Converted: Camellia, Madrid 1969

2008-10-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Raul watched as Camellia skipped ahead of him across the grass of the park. His sister’s long black hair streamed out behind her, dappled by the soft light of the full moon. She twirled around and the hem of her new white dress flared around her knees. She looked five years younger then her 14 years as she danced though the night. Chuckling he picked up the bag of food she had dropped in her exuberance and moved over to sit on the park bench.

“Can you believe it” the bell tones of Camellia’s voice rang in the silence of the night time park. “New clothes, food for days and days and we still have 20 Euros left”.

“Quite little one,” Raul’s cautious tone caught Camellia’s attention and she glanced around nervously, “sit down and enjoy our feast.” He gestured to the variety of pastries, meat pies and candies he had spread out on the bench.

“Oh, Raul, you got my favorites.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

“What have we got here,” a voice grated out the darkness. Camellia gasped and stepped back her eyes were wide and frightened when she saw the young tuff standing behind the short cast iron railing next to the bench.

“What’s it to you. This is for me and my sister!” Raul grabbed the paper he’d spread beneath the food and scooped it all up in a jumbled mass.

“I think you’re wrong cholo,” a voice came from behind the siblings. Camellia screamed as she whirled around to stand back to back with Raul. Behind them three more young men were gathered, the bright moonlight glinting off the bright sharp objects clenched in their grubby fists. “I think you have our food.”

Raul watched the first mugger jump the railing and circle to join his friends. Even in the dime light of the moon he could see that their eyes were wild and glassy from whatever drugs they had coursing though their veins. Holding the food against his chest he glanced at his sister by his side. They had each eaten an empanada from a cart in front of the Palacio Real earlier, right after they got the money from singing together for the tourists. But that was the first food they had eaten in days. They needed this food. He looked again at his delicate, precious sister and decided.

“Here,” his hands flexed in anger, smashing some of the pastries as he thrust the food at them, “take it”.

“And the 20,” he spat thrusting his filthy hand out.

“No,” Camellia slapped the hand. Without blinking the youth backhanded her across the mouth. Her head whipped around causing her to stumble away from her brother. With a roar Raul launched himself at her attacker and the night was filled with shouts and confusion. Camellia fell to her knees grinding dirt into her new dress. She could hear Raul yelling for her to run as she tried to clear the dizziness from her mind. She looked over her shoulder from her knees and saw Raul on the ground struggling with two their attackers while another was down and not moving. The last one was coming for her and though she wanted to go to her brother she instead did as he said and ran.

Her feet pounded along the dirt path and she could see the Temple of Debod up ahead. Too afraid to look back she strained to hear if he was pursuing but the panting of her breath and pounding of her heart drowned out all other sound. She crashed against the gate leading into the Temple grounds and heard a scream of pain from behind her. Panic and fear gave her the strength to break the rusted lock on the gate. In a flash she was across the plaza in front of the temple and its modern glass doors. Around the other side she knew there was a place she could squeeze her slight figure in and hide until Raul came to find her.

She pushed the loose block that she and Raul had found a week ago and managed to shift it enough to slip into the enlarged space. She kept wiggling back trying make herself as small as possible. She gathered her skirt around her legs and struggled to bring her knees up to her chin. As she huddled in the small space the pressure of her body caused the wall behind her to shift and she tumbled backwards into the dark. Her scream filled the darkness until it was silenced by the blow of stone on the back of her head.

Camellia moaned and opened her eyes. It was pitch black all around her and she would have thought herself blind if not for the faint glow of moonlight shinning in from where she had fallen. She struggled to sit up and felt a throbbing pain pulse from the back of her head. Gentle fingers felt the sticky lump beneath blood matted hair. That gentle touch caused a stab of pain and she flinched and pulled her fingers away. Getting up she moved cautiously forward toward the light. In the darkness she shuffled her feet forward, arms waving in front of her. She felt the outlines off a large block with her toe and reached down until she found the top.

She realized it must have been the block that shifted when she fell and she was amazed that such a large stone hadn’t smashed her when they landed. Counting her luck she clambered up on top and used its height to pull herself up into the hole above. It was a bit of a struggle and not without pain as she banged the bump on her head but she managed the clamber up onto the ledge. Looking out she stared in wonder. What had been a small break in the foundation of the temple was now a huge hole in the wall. Amazed she crawled back out into the night.

