Races of Armis - Midnight Oasis Read online

Midnight Oasis

  By Deb Sartoris

  Copyright 2011 Deb Sartoris

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  This book is dedicated to my father – I love and miss him very much. His encouragement allowed me to be all I can be.

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  Chapter 1:

  Today will start out like any other day – or should I say night. I lay awake inside my shelter looking across the great lake. There are 3 moons out tonight. The sun does not shine here on the planet Armis as often as it does on the old world. Armis is located just outside of the Earth’s galaxy. I have lived here for many centuries. I and others of my kind left the old world when our species found a new way to survive. You see, on Armis there are many days when the sun does not shine. To those of us who are a night species the lure of another off world life was exciting. A place where you can live and go unnoticed. Where the night lasts almost forever and you can become one with the world around you. A place where you and your mate can have a long and happy life together. A place where your children can grow and prosper. Armis is now and will always be my home.

  Before I talk about the present - I have stories of the past to tell and wish to place them in this journal for those who will come after me. As with other stories – this one should begin at my birth. My life began like all others of our species born to human parents in the old world. My human birthplace was a small village on Earth called Balbina located on the continent of South America near Brazil. My parents were farmers and lived off the land and earth. By the time my father, Franko Martin, was old enough to marry at the age of 17 his family had agreed to exchange his family birthright to another family by way of an arranged marriage. This was very common in the old centuries as many families survived by merging farms together. His wife (my birth mother) was Rose Maria and she was 16 at the time of their union and was eager to begin their lives together. Their families became joined and their lives as husband and wife started in the year 1890.

  My mother became pregnant and she and my father were looking forward to the new arrival into their family. Our village was growing and my parents were existing as all others before them had: farming and living at the edge of the jungle. However, like any other villages located in the deep Amazon there were many old legends and myths. My father had heard of many stories during his life and always thought that they were told to children to keep them scared of the dark and out of the Jungle.

  Stories of dark creatures that would come in the night and take livestock. Sometimes the stories told of creatures coming and taking the women and children. My father heard these stories from the elders of our village, stories of creatures with the desire to feed on anyone or anything they could find, stories told over campfires after smoking the local herb or drinking from the Donti plant. My father had heard these stories his whole life: women who were taken and never seen; children born with unusual abilities; stories of how these creatures lived near the village.

  One night my father was awoken by a scream. He reached over to check on his wife and found that she was not in bed. My father ran off into the other room and still could not locate her. Another scream and he realized that Rose Maria was outside. His only thought was for her and their unborn child. Most women in the village had trouble during birth and many children died during the birthing process.

  He went outside in the dark toward the scream. He found his wife on the ground near the water well. She was alive. Rose Maria had blood on her clothes and face. My father could not find anything that would have caused the blood marks so he assumed that she must have fallen and fainted. Rose Maria was heavy into her pregnancy and the child was due before the next moon cycle. My father carried her into the house and placed her on their bed. Rose Maria was confused yet she did not seem to be awake and she was rambling on about a beast coming after her. My father finally got her settled down and asleep. My father went into town the following day to ask for the birth doctor. He told the doctor about what happened and the old doctor said it was not uncommon for women to have such dreams close to their birth time. The doctor gave my father some tea to give to his wife and asked that my father keep an eye on Rose for a few days. My father had noticed that the doctor seemed to be more interested in the fact that Rose Maria was rambling about a beast after her then her health. My father had heard of rumors of why Rose Maria was given away as a wife at such a young age. Stories of Rose Maria seen out at all hours of the night at the edge of the jungle. Stories of creatures seen with Rose Maria. Stories of how Rose Maria got pregnant so fast. These stories and others like them were told but fell on deaf ears for my father.

  My father took the tea and went home to his wife. Each night for almost another 2 weeks my father was awoken during the night by Rose Maria and her screaming. She was always found outside by the well and always rambling about the beast that was after her. Rose Maria became more distraught as each day passed and my father was becoming concerned for her and the unborn child. As the cycle of the new moon started my father found himself worried for the birth of the child. Rose Maria started her labor 12 days after the first night of screaming and she was in no shape to be giving birth. She was pale, sickly and struggling to survive the birth of the child.

