Civil Twilight

Chapter 9

BAM!

Lylilan jumped at the unexpected commotion. Returning to her senses, she turned to find her tutor glaring at her with a look of disapproval, “Well?”

It took her a moment to realize he was waiting for a response, “My apologies Master Linus, can you please repeat the question?”

“You seem distracted this morning, Lyllian. Are you alright?” his snow white hair was in a constant state of disarray.

“Yes master Linus, my mind just seems to be elsewhere today.”

“Does this have to do with Lord Des’kar’s return?” the elderly man said as he took off the well worn specs and tucked them into his pocket.

“I would rather he would never have returned.”

“Why? Has he been unkind to you?”

“No.”

Her teacher was a benign, tolerant man; David had wisely selected the older terran to act as her tutor and mentor. His thin hair lacked any color to it, and his eyes were beginning to fail him but his mind was still sharp, and he seemed to have endless amounts of endurance with Lyllian’s never-ending questions.

He gave her a warm, reassuring smile. His rosy cheeks were glowing as he spoke tenderly, “You have nothing to fret over, young pupil; however, since you seem to be elsewhere today perhaps it’s best we discuss the lesson tomorrow. Complete your homework tonight and we will go over it at our next meeting.”

“Yes master Linus,” she said, “Please accept my apologies. I didn’t-“

“An apology is more than sufficient. Don’t ever offer excuses for your actions, take responsibility for them.”

She nodded as she began to gather her books, but as she did so she couldn’t help but notice the sunlight streaming through the library windows. Lord Des’kar had been away for nearly two months, during which she had remained predominately indoors. Since she had first arrived she had watched as the countryside turned into a painting with its shades of gold, orange, and fiery red. Over time the painting began to fade away only to be replaced with dull browns and bare trees, and the white peaks on the distant mountains gradually increased until they had nearly consumed the ridgeline.  It was now much cooler than she was typically accustomed to; the chill of the air lingered long after she stepped inside the warm confines of the castle.

Thankfully her room was now furnished with cozy, vibrant rugs which aided to both warm and enliven the otherwise modest space. She was also supplied with a well-worn wooden desk which she habitually used either for her studies or for leisurely reading when she wasn’t utilizing the library.  She was captivated with the written world, and with the assistance of her mentor her reading skills were drastically improving.  She dedicated herself to her education and immersed herself in her studies, sometimes into the late hours of the night if that was what was required.  Generally her mentor found her an eager student thirsting for knowledge; however, today had been an exception. She was anxious and unable to focus on the material being too preoccupied with Lord Des’kar’s return. As she made her way to her room with her books in hand she was unable to deplete such distracting thoughts from her mind.

As she hunched over the unadorned desk Lyllian found it impossible to immerse herself in the lessons. From time to time she would stare out the window, and as the afternoon waned she finally resolved to block out all distractions and finish the task at hand. Arduously she labored and as she completed the last of her homework, she realized that she had more questions regarding the subject of today’s lecture than she was able to answer on her own. This wasn’t unusual, and typically Master Linus intentionally neglected to bequeath her a straight answer, but instead guided her to where she could ascertain the knowledge herself.  He frequently reminded her that, “Information learned is more valuable than information given,” and that she, “must discover and judge the answer for herself.” Although Lyllian saw the wisdom in his methods, sometimes she found it rather frustrating.

She meandered to the window and gazed out at the monotonous blanket of clouds which obscured the blue sky and subdued the radiance of the sun. It was indeed a melancholy day, and not just because of the weather. As she stared out the window, she was far away from the castle of Teldaeryn when she began to hear a commotion outside. Opening her modest window, she leaned forward to get a better view outside, but realized that everyone was moving towards the opposite side of the castle. Hastily she closed the small pane and made her way to the library where the windows faced the front of the castle. As she pressed her face into the glass, she saw below her an expensive looking carriage which she dismally recognized as belonging to the lord of the castle.

She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as she pulled away from the window briefly, using the sleeve of her dress to clear the condensation deposited onto the glass by the moisture of her breath. She followed his every move as Lord Des’kar elegantly exited the carriage with grace and style. As he stepped down he briefly glimpsed up at Lyllian, an act which made her forget to breathe as her heart skipped a beat. Despite the benevolence he had shown Lyllian, she still found herself apprehensive.