The moon was still up but she didn’t know how much time had passed. Placing her feet carefully to avoid dry leaves and twigs she crept to where she had last seen her brother. She stopped by the bushes bordering the clearing where they had stopped to eat. Parting the branches she peered into the clearing. She saw her brother sprawled loosely on the ground. She couldn’t tell if he was hurt so after a quick look to make sure the muggers weren’t still around she rushed to his side.

She stopped nervously at his side holding her breath as she waited. When his chest rose with a ragged breath she quickly covered her mouth the muffle the sobs she couldn’t contain. She crouched and gently reached out to touch his cheek. “Raul, wake up. Please, wake up.” His skin was hot and clammy. When he didn’t respond she gently shook him and then again harder until his eyes fluttered open. She slid her arm behind him and started to lift him.

“Ah,” Raul gasped in pain as Camellia’s hand came to rest on the warm, sticky mess in the center of his back.

“Oh Raul, you’re hurt. How bad is it?” Raul hissed as she tried to shift his much larger form in order to see the wound. “There’s not enough light. I can’t see anything.

“Just let me rest,” weakly he pushed her away and tried to lie back down but she refused to let him.

“Raul, don’t you dare. I can’t move you without your help. Please get up so we can go for help”. Hearing the desperation in her voice he leaned on her and pushed to his feet.

“I don’t know how far I can go little one.” He used her diminutive to try and reassure her but she could tell he was incredibly weak. He was only two years older then her but his size and confidence had always made him seem older. He kept them safe over the last four years since their parent’s death. Struggling under his weight she knew if he collapsed she would be helpless to move him.

“Just tell me if you need to rest on one of the benches.” She helped him along the path toward the front of the park. The neared the Temple gate when Raul stumbled and leaned more heavily on his sister. She struggled to hold him up and asked, “Do you need to rest?”

“No, can’t,” he grunted while he tried to straighten up, “I hurt one of them pretty bad and they may come back.” He managed to stumble a few more steps but when they made it to the gate to the Temple grounds he collapsed completely, sagging against the cast iron scrollwork.

“You can’t go on Raul, you need to rest.” She stared down at her normally strong brother and knew she would have to bring help to him. “I need to get help”.

“No, you’re not going off alone. We’ll have to continue together.” He tried to push himself off the gate but the increased weight caused the gate to shift and swing open. Without its support he crashed to his knees on the stairs.

“That’s it I’m hiding you in the temple. I found a room behind the loose stone block. When I hid in the crack the block fell back under the temple. The hole is much bigger and I think you can fit though. You can rest there and hide while I find help.” She pulled his arm around her shoulder and got him to his feet. They moved slowly around the front of the temple, his breath was ragged in her ear as he labored for breath. After what felt like an eternity to both of them she arrived at the new opening. She gently lowered him down and peered into the darkness. After a moment she dug the pocket flashlight out of Raul’s jacket pocket.

She turned on the flashlight and shown the beam into the darkness before her. When the block fell out it had left a space almost a meter wide by a little over a meter high. You had to step down to get in the space so the opening was hidden from more then a few feet away and definitely not visible from over the pond surrounding the temple. Camellia crawled to the edge, swung her legs around and dropped down onto the fallen stone. She raised the flashlight and shown the small beam of light around. The faint light revealed what looked like a store room. In the center was a huge broken slab of stone with odd figures and pictures carved in it. The slab rested on top of a platform that would come up higher then her waist if she was standing next to it. Other then that there were some barrel like ceramic jars and pots filling the corners, some of which had been shattered by her fall scattering dirt and sand around the space.

She saw a canister that was big enough to act as a step and jumped down to wrestle it up on the block for Raul to use. She set the light on the platform in the middle of the room and for a moment it the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She had the feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around and when she confirmed that she was alone she moved back to the canister. After a short struggle it was in place under the opening and she went to get Raul, leaving the flashlight to light the room. When she found him he was pale and panting for breath, even worse off then before.

“Come on,” she stayed in front of him and backed in so she would be able to help Raul if he needed it. He crawled carefully into the hole, a low continuous moan came from the back of his throat but he made his way forward. “When you get to the opening swing your legs over and feel for a canister.” He grunted but didn’t respond further.

“I’m right here. Just give me your hand and I’ll help you down.” He reached out blindly for her hand as he swung his legs down. His foot found the canister and he started to stand but as soon as his hand left the wall he tottered off the ledge. Camellia leaped forward and shoved her whole body under his arm to steady him. The teetered there until he regained his balance she stepped forward a little to lead him down. Without warning the canister burst and they both fell against the table in the center of the room. Camellia’s scream drowned out the sound of pain from Raul as the fall tore the knife wound further.

