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Description
At last, release had come. A cloudy white light appeared through the smog. Vlad watched intently, squinting through the gritty wind that the ship's presence whipped up. Sure, they had come through to gather topographical information before, but never so low!
The vampire was getting his first look at freedom in decades. He had dwelled on earth for a little over eight hundred years now- it was getting hard. He had managed to remain in this broken city for the last hundred years, feeding on young women and then the few unlucky interlopers that came here for relief.
Sometimes, when the thirst got so bad he could barely move, he had considered just lying out on the dirt road until sunrise. But now that was all forgotten. Here came another chance for earth- or his last chance to leave.
The vampire watched the ship as it came in for a landing. Dirt and mud flew in jets as it fell towards the city's center. It would certainly draw attention there. Then again, anything that moved or made noise drew attention these days. He still had a few minutes of darkness before the sun rose and there was a ship to catch.
Upon arriving, Vlad realized that this ship was much larger on the inside than it appeared. He transformed into a cloud of smoke and slipped through the bay doors as they opened. Floating unobtrusively in the cargo bay, he watched the research team suit up. The vampire wondered what the universe was like.
The team consisted off odds and ends. Some were human, and some didn't even begin to resemble creatures familiar. Space was vast, so this didn't surprise him. He couldn't help but wonder if they were edible.
He had loved the planet he lived on at one time, but those long years were over. Despite friendly monsters and human's efforts carelessness overpowered them and the land was destroyed. Earth, where he had been born, loved, died, and loved again was wasted. It would be missed.
Vlad roosted as a bat in the far corner of the hold behind a power box. He waited. In just a few hours, and to his great surprise, the crew began herding survivors onto the ship. They wore bio-suits and weren't reluctant to direct the feral humans (mainly mismatched cyborgs) to showers and clothes. This was a rescue.
A congregation of helpless humans like this was almost unbearable. His mouth watered, fangs growing. Carefully he picked and chose a young woman that was in her twenties. The slaughter could wait until the ship took off, though. He didn't want to risk them discovering his presence yet.
*****************
This planet- Sentura-Seven, as the sign said, was abundant with inedible life. Vlad had taken the risk of hypnotizing and biting an almost humanoid dragon-like native and had spat out the blood, disgusted.
The Senturans had a fine sheen of green-blue scales an odd colored hair. This one had been female with wine colored hair. She had shining black eyes and sensitive antenna. Also, the more alien properties included a set of ram's horns, flickering wings, and a long reptilian tail. Despite her beauty, her blood was poisonous.
Luckily he would not have to move though. This planet was a demanding center of commerce. Humans and aliens alike came here to trade the rich fruits and herbs that were grown here, plus other native products like medically useful bitter honey and swords. This place was impressive.
Vlad had fed from the female human when she was going to the showers. He had drunken only enough to keep himself calm for now and left her by the wall so it seemed like she had knocked herself out. It had been enough for then, but only hours later the thirst was back.
Sentura-Seven didn't technically have a 'day' time. It was at the back of this small system and got enough reflected heat from the eight silvery moons that circled it to stay warm for agriculture. Otherwise it was fairly dark. Once the four largest moons sat Vlad realized with delight that he had a sixteen hour night at his disposal.
First thing to do- feed. Feed until he was bloated like a tick, then feed some more. Then find himself a new servant. He missed Igor dearly, and had considered him more of a friend than anything. Sadly the hunchback had died years ago. One thing he hated about being immortal- other people you loved died.
He shook it off. Down below, the market place was lulling. Shops were closing and people were leaving for the night. A few Senturans flew up and past but didn't notice him. The vampire sighed. His throat burned. With a smile, he turned into a bat and flew down into the streets.
**************************
He was so full, felt so spoiled, that the count could hardly move. He was lying on the edge of a cliff and staring at the stars. They seemed so much closer than the ones on Earth. Vlad's cheeks were purple and ripe. His stomach was swollen, plump and comfortable. Every time he licked his lips the taste of blood lingered.
He hadn't fed like that in almost three hundred years. The vampire had drained at least six people with ease. He didn't even know he could drink that much. But he could, and even though he didn't normally kill humans, he was glad of it.
Tonight he just planned to lie around. Slowly, carefully, he got up and turned into a bat. The Count roosted inside a tree and curled up, taking a pleased snorting breath. He wouldn't need to feed again for days. Later the concerns of a permanent residence and servant would come up, but not now.