  The doctor arrived and the waiting began. For many hours Rose Maria screamed and suffered. It was more then any man should bear to watch his wife bring his child into the world. This birth was not like any other one in the village. Rose Maria was in more pain and my father could tell that the doctor knew something was wrong. Finally, after one whole day and night had passed my father heard the scream of his newborn child. He ran into the house to see the doctor holding the child and Rose Maria covered in blood. Rose Maria was alive but not whole. It was like the child had clawed his way out of Rose Maria. My father had never seen anything like this and he knew something was wrong. The doctor tried to get my father to leave the birthing hut but he refused. All he wanted was to see his wife and comfort her. Rose Maria died giving birth that night. I Roberto Thomas was born into the world a killer in the summer of 1891.

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  Chapter 2:

  I remember that night. Our species is not like humans we have clear memories of our birth. Some say it is because our species must find a way to survive that is a blending of human and beast. It is with a heavy heart that I came into this world by killing my mother.

  Several days had passed before my father took me into his arms and wept over me. My father only saw a child that had just been born into this world by killing his beloved wife. There were many rumors as to what had happened that night. What had my mother Rose Maria been doing for those months before my birth? My father was young and deep into his grief. He did not know what to do with me.

  My father left me alone in my bed for almost a week following my birth. I was aware that he took my mother to her burial site. I was aware that people in the village came and went from our house. I was aware that another women held me and tried to feed me something that smelled spoiled. I was also aware that something came to me at night. Always after my father was asleep and after the women care taker had left.

  I had not eaten for several days and my desire to feed was becoming overwhelming. I was just an infant with no way to care for myself. One week after my mothers death a stranger came to see my father. A woman who was frail and thin. The woman had bright red hair and very strange translucent skin. She was not like others in our village and spoke with a strange accent. She asked my father if he wished to have the child taken away. She was willing to take the child out of his hands and raise the child if he so desired. This woman was the most beautiful female th
at my father had ever seen. I remember her face being white and pale. Her eyes had an odd orange color to them. This women spoke with such a sweet sound that it did not take long for my father to agree that I would be better off with her.

  And so it was done. I was traded to the foreign woman. I remember my father kissing my forehead. I remember his tears as they fell upon my face. I remember his voice with such sadness saying that he loved me and wish nothing but my happiness. I also remember the thirst I had in my throat as my father touched me. The woman placed me in her shawl and left my fathers house.

  The woman and I traveled for a short time and it did not take long for the woman and me to reach the interior of the jungle. It was there that I became more aware of what I was. The woman stopped inside the tree line near the edge of a small meadow. I could see the light coming through the trees. I felt afraid of the light. I did not know why I felt that way. After a few minutes there were others with us. I remember seeing several other men and women. All of them were beautiful like the woman who was holding me.

  I felt at ease with the others like they were part of me. I felt as if I had never been taken from my family. The loss I felt for killing my mother was gone. I remember the woman telling me that she would care for me now. I remember her telling me that I could eat and not be afraid. I could not understand her. I was only a child; how could I feed. The woman laid me next to her breast and I did what all babies do: I ate – but not of the milk that human mothers give – but through my teeth that plunged deep into the pale breast of the woman who held me. My thirst of many days was overwhelming and I ate from my new mother for a long time.

  My new mother’s name was Samonia. Our clan is a species of night creatures. There are many words for our kind. Dhampir is just one of those words that some use. I was born into this world because my real father, who was a vampire, mated with my human mother Rose Maria. My mother was lured by my vampire father into an encounter one night in the jungle. My species believes that the only way to procreate is to mate with human women. I was created during an arranged mating between my mother and vampire father by the village elders. It was always known to my species and the village elders that exchanges of women were required in order to keep the village safe from the onslaught of what would happen if they elders did not agree to our species terms. My mother was only aware that a beautiful man loved her and came to her often during the night while my human father slept. The lust that my mother felt for this man was not unusual for my species. Dhampirs have an ability to lure anyone that becomes of interest to them. Our species can influence and eventually mate with whomever we choose.

  I was 5 years old before I became fully aware of what I was: a night creature that was born by the mating of humans and vampires. My life as this species was created and birthed so that our species could survive. I was never supposed to live with the humans. It is written in our lore that all Dhampir children come into this world via the same manner that I did: born killing their mothers. Our species has been on the old world for longer then written record. We have existed because we have the ability to use our strengths to survive all that comes forth. My life as a Dhampir, the creature of the night, was now all that I would know.

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  Chapter 3:

  My life became a blur. Years came and went and I lived with my new family deep in the jungle. I lost track of the time as our species does not count days and nights. We exist for centuries and time is of no issue to us.

