Sired: A Unique Bond

It was autumn. The air was cool and crisp, evidence of frost on the wind. The moon was full and high in the sky, casting an eerie light through the darkness. The only thing that broke the silence were the pained screams of a disappointment.

****

In the subbasement of a large mansion deep in the woods was a girl, who looked no older than seventeen, chained to a wall. Her pale skin was covered in sweat and blood, though there wasn't a single scratch on her body.

"You've been down here a while, Freya. Are you ready for redemption?" The voice belonged to the Master, a very old, very cruel man.

"Yes, Master." The girls voice was weak, breathy.

"I have something I want you to find." The Master moved to her side, and held an old picture in front of her face. "Find him. Bring him to me." A pause. "If you fail I will have to begin my search for a Collector, as mine will have sadly passed on."

The threat was not lost on the girl. The Master was older, and far more powerful than her. If he wished her demise, it would be so.

"I will find him, Sire. I will not fail you."

"I want him alive."

*****

A young girl sat in a tavern drinking glass after glass of whisky. Her hair fell down her back, nearly pin straight, her clear green eyes hazed over, no doubt because of the booze. She cradled her glass as if it were her last.

"Well, well, you are a sweet young thing, aren't you?" A tall, handsome young man slid next to her, his chocolate eyes matching his hair. His tan complexion indicated he was an outside worker. "Fight with your beloved?"

"I'm not wed." She responded, words slurring, barely taking her eyes off her drink.

"How lucky that makes me. You are available for my hand." He smirked, his eyes traveling up and down her lithe form.

"What kind of man are you to seek a drunk woman?" She turned, and smiled.

"Just the kind for you, it seems." He returned her smile. "What can I offer you, dear flower?"

Flower? A slender eyebrow raised. "I'm feeling peckish. Perhaps a bite to eat."

"What'll you have, my lady? Whatever you desire shall be yours."

Leaning toward her new male companion she looked him in the eye. "I want you to take that knife in your pocket, slit open your wrist, and bleed into my glass until you drop dead." As she spoke, magic laced her words, her pupils dilating. Compulsion.

"Anything for you." The man said vacantly as he did exactly as she asked.

An hour later the girl left the bar, not a single person inside left alive.

"You know dragons don't exist, but you came out looking for one anyway. You're lucky you made it out of its den alive." Scarin strolled over to the small band of warrior, their armor and weapons laid out around a dying campfire. Each hunger laid limp and relaxed, sitting up against a tree or large rock, or laying flat on their backs to look up at the stars. The wind blew stiff and cold, but not one of them seemed bothered by it. Scarin circled the fire, his blue eyes moving from warrior to warrior.

"Who actually believed you'd actually find one, especially that one! He's the worst you know. Eats kids, burns villages, kills hunters. Surely you knew before you took the job. But I suppose you couldn't be blamed. I should thank you anyway... I haven't eaten this well in a long time."

Scarin stretched out, yawning deeply as he picked the remaining bits of tendon out of his sharp teeth with a pointed claw, having picked clean each and every hunter. In his natural form, he was quite impressive, his ashen scales reflecting the the moonlight. His icy blue eyes shined in the darkness, glinting in darkness and shadow. Scarin stretched his wings and launched himself into the night, blasting a breath of blue flame, piercing the midnight air.

"I hope they never learn... they make hunting for food so much easier."

The scent of copper filled the air; blood, and lots of it. Instead of going to investigate the source, as it was lacking in interest, Freya moved on. The Collector knew she was on the trail of her prize, she just did not know which way it went, but she would find it. She had to.

"Did you see that?" A group of men moved past her on the path, talking in hushed tones. If not for her keen hearing she might have missed it. "The whole tavern, dead. Looks like murder..."

Their words trailed off, and Freya had to resist laughing. Murder? No. They'd all done that of their own will. Well, her will pushed onto them. What was the difference really?