**************
He had his eye on something like a musk rat. The alien had wavy, messy brown hair and reddish brown skin. Its wrinkled nose and short ears told a tale of an evolution full of hiding and scavenging for the things it wanted.
Its ragged demeanor signaled that it was from the poor end of the city- it would not be missed. The rat-creature was fiddling with an old bicycle. He was hunched over, trying to make it into something useful. Vlad slipped out of the shadows and tapped him politely on the back.
It jumped. "Hey!" It turned around, a little frightened. The vampire smiled and started hypnotizing the alien. It slumped stupidly, gazing into his eyes blankly.
"You have alvays known me." He said simply, as if filling in for an amnesia patient. "And you vork for me happily, as a servant. My name is Count Vlad, but you call me master." That was enough for now. He stopped and let it process for the moment. He would fill in the blanks later.
The rat looked up at him in solid bewilderment before blinking. He had never had to do this with Igor because the hunchback had been born into servitude. He didn't know how it would affect his replacement's mind.
It blinked and something on the inside clicked. He looked up. "Master?"
"Yes?" Vlad was happy but a little surprised at how well it was working.
"Why are we in an alley?" Oh, he had forgotten to explain that he was a vampire.
"Ve alvays stay up a night." He replied easily. "I feed on human blood at night, remember?" It nodded a bit confusedly. Quickly he decided that he wasn't going to deal with the servant's name. "Let's go back home, Igor." He smiled.
**************
Vlad had managed to secure an old castle not far from the city. It was in a marshy area and didn't look like much more than a cottage above ground. Below, though, was an almost royal complex basement. It was quite a fixer-upper, but he could live with that.
'Igor' was just coming to wake up his master. He shuffled easily down the hall, glass of blood in hand. After several months, things were almost normal. Vlad had happily regained his humorous and humane demeanor. He had made some new friends, discovering that some aliens were as fine with him as other monsters were. He even found a handful of escapees from earth trying to rebuild their population. He was happy to know that he was far from the last monster.
"Time to wake up, Master." Igor knocked carefully on the lid. It was far less harsh than his human servant's wake up call. Vlad woke up, lip twitching from thirst. He pushed up on the soft black mahogany lid of his new coffin, yawning.
"Thank you." He took the glass of blood and sipped tentatively, testing it; warmed to the perfect temperature, O negative, female, stolen from a local blood bank. Just how he liked it. The vampire yawned again before draining the glass.
The alien chuckled nastily as he smiled expectantly at Vlad. "I made out a list of some nice young women around town; great girls to bite." He put emphasis on 'bite'.
The count looked it over as he went up the stairs. The scratchy pencil writing was dull, as if the list had been written weeks ago. It was good, giving their age and address. He did remember, though, that a list like this had introduced him to Mina so many years ago.
Never mind that. What was the likeliness that it would happen again? He tucked away the paper and put is claws onto the window, feeling the chilly night air. Laughing, he transformed into a bat and went out to hunt.
******************
Aurora yawned, stretching her arms, wings, antenna and tail. Her father chuckled. "Come on, my little mayfly." He lifted the eight-year-old off the couch and carried her upstairs. A storm was brewing outside. Adjusting his glasses, the Senturan tucked her in and planted a kiss in his daughter's light purple hair.
Half an hour later a full strength electrical storm raged outside her window. Lightening and thunder reflected on her through the window. The child's black eyes were shining with fear and wonder.
She loved that they had moved into the big town, just hated all the thunderstorms. At least the other girls, whom she had yet to really relate to, were scared too. That gave the girl some comfort. She wasn't a fraidy cat.
The lightening flashed again and she flinched, burying herself in the sheets. She didn't see when the form of a man came in through the window. To Aurora's great surprise she felt herself lifted up in the air.
Before the wad of sheets he had trapped his suspected prey in got halfway across the room, Vlad paused. It didn't sell human, but like the planet's native species. Her heart fluttered with fear, but was still too fast to be a teenager's. He hoped the child wouldn't notice and lowered the blanket to the floor. Pulling the piece of paper Igor had written on out of his pocket, he checked the address again. Everything was right. Growling, the vampire realized someone must have moved in this place since the list was written.
The little Senturan fought out of the blankets and looked at him in wonder. Vlad smiled, merely embarrassed. She was too curious to be scared now. "Go on back to sleep, darling." He hesitated for a second before picking her up.
She clung to his jacket with her claws, which grew dangerously sharp of the middle finger. Her scales were slick and hard, shiny against the plasma lit sky. Walking to her bed, he made a mediocre attempt to shrug the girl off.
