I want to become the Vampyre King!

[Ruufe Shanks]

An ambitious young boy dressed in a red vest and tattered blue shorts stands before the gates, adjusting a straw hat atop his head. Shaggy black hair peeks from beneath it, and his eyes are wide with disappointed curiosity.

"I thought it would be bigger."

He shuffles his feet in his sandals idly, folding his arms behind his head and looking up, leaning over backward to look up the tall spires of Roon's castle.

"OI! Anyone home!?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

With a casual strut, Darren walked up to the gates. Everyone else was off doing their thing, and the Roonstone Inn was out of Vodka (which was in very bad form), so Darren was just held up outside, doing nothing really.....

"Theres a few people here, but I doubt you'd wanna meet them....who are you?"

Through the gates, Darren couldnt see the boy well. His arm stayed tucked behind his back, resting on a high powered slugthower, just in case it was another door to door salesman.

[Ruufe Shanks]

"Oh?"

Ruufe grins broadly. His smile takes literally half his face.

"Ah, you must be a vampyre. I'm here to be one too. Someday, I will be the Vampyre King!"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"How'd you know Im a Vampyre"

Suddenly Darren is interested. The kid is either brave or stupid. Of course, Darren wasnt one to kill a kid, but the kid didnt know this. So brave or stupid remains the general concensus...

[Ruufe Shanks]

"Because you're whiter than I am," he says simply. "What's it take to be one of your kind?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Im also taller than you..."

This kid actually had more balls then 3/4 of the galaxy. His simple logic was actually appealing. Where as some people would sneak in through a window and cut their mark's neck, Darren would just kick the door down and shoot his mark in the head.

A child wouldnt be bad company to have around, if Darren could break him from being so naive. Darren cracked th gate open so the young man could enter....

"Come on in big man, and I'll tell ya all about it......"

[Ruufe Shanks]

Ruufe puts his arms down and walks in.

"Hey, that's real nice of you!"

If it has occurred to the boy that this could be a trap, or that he's now standing in on the grounds owned by one of the galaxy's most dangerous Sith factions, it doesn't show in his demeanor. He carries no worry or concern in his posture. He's as carefree as a kid can get.

[Darren Caerdeth]

The gate creaked as Darren shut it back, and started towards the Shrine Castle. This kid was intent on being a Vampyre, and showed no fear in his demeanor. If he wished this to be so, then Darren would have to test his limits somewhat, and the innermost parts of the Shrine presented ample shock value...

"So whats your name, and why do ya wanna be a Vampyre so badly?"

[Ruufe Shanks]

"I'm Ruufe Shanks. I want to be a Vampyre because Vampyres are strong, and they can do anything! I'll be the best there is, and become the Vampyre King!"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Darren Caerdeth, put 'er there"

The Vampyre lord stuck his hand out toward the boy. In the background, a scream was heard, before the night became quiet again. Apparantly one of Darren's brothers or sisters in blood had just concluded a hunt. Darren didnt flinch at the sound. His hand stayed out in front of him...

[Ruufe Shanks]

The scream goes seemingly unnoticed by Ruufe. This is a vampyre castle. It's natural for such things to occur here, and it doesn't bother him at all. He sticks a hand out and shakes Darren's.

"Good meeting you."

[Darren Caerdeth]

"You too...this way"

The scream wasnt planned, but it worked well for the first test, which Ruufe passed with flying colors. They came upon the castle now, and Darren led the way in.....

"So how'd you find us"

[Ruufe Shanks]

"By asking people. Once I found out you were on Roon I got a starmap and a ship and came here. It wasn't that hard."

Ruufe puts his arms back behind his head and stretches backward, looking around.

"Wow, this place is big."

This is more like he imagined it. Dark, dank, smelling slightly of mildew and other odd things.

"How many live here?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"I lost count a long time ago....."

Darren honestly didnt know. You saw a new face everyday. Most of these new faces were slaves and/or food, but technically, they lived there. As Ruufe followed along side Darren, they walked into a room that was much dimmer than the rest. The shadows seemed to be just as alive and sentient as the actual occupants of the room. They say you could hear them. Darren had heard stories that the eternally damned souls lurked in these shadows. The souls of those that fell from immortality. They hated but obeyed. They despised and cherished those who destroyed them.

At least, this was what was told to Darren.

Either way, it was test two. How would Ruufe react to a room that in itself didnt seem to want him there, and threatened his very well being...

[Ruufe Shanks]

"What's with this place?"

Ruufe places one hand on his hip and adjusts his hat atop his head with the other, frowning with contemplation at the shadows.

"They got a problem or something? They should get over it. It's weak."

[Darren Caerdeth]

"They dont like anyone I guess. Most of them were killed by a Vampyre. They harbor an unnerving hated, and an undying loyalty to us all at the same time. They fear us cause we are stronger than them"

With a sudden movement, Darren let out a fierce warcry toward the darkest corner of the room. If one were looking closely enough, they could see the shadows part slightly, as if startled..

"see?"

Darren grinned. Ruufe had passed the second test also...

[Ruufe Shanks]

"Jeez, what a bunch of cowards. They hate, yet love, fear, yet stay loyal...a bunch of little contradictions."

His next sentences are direct to the shadows themselves, spoken loudly and with force.

"You cowards! You lost because you were weak, and now that same weakness keeps you bound to those you hate! It's pathetic!"