Lyllian observed a striking male terran exit the carriage following Lord Des’kar; his youthful appearance contradicted his snowy white hair which was even more colorless than her tutor’s. Her initial assessment however, was a momentary misperception on her part; as he stepped out of the coach, he too paused to peek in Lyllian’s direction giving her an unobstructed view of his face and she realized in horror that this was not a man, but something else. His complexion was as pale as David’s, but his eyes were an unmistakable intense fiery red.  She pulled away instinctively from the window and felt a sense of urgency as she departed the library. She knew it was only a matter of time before David would call upon her.




Returning once again to her room, she attempted to distract herself with the comfort of a book but found she was unable to become immersed in the author’s world. Frustrated, she set the book down and began gazing out at the mountains in the distance when she was predictably called for by the Lord of the castle. She took a deep breath as she stood outside his door, fidgeting with her dress while waiting for permission to enter.  Once granted, she trudged into the room where David and the mysterious visitor were comfortably situated. As the door shut behind her, the two aristocrats politely stood as David began making introductions, “Here is the terran I mentioned to you about,” he said as he gestured towards the girl, “This is my brother, Prince Dacien Des’kar, Duke of Kishey. Dacien, this is Lyllian Astucia.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet the terran I have heard so much about,” he said casually. Lyllian unconsciously took a step back as he approached, “I don’t bite,” he said with a reassuring smile and a wink.

She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the intense color of his eyes, “Lyllian, it’s impolite to stare,” David gently reminded her.

Lyllian forced herself to look elsewhere, “Yes of course, please accept my apologies. It was not intentional. I, um, it is nice to meet you Prince D-“

“No, no, no. When we are in such an informal setting, please just call me Dacien. I don’t care for pomp and circumstance like my brother.”

“Dacien,” David scowled as his voice dripped with disapproval.

Dacien disregarded his brother’s reproach and continued speaking in a genial and lighthearted manner, “I am aware that my appearance will be somewhat unusual to you, Lyllian; however, I think you will find my company much more agreeable than my brother’s. Will you sit with us please?”



She nodded and wordlessly complied with his request. “How have your studies gone these past few months? Are you satisfied with Linus?” David inquired in his usual mellifluous voice.

Lyllian gave her response careful thought before replying in demarian, “Good, Lord Des’kar, Linus is excelsin tutor.”

“Excellent,” David graciously corrected her.

“Exceslent.”

“Excel-lent,” he enunciated in demarian.

“Excel-lent. Excel-lent. Excel-lent,” she said slowly several times.

“Excellent! Now, repeat the phrase again.”

“Linus is excel-lent tutor,” she took great pains to ensure she articulated ‘excellent’ correctly.

“You are grasping demarian faster than I had anticipated,” David said in common with enthusiasm, “Linus told me you are an excel-lent student.”

Lyllian felt her cheeks grow warm at the compliment. Thankfully all discussions going forward continued in common so Lyllian was able to better comprehend what they were speaking about, even if she chose not to participate in the conversation unless asked to. David and Dacien spoke on a few other casual topics before the announcement for dinner was made. The evening repast was overall relaxed, and as she relished her meal she couldn’t help but observe that both the Des’kar brothers’ movements were similar; each motion was controlled and graceful. As she chewed her food, she inconspicuously glanced back and forth between the two siblings, noting the similarities and differences between them. Their eyes were such an unusual shade of their particular color – David’s an intense hue of sky blue, and Dacien’s a piercing shade of fiery red.

She noted some similarities in their facial structure; however, that was about where the resemblances ended. Dacien was by far the more outspoken one, often speaking passionately and liberally; David was more reserved, taking the time to prudently choose his words and his impassive expressions made him difficult to read.

