Yams, Vampire Hunter! (805 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.66 on 10 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by JTC (View user info) at 2006-06-03 22:37:00 EDT
Introduction:
It has been my lifelong ambition to do something important, to be someone people look at and say, "Wow! That guy is somebody important! He is DOING something for the world!" Somebody chicks look at and say, "Wow, I bet that guy gets laid ALL the time!" Somebody fags look at and say, "Ooooo where did you get those shooooooes?" Somebody who walks into a bar and takes a steamy dump on the counter--and actually gets away with it. But most of all, somebody who makes vampires shit themselves upon merely looking at me.
End Introduction
And so I have arrived at my present position. It took some time to get here, as I surmised it would; vampire hunting, after all, is no layman's task. Vampires are elusive, immortal, intelligent, and...vampiric. Their zombie legions, however, are quite a different story, but more on that later.
It was many years ago that I first sought to learn to slay the vampire. Far did I travel to find that ancient school. It lay deep in cursed lands; pillars of rock rose like mangled claws from the twisted and broken earth. Massive boulders lay scattered across the wasteland, as if remnants of some epic game of marbles among the gods. Vegetation, starved of water, rooted in coarse sand and the crevices of these boulders, was limited to gnarled trees, nearly devoid of leaves, stooped close to the ground, and small, wiry brush. Life was seldom seen, but better to be alone than devoured by the hideous creatures that inhabited this blasted land.
After many days--perhaps weeks, it was easier for me to continue not knowing how far I had come--I sighted the fortress, still many miles off, but it was there! Perched amidst an outcropping of rock slabs it sat, its sole spire rising far above the barren wilderness. It seemed the sun beat down upon me even more mercilessly, if possible, as I trudged across those few remaining miles. The closer I came to the fortress, the more foreboding it became. The spire, from afar almost pleasant to look at, now chilled me despite the beating sun. The tower comprised the entire front of the school. Its base was peppered with sharp wooden stakes about the height of a man, and these continued for many feet up the tower walls, appearing to end at a rampart running 'round the tower. It was not these spikes that horrified me so much as what was attached to them: hundreds upon hundreds of corpses--zombies 'enlisted' by Vampire warlords--lay decaying in the hot sun. Rather, what was left of them lay decaying. Vultures, among other desert scavengers, were taking part in this feast of rotten, corrupt flesh, picking the bodies to pieces.
I stood motionless, momentarily paralyzed by the disgusting sight. After turning to retch onto the sand, I began walking towards what appeared to be a drawbridge. I was curious as to why one would need a drawbridge, of all things, in such a place, but my curiosity was shortlived. Only steps before falling into it, I finally saw the valley. Moving to the very edge I was able to peer down a near-vertical wall; there was no visible bottom, only a black abyss. I presumed that this valley had been forged by some powerful magic. It must have been--I had seen nothing paralleling it through my entire journey!
I had not been standing long, though admittedly I was readying myself for the journey back already, when a voice boomed across the desert from the rampart above the spikes:
"Who journeys through this broken and blasted land,
Upon which the gods have shown their disfavor,
Built not by nature but by the Night Lord's hand?
If ye be still with life and life do savor
If the Undead you wish to fight and subdue
Cry thine name, and tell us all, shall ye waver
For the choice, once made, ye must never undo
Lest the Hordes turn ye to one of the Soulless,
And to damnation be your soul forever doomed."
Though somewhat shaken, I was able to steady my voice and respond to this caller. "My name is Yams, and my blood is the untainted blood of the living. I have traveled many days over this bleak desert to this place, this last bastion of hope for man. If I am seen fit to become a Hunter, I shall not waver from my duty of protecting mankind."
Soon the massive drawbridge began to lower. With a thunderous crash it spanned the chasm, and dozens of guards, all armed and armored to the teeth, fanned out across the bridge. One of them shouted at me to hurry, and no sooner had my foot touched the first piece of earth within those great walls than the chains of the drawbridge were again set in motion. The guards loitered around uneasily within the walls, bows and swords still in hand. A soldier was quickly approaching me, a white cape draped over his shoulders and a thick crucifix emblazoned upon his breastplate, a man of some rank, it seemed. Without introduction, he instructed me to accompany him, turned, and began marching back into the school.
