Half Dusk: Cain
"Whosoever shall gain the power of the
Originals shall inherit the key to unlimited
power and will destroy Master and Childer
alike."
Book of Vampiric Code and History Presect 3 Node 7
Darkness surrounded him. It didn't matter, with his heightened senses he could navigate his way out of this prison that they called a compound.
Pressing his hand to the stone wall and feeling the ground turn from cobblestone to hard dust under his feet, he knew from previous attempts that only twenty feet of hallway remained. He almost sighed at the remembrance of first hearing about this forgotten exit. He had been locked up in the same six by seven cell in this musty prison for fifty years and he hungered for the taste of fresh flowing blood. He just had to get out first. He would release the hold on their minds when he was out of this hellhole and safe.
He had gone through too much to get to this point. Four mind-numbed guards were, thanks to a little mental meddling, currently dreaming about overflowing alcohol and half-naked women. There were five key pads, all with different codes that he had to pick from five different people's thoughts. They had pulled out all of the stops for him. They knew that if he could regain control of his mind, he would escape. If it wasn't for forty seven years of slow control and focus, it never would have happened. His mere had taught him well.
He reached the last keypad activated door and carefully entered 1-1-6-5-7. Thank Lyra for that obese oily guard's mind that he picked this code from. The vampire's psyche was so cluttered with filth and thoughts of bloody meat that he could barely find the information.
As he walked into the crisp fresh Chrodarian moonlight that revealed the edge of a tree dense forest, he mentally patted himself on the back for the hard work. His hunter's instinct kicked in and he noticed that the tree's shadows were starting to move to the southeast. The Holemn moon, the brightest of the four, would be out soon. He couldn't dawdle for long or else the guards on the top of the building would spot him; he had to move fast and get out of the area.
He sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him and relished in the fact that he finally controlled his own legs. At last, if he wanted to kill someone then it was his choice. Lyra, he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into Andromeda. She had made him into her 'murdering lapdog'. He would enjoy drinking her warm blood. His teeth lengthened in excitement. Enough playing around, he needed to get to safety and he needed nourishment.
"Enough of this walking crap." His feet lifted off the ground when he was a safe distance away from the compound and he willed his mind to remember what its original master had taught it. Instantly he was soaring through the air, thankful that not many of his kind could fly. Tonight he wanted the skies to himself.
He needed to feel the dew of the clouds in his face and the cool breeze of the Western Wind. Because they kept him mentally imprisoned, his captors maintained him at near perfect health and strength so they could use him whenever they needed. He was glumly thankful. He needed a safe hideout so he could gather his thoughts and plot his revenge. Then the time would come to hunt a few 'betrayers'. His grin was feral as he ran his tongue across the point of one canine.
No blood in fifty years can make a Vampire hungry.
-------
It was a noisy, crowded city. He liked that. This would be a great place to hide out, but first he had to shake these guys on his tail. Maybe he had released the minds of the guards too early, or maybe they just worked really fast.
He had been free for nearly a day when he arrived in Tamaldar, the City of Revelry. There were always plenty of people and normally a festival going on so it wouldn't be hard to get lost here. In this case, the festival was the three hundred and forty ninth anniversary of the coup on the Monarchy.
There was a band playing on the circular stage in the center of the swarm of gyrating vampires. Dim lights and loud music created an ambiance of sensuality and excitement. These were truly dark times now, so everyone looked for a reason to have a good time.
The loud bass and melodic voice of the lead singer coupled with the yelling and screaming of the crowd drowned out Nicolas's hurried steps. His blue jeans and dark black long sleeved sweater blended in this environment, but the guys following him knew what they were looking for.
He knew exactly where they were. He could read their minds. He could smell the frustration and fear seeping from their bodies. He grinned as he wove in and out of the gyrating citizens. He couldn't wait to tear their throats out. Closer. They were getting closer. He decided to take this to a better venue and he ducked into an alley. He allowed the darkness to envelop him. He waited in silence.
"We've lost him Mistress." The man mumbled into an earpiece. His associate seemed agitated but listened intently to his own earpiece.
"What do you mean you've lost him?! He's 6 foot 3. You don't lose a man that big. Find him or I'll feed your decapitated bodies to the weres. Do you understand?!"
"Yes Mistress." The men replied uneasily. The boss huffed and clicked off. The line went quiet.
"I think he went this way Mac." The Blonde man pointed down an alleyway.
"Don't you think that's suspicious and dangerous?" Mac was surprised.
"We've checked all over this crowd. Let's just eliminate this particular alley so we can say we looked everywhere and move on. And in the case that he is in there, we're full blooded Vamps man." He motioned to himself. "This guy's a mixed runt; a freaking Psi-Vamp and a Blood Vamp. What's he gonna do, read our minds?" Blondie laughed lightly.
