Changing Times: A Vampire's Tale
Changing Times:
A Vampire's Tale
By
Clarissa 'Sable' Browning
Dear reader;
It is my sincere hope that this journal eventually makes it into the hands of someone who will pass along my story long after my ashes have been scattered on the winds. For you see, my life, as it is now, is a lie. My true nature has to be hidden so that I, and those like me, can live in peace without mortals and lupines persecuting us and trying to destroy us as we sleep. Believe it or not, not all vampires wanted to be one in the first place. We sought our immortality in other ways.
Being a musician and songwriter, I tried to secure my immortality with song. Like other musicians, I worked hard to find that one song that would send my career into the top ten of any music list in any country. That is what I wanted. To be remembered for the songs I wrote and the feelings they invoked in the listener. Was that too much to ask of the world in general? To be the best there is in my profession? In my heart, that is what I believed to be the way to live, earning my way to the top with sweat and tears as the proof.
This journal covers many hundreds of years, but I'll try to give dates and references to the time, and possibly some names for in case the calendar has changed since this was written. Everything will be explained in time, starting when and how I became a vampire, and the things I have witnessed since that fateful night. I will start from the very beginning, when I was but a small girl so you can understand who I am, and why I am writing this journal now, instead of from the start of my life as a vampire.
In the year 1968 AD, during the month of May, on the 23rd to be precise, I, Clarissa Jane Browning, was born. It was an average day, bright and sunny during the last few days of school, when my mother, Alice, pushed me into the world. There was nothing remarkable about myself or the time, only that another musician had been born into the world. From before I was born, I was surrounded by music. Everything from country to folk, from rock to classical, was always being played on the radio, the television, or by my family. So it was just natural that I would learn to play an instrument, or two, or three.
From the time I was old enough to understand, my mother and grandmother taught me the joy of music. Both of them were natural musicians. Mother played the flute, and once in a while the banjo, and grandmother, in her crazy fun ways, played the fiddle and the piano. My father was a poet of sorts. Many times he would put his writings to the music mother and grandmother would play. As I grew, I found out I was a phenom in music. Just about any instrument I picked up, I could have mastered with a few short lessons.
My parents' only regret was that they couldn't have any more children after I was born, no matter how hard they tried. Needless to say, I was never treated like an only child. From the start, I was taught to respect my elders and peers. Please, thank you, and you're welcome went a long ways in my family. Most of all, I was taught strong family values that still hold true to this day.
The musical talents I possessed made me popular with the band and vocal teachers, making it very hard to attend the many contests and parades, as well as the guild reviews for my piano teacher. There was hardly a weekend when I didn't have a recital. It was all those recitals that gave me the idea to go into show business as a singer, but first, with my mother's encouragement, I had to further my education since I couldn't sing for forever.
Little did I know then, in the year 1987 AD, I graduated from high school, strangely enough, on my birthday. I wasn't valedictorian, but I was still near the top of my class in grades, which made my family proud. The scholarships I graduated with took me to Oklahoma University where I studied just as hard with teaching and music as my majors, and a minor in English. To help supplement my income during those hard years of study, I gave private lessons in piano. That's how I knew I was going to teach eventually, or at least perform in front of millions one day.
November 1995
One tiny personal event is what spurred me on to try and make it big as a musician. One of my students became seriously ill and was hospitalized for several months. Her parents were well off so it wasn't any problem for them. But, their daughter, Anna, was very lonely much of the time, and missed her weekly lessons at my off campus apartment. So, I took it upon myself to visit her every chance I got. Usually I would take my grandfather's guitar and play for her until she fell asleep, or just sing to her.
During the worst of her illness, she was passing in and out consciousness much of the time. I would sit there and watch, worrying about her ordeal. One day, while she in a light comatose state, I played a simple lullaby for her. Whether by fate, or coincidence, her eyes opened, and she smiled. Little did I know, the nurses, doctors, and other patients were listening near the door. Their response was just what was needed to urge me into show business.
Earning my teaching degree wasn't hard after that. Just remembering those smiles, and the applause, was enough to keep me going. After I graduated from college, I went to teach at Owasso High School, one of the state's best schools. I stayed there for several years, teaching vocal and helping the band teacher. Every year when the annual Talent show came around, I and a few friends would get together and set up an act. We never won first place, but we never left without a prize. We were good, just not quite good enough, which made us work even harder.
March 1998
The one act that caught the attention of a visiting talent scout turned out to not be rock or country, but our own rendition of a series of songs from a movie I enjoyed as a girl. The band, and I, dressed in period clothing, played the set of three very short songs as if we were from that very time period. Months of hard work went into perfecting that one little act. We still didn't win first prize, but we didn't have to have that trophy when the talent scout approached me and the band and offered a recording contract.
I stayed long enough to finish off the school year, and then I packed up my things and left with my band. During this time, I had earned the nickname of Sable, mostly because of my love for cats and the painting of a brown feline on the back of my favorite vest.
July 1997
We started off small, playing in clubs until we gained enough of a following over those first couple of years. Our biggest following was still back in Oklahoma, but over the rest of the nation, we were slowly building a name. No one could really classify us in any one genre of music, even if country was the basis of all our songs. We were probably the cleanest band around. None of us smoked or did drugs, or even drank, though once in a great while, we'd toast with a small glass of wine or champagne.
May 21, 2001
Those first five years of touring were the hardest, and the best, in all my life. But that all soon came to a crashing end when my fiancé, Derick, was killed in a crash involving a drunk driver. The shock of his death made performing difficult, though I tried hard to finish off the tour.
July 2002
As soon as we returned, I called a hiatus with the excuse to rest and work on new songs for the next album. Only the band members knew the true reason why I was calling for the break. Loosing Derick was very hard, and I needed time alone. He was my inspiration and without him, I felt so empty and alone, not even music could fill the void his death left.
So I packed up my bags and drove to a small out of the way town I picked at random on the map. The place the dart chose, Los Muertos California. Little did I know my life was going to take a new turn in that town within a few months of my first arrival.
With the help from mom and dad, and a few music lessons, I paid for a nice hotel room to stay in until I found a house to rent. What was available was either too expensive or big for one person, or was totally worn down, nothing suitable for a single woman like myself. In those first few months, I met many interesting people, most of which I would later learn were vampires. At first, I thought of them as rather strange, but nothing I thought would be anything to fear. Had I known before I met Adam, I probably would have packed my bags and left town without a backward glance.
