Author's Note: Okay guys, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for. This is NOT the end of the story, however. My story follows the LoI timeline so there will be tons more after this about Joachim (heh...this is supposed to be a novel, after all!). Stay tuned... (*ahem* there will also be more WalterXJoachim). This chapter was somewhat challenging to write since it is such a crucial part of Joachim's tragic fate. I hope you will find this believable and satisfying.
Special Thanks:
As always, thanks everyone for reading this story (whether you review or not). Without people to read it, all my hard work would be for naught. :) Reviews are always appreciated, of course. :) I hope more people will start reading this story.
TheGhostIsReal: Thank you for taking the time to continue reviewing. I put a lot of hard work into this story and I hope you will continue to enjoy it. This chapter was especially challenging (due to the complexity of the emotions involved) and I hope you like it. :)
LateNiteSlacker: Thank you for taking the time to review my story :D I am glad you liked the last chapter and found it in-character for Joachim. I have to admit, this story will get a bit violent even later on (as Joachim succumbs to vampirism). I am trying to keep the quality of my chapters consistent and I hope you will continue reading. I look forward to hearing from you again :)
Rahar Moonfire: haha okay, HERE is the update you wanted and begged for! I hope it satisfies you and that you aren't getting bored of the story. I knew readers were waiting for this chapter and had written for it to happen now, anyway...argh...sometimes even I feel sorry for Joachim :( More is yet to come, though. Thank you for always reviewing and following this story. You (as well as my other readers) are a source of inspiration for me to keep updating it. P.S. I hope you will update A Flickering Candle in the Darkness soon... :P
AzariyaBelmont: :D Thank you for reviewing my story! I am starting to like Walter Bernhard more and more, though I have to say, he is quite merciless in this chapter. Walter makes a great villain/anti-hero. I loved his voice actor in the game and everytime I write it's easy for me to imagine what he will say/do. There will be plenty of WalterXJoachim in future chapters so if you like the action thus far, get ready for more. ;)
Chapter XIII
Throughout the day, a haze of dark gray clouds again covered the sun's golden light, and the barren land was enveloped in a sullen silence that stirred the soul of every villager who looked upon the three corpses dangling in the wind. The orders from the young lord were simple: the bodies would serve as a warning to anyone who dared to oppose him again. Throughout the day many villagers came to the scene, and many more wept from hearing the knight left to guard them inform that they were to remain there until the lord wished them to be removed. Joachim had again locked himself inside his chamber for the remainder of the day. Although he tried to find solace, he was interrupted several times by his servants informing him that Catherine's father demanded to speak with him.
No doubt he has found out about Catherine's miscarriage, and seeks out the one who had her virginity. He must think me a bastard to have accepted her offering, knowing it was the forbidden fruit not meant for me to spoil. Alas...if only he had succeeded in protecting her innocence from me…how it must disgust him to imagine one so pale as I lying with his daughter!
Joachim turned away from the windowpane as he watched Catherine's father storm down the steps of the manor, evidently infuriated by his servant's message that he desired no communication with anyone. Catherine was still in his manor somewhere, and must have refused to go with her father on the account of the fact the burial was near. How else could its existence be explained, when it was clear he was the one who requested the submission of Catherine's chastity, and had desired it since he reached the age in which a young man began to seek out what could bring him pleasure? Such a notion made him remember Walter's ominous warning.
If you bed with her…your blood will become hers
Joachim wrung his hands, his pallid complexion so white he was on the verge of collapsing. From where he sat in front of his chamber's window, he could still see the three lifeless bodies swaying, and his hands flew to his face to rescue his aching eyes from the abominable sight. Was it possible Walter knew? For some reason the idea did not leave the back of his mind as he resigned to prepare for the troubles ahead. If his father had been alive to see the misbegotten child, as well as the disgust the church would hold against the Armster clan's last heir, there was not an ounce of doubt to prevent him from assuming his father would have sooner let him die than see him live to destroy their name.
