All Because of Blood

Edvin was walking on the night of Samhain through a borning mundane neighbourhood it was the first Autumn equinox of the new century 31st of October 2000, you see he could smell something in the air.

Although he was merely flitting through the area on his way to a forest in the area that held a delightful little meadow on a lay line. So he could rest in the remained of the night before he would have to go home and sleep before the sun came up on a cold November morning.

When he happened upon it a small bungle on the steps of a house that was similar to all of the others. Walking up to it, he was shocked at what he saw and was no doubt the source of the smell. a young babe, not even a year old. With blood specked on its forehead and the stench of magic, both its own and others lingering on the surface. 

'Well, this would just not do'. He thought to himself while reaching to life the child from the step. Noticing the likeness of the child to himself and others of his clan, the milky white skin and jet black hair. 

At that moment Edvin realised a problem had been solved, the hunt for an Heir. A child he and his clan could raise. One that would help lead the family once he was of age, to move it onto a new generation.

Yes, this little being full of magic, so strong for one so young. Would be perfect, after scanning the letter tucked into the blanket the babe was wrapped in he was made even more sure of his decision their eas no way he was going to allow this amazing magical child, be raised by mundane mortals.

So instantly disregarding his plans, Edvin made the journey home. Where the women of the clan were waiting for him at the door, they had smelt the babe as he had the second he has crossed the property line.

The manor was well protected. Not only by its inhabitants but by the security team that lined the perimeter, cameras and well-guarded gates protected the estate as well as highly protective wards.

2 acres of gardens with far-reaching views across gently rolling countryside. Complete with a lake which leads down to the banks of the nearby river which meanders through the grounds. The manor itself originally dates from the mid 18th Century, when it came into Edvins possession. 

To the northeast side of the manor, a large forest swept round the side with tall trees hope to several magical and mundane wildlife. Built-in 1745. It was on the edge of a large national park, making sure it was secluded from prying eyes.

 Edvin had overseen the number of renovations and additions to the manor himself. With the addition of vast underground protected chambers and coated windows to protect the inhabitants from light. It was truly a haven for his familie.

Walking up the main doors of his home, large wooden doors lines with metal that fit like a glove in the elegantly carved stone.

Seeing one of the more social members of his familie waiting for him, excitement bursting from her. Long wavey light brown hair that fell and moved like water over her shoulders all the way down to her waist. Floating in the air as she jumped up and down when he reached her side.

"Oh, Edvin. Kjæreste he's beautiful, where did you find the little one? Sanne asked. "He's magical, and looks just like you."

Edvin smiled at the girl. " Well, I happened upon this poor little thing on my walk, left on doorstep no less, with merely a note. Now I couldn't let such an adorable and magical child be raised by the mundane."

"Oh, I do agree is he a good candidate for the ritual my sire? He must be I don't think you would have taken such a strong reaction to him if not." She walked after him, as he swept through the house, up a set of large stairs, making way towards the heir suite.

The dark hardwood floors polished and well maintain reflected the glow of the candles and oil lamps still used in the more historical areas of the house, Edvin keeping the modern additions to the back and underground extensions.

As the too moved slowly as to not disturb the small infant, long legs made quick work of the large central staircase that then split off at the top into the different wings of the manors upper floors.

As they came to a stop outside of the large double doors of the heir suite. A large set of rooms with a personal office and small personal library, a bedroom and ensuite bathroom as well as large walk-in wardrobe, the seating room in the centre that connected on the other side to an activity room, to be used for play in early years and later for hobbies.

Edvin opened one of the double doors holing the child to his chest with the other arm. Allowing him to walk into the seating room which was home to one of two fireplaces, the other being in the bedroom, as well as large plush sofas and armchairs. The room was done in tasteful dark greens and whites, with accents of metal and dark wood. 

Turning to the young vampire at his side, and smiling at her.

"Sanne, now my child, I need you to go get Svetlana. Send her my way and then return to the chambers with the others, it's Samhain and you have had not nearly enough time experiencing the magic of this night, go have fun, enjoy yourself.