February 2003
Near the end of the month, I met who would become my sire, Adam. On several occasions, I had visited the bar he owned. It was a gay bar, but that didn't mean anything to me. The music, though techno, was good, and the liquor even better. One night, he came down from his office, and we started to talk. An innocent enough conversation about touring, and how tired I was of it, though I never did tell him why I was tired of touring. I only mentioned needing time to write songs for the next CD.
Eventually, we ended up in his office, talking over good Irish whiskey about the music business and seeing Europe. The next thing I knew, he was there at my throat, and before I knew it, he turned me into a vampire. I was both furious and frightened at the same time, and he was the only one there to focus it all onto. I was violated and forced to live a life I didn't want.
I couldn't be too mad at him, he did provide an apartment for me so I wouldn't be caught in the sun, and after a short time, seemed to be a little apologetic, though he thought my mortal pursuits were meaningless.
If he would have only taken the time to understand, he wouldn't have thought they were meaningless. Life as I knew it changed drastically. I could no longer go out and enjoy a fresh spring day, or return to teaching if I wanted. Everything had to be done at night. As much as I hated it, I had to prey upon humans just to survive. I know, I could have easily committed suicide, but that was something I just couldn't bring myself to do. Not until I became famous, and the world knew my name. Little did I know how long that would take.
Adam saw to my education as a vampire, teaching me the tricks of the trade, to coin a phrase, their history, and how to use those same tricks to my advantage. Over the course of those first months, I eventually forgave him for pushing his lifestyle on me, but it still hurt to know he was the one that thwarted any chance I had of joining my dead fiancé any time soon.
August 2003
Several times he's seen the far off looks and sensed the depression building when ever I would think about Derick. Perhaps, after he heard the song I wrote in memory of my beloved, he came to understand, and didn't push so hard about how meaningless my pursuits were.
That very song, Merciful Angel, tugged at the hearts of those that listened to it. Mortal and undead alike knew of my heart break and some of my internal suffering when they heard that song played. Eventually, Merciful Angel became my number one hit. The one song I've been working so hard on to spring my career into the spotlight.
If you are wondering what the song Merciful Angel was about. Here are the lyrics. Hard to believe, it took me over five months to write this song.
It seemed like only yesterday,
That we were standing on the beach,
Hand in hand,
Heart to heart,
Waves lapping at our feet as our
lips met beneath the golden sky.
Merciful Angel, The angel of the star shine,
Angel of the moonshine,
You took my heart away.
Merciful Angel,
My angel of the night sky,
My angel of day time,
bound one to one ever more.
Lives gone by we stayed together,
No one was ever better than you,
Soul to soul,
Eye to eye,
Time slipping away from us.
Merciful Angel,
The angel of the star shine,
The angel of the moonshine,
Our hearts never strayed.
Merciful Angel,
My angel of the night sky,
My angel of the day time,
bound one to one ever more.
Now I stand upon this beach.
Thinking back to that day
when our lips met.
Tears to fall,
Wishes to call,
Our time has come, and you've slipped away.
My Merciful Angel,
My angel of the dream time,
My angel of the work time,
How I wish you stayed with me.
My Merciful Angel,
My angel of storm tossed sky,
Your life was ripped away,
So now I'm here to say,
You're my Merciful Angel.
Beautiful song, isn't it? It makes me sigh and think about the time Derick and I were together. We always took moonlight walks along the beach every chance we had. So many times, I would find myself on that same beach we first kissed on, thinking back to that night. An eternity of memories was something I didn't want then, or even now.
March 2004
Merciful Angel was the single that did it all for me and the band. It stayed in the top ten for 25 weeks, and the top 20 for well over a year. There was barely a station that didn't play it at least once every few hours. But with that number one hit, others had to be written. Write them I did, with the band's help, and Adam's, though he didn't realize it at the time.
Darkness Arise was the next single to go number one. That song was completely about him, and Moonlight Walk, a song about my last hours with my father when he died in the hospital. Destiny, Heartbreak Parade, Momma Dear, all were hits over the following years, but those were the ones that stick out the most in my mind. Juggling touring, with learning more and more about being a vampire and the tricks they knew, wasn't the easiest to do, and many times, my career came first, much to Adam's displeasure.
January 2015
I and my band spent fifteen years touring with barely a year of rest between each album when we decided to call for a short hiatus. We all needed time to relax. Together, we all went to Los Muertos and bought a mansion on the edge of town. We were all coming and going, barely meeting each other to say hello until one night when Adam decided to take my lead guitarist as another of his initiates. A week later, the drummer was his as well. The whole band knew that I was vampire by then, and never once thought anything of it. The last two, the bass guitarist, and our own fiddle player, became my own. Adam was happy, I guess, but it still took a while to get used to the idea.
April 2020
The following five years were spent learning and writing, and just getting to know ourselves once again. Early into those five years of rest, my mother passed away in her sleep. The doctors said it was old age, I always thought it was a broken heart because father wasn't there. She never was the same after he died. Dear old grandmother, as old as she was, finally passed on a few months later. I had some reason to be proud, she lived to be well over 100, rare for any mortal. They were all going to be missed.
For five years after our long hiatus, we toured and rode on the laurels of our first fifteen years. What we came to find out was that our fans weren't as enthused about us as they used to be. Which was all well and good, it was time for us to fade into the background until our 'deaths' over the next 20 years or so. No need in letting the mortals know that vampires were real after all, and not some story made up by Ann Rice, or some other science fiction writer.
June 2021
My band scattered across the nation after our official retirement, and I returned once more to Los Muertos. Why I kept going back to that one town, I don't know, but it always seemed right. Though the mansion was big and lonely without my friends, it was still home. To fill those empty nights, I'd entertain, or spend hours teaching students how to sing, play guitar or piano, or read a book.
I became a sort of recluse with as little as I ventured outside the safe walls of that old mansion. It wasn't that I feared anything, it was just that being among the populace just didn't appeal to me as much as it used to before. Twenty years of touring and giving the crowds what they wanted was more than plenty for the time being.
2071, December 31
Except for the occasional charity function, and the soirées other high society vampires held, I didn't do much beyond teaching. It would be about 50 years before I attended grander functions such as the opening of a new museum, or movie that seemed to have everyone talking at once about it. The fascination we of the more sophisticated type have with everything beautiful had a tight grip on me for many of these affairs, but they were well worth it. Music though never kept me transfixed, probably because I was always exposed to it and the passion for music had faded over time.