He remembered that thought as he placed the infant in her tiny wooden coffin, and set off upon his horse toward the fields. Death had greeted him that morning, and death again greeted him that evening as the sun's light disappeared behind the dark gray clouds suspended in the sky. The air had taken on a sharper chill, and the night was again driving the sun back, so that darkness encompassed him. Cojiro galloped up the hill and ground to a halt beneath the solitary tree. The tree's branches were bare and reached upward into the dark sky like a dozen clawing arms trying to break through the veil of clouds in hopes of finding heaven. With a heavy heart laden with grief, he dismounted and carried the object toward the trunk of the tree, where a small plot of earth had been dug up by one of his servants earlier that day, and a modest sized rock to be used as a makeshift tombstone had been placed. Joachim peered into the hole resentfully, his smooth features warped in pain while his hands clutched the precious box against his chest. He glanced round him at the empty field surrounding the lone tree, and gazed at the foot of the hill to the distance where the neat arrangements of houses that made up his village appeared warmed by the billows of smoke escaping through the openings of thatched rooftops.
He gazed upward to the sky above, feeling the chill of the night begin to numb his fingers and legs. The young man stood so still the tingling sensation of frost barely disturbed him, for his gentle eyes gazed only at the tiny coffin he held in his arms, as strands of silky shoulder-length hair covered the sides of his face behind a curtain of white. A part of him could not bear to place the object he held inside such a cold and dark looking hole, though he knew if he did not his child would never find peace. There would be no priest to bless it or to say a single prayer of consolation. Not to his surprise, he was the only one who attended the burial. No one wanted to watch him bury the creation of an illicit union. Though Catherine would arrive within moments, tears brimmed in his eyes, his chest heaving as he stood there, alone, with only the lonely moon for company. Even then, dark clouds threatened to veil its pure, white light.
After a long silence, his eyes traced the delicate contours of Catherine's lithesome form standing next to him in the darkness. She approached in such a manner that she did not disturb him, though her once glittering eyes were dull. Although her skin was slightly tanned, not even her natural color could liven to her distraught appearance. Joachim shivered under the crisp chill of the night, watching puffs of his breath escape into the air while his ears listened to the sound of a bell tolling somberly in the distance.
"I asked father Genesio to pardon me for my sins." Catherine's words were so soft they were hardly a whisper. "I told him you did not mean what you said, and though he refused to attend, he agreed to toll a church bell for us."
"Why did you say that?" Joachim muttered sharply under his breath, his lips already made numb by the crisp night air as his steely blue eyes studied her. "I meant every word of it -"
"There is nothing we can do." Catherine replied, however one of her hands attempted to clean away the tears in her eyes, and her voice strained. "Let it rest, Joachim. Please…"
The lord stood without replying, and instead allowed her to take the tiny coffin from his hands. To find he held nothing gave him a strong sense of emptiness, but his despondent gaze continued to watch her walk forward until she kneeled next to the open plot and set the coffin carefully inside. "Farewell." She did not hear the words leave his throat, for one of her hands made the silent motion sign of the cross, before her fingers gripped the hardened soil and scooped it into the hole. Joachim observed the process without the heart to turn away, his soul consigned to endure the burial with as much dignity as he could muster, and his ears found no comfort when he heard her speak a gypsy prayer he could not understand. Catherine's lips seemed to barely move, and her words were no less grave than her expression. Perhaps she found comfort in her prayer, but she made no indication of revealing the mournful thoughts hidden in her mind. "Yov sasti Mari, pherdi dey, Devel tusa, Punidi tu mashkir jul'ende I punido tire and'ako phel - Isos. San Mari, Isoseskiri day, Mang Devles vash amenge papanenge, Akana i ade amare meripaskiri hor. Ad'a teyavel." Her hand again motioned the sign of the cross, and with her labor finished and a last glance cast upon the place where the infant had been tucked beneath the soil, she hung her head. She looked as though she would linger in front of the grave all night, already characterizing a mother's grief.
"Leave me." He whispered, using all of his remaining strength to put his thoughts into words. "Go home. If you want to help me, leave me. It is better that way."
