“If not the evil men of the world, why not target these hunters you speak of?”
“I understand your reservations, Kanati. I too doubted whether or not I could sustain myself at the cost of someone’s life, but neither of those two options would make for a decent way to sate your hunger. I empathize with your fear of the hunters, but the ancients deprived us of any chance at a life of obscurity. Even if they didn't, I would surely go mad reliving the atrocities of the damned each time I needed to feed. Not to mention, if we began to feed off of the hunters, we would slowly validate what is, as of now, considered only musings of men who have lost their grip on reality.”
“Then we are doomed to be both hunter and hunted for an eternity.”
“Kanati, not everything is as clearly distinguished as black and white. Doomed or blessed, it is all in the perspective taken. Don't you agree?”
“A little of both then.” Kanati sighed. “Only time will tell which is more the case.”
“Well said, my friend.” Niccolo gripped him firmly by the shoulder. “Then you choose to accept my gift?”
Before Kanati could answer, Niccolo yanked his head back. Kanati screamed as the teeth pierced his flesh. The pain was brief; replaced by a wave of euphoria. When his blood was all but gone, Niccolo slit his own wrist with a thumbnail, placed the wound over Kanati’s mouth. As his consciousness ebbed, he found himself dreaming of faraway lands. He knew, even in the state he was in, the dream could only be the life of one Niccolo Rasetti unraveling before him.
He woke to a lush green hillside. He was playing with a group of children. Wait, he was a child. He felt light as a feather. There was dew still fresh upon the grass that squeezed between his toes. He could smell the scent of wildflowers in the air. The sounds of laughter bombarded his senses. The children played chase with him. Out of nowhere, a little girl tackled him. Her smile engulfed him. The hillside faded away. The images rushed by in a blur of smells and sounds.
Kanati felt wind in his hair, mist on his face, he gripped the rail of a giant ship. The men around him were preparing for battle. He could hear the nervousness in their laughter as they strove to keep their cool. Everywhere he looked; men were sharpening swords or practicing maneuvers with their weapons of choice. The smell of the sea was thick in his nostrils as it spread out before him. The strong aroma of the ocean still wasn’t enough to cover the smell of the men aboard the vessel. The clang of steel followed battle cries; the conflict had begun. The screams of the dying were almost deafening. Soon the deck he fought on became slippery from the blood that flowed so freely. The battle was short, but it felt like an eternity. They celebrated yet another victory, but to Kanati it was his first. The ship faded from beneath him.
A woman’s arms encircled him. She had hair, the color of coal, which hung in big curls to the middle of her back. Her skin was a golden olive, which glistened with a thin layer of sweat from the heat of the kitchen. Her face held the type of beauty that artisans around the world strove to capture. Her eyes were soft and brown. The kind of eyes that stripped a man of his ability to complete a train of thought. Her body looked as if it were a chiseled statue fashioned after a goddess. Her lips were full and red, held in a perpetual pout. A man could lose himself forever, pondering the delights he could find there.
Those lips were hot upon his skin. Her perfume hung heavy on the air. She slowly kissed his neck. Kanati could feel the goose bumps rise all over his body. As she worked her way down his chest, his breath grew short with anticipation. She slipped him into her mouth and worked the length of his shaft with slow deliberate strokes. When he could stand no more, he placed a finger beneath her chin and forced her to stand to his height. They kissed each other ferociously. He moved her to the dining room table without pulling his mouth from hers.
The door behind him burst open. Men rushed into the room with weapons drawn. Kanati felt cold steel against his throat as unseen hands pulled his head back by the hair. One of the men began to punch him repeatedly, alternating between his face and his stomach.
Over his attacker’s shoulder, Kanati could see the others closing in on the woman. They took the time to belt whip her before they took turns having their way with her. Please, God—no—not her—save her—please, Niccolo’s thoughts exploded in Kanati’s mind. He could feel blood trickle down his neck as he struggled to come to her aide.
Everything around him washed away in a wave of the mind-numbing emotion of all consuming anguish. By the thoughts running through his mind, Kanati realized the woman was Niccolo’s wife. The room swam and went dark as Niccolo’s mind struggled to carry his sanity to a safe place in its depths. A searing pain in his side ripped him back into the room.
One of his assailants had thrust his sword between Niccolo’s pelvis and ribcage. They both knew it wasn't a mortal wound. Someone obviously wanted him to live so he could feel the pain they had just given to him for a long, long time. He was sure they had no idea just how long that would be.
The images blurred again, but the pain still lingered. When his vision cleared, Kanati found himself surrounded by leaves and moonlight. He could smell the fear of the horse below him. He was traveling alone through the woods at night. Has he gone mad? No. It finally donned on him. He just doesn’t care anymore. The pain from his loss was still fresh upon his mind, though Kanati had no idea how much time had passed.
Laughter erupted from the mighty oaks surrounding the trail. The hair rose on the nape of his neck. Niccolo bound from his steed, his blade drawn before his feet hit the ground. Six men materialized around him. With his most fierce battle cry, he lunged at his nearest attacker. His sword sank true. The attacker’s death cry was short, but somehow satisfying. Blood gurgled up into the man’s throat as Niccolo pulled the blade free. The others were upon him at once. He swung his sword frantically, keeping them at bay. Their rapiers crept closer to his body as his arm slowed from exertion.
