Bite of Story Thursday

Night Children: Dark Trials
Chapter Twelve

It took the Bloodfeast three weeks to finally approach its isle home. During that time, they would feed on the surviving Sea Wing crewmembers. Roland didn’t want to be tossed overboard so he ignored the helpless human’s desperate pleas. He avoided their desperate eyes, even though their cries for help ripped his soul apart.


Roland watched the crew unload the stolen goods onto the dock. They seemed to gaze at their Captain with a mix of fear and respect as he forcefully shouted commands.

The sounds of excited people drew him to the shore. The port looked normal. He could sense vampires nearby but it was probably the crew. He wondered what new adventures this place would bring. An unnaturally strong hand gripped onto his shoulder and spun him around. Blood-Eyed Bill glared, his dark red eyes skewered him like two hot pokers.

“It was a mistake to bring you,” his voice deep as a powerful drum, “You shouldn’t be a vampire. You’re too small. Too young. One day he won’t be able to protect you.”

Roland wanted to scratch the fool’s eyes. Prove his merit. Instead of causing a fight he might not win, he simply brushed off Bill’s hand with an equally strong push.

“Touch me again and I’ll make you Black-Eyed Bill,” he snarled. So did Bill.

Who's Who in the Annabelle Universe? Fenroth

FENROTH

No picture at this time. Hopefully that will change someday.

Other names: Trapper, Vampire-Trapper, Hunter, Fen

Physical characteristics:
"The imposing stranger towered over him, standing well over six feet tall. Dressed in furs from head to toe with the exception of his pants and belt, which were leather, the man looked rugged. A large fur cloak covered his ensemble.

He had a thick beard and mustache with heavy eyebrows. A large hat covered his forehead and cast a long shadow over his hairy face. His glowing red eyes stared through the shadowy night."

Personality:
Clever, smart, gruff, silent, confident and careful.
 
Abilities:

He has the standard vampire abilities. This means he’s faster and stronger than humans, his senses are extremely acute as are his reflexes. However he can not fly or transform. He cannot mesmerize others either. He can communicate with animals.

His tracking skills are stronger than most vampires and werewolves. His senses are stronger and more acute, allowing him to sense other vampires, creatures, humans and animals for miles around.

He is an expert tracker with a collection of kills. He uses every trap known to man or vampire as well as many he has devised himself.

Known History:

Fenroth is a Northwestern tracker turned vampire by a mysterious Native American vampire in the early 1600s. He has two werewolves that the dark witch Gertrude trapped in werewolf form. They look like big wolves on four legs. Fenroth named them Set and Hades. Fenroth is loyal to Dominic and serves him well. Dominic put Fenroth in charge of his empire in North America. This means the trapper can create as many vampires as he wants, as long as they are loyal to Dominic first and foremost. He has two assistants, Isi the Choctaw squaw and the crazed Wildes Blut Teir.

Fenroth originally met Roland Foresight when Roland traveled through the woods of Massachusetts in order to rescue a friend. Fenroth befriended Roland in order to trap him, but Roland found out Fenroth’s plan and escaped. Fenroth captured Roland and Annabelle Foresight had to mount a rescue with their friend Thomas Dunston.

The Foresight children have dealt with Fenroth over the last three centuries in stories yet to be told.

Night Children: Dark Trials is ready for the crit group!

I belong to a local critique group. We review each other's books, give advice where needed to make the books stronger and support each other in our endeavours. Sometimes we're brutally honest. It's hard but necessary.

Dark Trials is the second book in the Night Children series. When I first wrote the rough draft for what would become Dark Birth, I actually had a great deal of Dark Trials in it too. I later broke the books in two.

A friend at work read Dark Trials and liked it. He was the only one so far. Now it's time for the group to review it. They'll read it this month and in February we'll discuss it. I expect some parts to entertain them but I know there are unknown problems throughout it. There always are things that I think are OK but I later find out it didn't quite work.

I know I'll be hating some of the things I hear but it's necessary. It's part of the journey that I need to do.

Bite of Story Thursday

Night Children: Dark Birth

Chapter Twenty-One

They traveled together all night. Roland watched Fenroth closely, trying to learn from the experienced tracker.


“How long have you been tracking and hunting?”

“For the better part of eighty years. I was turned into a vampire shortly after I moved to this continent.”

They were running quickly through the dark woods. The moon lit up the path at certain intervals but Roland’s night vision made the moonlight unnecessary. Fenroth never turned into a bat or flew. Roland followed his lead because he didn’t want to look like a show off.

After a while of traveling at top speed and never quite catching up with Fenroth, Roland began to get tired. Suddenly the man stopped. He held up his right arm to signal for Roland to stop as well.

“Smell it?”

“Yeah. What is that? It smells stronger than the beavers and raccoons I’ve eaten.” The thin, musky odor tuned Roland’s nose. He could pick up the tasty aroma of lots of blood.

Fenroth nodded towards the moonlit stream through the brush where a bear drank greedily. “Watch closely.”

Roland instinctively held his breath.

-----


For more check out Dark Birth at your local online store. Links to Dark Birth on the web can be found on the Store Page.

Who's Who in the Annabelle Universe? Eliza Pratchet

ELIZA PRATCHET

This is the closest I have to a pic of them.

artist:(if you know the artist, please let me know so I can credit him or her).

Other names: Laila, Dear wife

Name Origin: Form of Elisabeth, "pledged to God." Variant, Liza, exists.
“Eliza” is her English name. Her real name is Laila, like her 4th great grandmother. She was named Eliza by her Grandmother Laila and she took it, quite honored.

Physical characteristics:
She appears in her early twenties, has long dark hair and olive skin like her fellow European gypsies, except it seems more pale due to her vampirism. She has long fingernails and wears long flowing black and white dresses and robes.

Personality: Very patient, caring, loving and kind. She walks and speaks softly and appears gentle unless you threaten her adoptive children, Annabelle and Roland Foresight. She gained confidence the longer she was with the Foresight children.

Abilities:
She has the standard vampire abilities. This means she’s faster and stronger than humans, her senses are extremely acute as are her reflexes. She can fly and turn into a bat. She has ability to transform into a wolf, rat, bat and mist. She can control humans through mesmerization and communicate with lesser beasts.


Known History:

Born in 1589 a daughter of gypsies. She and her family were mortals whom traveled with the Mullo tribe, a family of vampiric gypsies. The tribe members, after a certain age where they might die, can chose the Right of the Dark and get turned so they can live on. Some stay mortal because they choose to while others desire vampirism.

Her 4th great grandfather, the vampire Nicu, died in 1591 defending the tribe and young Eliza in particular. A small group of evil vampires under Dominic’s command tried to slaughter them but Nicu drove them off, earning a steak to the heart. Eliza’s parents died as well. Her 5th great grandmother Laila raised little Eliza.

In 1609 she met Dominic. Eliza fell in love with him and he stole her away to America when he was back in Europe gaining supporters. Eliza carries a great deal of guilt over allowing Dominic to take her.

In 1692 she rebelled against him and saved Annabelle and Roland. She turned them into vampires. She teaches them because she at first felt sorry for them, because Laila taught her to help the downcast and because she loves them.