"How is it better?" Catherine blinked at him in shadows, but he fled her hold with an almost forceful intent that left her standing like a lost doe. Whenever he comforted her, he was just as swift to bring her more pain when he could not bear to face her. At first she tried to step toward him, but his back was to her, and he did not turn around even when she added under her breath. "Must you always send me away? I want to understand your grief and endure it with you, and perhaps I do not wish to return to a village consumed with despair? My own and yours are enough to drown the heavens-"
"Then don't go back!" His hands quavered when he stood in front of the grave, his frail complexion so pale and empty that the cruelty in his voice stunner her. "Do whatever you want but leave me alone. I don't need you to remind me of my sins, nor do I desire your pity. I cannot be the man you want me to be, and I cannot give you the love you think I have. Believe me, there is nothing left of me for you to love." For the first time since he could remember, he heard not a word of objection, and all that surrounded him thereafter was endless silence. His head lowered, and when his eyes glanced about in search of her, he saw her graceful figure walking toward the forest in the distance.
The moon was partially visible behind the clouds, and illuminated her amethyst dress just enough that he noticed she walked with her hands folded in prayer, and her face hidden by her thick raven hair. As much as his heart begged him to go to her, he remained still until he caught white specks of snowflakes drifting from the black night sky. The light substance quickly filled the sky in a storm of white, but seconds after descending upon the earth the snow melted into the ground and disappeared. His unblinking eyes watched the snow land on soil, but to his dismay it too melted into nothing. With the last of his strength gone, he fell to his knees upon the earth and tilted his head upward to the sky. His lips parted as if to let out a wail loud enough for God to hear, but his throat emitted nothing except silence, and he covered his face with his hands and wept. The only sound he could make were his sobs, as his weakened body crumpled against the cold ground in a fit of tears.
The weeping youth tried to ignore what broke through all his feelings of woe, but the nudging was so persistent he lifted his head and looked over his shoulder, only to find Cojiro's muzzle pressed against his arm. The horse's head was lowered, its fine ears pricked forward, as its dark eyes gazed at its fallen master. Joachim struggled to swat the equine away with his hand, but no matter how hard he tried, the beast continued to nudge him till the young man forced himself to stand up. Seemingly satisfied by his compliance, the horse whickered gently, and remained still when its master's frail body fell against its muscled shoulder. Joachim pressed his face against his horse's fine silver coat, until his horse's reassuring nuzzles and his own frozen tears prompted him to complete his task. Once again he turned toward the grave and gathered the remnants of his composure. Even as he forced his feet to step forward, they felt burdened by an unseen force, and the dead gaze in his pale blue eyes unveiled nothing except the plainest form of solemn reverence. The damp snow felt hostile against his sensitive flesh. Though many lords would not mourn so greatly a product of human desire, Joachim continued to lament over the innocence that had passed away.
Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he wiped them away as he kneeled next to the stone and threw back the folds of his robe. Beneath, hooked to his waist next to the leather sheathe containing his sword, was his dagger. The young lord drew the weapon from his side and pressed it against the rock until the sharp tip of the blade ground into its solid surface. With a heavy sigh, he made a simple engraving and stared at what he had carved. It was crude, but nonetheless, leaving an empty grave marker would not have eased his conscience.
Kali Armster
Born & died January 18th 1094
Dearly departed, dearly loved
He stared at the marker until his entire body was numb with cold. Then, in a kind of rigid fashion, he began to walk away. It was during his solemn trudge through the darkness that his thoughts became clearer, and bitterness once again took hold of him, so that his attention soon turned upon the suspicious lord who had come calling upon his village. There was something odd about the way Walter only came at nightfall, and how the man had made a swift retreat after taking a brief glimpse at the lightening sky. Yet, the more his thoughts consumed him, the more he denied the notion of vampires. It was impossible.
He hoped that wherever he went he would find Catherine somehow, for it was a terribly dark and cold winter's eve, and he had seen not a sign of her since she wandered away. Whilst the thought echoed through his memory, his steps quickened, and his search became more frantic. "Catherine!" He tried to call out to her but there was only silence. The young man headed into the forest, following the pathway he thought she had taken. His selfishness consumed him to the point that, by the time he realized it, she had already disappeared without a trace. All around him, the tall trunks of the trees looked like the bars of a cage in which he was trapped, and could find no liberty from except to roam deeper and deeper into the forest. A thick fog settled over the road so that within moments the path disappeared within an illusion of silvery white. After several minutes, the despondent young man came to a halt in the middle of the path and listened to the silence around him. The pale shade of his flesh turned the color of ghostly white, and his thin hands trembled at the sudden realization that the fog was almost as unnatural as the silence itself. Somewhere in the trees his eyes glimpsed at the shadow of a tall figure watching him, but when he blinked there was not an animal or being in sight.