Niccolo caught sight of a seventh man approaching from the trail ahead. His gate was casual. He whistled a familiar tune as he walked. The name Green Sleeves came to mind. The five remaining attackers turned their attention to him in stunned silence. It was obvious by their reaction that he was as much a stranger to them as he was to Niccolo. What is he doing?
The stranger looked to be no more than a youth of seventeen years at best. He was very short, at least two hands shorter than anyone else he knew. The shock of red hair that danced on his head, gave him the appearance of a man on fire. His eyes were an emerald green that almost glowed in the night’s dark veil. He stopped whistling and produced a grin that could charm the habit off a nun.
Still closer he came. He spoke with a voice that induced visions of angels singing as the words echoed in the in his head. His voice had a heavy Irish accent, but his words rang clear on the still night air.
“My apologies, lads, but I'm afraid your little game must come to a premature end. Do forgive my forwardness, but I have the strangest feeling I’ve been waiting an eternity for my new companion Niccolo over there,” he said without breaking his stride.
He knows my name! How is that possible? I’ve never laid eyes on him in my entire life. Not that it matters, I suppose, for we will both be dead before this night is through.
“Go on about your business, boy. Unless, of course, you want to share his fate.” A burly black bearded man twirled his sword in the stranger’s direction.
“I’m afraid I can’t oblige you, gents. My business is with this man.” The stranger still sported his innocent smile as he nodded at Niccolo.
“So, you choose to meet his fate with him?” The boy’s audacity shocked the leader of the band of outlaws.
“Not only will I meet his fate with him; I plan to introduce him to it.”
At that point, he had stopped no more than three arms lengths from the closest man. With unnatural speed, he closed the gap and ripped the heart of one of Niccolo’s would-be attackers form his chest. Everyone else on the trail stood motionless, not
sure if what they had just witnessed was a reality or a trick of the mind. The stranger brought the heart close to his face, sniffed it. He slowly stuck out his tongue and licked the still twitching heart.
“Pity…this is such a waste of a good kill.” With that, he dropped the heart to the trail at his feet.
Angered, two more assailants rushed to avenge their comrade-in-arms. The first to reach him screamed triumphantly as he managed to sink his blade deep into the chest of the Irish boy. His triumph was short lived, however. The red headed demon grabbed him by the back of the head before sinking his teeth into the bandit’s throat.
The second attacker skidded to a halt as the stranger dropped yet another of his friends into the hands of death. He made a valiant swing at the youth. As the blade swung past his red locks, the stranger reached out, caught him by the wrist. With a vicious tug, he ripped the arm free at the shoulder. The bandit froze, from either pain or fear; no one will ever know which seized his body at that moment. The stranger gripped the arm with both hands, shook free the sword from the lifeless hand. With a ferocious swing, the stranger connected with the still frozen thief.
As his head disappeared into the trees, it must have occurred to the two remaining members of the gang that they were in a fight they had no hope of winning. Their fallen friends would have to go unavenged. As they turned to flee, the demon threw his head back, howled.
“Not so fast, lads. I can't have you running off to spread nasty stories about monsters of the night.” He took to the air in another blur of speed.
He grabbed one then the other by the hair and climbed high into the night. Shocked, Niccolo stared up at the spot where he lost sight of them. He was too frightened to run, too smart to stay. His mind urged his body forward but his legs refused to budge. He tumbled to the ground, helpless… hopeless. He started to cry, then laugh. His mind was beginning to crumble, or had it already gone and the fight was just a figment of his imagination?
His laughter stopped when it began to rain. Shock gave way to horror; it was raining blood. He found himself pelted with the sticky droplets and body parts. Niccolo tried to scramble to his feet. He slipped on a chunk of flesh; landed flat on his face. He raised his head from the muck and found himself staring at a pair of boots. The stranger had returned.
“My name is Danny.” He extended his hand. Niccolo allowed him to help him to his feet.
“What do you want of me, Danny?” He was amazed to be alive. For the moment at least.
“I want several things from you, my boy. First and foremost, I would like your friendship. I need a companion and you seem to fit the bill.” Danny flashed him a smile Niccolo couldn’t help but return.
“Why do you need friendship from a man like me?”
“You are, like I once was, a lover of life who just became obsessed with his pain. I can help to ease the pain, or at least help you achieve the ability to move on with your life,” Danny answered with sincerity.
“And how do you propose to do that? You know nothing about me or my pain.” Niccolo was convinced the stranger had him confused with someone else.
“I want to give you the power to avenge your dear Julia, without fear of retribution or failure.” Compassion filled his voice.
“What do you know of my wife?” He surprised himself with the bite in his voice.
“I know everything about you, my boy. I can see into here.” Danny gave him a quick poke in the forehead with his index finger.
“Then you know my wife’s killers are heavily guarded.”
“It doesn't matter.” Danny giggled at the expression on Niccolo’s face. “What you have just witnessed is only a wee taste of what I have to offer.”