I hesitate to call it a school any longer, for it was more a fortified town than a mere school. Behind the tower lay a courtyard, reaching from wall to wall, a training ground for the soldiers here. Behind this courtyard, the town began. My guide and I walked through several rows of barracks which reached from one end of the courtyard to the other, which bordered the town market. It was in the midst of this market that I saw what could only be a cathedral, pressed far back against the rearmost stone slab. Though its two towers rose high, the rock behind it rose higher still, nearly as high as the tower that made up the entire face of this town. Amazingly, it seemed the cathedral was still several miles away! I could only guess as to what more lay before us, for a massive earthen wall rose before us in the distance, as if a cliffside had toppled over.
As we made our way deeper into the town, I felt a strange sensation, something I had not felt since setting foot into the desert so many days ago: I was certain I was mistaken, but it seemed the air was actually becoming humid. But even knowing that there was enough water here to saturate the air did nothing to prepare me for what I would see. Upon reaching the crest of the earthen wall, I found myself looking out upon a vast lake, bordered by lush fauna and teeming with townsfolk and soldiers alike. My guide noted my surprise--had likely anticipated it. For the first time since our trek had begun, he spoke.
"This city was born centuries ago as a tiny outpost around these springs. Once, one could find dozens of such settlements across the desert. But we did not heed the warnings that trickled down from the north--no, not until a few stragglers arrived here from a nearby village, bringing with them tales of slaughter and defilement at the hands of the Vampires. Many years of bloodshed passed as the remaining settlements, now warned, proved to be much hardier opponents. But in the end, it was ours, the fabled School of Slaying, that survived. To this day we stand as the last barrier keeping the forces of the dead in check in this part of the world." The guard grunted and began walking towards the lake. "Enough history, you will have your fill soon enough."
We crossed the lake on a waiting ferry; the cathedral was near now. While initially I had thought that the structure simply butted against the stone, I could see now that it was carved out of the rock itself. The towers sat in the forward corners of a yard, open but for a giant cross in its center. I could see guards patrolling a walkway beteween the them, and a heavy gate, open at the moment, which when shut would entirely enclose the church--a tiny fortress of its own. Strangely enough, the cathedral was adorned with dozens of Gargoyle statues, all perched as if watching over the entire town.
After passing through many rows of mud homes--built to withstand and protect against the unforgiving desert heat--the guard led me inside the walls of the cathedral, nodding in assurance to his fellow men posted outside. As I stepped inside the gate, I could have sworn one of the Gargoyles swiveled his head to watch me...
To be continued...?
User Reviews
Submitted by AsshOly (user info) at 2006-06-04 22:08:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked the shoes part too.
I also liked the language you used here. It would frustrate the hell out of me to try to convert my every day voice to this sort of nostalgic voice, but you did it well. I enjoyed it.
You'd better fucking continue or I will murder your family.
Submitted by STIXS (user info) at 2006-06-04 11:40:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Vair Vair AWESOME
Submitted by AsshOly (user info) at 2006-06-04 03:05:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
WTF I'm not reading all that.
I'll just assume I liked it :(. If it was earlier in the day (or later, depending on your perspective), I would give it a look. Alas...
Submitted by Dr.Midget (user info) at 2006-06-04 01:45:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hmm.......?
Wonder why the score didnt go through in the first place?
oh well here you are
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2006-06-04 01:38:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
.
Submitted by Dr.Midget (user info) at 2006-06-03 23:34:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Somebody fags look at and say, "Ooooo where did you get those shooooooes?
That sealed the +2
Time to read the rest
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-06-03 23:23:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
that's fine and dandy old bean, i hope you enjoy writing this.
That's what it's all about after all.
Submitted by Yams (user info) at 2006-06-03 23:08:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well Apollo, I'm intending to draw in a lot of stuff that isn't usually associated with vampire lore. At the moment I have only a loose idea of what is going to happen--I have the next two installments pretty well planned out, but after that, the path I take to vampire slaying master is still up in the air. I intend for this to be much more diverse than traditional vampire stories, since I get tired of the same ol' as well. Really hoping I can unbore you!
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-06-03 23:02:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
everything that could possibly have ever been said about vampires has been said.
this was okay i suppose but the subject matter bores me to tears.
+2 'cos other people like this stuff.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2006-06-03 22:56:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
To be continued...?
_____________
This by God better be continued!! It was fucking awesome!