VLAAR.
Chapter 1
Through the mist they came, as darkened skies fell, wings stretched in glide, the mist swirling at the tips of their pointed ends. A skeletal frame covered in a leathery thin skin that stretched taught between bones, veins and tendons sinewy weaving and pulsing across the flat areas. Their claws sharp, pierced my skin wrapping the talons through my flesh and around my collar bones, strangely I felt no pain, only the sensation of lift as the creature flapped its expanse of wings and soared into the sky. The full moon visible through a few blades of dark grey clouds, watched us intently as we flew across the space that was once the sky that inspired my mind.
As dawn rose above the scarlet scorched earth of the land of which I have now become familiar with. This baron land home to those who the rest of the human race fears and dreads, the creatures that rise in their nightmares and spawn all manner of horrors.
I had been brought back time and time again, my only guess as to why, well I write! That is what I told myself on too numerous occasions, The Lord, the overseer of this place must want an account of what is here so the dreams, nightmares, tales, ghosts and ghouls had more impact and reality on the people in the living dimension from where I came!
My first memory that makes any sense in my scrambled mind was one of standing at the foot of a tower too tall to see the spire, too wide to see its edges from where I had been placed. The flying creatures had gone, the dust settled on my shoes and the air was now still! The blackness of the walls could not hide the rough almost brittle looking surface that loomed over me and made me feel ant like in perspective! A heavy leather clad footstep broke the stillness, followed by a huge mountain of what loosely could be described as man, almost Neanderthal in appearance, black hair covering a weathered looking face, sad drooping eyes that seemed dim in their expression. Fur from an unknown source made up what covering the body held to cover at least some modesty, hands that looked large enough to cup my whole head in just one and even crush it like an egg. He lumbered forward his intent unclear, too slow for an attack but still menacing enough for my legs to shake slightly, although rooted! He towered above where I stood, my six feet height dwarfed by a further three or more! There were scars old and new on his torso, battles near and far ever present seemingly a history to his warrior past. A hand placed and pulled gently on my left shoulder beckoning me to enter the building.
Blindly, nervously in awe the overwhelming size of the first room, I entered, a great hall with flame ridden torches flickering light around the expanse. With a grunt and a raised hand my giant guide showed me a door, well more like an arched opening, approximately a hundred feet diagonally to my left. I did as asked and walked towards another flickering light trying to hide its glare through the opening. I was confronted by stairs, lots of stairs, a huge spiralling staircase seemed to hang from nowhere, I trudged step after step my guide and companion following closely. After what seemed like an eternity we reached the top, we must have climbed at least a mile, the tower had narrowed and the edges had enclosed around us as we ascended. On flat ground at last my heavy weary legs felt as if they sighed with relief, my lungs burning and heart pumping heavily, my companion seemed not even to be slightly out of breath or even touched by the effort of the climb. Just then a voice bought me back to near awareness!
"At last" A gravely, harsh and deeply evil voice, my ears seemed to vibrate gently as the sound travelled through! It came from a chamber off the central stairwell, at this height it was the only room! More flickering light filtered from the opening. Cautiously I entered, my guide for once stayed where he was, head hung low almost bowing in awe of what was obviously his master! The smoothness of the floor butted up to the rough inner walls still black, the tower seemed black, not just in its colour, although I had been in the tower for some time that thought had only just occurred to me. The only solid object in the room was what looked like it was meant to be a desk but it was made from solid rock, the same rock as the tower but the smoothness of the floor was duplicated on its top surface.
The voice had came from a figure stood in shadow behind the desk. Tall slim, very well dressed in total black. As the figure turned I glimpsed a strange red glow, deep in the figures eyes. It may have been the flickering flames that dimly lit the room, but there was something more, the back of my mind seemed to be scrambling for an answer that was moving away from it at pace.
The figures face was lean almost skeletal, thin lips beneath a thin sharp nose that split two black orbs as eyes, no colour, the only thing that was not black was the skin, almost grey but it was hard to see in the poor light.
"My name is Vlarr!" The now smooth dark rich voice flowed over me, seemingly touching my whole being with those few words.
Trembling where I stood, I’m sure my scared soul was bare for any to see, "I am---"
"I know who you are my friend that is why you are here!" He cut me short but not with any anger or malice. "I am in need of your-" he paused for a second "talents!"
"Your world is in great need my friend; there is a persistence of belief in unworthy gods and leaders! Your world is at a turning point! A crossroads if you will!" Again there seemed no malice in his voice, more a teaching tone, the realisation that I was being taught was baffling at first but I understood more as Vlarr continued! "Your world is broken and collapsing, it needs a saviour from itself" he paused not for effect, more to collect his thoughts so he could be direct! "There have been some attempts in the not too distant past by my predecessors to create a system within your world, however the misguided among you have always taken it upon themselves to fight and destroy these attempts, my father was the last! After his demise I decided I would continue his destiny to bring about the creation of ’One Earth’! "
Was I hearing correctly? Did this being just say he wanted to unite the world as one?