Madness! There is no such thing as vampires! In a moment I am certain I will come to my senses and know all of this is just a result of my fatigue.
"What's the matter? If you are tired, you should not have wandered so far from the safety of your manor..."
A voice suddenly broke the tense silence, a voice so startling and smooth Joachim's eyes widened in recognition. The young man whirled in place, his face a mask of horror when he looked upon the sight of Walter emerging through the fog upon his horse. The figure was unmistakable - an elegant face framed by coiled locks of luscious red hair and majestic dark eyes. Virtually every aspect of the other lord was both striking and terrifying. While gazing down at the shocked young man, whose vulnerable form appeared white under the moonlight, Walter's lips made a deliberate smile. For the first time, Joachim glimpsed at his pearly white enamels - two of which protruded like the fangs of a wolf. Walter paused as he allowed his armored form to emerge through the fog. His voice was so deep that it seemed to make the air tremble.
Joachim's face twisted into a look of fear. The silence should have allowed him to hear Walter coming long before he was within sight. The other lord's movements were so stealthy, he could barely comprehend the fact that Walter had been watching him all along – and he had been none the wiser, distracted and vulnerable from his sorrow and fatigue. The horse gave loud reproachful snorts as its long mane swept around its eyes and bounced lightly against its neck. Joachim backed away when the equine came within a few meters from where he stood, his eyes widening as he looked up at Walter's stately form seated upon the restless creature. The other lord swung his leg over the saddle and jumped onto the ground with barely a sound to account for the heavy weight of his crimson armor.
"Walter! You despicable man, leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you." Joachim hissed, his breath escaping into the crisp air when his hand reached for the sword at his side. His hands trembled so much that he had to fumble to find it beneath his robes.
Walter licked his lips and stared at him, his dark eyes watching him meticulously. "I see. So, you think you have the power to defy me? How amusing."
Joachim clutched his blade so tightly that the hilt ground into his palm. The rage in his voice attempted to sting the red-haired lord like a thousand bees. "You ruined my life when you came to my village! I told you to never return, and yet here you stand! Either get out of my way, or else I will be forced to make you leave!"
"Interesting…" Walter remarked with the smirk still plastered across his lips. "You're over confident, but it is intriguing. I would find that rather noble, if you were not so foolish as to even attempt to fight me."
Joachim stared at Water's calm expression with the deepest of questions coursing through his mind. "You're the fool." He retorted. "I am a swordsman. You do not stand a chance against me. I suggest you discover my strength instead of pre-judging me."
A twinge of amusement made Walter smile at him with mock interest. "Very well, then. Go ahead and strike me, if you dare. I can assure you, your pitiful weapon will be ineffective."
A soft growl escaped through Joachim's lips, his eyes hardening in the darkness. He breathed heavily, his form straightening until he rushed forward with the sword and lunged to strike him down. Walter didn't even bat an eyelid when his blade smashed against his chest. A slight smile creased Joachim's lips at the sound of the sword hitting the cold metal, but it faded quickly when the blade broke in half like a toothpick. "What?" He yelled and stared at the broken sword as the sound of Walter's laughter filled the silence of the night.
"Just as I expected, you're a fool but confident nonetheless." The other lord mused, his eyes glinting in the darkness like diamonds. It was almost as if he had anticipated that the young man would try to attack him.
The attempt seemed even more foolish when Joachim looked up at the man's heavily armored frame. By comparison, he was nothing except weak and pale shadow of Walter's power. At that moment, a terrible chill ran through his spine at the thought that he stood no chance against him. "How did my sword break? This can't be! That sword was made with the strongest metal and iron! I didn't even scratch you!" His heart began to beat wildly in his chest when Walter proudly fanned his flowing black cape around his body like a gigantic bat. However, the man's elegance gave the impression that he was merely preening himself and preparing for what was to come. More than anything, the young man wished he would not find out.
