Syracor
Legacy Name: Syracor

My life has never been anything out of the ordinary. I know the popularity of stories about my kind has recently skyrocketed but if you're looking for drama or mystery I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I don't glitter, I don't glimmer, I don't struggle against my conscience because I drink the blood of human beings. However it's true that I do hate sunlight, because it burns my skin and blinds my eyes, I can transform into a bat at will, I do have superhuman strength and I do die if someone pierces my heart. So much for the facts, maybe I should start at the beginning...

Being born as the third son of a bourgeois family, my existence was from the first instant on somewhat redundant. My oldest brother made a very fine heir to the family business so it was more or less of no importance what I did. I never would have complained though. That way I could do what ever I wanted and I preferred spending my money over earning it anyway. Unlike most I didn't waste it on fashion or girls. I had taken a liking in strong drinks and good fights. Near the harbour an area had emerged where street fighters would gather and beat each other up in front of a well-heeled audience. Some people would place bets on fights, some even sponsored certain fighters when they'd caught their eyes. The profession of being a trainer developed into a quite lucrative job for many. At first I only watched those. But soon the blood rush got the better of me. I found myself someone who'd train a spoiled brat like myself. I was convinced this was my purpose. I never had had such a good time in my whole life. My dearest ever so caring mother became so worried when her little boy came home with bruises and swellings all over his body. I was in fact impressed she'd noticed my existence but no one could stop me from going there.

However sooner or later I was bound to get in trouble. I always had been nothing but a rich-kid going for the thrill and since I knew nothing of who and what lived at my playground I became way too careless. On top of it I felt like nothing could ever harm me. I was a fighter made of steel. Unfortunately the vampire didn't think so.

It was one of those days when nothing goes according to plan. I had lost my battle that night and instead of going straight home like a beaten dog I decided to go for a drink with some folks I'd recently met. We had to try three bars until we found one that would actually serve us something. I wasn't familiar with that part of the district but the guys reassured me they'd show me the way back. The drinks tasted bad but they were cheap so we satisfied our thirst.The next thing I can recall was waking up in some narrow alley, my back against the wall. It stank of rotten fish, human waste and the overwhelming copper tang of blood. My clothes were drenched in it and I discovered quickly that it was my own.

When I found the bite marks on my neck it was pretty easy to guess what had happened to me. At first of course you try to deny it but the symptoms are far too obvious to be disclaimed in the long run. In the end even I myself was surprised how easily I discarded my old self and how fast I had adapted to this new rather bloody lifestyle the transformation brought about. Maybe it was due to my not having cherished anything in my old life that I could easily leave the daylight behind and dive deep into the darkness. It was as if I had vanished from the surface of the world, becoming one with the shadows. Silent, powerful and thirsty.

Very soon I lost track of the time that was passing by. Days passed in the blink of an eye and I started living from one hunt to the next. I think I need to mention here that I can survive without any consequences for weeks without having to drink. By and by even hunting seemed a pain to me. I started raiding hospitals. Much more convenient .No need to smell humans, no need to bother with the hunt or, even worse, having to talk to them for distraction. I believe I'm the epitome of what you'd call a lost soul. Hell, I love this life.

Since then over a hundred and fifty years have passed, there were only a few events during the whole period that left an impression on me. If you care to know what happened... you might just read on.

It's difficult for my kind to find a place to stay. I left my home town very soon after my death. It wasn't hard on me, since I'd never been attached to it and if everyone read about your funeral in the papers then you should avoid being seen on the streets. At least if you're not good at telling stories, which I never was.

I'd wandered about for a few decades till I found myself place to stay. It was a large city where people don't question strangers. I'd made myself a home and moved into an empty building. It hadn't been in use for a while. The windows were broken, doors were missing and dust had covered each and every corner. You might think it's not a convenient place to live in but if you don't need a shelter from the cold or a bed to sleep in you will shortly adjust to different standards. All I needed was shade and my new home offered me plenty of it. I found an old ceiling fan which could serve me as a place I could hang from to sleep, with this all my needs were satisfied.

