"You'll
have to die." He said, "I'm really
very, very sorry, but there's just no way around it."
"Wha… Why?" It was all the boy
was able to ask, for the old man had been his master, his teacher. But he had never taught the boy of betrayal.
"To feel the mortality of men
bleed out of you, as an understanding of eternity seeps in." Was the old man's response, cryptic and
incomprehensible to the boy.
As the boy's life fled the old
man whispered in his ear, "To die and leave behind this world of pain and
disappointment, only to be reborn, heir to an eternity lived in devotion to
pleasure."
* * *
"You've always wanted power,
haven't you?" The old man had always
given him the impression of being able to read minds. "I can give you the chance to gain power beyond your wildest
dreams. But there is a price."
"I'll pay it." There was no hesitation on the boy's
part. The old man just nodded, as if he
had known this would be the answer.
Time slowed, and the boy's
perceptions seemed to expand. Agony
engulfed him. The boy groaned out a
question. "Why?"
"To die and learn the power
that is imbued in life, only to be reborn, with an eternity to learn how to use
it." Were the last words the boy heard,
and then the dark abyss rushed up to claim his soul.
*
* *
"They don't understand you, you
know. Your too close to your bestial
nature for them to understand your view point." The boy spun to his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes. He turned, watching the old man who must
have observed his torment at the hands of others circle him.
"They can't…" The boy spoke warily, but his answer was
interrupted by the old man.
"Understand it? No boy, it's that they don't want
to. But I can change that. I can offer you acceptance. Do you want it?" His instincts cried out, telling the boy not to trust this old
man, but he found himself nodding wordlessly.
Everything became clearer,
sharper. The boy just barely heard the
old man whispering as his life poured from him like water through a sieve. "To die and have the senses expanded, only
to be reborn, better than before."
* * *
The boy knew that he had no
choice as to his actions the minute he saw what was going on. A leader had to be willing to take the same
chances that he had his troops take, else they could not trust him.
He leapt at the murderer,
hoping to save the dying man who had been stabbed. One of the shadows along the wall detached itself, and flowed in,
towards the man with the knife. There
was a sickening crack, and the man crumpled, as though his bones had turned to
water.
"You wish to lead. I can
feel the fires of ambition in you." The
old man who stepped from the shadows and spoke stepped forward, ignoring the
two dead bodies at his feet. The boy
felt a numbing fear freeze him into place.
The boy felt a strange lethargy
overcome him, and swaying on his feet stuck a hand out to steady himself on the
wall. "To die and learn what all your
followers will feel if you fail them, only to be reborn, with an eternity to
find out how not to."
* * *
The old man would kill
him. The boy could tell that as soon as
he saw him. There was no way he could
run, he realized that also.
Knowing this, he resigned
himself to his fate, and resolved not to fight it.
"Interesting. Your rational side can overcome all else
that makes you up, even the survival instinct.
Time will tell how great an asset that can be."
The boy felt the pricks of
pain, and waited for death to claim him.
Just before the brain-death took him he heard words whispered in his
ear. "To die, and gain the ultimate insight,
only to be reborn, enjoying an eternity to learn the lesser insights."
* * *
"The seeds are planted, all
that is left is to allow them time to grow…
It shall be interesting to watch, even if they should fail to mature
quick enough. I still think the other
is too dangerous though."
"There is yet time enough for
their growth… and even a wolf can be tamed, if raised for a young enough age. Thank you, Vlad." A second figure stepped out of the shadows, and looked towards
the city.
Vlad Tepés smiled at his
master's praise, and walked into his sanctum as the first ray of sunlight
pierced the horizon. The second figure watched
the rising sun for a moment more, then turned and followed Vlad inside.
Author's notes: This is the prologue, in which very little happens, so I'm
interested in hearing what people have to say as to where they think it's
going, even though I don't give too much info.
I've already got part of the first chapter written, so that should be
posted fairly soon. I really want to
know who people think the guy that Vlad was talking to is. First place if you can figure it out. Consolation prizes to people who guess which
clans the boys will belong to.