With a shake of her head she stopped walking and let her eyes work for her. The colors of the night blurred as a bright blue essence made itself known to her, pointing the way. Collectors were a rare subspecies of vampire. Their ability to seek out and gather things was supernatural, even to most creatures like her. There had only been four since the beginning of time, and Freya was, currently, the only one still alive. That would not be the case of she did not find what her Master was looking for.

Without further delay, the girl followed the blue wisp, praying that it lead her to her prize.

Cold fire slashed through the night, though very few could actually see it. The trail followed Scarin as he traveled south, eager to find one of his most favorite resting points. The hot springs provided not only a warm place to sleep, but invited a plethora of other living things for him to devour. While he was an excellent hunter, there was no sense wasting energy when he didn't need to. There were plenty of foolish hunters to deal with without having to strain himself looking for food.

Gliding to the ground, Scarin touched down softly, his feet pressing firmly into the earth. Though he loved to fly, it was nice to feel the dirt beneath his clawed feet. The wind whipped at his wings, chilling the air and the ground at the same time. He stayed off the trails, trying to avoid places where his presence would be easily detected. Soon enough, however, he could smell the sulfurous odor of the hot springs, which brought a happy smile to his face.

He had no idea what was already chasing them that night, for who would dare try to follow him?

Following the blue fire that streaked through the sky was almost so easy it was boring. Freya found herself getting lost in her own thoughts as she travelled the path towards sulfurous springs. The smell assaulted her nose, heightened senses and all, but she pushed past it, as her life depended on finding the object that would grant her freedom from torture.

It had been a full decade, almost to the day, since she'd last failed and ended up chained to a wall, nearly desiccated. There has to be a way to wriggle her way out from under the Masters thumb. His name was Kol. He was cruel in his life, as the rumors stated, but crueler in his afterlife. He Sired over a hundred of her kin, though most scattered. Freya was held under constant supervision in her home, and was always expected to maintain his standard of perfection.

With a sigh, the Collector tore herself from her own thoughts, and focused on the scent of death and blood coming to a point in front of her. Through a clearing she skulked, darkness clinging to her pale skin as she moved. Finding this prize was far easier than anticipated, and put the girl on edge.

"You should at least try to hide yourself. Or are you so arrogant you didn't think anything would find you?"

Settling into the hot water brought luxurious comfort, the water rushing between and over Scarin's scales, which seemed to sizzle slightly, despite it's already high temperature. Sinking under the surface, Scarin let the liquid wash away the blood still clinging to his claws and skin for several minutes before he resurfaced and climbed out. A quick shake and a belch of blue fire dried his scales quickly.

His relaxation, however, did not last much longer, as he suddenly picked up the smell of something... odd. Vaguely familiar, but with overtones of scents that he did not recognize. He did not know exactly what he was smelling, or who, but he knew it was not human. Curiosity piqued, Scarn set himself down near the edge of the water, his tail breaking the surface of the pool and swirling it around lazily. His back was still turned with the stranger finally showed herself.

"Do you presume that I would hide from you because I am afraid to be found?" Scarin's tone was mockingly stern, though his body language appeared relaxed and uninterested. "If you are in the market for a funeral, I can promise you a quick death at no charge."

Scarin then turned, standing on all fours and looking down at the female vampire. His nostrils flared a few times as he inhaled, taking her in with more than just his sense of sight. "I could smell you half a mile away, even over the sulfur still clinging to the inside of my snout. You smell of fear, but you do not shake, so you aren't afraid of me. A mistake, mind you."

"Why have you come, little seeker?"

Not one to forget manners, even in the face of a creature as dangerous as the dragon, Freya inclined her head in greeting. Though, her eyes never left his form.

"I do not fear you, because death by your hand would be far more merciful than that of my Masters." Freya walked forward, staring at the dragon before her, as if confirming that he was the one she was searching for. "I am a Collector, and it was requested of me to bring you to my Master. He seems to know you and stressed the urgency for which you are brought to him." She paused, shifting on her feet anxiously. "Kol is not a patient man."

If the dragon refused to come with her, she had decided to pick a fight. She knew she'd have no chance of survival, but she was not going to return to Kol without him. Not a chance. Kol was impatient, and he did not tolerate failure. Especially from someone with a supernatural ability beyond the limits of the rest of her kin.