I don't know for sure how long I was able to enjoy my domicile but it was long enough for me to get used to it. You can therefore imagine my being overjoyed when a bunch of people invaded my place just an hour or so after I had prepare myself for sleep one day. They where wearing helmets and had incredibly bright lamps with them. On top of it they shouted at each other while their manner of talking was everything but agreeable. I tried to count to ten but it just fuelled my anger. They surely had no business here - not in my home. They were rude, they were loud and they smelled. I dropped down from the ceiling and concurrently changed back into my human form to tell them off. I walked down the stairs to where they were when one of the men turned around and spotted me. Just when I wanted to start complaining he started to gripe at me, "What are you doing here fellow? This building is to be torn down. Get yourself out of here - fast!" I crossed my arms and looked at him in doubt. "Whom do you think you're ordering around in their own home? Besides if you want to demolish this place, you'll have to get past me first." I smiled and revealed my fangs. It took the man a second to realise what was going on and he screamed and turned but I did not let them run. At least not before they got what they deserved and moreover before they had told me, who was responsible for this unpleasant disruption of my daily rest.

It was half past ten. Voracious was sorting his papers. It was the last task he'd finish today. Lately his ambitions had paid off and his prospects were really bright at the moment. If he had to put up with working late for that, so be it. Right now there weren't too many other things on his mind but his success. Well maybe there were certain little treasures that still were waiting to be admitted into his collection but these things weren't urgent. In the end, they'd be his anyway.

The day had been fairly warm and he had opened a window because he had hoped it would cool down a little. There was an air conditioner in his office but sometimes he got a headache from the dried out air so he only used it when it was really hot. Now that he was leaving for the day he wanted to close the window as suddenly a shadow slipped in. He turned around to find a bat that had lost its way. It was frantically flapping against the ceiling until it landed up side down on the top board of a shelf. Voracious sighed. He didn't mind delays if they had a purpose, but having to chase out a stray bat... He approached the shelf with a newspaper in hand hoping if he waved it around a little the animal would find its way out again. Yet right before he reached it, it dropped down from the ceiling and while it was falling to the ground it turned and suddenly started to grow with extensive speed. When it touched the floor it had changed into a person, a young man about Voracious' height.

I love to look at peoples' puzzled faces when they've seen me doing things they couldn't even imagine. The trick with transforming into a bat or the other way around is a very easy way to impress them. This guy however wasn't very satisfying. He only looked confused for a second, then he had smoothed his expression already. 'That's a full-scale politician for you,' I thought. One of those slithery upstarts who believed they could rule the world with documents. He probably thought his imaginary sway would protect him against me. He took a deep breath, straightened his jacket and returned to his desk on which he sat down. "You must be the one who interfered with the construction works in the industrial estate this morning," he said with a calm voice. "Precisely," I answered just as coolly. "The men were babbling about being attacked by a monster. We thought they were ashamed about being beaten up by some homeless people, but now I see what they were getting at. You know you've messed them up pretty badly." For a second I wondered why I'd even bothered to come, this guy didn't seem to be as easily impressed as the construction workers. I decided to play his game for a little while. He wasn't calling for any securities either, so he probably had something at the back of his mind.

"I'm not homeless, not yet. Your men will be fine in no time, I did nothing to them that could really harm a grown man. Besides I'd have left them alone if they would have done the same with me," I answered, bored with his attitude. "You do know, you're not making sense. How would they have known? You're no registered citizen. You didn't pay rent, did you? So what claim do you think you have on that building?" I rolled my eyes. "Talk about not making sense. You need everything to be put on some paper, right? Tell me who on earth would rent their apartment to a dead man? And who would pay the ridiculous rent rates of this town if all they needed was a little space with no light to stay during daytime?" He smiled, and I didn't like it. Somehow I got the feeling he had been waiting for me to say that.

"Well in that case I think we might be able to arrange something," he said with his disagreeable businessman smile. "I think I can find you a place where you can spend your days in absolute peace, if you might find something else for me." So this was what all this unnecessary talk had been about. He wanted to use my miserable situation to have me do his dirty work. Perfectly fine with me. I smiled. "What do you want me to get?"