"Don't underestimate him." The grim man looked around slowly. "Psi-Vamps can do much more than you think."
"Yeah, and I'm going to rip his head off when I see him. Do you understand the damage that he has done to the Mistress?" Blondie yelled to his partner across the throngs of people.
"Andromeda sent us here so we could bring him back alive and be inconspicuous about the situation. No killing unless I say so. Understand?"
Blondie looked downward as he mumbled a nearly silent yes. He looked up and saw his partner glare at him.
They walked slowly to the end of the darkened alley and looked around, ready to head back.
"Looking for me?" The man stepped out of the shadows, his fangs protruding in hunger.
"You thought you'd eluded us. We've been searching for you for a while now Nicolas" Blondie smiled. "The Boss has missed you. You can come back with us gently or we can make you." Blondie cracked his knuckles.
Nicolas scoffed "Make me? Please." The men smiled at each other, glad for a scuffle. The men suddenly raced towards him.
Nicolas rose in the air, easily avoiding the henchmen's attacks, and looked down on them. They looked like frightened ants instead of the big bad Vampires they claimed to be. He chuckled to himself.
"What the hell? He can fly?" Blondie exclaimed looking up in awe.
"Why yes." Nicolas laughed darkly "We don't just read minds you know." He cocked his head to one side and looked at them searchingly.
Yes, their minds are weak enough. This will be easy.
He mentally reached deep into the men's brain and pushed a few commands into their minds. He sat in the air, crossed his legs and arms and waited for his handiwork to take effect. He was secretly glad that the festival was going on or else a crowd would be forming in a few seconds.
The men's expressions went blank as they turned to attack each other. In a flash, Blondie was sitting on Mac's back and had wrapped his legs around his waist. He had Mac in a choke hold and was prepared to break his neck. Mac struggled against Blondie's grip on his throat, gasping for air. He grabbed Blondie with the last ounce of strength that he had and threw him to the ground. Mac pounced on him, sinking his teeth deep into his jugular and ripping out his throat. Mac rose to his feet and, blood dripping from his mouth, stood there blankly as if awaiting instruction.
Nicolas dropped down gracefully and walked over to him. He stared at the man and shook his head. He hated killing his own kind. He had already done it so many times but in this case he needed the blood that this nitwit would provide. He tilted the man's head to one side and located a nice plump vein. Nicolas sunk his teeth into it and drank deeply. He savored the taste and closed his eyes briefly. He hadn't drunk fresh blood in years.
After he was satiated he put his hand on Mac's shoulder and drained the last vestiges of energy from him. The man slumped to the ground, lifeless and tranquil.
There. That would keep him fed for a while. He dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his fingers.
"What is your status?" A voice in Blondie's headpiece said. Nicolas strode over to it and picked it up. The woman sounded more than agitated. "You better had done the job..."
Nicolas brought the speaker to his mouth. "I believe your men have failed you, Andromeda. They're both dead and you'll soon follow. Remember, I know where your headquarters are."
-------
Nicolas LeVesque opened the door to his newly rented, furnished apartment. He looked at the calendar and clock on the wall. It was Wednesday in Tamaldar and the time was 03:53. He sighed heavily and plopped on his bed. He had been in their hands for fifty years.
He looked at the window and the perpetual darkness outside. It would be that way forever. Time was not really of importance unless you had somewhere to be. You slept when you wanted to.
He lived on Chrodar, a large planet in the Llutorm Galaxy. Its four moons supplemented a planet almost fully inhabited by vampires of different kinds. This planet was chosen by vampires because of the Fluxor Moon. It's the only moon known that gives off the necessary heat to sustain life, yet yields no UV rays. Chrodar was far enough away from any kind of star that could be considered a Sun, so there was never any daylight.
There were other species that lived here but they were few and far between. More and more were coming from this distant planet called Earth. There had been some trading of some of Chrodar's people for theirs; diplomatic reasons of course. The catch was that neither party was to be harmed by order of a peace treaty. That didn't mean it didn't happen.
But when a hungry Vampire gets a taste of fresh warm human blood, it's addictive. This is why the treaty was put into place. Vampires could drink blood of their own kind but it was thought of as taboo. Many Vampires, however, have been locked up as a result of disobeying these orders.
Nicolas sighed heavily and allowed his mind to ease as he settled back into his soft down comforter. He allowed himself to drift off into a rare peaceful sleep when there was a forceful knock on the door.
