by JN Moon
Crime dropped in the city as a result and I saw for myself the newspaper reports of this inexplicable behaviour. Inexplicable to the mortals any way.
The mortal criminals started staying away from the parks, but that was futile as the fallen angels could now detect them by scent and hear their wicked thoughts from a distance with the dark blood that mixed in their bodies. It still haunted me that they said that blood contained the souls of man. I had drunk a lot and I tried many times to rationalise this.
I had to look harder to hunt. I started to seek out those corrupt people hiding their diabolical crimes in their homes and I broke the rule of not entering their homes.
My anger was especially petulant as I was powerless to find Rachel. I wanted revenge and I wanted her sweet scent and loving self wrapped in my arms. My stupidity of my past behaviour filled me with rage. How could so much go wrong so fast?
As I walked through the back streets of Bath’s housing estates, I came across a small wiry man with such a stench of evil and hatred so strong that I gasped and put my hand to cover my nose. I immediately wanted to kill him.
Understand that as an immortal my senses are so honed that even the most seemingly normal of people, however fine they may seem to you, if they have a secret evil and debased life, we immortals will know it. We smell it, feel it, or hear it. Some humans have a keen sixth sense but as a vampire, it is ten times that. So I followed him which led me to his home on the outskirts of a poorer side of the city and there I saw for myself his evil lair.
A wife, two small children in the home, and dogs tied up outside. The house was on an estate and it was shoddy to look at. As his threatening presence entered the home, I heard the anger, the shouts and I spied on this little family—the children and mother in terror of this pathetic coward. Crouching down by the dogs, I spoke tenderly to them and stroked them. He had obviously taken his fear, his hatred out on these poor creatures, too.
Contrary to your popular myths, animals do not fear us as we do not and cannot drink their blood. Only yours. I untied the dogs from their cruel chains and let them out of the yard. Rachel and I always had an affinity for animals and this was not lost on me now.
Next I went to the metal dustbin in the corner of the small and filthy backyard. With the dogs out of the way, I picked up the metallic lid and dropped it on the floor. It made a loud clang against the yard floor, I then replaced it and sat on it, my head bowed like a little elf. I wanted to look as meek as possible.
The mouth, as I had aptly named it, came out and took the bait. I wasn’t listening to it as it strolled over with its idiotic confidence and I slowly looked up at it, its rage and noise, inconsequential to life.
Slowly I stood up and smiled, my mouth curling, snarling, revealing my fangs. I am not tall but he was shorter and I spoke slowly, drawing out the words. “You are life’s obscenity.” And I bit his foul neck hard, sharp to impose pain, lingering, and drew on his blood slowly. He made a pathetic whimper and there I stayed, deliberately slow to draw out his death, his pain for as long as humanly possible. What was hardest for me was seeing his life. When I take blood I feel their emotions, sometimes see the lives my victims have led in a flash of images, not unlike a dream when sleeping. Abhorrent. Finally, I’d killed it and I dropped its body where I stood. I went to the window, staying in the shadows but called to the mother. “You are safe now; you are always watched now, protected. You never heard me.” I turned and fled, carrying the pathetic body.
It is so simple. I found a construction site and buried it. Gone. I’m still hungry and the world is full of vicious criminals just waiting for me to end their pointless existence.
What I had done was highly forbidden, but who cared? I figured I could feed and people could be safe, the sick bastards deserved no justice, just as they had given none to any other. I hadn’t felt righteous for a long time, but now this power felt good. And amongst so much chaos, who would know or care?
I knew my nephilim friends wouldn’t agree, but Emidius had chosen me to do the dirty work she could not. She controlled the immortals; my job was to rid the place of the delinquents. I remembered she had told me not to kill, but I beg to differ.
In my new found sureness I wandered back into the city and came across a group of nephilim and vampires doing what I had just done. They were bleeding some vile excuse of a human when they spotted me. One of them, dark and lean, his large black feathered wings beating slowly, strode over to me, confident in his stride, his statuesque face perfectly unanimated, stern. “You are Anthony? I am pleased to meet you. I am Simon, this is Jonathan, and the vampire is Keera. We were just sorting the trash; she was hungry!”