Surely I was used to stealing things, but usually it was blood preservations not art. I've got no idea why this guy was so obsessed with that strange looking statue, 'cause he didn't seem to be after it for the money. Obviously he had been negotiating with the owner for quite a while. When I asked him if he wasn't to be suspected in that case he just smiled. I surely don't wanna know the ways of this politician, even though they did come handy for me later on.

Stealing things is a piece of cake if you have twice the strength or speed of a normal human. In the papers they called it 'The Shadow Theft' because no one was able to describe clearly what they had seen. I found Voracious quite the pleasant-natured person once you knew how to get along with him. He gave me an empty apartment he owned downtown, very close to several hospitals. When I asked him if he wasn't worried about the citizen's safety, with a being like me around, he just smiled and said my bark was worse than my bite. Since I had neither killed the workers nor himself he did assume I wasn't too fast to take a life. I didn't comment on that since I didn't want to tell him that I only avoided trouble. Humans mean nothing to me unless they're useful.

You know, politics is the most boring thing in the world. Even more boring than all that business stuff my father used to talk about. I know this, because Voracious kindly tried to teach me, after we had made a few more arrangements. I found it pretty amusing when I figured out he was actually a true lover of the arts. He could see the value of stuff I'd use as a paper-weight. However the most boring things about politics is elections, they keep the politicians so busy they don't have time for anything else. Since I had gotten used to Voracious' intellectual nonsense I really didn't know what to do with all the time I suddenly had at my hands.

To get over the seemingly endless period of the elections I reminded myself of what I used to do before my well educated landlord became my distraction. Every now and then I passed my time sitting in a small pub at the bar and listened to what the other customers were chatting about. Since my hearing is exceptionally good I can hear what they're saying without being suspected, I don't even miss the whispered conversations that were never meant for the ears of strangers. Why do I do that? It can be the best comedy you can imagine. Of course it isn't always but you can leave any time if you cannot stand it anymore.

The one thing I had forgotten about this kind of avocation was that you had to order something. It's not as if I am unable to drink human drinks, they just dry my throat horribly. I believe the barkeeper was quite bewildered about my behaviour, sitting in her bar the whole night long ordering nothing but milk and never uttering a word. Milk is the drink I can stand best. Anyway puzzling her offered a certain kind of amusement in its own. However the other customers didn't seem to be very interesting. The waitress was a little annoying. She flirted with every single customer probably to get a better tip. Well it kind of is her job to do that, she was getting at my nerves anyway. She was quite the pretty one, but you could tell that she knew it and I've never liked that kind of girl.

Just when I decided that I couldn't stand it any longer, the barkeeper suddenly made a try to end her bewilderment and asked me why I would spend the whole night in a bar drinking milk. I have to admit it resulted in the most pleasant conversation I've had with a human for quite some time. In the end I stayed with her till closing time and she let me leave through the staff entrance. She gave me her cellphone number and left with a smile. I didn't bother to tell her that I didn't own such a thing and if I did it would never occur to me to call her.

Since the horizon already was dyed in a lighter shade of blue, that suggested the sun would rise soon, I wanted to go home directly. Somehow I felt like walking, which I regretted shortly afterwards. I turned around a corner and got right into the middle of a struggle. Apparently one of the customers the waitress had flirted with seemed to be convinced her devotion had to last a little longer. She wouldn't agree but it was evident that she was quite drunk so he probably didn't give a damn about it. Just when I wanted to turn around, since I didn't care what would happen to them, she suddenly called out to me. I sighed and ground my teeth. Even I wouldn't leave her alone after directly having been asked to help.

I went back and gripped his shoulder. "I believe the lady told you to leave her alone," I said. He was taller than I am and looked as if he had more muscles, so he didn't give a damn about what I said either, but I made him regret it. After I proposed some very convincing arguments, he suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to leave. I sighed and took a look at her, checking if she was alright. She was slim and short, but very feminine. She had big eyes, long lashes. The colour of hair and eyes was something between ruby and wine red. Soft lips and skin, she really had something to her. She looked at me very intensely. I thought it was because she was drunk, but obviously I underestimated her a little.

