We Are The Shadows: The birth of Zuria Vicar
A short origin story for the female protagonist of We Are The Shadow, Vampire Empress Zuria Vicar
The fires raged on as body after body was tossed in carelessly. Like garbage the physical forms of the departed were being incinerated for the sole purpose of protecting the few that remained. This was life in the time of the dark ages, during the worst viral outbreak in human history, and for one lone girl it was all she had known. Ten years was a struggle for a child of the times. Her parents had passed to the plague and she for some reason unknown to her seemed to resist it until one day she suddenly became too ill to move or function. As a young child without parents you had two options in this time period. You could steal or you could beg and she was far too proud to beg so the young girl set to stealing and scavenging from anywhere she could especially battlefields which were filled with similar scavengers like rats.
Karma had finally managed to catch up as her skin deteriorated into blistering pustules and her organs started to fail one after another it was only a matter of time until she too was thrown into the fire but for the scant moment that she had life left she was determined to fight. Running from the guards was never easy but it was incredibly difficult when your body was slowly dying to contagion. Still she had to run because running was a symbol that she was alive. Scrambling along the cobblestone roads she managed to find a corner to rest in and possibly to die in. Her breathing feel labored and her entire body ached even keeping her eyelids open was impossible but still she struggled.
"Poor thing it looks like you're going to transpire soon enough, would you like some company?" A voice spoke from the darkness in the alleyway she had scrambled into.
"Don't-come-close-sick-you'll-get" The girl coughed between each word spattering blood against the wall.
"Oh I don't think that will happen besides even if I do get sick I'll just die no big concern of mine." The voice's volume increased as its owner grew closer. Her eyes were tired but she could make out the blurred image of a man in a long suit and jacket with a cane in his right hand a noble or something. It was ironic that the upper class seemed to think themselves immune to the poor man's plague but it could kill anyone just as easily. A kernel of resentment for being underestimated even in death began to grow inside of the girl as she coughed her reply.
"Suit-yourself." Words were becoming labor and breathing was becoming pain she knew that very likely this would be her last conversation.
"So have you made peace with your god, ready to go see your ancestors or whatever it is you believe?" The man asked tapping his cane on the ground sending out waves of sound that made her ears ache.
"Fuck-god-I-I-I-want to-li..." Halfway through her sentence she felt her breath escape her and her entire body give up but still she screamed it in her mind. "I WANT TO LIVE!" a surge of otherworldly energy burst through her forcing out her final words before her mind began to grow dark and disappear.
"Be careful what you wish for child." The man smiled impressed by her spirit. He opened his mouth and knelt down placing his lips around the girls neck. His eyes narrowed there was a wet gush of blood before he withdrew taking a handkerchief and wiping away the sanguine fluid. "Well get up then we don't have all night." The man commanded and began to walk away tapping his cane with every step. Tap-Tap-Tap-tap
The corpse remained motionless until suddenly the rhythmic tapping of the cane began to mirror her heart beat. Pulse returned and her skin marbleized becoming a porcelain white like a doll but her mind was still lost as she rose to her feet and followed the sound of the cane instinctively knowing that it was the right thing to do.
With interest the man turned around and nodded. "Well you became a thrall that's expected you were after all dead before I gifted you undeath I suppose that is not a total loss." The man speculated continually tapping his cane like a pied piper leading his rat. He was startled when she rushed forward thinking she was going to attack him and have to be put down but the girl wrapped her arms around his waist and began to sob into his shirt.
"Daddy!" The girl wailed and the man couldn't help but smirk amused at the outcome one that even he didn't expect. The ratty urchin's hair turned from soft brown to stark silver and her eyes from green to a crimson red that shimmered like the moon's reflection in a puddle. Complete and total metamorphosis a wonderful discovery and unexpected turn of events for the man. Taking a moment of pause then reacting quickly he wrapped his arms around the girl and pat her head gently.
"Yes dear, Daddy is here no more tears." He whispered softly looking down at his 'daughter' the possibilities of what had just transpired were racing through his head.
"Where are we going?" The girl asked drying her tears with her sleeve and moving to his right side to take his hand.
"Home dear and after that we're going to get you a lovely new dress those rags will not do for a princess." The man chuckled and tapped his cane signaling that it was time for them to leave
"Yes Daddy of course Daddy." The girl agreed and held on tightly as the man lead her to her new home.