The Sacrifice of a Hero: Revival Read online

  My king would have praised and honored me once I was a knight

  For the many battles, in the past, I had well fought and killed

  I know I have to shoot my arrows, but a voice tells me I shall save thee

  My dear lady, I thought of like an enemy, with every drop of blood

  With every soul that I thought it must depart, I got back to life

  Not due to my expert skills and thanks to my sharp arrow darts

  But for the god of darkness and Vampires had mercy upon me

  A mercy that will die along with me until the moment I avenge

  When I hear the battle drums, bidding my revenge coming near

  Like a battle song that resembled my screams and echoed like my prayers

  Of weightless transparent feathers that seek no more than freedom

  Now your breath and your smell, the wind change lat once

  Oh! Poor and brave knight, you who ventures into the wild

  Please breathe again and draw your sword, then fight the horde

  You are still the same hero to the deepest heart, his strength tears apart

  Show them the beast inside, the awakening monster ripping them apart

  Digging his feet into the soft sand, Frayne tried to relax his body as he jumped to run most of the way towards the shore where Adeline tried to drown herself, down towards the bottom of the water. And rushing to where Adeline was, Frayne jumped with all the power he had to pull her up and save her life; how dumb she was! He thought trying to drown herself, her face was crystal clear under water as he saw its purity; she looked pure and innocent just like Rose used to be; her eyes were closed as if she was a sleeping beauty. Everything that revolved around her seemed to be mysterious, but what attracted Frayne more was the irresistible fragrance she had, it wasn’t a perfume or the odor of her skin, but rather, the smell of her blood. Frayne got closer from the lady and knelt over her body to see that a wound bleeding from the side of her head. Her blood circulated in the water and for a moment, Frayne found that he was unable to stop his urging need to taste her blood; it was the first time he had felt such a thing, what happened to him? He couldn’t understand? Then everything dashed up to his mind and he remembered that he granted his soul to the god of Vampires. He didn’t have time to look at him and observe his almost naked body, but as the water starting stinging him, he came to realize that he didn’t have enough clothes covering his body.

  Frayne looked away from Adeline to avoid smelling her blood even though the need was rising up in his veins encouraging him to bury his mouth into the lady’s neck and drink her blood. He had to figure out where she came from and why she was dressed in a soldier’s clothes; maybe she was an enemy, but anyway, he couldn’t let herd die. Bringing her back I'm... I'm ok." She said; her voice a little shaky. Physically she knew she was ok. She was fine now. But mentally she was trapped, repeating the terrorizing cycle of what just happened. Her body was taken over by the fear, the adrenaline shooting through her and numbing her cold limbs, her muscles not working to move, to shift, to do anything. Her breaths came in fast, short gasps. She was having a panic attack. She gripped at the sand trying to focus but her mind kept replaying the water, the dark burial ground that had been so close to having its grasp on her, to taking her life twice now. Frayne slipped his body underneath that of Adeline. He would be her float; it didn’t take Frayne so much time to arrive to the shore where he placed the lady down the ground as she was colorless as a cloud; she seemed as if she was about to freeze, but Frayne didn’t have any kind of clothes to heat her up and there were no logs anywhere near him to start fire with; even the fire lit in that boat had already died out; but the first thing Frayne had to deal with was to bring Adeline back to life, he laid her down on her back, swiped her lips and pressed his open mouth to hers. A quick puff inflating her chest didn’t seem to be enough so Frayne tilted the girl’s throat back and tried again and again, but still the girl didn’t breathe. It was then when Frayne screamed loud and at the same time he had to keep controlling the desperate need to suck her blood; for some seconds, Frayne let gave up resisting and found his face getting closer from the girl, but something stopped him; he didn’t know what exactly prevented him from consuming her blood.

  “Don’t you dare die onto my hands, not today, when I’m reborn,” Frayne yelled as he was about to puff air again into the girl’s lungs. It was then, when Adeline choke and coughed while the color of her skin started getting back to ordinary.

