defensive pose. He was not sure what to do now, he had no skills in fighting, specially not against a mythical creature like a vampire.

"Let me go." He said in a low voice.

Teleressa laughed and took a few steps forward, her body twisting in a feminine way with each step. "But you have a destiny before you child." Her gaze locked with his with some hypnotic effect coming over Razer. His body would not move, he could not speak, all he could do was watch what would happen next.

Her hand touched his chest once more, his heart thumped against it like a war drum as she neared his neck with her daggers for teeth. A soft whisper caressed his ear. "Heir to the throne, let me have you." Then pleasure mixed with pain as her teeth sunk into his neck. It was almost has if Razer's body moved on it's own as his arms wrapped around the small of her back as he took one step backwards. Few more steps found Razer's legs pressed against the bed he had awoken from, and fell back on it. All the strength he had was leeched out of him, the feeling in his body slowly fading.

It seemed Razer just could not catch a break from this life. Noises of swallowing filled his ears as the bed began to stain with his blood. Once more his hand raised up, the demonic black thing grabbing the back of her neck. Teleressa seemed to be smirking in her drinking. With the little bit of energy he had left, he snatched her off his neck. Teleressa leaned back as she licked her lips, savoring the taste of his blood.

"Sweet, yet spicy." She commented.

"Please, stop." Razer was barely able to say.

Teleressa slid a finger down his cheek, leaving a line of red behind. She made a soft "Shhh." as she did this. "What is your name?"

"Razer."

"No, child, you are not Razer. Thy name is Zeraia Atron, Son of Theos, brother to Aidosa and true heir to the Atron throne." Teleressa's words rung in his ears for what seemed like forever before he was snapped back to her touch around the wound on his neck. His vision was once again hazy, but something new arose from within him. His blood felt as if on fire.

Strangely a craving began to surge up from his throat, his mouth began to salivate. Hours passed more as the smell of his own blood caused him to hunger. "What did you do to me?" He struggled to spit out. Teleressa chortled at him. "I'm not sure." She replied to him. "But we will see wont we?" Razer's mind was filled with thoughts of hunger, and thirst, but seemed to always go back to the words Teleressa had first spoken to him. What did she mean he was the heir to the Atron throne? Who was Theos, and Aidosa? Razer could not keep up with the notions.

Teleressa sat on his torso, watching as he squirmed in pain. Her eyes gave the look of someone who had done this many times, and enjoyed each moment of it. Suddenly, Razer's body jerked, and twisted in a burning sensation. Grunts, and growls escaped him while he screamed out. He felt a change, subtle yet very apparent to him. "It burns." he managed to get out. "Get it out! Get it out!" He became fanatic as his body twisted, and shook more violently. Every muscle tensed up as he stopped and then relaxed.

The vampire traced his lips with her finger as she observed his transformation. "Interesting." She whispered. Lifting his lips up some revealed he had indeed gained sharp fangs, but that was all that had happened. She titled her head in thought. "I was hoping for something a little more...epic." She continued as she watched his chest rise, and fall with life.

So hungry, so very hungry.

Razer's thoughts echoed over and over as these were the only thoughts he could produce. Without warning, his eyes opened as he pounced over on Teleressa, his strength seeming to have come back and even doubled what it was before. He bore his fangs at her in a blood frenzy he held her down by her shoulders. "Get off." Teleressa calmly ordered him, hoping the hypnotic trance was still in affect. It was not.

Blood...I need blood..

Razer was unsure if he was controlling himself, or the curse poised on him was. Her words did not effect him, he did not care what she had to say and when Teleressa realized this real fear showed on her face. She attempted to squirm, and push him off to no avail. "Help!" She cried out. Two vampiric guards rushed in with steel longswords in leather armor. With one leap, Razer was upon them, his demonic hand in one's gut the human one around the other's throat. With a swift pull, the vampire's innards pooled out while the half blood turned his attention to the other vampire.

The longsword came down to strike his arm, only to miss as Razer side stepped, then lunged at him bearing his fangs. With a squishy sound, his fangs pierced skin, and blood rushed into his mouth. More guards showed up, but Teleressa who was now standing over Razer raised her hand to halt them. The feeding was sloppy and messy, blood was everywhere on the floor and Razer. The vampire could not hold him off as he was drained of his life.

"My queen.." One guard attempted to say but was stopped.

"Let the boy feed." Teleressa spoke calmly, a devilish smile edged across her face. "Fascinating."

By time Razer was done, there was nothing left to feed on. His chest rose and fell quickly as he regained his composure, and self control. Razer's hair was a mess, and his eyes gleamed like a predator. "What did you do to me?" He almost whimpered. Teleressa took a knee next to him as she wrapped a arm around him to pull the young man into a embrace. Tears fell down his face in confusion. What had he done.

"There, there little one. It is okay." She whispered to him as she slowly petted his hair in comfort. A nod from Teleressa saw the guards leave, dragging the dead behind them. Each one seemed to grumble on and on about this being a threat to their lives.

Razer held on tight to Teleressa, scared of what would happen next only finding comfort in the scent of the woman.