"Like Jughead said earlier, blood is the very essence of life. In the case of the vampire, this most certainly rings true," Reggie said.
"Aw, not another vampire story," Betty said.
"I promise it will different from any other story you've heard," he said.
It was the year 1531, near the end of Vlad VI Înecatul's reign, that a lowly servant and his family pledged their allegiance to House Tepes. The man and his loved ones were fleeing persecution from a threat unlike any other. You see, the man came from a world vastly different from Earth. A world where magick flowed through any and all things. A world where dragons soared the skies and even in the hell realm below. Yes, the man and his family were of the same blood as these aerial serpents but there was something peculiar about these creatures. While they were still blood drinkers, they had been blessed by the gods of their world to take flight with wings the span of thousands of fields and breathe fire so hot that getting too close would scorch your very soul. Making them different from vampires and dragons alike, yes, but also the same. You see, they were but a mix of the two. They took on the name of their ancestors, which also happens to be the very name of this family, House Dragulia. It is because of their influence, not Vlad the Impaler, that the famous Legend of Count Dracula exists. A story that is still told to this day.
It was after a long banquet where Vlad became extremely drunk and he had the urge to take his horse out for a quick gallop. Instead, he rode for a nearby village. Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed by one of the servant's younger daughters, one who had become increasingly obsessed with the barbaric earthen ruler. As the man bent his head to take a drink from the ever-flowing waters, the girl attacked him and drained him of his life force through his blood.
Contrary to popular belief, young Vlad did not drown as the scene he left behind suggested. He was transformed, something the Dragulias never thought could be done before. He took swimmingly to the change but, while he couldn't shift into the magnificent dragon form of his maker, he did shift into a lesser drake. A wyvern, often confused with a bat-like figure by any who saw him flying in the skies at night before he took their lives.
Grateful to the young Dragulia for giving him the gift of eternal life, he pledged his life to her in return. She took him as her husband, bound him by blood, and the two lived in the shadows for the rest of their days.
It is said that you can still hear the two of them laughing together in the night as they chased each other all throughout that ancient citadel they called home.
"Woah bro," Archie said. "That certainly is an interesting take on Dracula. Where'd you get that from?"
"I read it in some kind of fantasy history book my dad gave me a while back," Reggie said. "A piece called Dragulian from Of Quills and Parchment."
A/N:
Of Quills and Parchment is a real collection of original short stories by a friend who gave me permission to add it here for more exposure! Use the link below to access it and others. Have a great one!
ns 15.158.61.48da2
