Chronicling the Ages : A Sanguivore's Reflection

A comprehensive account of the eras spanning the vivications of the esteemed Lady Lahmia Pavel.

Era One

Dawn of Immortality

My intimate era. This age marks my most profound transformation - the end of my mortal life, and rebirth as Sanguinis renatus, a creature of the endless night. My beloved, Demetrius, has bestowed his most precious gift, sharing his blood, that we may rule these lands together, immortal. The process was agonising, yet necessary, and Demetrius remained at my side through it all. He proved his love, and now, as his queen, I have all eternity to bask in his devotion.

First Taste

Demetrius refers to the unblooded (mortals) as cattle - weak and dull beasts destined to serve as our slaves and sustenance. My first experience with this was a young girl from my village - one he claims was hand-picked for me upon the instant of her birth. She was plain, unread, I'd say innocent - but Demetrius says there is no such thing. He brought her to me paralysed, though not yet of the grave. The dead do not hold their flavour, he remarked. My initial bite of her neck was overwhelming, an experience that brought both a surge of power and a cascade of emotion I fought to conceal. It was ambrosia, unlocking dormant abilities within me, manifesting in the following ways:

Enhanced Speed - I can cross the courtyard in a blink, moving with greater swiftness than a falcon.

Superhuman Strength - The girl's lifeless body feels feather-light, and her once sturdy limbs fragile as spider's silk.

Heightened Senses - I hear the faintest crackle of candlelight from across the room, and could detect the final, fading rhythms of her heartbeat before it surrendered.

The Bat Form - This remains a challenge for me, though Demetrius assures me it took him much time to master.

But I have all the time in the world to learn. For now, my early months are blissful.

A Shifting Landscape

My transformation furthers, distancing me from humanity with each passing day. My skin pales, my eyes take on a reddish hue, and my teeth sharpen into fangs. There are great challenges to this existence - avoiding sunlight proves troublesome, and disposing of our food is a difficult task to brave. Demetrius has a faithful thrall, Adam, who serves us. He is one of a long line of his followers. I try to be pleasant to Adam, Demetrius does not. Any lapse in Adam's organization is met with the threat of becoming our next meal. Still, I am grateful for his unwavering service, and endeavour to show him the kindness I spent much of my mortality ignorant to.

Rebellion

The villagers are revolting. My father, driven by his misguided duty, came to 'rescue me.' But I am no prisoner here, any more than when I was of the village. Demetrius, sensing my distress, took matters into his own hands. He swiftly quelled the rebellion, emptying the village, and filling our dungeons with a ready supply of sustenance. Father, alas, was among the first to die. Demetrius alerts me that once our reserves deplete, we shall need to enter a period of dormancy, and await a new colony of humans to populate the valley.

In those final months, Demetrius tends to his garden, Adam maintains the house, and I devote myself to the library. I begin this journal - making a record of my experiences, and delve into the collection. My beloved, ever the affectionate mentor, teaches me to paint.

Era Two

Bise Écarlate

While a human lifespan may encompass a little over half a century, reborn, I have spent a full hundred years in slumber. The world has changed during my absence. The valley below our mansion is once more occupied by a new herd of humans. Upon our awakening, we are introduced to Tobias, Adam's descendant, who extends a hand of welcome with the gift of a young highwayman. Myself and my beloved are starving, partaking most intimately. We embrace with a raw passion, our lips still stained with warm blood. Loving Demetrius was always easy, and time has not distanced us.

The Family

I am formally presented to the clan as Demetrius' bride. They extend a warm welcome, however I sense a subtle distance in Demetrius' demeanour. The clan's social dynamic is far more liberal than anything I've known before, as collective lovers. It becomes clear that my beloved, with his possessiveness and protecting instinct desires me exclusively, seeking to limit my intimacy with the others.

Paris

We spend the week in the magical city of Paris. Such a breathtaking capital marks my first experience with urban dwelling. The towering structures and vibrant energies captivate me, and soaring across them under moonlight in the bat form invokes an exhilarating freedom. The humans are markedly unique from those I have encountered. Their attire and language is unfamiliar, yet their artistic expression is profoundly inspiring. We sample the 'local cuisine,' before returning home.

My First Hunt

Demetrius allows me on my first hunt, guiding me through the intricacies of the craft, and helps me find a suitable mark. The process is more complex than I imagined - a subtle dance of timing and strategy. It requires finding a human in a secluded environment and striking at a moment of vulnerability. My eagerness and impulsiveness result in a botched execution, and Demetrius is forced to intervene. The widow, my target, is dead and bleeding in the open. My beloved's disappointment is palpable. He chastises me for my rashness, and though he is harsh at first, he softens, instead offering comfort and encouragement. We clean up the aftermath of my ill-fated hunt, and it becomes clear that we must find other means of harvesting. For now, we hibernate again.

Era Three

A Blink in the Grand Scheme

The forty-year respite has been brief. The cattle have long since dismissed us to the realms of folklore, and so, free again, we are poised to resume our reign. We have Tobias's son, Leon with us. Leon is a creature of contrast - young, naïve, and squeamish. His first experience with the reality of our existence - the burying of a feast, proves too much for him, resulting in a fit of vomiting. I'm unsure if Demetrius will tolerate him for long.

