The Vampire Malfec

By Matthew Strom

In the time of the Vikings, Eric Malfec felt the call to leave the northern lands and search
the great sea for new lands to raid. For battle and for glory, he set sail with his men into the
unknown seas. Much later, they found the land of the Goths, a rich land and ripe for pillaging.
Yet every village Eric and his warriors visited had already been destroyed. They found only
blood and gore, but no sign of the human body. This scene was all too familiar to Eric and his
men. None of them said a word, but in the back of their minds they all feared the possibility of an
ancient evil of the northlander here in the new world. Eventually they found a villager alive and
questioned him about what happened in the villages. They were told there was an evil in the
Black Forest that was taking all the people. Eric and his warriors exchanged looks, believing it
could be the same ancient enemy they had faced in their lands: the hated Vendigo, half-demon
monsters that eat human flesh.
Eric was committed to destroying the Vendigo wherever he found them, so he took a few
warriors and traveled to this Black Forest. It was the night of the wolf moon when they came
upon the forest. The place was aptly named. It was indeed a black place. The silvery light of the
full moon only helped to illuminate the thick fog that clung to the ground at the forests entrance.
Like a living thing, the fog seemed to resist moving beyond the boundary of the forest. It was
most unnatural. Eric could see his men knew it too, but he still urged them on. Eric told them
today was as good a day to die as any other, yet Eric knew it was not death these men feared.
One by one, they passed into the boundary of the dark forest. Strangely enough, it was lighter
inside the forest, as if the thick fog was reflecting the moon light, though it was impossible, as
the canopy of the twisted trees was so dense they could not see the moon or stars. After walking
for what seemed an eternity, Eric had in mind to light a torch and burn the accursed place down,
feeling that it might be the forest itself that was cursed.
Yet before he could, the screams of his men rang out as they one by one disappeared into the
trees and the fog. Soon Eric was alone, sword drawn. He ran in the direction of the last scream,
finally coming into a large clearing in the center of the forest. In the center of the forest,
however, he did not find a group of Vendigo, but a lone man dressed in a black cloak with
strange black and white painting on his face.
Eric instantly knew that this was more than a man and that it was responsible for killing his
warriors. With a battle cry, Eric charged, hefting his mighty sword. The battle was joined, the
creature was much faster and seemed to disappear with fog, only to reemerge with a renewed
attack. It spoke to him, I can see your thoughts, Northman. You cannot defeat me.

Well see about that Eric yelled as he whipped his sword around, hacking through the fog.
Erics sword suddenly struck something hard. The creature screamed and suddenly fully
materialized. Eric could see his sword had cut into the side of the creatures head destroying its
eye.
The creature screamed, I am Dracul, You have taken my eye, I will take your soul!
The creature could read Erics thoughts clearly as it moved to snuff his life, and it
reconsidered. Dracul realized Eric did not fear death actually, he welcomed it. What this giant
Northman feared most was losing a chance to go to Valhalla. In less than a second Dracul
decided he would impose his own nature on Eric. He would make the proud Northman a
vampire, thereby forever keeping him from being able to enter the gates of Valhalla.
Much later Eric found himself lying on the ground of the dark forest. It did not take Eric long to
understand what happened to him. He could already feel the hunger welling up, somehow he
instinctively knew that he would never see the gates of Valhalla. Erics agonized scream could
have rocked the foundations of the earth, such was its power. Eric the Norse warrior was dead,
but the vampire Malfec lived.
After this, for many hundreds of years Malfec lived for revenge, traveling the world and killing
every vampire he came across, always searching for one who cursed him.
It seems the vampire Dracul, in making Malfec a vampire, did get revenge but also created a
most dangerous of foe. Eric was a giant man and fierce warrior when he was alive, as a vampire
he was powerful enough to destroy Dracul if he ever found him. And on Malfec's quest to find
Dracul, he destroyed most of Dracul's children, leaving Dracul wishing he would have just killed
the giant Northman.
Eric chased Dracul all over the world finally losing his trail in England in the 1500s. Eric found
himself mesmerized at how much the world had changed. He had been so focused on his revenge
he had not noticed. Eric decided to stay in England for a time. Much later, Eric met a beautiful
woman. She was not afraid of his nature. He fell deeply in love with her and married her. Before
long Malfec forgot his quest for vengeance, reveling in the love he now had. He gave his wife a
new name, Kail Luna, because her face reflected the beauty of the moon, a light shining in the
darkness. Kail Luna many times tried to get Malfec to turn her so they could be together forever.
But he would not, as he despised the thing that he was.
In time his wife grew old as he remained young, and then she died. Malfec buried her in a
cemetery in Paris, France. The Vampire Malfec refused to feed. He simply lay down in a
sarcophagus in a mausoleum near her grave and slept, awaking every 100 years to walk the
garden stone and sit upon her grave, hoping one night to hear her voice on the wind.

The Vampire Malfecs story ends in the lyrics of the song Immortal Beloved.

Immortal Beloved
By Matthew Strom

Here I sit by the window

The rain, the night, they fall icy tears.

What use is living when you fade from life mirrors?
Why have the ages past not my tears,
Bound to life by deaths sinister will.
Entombed in pain and stone by my will
The memory of you, my one, all I feel
Blinded by pain
Driven insane
A grave yard of time
I wait here alone for you
Centuries move on,
I await beneath the ground.
Far from the life and the light above
Immortal flesh, my soul dies forever
An eternity of nights, yet the light comes never
I await for you
Malfec: I, Malfec, brother of night, walk the age old ground
Spirit wife: Malfec, Im beyond the mist. I cannot see your face
Malfec: Beneath the cold and ageless eye, Ive seen so many nights before...
Spirit wife: So alone in the darknessIm blind
Malfec: Out of the womb and out of the tomb, Ill seek her garden of stone
Spirit wife: Awake me from this nightmare
Malfec: As the centuries passed, a single, black rose fades to ashen grey
Spirit wife: Please awake me from this nightmare

Chorus
In the cemetery
I wait for you!
Love does not die with death,
Cursed blood breeds life anew

Malfec: Mist has set among the tombs, and with it a sullen glow
Spirit wife: I am alone beyond the mist I cannot see your face, my dearest Malfec
Malfec: As the willow wisps sing of endless night... its a song that I well know
Torn from the womb I shall await on your tomb till with you I shall lie
Spirit wife: In the darkness I am blindwake me from this nightmare
Malfec: For I have found eternal life without you is to die
*Chorus*

Malfec: My human wife, I remember your face 500 years ago

Spirit wife: Malfec!
Malfec: Crystal eyes, caught the light, so endless, frail and pure
Spirit wife: Malfec can you hear my call?
Malfec: How could I take this heart I loved and curse it with eternal death
And so you passed as all flesh does, leaving me all alone

*Chorus*
Dream on forever,
Merciful death, how you love your guilt
Driven on by a dark and bloody will
The need to be outweighs the need to kill
I hear your spirit love call me away,
And I shall find you in the ether today
Blinded by pain
Driven insane
A grave yard of time
I wait here alone for you
Fiery eye, burn away the pain,

Scatter my ash, as the rose fades again

Release my soul. my torment forever
Though my body dies, my love lives forever
I will wait for you
I await forever
Spirit wife: This Nightmare

You can hear the song Immortal Beloved by Opus Majestic at YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb9IZwC5mHA