Once her social obligations at the table were concluded, Lyllian excused herself and meandered to the roof of one of the turrets, braving the frigid air as she stared out into the darkness.  She came up here frequently to enjoy the view, finding it especially picturesque on a clear evening when the moon illuminated the countryside in subtle silvery light. She pulled her arms tighter about her; unfortunately the celestial body remained obscured behind clouds on this night and all she could see was the occasional glow from the windows of houses scattered across the land. She imagined herself far away when the stillness of the night was unexpectedly interrupted by the sound of marked footsteps coming from behind her. She spun around to see Dacien standing with a sheepish grin, “I apologize, I was attempting not to startle you.”

“Hello Prince Dacien,” she said without thinking.

“No need to be so formal; just Dacien is sufficient under the circumstances,” he said with a congenial smile.

“My apologies, Dacien,” after getting past his unusual appearance she had taken an instant liking to David’s brother; he seemed so amiable and sincere.

“What are you doing up here in the cold?”

“I like to come up here to clear my mind, and enjoy the view when there is one.”

“I see. Do you mind if I accompany you?”

“I…of course not prin-,” she stopped to correct herself, “Dacien.”

He stood next to her and leaned forward onto the wall, propping himself up with his forearms, “Do you come up here to think about home?” There was an unmistakable warmth to his tone which helped put her at ease.

“I try not to think of it,” she responded truthfully.

“You will be happier here,” he stated.

“Lord Des’kar has said the same thing.”

“Not to be callous but we both know that had you remained in Sanavin, it would have ended dreadfully.”

“Lord Des’kar told you about what I am?” she was only mildly surprised.

“We discussed the mystery of what you are, though even if he hadn’t mentioned it, it is fairly obvious,” he gave a reassuring smile at her, “your scent is different.”

“Oh, is that what gave me away to Lord Des’kar?”

“Not just that, your energy is different too, but all that is inconsequential. I will admit however, that I’m rather astonished. My brother is notorious for his aversion towards the company of terrans. I’ll confess, when David initially told me that he had shared his blood with you, it seemed inconceivable. Yet I can sense the undeniable evidence before me,” her face drained of color at his observation, “I apologize, am I making you uncomfortable? It is not my intention.”

“You speak with such frankness; I’m not used to it.”

He gave a hearty laugh, “Yes I have been told that. It can at times be a fault of mine.”

“You said Lord Des’kar has an aversion towards terrans?”

“To the company of terrans, yes. He never had an aversion to feeding on them which earned him a rather unpleasant reputation. Thankfully he has changed, but unfortunately once one earns such a reputation, it is hard to be absolved from it.” 

Lyllian stood in horrified silence.  “I apologize I didn’t mean to frighten you. He’s not going to feed off of you if that is what you are worried about and besides, he favors vampyre blood for his sustenance anyway.”

“Vampyre blood? What do you mean? Vampyres can feed off of vampyres?”

He looked incredulously at Lyllian, “You think my brother and I are vampyres?”

“I…isn’t that what you are? You both drink blood-“

“First of all, I prefer not to feed on blood, another distinct difference between my brother and I. And second of all, my brother and I are not vampyres. We call ourselves kresniks,” his tone remained affable but firm.

“You don’t feed on blood?” she asked skeptically.

“I didn’t say I don’t, there are times I have done so out of necessity. However, I prefer to feed on a person’s energy over their blood whenever possible.”

“I don’t understand and I’ve never heard of a kresnik before. I’ve always heard Lord Des’kar was a vampyre, and I’ve called him one many times and he’s never corrected me.”

“He usually doesn’t correct people when they refer to us as vampyres.”

“Why?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “He has his reasons.”

“So what is a kresnik exactly? How is it different from a vampire? They seem the same to me.”

He chuckled, “We are tremendously different from vampyres. The only common similarity we have is that we both take pleasure in consuming blood, but really that is where the resemblance ends.”

“You both have fangs,” she said pointedly.

“An astute observation, but perhaps this is a conversation you should have with David.”

“You do not wish to discuss the topic?” she enjoyed the candor in which he spoke, the fact he answered her questions directly and in a manner in which she understood.

He smiled, “I have no problem in discussing it with you, but I feel perhaps this would be better explained by my brother.  You seem cold; do you want to go inside?”

“No. I mean, yes.”

He gave a soft laugh, “Which one is it?”

