Chapter 3
The Mighty Stranger
Soren lay trembling on the cold, hard floor of the cage, drained of all his tears. His heart, shattered within his weak, abuse-exhausted body. His lover, Lilah, had been thrown in with the monster: the ultimate death penalty for not coping as a slave. Her final shrieks still rang within Soren's ears, crushing his already low spirits. It's not fair! He thought dully. Just as we proclaim our love for each other back home, we're captured and brought over here and forced into slavery. Then just as I find out she's still alive she gets thrown in with the monster and now she's dead!
As the night went on all the Vikings retired into their homes and the slaves, who slept in tiny, cramped, cold wooden huts also retired after a long, painful and exhausting day of slave labor. Only Soren was left, shivering and heart broken.
The sound of heavy footfall coming towards the cage drew Soren's attention. What the hell can they want know? He thought miserably. Come to feed me to that damn monster as well? Exhausted, emotionally drained and uninterested, Soren lay back down on the frigid floor. I don't care what happens to me anymore. Lilah's gone. I failed my darling angel. I have nothing to live for now. A tall dark shadow fell across the floor of the cage and a mighty, majestic-sounding voice rang out through the chilly night.
"How fare you boy?"
Despite the aching pain he felt inside and out Soren snorted and let out a tired, cold, humor-less laugh, "How fare I? My love was hauled in with the monster and is dead and I'm lying beaten in a cage. How do you think I fare?" He spat out the last line sarcastically.
"Yes," the mighty voice said, " I watched as they hauled the girl in with that beast. Nothing could have been done to save her but I can still help you avenge her death."
Soren felt a flicker of anger alight within him. He sat up and turned to face the stranger, clambering to his feet as he did so. The owner of the voice was a tall powerful looking man. Strange eerie blue eyes glittered in the darkness, regarding Soren with curiosity. Graying hair fell to the stranger's shoulders. He did not look young. To Soren the man looked to be old enough to be a father or grandfather but cunning and power radiated from the man. Despite this Soren's fists clenched at his sides and he glowered at the man. "What do you mean nothing could have been done to save her? You said you saw them Vikings haul Lilah into the monster's hut. Why didn't you save her?" His chest rose and fell rapidly and he trembled with anger.
"I watched from the hills, too far away to help the girl. But I saw you in this godforsaken cage and heard your sorrow and pain when you cried out her name. You seem a useful sort and as I already said I can help you avenge her death."
Soren regarded the man with curiosity. He did want to avenge Lilah but what could this old man offer him? He looked defiantly into the man's eerie blue eyes, " How can you help me?"
The stranger smiled, a sly, cunning smile, "I can offer you the life of an immortal. You will become a vampire like myself and you can take revenge on all those who have wronged you."
Soren stared at the stranger, rendered momentarily speechless, before he spoke up in a confused tone, "Immortal? I may become a vampire? What?"
The stranger sighed as though he had been expecting these many questions, "There are two kinds of immortals: Vampires and Werewolves, or lycans as we vampires call them. The werewolves are brutal beings that, on the full moon, transform into hellish beasts. They kill and feed on mortals and livestock, anything unlucky enough to wonder across their path. They ravage villages and isolated places, causing destruction wherever they go. Only a few become an immortal. An immortal's bite is deadly to most mortals, so within the hour of being bitten, most mortals die. I am a vampire. There are three vampire elders. The eldest vampires," he added seeing Soren's bewildered look. "We live on the blood of livestock. Killing mortals for their blood draws unnecessary attention and heightens danger to us. There are more mortals then us so they pose a significant danger to us. Few things can kill a vampire: fire, sunlight or being ripped apart by a lycan can. Silver can kill a lycan. Mortal trinkets such as garlic, crosses and holy water have no effect on us."
Soren thought about what the man, the vampire, had just said. Was the old man telling the truth or was he just a crazy old fool? He looked at the man suspiciously, "How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
The man smiled and took a hold of the massive, heavy cage door and pulled with a tremendous force that a man of his looks and age seemed incapable of. To Soren's shock and amazement the metal door was ripped from its hinges as though it were a blade of grass. The man turned and threw the door away where it crashed loudly several feet away. The man turned back to face Soren, who could only gape at the stranger, speechless. No mortal man, especially this man who looked to be in his fifties, could have ever pulled the door off its hinges. Soren now entirely believed the man, but could not stop gaping at him, "Who are you?" he finally blurted out. "What is that monster in the hut? A werewolf?" he guessed. Since only during the full moon did the slaves hear the monster and the unfortunate one get thrown to it, Soren guessed the monster was a werewolf.
