Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Dracula's Son ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Dracula's Son

The castle stood an immense, dark structure. Spear like spires reaching for the sad sky, windows like tears falling for a lost dream. The wooden door resting lazily in its iron trim, closing the structure off to everything pass it's cherry panels. Not a creature to be seen in the desolate mansion when light ruled the world. As the sun set on the large providence the manor would come alive. Lights filled every eerie stained-glass window, voices could be heard laughing, and arguing, smoke rose from the chimney and the scent of lush foods wafted through the air. Night after night the town fell asleep to the sound and smells coming from their lord's home. Night after night they prayed the echo stay far from the simple decaying town.

For all the seeming gaiety of the lord's manor the town knew the truth that lay behind those cold stonewalls. The hard granite walls at one point were there to keep commoners out now the town saw then as ways to keep the lord in. They knew that for all its grandeur and dark beauty evil resides within its marble halls. The iron gates eased the panic thoughts of many while the wisest warned no object on the earth could spare them from the terror that ruled their land. There had been a time when no man had to fear the nobility, when those who did wrong were given up to their fate, but now no man was safe no matter the obstacle between them and death.

In the end the wise are never heard and life is lost. Against the wishes of the elders the townsmen left to dispose of the lord not know what truly they would face. Nothing could have readied them from the horrors past the wrought iron gate, through the towering wooden doors, and into the spacious main hall.


All is in order. She is ready to face them. There will be no one that can stop this. No one can stop us. Those petty mortals that dared enter my home have been disposed of. Though it is sad to rid myself of them in such ways it was called for. My guards quickly brought them down and I marveled at the number of them. Never before had such a large group challenged me so openly. The times are changing and I do not like what that may mean for my kind. I have too much to lose in this day than ever before in my immortal life. I may be the King of Vampires I will willingly forfeit all that entailed to protect this woman resting next to me. She is all that matters in this shadowed age. My beautiful and strong willed Claudia. My wife has given me everything that I never knew I even desired. All that I have been, all that I am, and all that I will be now centers on her and only her.

How things have progressed. She is no longer the same child I watched sleep night after night, soothing away her nightmares. Gently wiping away the tears that stained her high boned cheeks and she buried herself in my arms. It had been a creature like me that she had dreamed of, always running from. Never realizing that the one who comforted her should have been the one that she feared the most. No she had thought me some angel sent to whisk her away to safety. How fate can play such lovely tricks. I am no angel I am the devil yet still she came to me without fear, without hesitation. I wonder sometimes what made her throw aside all her peoples' hates and fears to run to my arms not caring that in a second I could kill her.
Now her she is, the once small creature a radiant woman, standing beside me as my queen. She is not a vampire yet, though that pains me deeply, because of the precious gift that has been bestowed upon us. This stunning creature beside me will bear an equally beautiful child. A child that can know what it is to be a part of each of us. Our child that will be half -vampire and half-human. It shall have the strengths of both mortal and immortal. We truly have been blessed. All the things this child can do that I will never be able to. This small child of mine. How odd to even think a thing such as this. How odd to think that I am to be a father. I place my hopes on this child. One day I would see that the hate festering between our kind gone. To have a child of both bloods will strengthen bonds and one day achieve what no battle could ever do. One day I pray this child will win peace and solidity for vampire and man alike. That peace can only come through the joining of the two groups. What better why to show this then by a child of Man and Vampire? But that can wait for the future. Right at the moment I just wish to look into my child's eyes and see my wife and I staring back at me. I want to hold this life we have created.
The time has almost come to set off for the village. My love is nervous. I can hear her erratic heart beat. Lovingly I clasp her hand between mine, gently squeezing. I softly smile as she squeezes back. I know she will not let her fear get in the way of what must be done. It is time that we prove to them all that love no bounds. It is time they no that a vampire can love a human and a human can love a vampire. Then they shall be introduced to their new queen.
"It is time to go, my love. Are you ready?" I whisper in her ear.
"I am ready for anything since you are with me." She kisses me lightly. I will never comprehend the depths of her courage. She is willing to face anything to be with me. How I love this mortal wife of mine. I will make sure that she is with me forever once this child comes. I will never find another like her. I see no way for me to go without her.
"Then let us be off, my love. There is much to do." I lead her to the awaiting carriage and help her in before entering myself. "You are strong, my beautiful one. I pray that our child is the same."
"I know he will be. I carry your son don't I? That must mean that he will be strong. Like his father." She rests her head against my shoulder asleep as the carriage takes us closer and closer to our destiny.