I nodded and reined in my thoughts. I didn’t care. “It was good to meet you,” I said politely but walking away.
“Wait!”
Swiftly, I turned on my heels to face this being, full of blood and righteousness. “No! You may not take my blood. Don’t try. You will regret it.” I walked on calmly, without looking back, but the fool wouldn’t take the hint.
“I’m sorry; I don’t think I heard you right,” he said. He leapt towards me, not taking no for an answer. But before he could continue, I did something so vile, so out of character I shocked and repulsed myself.
As he approached me, and I didn’t need to read his mind to know that he assumed he would take my blood, I reached out and snapped his neck. I had no idea how I did this. I had no idea I could.
He crumbled to the ground and the other nephilim and vampire gasped in disbelief. I straightened my stance, looked them in the eyes, daring them to try, but they made no move towards me, until I turned around. The other nephilim rushed me. I turned and in an instant I sank my already-bloody fangs into his neck. He fought, trying to push me away and he was strong but the harder he pushed, the more angrily I sucked harder, faster and grabbed his hands. His wings beat violently, whacking my back, the pain terrible but exciting as I stole his soul, his life. I dropped him, delivering him to his God, should he be accepted now that he had fallen so far from favour. Their bodies burned fast and hot, as I had witnessed before.
My face was grim under the flashes of fire, and I eyed the woman and took a step towards her. She fled leaving her human victim somewhere between life and death. Not being completely stupid, I went over the mortal and surveyed him, I wanted to seek out his crime. A shallow despair swept over his face as he lay paralysed by her venom, conscious but unable to move. His crime was bad indeed and already satiated by blood, I snapped his neck. I grabbed up the body, just like my first kill so very long ago now, and dumped it in a fresh grave on the outskirts of the city. I was covered in dirt, having had to dig with my hands, and I felt sick at my unyielding punishment of others. But the power, the mercilessness felt good. I felt like a dark god who wanted revenge.
After my bloody activity, and caked in dirt, I wandered slowly back to my flat. Acacius had said, “How will this end?” and I wondered about that now. Would we destroy ourselves? As I was deep in thought, I ran into them—Marcus, Acacius, Halina, and my big-mouthed friend, Aaron.
Acknowledging each other only with nods, we stood watching as the scene of the two species played out in front of us. And so our vampire blood turned out to be infectious as the nephilim flocked to join in this forbidden activity. Unfortunately for the vampires and the nephilim alike.
The blood debasing their fair bodies, sending the once angelic descendants into a fraught spasm of violent changes. To see it was to believe it, the once beautiful white winged creatures of God’s grace altered into shadowy beauties, dark wings, and fair skin tinted dark like obsidian shining under the moon’s rays. Their grey eyes now black like their intentions, and their passion rife.
A handful went berserk. Observing from a distance under the watchful and intrigued gaze of Aaron, Halina, Marcus, and Acacius these few had to be stopped. It was harder for Acacius and his friends as they had rarely had to fight other of their kind, but as Aaron bluntly put it, from time to time
small groups of his kin went wild and it was up to some of their order to gain control and rid the Earth of these delinquents.
“It is always the hardest, killing one’s kin. And I mean both physically and emotionally. They match our strength, speed, and cunning and it fills our hearts with sorrow to cast them off. God alone knows their fate on death.” Aaron’s words were exacting and his tone quiet. It was a stark contrast to see Aaron so worried, he was usually mischievous and brusque.
“I am not happy to kill nephilim to save vampires. I cannot justify it,” Halina spat. “I see the error of their ways, but my life has been spent doing the opposite. Anthony, you must leave us. What we have to do here will be unbearable for you to see, to watch. And...” she paused. “And after this night our association with you should be severed for your sake and the sake of Rachel. If vampires knew—and they will—that you stood by and watched us destroy your kin, you would both be hunted. Powerful as you are, you cannot withstand an attack from a thousand vampires. And they will never rest until you, Rachel, and no doubt all your human family and friends are dead. You must leave.”
