Vampire Wars Ch. 01

Chapter 01: The Beginning

This series takes place in an alternate universe, in which a small number of vampires, male or female, rule small duchies or empires, and protect their humans. Rival vampires, eager for land and blood, cause fights and occasional civil wars to break out. A strong vampire, however, will guard his people, bringing justice to those who attack. The highest justice in each territory is the Master Vampire, male or female. Prisoners of wars, wrong-doers, those intent on evil, who are found to be guilty, are given over to the Master Vampire for his or her own food, or given as honors to members of the Master Vampire's staff, lesser vampires.

The Master Vampire takes a slave to see to his personal needs, to follow him, care for him, assure his safety while he sleeps. In turn, he bestows his mark, which causes an unusually long life for his human, healing powers to a degree, youth, strength, and encourages a sexual stimulation that causes the mark and the role to be envied by many humans. There are several vampire Captains in a Master Vampire's entourage, even a few human ones. But there is ever only one Lieutenant for a Master Vampire.

There are many similarities between this universe, and ours, such as certain events or names of countries. Where some have won in the past, in this alternative universe, they have lost; or where those who were traitorous in the past, are now heroes here.

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He had found Thereza in a small village in Portugal after the French had swept through, demolishing the last of its bastions. The French had won, but three generations later, the Napoleonic reign had ended when countries broke apart, the reach of the monarchy stretched too thin, its grasp too weak. The result were hundreds of duchies across the former European Empire, with a few smaller kingdoms dotted here and there.

Antonio ruled the lands that once, long ago, held the northern parts of Spain and Portugal, and the lower section of France. It was good land again, now that the bloody wars had stopped, fertile and rich for wine growing. The Duchy de Onores was wealthy and peaceful, its cadre of peace-keepers kept limited by the strength of Antonio himself, a vampire made some four hundred years before. His people admired him, respected him, protected him.

His previous slave had gotten himself killed after chasing one too many wives. Several irate husbands had demanded restitution from the Duke Antonio, but in the end, it was an axe wielded by an angry merchant whose wife had been caught sleeping with the bastard, who killed the Duke's slave. A lucky blow. The slave's head had been severed completely from his body, one of the few ways to kill the human slaves, the Lieutenants, as they were usually known, of the great Ducal vampires.

So Antonio had gone searching and in a small village, smoldering from the firing of some French radicals who wanted to rebuild the old Empire, he had found his future human slave, his Lieutenant.

At first, he had meant to give the girl to one of his Captains, a vampire who oversaw the southern borders of the Duchy. She was young, he judged maybe a month or so past her majority, lean, with the promise of great beauty. She had somehow managed to stay alive in a village that was devoid of most of its inhabitants. She had brought together all of the villagers, guarded them, seen that they were fed, buried the dead, tended the wounded, and kept them organized and safe. Her intelligence was there, below the surface, waiting for someone to feed its hungry fires.

So she had intrigued him from the first.

On their ride back to the castle, she had intrigued him even more. At one point, when seeming shepherds had thrown back cloaks to reveal muskets and had shot at the vampire's horse, running at him with staves to kill him, Thereza had urged her horse forward, placing herself between her duke and the guns, drawing a short sword that Antonio had forgotten was even on the baggage of the horse. She had fought for him, without question, bravely, savagely, and he had known, then, that he had found his new Lieutenant.

He had waited until he had taught her all that would it would mean to be a Lieutenant. She would stay young, age so slowly over so many decades that in a hundred years, she would only seem to have grown older by a month or so in human terms. She would have strength greater than a human male, those lesser than a vampire. She would guard his place of sleeping by day, defend him at all times. See to his needs. He was most careful that she understood this last. If they traveled, as was necessary at times, and he had no prisoners to take with him as food, he might need to sip from her. He could, he told her, guarantee that she would not remember him doing so, or, if she preferred, he could lace it with pleasure. She chose pleasure.

She had been raped by the plunderers who had taken her village; all of the women had, even the old ones. Such things happened. But Antonio began to sense in her a sexual appetite that exhilarated him, enticed him, and seemed to flare when she was near to him. He offered her books, and learning, that he would bring whatever teachers she wished, so that she might learn and read and understand all that her eager mind desired, and it was this, and her interest in the sexual exploration with him, that compelled her to agree.

