Black Blood

I believe that everything has a reason in life, that you are brought to a certain thing with a certain purpose.

However, I have not yet discovered the purpose behind my appearance in this forest. I try to guess in my head why my dragon brought me here but I cannot discover it.

The forest is full of magic, it can be felt through every fibre of my being. This forest is not just the home of vampires, there is more than one thing wandering here.

We walk out the door of the large building and into the forest. Novak lit his cigarette and offered it to me, which I declined. There aren’t many vampires up yet, the camp seems quiet.

‘I’ll take you to your dragon,’ Novak tells me as I feast my eyes. I find myself slowly starting to trust Novak, something I’m not sure is a good or bad development. Something about him is honest but he also has an undertone that he doesn’t tell, something that he hides.

We walk past several tents and half-burning fires.

‘Novak,’ I say softly. He looks up with half a cigarette between his lips.

‘Yes?’ he asks, interested. I pick my nails uncomfortably and almost forget what I wanted to ask.

‘This forest... what kind of forest is it?’ Novak takes the cigarette from between his lips and blows the smoke into the air.

‘The Black Forest, the prison of death.’ I have read and heard about this forest. The black forest is where the dead wander, but why they do so was never clear to me.

‘Long ago the king of the time cursed the living in the cells. They would wander in the darkness to suffer their punishment for eternity. There are hundreds of spirits wandering around here, looking for a way to get free. Some have been here for centuries.’ The king before my grandfather was as much a tyrant as my father is now. The man was ruthless towards anyone who did something wrong in his eyes.

‘Nobody noticed until the nymphs intervened. They banished him to the deepest recesses of the Andes. Some say he still wanders there forever,’ Novak tells.

‘Why do you live here?’ Novak throws his cigarette butt into the grass and stammers it out.

‘We don’t feel them, don’t see them and don’t hear them. Only magicians with a gift hear and see them. It’s a way to stay away from royalty and magicians.’ I nod understandingly. I don’t know exactly what I can do with the information but something tells me it will come in handy one day. A question burns on my lips that I know I should keep to myself, but I can’t. I don’t know how to answer it.

‘Why do you hate the royal family?’ I ask cautiously. I could be throwing my own glasses in the air with this question, but my curiosity wins.

I know why I hate it but not why others loathe it so much. If I am to survive outside the walls of that castle, I must know what I am accused of. My father is a tyrant but that was barely mentioned, nothing was said about his dark actions.

Novak sighs deeply.

‘Ten years ago, the dawn made a tour of all the halflings, as they call it over there. My mother was a rebellious woman who fought for equality for every creature. She was arrested for treason and we never saw her again.’ I swallow audibly.

Vampires, werewolves, cheeaths and other halflings are considered underworld. They are said not to be fully magical and not to belong to magic. My father wants to eradicate them, in fact he has already started. I do not share his opinion.

Without another word, we walk further into the forest until I see my black dragon lying in the grass. His tail is lying along his body until his head, his head in his paws and his wings along his body.

His head immediately shoots up as soon as he hears us coming. He stands up from the grass and looks at me in surprise, as far as you can tell from a dragon. I walk closer to him and hold out my hand. He puts his head against my hand and closes his eyes. What would I do without him? I would be dead if he wasn’t there.

‘He is beautiful.’ I look back and see Novak looking at me from a distance. I smile at the compliment for my dragon. Novak cautiously walks a little closer.

‘Thanks,’ I say for Rave. Novak comes to stand next to me and looks at the giant dragon in front of me.

‘Does he have a name?’ asks Novak. I didn’t think of Rave myself, Nora did. My smile disappears like snow in the sun as soon as I think of Nora. The event flashes before my eyes, the image of Nora dead in the grass pins itself in place.

‘Rave,’ I say softly. My hand slowly slips away from Rave’s nose.

I almost seemed to have forgotten that I have to look for Tristan and Viko, warn them and get Elien away from that castle. But I have no idea where to start. In the Andes, I have the best chance, but you don’t get there just like that. The daughter of the ruthless king will not be among the wanted guests.

‘Why did he bring you here?’ I look at Novak emotionlessly. Rave pushes his head against my arm. Sighing, I stroke his nose.

‘No idea,’ I answer honestly. Did it have something to do with those ghosts?

‘He seemed very sure that he wanted you here.’ I look at Novak in surprise. So it was deliberate. It’s a pity I can’t just ask Rave, I can but I don’t get an answer.

‘He can stay here until you leave.’ I don’t know when I will leave, preferably right away.

However, it’s smarter to find out first how life outside the castle works, where I should go and what my father’s next step is. Rave brought me here for a reason and I want to know it before I leave.

‘Thank you,’ I say sincerely. Novak’s reception is very warm and friendly. He seems to genuinely want to help me, I don’t know why. Novak nods with a smile.

‘Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the camp.’ I run my hand over Rave’s nose one more time and then walk with Novak.

We walk back towards the camp, which has come more to life. The sun is now almost completely in the sky, vampires are walking around with their breakfast and starting their daily routine. I find it soothing to watch someone go about their daily tasks, nothing forced.