“Raul, Raul, are you alright.” Camellia cheek was pressed against the platform’s carved surface as she struggled out from under her brother’s sprawled form. When he didn’t respond she picked up the pocket light and shone the light on his back. To her horror she watched the blood start to pump faster and faster out of the now gaping wound. His face was pale and his breathing shallow as the blood from his wound spread and across the surface seeped into the crack running down the middle. There was so much blood she didn’t know what to do. Without her brother’s direction the fourteen year old girl felt entirely helpless.

Her motions were jerky as she took off her new sweater and pushed it against the wound. Quick short breaths panted out her brother’s name over and over. After a few more minutes the blood flow slowed to a trickle. Camellia knew it was too late and sobbing she dropped the soaked sweater and pulled her brother’s limp body into her arms. She stared blindly at the floor she rocked her him in her arms until the last rattling breath left his chest. Silence filled the space as her rapid breaths slowed. She sat rocking her brother’s body until the cold dampness of the chamber seemed to settle into her bones. She didn’t know how long she sat in that position but after a time his weight became too much to hold. She loosened her arms from around him and gently kissed his brow before lowering him to rest of the way to the floor. She stared down at his face now relaxed in death, eyes empty and dull. Numbly she reached out and lowered the lids one last time.

A scraping sound behind her caused her head to jerk up. Thinking the gang had found their hiding place she felt a rage stir in her heart. She got up from her knees as a fire began to burn in her stomach she balled her fists at her side. She turned hate filled eyes to the presence behind her.

At first she couldn’t understand what she was looking at. The half of the large stone that Raul hadn’t been laying on was pushed to the side. Standing in the empty space inside what she now realized was a sarcophagus was a shriveled woman garbed in flowing robes of gold. As Camellia watched the flesh of the woman’s face filled out and smoothed to regal beauty. The walking corpse brought a hand to her lips and flicked a dry tongue out licking a thick congealed mess off her fingers. With sudden horror Camellia realized it was her brother’s blood.

The sight was too much and a fit of rage burst from the depths of her soul and consumed Camellia. A bestial growl and she tensed to attack the woman. A moment before she locked eyes with the woman and her intended lunge was arrested by the unexpected sight of an answering rage burning in the pitch black eyes of her opponent. The woman opened her mouth and began to speak. The voice that broke the silence was raspy and the words were incomprehensible to the girl. It had been over 2000 years since there had been anyone alive who spoke the ancient Egyptian dialect she used. Though Camellia couldn’t understand the words she somehow knew that the woman had offered her a choice.

Trembling with rage she stared into the fires in the woman’s eyes. They offered power, fiery passion and the promise of others pain. It was the gaze of a predator that would attack without mercy just to experience the pleasure of the kill. The fire in her own soul flared hotter and found its match in those dark pitiless eyes. Anger became desire, desire that drowned out the sweet, protected girl who mourned her brother, and reached for the call of revenge.

Thin arms clad in shimmering gold cloth reached out and pulled Camellia into the macabre imitation of a motherly embrace. A hand gently caressed the lustrous black hair that cascaded down the back of Camellia’s thin white dress. Abruptly that same hand grabbed a fist of hair and yanked back her head. The pale brown flesh of the girl’s throat was exposed causing the thin sheen of sweat to shimmer in the dim light. With a hiss the woman’s head lunged forward, mouth agape. Sharp fangs dropped down from her upper jaw and plunged into the tender expanse.

Camellia felt the fangs pierce her throat. At the first sensation of pain she tried to pull away but the arms around her held her like steel bands. Soon the pain faded and after a short moment a sense of pleasure spread through out her body. Camellia moaned at the odd sucking sensation, the touch of a tongue dancing across her skin. As the woman drank deep from her life’s blood a lassitude spread though her body and the fiery anger slowly drained away. With a sigh she closed her eyes and waited to join her brother. At the back of her mind the innocent young girl of her past screamed and railed against their fate but she couldn’t find the energy to care or fight. As darkness began to edge her vision the woman drew her head back and dropped Camellia onto the sarcophagus. Her body slumped down onto the bloody surface until her head landed with a meaty thump.

Raven locks spread beneath her head as it rolled bonelessly on the hard stone until hard fingers gripped her jaw and forced her mouth open. Camellia felt something pour into her throat and she choked. The hard fingers shook her head then moved down to massage her throat, encouraging her to swallow. When the first sip reached her stomach fire exploded through out her body and she went rigid her eyes flaring open. She saw a wrist dripping blood above her lips and she lunged forward to lock her mouth over the weeping wound.