He looked down at the small bundle of flesh and blood in his arms. Edvin had no care for the boy's linage. But he had heard of the Potters, keeping an eye on the sacred twenty-eight of the wizarding world had proven useful. As it meant he was sure in this moment that there were no magical potters left. 

There was a plan in place, a ritual and blood adoption, it would turn the boy for now into a half-vampire, of his blood, so he would be able to walk in the sun and go to school and eat normal food. But once he reaches adulthood, the full change could be made to stop his ageing.

"Oh my child, no one will touch you now, no dark lord, no government. No child of mine will be a weapon in mortal war." He rocked the small child back and forth in his arms.

Svetlana was calmly walking through the manor with a large basket in hand full of supplies, her polished heels clicking methodically on the hardwood floors. The Russian was hopeful and the though of the babe truly being a good candidate for the ritual. It would make the master of the house and head of this branch of the family as a whole ever so happy. The humans of the familie were getting testy, wanting a, how did they put it, someone raised by the familie to be the liaison between the branches.

The tall, curvy yet still slender woman had joined Edvin in the 1890s but had fallen in love the 1940's and 50's. Edvin was not her sire, not her maker, but was her master, he held her respect. She would happily meet the sun before the though of betraying him would cross her mind, from the Russian branch of the family rather than the Norwegian as Edvin was. 

Quickly boosting her speed to get to the doors of the heir suite in which her master and his new heir were residing waiting for her to bring supplies. Robes, crystals, candles, potions. All that was needed the make sure that the two were ready for the coming ritual.

She was a fantastic asset in teaching and raising the young vampires who came through these walls, keeping them in line teaching rules and decorum. 

Svetlana was an easy choice to make to help in aiding him to prepare his new son for the ritual that would make him one of them. She had been trained by generations of women in the fine arts of magic. Attending a school for young ladies who exceed in ritual magic. She was turned at around 28 winters. Her father offering her as proof of loyalty to the Bratva. The familie sent her to Edvin only a few short months later once the bloodlust of being turned had lessened.  

Being in the mafia as they were, gave them a reliable feeding source so that they need not go and hunt in the public. The familie also had many ties to pharmaceuticals and hospitals and ran multiple blood banks. Though when the family first began being nobility as they are, Lordships and Lands helped them gain the power they had now, to begin with. It had only own in later years with the influence they had in the criminal underworld and politics.

But when a human betrayed or angered the family, they were taken and rather than being killed and buried sent to set houses where they were imprisoned and used as living replenishing dispensers, for vampires who much prefered live blood, or had a taste for being more violent while feeding, as the loss of one of these lives in a house of men that had betrayed the family. 

It was a good system. And though they do not mind causing others pain. For it was in their nature, they did not want to alert the public of the word to their actions and existence, too much obsession and false media already existed establishing the true rules would be too much hard work.

Getting the tiny magic human ready for the ritual as soon as possible was the goal, they had had the ritual room for this day set aside in status since Edvin had decided he would find an heir.

Edvin had just lowered the infant into a cleansing bath. A scan of Hadrians's health and magic had been done to make sure nothing would counteract the ritual. After a scan of the child had shown the presence of a secondary soul fragment. Being creatures of death, the soul was writhing with more emotion then the infant it inhabited and as such when offered the open wound of Svetlana it jumped from the child attempting to latch onto a stronger host.

 As it had not yet fully embedded into the child. The pair had quickly moved the fragmented soul into a summoned common animal. Using a blood magick spell to transfer it over into a small rabbit, which was promptly locked in a glass box in Hadrian's suite.

It was easier to transfer it from Svetlana body into a living host, as Svetlana was technically dead and as such the soul when realising this was trying to latch onto something to survive, and harry was no longer an option as he had been moved a distance away by Edvin.

Flitting down the corridors of the manor, Svetlana quickly found the clans notable magic users basking in one of the secondary ritual chambers. 

"QUICK! Master Edvin has found an heir. The statis charm on the room must be lifted and the potions prepped ready for the blood." She practically pushed them along. 