"Your weapon cannot harm me. I could kill you now and feast upon your flesh…but…" A strange glint reflected in the man's eyes.
Joachim attempted to back away slowly when he stepped toward him. He held the broken blade in front of him, feebly trying to shield himself with it as his fine lips gasped."What are you? What kind of treachery is this?" His eyes widened into pale, glassy pools as he watched Walter chuckle again and reply in a dark whisper.
"Your blood would be far more satisfying to my thirst…to feel you struggle in my grasp…I will enjoy this all the more." The red-haired lord's heavily armored frame blocked the misty moon looming behind him, shadowing Joachim in darkness.
The pale youth stared at Walter as if his entire world had been turned upside down. He could not even blink as his gaze lingered upon the noticeable fangs protruding between his smooth lips. The breath in his lungs hitched when he realized Walter's flesh was no less pallid than the moon itself. A terrible realization made his body tremble, whilst his voice died to a whisper. "Are you...a vampire? Surely this cannot be!"
"Ah, so you finally understand, my frightened little lord. I thought one of your keen intellect would have detected me long beforehand, but alas, I suppose your skeptical nature proves damning after all. Do not be so defensive, for I have no desire to have you meet a premature end."A coy little smile spread across the corners of Walter's graceful lips. Like a dark God, he loomed over the pale young man, his form glowing under the moon's white light. As though trying to calm him, his voice softened slightly. "I have wanted you since the day you were born. Tis'...regretful I must taint you after you recently endured the death of your child. If you wish to have a reason to live, now, blood will soon be one."
Joachim did everything in his power to keep his thoughts composed, though this fear raged within his soul like the sea, its power threatening to make him lose control. He swallowed hard, avoiding the man's gaze whilst he replied. "No. I still have a life – Catherine. I do not wish to be damned as you are." Despite the firmness in his voice, Walter seemed unconvinced. The red-haired lord merely flicked his hair, the red coils splaying against the high collar of his armor in dismissal of the young man's rejection. His eyes glowed a crimson red that pierced the night like a demon's lantern. Joachim stared into the glowing irises that drew his gaze with a sort of hypnotic illusion, and staggered in place when he suddenly felt his body weaken. He experienced many bouts of tiredness but what he felt made his entire body immobile.
A slow smile pressed across Walter's smooth lips while his words echoed into the darkness surrounding them. "I am about to bestow a precious gift upon you…the gift of immortality. I have chosen you, Joachim, to live as I do. I realized that, in your frail condition, the possibility of you dying before I could turn you was too high a risk. You deserve more than to live as a bedridden, weak, and disgraced lord. You know as well as I that your indiscretion with that gypsy woman cost you dearly – all of your father's connections and investments will be lost once news of your scandal spreads. Human society is so very fickle in nature – those whom you call 'friends' are nothing more than leeches attempting to drain you of everything you possess. If you submit to me, you will be denied nothing – and those who mocked you shall soon fear you!"
Despite the sudden feeling of exhaustion, Joachim closed his eyes, his breaths becoming shallow in the wake of his escalading dread. With the grace of a fallen prince, he raised his head, unwilling to accept the vampire's attempt to persuade him. Walter's confidence made a wicked grin crease the corners of his lips, whilst his steely blue eyes came alight as though something about the situation was remarkably funny. The white-haired youth fell to his knees on the ground and tilted his head to look up at the other lord. For a moment, Walter's face revealed a hint of confusion, his dark eyes widening upon hearing the young man's audacious laughter. The young man's laugh emotionless, almost possessing a coldness that drained the beauty and nobility from his pallid visage. Joachim's entire body shook while his gaze stabbed the other lord with his hatred. "I cannot believe that I was so foolish as to think that for a moment, you truly cared about me, Walter. What chance does a pathetic thing like me stand against you? Oh, life is indeed cruel! There is no real love left in this world. Evidently, I should not have expected to find it within you."