"You smell of death," she said with a heavy tongue. "Thanks a lot, my blood-sucking saviour." I tried to keep my cool, but somehow her complacent smile annoyed me. It's not too difficult to recognize a vampire. It's in our eyes. Yet few people know of it, but she seemed to be on the inside. "Since it looks like you're perfectly fine, I will excuse myself," I simply answered but she wouldn't let me go. "Why are you in such a hurry? I do have an offer for you!" I raised an eyebrow and looked at her critically waiting for her to continue. "That guy, the one you chased off. He's got a lot of cash y'know? That's why I had those damn drinks with'm! Together, the two of us. We could so bleed'em white!" She gripped my arm. I didn't like it. "Listen, princess," I told her. "I'm neither interested in money nor in you. I don't like it to be touched by strangers and I have approximatively a quarter of an hour left to get home, since it's getting quite bright very soon. So if you don't mind - or wait, I don't care if you mind - so get your hands off me and farewell." I shrugged her off and transformed, because by now I would not have been able to make it home in time if I walked.

For me that case was closed but it turned out that I was the only one who thought so. Apparently the guy I had messed up that night had stuck around and listened to our conversation, and he hadn't missed out on me being a vampire. On top of that he was much more vengeful than I had expected him to be. As the waitress had mentioned, he wasn't short of money, and he made use of it to search me. Furthermore he had gotten himself thugs to get back at me, and he had researched about vampires. So when we met again he was disproportionately better prepared than I was. My only advantage was that no matter what they did, humans would never get rid of that persistent tendency to overestimate themselves. This time it only served me to get away from them, though. I hadn't fed in weeks, which meant I was far from being in top form, and since they had done their work quite well - for humans that is - I was totally parched. My wounds closed slower than usually due to the loss of blood and with each step I made further into the narrow streets it seemed the world was spinning around me faster. I hadn't noticed that they had actually found me quite close to our first meeting place. Therefore it was not such a great surprise that I recognized her voice when she called out to me.

"Dear oh dear. You look pretty awful." She probably must have been right, since I was leaning against the wall to be at least able to walk. My sight was narrowed and my senses were running wild. I couldn't focus, I couldn't think straight. In this moment the pretty red haired girl was only one thing to me: prey. I tried to straighten up and smiled at her. The look in my eyes certainly must have had a touch of insanity since she frowned instantly. At least I believe she did. "Your wealthy friend had a talk with me," I said in hoarse voice. She put away the trash bag she obviously had been throwing out, when I stumbled up on her and moved back one step. "You may make it up to me", I continued and approached her. "If I were you I wouldn't...," she said but I didn't listen. I gripped her shoulder with one hand, her head with the other, to make her neck accessible, when suddenly a sharp pain exploded in my chest. I was ripped off my feet and thrown against the wall beside me. My vision turned black. When I opened my eyes again, at first I thought I had gone mad over my thirst. There was no waitress anymore. She was nowhere to be seen. Instead there stood a huge creature of a kind I hadn't seen in my whole life with large paws and long claws. It was baring its teeth at me. I so must have gone mad.

I hadn't. After the animal had seen my resignation it slowly started to shrink. Its fur vanished, the claws became fingernails and shortly afterwards the cute little waitress stood there again. I groaned and threw my head back. That day it seemed I could count my blessings. First this petty human man and now my dinner turned out to be a shape shifter girl. I tried to get up, but I couldn't. When I started to believe that this was finally the end, she approached me. She crouched down beside me and rolled up the sleeve of her working shirt. "If you needed to feed you could have just ask for it," she said reproachfully. "Now I suggest you be a good boy and behave while drinking my blood." Then she offered me her wrist.

Slowly I got back to my feet. I still was a little dizzy but I could feel my body working again. "I believe we're even now," she said crossing her arms. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Zaode, by the way." She extended her unhurt hand. I took it and introduced myself. "Syracor 's my name. However I do not think we are. First of all I only got into this whole mess because of you and what's more if you intended to feed me anyway there was no need to bash me up even further." She rolled her eyes. "Only that Mister grumpy vampire would have sucked me dry then." She had a point there. She looked at me as if she wanted to say something more but then she obviously gave up on it. "Well... I think I should go back to work now." That instant I first saw a tiny glance of the normal girl that hid behind her pretty acting.