The sound is awful. I wish that I could just rip my ears off to avoid the sound. Yet I can't. It is my wife, my strong beautiful one, which is at the root of those sounds. Those wretched screams are coming out of my Claudia's mouth. They are screams that tear me apart and want to run to her side. I wish to take her into my arms and rock her to sleep as I have done so many times before. I beg to any one listening take her pain and place it in me. I die with every whimper and gasp. My world ends with those horrific screams. Let me in to share her pain that is all I ask. Do not let her lay there alone. But no they have forced me out into this darkened hall to pace and worry. I have been barred from my own chamber. The midwives said a husband, even if he is a vampire, will only get in the way. And that won't help anything. Do they know the torture they are putting me through as I listen to another scream is ripped from her throat?
I shudder as I hear her shriek again and again. God, she could put any banshee to shame. Through all this I can find pride in her as I stand here going insane with worry. But it is still painful to hear it. My beautiful creature is in pain and there was nothing that I could do to end it. I stand still as silence reigns over the tense castle. Bring back the screaming but please no silence. For many mortals silence can mean only death. I curse myself for waiting to change her. Now I feel I have lost her forever. If that is so I will fling myself into the daylight and join her for I am nothing without my wife beside me.
Then to my joy I hear a new sound. It's the crying of a baby. It is the crying of my baby. Now there is stopping me from entering my chamber. I must see my child. I have to see my wife and assure myself that she is safe. She said that it was to be a boy and oh how I teased her. I swore to her that there was no way that she could know whether it be boy or girl. Now we shall see who is right. However, as always I feel my wife will be the one teasing me.

I run through the doors as no one really tries stopping me. There she is, my love, covered in sweat and tears. There in her arms is the small body of our baby. She is in rapture over the small creature. I slowly walk over to the bed not sure what awaits me. I will admit that I was frightened. My Claudia looked so pale and so fragile but she seemed to glow at the same time. I gently lower myself onto the bed first checking to see if she is well and safe. Then, almost hesitantly I move the soft blanket away form the face of the child in her arms. She was right it is a boy. I should never doubt her. I stare at the little face looking up at me. Her eyes, he has her eyes. I carefully lift him into my arms awed by the calmness of him. I had been warned that children are retched things that do nothing but cry. No not my son. My son just coos softly at me as he raises a fisted hand to wrap around my long hair. I stare at him amazed and he just stares right back.

"Look, my husband, at your son. There will never be any question as to whether it is true that he is Dracula's son. Look at him. He looks exactly like you. He even has the dark hair already." She takes her eyes off our child and smiles up at me. My heart swells if that is possible for a vampire. I lean down and gently give her a kiss before hesitantly raising my hand to stroke my son's hair.
"He is beautiful like you my love. I never thought that you could ever give me anything equal to your love but you have. The news must be spread that the king has an heir. And that his heir is perfect like his mother." I stay as the nurses and midwife take my son to be cleaned before he most be brought back to my wife to fed. I stay and watch as both of them now sleep in a cleaner bed. My son has a hand wrapped around his mother's hair and she is holding him to her. This is my family. How wonderful it is to have them. I shall cherish my beautiful ones forever.