It didn't matter, I was happy, and many of these new music groups that were coming out were very good. One or two were once my pupils, so there were many reasons to be proud during those days.
2103, February 23
Sometime around my 100th year as a vampire, things started to change for all vampire kind. I wasn't the first to notice, but I definitely wasn't the last. More and more often, groups of hunters would be found tracking down vampires and killing them with mob force. It wasn't safe for anyone, not even the more hideous of vampires or those that knew the best hiding places. Even walking the night in groups didn't help us at all.
2104, March 15
In those ending days, the friends I made in other vampire circles came to stay with me in my mansion. I wasn't a very good fighter, though I was able to defend myself. I was very grateful to have the both of them around, even as my band came to me seeking a safe haven from the marauding bands of hunters.
There was nothing we could do except to defend ourselves and each other. As the fighting became worse, the oldest of the vampires awoke from their long slumber and started preying upon the weaker. All was chaos in the world, and there was little to do against it. The first to fall was the drummer of my band, and the older of the two that stayed with us. Their lives were taken just so the rest of us could get away.
In a midnight meeting my small group left town and headed east towards to the Rockies. There was a place hidden deep within the mountains that few, if any knew about with plenty of places to hide out in until the worst passed over. Believe me, it wasn't an act of cowardice, I was protecting myself, and my friends. I even extended an invitation towards Adam and his sire to join us once they found safe passage. Room was very limited, or else I would have let more follow.
On the way to the hide-away, Adam's sire was killed. As much as I hate to admit it, I had wished it was he that was killed, instead of his sire. To this day, I still regret that thought. He knew I wasn't overly fond of him for embracing my band members, and myself, but that was in the past. I had to make myself move on.
2110, August 1
For many years we stayed in that haven, safe from the fighting in the outside world, and yet still fully aware of it. It wasn't all peaceful during that time. We'd argue and fight amongst ourselves because of not being able to leave without risking our own lives. The only thing I was truly glad for was that the haven's underground refuge had many passageways and rooms that I could disappear to when ever I got too tired of all the bickering.
The fighting never seemed to lessen among the other vampires and the hunters and werewolves. It always seemed to get worse and worse, eventually smothering the mortals as it came to a climax. The only reason why we knew about what was going on was because we all had to venture out to feed now and then, or we'd really be at each other's throats.
2113, July 24
One night, all of us were enthralled by a sudden pull. Every single one of us was paralyzed and couldn't move. Some how, during those minutes, we all witnessed the destruction of a very powerful being, by what looked like a human. Behind that single human, we all sensed strength of power none of us have ever experienced before, and immediately feared it. What we didn't know was that the other ancient gods had banded together to help this one human to capture and destroy this unknown, yet powerful, being.
As soon as we were released from that pull, we felt a strange sense of peace. The whole world was quiet it seemed. When we ventured out to find our meals, we discovered a pack of werewolves huddled together in a clearing. They were sound asleep. My bassist and our last protector dove into that group and slaughtered them all though I tried to make them stop and just continue on towards the town.
Adam, the last two members of my band, and I, left them behind. We argued about what they were doing on the way there. Since the humans were in a state of confusion from the sudden end to the fighting, dinner was quite easy to catch. When we returned to get our comrades, we found them dead. There were no marks on them, and yet they were gone and withering away right before our eyes.
I ran the rest of the way back to the haven, horrified at what I saw. That wasn't what I wanted to see. To this very day, I can still see those two bodies decay as if it were just happening. For days, I stayed in the deepest recesses of the haven, trying not to think of that sight, but to no avail. It was going to haunt me for the rest of my unlife.
When I finally went back to join my friends, Adam was gone. He had left soon after we returned, and was never seen again. With only two left, I wasn't going to risk trying to find him. He was on his own in the dangerous world. All that he left behind was a single note, which I found weeks later, and the ring he always wore. He knew what he was going to do.
It was just me, the lead guitarist, and the fiddle player left in that lonely haven. Together, we made the best of the situation and lived in relative peace with each other. That soon became much easier one night about a month after Adam disappeared into the night.
2114, November 12
Under the light of the full moon, I and my two friends were outside enjoying the last of the warm weather before the snows drove us back inside when a strange woman appeared. She was dressed strangely, like out of a pyramid hieroglyph and what really stunned us was that she had a cat's head instead of a human face. Something about her told the three of us that she was no ordinary illusion.
For a time, she spoke with us, asking us why were in such a remote place, if others were with us, and other questions we thought strange, but could not stop ourselves from answering. When she was through, she knew we were alone, and our comrades were either missing or dead. Her answer to all of that was to offer us a new life, so to speak, since she couldn't remove the vampire's curse.
We were all curious, and heard her out. She and her brothers and sisters were going to remake the world. Not destroy it, but change it. Those that survived the wars and the cleansing would be changed into some other creature, so long as it wasn't human, or resembled them too much.
Right away, we were scared, but being the oldest, and the leader of our group, I stepped up first. Under her gentle touched, I watched as my body changed into a feline. Soft chocolate brown fur covered my body, and my hands and feet resembled versions of the cat. Even my face looked like a feline's down to the slitted pupils. It was painful, definitely, but I liked what it was I became. Change isn't easy to something that lives forever and isn't technically alive, but I endured the process without too much of a fuss.
Since I survived my small change with out screaming too much, my two friends stepped up, and went through it themselves. My bassist changed into a rat of all things, but he looked cute with his black and white fur, and the fiddler, well, he turned into a ferret type creature. Needless to say, we were pleased.
After a small performance by the three of us, she left without either of us seeing when or where she went. The rest of the night was spent getting accustomed to our new bodies, and when the sun rose, we were fast asleep. That night's sleep lasted for well over a century from what I could guess.
2223 - Mid Summer
Awakening after that long of a sleep felt good for some reason, and the memories of what happened just before were there, but very cloudy. Trying to pick out a specific event took a lot of effort. Strangely enough, neither of us was hungry after waking up from such a long rest. It was as if it were a single day we slept through.
When we stepped outside our haven, the mountainside was still the same, and yet somehow, it wasn't. It looked greener, and new, compared to the faded memories, and on that clean breeze, the smells of the natural earth could be found, and others awakening all over. We didn't know how different the world looked until we ventured towards town.