  And only then Frayne laid down on the ground right by the lady’s side breathing loudly. The girl was alive, for that Frayne was grateful, although the smell of her blood didn’t drive him crazy or, at least, not yet. Adeline remained silent and didn’t spit a word when Frayne rolled onto his side and noticed that the lady was shivering; her lips turned out to be bluish; the Knight was lost in thought unable to think of anything that could help him warming her up. He knew that he was stripped of his clothes, his life and everything related to his past was erased; but if he wouldn’t do anything, the girl would die immediately on his hands and he wasn’t ready to see anyone dead that day so the only way that was left to him was to use his own body to ignite some heat into the girl’s body, only if he rubbed his body against her, she would wake up.

  Frayne leaned in closer over Adeline, examined the features of her face first, her small nose, and her moist cold lips. It would be hard for him to lay his body above hers, for she was a beauty; there was no doubt about that. And right as slid his body slowly over hers, he saw the serious wound on the side of her head, her hair was completely stained with her thick and dark blood, it was an inviting blood that Frayne couldn’t resist letting his tongue slide on the girl’s forehead to taste it. And it was then when the girl pushed him hard while she held a huge stone that she picked up from the ground. And with her wild and murderous wild eyes, Adeline drew her hand back; it was obvious she was getting ready to smash Frayne’s face and smash it with that stone.

  “What a noisy lass!” Frayne complained and bellowed to catch the Adeline’s slender wrists forcing the stone out from her hands. And in a blink of an eye, Frayne flipped the crazed trouble maker on her back and affixed her hands to the ground right above her head.

  “Let go of me, I order you to let me go!” The girl cried while kicking Frayne with both her legs in a desperate fight to free herself from his robust hands.

  “Nay, I will not do such a mistake, lassie, not until you apologize to me,” Frayne screamed in her face.

  “What? Do you expect me to apologize to you? And for what” Adeline’s cat-like angry green eyes flashed with a stunning fire that reminded Frayne of the fire he had been thrown in for the entire last night. Even remembering it made a quiver, move in his spine; how cruel the king was to inflict him with such an unbearable pain. Hardly could Frayne get back to reality looking at the girl who was still screaming at him.

  “What shall I thank you for? For thumping in your head right now, nay, that wouldn’t even leave a scratch, now release me, I have to go” Adeline yelled.

  The girl grunted with a kind of frustration that swept all over her face; she continued her struggle trying to pump up her hips, but Frayne bestrode her as firmly as he could.

  “Who are you?” Frayne asked while still refusing to let go of the girl.

  “This is none of your business!” Adeline screamed loudly, but from her accent, Frayne could tell that she was a Scottish woman.

  Frayne bent closer right over the girl’s face and said.

  “As long as you are on the ground of Northumberland, it makes it my business,” Frayne added as he tried hard to resist looking at the blood that ignited with him a need to consume it. His almost naked body was glued to the girls and for a minute, it seemed that they were lovers not enemies, a moment of silence swept the air and it was then when Adeline interrupted it screaming louder.

  “Now, enough games; get off me,” She yelled.

  Adeline let out such a frightened
huff then she finally relaxed, but still, she was looking straight into Frayne’s eyes. And for a few critical seconds, Frayne’s mind felt as if it would stop working and thinking as the sensation of Adeline’s hips made him lost control over his body. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, Frayne thought she had Rose’s eyes as if she was incarnated in her. She recalled him of the last farewell with Rose, the same gaze, the same shape of eyes, could it be Rose? He wondered before shaking his head abruptly out of his unusual lusty thoughts about that Scottish woman who was just trying to bash him.

  “Anyway, I won’t leave you until you confess everything, but right now, I can see that you are hurt. So you’d better not exert yourself young lass,” Frayne commented.