"Just a sec," I stopped her from leaving. "You mentioned that you wanted to take a certain guy to the cleaners... Just let me add a little spice to your plans and I'm in. I believe I still have a score to settle."

It began as a bad day and, as it seems to be a habit of bad days, it got worse.

Word had gotten around that there were all sorts of shadow creatures in the city, creatures like Zao and me. I, too, had gotten the impression that there had been more of us hanging around lately but I hadn't given it any further thought. Apparently other people had. I didn't know we had become some kind of curiosity, but obviously there were people who thought that our hair or blood contained some magical power or should be researched or something. I don't know in detail and I never wanted to know what those people had made up in their darkest hour of disorientation. Yet due to the fact they existed other beings crept from the depths of society to have their share of what could be gained from hunting and abducting our kind. Luckily most of them knew very little about us. Some apparently knew more.

There were a bunch of annoying people tailing me already for several nights. They weren't exactly inconspicuous, why I didn't mind them all too much. They couldn't be that capable after all. It turned out, they just didn't bother to be more careful. At some point I was so fed up, I decided to teach them a lesson. While I checked time and again that they were still following me I lured them into the outskirts of the city. Time had left its mark here. During the last recession lots of factories had closed down and never been reopened. I went into one of them. I had slept there for some time, but in the end I couldn't stand the smell any longer. But I knew my way around and this was the place to get rid of those nasty humans.

As to be expected it took them some time to finally follow me into the building. I had hid myself in the darkness and waited for them to enter. Two stayed at the entrance while three other scruffy guys carefully advanced further. I waited till they dropped their guard at least a little, then - by now I've taken a shine to this entry - I dropped down from the ceiling and transformed back into my human form. They stumbled backwards and reached for some kind of arms. They wouldn't hit me. Human weapons are way too slow but how would they know. I narrowed my brows and gave them a fierce glance.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked in the most fearsome voice I could manage. It seemed to have left some impression on them 'cause you could see the fear on their faces. However this fear quickly developed into sheer panic. The ones at the door made two paces backwards and were off. One of the remaining three dropped his weapon and ran for good. Another one took aim, but fright seemed to have gotten the better of him, because he aimed totally ill and fired somewhere into the void. His arms were shaking frantically. The third one shrieked and took a hike, his colleague following shortly after. "How very strange," I muttered. I might had planned on scaring them a little but if they were that afraid of vampires, why on earth had they followed me anyway? I shook my head and slowly left the place myself.

I carefully looked around after I set foot back on the streets but there was no one to be seen or heard. They seemed to be gone for real, still there was something very puzzling about this incident. However I figured I would gain nothing by thinking 'bout it the rest of the night, especially since I couldn't seem to find any other explanation than them being scared away by me. So I shrugged it off and slowly started to walk back home. I really should drop the habit of walking.

While I was strolling round not sure whether to retreat or not I suddenly got this feeling of uneasiness. I looked up and there she stood. She must have been hidden somewhere in the darkness. Well hidden since not even my sharp eyes had sensed her before. She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed her greyish green eyes fixed on me. I was done with strange encounters for that day and a beauty like that standing there waiting for what it seemed like me was way too strange. She had very pale skin and long, dark, wavy hair. If I had seen the clothes she wore on any other girl I would have called them a slut but she looked simply natural in them. While I took hardly any interest in such stuff, she was the kind of girl that could have even tempted me. Just not today. I ignored her while she pushed herself away from the wall and took a step towards the middle of the alley. She flashed a smile and the shape of her blackberry shaded lips sent shivers down my spine. I don't know how I got the idea that I would be able to just pass her by if only pretended that there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The moment my foot touched the ground beside her, she touched my shoulder only slightly with the tips of her fingers and my whole body froze. I couldn't even move one inch, barely able to even blink. "That is not nice," she said and her voice felt like thick sweet honey running through my whole body. She was talking with a heavy Darkside accent which fit her all too well. "I've been waiting for a while now and you don't even greet me, Syracor?" I didn't bother to wonder how she knew my name. I was sure as hell that I wouldn't live to see day I would solve that riddle.