That little town was no longer there, not even a scar from where the buildings sat. It was as if it were never there before. In its place was a pond, and a single cottage, very interesting indeed. A man, resembling a cougar lived there, kind and gentle, and very wise, directed us to where he thought the closest town would be. We gave him our thanks and left. That was the last time we saw him. As I think back on that first encounter with a furred mortal, I can't help but to think that that mortal was familiar somehow.
Following his directions, we eventually came across a small village, and there, we stayed for a short time. We were careful about how we fed among them so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Even though we craved to be known again, we kept to the shadows and hid from mortals. They never knew we were there.
2224 - Mid Spring
For the better part of a year, we scurried from one shadow to another, feeding off the mortals until we had gathered our strength and learned a bit more about this remade world of ours. What we found out was that everything was taken back to medieval times in technology, and magic was everywhere. Quite a few were still learning and mastering their new found powers.
How could a trio of undead musicians live in a world like this? Well, we found a way. Back in our haven, we found our instruments. My grandfather's guitar, though it was old and ready to retired permanently, my old harmonica, the fiddle, and a flute the bassist was learning to play. With these, we made our way in the world as a wandering band of bards. Our shows, though small, drew crowds to the taverns and parks we'd stop and play in.
We all had to adjust so we wouldn't be discovered easily. Touring became our life style once again, but this time, it was because it meant life or death to us. Years upon years were spent traveling from one village to another, entertaining the populace under the watchful eyes of some of the strangest creatures. Before we knew it, we came to where Los Muertos once stood.
2240 - Early Fall
There was nothing left of the town except for the park. That park was how we knew we found our old home. It looked strange being covered in tall waving grasses at the edge of a dense forest. From there, we turned north to see what else could be found.
Eventually, we found the Pacific, and a few sea side towns, but that was all. We continued to follow the coast to the north, into the wilderness that was once Canada, and Alaska, but oddly enough, it wasn't cold. Even stranger, a land bridge once again connected North America with Russia. This fact we didn't know until we encountered a village two days walk into the Russian wilderness.
The people there still spoke that old language, but with some effort we finally understood them. It felt strange being in Russia and not really knowing we were there. Because of some stories we were told by other elders and Adam, we made our way deeper into the continent towards Europe, where we knew it would safe for us to travel in the open. Never walk that vast continent unless you absolutely have to. If we weren't in forests, we were traveling through valleys and barren landscapes. The people there were well suited to the climate, and we weren't.
Very quickly, all three of us mastered a weapon. I took to the bow and arrow, and kept a knife handy for in case it was needed while my two friends took to the sword and spears. Many an evening was spent learning these unfamiliar weapons. Not to mention the cuts we suffered because of them. That is what happens when you have to learn something new without the proper instruction.
I can honestly say we had fun during those nights, making fun of each other while we learned. Adapting to this world was difficult, but we managed, if slowly. We weren't the only ones trying to adapt either. We came across a few other vampires that were trying to make use of the things around them.
2243 - Spring
The slow trek to Europe ended one night when we found a few vaguely familiar landmarks. At first we thought we weren't going to make it because of the biggest mountain range we had ever seen blocking our path, and the hostile vampires belonging to Asia. If it wasn't one thing chasing us, it was another, but we endured. Most of the three years trekking across Russia and China was spent running from werewolves, a very strange kind of vampire, or the occasional hunter. Fairies and sunlight were the least of our worries.
Europe, glorious Europe, how I adore that continent, after so many years of travel just to see her green forests and I hoped generous people, I was happy to be someplace familiar. Even Europe was vastly changed after hundred or so years of sleep. The cities were gone, replaced with forests, meadowlands, rivers, swamps and villages, if farms hadn't taken over. Castles had sprung up with bustling communities growing around the outer walls, replacing the cities we were familiar with. It all fit, believe it or not.
2245 - Summer
Many of the rivers had changed courses during the remaking and mountains had sprung up almost everywhere. As we were passing through what we thought was once Germany and Austria, we watched a race the earth hadn't seen in far too many ages step out of a swirling vortex. These people looked like something out of a Piers Anthony novel or Lord of the Rings. Any Dungeons and Dragons gamer would know what they were without batting a lash. Elves, dwarves, giants, gnomes, griffons, and dragons appeared along with other fantastical creatures we couldn't name.
We watched as they spread out and left the region, except for the elves. Hundreds, possibly thousands gathered in this one area we were in. All of them were fair skinned just like in the stories I've read. Some were tall, others were short, most looked like they were nobles while others looked like they were straight from a Tarzan movie.
Only one race of elf ventured out after those first elves dispersed to claim their lands. These were as dark skinned as any human from Africa, but with pale hair. Neither of us liked them from the start and quickly left the area. It felt strange witnessing the first arrival of the elf races to our world, but even that seemed fitting.
As we were leaving those mysterious people, my small group was attacked by a band of those dark skinned elves. Our first instinct was to fight for our lives. Before we made our escape, we took four of them, but my rat friend lost his life when he took a strike meant for me.
Later, we found that same band again, and took our revenge. None of them were left alive, or in one piece. It was then I started to realize I was beginning to succumb to my nature. I didn't want to, but it was happening, and I was warned so many years before by a now dead friend. How I longed for those innocent days once again.
Every night seemed like a nightmare for the longest time. Only when I was entertaining was I happy, and slowly, that joy was fading away. The creative spark I fought so hard to keep had finally burned out, which left my ferret friend the only one coming up with new material or ideas for our shows. Eventually, even he had to call a stop to the constant travel.
2279 - Early Summer
We took the time to find a place that was remote enough to not be found, but close enough to a town so we didn't have to work too hard for our meals. That haven is now my current home, located deep in the mountains that separated Southern France from Spain, or what ever they call these two countries now. There has been no other travel since my creative spark died, only quiet contemplation during the long lonely nights.
Over the years, we found other vampires and invited them to stay with us in our small castle. With our guests' help, this haven became very well hidden amid the trees and cliffs. The trails became so twisted that even I got lost once in a while coming back from hunting. That problem was taken into account. Several smaller hiding spots were made so anyone caught out near sunrise could have a safe place to rest.
