Death's Bloodline

1. Company of Other's

                   
                     Company of Other's

Prologue:

With increasing debts and no one else to turn to, time seems to have finally ran out for Cezar Lucian.
In an act of desperation, he seeks the help of the feared Count Fane Dracul.

As a member of the famed Dracul bloodline, Fane Dracul see's his heritage as both a blessing and a curse.
Rarely venturing beyond the gates of Castle De Noapte, he strives to hardly make any contact with the outside world.

Much to his discomfort when two villagers stumble into the castle grounds.
Upon agreeing to help the stranger with their misfortunes he asks for one thing in return -
Sorina the strangers daughter.

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                    Date: 1750

"SORINA! Come here....NOW!"

After very distinctly hearing her mother's call from the kitchen, Sorina Lucian begrudgingly placed the old book she had been earnestly reading to one side.

"Yes, mother?" She asked as she stood in the entryway to the kitchen, watching her mother put away the plates that dinner had been served on; a dinner that had consisted of just bread and cheese.

"You are to accompany you're father to Castle De Noapte"

"The Draculs Castle?"

"The very same"

"Why do I have to go to that place?, can't I just stay here and read some more?"

"No, he says you are to tend to the horses on the journey there. Anyway it's about time that you did something that would help us on the farm instead of reading books all day long - why do you read so much anyway?, you know it's not proper for a woman to read"

"The books let me travel without moving my feet. "

Turning around to face her daughter, Ruxandra Lucian contemplated whether to admit to her daughter that she had a feeling that nothing good would come of the journey that they were about to embark on.

But not wanting to scare her daughter and with a smile on her face she looked Sorina in the eye and said;

"It is time you travelled a little, get to know the surrounding lands better - I never had the chance to do that before my betrothal was arranged to your father. Besides you're a woman of 20 summers now, you should know how to take care of yourself and others around you - at least I hope that is"

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"Can you see it yet?" Sorina asked her father, Cezar, as they made their way through Nordul Woods to where the supposed Castle De Noapte lay at the end of the track.

"We should hurry up it'll be night soon",

"Are you sure you can't see it yet?".

"Will you be quiet for a moment!?, I can't concentrate on which direction to take because of the fog"

"But I-"

"You don't want to wake Căpcăun do you now?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"Its the monster of the forest who kidnaps young women - he was the one who kidnapped Cosmina from the village recently"

"I thought that was meant to be the undead Vlad Tepes - he's the one who takes women and feeds on their fresh blood".