Reunion with the Clan

Within the first month of our return, we commune with the clan. Among them is a Lady Selena, a being of immense beauty and power. She presents us with a novel approach to managing our food source; a system she has honed over centuries. Selena has subjugated whole swathes of humans - who dwell in love and fear of their vampiric ruler. Any who dare stray from the path become another meal, as do any ill-doers who come to harm her herd. Demetrius is deeply intrigued by her methods. We spend a week as her guests, delving deeper into the innings of her lifestyle. A shared passion for the arts draws Selena and I together, and she blesses me with an insightful tour of her collection. On the final night of our stay, she extends an invitation to us both - a proposition of passion and indulgence, to which we accept.

Selena's Strategy

Returning to our territory, we begin to implement Selena's design upon our herd. We bring order to their chaotic lives, usher in a period of prosperity, and offer protection from other threats, both human and supernatural. They eat up our words, embracing us as their overlords. Within three decades, we have fully shaped their society to our whims, growing their small settlement into a bustling town. We strategically take the vagabonds and delinquents, providing a food source for us, and a means of disposing the town's troubles. Any who speak out against us are swiftly dealt with, entombed in the earth by light of day. It is the perfect solution - cultivating the human herd as a farmer would rear swine.

The Other Vampire

Another vampire has arrived, shattering the tranquillity of our domain. The clan has an unspoken agreement to respect each other's territories and avoid conflict, but this newcomer is not one of us, and unbound to our rules. He is a grotesque creature, misshapen and monstrous - a horrifying exhibit of what becomes of us when starved, Demetrius explains. The beast attacks the townsfolk indiscriminately, its hunger overriding any sense of restraint. My beloved, unable to stand by as we are exposed, leaps into action. Their battle is brutal, a clash of ages-old powers in a bout of darkness and fury.

Demetrius emerges victorious, but the fight takes its toll, leaving him weakened. As the sun rises, casting its first rays over the horizon, he finds himself stranded in the shadows of the streets. The rebellious humans, seeing him as no better than the monster who ravaged them, strike while he is at his most vulnerable. I am powerless to intervene - my heart breaking into a million shards as they drag him into the piercing light of dawn. I can only watch his harrowing demise, as his body is consumed by morning's fiery embrace.

I am consumed by grief, and the townsfolk, emboldened by their mutiny, turn their sights upon me and everything that was Demetrius. They torch our home, every memory, every cherished inch reduced to ashes. Leon is freed from his family's oath, though he is not regarded as friend - the lineage of my husband's thralls dying with him. I flee, seeking refuge in the mountains, where I spend my days in despair. Darkness becomes me, and I fall into a long and lonely sleep, promising no auspicious future, but instead an enduring ache for all I have lost.

Era Four

My husband is dead. My home is gone. I have nothing but shattered dreams. Two hundred years slip by like sand through an hourglass. I wake as the earth shudders, from the cacophony of metal against stone. Miners dig into the mountain. They do not register my presence, and so they make a good meal, and I succumb to another dreamless slumber.

Era Five

Another century goes by. Traders wander through the mountains. Their blood tastes rotten. I sleep again.

Era Six

Found

Selena rouses me, and I feel the burden of my loneliness allay. She has passed her stronghold down to her latest thrall-turned-successor. Her new life is in Paris, and she tells me all about it, after I indulge news of Demetrius. She embraces me so lovingly, not unlike the way he once held me, and together, we make for her home. It is no grand chateau, for the humans are in a state of unrest - particularly against the elite, and so we disguise ourselves among the revolutionists. Some individuals seem more bloodthirsty than us, and we fit in very well. We feast on their captives, though leave them alive so the humans may execute them later. Selena and I find solace in each other's company, and as the years wear on, we search for a comfortable place to rest. We are sure to lay side by side, so we do not feel absence in the decades ahead.

Era Seven

A Bright Future

Humans have undergone a profound transformation in our absence. A species once of sweat and dirt now walk a path paved by ingenuity. They have many marvellous inventions, beyond the wildest dreams of their ancestors, and have constructed breathtaking works of art to adorn their cities. Selena and I, ready to immerse ourselves within this vibrant, ever-changing world, decide to journey by means of the colossal, roaring serpents that humans call "locomotives." Our voyage is delightful; landscapes pass us in a blur, as if humans have aspired to replicate the vampire's skill of speed. We bear witness to the wonders of the age, feast like queens, and one unforgettable night, amidst the ruins of Rome, Selena and I pledge our love and are bound in marriage.

Our wanderings allow us to evade the threats that once plagued our kind, spending decades active and awake. We fill our days with our creative pursuits, crafting masterpieces, music, and poetry. And our explorations lead us beyond the known territories, venturing farther than our predecessors ever dared. In each new land, I pay tribute to Demetrius, immortalising his likeness in my artwork - his visage in the rolling hills, the infinite mountains, and the tranquil seas.

Selena and I shall rest again soon, and when we awaken, I believe I will be prepared to choose my successor - to offer the gift of our blood to another.