“Yes, though I do want to ask one more question if I may. You mentioned earlier that your brother had changed, why did he change?”

“I’m sorry Lyllian, that’s something you’ll have to inquire to him about. It’s not for me to tell.”

Giving a quiet sigh of frustration, Lyllian continued inside back into the warm confines of the castle.


*          *          *

After her routine morning session with Master Linus, Lyllian withdrew to her room to complete her homework. As she was penning the answer to the last question, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing out the small pane, she watched as tiny specks of white drifted to the ground.  She stared at them incredulously for several long moments before she comprehended what was happening. Enthusiastically she jumped up and bounded out of the room, forgetting to close the small window.

Running through the castle as fast as she could in the cumbersome dress, she eventually stumbled into the freezing cold and gazed upwards in wonder. The white flakes occasionally tumbled as they danced their way to the ground, sticking here and there to whatever they touched, and a hush fell about the area in a peaceful and tranquil manner as if the world was holding its breath. She stood motionless as a delicate flake landed on her nose and began to melt; she ignored the cold as snowflakes tickled her eyelashes. She couldn’t help but laugh as she continued looking towards the heavens as she danced in a circle. Hearing a chuckle behind her, she abruptly stopped and the smile immediately disappeared from her face as she extended a greeting and small bow, “Lord Des’kar.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” David remarked casually, “You look cold. Here,” he offered her his cloak.

She nervously mumbled her gratitude as he wrapped the garmet around her, the warmth of his body still lingered within the threads. She wanted to broach the subject that she had discussed last night with Dacien, but found herself unable to organize her thoughts well enough to speak. David hastily excused himself, leaving her with only a warm cloak and a polite request not to linger in the cold for fear she might become ill again.


She relished the sight of the beautiful scene around her a few moments longer before returning to the warmth of the castle. She had intended to watch the scene continue to unfold from the comfort of her room, but found it was unpleasantly cold. She could feel the cool air invading the area through the open window; gingerly she shut it and then pulled the cloak tighter. She couldn’t help but marvel at the miracle before her - the world was turning white.

*          *          *

As the afternoon wore on, Lyllian found herself determined to converse with Lord Des’kar before the day’s end. Mustering up all her courage, she nervously approached his door and requested entry. She expected to find the two brothers deep in pleasant conversation, but she was shocked to find David Des’kar sitting quietly by himself - alone.

She had never come to see him willingly in the past, so the fact she came now of her own free will astonished him, “Hello Lyllian. What can I do for you?” he set down his glass and politely stood to greet her.

“Lord Des’kar,” she said respectfully with a small bow. She fidgeted with her dress as she shifted her weight, “Where is Dacien?”

“Prince Dacien,” he kindly corrected her.

“My apologies Lord Des’kar. Where is Prince Dacien?”

“I believe he went into town for some female company.”

“Female company?”

“He’s rather fond of women.”

“Oh, I see,” Lyllian felt her face grow warm with embarrassment.

“I can tell him you stopped by when he returns if you’d like, but he probably won’t be back until morning.”

“Oh it’s ok; I actually came to speak with you, Lord Des’kar.”

“Oh?” He stopped for a moment in surprise, “Well then please, have a seat and tell me what is on your mind,” although he was cordial and polite, the glow of the fire revealed lines of fatigue crossing his face.

“Um, Da-…Prince Dacien and I were talking last night, and I had some questions.”

“Oh?”

“I, um, well…he informed me you are not vampyres, but wouldn’t speak much more on the subject.”

“Did he now?” David chuckled; he was evidently more at ease than Lyllian was, “What was it you wanted to know?”

“What is a kresnik?”

“What is a kresnik? Hmm, well…think of it this way: There are vampyres that feed on mortals, and there is something that feeds on vampyres. The vampyre’s vampyre so to speak. Do you understand my analogy?”

“I think so. I’ve never heard of a kresnik though.”

“Probably because my brother and I are the only ones.”

“You two are the only ones?”

“To the best of our knowledge, yes.”

“Is that the only difference between a vampyre and a kresnik? You drink the blood of vampyres, and vampyres drink the blood of…” she trailed off, not sure how to complete the sentence.

