Dracula: Patient zero

Chapter: 1

Sealing the deal

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The day after, Valdr woke up early and went to the neighbors’ shelters. His aim was to bring as many young frostrar to team with him as possible. The more they were, the more prey they could bring back for the tribe.

After going around the village, Valdr succeeded in gathering two more frostrar. The first one, Gjafvarðr, a timid 14 years old boy already among the best archers in the tribe even at his young age. The second one, Vígbjǫrn, a brutish 15 years old quite talented at throwing axes and setting traps. Annoyingly enough, he is also the son of Guðmundr.

They all gathered their stuff and left the village still early in the morning. Valdr could feel it, today was going to be a successful day. Once arrive at his chosen hunting ground it was time to explain his plan to the others.

«Valdr» Gjafvarðr, Vígbjǫrn. The plan for today is to try and bring as many prey as possible. The aim is to kill enough small animals to make it difficult to bring back to the village on our own. That much should be enough to earn ourselves the respect of the older hunters.

«Gjafvarðr» Are you sure this is wise? We should just hunt what we need and get back as quickly as possible...

«Valdr» Show a bit more pride in yourself! We frostrar, are always mocked and ridiculed by the adults. This is a chance to show we are as talented as them!

«Gjafvarðr» B..b..b..But we're not even svein's* yet... What's the point...?

*Svein: Any child from their 16th birthday up to their 18th birthday. Young warriors who can take their place in the battle line next to a family member or mentor.

«Vígbjǫrn» Enough of this shit! Pussies need to go back home! Come on Valdr! Said Vígbjǫrn with an irritated look in his eyes.

Sadly Vígbjǫrn had inherited his father temper... But anyone could tell he was destined to become a splendid warrior. He was among the rare ones in the tribe to be taller and stronger than Valdr. Obviously being the chief's son gave Valdr access to better food, thus aiding his growth, but Vígbjǫrn had inherited his giant stature from his father. Being fed the same food as Valdr, he would have become a titan.

After Vígbjǫrn's words Valdr and him left together with Gjafvarðr hesitantly following behind them. They spend the morning setting traps, and then climbed trees waiting to ambush anything in sight. The forest was mainly covered with cold-hardy pine, spruce, larch, poplar, fir and birch trees.

Spring was slowly showing itself making the days warmer, more hospitable. The migratory birds had started reappearing, and many other animals were getting actives again. It was the perfect time for hunting. The forest was silent, yet noisy.

All around were noises, the wind, squirrels, birds, crickets and other insects. The sun was piercing the tree canopy from place to place giving an enchanted look to the forest. The noisier it got, the better it was. It meant that animals and insects had forgotten or failed to notice their presence there.

They had been waiting for an hours when suddenly a sound broke the silence. Thump! Quickly directing their attention to where the sound came from the boys saw Valdr on the ground. He had visibly fallen from the tree and was contorting in pain.

«Valdr» ARRRGGGGGGGGGgggg!!!!! HAAAaaaaaaaa! It Hurttt!!!!! He said, holding his stomach while rolling on the ground.

Quickly running to where Valdr was, Vígbjǫrn crouched next to Valdr trying to help him.

«Vígbjǫrn» What is it? Did you hurt yourself by falling from the tree? It isn't that high, it shouldn't be to bad right? He said not knowing what to do or what was happening.

«Gjafvarðr» I..i.I'm going to go get an adult ! said Gjafvarðr visibly panicking at this point.

«Valdr» Don't you dare you coward! Arggggg! I.... I'm ok!... I just.. URGgggg! Need a minute or two... Said Valdr who at this point was as pale as a corpse.

«Vígbjǫrn» Gjafvarðr! Let's give it a few minutes and if he doesn't get better you go! Gjafvarðr nodded repetitively to that.

They stayed next to Valdr who started vomiting blood and growling like a dying animal. But after a few minutes, as quickly as it had started the pain and agony were gone. Valdr got up again and took his breath while leaning on a tree.

«Valdr» pant* pant* I.....I'm alright now... I believe... pant* pant* pant*

«Vígbjǫrn» You sure look a lot better now...

«Gjafvarðr» Are we sure he is going to be alright?

«Valdr» I said i'm alright! Now let's resume what we were doing before that... Sorry for the hindrance. Can you avoid speaking about this to the adults please? I probably ate something bad, that's all...

«Vígbjǫrn» Yhea! Father got something similar a few years back... He was puking and shitting himself for a few days, quite the gross sight.

«Valdr» Hahahah! Guðmundr did? hahahaha

«Vígbjǫrn» Humm... Don't tell him i told you that... He said while showing a threatening glare. He was visibly regretting having said that.

«Gjafvarðr» Alright then... If you say it's not dangerous...