I run through the castle chasing my laughing son. He learned how to walk and run very quickly and he uses that to his advantage. With all the space in the castle he has many hiding places so we have to get him before he finds a new one. There have been many times when the whole household has been in an uproar searching for my mischievous son. My poor wife always worries that the next time we won't find him and other imaginative endings. Claudia is becoming over protective of the lad, barely letting him out of her sight even when the nurse is present. It seems longer and longer between the times where we can be calm and enjoy each other's presence. I wonder if you can baby proof a castle. Ah but that would take away our game when he does try to run to his hiding places.
My son grows at the rate of a normal human would. Each year there is something new that I must learn. I have never dealt with mortal children before. It is a strange thing that I must go through, that I gladly go through. He is growing healthy and strong with the poise and grace of his mother.
D is what we call him. My wife had insisted that we name our son after me but I gave him the nickname. Whenever she called our son I answered and vise versa. She had always used the same tone with both of us so it was easy to be confused. So for my own sanity I began to call him D and it stuck. One day I know he will probably hate the name but it had to be done.
Slowly, I sneak up behind the hiding boy. He is thinking that I will be coming from the other side and is only watching for me there. It is easy enough to grab him from behind. D let out a squeal as I lifted him off the ground. "I found you my little demon. Come your mother wants to see you." He squirms as I tickle him before placing him on my shoulders. My little D loves to be in high places but the only one he is allowed are my shoulders. His mother fears that should he go to high he will fall and hurt himself. I just laugh and say to her that he will never learn if he can't discover things for himself. She just glares at me before lightly smacking me on the shoulder seeing as she can't reach my head.
He looks at me with his innocent eyes. "Papa how come we can't go outside? Why don't you let me go and make friends? I'm lonely." Ah, my ever intelligent son.
"The sun isn't the kindest to your mother and me. In fact it doesn't like us at all. Do you remember what happened the last time that you had a friend? We can't have that happen again my son. I will try to find you something to play with, though. How about a werewolf pup? Would you like one of them for a friend? And here I thought that your mother and I were very good friends to have." I try to think of anything else for my son but there is nothing that I can do for him.
The last time this happened I had allowed him to go meet the children of the town, supervised of course. I only wish I had been there with him. That incident had nearly killed him. Mortals want nothing more then to kill our kind and they always will. Thankfully we are stronger, though my son would not survive against grown men yet. The boy's mother had made sure he stayed inside for some time after that. Ah the poor child. However, I agree with Claudia. He cannot go into the village again, not until he is older and stronger. I fear my dream might have come too early. Now I hope that it will not haunt him for the rest of his long life.
"But you're my mom and dad! You can't be my friends! You have to be my parents and play games with me. I guess a puppy would be fun." I can tell the boy doesn't like the idea of another puppy at all and it's not that hard to tell. The sigh gave it away. He seems to just surrender to the idea instead of accepting it. D is much like me. I can always tell what he's thinking. I know he longs for contact with other children his age but it's just too dangerous. Oh, my son if you only knew how much I wish I could give you what you want the most. I just can't risk losing you. To see you again as you were when you returned from the village, the only time I let you go, would make me keep you locked away from everything as I rid the world of those who dare think to harm my son. But isn't that what I am doing now, locking you up. I like to think it is for your own good but is it?
"We shall talk more later. Your mother wants you right at this moment. Let's not keep her waiting any longer."