  Frayne could feel how the girl’s chest was heaving, he just couldn’t believe how emotional he became as soon as he was reborn; it seemed that being a vampire had changed many things within him including his values and emotions. He watched Adeline as she closed her eyes and caught her breath; she gave Frayne enough time to watch her face and look at her closely. It was apparent the girl was in her twenties, she looked young like a waiflike; she wore a Viking’s battle clothes. That lady took a deep steady breath that drew Frayne’s attention to her bosom; that was before his eyes got back to her smooth cheeks, her mouth that was gently opened, and her bright blood color hair whose length exceeded the girl’s waist.

  “Okay, now tell me where did you come from lass?” Frayne questioned, “And you’d better start by explaining why you are wearing Viking battle clothes?” he added.

  Adeline frowned up at Frayne; she seemed to be bewildered by his sudden questions; it was then when she blinked a couple of times and replied.

  “I don’t feel that I’m well,” The girl said, when amidst that silence of a world that resembled the dead and while the dawn started to crawl, the cry of a startled bird broke the silence and drew Frayne’s attention to the direction of the bushed and the hill on top of it.

  “Hush… we are not alone,” Frayne said as he placed his hand above the girl’s mouth to silence her.

  Frayne’s eyes wandered around the place like the eyes of a hawk; it was obvious he wasn’t an ordinary man; he traced to something coming out of the bushes slowly and carefully. There was nothing to do, but to lie down on the ground. Frayne; still placing his hand over the girl’s mouth, pushed her slowly to the ground and flattened himself right on top of her through some leaves that were thick to some extent. Adeline surrendered, at last, realizing that they were facing danger; her eyes were fixed onto Frayne’s face as he watched two guards approaching their location, they didn’t seem to be Viking warriors, so they couldn't be anything more than Northumberland soldiers. Fortunately, both the guards left silently after checking on the boat in which Frayne was burned. He couldn’t believe it, even though they burned him to death, they were still checking on him as if they thought he was still alive. Soon later, the two guards left and only then could Frayne breathe and gave a deep gasp as he let off go Adeline. The latter could have escaped, but curiosity seemed to light her eyes as she asked.

  “What was that about? And who are those guards?” Adeline whispered as low as possible when her body started to tense over again.

  “Our perpetual death,” Frayne, the last knight sighed.

  “Come one we have to go to my family’s castle before the guards seal the door,” Frayne said spontaneously.

  The girl exploded a loud laughter at hearing Frayne’s words.

  “Do you expect me to believe that a man like you who doesn’t even have clothes to wear, has got a castle, nay, you must be a fool,” Adeline said.

  “Then wait and see, if we are discovered, all the gates leading out of this place will be locked and you won’t be able to get anywhere, lass,” Frayne replied in a confident tone.

  Only then did Adeline start to believe that the man was not joking and she became sure when Frayne whistled to his horse and in no more than a few minutes, the horse showed up in front of the last knight; Frayne felt that he didn’t see his horse for ages; it seemed for a second that they were two lovers. Frayne caressed his horse and cuddled his face gently as if he was caressing a lady’s face. Adeline interrupted them as the morning was starting to reveal itself.

  “So now, what are you planning to do? And don’t tell me that I’m going to accompany me barely naked?” Adeline inquired examining Frayne’s body with her eyes.

  “Well, I think it is obvious, lass, we have to find a place where we can hide. And now, stop asking questions and just keep quiet, could you?” Frayne cringed loudly at his thunderous tone; Adeline clamped her mouth deliberately for the first time. Anyway, she couldn’t have any more fights with him, at least on that day. Frayne knew didn’t know if he was mortal or not anymore, but he wouldn’t dare to experience it and pass through death again, he had to get out of that land as soon as he could, for he was only who knew where the treasure was. His pendant was the only key and no one could use it, but him.

  However, he had to focus on finding a way out because both his life and that stranger’s life was their life that was hanging in the balance. Even though Frayne didn’t know anything about the lady, but he had to trust her and take her with him; he wouldn’t let any trace reveal the fact that he was alive; otherwise they would follow him again and kill him.

  “By the way, my name is Adeline, and I’m from Highlands,” Adeline said.

  “I wouldn’t say nice to meet you, but I’m Frayne, the last Night Watch Knight if you ever heard of them,” Frayne introduced himself.