«Valdr» Of course! Stop worrying for nothing! We are great warriors! A small tummy ache won't bring me down you hear me!

The young men then went back to the trees and resumed their hunt. Five rabbits and eight small birds later the trio then went to check on their trap seeing the day quickly coming to an end. They had eaten enough organs that they were not hungry but creatures of the night were best avoided.

There was sabertooth tigers, ferocious wild pigs, wolfs and other nasty creatures. They rapidly finished the task and gather their spoil together. Eight rabbits, eight small birds, and six more “various small creatures”.

The 3 young men looked at each other for a while with grins on their faces. It was a hunt worth bragging about even for adults and they knew it. They quickly enveloped everything in animal skins, strapped it to their back and headed back home.

On their way back Valdr suddenly stopped in his track, hand signaling the other two to stay quiet. There was movement up ahead in some brushes. A familiar noise could be heard. The familiar sound of a wild pig grunting while rummaging for food.

Valdr threw a look at Vígbjǫrn that he quickly understood and responded by taking his spear and stone axe in hand.

«Gjafvarðr» You're not really considering this are you??...

[...]

The silence said everything. Gjafvarðr started panicking once again.

«Gjafvarðr» You realize these things can easily kill us all with his sharp tusk right?

«Vígbjǫrn» Just go fucking hide in a tree if you want but shut the fuck up!

Gjafvarðr instead readied his bow for action. The three young men then encircled the beast while avoiding to be upwind from it, which would have alerted it of their presences. Valdr and Vígbjǫrn crawled as close as possible without alerting it then signaled Gjafvarðr.

Gjafvarðr Immediately launched an arrow that hit straight on target. Simultaneously Valdr and Vígbjǫrn rushed spears in hand stabbing his vitals in a flash. The giant beast easily fell to the ground, his heart and lungs pierced, the creature took two last breaths before dying.

«Valdr» WAAAAAAA YEEEHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

The three young men were jumping up and down delighted by their luck. They quickly gutted the beast and realized they couldn't carry it back to the village like that... Valdr then broke a thick branch and did what he had seen the adults do during the last hunt.

Tying the beast's legs to the pole then hoisting it on their shoulders. It was incredibly heavy but they were lucky enough that Valdr and Vígbjǫrn were both very strong for being only 15¾ years old. Actually Valdr and Vígbjǫrn were both born the same spring 15 years ago and Valdr was only a few weeks older than Vígbjǫrn.

Delayed by their extra charge, the trio arrived to the village an hour after the sun had set down. When they arrived their parents were already looking all around the village for them. The first one to spot the trio was none other than Vígbjǫrn's father, the fierce Guðmundr himself.

«Guðmundr» EVERYONE! THE FROSTRARS ARE HERE! I FOUND THEM! He yelled to everyone busy looking for them.

Together they entered the village walls and before they could start unpacking anything Valdr's parent came rushing toward them.

«Halldóra» Valdrislav!!!!! My Baby is safe !!!!! Wannnnnn!*

Valdr's father furiously approached and punched the shit out of Valdr.

«Fálki» What did we say about getting back before sundown ????

«Valdr» Sniff* Sniff* Sorry... But the wild pig was so heavy that it took us longer to come back than expected...

Hearing these words everyone's attention turned toward the huge pig laid on the ground. This was no joke, that pig must have weight at least 300-350lbs. Fálki's eyes grew big when the young men started unpacking the other animals they had hunted. Eight rabbits, eight small birds, six various small creatures and finally, this huge wild boar...

«Fálki» You three hunted all these just today?

The trio nodded in unison. The adults all around where speechless and hesitating between being happy or shocked.

«Halldóra» Valdrislav... You went after this dangerous beast after I told you not to hunt anything that can kill you!?

«Valdr» B..b..But mommm.. It was really easy, we attacked it simultaneously and it died almost effortlessly...

«Vígbjǫrn» I have to support what he's saying... This pig was quite an easy prey...

«Gjafvarðr» I just shot an arrow, then they stabbed it with their spear and it died immediatly...

«Guðmundr» Pwahahahaha! Nothing less expected from my powerful son! Pwahahah!

«Fálki» .....I am proud of you son! EVERYONE! TONIGHT'S FEAST IS THANK TO THESE THREE YOUNG FROSTRAR!!! Said Fálki still shocked by how successful the young trio had been.

«Halldóra» My young man is the best! I'm soo proudddd! She said still clinging to Valdr, covering him in kisses.

Later that night, it was celebration's time! Everybody was filling their stomach and dancing around a giant bonfire signing and drinking alcohol made with fruits fermented with saliva by partially chewing them, then spitting it into a bowl repeatedly.