Aurora let go reluctantly. He smiled. "Good girl. Sorry for waking you." That was fairly easy, actually. Of course he would get on to Igor for making the mistake, but it was an afterthought. He was too thirsty to deal with it now. Vlad licked his full-sized fangs thoughtfully and started towards the window.
Before he could get across the room, though, the little girl tackled his legs. The vampire's arms pin wheeled for a second before he hit the floor with a soft thud. "No!" He hissed before quieting, rolling over to look at his captor. "No, I need to leave." She didn't listen and tightened her grip. "Uncle has business to attend to, okay?"
"You're not my uncle." She smirked sweetly.
He frowned. Vlad knew that he could easily force her off, but didn't want to hurt the poor girl. After some effort, he got one leg away from the girl. Shaking her off wouldn't work- he had learned that from Mina. Maybe distracting her could work? "And who are you?" He forced a smile.
"Aurora." She sat up in his lap. "Aurora Connors." The girl said it proudly. Before he could back off she stalled. "You?"
"No one you care to know." Vlad frowned. She wrapped her arms around his leg again.
"You came into MY room, now I want to know who you are." She smirked. The girl was aglow with fascination at this stranger.
"Vlad. Count Vladimir Hide" He said unhappily. She seemed pleased enough but didn't seem to have any plans to let her captive go. "Alright," He gave up. "Vat do I have to do to get out of here?" It was a bad question and he knew it.
***************
Jump rope. Tea party. House. It was all delightfully memorable. He hadn't had so much fun in years. Also, it was warm and familiar. Vlad's thirst went forgotten until the little girl, who had become less of a captor than a friend, finally fell asleep in his lap. Before the vampire left to hunt with what little darkness he had left, he tucked Aurora's sleeping form into bed. He had promised to come back and had every plan to keep it.
"Did master hunt well?" Igor paused and went to the personally more important "Did you enjoy this evening's choice victim?"
At that the Count smacked him angrily on the back of the head. He was tired. "You need to update the list more often. Tonight's girl had moved away and I ran in on a small child. However," He couldn't help but smile. "I made myself a new friend. You are excused." The little alien bowed thankfully and backed away as his master went to sleep. Once again, he felt like his dreams could be sweet and Vlad smiled to himself as he went to his coffin to sleep that day.

Description
At last, release had come. A cloudy white light appeared through the smog. Vlad watched intently, squinting through the gritty wind that the ship's presence whipped up. Sure, they had come through to gather topographical information before, but never so low!
The vampire was getting his first look at freedom in decades. He had dwelled on earth for a little over eight hundred years now- it was getting hard. He had managed to remain in this broken city for the last hundred years, feeding on young women and then the few unlucky interlopers that came here for relief.
Sometimes, when the thirst got so bad he could barely move, he had considered just lying out on the dirt road until sunrise. But now that was all forgotten. Here came another chance for earth- or his last chance to leave.
The vampire watched the ship as it came in for a landing. Dirt and mud flew in jets as it fell towards the city's center. It would certainly draw attention there. Then again, anything that moved or made noise drew attention these days. He still had a few minutes of darkness before the sun rose and there was a ship to catch.
Upon arriving, Vlad realized that this ship was much larger on the inside than it appeared. He transformed into a cloud of smoke and slipped through the bay doors as they opened. Floating unobtrusively in the cargo bay, he watched the research team suit up. The vampire wondered what the universe was like.
The team consisted off odds and ends. Some were human, and some didn't even begin to resemble creatures familiar. Space was vast, so this didn't surprise him. He couldn't help but wonder if they were edible.
He had loved the planet he lived on at one time, but those long years were over. Despite friendly monsters and human's efforts carelessness overpowered them and the land was destroyed. Earth, where he had been born, loved, died, and loved again was wasted. It would be missed.
Vlad roosted as a bat in the far corner of the hold behind a power box. He waited. In just a few hours, and to his great surprise, the crew began herding survivors onto the ship. They wore bio-suits and weren't reluctant to direct the feral humans (mainly mismatched cyborgs) to showers and clothes. This was a rescue.
A congregation of helpless humans like this was almost unbearable. His mouth watered, fangs growing. Carefully he picked and chose a young woman that was in her twenties. The slaughter could wait until the ship took off, though. He didn't want to risk them discovering his presence yet.
*****************
This planet- Sentura-Seven, as the sign said, was abundant with inedible life. Vlad had taken the risk of hypnotizing and biting an almost humanoid dragon-like native and had spat out the blood, disgusted.