There were many in the world who still believed the old lies, that all vampires were evil, but those who lived beneath the protection of the Masters, who could farm their fields, raise their children without fear, build their schools and cathedrals, scorned such old wives' tales for the jealousy they were. Still, it was something to be aware of, Antonio reflected with Thereza, that she must know of these people, who would threaten her, threaten him, would wish to see them both dead. A small religious group clung firmly to the belief that a dead vampire was the best kind, and those who had willingly become their Lieutenants deserved no less. She listened thoughtfully, but still agreed, and Antonio was elated.

He had explained the rite to her and they stood now in the great hall of his castle, the evening young, the candles flickering in their sconces along the wall. The castle had a cheerfulness about it that spoke of the love its people had for its protector, its Master.

There were mirrors in the great hall, along each end, a few larger ones along the great wall. When there were balls, dancers could view themselves and, another old wives' tale dissipated, the vampires were not invisible in the reflections.

They stood now before one such mirror so she could watch, and see, and she quivered. Around them stood a handful of Antonio's must trusted, his elite; Captains, human and vampire, male and female, who would bear witness to the sacred rite; two lawyers, one a vampire, who would seal the documents and have copies made that would rest in the great cathedrals. In no world, apparently, were lawyers ever absent.

The shadows grew longer and the windowed doors were let open; breeze stirred the curtains and caused the flames to flicker gently. There was a golden hue to the room, and one of the men smiled gently at Thereza, assuring her.

Antonio came behind her and stood, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. She was naked for this rite, so that all would see and recall her, and so she could be properly marked. From now on, she would usually be naked or wearing very little in the presence of others, day or night. His blood and strength would keep her warm when other humans would freeze. Eventually, he would mark her with piercings, but he had promised her that they would give her stimulation and pleasure. She looked forward to them, therefore.

His thumb stroked her collarbone lightly, and she shivered a little, nervous. His hand patted her shoulder gently, reassuring. She smiled and lifted her chin. Her body was completely free of hair, except for that on her head or eyebrows and lashes. His hand gently brushed against her clit, the thumb pressing for a moment, then lifting up.

He was darkness behind her, with thick black hair that tumbled to brush the top of his shoulders. His suit was black, his shirt a crisp white. He was in formal tails. His cravat was tied simply yet elegantly. His eyes glistened in the candlelight. The eyes were black. His mouth was firm but with a slight quirk; he could smile easily and enjoyed wit and humor. He was tall and in the mirror, his head was fully visible over hers. He stood in his tight black pants, black shoes, and on his left hand was a signet ring with the garnet and diamond, which were his particular colors and stones. She would wear the same, later, to show that she was his Lieutenant. The Captains might wear some of the lesser stones, but only she would wear a signet ring, a smaller version, to match his. They would show her obedience in his name, dedication, and protection.

Antonio looked Thereza in the mirror and smiled at her. Her skin was golden, a pale hue that gleamed in the candlelight and spoke to him of health and life. Her lips were small, the lower lip a little fuller than the top, blushed with rose forever, from this night on. Her cheeks were high, her eyes held a very slight slant that caused her to look exotic. The eyes were green, as bright and sharp as emeralds, and her hair was golden, a richness that cascaded in soft curls and waves to the middle of her back, thick and filled with life, as was she. She was slender, her waist tiny, her breasts full with rose tipped nipples. He smiled again, and she saw him in the mirror and smiled back.

They witnessed as Antonio tilted her back towards him, her arms at her side, accepting him, giving herself up, and his left hand flashed its garnet lights as it moved across her belly, soothing her, while his right hand, with one finger, tilted her chin back, back a little more, until her neck was bared.

"This is Thereza," he said formally. "I proclaim her my Lieutenant," and with those words, he leaned forward and planted his teeth into her neck. She jerked slightly but, in this first bite, awe stole over her face, her eyes fluttered half-shut, and her arms reached back and held to his legs, pulling him closer to her. He sighed against her neck softly as he suckled her skin, pulling the blood between his teeth, the incisors having cut neatly into the flesh. He fed briefly, then slid his tongue across the two small holes, using the natural art of his saliva to seal the wounds. He kept his head bowed against her neck for a moment, savoring her. She was exquisite, and his. His slave, his Lieutenant.