A cold sweat broke out over me as the realisation of her words filled my mind. Acacius and Marcus turned to me. They looked reluctant. We had only known each other for a short time but we had become fast friends. I felt sick in my gut with the thought of losing their friendship.
“No! There has to be another way. There is always another way!” Before they could act, I was walking towards the small band of violent angels. Marcus and Acacius stepped up to join me, but I was out ahead.
This group turned to watch me, eyeing me with evil intent and sniggers broke over their faces.
“Who the hell are you?” He was, as they all are, very, very tall, his fair hair now darkened and his skin glistening with fresh blood. He had gorged himself and the evidence of his savage change was still upon him. Blood and dirt covered his face, his clothes and his face grimaced like a gargoyle. The others looked as bad, they stank, and I was afraid but intent on ending this.
The vampires looked wasted. They were strewn around the side street that we had found this small gang in. Two looked exsanguinated, their crumpled bodies left in the gutter barely recognisable. The other two were barely alive and my instinct was to help them, my kin, though I didn’t know them.
I looked the vile nephilim leader in the eye, but kept my distance due to his stench and blood-encrusted body. Holding myself tall, I spoke loudly, “I am Anthony and I am unlike any vampire you have known. These are my friends, my nephilim friends.”
He sniggered and stepped forward, “Anthony, oh yes, we have all heard of you. The vampire saved by the demi-god. Your blood must taste sweet.” He couldn’t resist licking his lips. “But I have never heard of vampires and nephilim being friends.” He sneered again. “But I suppose they like your blood.”
“Quiet! I am Acacius and I cast judgement on you and your filth. You dishonour my race with your barbarism.” Acacius rushed forward, startling me. His face was a torrent of anger, his soft features contorted with rage, blood rushing to his pale cheeks. His kin were motionless in their expression, their faces looked like statues. In unison, they stepped forward to join him, drawing their swords. That swift shrill sound of metal, as blades were drawn from their scabbards, long and slightly curved and so sharp that they sung.
Before the rabble could react, Halina, Aaron, Marcus, and Acacius had moved in like wolves onto prey and felled the heads of these berserkers in lightning speed. Their blood spurted fast and then in a flash their bodies ignited that blue-white flame and they were no more. In shock I ran to the vampires who were barely conscious.
I could hear the disapproval of Halina as I assessed which vampire to help first. Two young male vampires looked out of place, out of time. Their curly locks and boyish faces looked out of place, too innocent to be so ferociously attacked. Black with bruises, bitten and bloody. I bit my wrist and held it over the smallest one, he didn’t look older than fourteen, and his brethren only a few years older. They must be brothers, they were so similar. As he started taking my blood, I assessed the other, who was now hardly breathing. Rasping sounds came faintly from him and my heart bled that these boys had been turned so young and now their dark existence almost stolen from them.
Aaron came on his own, sheathing his sword, and moving swiftly to set the other vampire next to me. He stood for a moment and looked down, his red hair masking his eyes, but he was smirking with such a large inhuman grin. I nodded and bit my other wrist. And so I had two vampires, one on each wrist, each hardly alive but drinking my blood to bring them back into our shadow existence.
Halina looked me over, lips pursed and eyes small, shaking her head in disgust before leaving.
Marcus, Acacius, and Aaron stayed with me, fascinated it seemed by what they were watching. Never before had nephilim helped vampire, nor watched as these two immortals started to regain life. My strong blood invigorated them and slowly their appearance started to change and their bruises faded, growing fainter. We were unaware of the noise from the streets. Silence gripped us as we waited patiently for the brothers to come around. Marcus knelt beside me, perched in wonder.