The Senturans had a fine sheen of green-blue scales an odd colored hair. This one had been female with wine colored hair. She had shining black eyes and sensitive antenna. Also, the more alien properties included a set of ram's horns, flickering wings, and a long reptilian tail. Despite her beauty, her blood was poisonous.
Luckily he would not have to move though. This planet was a demanding center of commerce. Humans and aliens alike came here to trade the rich fruits and herbs that were grown here, plus other native products like medically useful bitter honey and swords. This place was impressive.
Vlad had fed from the female human when she was going to the showers. He had drunken only enough to keep himself calm for now and left her by the wall so it seemed like she had knocked herself out. It had been enough for then, but only hours later the thirst was back.
Sentura-Seven didn't technically have a 'day' time. It was at the back of this small system and got enough reflected heat from the eight silvery moons that circled it to stay warm for agriculture. Otherwise it was fairly dark. Once the four largest moons sat Vlad realized with delight that he had a sixteen hour night at his disposal.
First thing to do- feed. Feed until he was bloated like a tick, then feed some more. Then find himself a new servant. He missed Igor dearly, and had considered him more of a friend than anything. Sadly the hunchback had died years ago. One thing he hated about being immortal- other people you loved died.
He shook it off. Down below, the market place was lulling. Shops were closing and people were leaving for the night. A few Senturans flew up and past but didn't notice him. The vampire sighed. His throat burned. With a smile, he turned into a bat and flew down into the streets.
**************************
He was so full, felt so spoiled, that the count could hardly move. He was lying on the edge of a cliff and staring at the stars. They seemed so much closer than the ones on Earth. Vlad's cheeks were purple and ripe. His stomach was swollen, plump and comfortable. Every time he licked his lips the taste of blood lingered.
He hadn't fed like that in almost three hundred years. The vampire had drained at least six people with ease. He didn't even know he could drink that much. But he could, and even though he didn't normally kill humans, he was glad of it.
Tonight he just planned to lie around. Slowly, carefully, he got up and turned into a bat. The Count roosted inside a tree and curled up, taking a pleased snorting breath. He wouldn't need to feed again for days. Later the concerns of a permanent residence and servant would come up, but not now.
**************
He had his eye on something like a musk rat. The alien had wavy, messy brown hair and reddish brown skin. Its wrinkled nose and short ears told a tale of an evolution full of hiding and scavenging for the things it wanted.
Its ragged demeanor signaled that it was from the poor end of the city- it would not be missed. The rat-creature was fiddling with an old bicycle. He was hunched over, trying to make it into something useful. Vlad slipped out of the shadows and tapped him politely on the back.
It jumped. "Hey!" It turned around, a little frightened. The vampire smiled and started hypnotizing the alien. It slumped stupidly, gazing into his eyes blankly.
"You have alvays known me." He said simply, as if filling in for an amnesia patient. "And you vork for me happily, as a servant. My name is Count Vlad, but you call me master." That was enough for now. He stopped and let it process for the moment. He would fill in the blanks later.
The rat looked up at him in solid bewilderment before blinking. He had never had to do this with Igor because the hunchback had been born into servitude. He didn't know how it would affect his replacement's mind.
It blinked and something on the inside clicked. He looked up. "Master?"
"Yes?" Vlad was happy but a little surprised at how well it was working.
"Why are we in an alley?" Oh, he had forgotten to explain that he was a vampire.
"Ve alvays stay up a night." He replied easily. "I feed on human blood at night, remember?" It nodded a bit confusedly. Quickly he decided that he wasn't going to deal with the servant's name. "Let's go back home, Igor." He smiled.
**************
Vlad had managed to secure an old castle not far from the city. It was in a marshy area and didn't look like much more than a cottage above ground. Below, though, was an almost royal complex basement. It was quite a fixer-upper, but he could live with that.
'Igor' was just coming to wake up his master. He shuffled easily down the hall, glass of blood in hand. After several months, things were almost normal. Vlad had happily regained his humorous and humane demeanor. He had made some new friends, discovering that some aliens were as fine with him as other monsters were. He even found a handful of escapees from earth trying to rebuild their population. He was happy to know that he was far from the last monster.
"Time to wake up, Master." Igor knocked carefully on the lid. It was far less harsh than his human servant's wake up call. Vlad woke up, lip twitching from thirst. He pushed up on the soft black mahogany lid of his new coffin, yawning.
"Thank you." He took the glass of blood and sipped tentatively, testing it; warmed to the perfect temperature, O negative, female, stolen from a local blood bank. Just how he liked it. The vampire yawned again before draining the glass.