The large heavy wooden doors lined with ruins were pushed open with easy by the vampires, to any mortal they would be a true strain.

Carved stone floors layered themselves in intertwining circles leading up to a platform in the room centre. Runes in the floor coated in blood glowed in the darkness of the room.

Just in time as the last of the candles surrounding the outer circle was hand-lit. Edvin, holding the babe, who was dressed in a gown of sheer silk. matching Edvin's own dark black silken ritual garb.

He swept into the room, placing the infant on the central dias before turning and nodding to all in the room, before circling the room. When he had returned to his final spot, a dagger was drawn from his robe, and a slash made across the left arm. 

Then counterclockwise, he circled again dripping his own blood into each of the carved runes. The power in the room swelling as he stepped back up onto the central platform, allowing his blood to pour into a potion in the simple goblet to the right of the child. Before the wound finally began to heal. 

With focused hands and steady eyes, he gently poured the fluid into the mouth of the child holing its head with his free hand. The potion mixed with the healing properties and magic of Edvins blood was gladly drunk by the no doubt hungry child. 

Edvin wished he could have fed his son during the wait, but with the need for the small child's stomach to be empty to consume the entire potion, it was a tragic necessity.

As the final drop past the child's lips, a shockwave of power was sent through the manor the second one the child had let off that night. 

The ritual was complete, and as Hadrian slept magic worked, transforming every cell in his body to that of a halfling, fueled further by the potion and blood of an elder.

Svetlana walked up to her master once the ritual magic had dissipated and it was safe to cross the runes once more.

"Edvin, come you need to feed, you lost a lot of blood for the ritual."
She lightly guided him with a hand on his back, nodding at the ritual aids to start on the cleanup. "Little Hadrian will sleep for quite a while, I know the parental bond is still forming, you need not put him down I get it. But you cannot care for him or let him feed on you to strengthen the bond without replenishing yourself first. You may be thousands of years old, but honestly, you still need to care for your health. Now more than ever."

Edvin followed her slowly into one of the manors lounges. Where she had the cooler in the room open as he sat down, they were all over the house, restocked regularly, chilled fridges hidden behind wooden panels so they did not ruin the style of the manor.

Picking up a bag of AB- Edvins personal favourite and pouring the contents of the clear plastic bag into a large cup. Heating it in her palms with a small muttered spell. 

Walking around the large leather couch. "Here, drink you need it"
She past the cup into his open hand, the other still protectively holding his son to his side.

Raising Hadrian was a task, to say the least, the small child was constantly displaying accidental magic. His growth had increased. what would have been 6 months of growth had happened in a few short weeks, he was already crawling around the manor. Causing trouble and finding himself playing hide and seek with his minders when daddy had to leave for a day on business. 

Hadrian being imbued with the lord of the manors blood, made him very hard to find, as the master's scent and magic were alive in every wall of the building. 

Everyone in the house came to care for the small boy, his wide green eyes and gummy smile with only 3 small milk teeth. He had the familie and the staff wrapped around this chubby little fingers.

Seeing the small boy in his playroom floating a toy to himself from across the area, made Svetlana smile. He was already showing to be gifted just as Edvin said. With the boy already being able to start to read and speak soon the world. Or well the Manors library wouldn't know what hit it.

------- 4 years later -----

Hadrian was sat in his schooling rooms, books of varying academic levels surrounding his desk. He was trying to learn as much as he could about creatures to impress his papa. 

He was tall for a 5-year-old, looking more 7-8. Over the year any baby fat had melted off his frame to show a lithe young child. 'Perfect for the ballet' Svetlana had once said, before convincing Edvin to ad dance to part of his lessons, to teach the boy elegance and posture. It was good, They knew that it would aid in muscle buildup and allow for him to adapt to fighting styles better.

Walking into the room, Edvin looked at his son. Messy black waves that were held back by a pencil he had twisted into it. Pouring over books.

He cleared his throat to prompt the child's attention. For it was time for a lesson.

