Baby Steps

We traveled south, venturing into the town I once called my own, but what I am thinking? I still own it. Silently we made our way to the back of the library.

"Jump." I instructed her, doing so myself and leaping to the rooftop before landing silently upon the shingles. I turned just in time to see her lift a brow at my performance.

"Amazing." She muttered, taking a step back and then springing up. She reaches the roof edge and pulls herself up.

"Again." I instruct, pushing her back and off balance so that she falls to the ground. Her reflexes proving quite attuned as she hand springs into her fall and gracefully lands on her feet. "You are still believing like a mortal. It's just a jump. Clear it."

She took a step back, "Just a jump." she whispered, "Like a creek bed. No problem." With a single step she launched herself up and landed beside me.

"Very good. Your blood is controlled by your will over it. It's yours, it obeys you. You can strengthen yourself by focusing the blood in your veins to whereever you desire. In this case, you needed strength. This world you see is a canvas for us to paint. If you demand the task be accomplished, your blood will see it done."

My companion narrowed her gaze upon me, listening closely. Without a word, she turned away and looked upon the next rooftop. With a single step she launched herself to the next roof, landing softly upon the shingles. Again she leaped, landing behind me once more. "Got it."

A grin came across my face, "We continue." I said, turning and leaping to the next roof in search for our next meal. Our search was fruitful, a mercenary standing at the corner near the statue. "Terror sweetens the blood, childe. A little tip I've discovered over the years." I whispered to her before leaping down from above, landing before the mercenary and in a quick motion jabbed him in the throat, effectively silencing him. He quickly went for his weapon, in which I knocked from his hand the moment it was free it's resting place. Unarmed and silent, the man began to panic but it wasn't until I revealed my smile unto the man did he become quite frantic. Quickly he began to back peddle, in which I motion for my childe to drop in behind him. Together, we pushed the fleeing mercenary, redirecting him into the darkness but it wasn't until I heard laughter that I realized my companion was enjoying this. It was like a game of cat and mouse to her. I could hear the man's heart pounding, like a drum, in my ears. And finally, we cornered him at a deadend.

I watched as my childe relieved her hunger upon the man, her eyes filling with a dark crimson stain. "That's enough." I comment, gesturing for her to release him. "You must release them before they die. Dead blood is like poison to us. We can't use it, while we can feel filled it does nothing to empower us and forces us to use what power we have to cleanse ourselves of it. We don't consume Death, we are Death." My voice is soft, almost silent as I teach her to avoid detection.

"But he isn't dead." My companion retorts, looking down at the slumped over body.

I grin as the man's heart stop beating just moments later, "Yes he is." I noticed a smile across my companion's face, she truly was enjoying it and as she wiped her chin she turned to me.

"Teach me more." she says, her voice sounding almost like a plea. "Teach me more, Sire." she says again.

This made me grin, I'd had sired others before, but none showed this much interest and demand. Quickly however, my grin faded. "Come." I instructed, leaving the civil setting and into the wild.

"You can command those beneath you just by will alone. It's only a matter of who is more willful." I instruct, as we begin to stalk a bear. I stepped into an opening, alerting the bear of my position and raising it's aggression.

"Shhhh..." I hiss, holding my position motionless as the bear approached. "Cease." I whisper, lifting a dominating hand against the bear who in turn slows and stops. The bear's attention becomes infatuation. Slowly I moved my hands, directing the bear to step one direction and then another.

"Sleep." I hiss, listening as the bear's heart rate slowed and the beast fell asleep on it's feet. My companion tilted her head curiously at the creature, walking up to the sleeping bear and whispered almost inaudiably into the bear's ear, causing silence to fall upon the area.

She smiled down at the bear, appreciatively as if it was something of beauty. "More." She pleads, turning to me.

"Not tonight, the dawn is coming. Come."

Rise of the Fallen

"It's been five days and no sign." I said to myself as I paced the cavern. "Was I wrong?
It wouldn't be the first time." My eyes drift until they come to a sketching of a woman
posed upon a desk, laid out sensually. "I remember you."

My mind rushed back to days long ago, to another world. Chester, I would of had that city
burn had I had my wish. I already took Menida, Chester was just another stepping stone in
my journey. There were werewolves back then, at least on that continent there was. Fierce beasts, creatures I enjoyed to toy with. They were smart, but still nothing more than a mere dog. I could remember the taste of youth and the power that flowed within that released me from my prison. She never knew what was sleeping beneath her little playhouse. I can still hear her voice.

"Mother, I give myself to you. Let me see your face."