Many different kinds of vampires came to live within this castle, mostly that were very remotely related to those we once dealt with far in the past, or eventually came to trust in our travels to this part of the world. The rest, decided to make their own way in other parts of the world. For a while, we'd hear from them, but soon, like everything else, those few letters came to an end.
2290 - Fall
The village, after the castle finally became established and very well hidden slowly grew to become a small city. Somehow, along the way, the people found out about us, but thought we were very reclusive nobles and didn't bother us for much. They willingly gave us gold for taxes each spring, and in return, we policed the town during the night, and hired the strongest of the mortals to take care of things during the day.
Before we knew it, the town became the center of commerce for the region by the way of well traveled roads making us a stop on the way to other far off places. For a time, I went into town and would play for the crowds, or would prowl the crowds at each winter carnival and harvest festival. There was so much to see and experience, and yet so little drive to go out and enjoy it all.
All those years of touring took that urge out of me long before the world made this big change. Yet... I found myself thinking back on those days more and more when I wasn't entertaining the odd caravan down in my favorite tavern. After more than two hundred years, I found myself thinking about a part of my past I thought was long forgotten.
2392 - Spring
Since the world changed, mortals began to live longer, seeing well past 100 hundred years without showing signs of their age, and yet there were no spells placed on them, or something else done. It was natural for them to live so long, so slipping away every 20 years or so became a thing of the past.
The only reason I noticed this is because one of the mortal guards for the castle celebrated his 150th birthday and his 75th year working for us as a guard. Strange how none of us noticed this before. It did, however, make things much easier for us. We could finally sit back and relax while we enjoyed ourselves.
Also this same year, war finally broke out in our little part of the world. It seemed that a baron in a neighboring country saw our wealth, and decided to take it for himself. The citizens rose up, and fought hard to keep their lands safe, while we vampires took to fending them off in the night. We were still young, and strong, so this seemed to be the best thing to do for our little province.
But what this war did do the most, was bring us to the attention of the local monarch. A little quick thinking and a few mind tricks had the monarch agreeing with us, and leaving our town, and us alone with the signing of a single treaty. Legally, we were a part of their country, but really, we were our own little country within theirs.
2402 - Winter
Unwittingly, I, and my ferret friend, began a very rudimentary bard guild while we were entertaining in the town before the war. Those few amateur musicians took our words to heart and worked hard to become the best in their works before they settled down and started a school to carry those teachings on with others interested in learning the musical trade.
Many times over the years, I found myself visiting the school, and eventually teaching students how to play the flute and guitar. The best of them found themselves being embraced by me, or my fiddle player, after they finally became masters within the guild and showed interest in what we were.
I knew the dangers of letting anyone know our secret, but these we knew could be trusted, and they proved it time and again. Only a few bothered to stay with me in the castle and work with us either in the guild, or down in the tavern. The rest left after learning the basics of being a vampire, then left for parts unknown to start their own guilds, or provinces like ours. All I could do was wish them luck and made sure they had everything they needed when they left.
2420 - Spring
Somehow, with the fame of the guild growing, and the town slowly becoming a city, that things just aren't as exciting any more. It has been 417 years since I was first brought into the night as a vampire. The excitement of living just isn't there any more. Dieing doesn't seem to be the answer, so I figure a nice long nap might revive me a little bit. Only my friend knows how bored I've become, and he seems to feel the same way.
A young mage, a sweet and cute little feline woman, has caught my attention. She's been around since about 20 years after the world woke up, and has caught the hearts of mortal and vampire alike with her beautiful voice. Since she joined the guild, her vocal talents improved ten fold and her musical skills were magnificent. She was the only mortal we told about our going down for a long nap. We trusted her that much, and asked her to make sure we were undisturbed for at least 500 years.
2525 - Summer
When we awoke, time had changed much in our little valley. It was more than 500 years since we went to sleep. In fact, it was little more than a full 1000 years. In that time, our valley experienced massive earthquakes that changed the river's course and drowned the town we knew. The town was rebuilt higher up on the mountain side where any other course changes made by the river wouldn't damage the town again. That wasn't all.
Two more wars broke out during our long sleep, both of which left deep scars in the country side, and took away many of our most trusted guards. Their lives will be fondly remembered while we still live. The last of the two wars ended up with the whole matriarchy being over turned and replaced with another. Had we been awake, we might have stopped it from happening, for the new monarchs were very pitiful in comparison.
Amazingly, our feline friend was alive, and well, and still very young looking after all this time. It was she that woke up from our long sleep; made sure we were fed well, and explained what happened while we slept. It was also she that suggested we go in search of any living descendants of the monarchs we knew and trusted. It wasn't until much later that I felt as if we were being used in some way to help move history along.
We searched for what seemed like an eternity, when it was really only about ten years before we found who would be the new queen of the country. In those ten years, we saw much of the country we once knew as France and what kind of influence we had on it before we took our nap. After more than 1000 years, our influence was still strong in how the music was played, and the lyrics.
By the time we returned to the castle with the soon to be queen, my creative spark had returned. With it, I started writing and composing again. We also took the time to teach the young queen how to be a noble, while our feline friend taught her how to use magic.
2535 - Mid Summer
After ten long years of tutoring and training, our young queen was finally ready to take her place as the official monarch of our country. Naturally, we did have quite a few attempts on her life, as well as ours, but if it weren't for the fact we were vampires, she would have been lost before reaching the throne. Instead, we had a few good meals we had to fight for., not to mention a little bit of fun.
Instead of a full blown battle, there was only a small skirmish outside the capitol for a distraction, and we took her inside and had a few 'words' with the usurper without much resistance. Before the clocks struck midnight, our young lady was in place on throne, and those that took it by force found themselves in jail for a very long time. She took our secret to the grave with her and left us alone when it came to the little things. She knew we wouldn't try anything, and we respected her for that.
What came as a surprise to her, we showed her loyalty throughout her reign. For her, we did everything a province was supposed to do to support their monarch. In return, she made it so her successors would leave us alone unless we found them to be just as trust worthy as her. There were only a scant few to ever compare to her.
2640 - Late Spring
With my creativity returned, I spent a century going from town to town, singing, and playing for the crowds while I searched for other bards that learned at the guild in my little town. I felt the need to bring them all together and teach them something new to pass on to the next generation of bards. Once again, I felt like I was being lead around by some strange force to make sure certain things happened.