“Yes, drink deeply child,” Camellia’s eyes snapped to the woman’s face startled that she could understand her words, “I drank too deeply of your blood after my long slumber.” She didn’t understand how she could make sense of the woman’s words. A low, rich laugh rolled though the room, “it’s the blood, and if you survive your rebirth you will always understand my words. You are now my child, to be borne of my blood and through my blood you will be transformed.”
Silence fell as the vampire examined the girl fastened to her wrist. “I see from your mind that much time has passed since I succumbed to the cursed dormancy that plagues the ancient members of our race. I will need your knowledge to regain my place in the Bloodborne.” She frowned and tried to pull her wrist away. Camellia was unwilling to stop feeding so she gripped the woman’s wrist tightly and continued to suck at the wound. With a last powerful pull she freed herself, throwing Camellia to the floor, “Enough!”

“No,” Camellia lunged for the wrist but she wasn’t fast enough, “please I’m still hungry.”

“You have yet to feel hunger, Child.” For a moment a look of pity crossed over her face before her features shifted back to the cold visage of a vengeful goddess.

“Who are you? Are you a Vampire?” Camellia demanded from the floor at her feet.

“I am Drusilla, daughter of Selina Cleopatra, granddaughter of the Queen of Kings, and heir to the throne of Jabra.” Drusilla gazed down in arrogance at the waif before her.

Her head lowered and she stared at the floor as she whispered, “Am I dead?”

Dead? What state had her people fallen to that the girl thought she was dead. The pitiful fear in the girl’s posture inspired proud laughter to roll from her throat and once again filled the room, “Dead child? You are more alive then ever.”

Still confused Camellia opened her mouth to ask another question when a pain stabbed though her stomach. Her hands flew up as the pain built. Her slender frame began to shake and the muscles throughout her body tensed in an effort to contain the pain. A suppressed moan started deep in her throat until she threw her head back and screamed. The sound was raw and bestial, her back arched and her head slammed down on the stone surface hard enough to shatter bone.
Drusilla watched the child thrash and convulse as the blood borne pathogens in her blood raced throughout the child’s body. Where it passed every cell was altered and remade. All imperfections were cured and improved a hundred times over. She knew the child would have to be far stronger then she appeared to survive the change.

Drusilla knew her control had been weak when she started to feed and she drained the child almost to death. Beyond the blood loss Camellia was far too young to be a candidate for the gift. With a shake of her head the frown smoothed from her classic brow as she dismissed the concern. If not this child some other would happily take the gift of immortal life.
She turned her back on the transformation and exited the Crypt. Left alone in the darkness Camellia began to relax. After uncounted time of pain, the convulsions slowed and she stilled. Her eyes were open and blankly staring at the ceiling and a quiet stillness filled the crypt. Faintly, almost too small to see, her chest rose from a shallow breath. Her eyelids blinked down over pupils that began to change from a deep green color to rings of black. The already delicate features of the young Spanish girl took on a more chiseled mien, sculpting her features to favor the classic beauty of her master. Racing down from her face the skin of her body darkened in color and took on the golden glow of the desert under a noon sun. The final changes came to an end and she drifted into a state deeper then sleep.

Outside, Drusilla breathed in the rich scents of the early morning air. The hunger was sated for the moment but she would need to hunt. She would need to feed again soon and if the child survived her hunger would be tremendous. Standing up she glanced to the east just as the sun crested the horizon. With a sigh she basked in the warmth of the sun for the first time in over 2000 years. Her uncle Helios had been named for the sun and the warm rays evoked the memory of his strong arms as he tossed her up into the morning sunlight as a child.

In the distance she heard the course voices of a group of male youths. Her regal head turned toward their voices and she let a smile gently grace her lips. She reached though the bond between her and her new child and realized that against the odds Camellia had survived the conversion. The young girl must have an unexpected hidden well of strength. Her sharp eyes picked out the forms of the thugs in the distance and the smile turned cruel. She drifted across the park her thoughts filled with dark humor as she considered how ironic it would be that the very youths whose violence ended the life of Camellia’s brother would serve to welcome her into her own new life. Low laughter blended into the morning sunlight and Drusilla, Ancient Bloodborne, and granddaughter of Cleopatra Queen of Kings, set out to hunt.

Bloodborne & Converted

Converted: Camellia, Madrid 1969