  My new family grew as you would expect over the years. I had many brothers and sisters all of whom were born in the same manner that I was. I was not unlike any other child. I had childhood dreams to follow and games to be played. My games were different than those of human children. My games were designed to strengthen my abilities. I learned how to chase down leopards and feed without losing one drop of blood. I learned when to sleep in the safety of the trees. I learned how to influence humans around me. I learned about our species through our own elders.

  One night I came into the same village of my birth. I came to be at my birth place. I could smell the humans inside. I could sense that they were asleep and unaware of my presence. I went into the hut that was my birth home and I saw that my human father had a new wife. He was asleep next to her and in the other room was a newborn child. My old human family had also grown.

  I visited my father and his new wife and children often over the years. I was always very careful not to show myself to my human family. I saw my father and his new wife age. I watched as my human brothers and sisters grew and prospered. My father and his new wife brought many human children into this world as was custom for their village.

  I had become an adult in what seemed like no time at all. My human father was now one of the elders of the village. My father was made aware of what the rules were between the village and our species. My human father realized after all these many years what happened to his beloved Rose Maria. He became aware of the fact that his first born son was not of his own blood but something born from another species.

  I also became part of our elders. I was now an adult of our species and was soon suppose to take a human wife as was custom to our kind. I was also made aware of how the exchange functioned between the human village women and our species.

  Late one night while I was out hunting I smelled a human. As I tracked closer to the scent I realized that it was a familiar smell. It turned out to be my human father. He was also out hunting. We were both alone. It was time that I came face to face with the human father that I had known so long ago. I was very careful to watch my human father for a long time before I approached him. I wanted to make our first encounter such that neither of us would fear for the safety of other when we greeted. I finally decided on the small meadow which had played a big part in my life a long time ago.

  I appeared to the left and slightly above where my father was hunting – but far enough away that I would not scare him. Despite my careful decisions I still managed to give him a bit of a fright. I had often thought of this moment when I would meet and talk with my human father but had never truly decided on what I would say. I now found myself face to face with a human alone in the forest for the first time in my new life.

  My father realized right away that I was not one of the persons in his village or for that matter anyone that would be from one of the villages around our area. I was very tall, thin. My hair was the color of coal and my eyes were a bright orange color. My skin had stayed a pale gray color. My clothing was made from the animals that I had killed. I imagined that I must have looked like a jungle animal to my human father.

  I spoke first. I had kept my human name and now introduced myself to my human father. He stared at me for a long time. He did not say anything only looked at me as if he was trying to see past the years of my life. After a while my human father spoke. He was slow at his words and had to sit down upon the ground before he could speak them to me. He was not afraid of me. But he felt sad that our lives had not been able to be shared. He spoke of things he had learned at the elder meetings and I did the same. We spoke for many hours about important subjects in our lives. He spoke of his new wife and their many children and I spoke of being raised in the forest.

  It was becoming light and I told my father that it was time for me to leave. We promised each other that from time to time we would meet to discuss important matters here at the same place as needed. We parted and I felt for the first time in my life that I was now complete. I had a friendship with my human father and a life with my Dhampir family.

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  Chapter 4:

  I met my human father many times in the meadow deep in the forest. We spoke of matters that were important to each of us. Often times we would disagree on a subject and that would lead to very intense discussions. But always we would come to some compromise and our meetings would always end on a happy note.


  Many years had come and gone. I was now considered an elder in my Dhampir family eyes. It was time for me to choose a human mate. This was not something that I had wanted to come of age for. I had very vivid memories of my human mother; how I had killed her during my birth. I remember her smell and how she felt when I was birthed. I had become friends with my human father and his family over the years and I had started to care for all of the humans in my birth village.

  As was custom to my species and the villagers a man and woman would be chosen to be part of the mating for the next child to be born. My human father was as aware of this issue as was I.

  My human father came to me one night and he was extremely upset. He was much older and each time I saw him I could smell his life fading away. I knew that one night he would not come and I would find my father dying or dead. My human father was upset because he had learned that one of his oldest daughters had been chosen to be the next mated female to our species. What my human father did not know was that I had been told that the next human woman would be mated to me as the oldest male of our species.

  I did not know which female would be chosen for my mate as this typically is not known until we are left together in the jungle. My human father was very upset at the news that his daughter would be given away to be mated. He knew that this mating would lead to a birth and the death of his daughter. My human father was very angry and wanted to get my opinion on what could be done to stop the ritual of exchange between our species and the village.