  “I have just one more thing to add, your land was raided by the Viking warriors, so you’d better be careful where to take us, and yes, here take this furry tunic, put it on your body, it is long enough and it can cover your knees, at least” Adeline commented.

  “What are you saying? Then you must be a Viking woman,” Frayne suggested.

  “Well, to be honest, no, I’m not one of them, I was just filling my brother’s position at war, but I’m Scottish,” Adeline said.

  “I knew it from your accent, anyway, we have to move, Heathens won’t leave anyone get away alive,” Frayne murmured, and pulled the reins of his horse slowly; he knew that a trip full of danger was awaiting him from both sides whether the Norse or his own people.

  Frayne watched Adeline as she took off the fur tunic and handed it to him, her body became transparent from underneath the rest of the clothes she wore, and Frayne couldn’t, but keep his eyes on her.

  It took Frayne and Adeline quite an hour to weave through the bushes secretly; he sneaked to avoid any sudden appearance of the night guards so that he could get out of the place and reach his castle, or any hiding place. After quite a long walk, Frayne arrived at the surrounding of his family’s castle; he pulled his horse to stop it and expertly swung himself down towards the ground, then held the reins firmly and tried anxiously to calm his horse down by gently patting on its neck.

  Finally, Frayne arrived at a few miles from his Castle and was thinking of what Samuel and the rest of who was left of his companions would think when they would meet him after witnessing his death with their own eyes. Frayne was startled and lost in thought when he heard Adeline’s whispering voice.

  “I’m feeling weak,” She said.

  Frayne looked down at the lady with a little of concern that was clear in his eyes. Adeline’s eyes became empty and as her eyes grew empty as she opened them again for a few second, as if she was possessed by a kind of presence, then suddenly, passed out.

  Frayne leaned forward towards the lady, although the light was starting to make him feel unwell, he tapped Adeline’s cheek “Hey, lassie, wake up, are you alright?” Frayne yelled more than once. Frayne was grateful to find a pulse right at her neck. But he knew very well that he had to take her to the castle before anyone could spot them; he could leave her there also, but it wasn’t a knight’s way to treat women, and he still had to know her story; he knew there must have been a reason why she was sen
t in the day he was reborn.

  “Aye, you are the only one who can answer.”

  Frayne’s eyes grew darker with the unease he was feeling, a lot had happened, but he figured out that there was no more time to waste; he decided to carry the girl on his shoulder. He glanced at the girl before his eyes fell on her neck, there was something really interesting about that lady, a sign was drawn on her neck down her shoulder; it was the sign of the seagull and the crown. That sign ran a bell, only one family, he heard of, had carried that symbol throughout history.

  “No, this cannot be true, how can the chief’s daughter of the Campbell of Cawdor tartan is here with me right now?” Frayne wondered; his father had always related for him the adventures he had with the chief of that clan and told him that if ever he needed help from someone, he would better ask for it from that man. What a coincidence! Frayne thought, but he couldn’t tell why she was there disguised in a Viking clothes? Everything seemed like a complicated riddle and Frayne felt he was walking down a labyrinth; he even started to expect that the lady was kidnapped, but in that instant he knocked out all of the thought that crossed his mind; slipped his robust hands underneath her small frame and hoisted her up gently like a sack of wheat. Frayne felt every muscle of his body strained under the light weight of the lady who was draped above his shoulder. The morning light was starting to strike his muscles and weakened him; he grew powerless as he finally arrived at the walls of his family’s castle.

  Frayne felt as if he was stabbed by disillusionment as he remembered how he had been hit by the beauty of that lady earlier, and he was even aroused by her fighting techniques as she picked up a stone to ambush his head with it. He felt so dumb when that girl bucked and wiggled violently beneath him even though he was at least, twice her tiny size, and he had an incomparable power. However, despite all what Frayne did, the girl looked fearless as if she was a real warrior. That girl must be carrying a secret and Frayne needed to know it.