Sequel: Angel ›
The Blank Book
The Second Dream
Mike had washed his face clean after the whole mirror fiasco. Now he was dozing peacefully, dreaming yet again...
This time he was wandering through the woods by himself. The day before he had been found, but as soon as they saw the vampire bite, they left him, hoping that he would die. Even his own parents didn't want him alive anymore. He felt the anger welling up inside of him at the fact that just because he was a vampire, they abandoned him.
He kept wandering through the woods, farther than anyone he knew had ever gone.
He felt his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten anything in who knows how long.
Pretty soon he would have to find something to eat. It was still silent, but now he thought he knew why.
'It's because I'm different; a vampire. Nobody likes a vampire.'
Becoming a vampire had matured him. Now he could easily fend for himself.
A few more minutes of walking through the woods got him to a clearing of sorts. There was a small hut that seemed abandoned to Mike. He ventured into it and looked around. There were two rooms: one had a bed in it and the other had a cauldron and shelves of books and scrolls and jars full of horrendous objects, some suspended in a disgusting liquid.
He went over to a shelf with books on it. Even though he couldn't read, he admired their beautiful bindings and the delicately written runes. He reached out to stroke a book's spine.
"Who dares to trespass and invade my hut?" an old man yelled, startling Mike. He turned around to face the man, his mouth slightly open.
"A vampire, eh?" the man said, sizing him up, "Recently bit, too."
Mike watched the old man warily, not trusting him, "Who are you?"
"I'm Marpheln, one of the last sorcerers in this world," the man said in a kind voice, "And yours is... ?"
Mike hesitated. After what had happened, he didn't want to be connected to his past anymore. It had abandoned him, so now he was abandoning it.
"Veldenbarr, my name is Veldenbarr," he replied.
Veldenbarr sounded like an evil name to him. He had decided that he was going to become just what they feared he would become.
"Well Veldenbarr, are you interested in working for me? I'll give you food and shelter, along with people to feed on," Marpheln offered.
Mike thought it over.
'He seems okay... '
"Okay... I will."
"Good! Let's have some lunch since you seem to be hungry." Marpheln walked over to a table and waved his hand over it. Two wooden plates rose up out of it along with two wooden goblets. Marpheln reached into one of his long sleeves and pulled out a vial. He removed the stopper and tipped it over, letting a drop of the clear liquid to land in each of the goblets. He put the stopper back in and stuffed it back up his sleeve. The two goblets filled with a golden liquid.
Next, Marpheln took out two things that looked like seeds and placed them on the plates. He muttered a strange word and the seeds changed into chicken, potatoes, and green beans.
The smell wafted up to Mike's nose and he heard his stomach growl. Marpheln pulled up a chair for him and Mike sat down in it. Marpheln sat opposite him.
Mike dug in, not caring if he seemed rude or not having any manners; he was too hungry. The golden liquid tasted better than anything he had ever drunk.
When he was done eating, he realized that Marpheln had been watching him.
He snapped his fingers and the plates and goblets faded back into the table.
"I bet you do not know the full extent of your powers," Marpheln broke the silence, looking over his stapled fingers at Mike, "So I've decided, if you agree to it, that I will teach you exactly what you can do."
Mike looked at his eyes to try to see what he was thinking. He couldn't tell. As far as he knew, Marpheln could be trusted.
"I guess I agree."
Marpheln smiled. "I knew you would."
Mike yawned from exhaustion.
"I see you're tired. Why don't you get some rest?" Marpheln gestured to his bed.
Drowsily, Mike dragged his feet over to it and collapsed on it. He immediately fell asleep.
Mike woke up as light fell across his face. He looked around his room, puzzled.
'Why am I having dreams that I'm Lord Veldenbarr?'
This time he was wandering through the woods by himself. The day before he had been found, but as soon as they saw the vampire bite, they left him, hoping that he would die. Even his own parents didn't want him alive anymore. He felt the anger welling up inside of him at the fact that just because he was a vampire, they abandoned him.
He kept wandering through the woods, farther than anyone he knew had ever gone.
He felt his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten anything in who knows how long.
Pretty soon he would have to find something to eat. It was still silent, but now he thought he knew why.
'It's because I'm different; a vampire. Nobody likes a vampire.'
Becoming a vampire had matured him. Now he could easily fend for himself.
A few more minutes of walking through the woods got him to a clearing of sorts. There was a small hut that seemed abandoned to Mike. He ventured into it and looked around. There were two rooms: one had a bed in it and the other had a cauldron and shelves of books and scrolls and jars full of horrendous objects, some suspended in a disgusting liquid.
He went over to a shelf with books on it. Even though he couldn't read, he admired their beautiful bindings and the delicately written runes. He reached out to stroke a book's spine.
"Who dares to trespass and invade my hut?" an old man yelled, startling Mike. He turned around to face the man, his mouth slightly open.
"A vampire, eh?" the man said, sizing him up, "Recently bit, too."
Mike watched the old man warily, not trusting him, "Who are you?"
"I'm Marpheln, one of the last sorcerers in this world," the man said in a kind voice, "And yours is... ?"
Mike hesitated. After what had happened, he didn't want to be connected to his past anymore. It had abandoned him, so now he was abandoning it.
"Veldenbarr, my name is Veldenbarr," he replied.
Veldenbarr sounded like an evil name to him. He had decided that he was going to become just what they feared he would become.
"Well Veldenbarr, are you interested in working for me? I'll give you food and shelter, along with people to feed on," Marpheln offered.
Mike thought it over.
'He seems okay... '
"Okay... I will."
"Good! Let's have some lunch since you seem to be hungry." Marpheln walked over to a table and waved his hand over it. Two wooden plates rose up out of it along with two wooden goblets. Marpheln reached into one of his long sleeves and pulled out a vial. He removed the stopper and tipped it over, letting a drop of the clear liquid to land in each of the goblets. He put the stopper back in and stuffed it back up his sleeve. The two goblets filled with a golden liquid.
Next, Marpheln took out two things that looked like seeds and placed them on the plates. He muttered a strange word and the seeds changed into chicken, potatoes, and green beans.
The smell wafted up to Mike's nose and he heard his stomach growl. Marpheln pulled up a chair for him and Mike sat down in it. Marpheln sat opposite him.
Mike dug in, not caring if he seemed rude or not having any manners; he was too hungry. The golden liquid tasted better than anything he had ever drunk.
When he was done eating, he realized that Marpheln had been watching him.
He snapped his fingers and the plates and goblets faded back into the table.
"I bet you do not know the full extent of your powers," Marpheln broke the silence, looking over his stapled fingers at Mike, "So I've decided, if you agree to it, that I will teach you exactly what you can do."
Mike looked at his eyes to try to see what he was thinking. He couldn't tell. As far as he knew, Marpheln could be trusted.
"I guess I agree."
Marpheln smiled. "I knew you would."
Mike yawned from exhaustion.
"I see you're tired. Why don't you get some rest?" Marpheln gestured to his bed.
Drowsily, Mike dragged his feet over to it and collapsed on it. He immediately fell asleep.
Mike woke up as light fell across his face. He looked around his room, puzzled.
'Why am I having dreams that I'm Lord Veldenbarr?'