"I will only ask this once, dragon, then I will have to resort to unsavory methods. As a child of the night, I humbly request that you accompany me to my Master, Kol."

Scarin responded to Freya's inclined head by bowing his, ever so slightly. For a tiny thing, she had manners, an admirable and rare quality in the type of people he normally encountered. After listening to the nature of Freya's business, and her threat-laced request, he could only chuckle, the sound of which reverberated all around them, causing ripples in the pool behind him.

"You have good manners for an assassin, or a Collector, as you said. Your words are pretty. But child of the night or no, you should know what it is that you threaten, little girl." Scarin's body began to cave in on itself, slowly shifting to a mostly humanoid form, with long pointed ears, dark braided hair, and icy blue eyes still slitted as before. "I have no reputation to follow, only because no one that has ever crossed me has lived to speak of it... except for one, and he is far too prideful to admit it."

Taking a step forward, Scarin's scaled tail cracked like a whip behind him, slinging the water from his appendage. Unlike other dragons, his tail was prehensile, and quite dexterous. He did not let it drag behind him, but kept it perked up, pointing at Freya as if to study her. "So Kol still walks the land, hmm? Still as cruel, it sounds. No need to dirty the forest with your remains, Night Stalker. Take me to your master, so I can see what business he has with me."

Freya was visibly relaxed when the dragon accepted her request to follow her back to her clan. It was much better for it to happen that way. Mostly just for her, though.

"I know exactly what you are, and I still fear my Master over you." The girl turned and began to lead him back to her mansion hidden in the trees far from prying eyes. "Whatever it is he wants from you, I hope you walk away from it." Secretly hoping that the being following her home would put an end to her Master.

The walk was not a long one, and upon reaching the towering structure, the looks of guards as she passed seemed surprised. As if they thought she'd never return, and definitely not with what followed her. The closer they got to her Master, the more her anxiety grew, but she had to grit her teeth and push on. Freya could hear him in the main room, thankfully alone, save for a few guards he'd always have on hand.

Entering the room, Freya walked up to the high backed chair he sat in and knelt down, bowing her head. "I have brought what you desired, Master."

"Stand, my dear. You have done well." Kol indicated that she move closer to him, and she did so. Without blinking, the man stood and shoved his fist into her chest, clawed fingers coiling around her heart. Freya grunted, choking, her eyes wide. "The next time I ask you to bring me something do try to hurry up. Understand?"

"Y-yes, Sire." Freya stammered. Kol released her, but then snapped her neck, the crack resounding in the near empty room, followed by a thud as she hit the ground.

"No worries, Scarin. She is only unconscious." The aged vampire turned to the dragon, a cruel smile reflecting in his eyes. "Now, why don't you have a seat?"

The pair of glacier eyes stared at Kol, bored holes through his face as the display continued. It was clear that Kol was, indeed, much more cruel than Scarin could ever be, even if the dragon was no saint himself. Either he had no real respect for those that served him, or he was trying to rattle Scarin's nerves a bit using a display of force and intent. The dragon in human form crossed the room, pulling out a chair near the aged vampire and sitting himself down.

"Perhaps your eyes are failing you, Kol, if you saw any indication that I care in the very least about your errand girl. The only reason for not slaughtering her on the spot was the mention of your name. Still looking to settle old vendettas? Tsk tsk tsk... I would figure that an immortal such as yourself would have learned centuries ago that holding a grudge is a magnificent waste of time."

Scarin's eyes wandered off the old man down to the girl, her neck craned awkwardly, her head tilted unnaturally to one side, and her chest caved in in the center. He felt no pity for the girl, for if she didn't have the strength to stand up to her master or flee from his influence, she was not worth that pity.

"What do you want, Kol," Scarin asked as his eyes returned to the ancient one, just as passive as they had been.

