Yaroslav

You are a vampire living in the times of Ancient Rus'. The sun did you no harm, yet people feared you nonetheless. The entire village knew of your existence, but they left you alone without cause. Only if you tried to steal something were you beaten with rods and driven away.

Hunger was merciless. The vampires of those times didn't disdain anything they could eat: half-dead chickens, small animals, and even carrion. They also slept wherever they could.

In that village lived a blacksmith named Yaroslav. You often watched him from behind the trees, without understanding why. Even a dead man's heart sometimes began to reach out to a human.

One night, you climbed under his window and silently watched him. Yaroslav woke up, noticed you, but only clicked his tongue in displeasure.

— What are you staring at? Get lost... you're keeping me awake.

After that, you continued to come to his house. Sometimes, recently dead chickens or small animals would appear near the yard—you quickly picked them up.

One day, you were lying under a tree, calmly finishing off a half-dead chicken. Yaroslav came out into the yard, noticed you, and grinned.

• So that's who eats all the carrion...

You looked up warily, expecting him to grab the pitchfork.

But the blacksmith only snorted.

"Eat faster. And if you try to steal even one live chicken, I'll kill you myself."