“You’ve never laid eyes on a vampyre before, have you?”

“No.”

“When you do see one, you will find their appearance strikingly different almost immediately. The most prevalent physical differentiation identifiable immediately is the eyes; all vampyres have intense amber eyes with elliptical pupils which are sensitive to sunlight.  And unlike us, they can only remain in one form.”

“Remain in one form?”

“My brother and I, we can…change forms so to speak.”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

He chuckled again, “Well I’m not about to show you! Suffice it to say, we have a kresnik form, the more human form which you are accustomed to seeing, and one in between.”

“So I have only seen your more human form?”

He was clearly amused by her question, “You’d know if you’d seen us in any other form, trust me.”

“So do you ever…change forms?”

“I try to retain this appearance as much as possible; however, there are times when it’s not practical or desirable.”

“Why do you try and remain in this form as much as possible? Are the other ones painful or something?”

“Painful? No, as a matter of fact I prefer my kresnik form, but it isn’t conductive towards achieving my aspirations and ambitions,” Lyllian had opened her mouth to ask why, but before she could speak David had already begun to answer her, "The bloodlust is irresistible in my kresnik form; killing is an addiction. Believe me when I tell you that it is impossible to earn the loyalty of your subjects when you are slaughtering their wives, husbands, and children.”

“Oh I see.”

Silence stretched on between them. “My apologies if I’ve made you uneasy or caused you distress.”

“I just…I’m not sure how to react. I…I need a moment to gather my thoughts,” she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to suppress her emotions for the time being.  When she opened her eyes, she found him patiently waiting.  “You mentioned killing terrans, but I am confused. I thought that kresniks fed on vampyre blood?”

“If that were the case we’d probably starve; there are not as many vampyres in the world as you might think. Vampyre blood just happens to be the most enjoyable and beneficial to us.”

“Blood…your brother mentioned that he doesn’t like to feed on blood.”

“Yes, he prefers to feed on people’s energies; physical, emotional, and sexual. It’s probably another reason he seeks out female company so often.”

“You can do that? Suck people’s energies like that?”

“I tried it for a short while, to help you to understand try to think of it as surviving on grass. I refuse to debase myself in such a way; however, it is the way Dacien has chosen and I will respect his wishes.”

“He feeds on energy but you feed off of blood?”

“Yes.”

“Vampyre blood?”

“Not just vampire blood, I’ll take whatever is available at the time. Does this really surprise you?”

“No. I mean yes. I thought…you said you found it difficult to earn the loyalty of your subjects when you are killing their loved ones, so I assumed-“

“I used to feed on whatever prey crossed my path, now I am much more selective. Besides, my jail regularly has at least one or two of the worst kinds of criminals in society at any given time; killers, rapists, and the like. That is where I stalk my prey these days. Efficient and convenient.”

“I see. I don’t understand though why you would forsake your humanity to drink blood, no matter how pleasurable it is,” there was a note of disgust in her voice.

His voice remained cool and calm as he ignored the evident insult, “My brother and I were born this way, there was no choice involved.”

“But, people aren’t born vampyres-“

“And as you know, my brother and I are not vampyres. Our father was a vampyre, our mother was a terran.”

“I didn’t know a vampyre and a terran could have children.”

“They shouldn’t be able to, and as far as I know my brother and I are the only instances it’s ever happened.”

“How…can such a thing be possible?”

“We’ve often wondered that ourselves. I wish I had an answer to give you, but I don’t.”

“I can’t imagine what that must have been like,” she said sympathetically.

“Different from your childhood, though perhaps not as different as you might think.”

She pondered the concept a moment, “How old are you, Lord Des’kar?”

“Old enough,” he stated.

“I’m sorry; I wasn’t meaning to be rude.”

He gave a sigh, “I’m 176. Ancient by terran standards.”

“176?!”

“I stopped aging I think in my late 20’s or early 30’s, it happened so gradually I’ve never known the exact date.”

His unrelenting gaze made her uncomfortable, so she shifted her attention to the floor, admiring the intricate work of the rug beneath their feet as she tried to think of another question to ask. She happened to see out of the corner of her eye a blot on the beautiful carpet, a large and familiar black spot.