Kol pushed Freya aside with his foot effortlessly. "She is not merely an errand girl. Collectors are a rare subspecies. Powerful, agile, and able to find whatever their Master requires." His dark eyes moved from Scarin to Freya and back again. "Their strength rivals those of any other creature I have met, but this one is unaware of how deep it goes."

"Enough about her. I have called you here for a reason." Kol turned his whole body to face his most hated guest. "For centuries I have loathed you. You took away my lover, and I had planned out your death. The only problem was that you were nowhere to be found." A smirk spread across his lips, and he leaned forward, his fingers lacing together under his chin. "My little treasure came in handy, though. She located you easily enough."

As if prompted, Freyas neck snapped back into place, and she groaned softly, the hole in her chest closing. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at the two men, confused.

"Freya, be a darling and rip out his heart, will you?" Kol smirked, knowing she would fail, and die.

"Master?" Freya frowned, pushing herself up. "I'll die."

"Did I? Oh... I don't really remember now. Was she the whore whose face I melted after I stepped on her, or that strapping young man I ripped in half after he had the nerve to rake my tail with that rusted blade he called a sword?" Scarin intentionally provoked the old man, even as he watched his most prized start to push herself off the floor. The dragon had to give credit to the girl; he'd seen other vampires take much longer to heal less critical injuries. But she, in her own way, only aided Scarin in his plan, elegant in its simplicity. She was an unknowing pawn in his scheme, but it appeared that she would not just be an innocent fatality in the whole matter.

Dragging his eyes back to Kol, murder hidden behind the icy pupils and a smirk on his face, Scarin leaned forward, his elbows resting on the edge of the table. "You must be as stupid as you are blind, Kol. I let her bring me in. How else would I have made it through your gates and guards without so much as a burp of flame? You think yourself so fortunate for having a Collector? All she did was seal your fate, and..." Scarin turned toward Freya for a moment, his eyes resting on her golden hair. "... thank you my dear. You did beautifully."

Only a moment's hesitation followed, just long enough for the realization to fall over Kol's face. He had allowed a wolf into the pen of sheep, and the wolf was hungry. Just as Kol began to speak, to call to his guard and to his Collector for protection, he felt it, the abrupt insertion of something sharp, like a spear, plunge into his body. From the lower abdomen, where it entered, to finally exiting through Kol's mouth, Scarin's tail had down its job.

Blood gushed as Kol began to choke on the welling blood, bring a smile to Scarin's lips. He shoved his chair hard, sending it splintering against the wall as he lifted the vampire off the ground and bringing him close. "Thank you for handing yourself over so politely," Scarin whispered. Then, after a deep inhale, blue flame erupted from his mouth, washing violently over Kol's head, incinerating it almost instantly. By the time he was finished, there was nothing left of Kol the Clan Leader but a headless body. He ripped his tail away from the dead thing, effectively eviscerating and spreading blood halfway across the room.

Freya watched with wide eyes, her body motionless, as the dragon she brought into her home effortlessly slaughtered her Master. Not being commanded to save him, she did not move. When he was finally dead, a smirk twitched on the corners of her lips. Kol was dead. The Master was dead. She was free, finally free. Most of her clan scattered the instant the dragon entered their keep, no doubt in search of a new Master, a new clan to join.

"You used me." Freya stared at the dragon before her, not showing an ounce of fear, despite what she had seen. "To get to Kol, you used me. I can't say I'm surprised, or it was one-sided. But thank you. I'm free now, and I won't be used again."

The vampire moved around Scarin, stepping over the bloody mess on the floor and headed for the door. A sudden hunger had crept up on her, and there was a village nearby that was going to feed her whether they wanted it or not.

"Before you go," Scarin replied, his tail shooting to Freya's wrist, holding it tightly enough to draw a bit of blood. "I've just been struck with a thought. It occurs to me that I have many uses for someone with your rare skill set." Of course he had just her say that she would not be used again, but could she really avoid it? "With your Master now dead, I believe madness will begin to take your mind, unless i'm mistaken."