He shot up immediately, aggravated that he hadn't sensed the newcomer and he pulled his long barrel pistol from under his pillow, loaded it with a magazine of silver bullets, and stuffed it into the back of his pants. He normally wore it in a holster on his hip but he was in a hurry. The bullets wouldn't kill a vampire but it sure hurt like a bitch and it gives someone time to kill if necessary. He couldn't do the mind meddling every time because that took energy and he didn't have a lot of that right now.
Nicolas walked to the door and flung it open, hoping to scare the person. Said person was a young brown skinned human female with shoulder length hair and… glowing green eyes?
How unusual. He thought.
She wore a plain flowered long sleeve dress which had a few dark colored oil stains on it. It didn't seem like coming here was a premeditated thought.
She was floating and the tips of her brown flats barely touched the floor. The woman was still shorter than him and he probably would've laughed at the height difference but this situation was too bizarre. Turning her face up towards his slowly, her glowing eyes locked with his.
"Hello son, are you going to let me in?"
Nicolas gawked at her. There was no way...
"No Nicci, this female is just a medium for now but yes, I am your mother." She smiled and floated past him.
Nicolas was dumbstruck. His mother had been dead for over one hundred and thirty years. He realized with a start that he was staring at the now empty hallway. He turned to stare at her retreating back, closed the door, and walked blindly behind her. She floated into the middle of his living room and turned around to face him. Nicolas tried to compose himself and maybe read her mind to see why his mother was here, but the woman had extremely strong mental shields.
"You cannot read my mind son. Hell, I'm the one who taught you how to control your powers. Look, I do not have much time. This woman was extremely nice to let me use her, but this whole medium thing is pretty energy consuming and we're on borrowed time right now. The Council is looking for you, as is Andromeda and her minions. They both want you Nicci, and I'm afraid I can do nothing but warn you. Both understand that you are the only one of your kind and they know how important you are, even if you don't know yourself. You need to hide permanently son. I can arrange for you to live in the hills around Vierthal. It's so dangerous and the weather is so bad on that part of the planet that no one ever goes there." The beauty cupped his face lovingly and pulled away.
"Hide? Permanently? Mere you know I can't do that." He sighed, running a hand through his coal black hair. "It's killing me to live like a hermit right now much less forever."
The woman sighed. "Yes, I figured you'd say that. Well here is your other option. In order to completely rid yourself and Chrodar of Andromeda, you will need to speak with Cain and Lilith and learn everything you can from them. Andromeda is a few centuries old, therefore she is not a force to be reckoned with. I actually believe she is older than that, but no one has proof. All of the Council are over six hundred years old so you need everything that you can get. Cain is the easiest to talk to but he still might reject you. You have to choose your words very carefully. Lilith on the other hand is pure Evil. You're also on a bad note because you know how much she hates men since that whole incident dear."
Nicolas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I remember the story. Lilith was Adam's first wife and they were created together. Adam wouldn't treat Lilith like an equal and therefore she left Eden. As punishment God turned Lilith into a vampire and forbid her ever to come back to Eden. After leaving she sought out evil and began cavorting with demons. When Cain killed Abel, God turned Cain into a vampire but instead added a curse that made him wander eternally."
The woman crossed her arms and looked at Nicolas who continued. "Lilith and Cain are known as the first generation of Vampires. They did not have any children together but Lilith's cavorting with demons begat giants. Cain on the other hand turned four humans into what is known as the second generation of Vampires. A few hundred years later Vampires escaped to Chrodar when the Monarchy was warned about God deciding to flood the Earth. Vampires had evolved quicker than humans. Most Vampires escaped, including Cain, but Lilith stayed on Earth. And yadda yadda yadda…"
She thinned her lips in aggravation. "Good. So you did listen in school. You always were a smart boy. I'm glad all that money I spent wasn't for nothing."
"So I have to fly to Earth and meet Lilith. Cain, according to legend, is in the Valley of Wanderers here on Chrodar correct?"
The woman nodded in confirmation. "Yes, but only the Omni knows exactly where that is located. So you'll have to visit him first."
He nodded and a smile broke out on his face. "I've heard that Lilith is absolutely beautiful."
"Yes, and she's also incredibly devious. Don't go anywhere near her. She'll use that love of women and that huge ego of yours to bring you down quickly."
He sighed. "I'll do what I have to Mere."
"Good my son. I wish you luck." She touched his face briefly and the woman's eyes stopped glowing before she dropped to the floor, exhausted. He could give her some of his energy, but he didn't have any to spare. He decided to just let her sleep.
Nicolas picked her up gingerly and walked into his room, laying her on his bed. He took one last look at her sleeping form and eased the door closed. He walked back into the living room and lay on his couch. He definitely needed to reserve his energy and think.