Celestial Clans: The vampire prince's origin

Without a trace

20th July, 1974

8:22PM

The Bleeding Heart forest, Havana

“Wakey wakey old friend.” is what came to Darien’s mind to say as Hazar finally regained consciousness and that was exactly what he said in the most annoying tone of voice he could use. The vampire had been smacking the mage lightly for minutes trying to wake him up and his eyes had finally fluttered open. “Your spells have all been cancelled and we got word from the palace that everyone else is safe except your pet dogs that just happen to be slightly bigger and dumber than normal dogs, the Kravians are all dead.” King Darien said now clearly trying to make his old friend angry. The Chief Mage knew just how annoying the vampire King could get from the years of friendship they had shared up till that point. Hazar tried to move his hands but noticed with a terrified expression on his face that he had no control of his body; he was awake but could not move his hands or feet.

“Darien what did you do to me, why can’t I feel my hands and legs?” Hazar asked furiously causing Darien to smile at him sheepishly.

“I like seeing you worked up, especially because you’ve made me totally anxious and stressed out for the past 2 hours or so my friend. Sorry about that, I meant to say my old friend. I am still trying to assimilate the fact that we are no longer friends into my thoughts.” Darien said standing up straight from his initial position squatting in front of the now conscious Hazar who sat propped up against a fallen tree trunk. It was now Hazar moved his eyes around to notice they were no longer in the clearing but back in the actual forest with red leaves floating everywhere and that slight breeze blowing through.

“You moved me out of the clearing and did something to ensure I couldn’t move even if I wanted to, that’s clever.” Hazar said with a throaty laugh.

“It wasn’t my idea though, I was just happy I could cancel out your spell by punching you right across your smug face old friend. The idea was all his” Darien said turning to point at someone beside Hazar, Hazar could not see who it was because he couldn’t even turn his neck to look. “Oh, I almost forgot you can’t move at the moment. Get over here let him see you.” Darien instructed and a less pale, stronger looking Julian walked from where he sat on the log next to the captured Chief Mage and walked to where Darien was. Standing before the older mage who had just almost killed him but Julian had no hatred for him at all, what he felt for the man now bordered on sympathy and pity because he could see the man was still in pain from his loss. “He helped me put a restraining spell on you, I also injected you with a drug that makes you paralyzed and numb for the next hour or more. I always have it in my realm, never thought I would need to use it though.” Darien explained with a laugh

“If I remember clearly, your name is Julian right? Sorry about trying to kill you earlier. It was nothing personal. I hope you have realized what’s going on in your body currently?” Hazar asked looking up into the young man’s eyes.

“I noticed.” was the simple response Julian gave. Darien stared at the young mage with obvious concern and confusion now, he planned to not mention it to the Vampire King yet but he had no choice now. “The spell he used to attack me left what seems like an eternal injury, it won’t totally get healed but as long as I continue using magic to heal myself I will be fine.” Julian explained.

“The only way to do that would be to keep channeling celestial essence from this forest. That means you have to be here most of the time because this is the only region in Havana with that infinite supply of celestial essence. You can leave and be in the city for some hours but you must come back here. Personally I think it would have been better for you to die, but now I guess you have a permanent vacation spot.” Hazar said as clearly as his numb lips would let him, if he could smile right now he would have made it as wide as possible and gloat about what he just did to the younger mage, he had just changed the younger man’s life forever with a single spell.

“Something is wrong with you Hazar and you are not yourself, but I have decided to seriously punish you for what you’ve done today. I won’t execute you for old time’s sake and also because I wouldn’t be able to face Cheryl if I hurt her Daddy, I just wished you considered her before doing everything you did today. I’ll go get my son and then we can head back to Bloodhaven and discuss your punishment with everyone else at a royal court session. For now just sit there and wait for us, we’ll be back shortly.” Darien said as a dagger appeared in his hand. Hazar seeing the dagger felt alarmed already but knew he was safe for now when Darien proceeded to make a small cut on his own wrists and make the dagger vanish again. “You remember the spell right?” he said looking at Julian who gave him an affirmative nod before casting the spell.

“Nenaya transporta dimensia earthia” Julian said and the white light appeared around them immediately. In a split second the teleportation spell took both the Vampire King and the young mage away leaving Hazar alone, paralyzed and helpless in the middle of a forest normally swarming with Kravian parks.

“You bastards!” Hazar shouted at both men as they vanished in the bright light leaving him alone in the forest.

8:31pm

Uninhabited forest, somewhere in Romania

Earthly plane

King Darien and Julian were back in the same forest on the earthly plane where they had come with and seemingly left the Prince before, Julian could guess that they were here to take the Prince back now that the insecurity had been resolved. Julian no longer had the essence from the forest flowing through him and was already feeling weak as the wound from Hazar’s earlier attack seemed to be getting worse instantly. Darien took one look at him and knew they needed to leave the place as soon as possible. He also didn’t want to leave Hazar there alone for too long, he was unhappy with his old friend but actually had no intention of harming him. King Darien decided to be as quick as possible; there was no time to walk to the house in the clearing at the center of the forest on his own and then walk back to Julian. He decided to show off his physical strength, he proceeded to raise the pale looking Julian from the ground where he stood and place him across his shoulders. The mage was about to complain when the Vampire king zoomed through the forest at supersonic speeds even with a grown man on his shoulders. They were at the clearing in the middle of the forest in no time; Darien dropped the pale and now sick looking Julian so he could stand on his feet and laughed because he knew his speeding could have contributed to the irritated look on the young mage’s face.

The Vampire King turned to look at the log cabin where he had left the Prince earlier. The expression on his face hardened instantly, the smile he had earlier was replaced by a menacing look in his eyes. He seemed calm but Julian standing beside him could sense a storm brewing underneath. The young mage followed the King’s fixed gaze to an empty spot in the forest clearing. The young mage stepped forward by some steps to see what the King was staring at and stopped when he noticed the grass at that part of the clearing seemed dead unlike the surrounding places where the grass was green. Making out the rectangular, large patch of dead grass Julian could make out that there had been a building here before.

King Darien stood and gazed narrow eyed at the patch of grass in front of him. The log cabin’s entrance where he had kept his son was not here, he had left him at the entrance to the cabin earlier but now the entire cabin was nowhere in sight. All that could be seen in the clearing at the center of the forest now was grass. The entire house was gone.

“Julian, where is my son?” asked the Vampire King knowing full well that the young mage had no answers to his question. His son and the log cabin where gone without a trace at the moment.