I've Been Seeing Things ①
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2024 10:37 pm
⚜ I've Been Seeing Things ①
⚜
⚜
⚜ 10th of Glade, Year 124, A.o.S
⚜ Frustration was evident on the vampyre's features. Not because of what anyone had done, but more so because of what he had to do. In recent days Dreyfus was normally an approachable man who was always in good spirits, pleasant even. Though this one day in particular, his demeanor soured becoming black, and the true monster he was surfaced. The remainder of his family's death put him in poor spirits.
Dreyfus had gotten ready to head to the graves he had made in the greenhouse, which sat behind the family home. He wasn't expecting any trouble, but he was assured that Victor and Donivan would make sure he wasn't disturbed while paying homage to his dead family. In his hand, running a finger over the bottle of liquor he had found within his father's study, he admired its shine, gleaming in the daylight. His constituents waved and bowed at him as he moved from the upper levels of the mansion to the bottom, heading outside toward the greenhouse.
It was a sombering walk there, as he wasn't really looking forward to it, but he knew he had no other choice as he had to honor them, as he was the last of the Monteliyet line. Once he had reached the greenhouse, he was greeted by Victor and Donivan, both men armed and standing guard. The vampyre was embraced by both men, each hugging the vampyre in his time of reverence, and once he entered they ensured that no one was getting in or out of the structure. The humidity of the greenhouse caused the vampyre to sweat, his form glistening as he reached the center of the large domicile for plants.
For a while he just stood there, looking at each grave, the names of his aunts and uncles, his cousin, his father, and his mother. He knew of all his family his mother walked the halls of the estate grounds, as many have claimed to have seen her in some way shape, or form. He knew from personal experience that she walked the halls of the estate, he wasn't sure about the others though. It wouldn't surprise him however if they were. In front of him sat the seven graves each one silently looking back at him. From his featherlight bag, he pulled out a tribute for each of his family members.
For his father, he removed a wooden smoking pipe. It was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship, polished with a golden inlay. He was reminded of the smell of it when his father used to smoke from it. He could hear the sizzle from when the opium was lit and the sweet smell it permeated within the room. Next was his mother, her tribute being a necklace his father kept safe in a display case in their bedroom. It was the same one in the portrait of her adorning the foyer of the mansion. Rubies and black diamonds made up the bulk of the piece, with bronze and copper metal accents to accentuate its beauty.
He placed tributes on the other graves and took out a bottle of finely aged liquor. pouring some over each of the graves, he downed the rest of the bottle. Sitting down on the soft grassbed, he sat in silence, mostly taking in the silence of the greenhouse, but spending time with them the best he could. His eyes closed as he basked in the silence, his skin glistening from the sweat he was producing from the humidity of the greenhouse. The warmth of the grass reminded him of the days sitting by the fireplace as a child, his father and uncle sitting in their chairs discussing the secrets that were discovered from the day.
A smile fixed itself on his face, but as he opened his eyes, he was met by scenery he didn't wholly recognize.
Bells were ranging in the distance as he looked around his surroundings. He was embraced by a gust of wind, the sweet scent of blood in the air as he looked around, his vision enhancing to see people toasting and drinking......blood. "Where in the gods am I?" he internally questioned, as he couldn't tell from the vantage point he stood in. He was high above a city, in the steeple of a grand cathedral it seemed. Roses and other red colored flowers could be seen as far as the eye could manage. That's when he felt eyes burning into the back of his neck, causing him to whip around to see a figure concealed in a red silken dress standing some distance behind him. He could see that there was a feminality to this figure, and as soon as he could see crimson eyes peering from under the red cloaked figure they turned and walked away. Following behind them he would turn the same corner they had and find they had vanished.
Where could they have gone? He was baffled as he could still feel those crimson eyes on him, frantically looking around to see if he could find the woman again. Soon he could see the red figure several levels below him walking across a bridge leading into the city. Leaping from where he was he found himself on the same bridge only to find the woman gone, but the feeling of her eyes ever present. Following the feeling, he was always catching her as she vanished around corners or through walkways. Finally, he caught up to her she was standing on the edge of a pier, overlooking the vast ocean before them. She never moved from her spot, nor did she turn to acknowledge his presence. Time seemed to stop as he reached her, his hand stretched out to touch her, to turn her to face him and ask where he was. Yet the moment his hand graced her shoulder his mind was wracked with pain and flashes of somewhere underground, then a massive lake of black water with an even bigger statue erected in the center of it. The last thing he saw before it all went black was the woman in red standing on the water's surface, turning to him and uttering three words with a tone so sweet like fresh honey.
Seek me here.
Waking up in a cold sweat, Dreyfus was on the defensive. First, the realization that he was harming his villagers, now surreal daydreams like this? What in the gods was happening to him? Wiping sweat from his forehead and brow he stood up trying to figure out what he just experienced could mean, if it meant anything at all. No, he couldn't doubt the feeling he had in that last moment, whoever that woman was, wanted him to find her, wanted him to come to her. Shaking his head he looked to the graves of his family, placing a kiss on each makeshift headstone before turning and departing the building.
As he exited the botanical building Donivan and Victor noted the distress on his face as he was using his linen shirt to wipe most of the sweat from his body and face. "Everything ok Dreyfus?" Victor inquired, both men following behind the vampyre as he regained his composure and pushed what he had experienced to the deepest recesses of his mind. "Yes, I am fine Victor. I don't think it was wise to take a nap in the greenhouse is all." he mused, chuckling to dismiss any of the mortal's concerns and to keep him from asking any further questions.
He didn't have the answers for them, which seemed to be a building theme over the past few seasons for him. Having so many questions yet little to no answers to ease his nerves which were at an all time high these days. However, something did come to mind for him. There was one person who may have the answers he sought but wasn't sure if she of all people would answer him. Making his way to his bed chambers he found the Sanguinyte she had gifted him so many seasons ago. Held in his hand he looked over the gem before setting it down and contemplating what he would ask her.
He leaned back onto the bed as the exhaustion of his mind now finally hit him, and he would take the moment while he could to allow his mind to relax, before searching for more solutions to his many mounting problems. ⚜
"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"