Tonight I take my son to feed. This is his first time hunting. He is too old now to have the blood brought to him. He seems surprisingly reluctant. As a child he always asked to join me but was never allowed to for it was too dangerous for one so small. No longer is he a small child though. He is a grown as tall as I and with features so stunning many seem to drown in them. Many noble women have been vying for his attention yet he does not seem to heed them at all. As a child he was awestruck by them now they are practically falling at his feet. I cannot help but feel a burst of pride as I look over at his serene face. I can still picture the small boy trailing after me, begging for me to take him out with me. Now he seems as if he doesn't want to be here at all.
As much as he may try deny it he can't fight the craving. Not yet that is. As he ages his self-restraint grows stronger. There will come a day, if he so chooses, that he won't have to drink. Yet he will never escape the desire for the blood. None have ever been able to. After all my hundreds of years of living I still crave the warm metallic taste in my mouth. My wife still fears what she has to do in order to live now but she will still kill. Claudia will not let herself waste away no matter how much she detests the thought of killing humans for food.
A noise ahead brings me out of my thoughts. "D you must be silent as you move. It proves to be fastest when hunting. You don't have enough skill yet to play with them before you go in. Watch where you step and concentrate on what you do, silence is vital." He only gives me a nod to show that he is listening. How my son reminds me of myself at times is astounding.
D is very contemplative, he prefers the silence, and he can't stand how the others of the Nobility do nothing other then feed on the humans they terrorize. He sees how vindictive they have become and is disgusted. D looks at their outrageous over-display of wealth and power with contempt and scorn. Many have grown to fear the looks that he gives them. Yet none are immune to charm when he displays it. A true prince though and through. He will lead them well one day. I have no fear of leaving my kingdom in his capable hands. The nobility respects him though they fear his swift justice.
Yet many more loathe him for the fact that he is the son of a mortal and the King of Vampires. The very thought of a dmapire on the throne angers them. They see it as impossible for only a half-breed to rule over them, should it ever come to that. I hold no fear for the future. Neither would they if the nobility took the time to look at all that my son has already accomplished. He has dealt with the few villages in the area and since then there have been no uprisings or bloodshed. Many that we feed on now willingly come to us seeing it as a chance to be close to their lords. But most just wish for death and though it grieves my son he fulfills those wishes.
I watch as suddenly my son strikes. The young man never knew what was happening. All he saw was a black figure with glowing blue eyes. It was a flawless kill. No matter what is in his blood I am proud of him. He has learned everything quickly and perfectly.
"That was wonderful. As always you learn quickly." A place a hand on his back and I'm startled when I meet his eyes.
"I want more, father. I have never felt anything like it." His eyes still glow with that eerie blue. He is in the throws of full bloodlust. Through the night he takes four more. As I watch it seems that with every victim the desire and need becomes stronger. At last I tell him it is time to leave and there will be no more killing tonight. The thrill of the hunt took full hold of him this night yet never have I seen it so strong.
That night leaves me worried. I have never seen anything like what I saw tonight. I will have to watch him closely when I take him to hunt. He can't stay like that for everyone's sake. D might unknowingly destroy the peace he worked so hard to gain. This night it might have been a place were the mortals come to die by our hungers but there are only so many here. I can not have him taking the innocent and unwilling. D would never forgive himself is that were to happen.


My wife and son have gone for the night. They have left me here on my own. I never knew that someone could become so lonely so fast. I had to send them to another manor. It is becoming too dangerous here. The mortals have taken it upon themselves to rid the world of our kind. Any being not of human blood has been marked to die. I fear that due to this not only are the mortals that I rule over uprising, the vampires that are in my charge will try to kill my wife and child. To them it is only logical since they both have or had mortal blood in them. D wished to stay and fight by my side but though he has grown I can not allow that to happen to him. Nor could I have my wife stay. She now carries a full-blooded vampire within her. The dream I once carried for this world has died. I now see that we shall forever remain divided.
I fear that this is my own entire fault. Over the year I have grown lax in watching my son. The bloodlust has always been very strong in him, more so then any other vampire I have seen. I grew used to it and stopped going with him as he hunted. I fear he took too many. Now he grieves for the wrongs done and fights to stop the desire from overtaking him. I was told that D has locked himself in a room in hopes of not falling to temptation. I know he will succeed. I just pray he can do it before any more damage is done. He must protect his mother at all cost. In her state, she is open to many attacks and I will have nothing happen to her or that child, both my children. How I wish she was here with me now, wrapping her arms around me and whispering that everything will work out in the end. I love that woman more then life itself and it pains me to be parted from her.
There is more that I fear in this troubled time. Something has happened to my son. Though he was always reserved D has become a recluse. Something is very wrong when it is hard for his own mother to get him to talk to us. She could get him to speak by just a look now she has to beg him to talk to her. It is more then just shutting himself in that room. He is becoming frighteningly distant and there is nothing that I can do to stop it. His mother and I have tried everything we could think of and yet it seems day by day he moves farther away from us. But when this trouble is over I will take him away to rest, for we both shall need it, and I hope things will work out in the end. They have to. I will not let this set back destroy my family. I will work with him so that he may strengthen himself against this unquenchable bloodlust. Oh but how I wish they were with me now.
I miss them already. I must be a sad excuse for a vampire king if I can sit here upset after only a few hours without my wife and son. No wonder that I have lost face in the eyes of the other vampires. I appear dependent on my family. Yet is that such a bad thing? I would have bowed out long ago if not for them.