For a moment, Walter merely watched the young man continue to laugh, the ostentatious sound echoing through the darkness. Then, suddenly regaining himself, Joachim got up from the ground as he continued. "I suppose the only thing left for me to do is flee. That is what you want, is it not? If it were not for Catherine's sake, perhaps I might let you have your way with me. If I have to live the rest of my life in misery, I will endure it for her sake. You forget that for so long I knew I was destined to die early in life, and as of late, I have realized that I truly want to die." Joachim raised his head and stared up into the darkened sky, relishing the moon's pale light cascading across his ashen face. A proud glint appeared in his eyes as he fought to subdue the temptation to give in. It would be easy to let the creature take him. However, he sensed that Walter wanted him to put up a fight – and he was more than happy to give him one. "I am not yours." he continued, a hint of arrogance seeping through his voice as he hissed. "As tempting as it is to become your puppet and your slave, I cannot accept."
"What a pity." Walter replied coolly, his eyes staring down at Joachim as though he had not entirely heard the young man's rebuff. Despite the lord's growing impatience, his expression softened whilst his voice fell quiet. "You injure me with your assumptions. The choice is no longer yours to make. I risked everything for you…" For a moment, he hesitated as if the admission pained him greatly, and his voice verged on trembling when he continued. "There is nothing in this world I would not give you, Joachim, if only you would understand…"
A silence passed between them. For a split second, the young man was tempted to fall into the entrapment of the other lord. He could feel the creature's loneliness as strongly as if it were his own, for there was something beautiful and sad in his words. Though he did not know Walter's tragedy, he could see it within the practiced elegance of his smile. If only he could ease the man's pain with his kiss – however, he knew Walter's bite would betray his compassion. It disgusted him to realize that the red-haired demon was even more desirable in their moment together, immersed in the pale shroud of the night fog, caught between life and death. Walter was capable of invoking fear, pleasure, and pain from him simultaneously. No one had ever made his heart pound the way Walter did. He despised himself for it but some part of him wanted the vampire to take him – and everything he was – completely, ruthlessly, possessively, and if it were possible, lovingly. A compassionate death could be his, though he knew that the demon's bite would not kill him but rather, preserve him forever.
Walter moved closer, and in response, Joachim moved back, his eyes widening further from the creature's persistence. "I said no." The young lord repeated, his lips quivering when the demon's armored frame shadowed the moonlight. "Do not do this to me…I beg you…" his eyes widened as his voice, once defiant, pleaded for mercy. Joachim broke their gaze, the tails of his robes fanning around his body as he turned and ran into the eerily quiet night. It would be difficult for him to run for long. Despite his unwilling mind, his body would give in to the vampire, eventually.
"Very well, Joachim, I shall give you a head start. Run. You may think you have the ability to escape me; however you are merely trying to escape what is inevitable. I will not let you vanish from my grasp so easily; though running away makes this all the more thrilling for me."
Joachim turned to hear Walter's words call after him within the darkness. He glimpsed at the creature's grinning face, revealing the points of his deadly fangs. His breaths became haggard the longer he ran down the path, tearing up fallen leaves and dust in his wake as the path disappeared behind him in a blanket of fog. Desperation rang through the deepest core of his soul, which urged him to run faster, despite knowing he was doomed. His escape promised the possibility of redemption – of knowing that, when he was captured and tainted, it had not been willingly. The last of his goodness would persevere until the end. He imagined the transformation of his body: the idea of his heart growing cold and his flesh white, all of it sculpted by Walter, as though the demon was an artist attempting to recreate his own twisted version of death.