"Yes! You heard me correctly!" Vlarr’s power over my mind made itself clear with that one sentence.
There was only one question that seemed to hang in my mind, stuck in a perpetual loop begging my mouth to open and utter, yet for some reason my mind would not connect to my vocal cords, my mouth just hung very slightly open without moving!
“A strange but reasonable question my friend!” Vlaar made it very clear he was in my mind not just reading it but almost controlling it! “One of the reasons I chose you, obviously how, why and when are questions that will be answered in the fullness of time; but you ----“another pause “you want to know who?”---“Who was my father?” his voice seemed to sooth as he spoke the word father, his fondness for this man was hard to hide, almost impossible in fact.
All of a sudden I felt free, my mind and my body came back to me. I could feel my muscles, ligaments even tendons all relax slightly and my mind connect with them again, I felt a brief rush of almost exhilaration. My voice also came back to me and I thought what the hell “So – “I stuttered slightly my brain still having difficulty controlling my voice and mouth; “So who was your father?”
“Thlaa!” This name was spoken with a tenderness I had rarely experienced a softness that could disarm but there was despair hidden in the underlying tone. Vlaar looked wounded, hurt even, as he spoke his father’s name.
I reasoned with my mind but I did not connect this Thlaa with any being, man or other with my home world of Earth. It probably showed on my face, I tried to hide it but Vlaar’s gaze had flicked in my direction a split second after he had spoken his father name almost to see if I had recognised it!
“It is pronounced slightly differently on your world my friend; maybe you would recognise it better as Vlaad!” again his gaze was fixed on my eyes; he had left my mind on purpose just so he could read me from my face!
It had worked, my recognition was almost instant, being a writer, a story teller even; I had heard this name before, but I knew it as Vlad! My eyes widened I could feel the blood drain from my skin, my muscles tightened again; “Dracul?” spluttered from my lips then “Dracula!” followed closely, my shock showed my terror. My hands- no my whole body shook in fear.
“Ah! I see the recognition my friend, your fear is unnecessary however. My father was depicted as a horror a terror on your world, but we all know the victors write the history!” for the first time I heard a little arrogance in Vlaars voice! My father was a great leader here on Neclac; his power grew beyond the limits of our realm and like so many leaders before him, he knew his greatness was needed on you world! However like all the other great leaders before him, he also failed!
“But how is that possible? Dracula is a myth a made up legend in a novel published on my world!” I hoped my indignation did not show through even though I knew deep down it had!
I felt the pain of uneven rock on my back as I was pinned against the wall, my throat tightened and Vlaars voice seethed in my ears.
“A MYTH?” – “A MADE UP LEGEND?” –“YOU DARE TO DENIGRATE MY FATHERS NAME?” Vlaars anger was so evil in its manifestation his voice could have ripped the flesh from my face!
Although I was choking and hanging about two feet off the floor I still managed to see that Vlaar had not moved from where he was stood, he had just turned his head directly at me and now the flickering glow of red in his eyes had become a searing bright red fire, if I had known any better I would have sworn I could feel heat from his eyes! For what seemed an eternity I hung there just enough air scraping its way through to my lungs, but then, without warning I was released; For a moment I knelt on all fours trying to catch my breath and my composure. I looked up slowly, wearily at Vlaar, his eyes had dimmed and his head had turned back so I could only just see it from one side! I must have spluttered and coughed a little before I spoke, “I apologise for the indiscretion sir!” These were the only words I could come up with at the time although somehow I knew they were the wrong ones!
“My father would have ripped out your heart and fed it to you for such insolence!” there was still a hint of anger creeping into his voice, his control was returning, yet the fury of his temper was something I would not wish to see again! “However I finally understand why he failed!” “Your people did not fully believe!” he paused again “an error in judgement by his advisors!” yet again Vlaar paused as if gathering himself and his words. “I shall not make that error my friend!”
I saw Vlaars anger had subsided fully so thought I might as well dig a little further but this time I would be a little more sensitive. “Vlaar- Sir- if I could just understand a little more about the history of your forbearers and of your world then maybe I will be able to fully use my talents for your benefit”
It seemed to work, this time I was not thrown backwards at the wall and nor was my throat constricted. Instead Vlaar actually smiled, an insignificant smile but it was definitely noticeable; the corners of his thin dull red lips just fractionally rising.