‭Reflecting with A Red‬‭by DamphairedDhampir‬
‭OPR Writing Jam‬
‭ s I sit in my chambers and hear the doors‬
A ‭be kept docile as livestock. Pacified with‬
‭of my castle several floors below me buckle‬
‭against a heavy ram, perhaps it is time at‬
‭last to address a common complaint of my‬
‭staff; I may have gone too far too often.‬
‭But always for the things I love.‬
‭ y love of my independence was the first of‬
M ‭as my treat for the public, but I oh so love‬
‭my loves to doom me. When my fellow lords‬
‭cast away their loyalty to a certain‬
‭necromancer, and earned our “gift” of‬
‭vampirism, the power struggles amongst‬
‭our ranks were nightmarish. I’m not‬
‭surprised so many cowards bent their‬
‭creaking knees to the first undead immortal‬
‭to step out of the steppes claiming to be a‬
‭child of our former emperor. But I, along‬
‭with a few other brave fools, refused to give‬
‭up my county without a fight.‬
‭Perhaps I shouldn’t have called all who‬
‭submitted craven dogs, enraging them into‬
‭declaring war and blockading my small‬
‭county. These border conflicts weren’t the‬
‭worst result of my insistence on‬
‭independence. After all, my loyal subjects‬
‭could simply be converted into undead‬
‭soldiers, should the war machine need a few‬
‭extra cogs. The inability to trade with former‬
‭allies was far worse. Without outside‬
‭assistance our stockpiles slowly shrank, and‬
‭regrettably if I am to feed on my mortals, my‬
‭mortals must be fed.‬
‭ h, my second love, the love of drinking.‬
O ‭approaches fast. They chose a good time to‬
‭Even before I became what I am now my‬
‭public knew I was partial to a spot of the‬
‭red. Fine wines from all over Tyria used to‬
‭line my cellar in stout barrels, and rarely a‬
‭night went by when I didn’t drain one‬
‭completely. I still have one such barrel with‬
‭me now, though of course, I drink a deeper‬
‭red these days.‬
‭Well, these‬‭nights.‬
‭I think this barrel was a gift from one of my‬
‭farmers, or perhaps a bribe, in the hopes‬
‭that the wine would leave me satisfied‬
‭enough not to take a drink from his neck. I‬
‭wonder if the bribe worked. I have drunk so‬
‭deeply from so many of my subjects I‬
‭honestly can’t remember if he was one of‬
‭them. I know paying this tithe of blood to‬
‭their thirsty lord as they grow hungry must‬
‭bother them immensely, but so long as your‬
‭subjects love or fear you sufficiently, they‬
‭can be managed. If they don’t have anyone‬
‭ etter to turn to, no hero to save them, a‬
b ‭ y mistreated serfs. Nor that polished iron‬
m
‭revolution can’t be catalysed, and they can‬ ‭blade I donated to the tourney.‬
‭As I hear the last of my house guard gladly‬
‭parades, mollified with merriment, or‬ ‭give their lives and unlives to buy me more‬
‭subjugated with steel. Cattle-ised.‬ ‭time, I think they may have been right, I’ve‬
‭So, as my military was occupied fighting the‬ ‭drunk far too much. I’ve gone too far to be‬
‭border wars, I gave them their merriment to‬ ‭saved.‬
‭keep them appeased, if anaemic.‬ ‭So have the public of course, other‬
‭Vampires will soon swoop in without me‬
I‭ should not have decided on a tournament‬ ‭there to protect and subjugate them.‬
‭Perhaps I should leave a note for them,‬
‭the sound of combat. I paid for the public’s‬ ‭claiming I’ve used some ancient forgotten‬
‭pathetic parade of prancing pseudo-chivalry‬ ‭spell to make good my escape, and hope the‬
‭out of my own personal funds, against the‬ ‭threat of my return keeps them safe for a‬
‭advice of my castle staff. The staff had‬ ‭few months. Perhaps I should simply finish‬
‭argued that our undead soldiers left us with‬ ‭the barrel and leave them to reap the‬
‭no need for a mortal militia, so a mock‬ ‭reward they’ve sown: an inevitable end at‬
‭tourney held none of the old benefits it had‬ ‭another vampire’s teeth. Either way, it’s far‬
‭in my mortal days. Granting the brightest of‬ ‭too late for me to be saved, so I shall think a‬
‭them a knighthood and a sword was an‬ ‭while with the curtains and windows thrown‬
‭obscene extravagance, we had no need to‬ ‭open.‬
‭see the finest fighters and groom them for‬
‭militia roles. In fact, the staff warned it‬ ‭A golden dawn approaches.‬
‭might give the common folk a hero to rally‬
‭around and a taste for battle, leaving them‬ ‭…‬
‭wondering if they could overthrow their‬
‭undead lord.‬
‭I always loved seeing a good sunrise.‬
‭ iven the breaking of the doors beneath‬
G
‭me, and the sound of my castle guard failing‬
‭to hold back the mob echoing through the‬
‭halls, I too am beginning to wonder if they‬
‭really could slay me. I’ve no allies left to save‬
‭me, after scorning the cowards who gave up‬
‭their lands to a new emperor. I’ve no chance‬
‭to flee, it’s early morning. The sun‬
‭attack. An hour ago, I could have charged‬
‭down to face them myself and slain at least‬
‭a few dozen of these starving hordes. But‬
‭that was half a barrel of red, and half a body‬
‭of red ago. Drinking always did slow my‬
‭reflexes, and the rich, hearty vintage has not‬
‭settled well with the sanguine mixer I’ve‬
‭been forced to pair it with. Still, a fair fight‬
‭would be good for the rebels, a chance to‬
‭kill their tyrant, and be human again.‬
‭Livestock no more.‬
‭If I loved my people as I once did, I might‬
‭have staggered down the stairs, fangs bared,‬
‭sword high and given them a chance to‬
‭forge a legend to tell for generations.‬
‭If.‬
‭I love myself a great deal more than them‬
‭now, and to die to normal mortals?‬
‭Unthinkable. I am a Vampire. I am a Lord. I‬
‭deserve weapons of gold for my second‬
‭death, not the hunger-maddened hands of‬
‭1‬