He looks like he wants to say more, but puts a lid on his temper.

"Let's go; these guys aren't worth the effort."

[Darren Caerdeth]

Darren smiles toothy grin.....

"You're right....and im hungry anyways.....follow me"

Darren heads for a door, which leads into a long corridor, taking them deeper into the Shrine.

Test three is coming, and it would determine Ruufe's fate. Darren was hopeful. Ruufe had potential.

[Ruufe Shanks]

"Hungry? What's to eat around here?"

Ruufe's hand strays to his pocket, where a half-full bag of pretzel snacks sits rolled up. He takes the bag out and pops a few in his mouth, eyes flicking back and forth to take in the details of his new surroundings.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"I'll give you three guesses..."

Darren said as a door creaked open. Inside was a woman. Middle aged. Frightened. Darren smiled...

"Ruufe, meet Claire. Claire, meet Ruufe"

An annoyed look came over his eyes.

"Clair here is a fair lady. Two kids and a loving husband who have no clue where she is right now. They're probably worried about her."

Darren knelt down beside Ruufe and whispered, just loud enough for Claire to hear, and become even more unsettled...

"Shes my dinner.."

[Ruufe Shanks]

Ruufe quirks a brow as the woman gasps and struggles harder against her confines.

"Dinner? So you're going to eat her? That's wrong on so many levels..."

His first thought is that Darren is making sexual innuendos. Despite his aspirations of becoming the Vampyre King, Ruufe honestly has no idea how Vampyres feed. He never gave it any thought before, and simply assumed they eat as all beings do.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Well, thats how I feed.....you eat food, I drink blood"

Darren cocked an eyebrow. He may have been finding a weak point..

"Thats how ALL vampyres feed"

[Ruufe Shanks]

Ruufe's other brow shoots up to join the first.

"You're gonna drink her blood?"

Ruufe's shoulders sag with a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted to see was Darren eating this woman out.

"How are you going to do that?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Well, usually....."

Darren curled his lip back, revealing two razor sharp fangs momentarily, before returning his face normal.

"See those....I would USUALLY bite down on her neck with those, and drink from the wound..."

Darren cut a sideways glance toward Claire, who was now crying...

"But she might put up too much of a struggle"

[Ruufe Shanks]

"She's tied. How do you expect her to fight back? It would be a simple matter to hold her head still so you could bite her."

Ruufe folds his arms and looks on. He doesn't see the problem that Darren apparently does.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"But she can still struggle....Makes things sloppy. I dont like having to wash my face after feeding. Bite. Drink Go....Thats my preference."

Obviously a human wouldnt see complication. Most Vampyres wouldnt. But sometimes even the most trivial of things could become complicated when affecting Darren's comfort.

[Ruufe Shanks]

"So knock her out. Jeez, you make it sound like surgery."

Ruufe's running out of patience. He'll knock the woman unconcious himself if Darren keeps his complaining up.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"I'll do ya one better"

Without hesitating, Darren removes a high powered slugthrower from behind his back. A revolver to be exact. No hollow points though. Hollow points are too messy. These bullets have actually been filed sharper, to do less damage. Of course, this means Darren would have to have deadly accuracy to land a single killing shot. Of course, Darren was just that good.

After checking to make sure its loaded, and the safety's off, he hands the gun over to Ruufe.

"Fully loaded, safety's off. Hair trigger. Put one through her forehead for me..."

[Ruufe Shanks]

Ruufe frowns, letting the gun dangle from his fingers by the handle. He despises these. He'd rather use his fists.

"Well, if I must."

He raises the gun and takes aim at the woman. She shrieks for mercy, shutting her eyes and turning her head away. It presents an odd target, but Ruufe's not about to complain.

"I won't help a weak person."

He fires, and the woman slumps lifelessly in her restraints. The boy tosses the gun back to Darren.

"Now go eat."

[Darren Caerdeth]

Darren tucks the gun behind his back again.

Ruufe looked the woman straight in the eyes. He knew personal information about her. He knew her name. He heard her scream. And he shot her without a second thought. He's passed every test with amazing ease.

Before Darren was turned, he would have at least shook his head after killing her.

With a shrug, Darren walks over to Claire and sinks his teeth in, draining what little blood he can without a beating heart. Of course, live victims are better, but this was, after all a test. After a few moments he dropped the woman back to the floor and walked back over to Ruufe.

"Come with me"

[Ruufe Shanks]

That was fast. Oh well, he can't be bothered with the details of it. Already he's preparing himself for his first bloodmeal, growing accustomed to the thought of drinking from living people's veins. The prospect of it makes his stomach churn, but he feels that this is natural, and will no longer be a problem after he becomes a vampyre.

"Where we going now?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Back outside.....I have a task for you....."

Darren started back the way they came, with Ruufe right there beside him.....

"You have one week.....Capture a human, and bring them back here. When your task is complete, you'll become a Vampyre, and that human will be your first meal..."

Darren gave Ruufe a look to let him know that the Vampyre was all business at this point...

"Think you can handle that?"

[Ruufe Shanks]

"One week? Ok, see you in seven days."

Ruufe runs from the castle to the distant town, his goal being the spaceport. He'll get himself a human and bring him or her back. He'd best make sure it's a good one. He doesn't want his first blood meal to be a disgusting one.