AtoZ Day 26: Z is for Zealot, Zburator

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Zealot

noun - a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

When it comes to vampires its usually the hunters who are shown as the zealots. For example the hunters in John Carpenter's Vampires are zealots; they eat, sleep and breathe vampire hunting and its rules. At the beginning of Underworld Selene is a zealot; she lives only to hunt and kill lycans. It's interesting how both sets of hunters have to unbend somewhat before then end of their respective films.

A fictional vampire who is a zealot is Adam from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; he believes in the superiority of the vampire race and that they must bring the humans in to line and take over. Nothing can sway him from this course.

The zealot in fiction usually comes to a bad end if they do not change their ways.

If you were a vampire hunter do you think you would be a zealot or would you be a little more flexible?

Creature Feature:

Zburator

This one is a bit of a stretch because he's a dragon, but in some legends the name is also used to refer to a demon that disguises himself as a young man to prey on women in their sleep just like an incubus. (wikipedia)

Movie Recommendation:

Sorry, no rec today because I couldn't find one I had seen beginning with the letter z. Today you can have a picture of Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandrige from Fright Night to say sorry.

Blood Lust 

(#26 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Ianthe still couldn't move as fast as she wanted to as the restoring heat from the charm moved through her limbs. However, it only meant the priest was as fast as she was. He was ahead of her as he ran for the next flight of stairs, but she was on his heels. He would not get away.

With the chase on, she could feel the blood lust rising. The predator in her was all but in control and she bared her fangs as she ran down the hallway. The house smelled of paint and barely looked lived in as she kept the priest in sight. It was clear the only rooms he had really made his own were those in the attic. Everything else was still magnolia where some letting agent had covered all individuality. The pale walls tinged pink as her blood pounded and her vampire traits came to the surface.

She didn't bother running all the way down the stairs, she simply vaulted the banister to come down solidly on the next landing.

The priest had reached the next set of stairs because they were only a few feet away, and wild, fearful eyes looked at her once, before he disappeared downwards. She could not simply jump these ones because of the way they slid under the previous set, so she followed him. It was then she realised he was heading for the front door.

The last thing she wanted was the priest to make it to a public place. She could still chase him, but she would have to hide what she was and she was in no mood to do that. She wasn't even sure she could now that she was giving proper chase.

It was as she prepared to leap on him from halfway down the stairs that she felt it. She snarled as every instinct in her screamed that there was another predator in the house. That was when the priest skidded to a halt only a few feet from her. It felt as if the universe held its breath as both she and the priest froze and Alex stepped out of the shadows next to the front door.

"Hello, Steven," Alex said, voice deep and emotionless.

"Demon," the now named priest yelled and then turned on his heel, running towards the back.

Everything in Ianthe recognised her maker, recognised his strength. She knew she would have to bow to him if he wanted this, but Alex just stood there. Part of her was even pleased that her maker was keeping an eye on her.

"Go," he said simply.

With that permission she flew into motion, hopping over the banister and running after her disappearing quarry. Her body was her own again and her prey was in her sights.

She heard the snarl and the yell of terror before she made it to the open back door. In her haste she had almost forgotten Lilith, but clearly the hell hound was still on guard. When she ran into the garden the priest was already falling where Lilith had grabbed his ankle as he headed for the gate. The priest landed heavily, but twisted, kicking out at Lilith's head with his free foot. As far as Ianthe could tell her dog barely felt the blow.

"Good girl," she praised, "now leave."

Lilith dropped the priest's foot and stood back instantly, still snarling, but letting Ianthe walk past her.

"Now you're mine," she said and swooped on him.

The haze of blood lust clouded her vision and she grabbed him by the ridiculous white collar, dragging him to his feet. Her instincts screamed at her that this was her prey and she should feast. He was the enemy. He had dared try to harm her and retribution was hers for the taking. This zealot should die by her hand, never to threaten her or hers again. It would be so easy to squeeze and snap his neck and feast on his blood. All it would take was a simple gesture.

Only the words she had spoken earlier to Alex stopped her. She had told him she would not kill this enemy and children did not lie to their makers as makers did not lie to their children.

It took all of her will power to force down her vampiric nature. Even as she breathed in deeply to try and calm herself she could smell his fear and it called to her.

She sensed it as Alex stepped out of the house behind her and she acted before she could do something she would regret. Turning, she flung the priest at Alex's feet and stepped back, calling Lilith to her side.

"Deal with it," she said and then she ran.

The blood lust was too high; she knew she could not control it and something needed to die. She had never killed a human being; she didn't want to start now, but there was wildlife in the nearby park and it was better than the alternative.

~*~

It was hours before Ianthe returned home. Dawn was just beginning to touch the sky and she had forced her vampire nature back in the box.

The hunt had taught her a great deal about herself and her maker, but she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with it all just yet. She needed to sleep and process. However, Alex stepped into the hallway as soon as she entered the house. For a little while they just looked at each other in silence. Their relationship had changed forever and Ianthe wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"You did well," Alex said eventually.

"I would have been toast without Mila's charm," she replied.

That was one of the things she really didn't want to think about too hard.

"How did he know magic like that?" she asked anyway.

"Steven was a scholar," Alex told her; "he found an ancient book and translated it. Mila has it now."

"And the priest?" she asked, unwilling to name him, which was faintly ridiculous, but she wasn't going to ask too much of her psyche this morning.

"Where he cannot hurt anyone," Alex replied.

"Just promise me your solution isn't to lock him up and throw away the key," she said.

The way Alex winced said everything.

"Have the balls to end it, Alex," she challenged; "if you can't help him put him out of his misery."

It probably wasn't fair, but neither was locking up a man who could live an indeterminate amount of time. When he would eventually die wasn't something any of them could answer.

"I can't," was the somewhat defeated reply.

For once Alex sounded like the lost and confused one, rather than her. She sighed.

"Have you thought that turning him might actually cure him?" she asked as the idea crossed her mind.

Alex looked kind of horrified.

"That is impossible," he said; "if it did not work he would still be mad, but he would be one of us. As his maker I could not kill him."

"I could."

Ianthe never wanted to have to kill anyone, but this would be a kindness.

For a while Alex simply stood there staring at her and for once she let him.

"Just think about it," she said and continued her walk to the stairs; "I'm going to bed. It's been a long night."

Lilith trotted along beside her and she took comfort in the puppy's presence. Tomorrow night she would think about things. Tomorrow night she would get on with the chaos that she called a life. Tomorrow night she would figure out what came next.

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

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