“Dhampir. Subgroup Undead. Child offspring of union between vampire and human. Alternative variations; dhampyre, dhamphir, or dhampyr. Balkan folklore.” Mysteries of the Undead, Jeremiah Delalande.
Welcome again to Linda Hill’s Stream of conscious Saturday.
Many of the participants I already know through other groups and blog connections. As a writer I thought I might use this to explore back story for a new world that might become the origins of a novel at some point.
I will stick to the exact purpose of SoC here. This, apart from using the WP spell checker, is rough. No planning, thought or preparation or editing. Words as they tumble out. Please take that into account before despairing critique.
Dhampyr is my preferred usage. The creature is Balkan in folklore origin, but persists in many countries. I often draw on myths or legends and bend them to my own use. Quite how the word “cheers” is going to feature is anybody’s guess right now!
“What are you?” The sanguisuge leered at the sorceress before him.
Never had anyone failed to tremble or give up their gaze knowing the end was close and likely to ebb as blood flowed. This creature stared him down. Held his gaze. The hypnotised hypnotic.
Speak fiend. The words crawled through her mind.
The witch remained silent as her eyes bore into the vampires mind. Ice flowing through it’s skull. She felt panic and terror inside a beast that didn’t know it. Or had forgotten it’s meaning somewhere long in the past.
“Have you any last words? Regrets? Confessions? Anything vampire?”
He flowed forwards. Yish didn’t flinch, holding her ground. Their eyes remained locked in a battle of wills that the ancient undead was losing.
“Last words elf,” a smile widened exposing a maw hosting elongated canines. “No, wait… a bastard elf yes?”
Yish curled her hand around the claymore resting in a shoulder scabbard. The vampire broke his gaze as she drew the edge upwards. Uncertain he moved back.
“Bastard am I? What would you know of that.” The claymore sat partially drawn.
He moved around her, swirling in partial mist blending with shadows flickering in sconced torchlight.
“You came alone. Is foolishness also a trait?”
Yish drew the claymore and slashed downwards. The mist solidified and the vampire let out a howl as an arm fell to the floor.
His eyes flared and a snarl ripped across the vampires face.
“You,” he whispered.
She held the bloodied sword blade against his neck. “Aye, it is me.” She spat on the floor in disgust, a habit subconsciously picked up from the dwarf, before adding “Father.”
***
Nahar laughed, his dwarven frame rippling with mirth. His fist slammed into the oak table he was sat at. Plates rattled with the impact.
“What did the beast say to that then Yish?”
The sorceress drank from a goblet. She was used to wayfaring inns and this one was homely, not luxurious. A fire, good company and hosts that knew when to listen and when not to.
“One word that explains much.”
”Which was?” The Dwarf recovered his composure and poured more ale from an earthenware ewer.
“Damphyr.” She spoke the word slowly. Nahar paused mid pour.
“That was it?”
She nodded.
“Then you hacked his head off and burnt the corpse.”
“Something like that.” She picked up her ale.
“Yish, tell me the world is one less blood leech.”
The sorceress smiled and raised her goblet. The dwarf reciprocated, knowing she was stalling.
“Cheers Nahar, may your days be long in number.”
For reference, this is not the creature that lies in state in last weeks catafalque!
Stream of conscious Rules – Taken from Linda’s Blog
- Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
- Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
- There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.
- Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent ping-backs will be found at the top. NOTE: Ping-backs only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
- Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
- Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
- As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Comments are welcome and I look forward to meeting new bloggers via the SoCS community.
You might have started a new trend, like Gordon Ramsays’ F*ck, maybe soon people start to use ‘cheers’ in the way you used it in this SoC. 🙂
Lol. I hope not or we lose another word to altered modern tagging. I thought it came across as a genuine “Cheers” as in good health during a drink toast!!
O shoot, no we don’t want that, haha.
So yes, it did come across that way 😉
Phew!! Mind you on here I keep most things clean. Characters in the books often dip otherwise to keep them true to who they are. I make no apologies for that 😂
LOL
This morning I was thinking about writers of thrillers and other genres with murders and killing in it. Does it mean ‘you writers’ have a hidden psycho side? And readers, like myself, who enjoy those stories…they too?
Ooh, one can’t answer that on the basis it’s incriminating! All I will say is they do recommend writing what you know…which is even more incriminating 😂
hahahahahahaha
It’s all hypothetical and philosophical 😀
Very true…in which case writing fiction is also a valid line of work for schizophrenia too. Why is the antagonist the protagonist in their world…for example 😳
I think we should ask a schizophrenia 😉 Or a fiction writer. Now, wait a minute…Gary? hahahaha
Yes, indeed…err… turning to factual writing now…just to be safe! 😂
I have devoted this week’s Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs to BUYB and have shared your link! Claire x
Thank you Claire, that was very kind of you and a good elegy to BUYB x
Thanks, Gary – such a close group and I hope some of us keep in touch in the new groups x
Me too, I’ve joined both Em and Esmé’s groups and have seen most of us there already. It would be a travesty if we didn’t keep in touch after BUYB x
Had to get a fresh cup of coffee before visiting. Enjoyed as a little backstory of Yish. For reference……. made me smile and aha okay for now……
Sadly they are snippets and for me teasers that need more work. I think some of these could form chapters. Might be something to do as prequel introductions before the main novel is tasked. Thanks for reading it 😊
Always entertaining, Gary….you kept us waiting for that Cheers!! x
Thanks Claire, more so as these are written very rapidly with no planning. Which is rather worrying when I hit publish 😱
Very good Gary!!!
Lol, not easy getting cheers into this one 😂
😜