“The rug is so beautiful; except for the big black spot.”

“Yes, well that’s your handy work,” he said clearly unhappy.

She felt her face grow warm as she reflected upon her actions; she had behaved rather childishly. “You could always get a new one I suppose.”

“No, I can’t. It was a treasured gift from my step sister,” he uttered quietly with a trace of sorrow.

“Perhaps she can send you another one?” Lyllian inquired hopefully.

“My step sister is dead,” he stated flatly.

“I am sorry,” she now felt even worse over the entire affair.

“Those damn Fayleens and their wreched mashari,” he muttered to himself.

“Fayleens?” her voice choked.

“I know, the Fayleens are considered heroes in your former country, but I see them only as villainous murderers. The day they robbed my sister of her life I vowed I would wipe out their entire blood line before I perished from this world. My sister was good and virtuous, always thinking of others before herself. “

Lyllian felt petrified on the subject of her family. She swallowed hard before asking the difficult question, “What happened?”

His voice retained a drop of sorrow as he continued on, his tone much more somber, “She went to lead recovery efforts in Sanavin following a natural disaster and they killed her for her kindness,” the bitterness in his voice could not be mistaken, “She didn’t even want to become a vampyre, I forced it onto her, so if there was anyone they should have come after it should have been me, not her.”

The fear still pulsated through her with each beat of her heart, the sound booming in her ears as she comprehended the vows he had taken and why. Lyllian found she wanted to leave the room immediately but knew that doing so would appear suspicious. David was too preoccupied with his own thoughts and emotions to notice her reaction; he sat gazing intently into the fire for quite some time before mentally coming back into the moment, “I apologize, I have been most rude. Please forgive me and my tongue, Lyllian. I should not have spoken as such to you.”

It took a bit before Lyllian gathered up her courage to speak again, “You made your sister a vampyre? Not a kresnik?”

“In my endeavor to make her a kresnik, she instead turned into a vampyre. If I could have transformed her into a kresnik, believe me I would have.”

“How many people have you made vampyres?”

“Only two, they both ended badly.”

“I am sorry,” she responded automatically.

“Lyllian, there is something you should realize. I have only shared my blood with three people, you being one of them. Truth be told I really don’t understand why I did it, but I reacted to keep you from dying…” he trailed off.

“I am grateful, Lord Des’kar, that you saved my life.”

There was another length of silence between the two of them, the kind that accompanied their conversations so often. Lyllian was about to excuse herself when she remembered one other thing she had meant to inquire about to the kresnik lord. She stood, debating for a moment with herself before deciding it was important that she inquire about it, “Lord Des’kar, your brother was telling me that something significant happened which caused you to change, but he wouldn’t speak on it. Would you mind telling me about it?”

For the first time during their conversation David was uncomfortable; he swallowed hard before giving her a simple answer, “I killed a child, and it made me realize how depraved I had become. That is the most I will say on the subject,” he stood to indicate the session was over, “I have answered enough questions for one evening.”

“Thank you, for taking the time to talk with me,” she felt anxious to draw the conversation to a close.

“If you do not mind, I do have one last request from you. Please, keep the conversation we had tonight private,” the tone of his voice clearly indicated it was a demand and not a request.

“Of course, Lord De’skar.”

“Good. Now perhaps you ought to get some sleep. It’s getting rather late.”

She gave a polite bow before excusing herself. As she listened to the echo of her footsteps, she felt relief wash over her as she finally concluded the conversation she dreaded all afternoon.



***Author’s Notes
...were you surprised? I hope you were as that was my intention. :)
You have no idea how long I spent working on this chapter. I probably spent a good 36 hrs total writing this chapter and then spent three months editing it on and off. I had to take a bit of a break from editing due to an intense class I was taking, but once it was over I immediately worked towards finishing this chapter up.  Lots of good background information…hopefully not too much crammed into one chapter. I originally had a lot more but felt I needed to cut it out as it didn’t flow well. I am kind of half tempted to re-write the entire last scene, but I like the rest of it. Any comments from the peanut gallery?