He finally pulled up his head, smiled at all, and motioned at the lawyers. The documents were signed by the witnesses, by Thereza and Antonio, and he placed the smaller ring of garnet, bearing the de Onores emblem and bolstered by a diamond on each side, onto her finger, then held her hand up so that all might say. Polite clapping, drinks served to the humans, goblets of warm blood to the vampires, and a new Lieutenant was made.

And many years passed, and of the humans present that day, other than Thereza, only one still lived, old and feeble, while two generations had come and gone to serve their great Duke, their lord, and Thereza looked not a moment older.

Both Antonio and Thereza loved travel, and over time she revealed certain tastes, which Antonio was delighted to encourage. She was a fierce swordswoman, lithe, petite; avid to learn, soaking up books and knowledge, asking questions, learning. To those who feared vampires, who regarded them as evil, as devils, this was further proof of their demonic station, because those same few believed that much of the evil in their world was due to women.

"Though," as Thereza told Antonio one evening as they traveled on horses to old Rome, "this should surely prove only the power that women have; that they can wield such strength and cause so much!"

Antonio laughed.

She was golden, riding beside him in the darkness. At night, when it was just the two of them traveling, she frequently rode nude, because the sexual allure from the vampire was always great. Connected to him mentally and physically, the slave was in a near-constant state of arousal near her owner. Other slaves evolved into such measures; it was encouraged by vampires as a means of reward and control. So her flesh was golden, for one of her favored things was to ride on a horse bareback beside him, with only a thin blanket between her flesh and that of the horse beneath her, and she rode nude, so that she might have pleasure from the gait of the horse, and so her Master might have use of her whenever he wished.

There was also a slight tinkling noise with her, and he smiled. Years before, first in India, then in Egypt, he had taken her to be marked by piercings. They were meant to show his favor and his mark, and to give pleasure to him and to her. She enjoyed them, and he had indulged her request for an additional piercing or two, though they agreed she would limit the number. With her ability, given to her by Antonio, to heal so quickly and so well, she had none of the dangers that fellow humans might. Germs and cleaning wounds were still not clearly understood, though the nobility strove to teach this new knowledge.

She rode, therefore, with her nipples pierced. Normally when riding, she wore small hoops or a tiny, fain chain threaded through each nipple. On each hoop or chain was a tiny garnet; on each side of it, a smaller diamond. The de Onores insignia.

From that, she had gotten her navel pierced and now, two fine chains, the ones causing the faint noise, were slid through the tiny holes. There was a piercing in the fine flesh on each side of her navel, an erotic sight that never failed to arouse Antonio. Just thinking of it now caused him to hold the reins a little too tightly, and his horse snorted in protest. The tiny chains were sometimes replaced with golden bars, but always with the same garnet and two smaller diamonds present. The hood of her clit was pierced as well. She claimed that it kept her constantly stimulated and eager for her Master. Antonio would always laugh and tweak her nose or, more like, a nipple and say that she needed no help.

Indeed, she had proved a surprise to him. She was fascinated with sensation. She loved to lie naked on furs, or to fling her arms around him when he returned to the castle, smelling of leather and the outdoors, he fully clothed, she naked with her only her bits of jewelry. She enjoyed a slight amount of pain, which enthralled him, favored being tied at times by him, and in general opened herself to him physically as well as emotionally. He enjoyed her, savored her.

The horses cantered for a time until they came into view of an inn, its lights dim in the distance. The slowed the horses and walked them back and forth, still out of sight of the humans at the inn. Thereza patted her horse's neck, crooning to it. The gelding's ears pricked up and its tail swished.

"Master," she began.

Antonio was glancing about the countryside, always wary in new territories. He was trying to form peace with a rival. Raiding parties had begun on the eastern border of the Duchy de Onores, and it was Antonio's hope to break this before war was declared between their two small kingdoms.

He glanced at her. "Yes?"

"I was wondering..."