I have killed one of the greatest of our kind. Camilla the Bloody. A great duchess and there was no finer vampire. Before she defied me and went crazy. There was nothing I could do to redeem her. I look at her and pray that this is not what my son will become. News has been sent that he has over powered it but this victory is shadowed by the more numerous reports of vampires turning against me and terrorizing the mortals of the lands I had entrusted to them. More and more they leave my side and break their oaths. I fear that the world and order I have known is coming to an end.
How we begin to fall. There is no greater loss then the loss of a great race. Slowly we all will fall to darkness. Many that remain true are dead; many more have left to a safe haven in the sky. Our numbers dwindle quickly. It pains me to see such a thing happen. I fear that my kind will not last much longer. I place all my hope on my son and those like him. May they keep the noble blood alive and strong. I pray that my blood does not damn him to a life of shame. How I hope that he can carry on unmolested by the cruel world of mortals.
This I pray. This is all I have left to hope for. May D never waver in what he believes and that he can live a life like he knew as a child.


My wife returned to me this night. My Claudia said that she could not bear to be parted from me longer then she already has been. I am assured that our son remains safe. What our fate will be I have no idea. I held her close as she went to sleep this morning. She may not show it but I know that she is terrified. She does not know what is to happen, as do I. There is nothing that we can do to change whatever is to come down. Whatever may happen I will fight to keep her safe. I worry over the child she still carries within her. The days ahead will be treacherous ones. I wish she had stayed away and safe.
In a way I am very happy that she came back to me. I now have my strength back in full force. She has always made me stronger. I love her with every thing that I have. No one shall harm her while I still stand. Might I die I die knowing that I have protected her. None shall harm her as I still breathe.


They have come. The mortals have invaded my home. I hear the servants being slaughtered as I ready myself for the fight. They kill the people who have served me long and hard. I will not have them die in vain. These people will pay for harming those who have worked so faithfully for me. They will know why I was chosen to be king of all vampires.
I must go now. If I do not make it, I pray that my son may find this. I hope that when you read this D you do so with an open mind and do not think of what the mortals have said of me. You are my greatest accomplishment. Be strong and never forget that your mother and I love you. Trust your heart and not your head all the time.
Dracula
King of the Vampires
Husband to Claudia
Father to D


I close the journal. The words of my father run through my head. Many of my memories of him and my mother are long gone. I pushed them aside in my anger. I had blamed them to condemning me to this retched life. A life that where I have never belong with anyone. I know now that they had hoped that I would bring the two together. Their hope was misplaced. It drove the two groups farther apart and isolated my family.
How I wish that I could remember my mother. Dracula truly did love her. My father truly loved her. How they had loved me. So many memories long lost to me are now crying to escape. I can vaguely hear the voice of my mother singing me a lullaby to ease me into sleep.
I do remember hearing the news of the outcome of that last battle. My mother had died first while running to my father's side. He had been disarmed and was about to be killed when she saw him kneeling on the ground defiantly staring into the eyes of their attackers. . She jumped in the way to pass him his sword so that he might defend himself and not die by mortal hands. Unfortunately she was run through with an arrow that had been aimed at my father. He killed her murderer. In his rage Dracula was not able to see the one that came up behind him. That man killed the king of vampires. My father died holding onto my mother's hands. Together to the end.
"Well who would have thought that your father would be a sappy love fool? So D what are you going to do now?" The symbiot on my hand had read the entire thing with me. He is the only company that I have now. Though he may be annoying he is all I have. What was not put in this journal was what happened to me.
At the same time that my parents were being attacked, the people hiding me were attacked as well. They had no chance against the men. I barely had a chance. I fought hard and strong but in the end even I stood no chance.
I was severely beaten and left for dead. I would have died too if not for this lone symbiotic creature coming and healing me. In return I allowed him to attach himself to my hand. It has been that way ever since. Though he can be very annoying I wouldn't feel whole without him there. He is now a part of me.
"We should head back to the castle. There is more that I want to see now. Maybe I will remember something. I want to remember her. My mother and the vampire that was my father. Not the thing that the men have made him out to be." D turned the horse he rode back around.
In front of him the old castle lay ahead. The thing was falling apart yet in D's mind he could still see the majesty it once held. "It's time I go home."