My feline friend added to that feeling when ever she would visit. Many times during that century of travel, our paths would meet to go the same way for a while. A few things she said, though mysterious at the time, made sense later after certain events happened. What stood out the most is that when my started back to my home, she said that I had to meet certain people before I could finally let myself meet the end. People I was sure weren't even born yet.
One, I had already met, though it was not a furry, or elf. This one was a young white dragon. When I saw the dragon during my6 travels, it was quite young, no more than 50 years old and just gaining its wings and freedom. I could sense the strength this one had, but I also sensed that this dragon was going to be trouble sometime in the future.
Never in my life have I ever seen anyone act stare at me so hard then judge me solely on what I looked like. Even when I was alive, no one took my looks at face value. This dragon, if I didn't have a contingent of others with me, and all of us well armed with enchanted weapons, would have set me on fire right then and there for walking through his territory unknowingly. A fifty year old dragon, taking on a handful of 1000 plus old vampire, and many two and three hundred year old ones as well, just wasn't very smart, and he wasn't very brave at the time.
2780 - Late Fall
About every 20 or 30 years after meeting that dragon, my feline friend would visit and ask if my friends and I would go on a little quest for her to find someone, or run a specific errand our skills would be able to handle easily. It was during one of these quests that a terrible plague ran rampant throughout the world. Heavily populated areas, such as the town servicing my castle, were struck hard. The illness was a complete mystery to all of us, for only a few symptoms would occur then the victim would die instantly.
The first to be struck down were the strongest magic users. From them, it spread through the magic guilds that were established and into the general populace via the magical healers. Only my dear sweet feline friend saw the connection between the illness and magic use. If she hadn't kept herself isolated so much, she, too, would have fallen victim to the plague.
Because we weren't really alive, I, and the other vampires, were immune to its affects, though I did wonder at times since a few of the younger ones died mysteriously. This fact is what had her asking me and my oldest friend to in search of a very special healer. Seers told where she could be found, but not who. In order to locate this healer, we were given a special gemstone, which I wore on a pendant.
When we left, the town was yet affected because it was far from many of the normal routes, even with the caravan roads passing so close. After our return a year later, half the town was dead, and they were suffering. The few surviving that knew what we were, were offered the chance to shake off their mortal ties and be a vampire. All but one accepted, which made our population within the castle grow even more.
Seeing so many die in such a short time affected me more than the loss of my fiancé. Everywhere I went; there was death, even in those remote places deep in the forests where very few go. The plague struck fast and stuck hard, with barely enough time to react.
Strangely, though, after the healer was found and set to work, magic in mortals seemed to disappear for a short time, even my own seemed to be a little more difficult to manipulate through the use of my blood. We all found it odd, and very disconcerting.
2790 - Winter
After about ten years had passed, magic crept back into the world. It appeared as small flashes at first among the oldest of the mortals the slowly built up from there. Each month saw more and more until what was lost was returned.
During those years of no magic in the mortals, I spent much of my time in the castle teaching the new initiates how to use their own new talents to manipulate mortals and some of the world around them. It was during one of these lessons that something occurred to me. Here I was, well over 1000 years old, almost 2000 by then, and something strange had happened within me and my dearest friend.
As far as vampires go, we were quite old, and our power was growing stronger by the year, even our tastes changed to where we didn't need to feed as much as we used to, and when we did, it wasn't just mortals we fed on. Many of the younger vampires we came across, ones we made just after the world changed, became the source of our interest for food. I was very ashamed of myself when I finally realized it.
2856 - Early Fall
Nearly 50 years after my revelation, another war broke out, but not among the mortals. This one was among the undead, like me, liches, and other night creatures. The war was over territory, my territory to be exact. Others that were there when the world changed decided to try and take what was mine by force. Other creatures were pushed into service of our enemies to attack us during the day, but even then, they were thwarted, only because the inhabitants of the town were very loyal to us without being manipulated.
This war showed me just how much influence I had over this region, and to what extent the people would go to keep things just the way they were. For several years, the war went on, with only a small part of it seen by mortals, and the rest kept to the night among the undead only. During this time, a necromancer joined our side with the excuse; he liked how we took care of business. The monsters and ghouls he summoned helped us to win the war and push those renegades far from our castle home.
Soon after the war ended, I found a young male fox, orphaned by the war, roaming through the forest surround the castle. The poor little guy was starved and sick, and in bad need of a home. There wasn't anything I could do except give him a home, and raise him as if he were my own son. This wasn't very easy to do at first, but in time, I figured out how to manage.
During the brightest part of the day, a nanny I hired from the town saw to his care and education, while the rest of time, I was there to handle things. As he grew, he learned everything about me and the history I cam from, as well as learn to be a great musician.
2866 - Summer
Having someone young around made me feel young once more. Marus was truly young, just a teenager when he finally entered the bard's guild in town. Within a few years, he surpassed his classmates and was soon noted to be a master instrument maker, and song writer, not to mention having a voice the young ladies fell for. He made me proud, very proud.
His graduation was the highest point in both our lives. He worked hard for everything he achieved, and when he was recognized as a true master within the guild, he couldn't have been happier. Soon after his graduation, he studied with the town guards in how to defend himself with sword and bow. Both proved difficult, but he persevered.
As soon as he thought he was ready, my adopted son left the castle to explore the world like I had done when so very long ago. Soon enough, Fate started using him, sending him places that his voice and talents were needed, while I did the same in other ways. Our paths crossed many times, which made me very happy.
On one such occasion, in his first year of exploring, we came across the white dragon I had met when I was doing more traveling. He was much bigger, and more powerful now, and even more evil than when we first met. The dragon didn't remember me, but I remembered him very well.
Just as before, he hated us the moment he set eyes on us entering his territory. Naturally, we didn't know and were surprised to find out. My adopted son stepped up to this challenge and won the beast over with his music before slaying him. This made him a hero to the closest towns, for the dragon was a huge menace to them. Somehow, the tale of how my son met and defeated the dragon made its way to the populace before we entered the first town, but it was a story worth telling over and over.
Soon after we left that town, our feline friend found us and casually asked how the dragon was really defeated while we walked towards the next place on our trip. It wasn't until much later that all those questions seemed a little odd, even for her. There wasn't much I could do except to shrug off the feeling and go on my merry way with Marus.
