Running Chance 1. Sun

"It's so hot.... I'm burning alive.... shade.... I must have shade." Vladimir panted. He was sprawled out on the front steps of the Palace, one arm clutching the marble beam next to him. His short blond bangs stuck to his forehead and sweat dripped down his face. "Why hasn't that blasted thing broken yet??" He whined squinting up at the large thermometer that hung above his head. It was 10' tall and 2' wide and read an average temperature of 50°Celsius. The weather in Absolom was absolutely abysmal, yet it was the Vampire capital of the continent.
"Water.... I need to get some water...." He groaned sitting up. Vladimir scratched his scalp under his hood and exhaled, then looked down at his cape. Very few Vampires had the ability to walk in the sun, so special clothes were designed for them. They did good to keep out the light, but the heat they conducted was unbearable!
He stood slowly and sauntered down the steps. Why were there so many steps any ways? (Really small ones at that, so when you climbed up you'd be out of breath and when you decided to descend again you'd have to be careful not to fall and snap your neck!) Upon reaching the bottom he was greeted with a ball to the face. "Uff!!" Vladimir Stumbled and fell back, the ball sat in his lap and the culprits ran forward.
"Gimme back my ball you-" The child froze as Vladimir stood up and dusted himself off, sand stuck to his sweaty face.
"Now was that called for?" He asked holding up the ball, but the kid wouldn't answer. He just stood there with his mouth ajar. "Hey! Little boy!!" Vladimir snapped his fingers. "Wake up!" The boy shook his head quickly and blinked his big brown eyes. All the others turned around and sighed with their game now over. Then the boy too sighed and began to walk away. "Now- just hold on- where are you going??" He said puzzled. 'Human children are so confusing.' He thought.
All of a sudden he felt something tugging at his pants. "Hmm?" He looked down. There was a little girl, she mustn't have been more than five years old.
"Hey Mister, can I have my ball back pleeeease?" Her olive eyes gazed deep into his orange.
"Nina!!" A voice yelled. The boy spun around and was now glaring horrified at her.
'They must be siblings.' Vladimir speculated. "Of course you can." He smiled setting the toy in her out stretched hands. "Now, please be more careful mmk?" He winked and gave her a gentle push in the direction of the others.
"Thank you!" Nina Grinned, revealing a large gap where her two front teeth should have been, before running back to her brother and friends. He continued to glare but at Vladimir now while the others looked at her nervously before they all hurried off to a new location to resume their fun.
"How Sweet!"
Vladimir jumped and spun around quickly, comming nose to nose with Caine. "Jeeze man!! You tryin' to kill me!?" Vladimir growled.
"You should.... have seen.... your face!!" He wheezed between gales of laughter. "That was priceless."
"Yeah? well maybe you can pay me back with some of your blood then." Vladimir pulled out a hankerchief and wiped some of the sweat and grime off his brow.
Caine stopped laughing. "Now that's just mean."
"Hello boys, having fun?"
"Oh hey Minna." They spoke in unison. "Hey, stop that! You first! I said you!"
"Okay children enough fooling around, or did you forget we have the honor of the moon gaurd tonight?" Minna tapped her foot on the stone steps.
"Us?? Pffft!"
"Tch!"
"Fffuh!"
"Hmph!"
"Scoff!"
"I Never!"
"Of course not!"
"Of all th-"
"I GET IT! I GET IT!" She shouted at both of them. "Men are such sad creatures." Minna sighed rubbing her temple with two fingers.
"Aww, you know you love me when I'm like this." Caine grinned and hugged her around the shoulders. "Other wise you wouldn't have accepted my hand."
She merely rolled her eyes and pushed his forehead away from hers. "Oh! You sound so sure!" Minna waved her hand in his sinking face and jumped to the base of the stairs. "So tell me, what exactly was the conversation before I intervened, hmm??"
"Oh nothing, just exploring Vladdy's softer side." Caine snickered.
"I told you not to call me that any more!!" He sighed exasperated.
"Come on! I've known you since I was a little tyke, I'd say I deserve the right."
"Plenty of the Gaurd has known me since they were 'tykes' and none have shown such disrespect." Vladimir crossed his arms over his chest, his foot tapping impatiently for an apology.
"...." He shuffled back and forth with his hands in his pockets. "....Fine already!! I'm sorry."
"What was that? I didn't quite hear you."
"I SAID I'M SORRY DAMNIT!! Your Highness!" He threw his hands up in exasperation and stormed away into the market.
"Do you always have to do that to eachother?" Minna asked.
"Of course we do," Vladimir grinned "otherwise it wouldn't be us!" They stood in silence for a few moments. "I suppose we should go after him now?"
"No, I'll go after him, while you go inside. At this rate you'll have a heat stroke, then the King will have my blood." She frowned at the thought.
"Nonsense, my brother would probably give you a medal for your deed." Her frown turned into a scowl.
