Bloodied Hands: A Vampiric Crusade

Chapter 1 Tattered Memories

"Okay, now" I said to myself as I woke again in the dungeon. I know, not the most glorious of places, but hey, losing a battle usually takes more from you...

Taking. That's what they did. They took my future away. We could've been happy. We... oh not again.

As I lay here chained my thoughts still go to her. She was worth fighting for, that's something no one can argue about. But still... The gnawing feeling returns, my loving thoughts are met by my cruel vampiric side, "Why do you even care, she's just another human. You've killed plenty before, and you're dyin' to do it again. Or, just dying in general, whatever works. You're the one starving."

I don't have the strength to argue with myself as I hear my stomach roar painfully. How long has it been? Days? Weeks? Time is irrelevant in permanent chains.

The thought flashes back, escape, for her. "I can't." I mumble through dry lips. Everything hurts, I've been sitting against the wall unable to move any decent distance away from it. My chains rattle as I shift slightly, they're heavy. Large chains were arranged for my little... team.

Where are they? As days passed they were taken one by one by the guards. They never returned. A week or two maybe have passed since the last of my friends were taken away. On that day many guards came and cleared every one but myself out. They're probably all dead.

Being alone is boring. They stopped bothering to torture me too, after a while. What was it, three weeks ago I believe. I don't know why they stopped torturing and then took everyone, must've been something special. Especially since the king hates us so much... Maybe he wanted to do it himself, and loneliness is my torture.

It struck me again. I miss her. Her smile drove me to a diet all on it's own. I lasted this long because of that. I switched to cattle and goats for her. They tasted so foul, it made me drink rarely, so I'm used to hunger. This is getting worse though, I'm finding my limits have drawn too close.

I hope she's safe... The thoughts return, "You know she's dead. It's all your fault. Why would he keep 'er alive? Unless 'e saw her as pretty and wanted in. She could be one of his new concub-" "SHUT UP!" I yelled aloud, scaring a nearby rat.

They never come near me, so I have no chance for nourishment there. It'd probably make me vomit anyways. I remember someone tried that before, they threw up, thankfully it was at the opposite wall. I still smell it now. They were taken away the next day.

By the gods, there she was. I see her. Dancing across the room. The smile it brought me was agonizing as my darkness called out, "You're hallucinatin'. You're dehydrated. Don't have hope now. You're the one that gave up, remember?"

Remember? I could remember lots of things... I remember meeting her. I released a light chuckle as the thoughts whipped back, "No, idiot. Do you even remember 'ow you got here?"

I thought, trying to remember. I lost the battle, right? They captured us. Yeah. That had to be it.

"You've lost it. We're dead. You didn't lose anything. You gave up. You saw the king with 'er. He used 'er to make you give, and that's exactly what you did."

I couldn't let her die, "So, you'll die instead?" Gladly.

I thought of it. My instinctual side was right, again. What else happened?

I started from the beginning, so I could get my thoughts in order once more before I fall into an eternal sleep of hunger.