“You offer more than the ability to fly and survive this?” Niccolo pulled free the sword still buried to the hilt in his chest. Danny didn't even flinch.
“Indeed much more.” He nodded. “Niccolo, how would you like to live forever? You would never again feel the daily deterioration of growing old.” Danny swirled a finger into the wound in his chest before sticking it in his mouth.
When Kanati awoke, Niccolo knelt beside him, smiling.
“You have led an interesting life; short, but most interesting none the less.”
Kanati gripped his arm tightly. One question clouded his still reeling mind. “Your wife, Julia, was she avenged?”
His smile vanished, his jaw clenched, muscles rolled under the skin of his mouth. “One of my first acts after I received my dark gift was to find each of my assailants and slay them with a cruelty I never knew I possessed.”
His eyes smoldered. “After I killed my attackers, I found the man who sent them. I flew him out above the ocean and slowly dismembered him, dropping the pieces into the water below to lure the sharks. His tongue was the first to go, so his screams wouldn’t draw unwanted attention. I moved on to bite off each of his fingers one by one, spitting them back at his face before they fell as more chum. Then I began to bite chunks from his flesh. When I grew bored of his torture, I slit him from groin to sternum. I drifted down until his feet were dangling inches from the water’s surface. Once I could see the dark shadows of his doom in the water, I dropped him.”
“Why would anyone send men to do such horrible things? Nothing you could’ve done would warrant such savagery.” The sheer disregard of humanity unnerved Kanati.
“I have angered many men in my travels. This one took the loss of one of his merchant ships personal. I was the captain of the ship that took his wares.”
“Why was I privy to only some of the story of your life?” Kanati was hungry to learn more about his newfound friend.
“My dear Kanati, you were privy to my entire existence, but your mortal mind could only comprehend the strongest of those memories. Now that you have made the transformation, you will see the lives of your meals in their entirety.”
“What about your life? Will I be able to see all of it as well?”
“I’m afraid there is so much of my life to see, you will still only witness the most significant events in the limited time you would be able to maintain the connection. I can’t let you drank too much of my blood at this tender stage in your development.”
“What happens now?”
“The storm has let up and we still have a several hours before dawn. If you would like, I will take your friends to the edge of your village. They will most certainly be discovered by morning and they‘ll be back to their senses in short order.” He averted his face to the mouth of the cave as he spoke.
“Thank you, for not killing them, I mean.”
“Stay here and I will be back in a few moments.” He carefully lifted the limp bodies under each of his arms.
Before Kanati could respond, Nick had disappeared. He walked to the front of the cave to see if he could catch a glimpse of Niccolo’s departure. When Kanati reached the edge, Niccolo reappeared inches from his face. His sudden presence startled him, sending him sprawling to the floor.
“That was amazing! You have already traveled to my Talwa and returned? How long will it be until I’m able to travel at such speeds?”
“It won’t take long; I can assure you of that. You have a hungry mind and a willing heart.” Niccolo helped him to his feet.
“Can we begin my training tonight?” Kanati was eager to realize the full potential of his transformation.
Suddenly his stomach was wracked with pain, fire spread throughout his body. He dropped to his knees, arms gripping his middle.
“What’s happening to me?” he screamed to hear himself over the roar in his ears.
“The transformation can be painful, but I assure you it will be brief,” Niccolo said, his voice sounding miles away.
He fell forward onto his hands and emptied the contents of his stomach. Staring in horror, he realized more than food had been regurgitated; blood and tissue filled the growing pool beneath him. Still he wretched. Panic seized him, and he wondered if something had went wrong. Maybe his body was rejecting t
he gift. He was surely going to die. His vision narrowed and he collapsed to his side. Blessed darkness came and finally washed away the pain.
He opened his eyes, not sure how much time had passed, the pain was gone, but his throat burned as if he had eaten hot coals.
“There now, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Niccolo asked, helping him to his feet.
“I still burn,” Kanati swallowed hard. “My throat, how do I quench the fire?”
“I say, if you’re up for it, we have your first hunt.” He revealed his extended canines in the light from the dwindling fire.
“So, this is it,” Kanati studied the floor. “Tonight I hunt my first human.”
“No,” he replied, causing his head to jerk up. “Your first hunt will be for a vampire.”
“What?” he was stunned. “We hunt our own kind?”
“Only when the situation warrants it.”
“And what situation is this?”
“Kanati,” he said, gripping him by the shoulder. “Do you really think me so heartless as to pull you from your mortal life and yes, your mortal love just on a whim? I told you before I was your guardian angel.”
“Selu,” he whispered. “What have I done?”
“You did what you must to save her and likely save your entire tribe. There is a very powerful vampire coming for you even as we speak.”
“Why me?”
“He wants to use you and your people to hurt me. I promise I will explain it all in due time, but for now I’m asking you to take my word for it.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Niccolo stiffened and spun to face the mouth of the cave.
“Where do we need to go?” Kanati pressed.
“Nowhere,” he replied with a snarl. “He is close. I’ve already sensed him as I’m sure he’s sensed me.”
“I don’t understand,” he admitted.
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