"Good evening, Mylady," I answered mechanically. She walked around me slowly checking me from head to toes, then she stopped right in front of me. "You will make a good pawn", she said. "Perhaps my best one so far." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could almost smell her might. There was something real dark about her, something incomprehensible but suddenly I knew, she aswell had to play by the rules. "Nice tricks you play, Ma'am," I said slowly, "But if you don't intend on killing me off right here I would like to leave. Since as far as I recall a dark one can only control a dark one if he or she is their rightful master. You may cast your spell onto my body but a pawn I will not become." She smiled again and her hand gently touched my cheek. She was cold as ice and her skin had an eerie touch to it. "I shall like you better and better," she answered sweetly. Then she released me from her spell.

I stumbled backwards, my limbs felt numb and I was kind of dizzy but apparently again master of my own body. At first I thought of running but then it came to my mind that she was no creature one could hide from. I was at her mercy so the only way to get myself out of this mess was to play her game. "Since you seem to know me quite well already, may I ask who you are and what use you might make of a pawn like me?" She curtseyed lifting her already short skirt just a little higher. "Where are my manners? You're so right, Sir! I am Serabelle and I am here to make you an ally to my purpose. For I heard you dislike the pest like creatures that plague this world as much as I do." She slowly re-approached me to close the gap between us. I could sense her every movement without taking a look yet I could do nothing but stare at her. For a moment I thought her eyes had turned into deep black holes filled with nothing but madness, but then at second glance she looked as sweet as ever. It took me my entire self-control to even answer her. "Whatever your high purpose might be, Mistress, it has nothing to do with me and I prefer to stay out of anything that might seem to be trouble and... no offence, but you seem to me like the twin sister of trouble."

She dropped her charming smile and frowned discontentedly. "I misjudged you, it seems. But it does not matter. There's not much time left, we have to be prepared and you will become a chess piece just like me. I will capture you. You will be my pawn and you will follow my orders. I need no spells for that, you will very soon be very willing to do so." She extended her arm and pointed at me. I looked at her sceptically for I could imagine nothing that would make me obey her. I had already withstood her dark charms. While it was hardly due to my mighty willpower but rather due to my lack of ambition. Still it had saved me from what I somehow knew was her most dangerous weapon. Just when I was thinking 'what else can there be' the fine silver bracelet she wore suddenly started moving. I took me one second too long to react which probably sealed my fate. The silver tarnished with amazing speed till it had become pitch black. It wound itself around her arm towards me, suddenly opening a pair of red glowing eyes, hissing at me. The bracelet had transformed into a snake that wiggled towards my chest. I tried to step back but it had already reached me, bared its teeth and when I thought it would drive them into my chest instead its head disappeared into it. I yelled as I watched the snake vanishing into my body. I tore my shirt, scratching my skin, frantically trying to get that thing out, when she soothingly touched my hands and her cold fingers leached the strength of mine.

"Shhh," she whispered sweetly and I don't know why but it calmed my panic. "His name is Vlad and he is supposed to be your friend. As long as you're mine. He will aid you, he will attend to your orders. As long as they don't contradict mine. He will be with you. Close to your heart. Ready to crush it, when he is told to. And that is, what will make you listen to my will."

I swallowed. But somehow I felt no more fear. I knew that what she said had turned into undeniable truth. The same way the snake spirit had become part of my body she had merged into my fate. She was the Queen who would lead the other pieces into a battle that was very soon to shake the world. "I see," she softly whispered, "you have finally given in. You will make a very good pawn. Maybe even a knight. I will find you when the time has come." She reached for me, gently kissing my lips before she turned around. She walked a few steps and then I could watch her sinking into the shadows, slowly merging with the dark shapes until there was nothing left of her to be seen. She was gone the same way she had arrived and left me with only one question in mind. If she was the queen in this game of chess who on earth was the king?