Excerpt from the Prolog:
AFRICAN PROVERB: THE CHILD WHO IS NOT EMBRACED BY THE VILLAGE WILL BURN IT DOWN TO FEEL ITS WARMTH
"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it." Samuel Johson
"Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can surv...
Macbeth Raymondovich's evil-villain survival tip Numero Uno:
• Never enrage someone whom you just inspired to become eviler than you are.
General weird-villain survival tip Numero Uno:
• If you EVER see a monster bleed in reverse...
RUN!!!
...and humans make for the most dangerous monsters...
"Lord Gairon": age 14
...the birth of a vampire...
A cold, winter's wind. A total eclipse of the binary suns by the brown dwarf, Isabel. The acrid smoke from the Commune's conflagration stung Lord Gairon's nostrils. He was the last 1 standing: the sole survivor. (At least Blood Daisy and her husband had moved to his commune.)
The rowdies who'd been responsible for orphaning Squiggles years before now warily eyed the lad. Who was he? Nay! What... was he? This char-sheathed, defiant cadaver who looked like troll's darkest nightmare? And...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
And was his blood starting to drip upwards??
The tall rowdies rode beautiful, 4-legged horses, which Gairon guessed were "unassimilated." At least, that's the term that the rabbits had used. As for the rowdies', um, boom-sticks? (Gairon had never seen muskets before.) Huh. No matter.
• And these uncouth heathens wore leggings instead of kilts?! What dunghill did they crawl out from under?!
Cody, their leader (or at least chief loudmouth) said to Gairon with unwarranted contempt, "Why ain't you dead, boyo?"
"I am Lord Gairon."
"Not an answer, boyo."
The youngest rowdy: Ahem! "Uh. Cody? His blood? It's um..."
Glare! "Shut your face, greenhorn, whilst your betters are speaking! Can't you see I'm busy?" Snort! "Like, I said, boyo: why ain't you dead?"
"I am Lord Gairon."
"Cody! His blood!"
"Shar-up, greenhorn, afore I smack you!" Snort! "And boyo, who died and made you a 'lord?!'"
Slow!! Smile!! "You."
~•~
Scene: The (mildly crocodile infested) prairie lake surrounded by (mostly) a sea of dark blue grass plus wildflowers. Dhar, Blood Daisy, Dances With Moths, and #// are all converging on this mirky lake. But, as of yet, they don't know why. Except that they are needed.