"Now Hadrian my child you will learn the true rules that dictate us from the realms of mortals and which apply to you as a halfling do you understand?" Edvin looked down at the 5-year-old. As he walked towards the board in front of the large desk in the centre o the room the boy had claimed.

"Yes, papa I do!"  The excited young boy smiled up with a toothy grin. Sparkling green eyes that glowed in the candlelight. 

His excitement at the possibility of his father helping him find out what he had been looking for these last few weeks. It caused magic to buzz in the air, causing a few pen caps to float and dance in the air on his desk.

"Calm down son. I know you have wanted for the last few years why we are the way we are, what makes us so different from the guards outside and the public when your Aunts take you out shopping."

Edvin smiled, as Hadrian looked more ready than he had ever in his life, a pen gripped in his hand ready to take notes on whatever he was about to be taught. His thirst for knowledge was almost comparable to the blood lust of a freshly turned vampire.

"Okay, I'll write them here for you so you can read back if you don't understand and it makes it easier to relate one thing to another."
Turning to the large board behind him in Hadrian's schooling room. Once he had received a very enthusiastic nod. 

"Now my son, you have to understand all vampires are bound by these rules, no amount of magic can stop a human from being glamoured or make a human magically okay after you drink from them. The only way that could be stopped is if the human wasn't a human if they were a fae or wolf, or shapeshifter through birth then they would have an advantage." He looked at his child, over the years he had come more and more to look like Edvin, his stature, his features. Even his eyes once green were now pale in comparison to what they were. With red rings surrounding them, showing that the child had only had lunch a few hours ago.

Turning to the large whiteboard. Edvin began writing his long arms making quick work of laying out the list;

1} In some cases, humans can develop more attraction to vampires by drinking our blood. Vampire blood can heal humans and has numerous drug-like qualities.

2} Vampires and Halflings can influence or "glamoured" a Human, controlling them or making them.

3}Side effects for the human when feeding - Pain during feeding and especially initial bite, unless glamoured to feel otherwise. 

Afterwards, fang marks remain visible, unless healed with vampire blood. Weakness for a few days, treatable with B vitamin and iron supplements. ( Pet Humans or Donors are required to take these days at a higher dosage)

4}Eating human food - Young vampires and human-vampire hybrids can consume human food. Loss of taste for human food occurs in normal vampires at puberty; food begins to taste like sand. Following puberty, vampires and hybrids develop different "tastes" for different (usually negative) traits/emotions in humans.

5} A vampire can be killed in several ways and turn into either Bloody pulp, or in rare cases of very old vampires, disappearing into flame and smoke upon meeting the sun.

Whereas with halflings a body remains that can be healed if killed by human methods by turning into a full vampire.

6} Exposure to the Sun... Fatal; younger vampires can survive short exposure, older vampires have lower tolerances; Fae/Fairy blood can eliminate weakness to the sun for a short period. 

With Halflings, the sun had no killing or weakening effect through excessive exposure can result in a migraine effect.

7} Certain vampires may have abilities that are unique to them or a small group of others. These have been noted as 'Gifted'. THough all vampire does hold power over a basic set of gifts, such as increased physical strength, the ability to move at very fast speeds and Enhanced senses.***

8} Gifted Vampires or Vampires who were previously wizards and witches can utilize their blood or dark magick. They also hold on to the ability to use wizarding magic though are far darker inclined.

***Extended: Eidetic memory, voice imitation, maker abilities (calling, commanding, empathetic link, and releasing); Unique Powers: advanced vampiric abilities, advanced progeny calling, astral projection, blood abilities, advanced glamour, intangibility, invisibility, precognition, self-control, species detection, telekinesis, teleportation, and immunity to stakes, fire, and silver.

"Do you understand?" Edvin questioned lightly, he knew it was a lot to take in but for a small genius like his Hadrian he was sure the boy would undoubtedly understand soon, after all, he was getting towards highschool levels in education even at his young age. 

Likey partly due to the enhanced growth rate, but also due to the child's natural thirst for knowledge. Which the Familie had no reason to stop. Knowledge was power.