"Oh how you have, childe..."

My head lifts as I feel something familiar approaching. It felt natural, as if it was my own, and as I adjusted my eyes to push back the inky blackness of the dimly lit cavern, there she was. Or at least, what was left of her.

"I have returned."

Her voice was like ambrosia, and the next step can finally begin.

"Well done." I complimented, though my voice was flat as if her accomplishment was something of
child's play. Then again, I had done the same thing ... twice. "I assume you have become familiar
with yourself."

"I think so, but what is that feeling? It's ... large."

"That, my childe, is the beast within. The mother is depicted as a cloaked woman, but the mother is the beast. She is called Methuselah, and is the oldest amongst us."

"Us? There are more?"

"Not on this continent." My reply brought a thin smile across my lips. "Nor have I discovered any
werewolves."

"Werewolves? Like wolfkin?"

"Yes, but stronger, more intelligent. Nothing like that mongral you bred with." I snapped rudely, my distaste for the creatures showing true. "They were present in Chester, a city far from here. There is a vendetta between our kinds, and a dead werewolf is a good werewolf."

"So this is why I am here? Mother hates werewolves?"

"Not quite, childe. I hate werewolves, but as I said, I haven't discovered any here. Mother wants death, and thus here you are." I said, I turned from my companion and began down a tunnel. "Come. There is much to learn."

"Pardon, my lord?"

"I am no longer your lord, childe. Lords and Ladies are of mortal means. I am your Sire, you are my Childe. My blood courses through your veins. My blood, my power, my vengance." I turn to my companion showing blood filled eyes. "I will teach you how to use your new gift, and you will use it well, but first you must understand where we come from."

"Yes, Sire."

I took my companion deep into the mountain, to a place prepared for this day. Torches line the walls of a small cavern, training dummies lining the back wall and various weapons rest upon the wall. "I assume you've already learned of your thirst." I looked to her, seeing a spot of blood dried upon her lower lip. "It's better than any treat the mortals can offer, isn't it?" My companion lifted a hand and wiped her lip clean, the look of satisfaction upon her face as I bring forth the memory off her first meal.

"Indeed, Sire."

"Sit." I instruct, doing so myself upon a long chiseled rock. "You have, well had, a Grandsire. His name was Mortifero."

"Was, Sire? Not anymore I take it?"

"Not as long as I am present within this Realm. Mortifero was my Sire, my name is Shawn. I was a Monk in Chester, but the faith left me wanting. Mortifero came to me several times in the night, testing me, until he took me and made me in his image." My companion crossed her legs like she always did, sitting comfortably upon the stone as if meditating.  "You had brothers and a sister, once."

"Where are they now, Sire?"

"Ash." I reply simply, "After the revolution..." I paused, an amused expression crossing my face. "They were killed after revolting against my command." I revealed, "In and around Chester were several covens of vampires. From the insane, to the loner, and even those who felt they could still be mortal. The head of my coven was Skye. One day, the other covens turned and began to attack us, to attack my children. I demanded that we retaliate, and Skye demanded that we talk it over with the other covens."

"Cowardice."

"Indeed. Our coven was once feared and respected, we were the shadow that drifted over the world. We ruled the mortal world with fear and blood. To see my own Grandsire tremble under the threat of sub-standard vampires was insulting. So I left, and grew my own coven. I was staked in the heart the day the revolution came, leaving me paralysed. I could see ... but not act. Kiyo, Pharen, and Audra .... My three children on the day of reckoning, took their place by my side against Skye and Mortifero, but in the end betrayed me so that they could 'be together'." I lifted my hands and made the quotation gesture to her. "Betrayed their own for love, and in return was incinerated. To think that Skye and Mortifero would allow them to live because they 'loved' each other was their undoing."

"Pathetic."

 "After the war was over, and the covens were destroyed, I was laid to rest beneath a rock altar to the Mother and for seventy years I waited until a young, small voice, came to me. With that small voice came the blood of life that dropped from the rock altar and into me."

My companion's attention grew distant, her memory reaching beyond and I sat in silence as she recollected.

"I do not understand. Why did they want to 'be together'? Weren't they already together?"

A thin smile stretched across my lips, "They were, but Audra was my ... hmm ... I wouldn't call her a lover because I did not love. She was like you, except ... too human to be vampire."

"She hated her gift?"

"Not at all, she loved the attention it got her. She could turn the eye of any male, lay with whomever she wanted because of her gift. She knew her gift as beauty, and used it as such. When she turned her gaze upon Pharen, the poor boy had no chance in resisting her."