2904 - Early Spring
Time was kind to my adopted son, and for him, gave him a very long life. Though he gained a few gray hairs, he never aged much beyond his thirties. He always retained that youthful look and that bright spark in his eyes. In many ways, this made me very happy, for loosing him to the ravages of time would have rendered me insane and the thought of embracing him wasn't pleasant either.
Almost forty years had passed since he slew the dragon, and he barely looked like he had aged a few years since. Many mortals would love to look so young for so long. He was still quite young compared to myself, and strong for a mortal; another reason to be proud of him.
As the years slowly crept by, he traveled further and further away from home, and returned less and less often. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later, but I had hoped it wouldn't be so soon. Before I knew it, there were long years between his visits instead of weeks or months. Each visit also lasted less and less until he'd only stop just long enough to rest then go on his way to where ever the winds took him.
With each passing year, a little more of me died inside from missing him so much and not being able to talk with him like I used to do. Those talks help keep happy and alive because his views were so refreshing and without bias. No one never knew what to expect from him about any subject. If we thought he'd like something, we'd find out he was strongly against it, then vice versa. He kept us on our toes all the time.
3003 - Early Winter
Worrying over Marus as his travels took him further and further away kept me from noticing that my 2000th year as a vampire had finally come. In the cold of late winter, as I sat near a window to watch for my son's eventual return, I realized deep inside, that the day I was first embraced had come. It was an odd feeling, knowing I could remember almost all of my life which spanned millennia instead of centuries like many of the long lived mortals. Nothing happened, and I didn't change, but it was the passing of that particular day that started me thinking, and writing these memories down.
Thinking is not a good thing for me, for it always brings back those memories that I wish to forget. This time, I had reminded myself of an argument I had with an old friend. It was such a petty thing, but I fear that is why he hasn't come for his usual visit. Arten was more than a year over due for his annual visit by the time I really noticed anything.
He and I argued a lot about the gods and what they did to the world in general. He saw one way of the last humans being changed, while I, and the last of my small group, saw something different. I remember seeing sadness in the eyes of the god that changed me into the feline that I am now. Her touch was gentle and kind as if she didn't want to harm anyone, but she regretted having to do what she did.
The band and I never saw her again after that night, but many times I have felt a presence similar to hers. When you have been touched, and changed, by a god, you tend to remember how they felt and the aura they gave off. Perhaps she was watching me and those I kept close as we lived out our lives in the night. There is no telling, but I'm sure someone has been, for fortune doesn't smile on anyone this much. But, I digress.
In the spring, just as the rains ended, Marus did return home at long last. He looked tired and worn, as if time was finally catching up with him, but he still had his youthful appearance. Experience gave this look to him, and I understood it far too well. The only thing I could do was let him rest and ask him to stay for a while and talk.
He had been gone for almost five years before he came home this time. During that time, he had seen a war that rivaled the Civil War of the United States long before everything had changed. In his eyes, as he told me everything, I saw the pain of watching friends die needlessly and families being torn apart. If he would have allowed me, I would have taken those memories away, just so I could see his smile once again.
Arten's disappearance was forgotten while I took care of my grieving son. He needed more than ever in this time of his life. Had Marus not needed me, I would have ended my life soon after he had left on his next journey. Only he knew that I planned on meeting my final death at some point, because it was only he I gave my final instructions to.
My son convinced me to hang on a while longer, as did our mage friend Everia when she was asked to set a preservation spell on not just my journal, but on the castle after I, and James, were gone so that any of our children or other vampires in need of shelter, would have a safe place to rest when dawn came. The hard work we put into building the castle and filling it with memories was the main reason for asking her to help after our passing. I have forgotten many of the secrets these walls hold.
3109 - Mid Summer
I have walked these halls millions of times, before and after my long nap, but rarely have any of them sparked memories of the times before the world was changed. Just when it seemed that the anniversary of my vampire life was finally put aside, another pops up, blaringly, to the front of my memory. A single picture of the town below the castle in its early years brought about the memory of another dear, lost friend.
Her beautiful face and love of life in all its forms brought a smile to my lips every time her name was mentioned. Allisande was perhaps the most open minded and well loved of anybody I had ever known. I didn't know her that well, but she always made me feel welcomed and at ease when ever we'd meet. This anniversary of her memory was not a good one, for it was the reminder of her death that it served.
Her death sparked many things in both Arten, and me. In Arten, it sparked the need for revenge. The ones that not just killed her should have died, but the ones that targeted her, and him. We both knew that the attack wasn't just coincidence. In me, it sparked the need to gather everyone I could together, and take them to a safe place until the danger had passed. Loosing both Derrick and Allisande hurt worse than anyone could ever know. Even the songs I wrote couldn't reflect the grief I felt at the time.
Where ever Arten is now, I hope this anniversary doesn't make him any bitterer than what he already is. As much he tried to hide it, I could see just how jaded and bitter he was getting as the years passed. Where he lost hope, I found a way to move onward. Perhaps he couldn't see what I did.
3159 - Late Summer
While I worried about where Arten had gone to, and if he ever forgave me what I said when we last met, civil war broke out in the land I called home. Instead of North against South, it was East against West. A major river bisected this country down the middle as it wandered towards the Mediterranean Sea. That river became the dividing line between the factions. To make things worse, I lived on the west side of the river, while the monarchy I supported lived on the eastern side.
My loyalties were strained, so I refused to take sides. For about a year, this kept my province neutral in the war. Because of our neutrality, we were a safe place for the injured to stay while they recuperated. My castle became a place where peace talks would be held, but that didn't last long at all. A simple rumor ended our neutrality, and it was started because of a simple misunderstanding.
Mortals can confuse things so easily when they hear only half of a conversation that didn't involve them. The mortal, one of the new guards, that started this rumor soon found himself at the end of a very sharp sword. It was a violent end for such a tiny matter. But, that tiny matter tarnished my reputation. It took more than eight years to clear my name and set things right, but the civil war itself ended within three years of starting.
Nothing escaped the wrath of that civil war. Once more, the town was decimated from the fighting and sickness was everywhere from the last resort tactics of the eastern side of the country. It didn't matter, we were now in a separate country from the royalty we supported. The royals we found ourselves under did well, but they didn't have the same flair as the others.
3223 - Autumn
By the time the civil war became nothing more than a bad memory the elders in the town wanted to forget, I had decided that I had been around far too long. Marus had gone off again, this time at my request to try to find Arten and let him know that I was sorry we had argued and to please come visit again some time. It has been so long since my son left, I fear the worst, and I can not stand the wait much longer. Now, more than ever, I need a friend that understands, someone that has been down that same road that I have to talk me out of these spiraling thoughts of death.