No one knows when or who discovered this method but all the surrounding tribes are drinking the stuff. Valdr was eating like a pig and enjoying himself but suddenly felt ill. He ran to a calm area and started vomiting his meal out.

Once his stomach was empty he kept vomiting but this time it was blood, black blood. Valdr didn't know what was happening, but didn't want to show weakness so he simple went to bed hoping tomorrow everything would be back in order.

Obviously he spent the night puking and screaming in pain so not only his parents, but also the entire tribe realized something was wrong. His mother was panicking, remembering all her other child who died from various sicknesses, she was already imagining loosing him as well and was inconsolable.

His father, Fálki immediately started holding religious ceremonies begging the Gods to help him. Sacrifices, tributes... He did them all but Valdr wasn't getting any better. Everyday he seemed to become weaker, paler.

The white of his eyes were turning red, his skin turning white with small red veins appearing all around his eyes and mouth. It really looked like Valdr only had a few days left at best but miraculously he stayed alive that way for two full years.

He now looked more like a corpse than a human, he looked dried up like an old raisin and was barely able to move anymore. His mother was always by his side nursing him but she and his father had now started keeping many secrets about Valdr's condition from the tribe.

He was either vomiting everything he ate or shat it back exactly the way it looked going in. He had basically survived 2 entire years without eating anything... This was simply impossible for a human to do. Also his skin seemed to burn in contact with the sun, so they had to put more branches on the shelter, making it hermetic to sunlight. Fálki and Halldóra knew their boy was changing but kept it secret from the tribe.

The shaman of the tribe had never seen anything comparable so he resorted to go out and find a man he had heard about. He was from a line of shamans living in solitude far in the mountains. This was a fathers – sons tradition that had went on for generations. They were men doing nothing else since childbirth and renown as the best.

It had taken a long time but the man recommended by the village's shaman finally arrived one day. He was a bizarre looking man with strangely shaped scars all over his body looking almost like drawings. One of his eyes was totally white with a '┘' shaped scar going across it.

He had an arched back making him look smaller than he was and was using a very old looking walking stick to support himself. He wore a wolf pelt over his head, a tiger pelt covering his body and many ornaments (Necklaces, bracelets) made of bones and teeth.

The man entered Valdr's hut, where he had stayed for the last two years. His father and mother followed behind him and observed as the man stood there, looking at Valdr for a few minutes. Then he said.

«Hagstæinn» Hello young man. My name is Hagstæinn, i am here to see if i can help you get better.

«Valdr» Cough!* Cough!* I am afraid, what I may need now is a miracle... Cough!* Cough!* Cough!*

«Halldóra» Don't say such things! This man will heal you! You will right? She threw an interrogative glance at the man.

«Hagstæinn» I first need to examine him. Some sicknesses can't be cured so i need to first know what it is your son is suffering from.

«Halldóra» Pleaseee... sob* sob* sob*

«Fálki» Please sir we will give you anything you want!

«Hagstæinn» Enough! Now leave the hut! I need to concentrate. Fálki and Halldóra immediately obeyed and left the hut, leaving the shaman to do his work.

Hagstæinn the shaman then examined Valdr's body from every angle. After that he gave an intrigued look that slowly turned into a determined one. He then started pulling out pouches from his bag he had brought with him.

The man took a wooden bowl that he started to fill with a few powders, liquids and weird looking ingredients. He then crushed everything into a paste like substance. The man then started removing his upper body clothing exposing his chest filled with strangely shaped scars all over it.

Valdr then understood where the scars came from as the shaman started cutting himself all over with the obsidian blade while chanting some weird incantations.

«Valdr» Sniff* sniff*... What is this smell...? Sniff* sniff*...

Small but numerous black veins started to appear around Valdr mouth and eyes overlapping with the red ones making those area look dark burgundy. He looked like a corpse having drunk dark blood and cried tears of the same color.

Then all of a sudden Valdr's eyes turned entirely black, darker than darkness itself. At the same instant Valdr who had been laying down on his bed and hadn't move in two years suddenly stood up on his bed so fast it looked like a blur.

This made the shaman jump back in surprise making him cut himself a bit deeper than normal. Valdr slowly turned his head toward Hagstæinn, tilted his head slightly to the left while sniffing in the air. In the shaman's eyes, terror could be seen, as he was completely petrified in place.

«Valdr» You... Smell... ... ... Delicioussssss.... He said while giving a smile showing his two top jaw canines growing longer and sharper like daggers.

[Blurrrrr]

«Hagstæinn» HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!aaA aaa gurgle* gurgle* gurgle*....................

After hearing the scream Fálki and Halldóra quickly came back in the hut in panic but were not prepared to see what they saw at that instant. This scene would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

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Many thanks to gcman01 for proofreading this chapter!

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