"I see."

I nodded to my companion, "She had her uses. Pharen was going to take my place, using Audra, but Audra was the weakest of them all and used her sexual allure to protect herself."

"Why me?"

I paused at her question, considering a reply, "Why not?" I gave my companion a moment to mull my answer before rising from my seat. "Enough of history for now. We must teach you anew, everything you knew is wrong and we must reteach you how to walk, so to speak ... starting with a crawl. Come ... We hunt."

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty

"So this is it? This is our new life." My companion commented, through something in her voice
beckons my anger.

"No." I reply, pacing within the rocky tomb. We had been here for a week now, watching as the
Crown claimed my riches and glory. It was never like this, not back then. My mind rushed into
the past, my birth place, my clan, my coven, and once again all of it was taken away and for
what? Nothing ... By whom? Insignificance. Play the game, they said. Blend in, they said.

I turned to look upon my companion who apparently was wanting more of an explanation than just
'No.'. "What is your wish?" She asked of me. Her question striking a nerve in me. "I want the
streets to be washed in Delmar blood." I replied to her. My tone calm, cool, collected. "For
too long I have played the game of man. Ruling from the shadow with gold and riches. How easy
men are swayed by beauty and wealth." Then, I stop. My gaze cold upon my companion and
something slipped away from within me.

"Enough." My voice fell flat and cold as I approached my companion.

"Enough, my Lord?" She questioned, clearly uncertain as to what I was refering to.

"Come, bring a shovel." I ordered her, walking passed her towards the mouth of the cave. "The
world changes tonight."

I led my companion to the graveyard, "Dig." I commanded to her as she plunged the spade of the
shovel into the soft ground.

Several hours passed as she continued to dig. "What am I looking for?" She asked, "Mother's
Blessing." I replied, reaching down and grabbing her by the collar to pull her out of the hole.
"If you fail my next orders, you will never leave this place." I stated to her and then pulled
her close. She dropped the shovel, taken by surprise by my actions.

I sink my teeth deep into her neck and she froze, slowly weakening as her blood flows out of her neck. I removed my fangs from her, turning them to my wrist instead and piercing my veins. "Drink." I command, placing my bleeding wrist upon her lips. Carefully she suckled upon my wound, pulling my life into hers until it sickened her. Finally, I tossed her away, into the hole, like a rag doll, watching her squirm and wrench as her stomach tightened and cramped. "Return to me." I said to her before burying her body.

Flight into Darkness

"This way." I called, reaching into the darkness and tearing a woman from the
corridor. We turned and fled, hearing commotion from above as the manor door falls
and the sound of heavy boots could be heard echoing through the tunnels. The game
is over...for now.

My mind raced, scanning from one scene to the next on the chain of events that led
to today. They wanted to speak to me concerning the Cabal? Either way, they have my
ledger and everything they need to ruin me. Just as quick as the game started, it
ended, and I was left holding nothing but pieces.

I stopped, half way down the tunnel and the woman followed...

"Why are we stopping?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"Silence." I returned, remaining still and listening.

Up ahead a soft glow of a torch was appearing, and I could hear their boots echoing
off the cavern walls. My eyes focused, blood filling my eyes and bending the light.

"I'll handle this, my Lord." My companion announced.

I could feel the beast stir within me. "Stay." I replied as I watched the approaching
torch. My steps drew me closer, an evil grin crossing my lips. I've grown weary keeping
up with the Crown. Do this, do that, pay this fee, pay that fee, bend your knee ...
Today, a new world will be born.

"Hey. Who are you? Get him!" Called one of the men.

They were dressed in armor and weapons, like mercenaries. What were mercenaries doing
in here? Rebels, maybe? No matter, both sides have lost today. I bared my fangs, lunging
at the first of the two men and sinking my thirsty fangs into the side of the man's neck.
With a harsh pull, I freed my fangs as well as some meat. What scream my victim could
muster was quickly muffled by gargling. I released my prey, turning upon the next who
had dropped his torch and was backing away.

"No, stay away. Vampire! Vampire!" He cried out, but even his voice fell quiet to my
rage. I could feel it, the beast awakening. What humanity I had left fell upon the wayside
as I dismembered the other.

My companion approached and I turn to the sound, blood smeared upon my chin and I pull a
cloak from one of the fallen to clean myself off. "We continue." I state, dropping the
soiled cloak and turning to move.

"I could of handled it." She states flatly, as if pouting.

As we reach the end of the tunnel, nightfall had descended upon the land. "North."