"Come now, I know you two don't get along but surely the King wouldn't kill you."
"You've never met him have you? He's just waiting for our father and I to die so he can become the True King." His smile faded. "He'll never be able to forgive either of us, and I don't blame him...."
"Vladimir I-"
"I think you should go find Caine, I just remembered there's something I have to do."
"But I- y-yes, your highness." Minna bowed respectfully and walked past him. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon." He nodded his head then began the long trek back up the Palace stairs. When he'd gotten back to the top he turned around to scan the area for Minna and Caine. They were off in the distance by the north gate. 'Good.' He walked soberly into the much cooler Palace admiring once more the marvelous stone work that went into its creation.
Vampires were very much like Faeries and Elves in their persuit of beauty so the Capitol city was a laborious task even from the beginning. Thousands of years ago the Ancestors created blueprints for the perfect city to surround the greatest of capitols ever built. It was to be modeled after the first Vampire King who was deemed both handsome and strong beyond belief with a never quenchable thirst for knowledge (such were all the Great Kings of the First Races no matter how disputed the subject became). Though proven difficult the desire had been achieved.
The palace was built from pure white marble, that would capture the light of the full moon and release it during the new moon or a storm filled night, its high ceilings were held up by deep red granite pillars with white gold trim. And because the Palace was home to all the Royals, Officials and most of the Gaurd it was built to house over 2,000 bodies and guest another 500. It seemed like much when spoken of but since most of the occupants were Vampires, who need not much privacy anyways, one large room could have up to 20 mates. The Palace itself was formed like a diamond compass with courtyards between each point. The wing pointing to the Great Eastern Woodlands, that would hold any Elven and Faerie visitors, was decorated with the popular but rare jade stones and blue limestone. To comemorate the Southern home of the Dwarves, where more of the finer substances originated, they used warm earth colored slates and marble. The Western wing (sealed off from the rest of the Palace by thick, clear glass) was by far the most difficult to construct seeing as it would on the rare occasion hold the merpeople, and was consructed of the smoothest blue marble with smooth pebbles and crushed sandstone layering the floors (Due to the Capitol's desert region the wing would remain drained until such company was due). The wing to the North was built for the equally rare visits of Wizards and Winter Men from the Snowy Wastes and had a fine array of dark colored stones and accents of the same white marble that kept the Palace blooming in moonlight.
All four courtyards were filled with strange and magical plants from each region and were explicitly cared for by specialists (The water garden was almost heinous in its level of difficulty to maintain).
The city itself was perfectly symmetrical in all directions and was constructed from soft irovry stones of every type for many reasons. One, to glow along with the Palace every evening (lessening the use of essential burning fuels and timber), and two, any other dark heat absorbing color could possibly fry every poor soul rooted there. Finally, with its hard sandstone base covered by cobblestone streets and ancient magical enchantments Absolom thrived.
Vladimir sighed as he reached the large spiral stairway disguised as a thick pillar that went up and down from the main floor. He reached into his collar and pulled out a golden chain with a clear blue crystal on it. He squeezed it once before pressing it onto a black patch of stone next to a mural of Absolom's Laws. "U-7 please." A slow fwooshing of underground wind blew his hood off as a door magically appeared before him with a staircase leading deep into the bowels of the Capitol. Vladimir walked quickly letting his cape flutter and fall behind his broad shoulders. There were no markings or hints of the other floors he was passing save for glowing marble that periodically lit the passage. '2078, 2079, 2080, 2081...' He thought the number of each stair as he ventured further from his entrance until he arrived at the bottom. "Open please." He crinkled his nose as stale air fwooshed at him this time. "Brother, how can you be so cruel?" Vladimir murmured softly after the wall closed behind him. He continued on through the dark caticombs. Marble stones lit and dimmed to keep him in constant light. Twenty minutes had gone by when he reached a large set of intricate metal doors covered in different texts of the ancient language. "The Prince commands that you open." He spoke firmly this time.
"What Name Entrances Thee?" The voice of the First Vampire King rang in his ears.
"I have come for Valdemar, I am his son, Vladimir." He straightened his shoulders as the great doors opened for him. Before him lay the tombs of the kings long since dead. Praying a word for each one he slowly made his way deeper and deeper when he stopped at the only coffin without an urn over it and kneeled. From around his neck Vladimir revealed another gold chain with a key on it. There was a rustic shifting of locks when he placed the crystal and key into their slots and twisted them. He grunted with the effort of pushing off the lid.
Inside lay the mummified form of a sleeping man with pale, paper-thin, white skin, two large, ivory canines jabbed out over thin, purple lips. His once lustrous locks of curly red hair, now shriveled and grey, framed hie sunken cheeks. The strong well-manicured hands once able to bring down any rampaging beast lay withered and crossed over a feeble chest. He wore a soft silk tunic and black trousers with red under tones, a black tie was untied and hung around his shoulders.
Vladimir's eyes watered at the site. "Hello, father."