Return of the Blood Reaver Ch. 01

Since gaining his freedom, the man had gone and waged a one-man war against the dark underworld and all who inhabited it. Though he was quite strong and capable, he was only one man and was eventually overcome. In a ritual of destruction, which had been led by the demon lady Jaala, was what finally ended his crusade against them.

How this being was still alive and terrorizing the underworld was beyond her, but she knew her coven had to be notified. She then rolled up the paper and faced Aldrich, who was still sipping his blood, enjoying each drop.

"Are you certain that this... subject of yours wasn't lying about who he saw?" Cristania questioned.

"I enthralled the man myself and delved into his mind. I saw the same thing that he did, so I know he was telling me the truth," Aldrich responded.

"Thanks for bringing this to me! Enjoy the rest of your night!" Cristania told the man as he contentedly sipped on his blood. A slight groan escaped Cristania's lips as she realized that her night just got longer. She rushed off, heading to her coven's home base.

Aldrich just stood there, smirking at the departing woman as he continued to enjoy his blood. He mentally tsked about the impatience of youth and turned to stroll through the park at a leisurely pace. The vampire took his time, knowing that no one would accost him here. Every mugger and thug who operated here knew he was the apex predator and was best left alone, if you valued your life.

The bandaged man was nearing the exit when he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Such a sign meant only one thing; that he was being watched. Aldrich whirled around, seeking the human who was stupid enough to try stalking him and teach the arrogant fucker a lesson. Only, there were no humans, none nearby that could have even watched him if they tried.

He scrunched up his face in confusion, wondering who it could be, as the feeling was still there. It was then that he decided to look up, and he spotted the silhouette of a human on top of a nearby apartment building. He focused on the man's size and shape and could tell that he was a big boy and he almost called the man out. Oddly enough, he refrained from doing so, unsure of why he didn't say anything.

It was then that Aldrich saw why this man had caused such a stir in him. The man in question had weapons on his person, with a hilt or two jutting up over his shoulders. But that wasn't what made Aldrich gulp in trepidation. It was the fact that this man was staring right at him, with eyes that glowed a hellish red, his gaze boring into him like a drill.

Aldrich stared at the man, part of him fearful, part of him awed he survived for all these years. He exhaled a breath he had been holding and blinked for a brief second, still staring at where the man was. But now he was gone, the shape of the man no longer there for him to see.

The vampire looked around frantically, wondering where the man could have gone, but saw nothing. He then knew that for the moment, this man had left him alone, which put the vampire's mind at ease. Aldrich then remembered the blood bag he was drinking from and hoisted it up, as though he was toasting the man who had been there. He then spoke four words before wandering off to his humble abode.

"Welcome home, old friend."

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And thus ends the first chapter of Return of the Blood Reaver! I know this one is a bit shorter than most folks are accustomed to. To be fair, I did write it out some time ago, before I started developing my process of making beefier chapter frameworks. It's been a while since I touched this one, but I'm glad that I finally got around to it, as it was loads of fun to write! With lots to build up in this universe (and hints of a possible crossover), expect to see more chapters of this story show up from time to time, so stay tuned!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please rate and comment on my work down below and ask me questions if you wish, as I love hearing from my fans! If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share with your friends, though your views, ratings and comments are enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C.H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!