Something had changed this night, something profound. The old rules had been broken. I no longer cared what others thought of me, I could only act in the way I saw best whether right or wrong. I had changed and I would never have thought that my actions would lead to such a shift in power between supernatural species.
We were now the outlaws, acting against laws and traditions dating back thousands of years. We were fast kin and I felt excited. I felt like I had a purpose, to help regardless of species.
The boys, I couldn’t think of them as anything else, no matter how long they’d been vampire, shifted back on their legs and hands backing against the wall, confused and scared by the scene in front of them. A vampire who had saved their life, but surrounded by nephilim.
The older one went to speak, but shock held his tongue and his eyes were wide with disbelief.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now. The others who attacked you, they’re gone. These nephilim killed them and won’t harm you. I gave you my blood. I am sorry about your friends, we arrived too late.” I spoke gently, but they were clearly afraid. “I am Anthony. And these are my friends. Yes, nephilim, but not like the ones who attacked you.”
As I stood and turned to leave, the youngest spoke quietly. “Why, why did they save us?”
Now Acacius spoke, though he didn’t move. His voice, so deep and booming, despite his attempt to reassure, echoed around the small side street. “Those nephilim were an abomination to our kind. I see that some have taken to drinking the blood of your kind and while I do not condemn them for this practise I will not tolerate cruelty. It sickens me. It is Anthony here that saved your lives, for in truth without him, we would not have saved yours.
“Do not speak of this to anybody and make sure the blood you consume comes from criminals and degenerates. I am sure you will follow these instructions, as you would, no doubt, rather have us as friends than enemies?” Acacius smiled and his face returned to his smooth angelic looks.
They both nodded and we smiled and left them to contemplate their most bizarre night. We strode through the tiny city. The angels hid their swords beneath their long flowing black coats, except Aaron who wore a red velvet coat to match his hair. Without discussing it before, we knew we would patrol the city in case there were any more berserk nephilim. We attracted a lot of attention and as we walked a group of plump, drunk human men started heckling us.
Something caught my eye in that dreary damp evening, I caught a flash of something, and heard an unearthly growling. Before I realised it, I was running towards it and found myself standing at an iron fence surrounding a park, looking in. It was dimly lit with only a few street lamps and the rich smelling foliage.
I heard the noise again. Scrambled sounds of not one being but two, maybe three. Acacius had joined me at the gate, a
long with Aaron and Marcus. And then the beast stood up, a colossus of a nephilim. Blood glistened on his face under the lamp light and he eyed us with indifference and then returned to his blood bath.
“Anthony!” A shrill, weak sound came from behind this beast.
A sudden sweat broke out on me and fear seized my body as I recognised that weak voice. It was so sudden with no time to think.
“Nicolas!” Anger and fear gripped me suddenly. I started looking for ways to breach the giant.
“Who is Nicolas?” Aaron barked at the sudden awareness that the situation had suddenly turned worse. It was now personal.
“Tyrell, the Elite despot Jamie killed, Tyrell held Nicolas in servitude against his will. He is a good man.” But before I finished I was already half way across the park heading towards this brute to save my friend.
The colossus turned and straightened up, his massive structure intimidating and muscular. He looked like a Titan. His voice boomed and echoed so deep I could feel the ground reverberating. “Welcome.” His eyes cast over our little group. He eyed me, his huge mouth salivating blood. “Good, let me show you your true fate. I will end your suffering; take you to a dark solitude for all eternity. Ah, I smell her blood in you, Anthony...good.”
His large eyes surveyed behind me, and his face grew animated by what he saw. Then he laughed, deeply, his voice echoed. “You cannot harm me, boy. I have lived for thousands of years and killed thousands of your kind, but try, please. It will be interesting to play before I drain you of her precious blood. I knew he would bring me some good fortune.” He signalled to Nicolas who was dying, crumpled on the floor behind this fiend.
Acacius, Aaron, and Marcus had joined me in the park, keeping their swords hidden for the moment no doubt to gain the element of surprise.