The alien chuckled nastily as he smiled expectantly at Vlad. "I made out a list of some nice young women around town; great girls to bite." He put emphasis on 'bite'.
The count looked it over as he went up the stairs. The scratchy pencil writing was dull, as if the list had been written weeks ago. It was good, giving their age and address. He did remember, though, that a list like this had introduced him to Mina so many years ago.
Never mind that. What was the likeliness that it would happen again? He tucked away the paper and put is claws onto the window, feeling the chilly night air. Laughing, he transformed into a bat and went out to hunt.
******************
Aurora yawned, stretching her arms, wings, antenna and tail. Her father chuckled. "Come on, my little mayfly." He lifted the eight-year-old off the couch and carried her upstairs. A storm was brewing outside. Adjusting his glasses, the Senturan tucked her in and planted a kiss in his daughter's light purple hair.
Half an hour later a full strength electrical storm raged outside her window. Lightening and thunder reflected on her through the window. The child's black eyes were shining with fear and wonder.
She loved that they had moved into the big town, just hated all the thunderstorms. At least the other girls, whom she had yet to really relate to, were scared too. That gave the girl some comfort. She wasn't a fraidy cat.
The lightening flashed again and she flinched, burying herself in the sheets. She didn't see when the form of a man came in through the window. To Aurora's great surprise she felt herself lifted up in the air.
Before the wad of sheets he had trapped his suspected prey in got halfway across the room, Vlad paused. It didn't sell human, but like the planet's native species. Her heart fluttered with fear, but was still too fast to be a teenager's. He hoped the child wouldn't notice and lowered the blanket to the floor. Pulling the piece of paper Igor had written on out of his pocket, he checked the address again. Everything was right. Growling, the vampire realized someone must have moved in this place since the list was written.
The little Senturan fought out of the blankets and looked at him in wonder. Vlad smiled, merely embarrassed. She was too curious to be scared now. "Go on back to sleep, darling." He hesitated for a second before picking her up.
She clung to his jacket with her claws, which grew dangerously sharp of the middle finger. Her scales were slick and hard, shiny against the plasma lit sky. Walking to her bed, he made a mediocre attempt to shrug the girl off.
Aurora let go reluctantly. He smiled. "Good girl. Sorry for waking you." That was fairly easy, actually. Of course he would get on to Igor for making the mistake, but it was an afterthought. He was too thirsty to deal with it now. Vlad licked his full-sized fangs thoughtfully and started towards the window.
Before he could get across the room, though, the little girl tackled his legs. The vampire's arms pin wheeled for a second before he hit the floor with a soft thud. "No!" He hissed before quieting, rolling over to look at his captor. "No, I need to leave." She didn't listen and tightened her grip. "Uncle has business to attend to, okay?"
"You're not my uncle." She smirked sweetly.
He frowned. Vlad knew that he could easily force her off, but didn't want to hurt the poor girl. After some effort, he got one leg away from the girl. Shaking her off wouldn't work- he had learned that from Mina. Maybe distracting her could work? "And who are you?" He forced a smile.
"Aurora." She sat up in his lap. "Aurora Connors." The girl said it proudly. Before he could back off she stalled. "You?"
"No one you care to know." Vlad frowned. She wrapped her arms around his leg again.
"You came into MY room, now I want to know who you are." She smirked. The girl was aglow with fascination at this stranger.
"Vlad. Count Vladimir Hide" He said unhappily. She seemed pleased enough but didn't seem to have any plans to let her captive go. "Alright," He gave up. "Vat do I have to do to get out of here?" It was a bad question and he knew it.
***************
Jump rope. Tea party. House. It was all delightfully memorable. He hadn't had so much fun in years. Also, it was warm and familiar. Vlad's thirst went forgotten until the little girl, who had become less of a captor than a friend, finally fell asleep in his lap. Before the vampire left to hunt with what little darkness he had left, he tucked Aurora's sleeping form into bed. He had promised to come back and had every plan to keep it.
"Did master hunt well?" Igor paused and went to the personally more important "Did you enjoy this evening's choice victim?"
At that the Count smacked him angrily on the back of the head. He was tired. "You need to update the list more often. Tonight's girl had moved away and I ran in on a small child. However," He couldn't help but smile. "I made myself a new friend. You are excused." The little alien bowed thankfully and backed away as his master went to sleep. Once again, he felt like his dreams could be sweet and Vlad smiled to himself as he went to his coffin to sleep that day.