He smiled. He knew what was coming. A new request, one she had been asking for, nearly three months now?

"Yes?" His horse lowered its head and nipped at some grass, content.

"The two piercings, Master. Truly, I would enjoy those."

He thought about them. She wanted two more but that this would be all, the last of them, and he believed her. It was the sensation that intrigued her, though, and a doctor had promised that if he pierced the tender flesh on either side of her clit, perhaps an inch or so away on each side of the clit, diagonally inserted the rods, that the stimulation would be constant. She was looking forward to the idea of an orgasm on the back of a horse with those piercings, imagining the bits of metal and jewels digging gently into her skin, the little tugs of pain, the greater stimulation. She nearly moaned now thinking about it. Perhaps had moaned, for he glanced at her again and laughed.

"And where is your doctor now?"

She grinned. "It is a mystery to me, Master, how this could be so fortuitous! but he is said, of all things, to be visiting this very village!" She fluttered her lashes at him, and he laughed, leaned towards her, and kissed her gently.

"Very well. Contact him tomorrow."

She laughed and thanked him, happy, then leapt from her horse. She pulled on a tunic and trousers, then remounted her horse.

They rode into the inn's yard, then, she following him, a sword in its scabbard that rested beneath her leg; a musket on the other side to balance the weight of the harness, since she had no saddle. She wore her jewelry, her piercings, with pride, and a garnet with the two diamonds, perched on a blood-red velvet ribbon about her throat; white stockings, and white kid leather boots that came an inch or two above her ankles. The boots had enough heel to catch on the stirrups, had she used those. The stockings were held up by garters, blood-red velvet ribbons which were threaded through the tops of the stockings, then tied snugly about the middle of each thigh. The ribbons flapped gently against her skin beneath the trousers as she dismounted and walked into the room of the inn. All talking stopped as men and a few women looked at her and the tall Master Vampire who strode beside her.

She quickly ordered that food be brought for her Master. Most towns kept a prisoner or two, as food for visiting vampires, but Antonio shook his head and motioned for her to follow. She saw to the human servants as he went down the stairs, gave them their duties, and told the landlord to fetch food and ale. The other vampires would make do with their own needs, having brought blood with them in the form of small barrels or even, with one Captain, a prisoner who had been a rapist but in the three days they would stay here for negotiations, would meet justice.

The men carrying Antonio's case went below stairs, puffing from the weight. After

they left and Thereza was once again assured of the watch, she went below stairs, carrying her sword and musket. She would eat later, after she had seen to her Master.

She inspected the room carefully. A second exit but with a sturdy door; that suited her, as she never liked having her Master trapped with only one way out. The walls were dry, the floor sturdy. No dampness. Candles and matches but no oil. Vampires could be killed by fire. A small bed was next to his case now; she would sleep on the bed, of course. She lifted the lid of his case, insurance against sunlight. The older vampires could endure some light, but it could burn and weaken. It was offensive to call a case a coffin, for vampires were not entirely dead. Their hearts beat but slowly, so slowly, though their skins tended to be cool. Cold, white skin on a vampire meant that he had not fed enough, or recently, and she always carefully watched Antonio for signs of this.

He removed his cloak and sword, took off his jacket and slung it on the back of a chair. She tsked and smoothed out the jacket, but he took her arm and pulled her to him.

"Ma petite," he murmured, "I am in need of a little aid." She undressed and came to him quickly, efficiently. He lay back on the small bed, pulling her with him, and she lay for a moment on top of him, with her back on his chest, and his hands slowly moved up and down her body, stroking it. After a moment, his hands became more urgent, and he ordered her to lie back on the bed. Her eyes watched him as he reached in his traveling bag and removed a few ropes and tied her wrists and ankles to the bed, spreading her legs open, pulling the arms back and over the end of the bed so that her breasts arched upwards, the tiny hoops jingling. His tongue licked her body, slowly, his hands smoothing her skin as he lay on top of her, fully clothed, the roughness of his clothing brushing against the fineness of her golden skin. He pushed a length of one of her curls back, off her shoulder, then trailed his fingers to her breasts, lingering there a moment, twisting the hoops a little until she gasped.