"I cannot tell you who I am just yet. You will know soon enough. Yes, unfortunately the creature in there is a lycan." The man abruptly stopped talking and looked over his shoulder to where four Vikings were hurrying towards the ship. Soren saw the man step back into the shadows where the light of the full moon did not penetrate the shadows.
The bulky Vikings approached the cage and their mouths dropped open in astonishment. Soren was furiously enraged to see three of the four Vikings were the ones responsible for throwing Lilah in with the werewolf. They must have been guarding the rest of the slaves. Even in slumber the slaves were still chained up to prevent any escaping but Viking guards still stood guard outside the slaves' huts. The sound of the vampire throwing the cage door down must have startled the guards. The Vikings approached the cage and stood just inside the doorway and stared at Soren.
"What in the gods' names happened here?" one of them growled. "What did you do to the door, boy?"
"He couldn't have done that," another one snorted scornfully.
"Perhaps the beast got out of its hut!" a third gasped fearfully.
No sooner had he said that than the stranger came flying out of the shadows. The men yelled in fear and surprise as the vampire flashed his fangs but a yell from Soren made him pause.
"Wait! Don't kill those three," he said, pointing out the three Vikings who had sent Lilah to her death, "I want to kill those three myself!"
The vampire smiled and, quick as a flash, grabbed the three men, knocking them unconscious with a blow to the head and tossed them inside the cage. Then he turned to the remaining Viking, held him by the shoulder and sank his white fangs deep into the man's throat. Soren watched in fascination as the man's struggles were wild at first and then quickly slowed and finally stopped. The vampire withdrew his fangs from the man's throat and threw the body overboard into the water. Then he walked into the cage and Soren stood rigidly before him, a slight trepidation flaring within him.
"There is a good chance you may perish," the vampire warned him.
Soren paused for a moment before answering, "If I die I'll join Lilah for eternity in heaven. If I do die however I want you to kill these three men in the most gruesome way possible as a tribute to my want to avenge Lilah's death."
The vampire nodded and bared his fangs. Soren tilted his head to the side, baring his neck. The vampire struck in an instant and Soren felt a rush run though him. It was over in a split second and the vampire drew back as Soren's blood ran down his chin. Soren felt light-headed and even more weak and collapsed on the ground. The darkness closed in on him and Soren surrendered to it but not before he noted a new feeling come to life within him. Power.
X
Soren awoke to find he was still lying within the cage. It was still nightfall and the air was still chilly yet Soren barely noticed. He felt different, the power he had before he had passed out was now beating within every cell of his body. His eyes easily penetrate the darkness and he ran his tongue over his teeth and was ecstatic to feel the sharp points of two slender fangs. He looked around and saw the three Viking men were also stirring.
One of them opened his eyes and Soren felt a hot, volcanic rage erupt within as he looked into the eyes of Lilah's pitiless captors. He grabbed the man as the vampire had done with the other mortal before. Baring his fangs he viciously ripped out the man's throat. The other two men let out feeble cries and struggled to their feet but Soren was two quick. Soren was aware of his heightened senses. He could smell the mortals' fear and the delicious scent of their blood and he could hear their gasps of fear and even their racing heartbeats. Snarling, Soren grabbed another mortal and hungrily drained him dry of every drop of blood. The last Viking put up a fight but he was no match for the strength of a vampire and Soren easily bested him.
When the last deathly pale mortal body fell to the floor Soren stood up and walked out of the cursed cage. A low chuckle drew Soren's attention to the vampire who had been watching from behind the cage.
"Excellent job boy," the vampire said, amused, "You have done well."
"My name is Soren," Soren said bowing his head to his sire. He straightened up and frowned at the vampire, "You still haven't told me your name."
The vampire smiled, "I am one of the vampire elders. My name is Lord Viktor of Moldavia." A smile grew on his face, full of cunning. "Come along," he announced softly, "we must slip away before the sun rises."
Soren followed Viktor away from the Viking village. He would have liked to stay and kill more people but he felt uneasy. He sensed that there were only a few hours until sunrise and that he had to get to safe ground. As they walked over the hill Soren paused and glanced back at the lycan's hut. Goodbye Lilah. I hope wherever you are in the next life you are safe. I have avenged your death. Now it is time for me to start my new life: As an immortal. With that Soren vanished over the hill away from the Vikings village.
He did not know that it wouldn't be long before he became a sadistic, cold-hearted vampire who would forget both his mortal life and his love: Lilah. He did not know that he would enjoy being at the other end of the whip; dealing out painful blows to others instead. And he did not know that in the lycan's hut more then one life was stirring.