Of course he knew he was right, but still, Scarin enjoyed playing the game. She would know exactly what he was getting at, and though she would not like it, she would be able to put up little resistance, if any. The tip of his tail dug into her wrist, causing a drop of blood to plump up on her fair skin. "Here is my proposition. You will be mine, from this point forward, and instead of the tyrannical bastard you were serving under, you will work for me. You will find me to be a much more forgiving master to serve. We will call it... payment for freeing you from the shackles you used to wear."

Whipping around, the vampire glared at the dragon, the pure white in her eyes now a deep Crimson. Her fangs were out, and she snarled, tugging on her wrist to free herself.

"Are you deaf? I won't be used by anyone again. Madness, or no, I won't Bind to anyone. Not even you." Freya continued to pull against his tail, her muscles flexing, tightening, as she struggled to move away from him. Kol just dissolved in blows against the dragon, there was no way she'd survive being Sired to him.

"Let me go. I won't do it." The blood faded from her eyes, her fangs retreating. "Let me go!" Her tone became slightly more desperate, pulling hard enough that her skin began to tear, blood leaking down her wrist. "Let go! I don't owe you anything, you were going to kill him anyway. I gave you passage into our home. I owe you nothing! Release me!"

For a long moment Freya's crimson essence seemed to blend together with Scarin's blue pupils, producing a lavender color more vibrant than the plant for which it was name. The dragon watched as it tricked down her arm and his own tail, dripping onto the floor and pooling at her feet, even as she struggled to free herself. Try as she might, the grip was strong, and the blood loss she had been experiencing seemed to be catching up with her. Scarin knew she would have no choice but to submit. All he had to do was be patient.

"A warrior does not give up a sword simply because a battle is over. No, I have plans much larger than your former master's feeble, narrow-eyed mind could ever hope to achieve. But this plan requires the acquisition of many things, and more soldiers."

Scarin whipped his tail downward, hard and fast, bringing Freya to her knees. "I imagine by know you're starting to feel rather weak. You're losing blood faster than you can heal. Whether you do so willingly, or after I force you when you pass out, you will Bind to me, and in return..." Scarin leaned in close to her, his breath billowing over her ear. "... I will reward you with more than anyone could ever imagine."

As he whispered into her ear, she could hear the blood pumping through his veins, she could smell it. The vivid red bled back into her eyes, fangs reappearing, but she fought the thirst. She had to. Her blood was everywhere, all it took was one drop, she just had to drink first. Eyes closing, Freya inhaled deeply, her body tensing. She was so thirsty.

"No.. No!" She jerked back away from him, fear working its way through her body. She grasped at his tail with her free hand, in an attempt to free her wrist. "I won't... Be a slave.. Not again!" Growling desperately, Freya yanked hard, her vision swimming. She needed blood, craved it, but she didn't want to be Bound again.

Freya's resistance only motivated the dragon even further. He could see the desperation in her eyes, hear it in her voice, and smell it on her skin, but it did nothing to dissuade him from taking her as his Collector. If she wanted to call herself a slave, that would be her choice.

With sharp teeth he bit down on his wrist, just enough to break the skin. After only a second his blood began to seep through the hole. He could smell his blood, sweet and metallic, in the air, hoping to tempt the girl. She had to grind first after all.

The scent of blood permeated the air, wrapping around her. It was intoxicating. Her Crimson hues turned to the blood pooling on the dragons wrist, pupils dilating. "Please don't... Make me do this.." She whispered, her voice barely audible.

But it was too much. The smell pulled at her, trying to drag her under and pull her down. It worked. With a growl she lunged at his wrist, digging her fangs into his skin. Freya moaned against his skin drinking the blood from his wrist like she'd never had anything to drink before. Her free hand grasped his wrist holding it tightly against her mouth, her whole body shaking. Freya couldn't stop. It was a mistake. He was going to drink from her and she was going to be Bound to him.

"No!" Freya jerked back away from him, her eyes wide. "No! Why did you make me... You.. No!"

