In the year 10 BC, I was born. Well. Not technically, but in every way that matters. Because of that day, that cursed day I had decided to go for a walk, I am here now telling you my epic tragedy of woe, drear, evil, sorrow, war and the occasional laugh at someone's expense. If you are reading this to bring a bit of gladness into your life I suggest that you put this tale down and go read the Scarlet Letter for it is a more cheery story.
I, Barjonmac, was attacked on that fateful stroll through Hell… I mean Puteoli, a city south of Rome, by thieves, or so I thought. In a way, they were. They robbed me of my life. I was cursed to wander this world forever. I had blood that was not my own coursing through my veins. I was a monstrosity. I was what would later be penned as, a Vampyr.
On the road to Damascus, I was contemplating where I would go. The center of the Roman Empire was not a good place to be for a vampyr trying not to kill humans, way too much temptation. I was trudging along when suddenly I was staring at the man I had just knocked to the ground. I realized that the man, dressed in casual finery, was blind. His not seeing, dark eyes peered at me and I felt unclean. I fumbled for his hand and helped the man to his feet and apologized brusquely while scanning the mass for the companions of this man who had been unfortunate to run into me.
I saw his friends' wave from the other side of the road and led the man over there. "Here you are, sir," I told the blind man, walking away quickly.
As I continued my walk I thought of the helpless, mortal humans. I could help them. This curse could be used for good. No, it cannot, nothing this atrocity could ever do could ever be good. Yes it could! Arguing with one's self is never a good sign of sanity. But what good is sanity anyway. Useless, really. Well, I could do what nature designed me to do. Kill. Feed. Drink the blood of what use to be my fellow humans.
Morbid. I need to find a purpose in life if I want to continue to not be a bloodsucking murderer. I could eat animals, right? That should sustain me. I will try it. Yes, that's a plan. But, where to go? Africa, yes, that sounds fine. I veered off the beaten path and went towards the Mediterranean Sea.
At the water's edge, I stood, letting the waves wash over my feet and up to my knees. I walked into the water and started to swim in a south western direction. As I swam, I felt the cold water sift over my frozen -in-time body and whip my clothing in various directions, slowing me down. I did not mind, swimming was one of the first enjoyable past times I had discovered since becoming a hellish monster. I smelled the strangest creature. They smelled so…appetizing, yet, not. I had been a vampyr for two weeks and had yet to consume any form of nourishment so far. My own bodies blood supply had tided me over to this point in time but the thieves had not left me that much to work with. I smelled, well, I am not quite sure what; it was some form of carnivorous fish. I swam after it and quicker than I could form a coherent thought I had the beast between my teeth, fangs, and was drinking its blood. I realized then that my unorthodox idea for survival as a vampyr would not be in vain, it would work, I could live without being a soulless monster. After that, I searched out three more carnivorous fish, they smelled the most appetizing, and consumed their blood, also. I, then, proceeded on my journey to Africa.
Northern Africa, with the Egyptians, was too populated still, so went farther south. I can run up to speeds of 200 mph. It still took me 5 days to cross the Sahara desert. I would start out every sunset and, right before sunrise, dig myself a grave and sleep in it and stay out of the sun. I was allergic to sunlight. Back in Rome and Israel, I had worn tightly weaved cloaks with a turban wrapped around my head leaving just my eyes open to the glaring sun and that seemed to be adequate protection again the sun there, but here in the desert nothing seemed to be able to protect me. Cacti provide pathetic shade. So, I survived those torturous days of chafing sand in my graves on the blood of the sea creatures I had digested the week before. The whole grave thing I thought was hilarious. That I, never to die, should be buried alive every day for almost a week was so ironic. The Sahara Desert in not on my list of vacation spots to return to, ever.
The African Jungle and savannah, on the other hand, is ranked quite high up there. The wildlife is abundant and consisted of many different predators. I feasted upon lions, panthers, and even some cheetah; they were my favorite, fun to catch. Well, off the subject of food, one day, when I was hunting, I know food, whatever, I heard the strangest thing. It was a thump, thump, thump. I figured it was just another crash of rhinos and went to go see. When I got there, I was surprised to say the least. I had gone to this island trying to find an animal that was a formidable appoint for me. I did.
A troll, a 12 foot tall troll, I later learned, was what now was the first to physically harm me. It swiped at me with its huge paw/hand-like thing and I sprung about it with ease. But while I was trying to determine what it was, I had never smelled anything like it before, it stomped on my head and squashed me flat. I broke every bone in my eternally twenty-eight year old body.
My vampyr healing factor kicked in and I immediately started to heal but that only can work so fast. The troll was coming back and even though I had suffered no lasting damage so far, it hurt, badly. I was lifting my healing arm in a futile attempt to stop the troll from making me a pancake again when I felt the most peculiar sensation run down my arm and at the beast, flinging it off its feet. Okay, the massive monster just flew half a mile into the jungle.
I was about as freaked out as I had been when I discovered that instead of being dead, I was a vampyr. I was so freaked out I ran north to the city of Alexandria.
On the way, I tried to see what I could do and how it worked. I was able to make a ball of light in the palm of my hand and hold it. I was able to make a rock hover for a few seconds. I was able to make a lion come find me so I could eat him. Creepy.
When I got to the city, I went to Library and did a lot of research. I was blessed that I had photographic memory and unequaled vampyr reading comprehension and speed. In two years, stopping only long enough to go hunting, I read the Great Library's entire collection of scrolls and remembered it all. The scholars there thought I was a spirit and would not talk or even look at me. I did not care. I found many things on what I could be and after I had finished reading the last scroll I ordered all of the information into systems inside of my head. I decided that the most likely answer was that I was a wizard. A wizard, or a warlock, as they were also know as sometimes, could do magic by just using their minds. A wizard could use a piece of magic ingrained wood or their hands to channel their magic to do their binding. I was scared. Now, I had not one secret, but two. A vampyr wizard, who would have guessed? It said that I would have been born a wizard, but I suppose I never had a chance to find out due to fact that, until I was attacked by a group of the undead, I had never been in any real danger.
I searched for what it meant to be a wizard, the library had no straight answers but it had a name, Simon Mark. He lived on the Island of Cyprus. So, that was where I was going next.
By the time I got there, I was starving, so, I took a much needed break and drank a donkey. I then entered the same town and went into the small marketplace.
"Excuse me, sir," I began, "Do you happen to know Simon Mark?"
"Nope, I don't my boy. Just moved into town, last week, still trying to get to know everyone myself. Jordan over there, well he may be blind be he knows everything that have ever happened or will happen in this town, so I hear. By the way, what is your name?"
"Barjonmac, but Mc is preferred." I thanked the man and went the way he had gestured to find this man named Jordan who hopefully could help me find a man named Simon Mark who could hopefully tell me what I was.