It would be chance if my son could find any of the others that made it through the changing with us. Even if they were found, they have no reason to come and talk me out of dieing. With as quiet as it has been lately, Fate must be done with what ever she needed me for. Strange how I think of a concept as a real being now, for it was Aedammair that got me to thinking like that.
Even her visits are very few and far between now. The last I saw of that beautiful feline, she was there to help clean up the devastation the civil war left behind. She stayed for a few years, to make sure none of the illnesses would return and that everything was running smoothly once again. All I have done since was watch the world go by and see who might come to visit.
I sit here now on my balcony, looking out over the forest with nothing more than the moon, and a single candle lighting the darkness around me. This paper and this quill I use are but pale memories of what I once had. For the last several hundred years, I have sat in this very chair, contemplating the night sky and wondering if Adam did make it through that long sleep, or if any others I once knew survived as well.
The town this castle was built near has grown since I first made this my home. It was once a tiny village with barely a single street running through the middle of it. Now, it's a bustling community. Once in a great while, I go down and walk among the mortals, watching them go on with their lives and adding a bit of musical entertainment. Just as in my younger days, I became well known, and my infrequent visits a celebration for these people.
Their joy became my joy, but it was pale compared to what I had once known. This unlife of mine was becoming boring regardless of what I tried to do. The years brought me many good friends among the mortals. Mages and nobles alike were among my friends. Only one, an orphaned fox captured my attention. He had a talent that rivaled my own, and under my care, he blossomed into a great bard.
It is to him that I gave my final instructions to. Before he left to travel the world and make a name for himself, I made him promise to return to this castle once in a while to make sure I was still around. If he ever returned and found that I had finally given myself to the sun's rays, he was to take this journal to the only mage I trusted so that a preservation spell could be cast on it. For just in case, I also left written instructions for him, and James to follow after my death.
Yes, my dear reader, I am planning for my last days. This existence no longer holds anything for me, and my closest and dearest friend knows it. He's been watching me closely for about a year now. He and I have both lived for well over two thousand years now, and have watched the world change.
I'm trying to hang on long enough to see three thousand years, but I don't know. That's an awful long way off. Maybe a nap, but I doubt a long torpor induced sleep would do any good. I miss my family and friends, the life I had when I was just a simple singer trying to make it big, and the adoration of fans that would run up out of no where just to ask for my autograph.
There is only one question I have that I can not answer. Maybe, you, dear reader, can answer this for me after you've finished reading this journal. The fame I have earned before the world was remade, and the fame I earned after, was it all due to my own natural talent as a singer and song writer, or was it because of the use of the talents I gained when I became a vampire? Or could it, by perchance, been the result of my sire's work behind the scenes? It is something I would like to know, but the answers elude me even now. Maybe I am just too tired with living to try and answer them myself.
To my dear friend Arten, or what ever you may be calling yourself now, do not take my death to heart. When you stopped visiting, I began to think about my life, and thought how empty it was without Allie, or my band, or anyone else I've come to know over the centuries.
Yes, I worried about what happened to you, and wondered if the bitter words we shared might have been the cause of your staying away for so long. It was such a petty fight, that I can not remember why we argued. I ask only, should this journal find its way to you one day to read this, that you forgive me as well. It was companionship I wanted, not to take the place of your beloved Allisande. Trust me when I say that I had grown fond of you after all this time.
Thank you for being there, Arten. You helped to keep me from falling apart when times became tough, and helped me to laugh when times were good. Don't try to change the whole world, simply adapt to it, and change the little things that you can. Let go of your anger before it tears you and maybe, the world apart. You are stronger than you realize, and that could be your downfall one day. May your travels lead you to where you need to be, my friend, and don't forget about your favorite country singer.
3225 - Mid Spring
The castle is finally quiet, dear reader. My only surviving friend, James, is resting, and everyone else is either asleep or gone. Just so that you know what it looks like on this last night of my life, I'll describe what I see now. This castle looks out over a valley, there's a river down there, reflecting the starlight as each star winks out before the dawn. There's a forest in my immediate vicinity, concealing this castle from the town sleeping below. The eastern horizon is just beginning to color with the rising sun.
All the midnight blue of the night sky is turning purple right now. Soon enough there will be pink and orange, then the soft blue I used to play under as a little girl. Yes, the time is now to bring this life to a close. Goodbye dear reader. I hope that this journal survives the ages long enough to be found and read by someone who will be able to understand everything I have written.
It is my sincerest hope that even you will understand why I'm giving myself up to the suns light. If only you could hear the call of my long lost fiancé, my parents, and all my childhood friends. I can hear them, begging me to join them in that place where we could be together again. Most of all, I hear Derrick's voice calling to my lifeless heart, asking me to come to him so we could finally be one for all eternity.
Fare well, and may this journal find its way into the future unharmed.
You're loving and gentle friend from the past,
Clarissa Jane Browning, A.K.A. Sable
Clarissa's ashes, what few that remained, were found soon after sunset when I set out to find her. She chose her favorite spot in the garden to sit and wait for the sun it looks like. I knew she loved that particular place in the garden, because it had a perfect view of all the little plots and a clear view of the valley below with the bench so close to the edge of the cliff.
This is where she wanted her remains to be buried, and that is what I did, after carefully picking them up and placing them into her favorite vase. Word had come in just after I found her that Marus was on his way back to live with his own wife and their baby girl. That is what kept him away so long this time. He had found a life of his own to enjoy.
As soon as he arrives, we'll hold a little memorial service for her then announce it to the town that Marus be taking her place as the new baron. He won't like the idea, but she chose, and trained him, just for this, not that he'll have much trouble with me keeping watch.
Clarissa would laugh at me now, and say like she usually does, 'James, you are a worse worrier than I am, but you know how to take care of a body.' I guess I am a worrier, but she is right, in what ever way you wish to take that comment. When I close my eyes, I can still hear her.
We will all miss her singing and laughter, for without her, this castle is empty and without life. As soon as things are ser settled around here, I'll see about giving the Bards' Guild all of her lyrics and sheet music so her music won't die, or her memory with it.
There is much to, but now, who ever reads this diary, will know what everything was done to give her a proper send off and that her memory lived on.