The sensation of having his blood sucked from his wrist was actually quite euphoric, certainly more than Scarin had expected. Each gulp, each pull, each suck prompted a small moan from the dragon in human form, intensified when Freya clutched his wrist. He was almost disappointed when she pulled away. Still gripping her arm with his tail, Scarin held her in place, even pulling her closer. "Don't be such a worrier. It was clear to me that you enjoyed it. I even enjoyed it... so much so that I think it's time that I returned the favor.

Scarin's eyes moved to her wrist, still bloody from the intense grip. Firmly he pulled until her wrist was no more than a few inches from his face, his eyes set on the trails of blood streaking down her forearm. "It smells good. I wonder how you taste." Scarin's tongue left his lips, until it touched the first droplet of blood. Immediately he felt a rush flow through his body, an intense heat similar to his own fire, but much deeper and stronger. Unable to resist any longer, he clamped his mouth down on Freya's bloody arm, sucking the red mana directly from her open wounds.

The moment Scarins mouth closed over the wound on her wrist, heat slammed into her. Freya moaned loudly, her body slumping against his as desire swelled inside of her. Fire danced through her veins, burning hot and consuming. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath, the need growing stronger with every passing second.

"S-stop.." Freya moaned. Just underneath the lust, the vampire could feel the weight of a Bond. It was unlike that she was used to with Kol; it was hotter, stronger, heavier. As far as she knew no one had ever Bonded between species, so there were going to be differences. Some good, some bad. The Bond strengthened with every drop of blood he took from her.

Words no longer existed to Scarin, only the sounds of their hearts beating rapidly, the breath that escaped their lips, and their moans harmonizing with each other. Gone were any worries or cares. Gone were reservations and hangups. Though he was no vampire, the act of drinking Freya's blood was all consuming, drowning him in an ocean of new desires and fantasies. He'd tasted blood before, but never like that. This was a Bond, a contract struck between the two of them, one that would only be broken by death itself.

Scarin moaned as he continued to pull blood from her wound, but eventually his sucking began to diminish. There was still some logic left in the back of his head, and a feeling that he should slow down before he drained her completely. Was this what the Bond felt like? What would they feel moving forward? Could they share pain, read each other's thoughts? Scarin knew none of the answers, but he was eager to find out.

The dragon continued to drink, however, until he felt the draw becoming dangerous. He had to pull himself away from her flesh, and when he glanced down, there was a large mark on her forearm where his teeth had bitten into her. "My god... that was... much better than I ever imagined."

Freya felt weak, her gaze turning up to Scarins face. He had taken a good amount of her blood, and though it was dangerous for a time, she would survive. The madness faded from her mind, disappearing into nothing, as if it had never been there.

"Blood exchange.. Is very intimate.. When you're Bound, Master." Her voice was soft, ragged, submissive. She had given in to the stronger power, and now that they had a unique Bond, she was the slave, and he was the authority.

'Master? ... I could get used to this...'

"I like it. You'll have to educate me more on that. Is it something that must be renewed? Do you do it for pleasure?" Those and a multitude of others came to mind, but Scarin cut himself off. The thought of chaos vampires running amok through the keep was not something he found particularly pleasing. Rather than quiz her on the in's and out's of Bonding, he decided to act with prudence.

"Later. We'll talk about that later. For now, we have to get out of here. I'm sure the other lords will hear about what took place tonight, and i'd rather not be here when the come to investigate. Lead us out of here, then I will take over." Scarin needed no whip or cane to get his point across. He knew she would obey him. He was her Master, and she belonged to him.

"Yes, Master." Freya struggled to her feet, kept her head bowed, and moved to a tapestry that hung on the wall. Moving it aside she indicated a heavy wooden door. "This way." Opening the door she led her new Sire through a narrow corridor that looked sparsely used. It only took a few minutes to reach another door, a slight breeze indicating it led outside.

Pushing the door open, she stepped out onto the grass, watching the sun creep over the horizon. Scarin didn't know she possessed a ring that allowed her to walk with the mortals. Freya felt a pull inside of her, and she sighed softly; the Bond was forcing her to tell him everything.

"Sire, I have in my possession something that allows me to travel during the daylight hours. I am the only one of my kin that has it."