Joachim blew the high pitch whistle song into the air that echoed through the forest. He did not know how far he had made it but listened intently while his breaths filled the night in thick puffs from his gaping mouth. The echo of hoof beats drew his eyes to the foggy nightscape. His frail body shivered in the cold and huddled to keep warm. The hoof beats gradually grew louder as the seconds passed, and his eyes lit like stars when the sight of his horse emerged through the fog at a gallop. A shrill whinny pierced the silent air the instant the stallion caught sight of his trembling form, and within the mist Joachim almost couldn't discriminate the silvery coat of his horse from the fog. The stallion halted before him and bumped its muzzle against his shoulder. Without hesitating, Joachim leapt upon the back of the beast, his voice straining with fear. "Cojiro! Make haste, as fast as you can, with every ounce of your will!" he balanced himself on the steed's back, grabbing hold of the mane for support and leaning forward to lessen his weight. The horse threw its head back before turning to gallop down the path. He guided the stallion with his legs, pressing harder into the horse's side with his metal heels to increase speed. The frigid night wind whipped against his face and fanned his shoulder length ivory hair behind him, as his eyes stared ahead at the pathway slowly revealing itself through the fog. The trees surrounding the path became a repetitive blur, and he heard the stallion blow harder puffs of breath into the air. His muscles tensed and seemed to stir unease through his horse, however it increased tenfold when he heard louder and heavier hoof beats echoing behind him, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Do you seriously believe you can escape me? I feel your fear coursing through your soul, draining away the fractions of hope you are so frantic to sustain…"
Joachim dared to linger his gaze over his shoulder, but there was no one in sight to meet the words, which were evidently spoken from Walter. The vampire's voice resounded off the trees, which amplified it and enclosed it around him as if he was no more than a few paces behind. "Stop!" he screeched back between gritted teeth, and turned his head to forward again. "I won't listen to your lies! I want nothing to do with you!"
"I can hear your heart beating within your chest, making the blood in your veins flow faster. As a vampire I hear a great many things…but best of all will be the sound of your voice crying out when my fangs pierce through your neck."
Joachim squeezed the silken strands of Cojiro's silvery hair between his clenched fingers. Locks of his hair flew in his face the moment he resigned himself to keeping a constant gaze over his shoulder, and abruptly lost all coloration left within his skin when the sight of Walter became visible through the fog. The pounding of Walter's horse rang in his mind, and the closer the horse came the finer its bay coat gleamed like crimson blood under the moonlight. A deafening scream filled the air as the horse's eyes blazed and trickles of foam slid from the corners of its open muzzle. He kicked Cojiro firmly with his heels, begging the horse to gallop faster.
Joachim turned away and guided his horse to create another gap between them, though when he did, Walter followed until their horses were parallel. The young nobleman withdrew the broken sword and swung it madly when the vampire reached out to grab him. Walter's reaching hand attempted to grasp him by the collar of his robe. Before he could even let out a gasp, he leaned away to avoid it, accidentally sliding off his horse's back in the process. Within seconds, the cold, hard earth greeted him when he fell. Whether it was a miracle or a curse, he did not break his neck when his body collided against the ground. He lay there for a moment, his eyes wide in dazed confusion, until he managed to sit up and rub his head. Desperate to escape, he tried to get up but tripped over his robe. His ivory hair swished around his face and he coughed several times, blinded by the pain caused by his fall. His boots scraped against the soil until they regained their traction, and as he stumbled to his feet, he looked up and saw the vampire dismount his horse. "What have I done to deserve this? Is ruining my life not satisfactory enough?" He cried in the night, meeting the fresh glisten in his eyes that clouded his vision and distorted the vampire's form.
Within the fog came Walter's cold reply."No it is not. If your life is truly ruined, you have nothing to return to."
The youth's eyes gazed helplessly at the demon while he struggled to maintain his balance after another exhausted sensation flooded through him. It was not the doing of the vampire, but of his own body rebelling in weakness. "I cannot live for eternity when I know I am supposed to die!"
The pounding of hooves from Cojiro grew nearer until horse skidded to a halt between he and Walter. Joachim watched, his eyes widening, when his horse reared into the air and lashed its onyx hooves. The stallion's silvery coat gleamed in the moonlight and its long tresses fell gracefully upon its slender neck. When the enraged beast landed, it flattened its ears upon its regal head, its ivory incisors bared at the red-haired lord in challenge. Walter ginned, a twinkle of impatience and delight reflecting in his dark eyes. As if possessed, the horse thumped its hooves against the ground, its throat emitting a shrill, whinnying cry into the blackness of the night. Walter approached the beast calmly, ignoring its fit of rage as he raised his head, the locks of his hair falling in wavelets against his cheeks and neck. His eyes tinted a bright shade of red. Joachim could only watch in horror as the horse lowered itself to its knees upon the ground, its distressed cries turning into softened snorts until it collapsed onto its side. Though it still breathed, the animal's eyes closed. A howl of sorrow escaped his throat as he stared at his fallen horse. "Cojiro!" He tried to call the animal to him but it remained where it fell, unmoving. "No! What did you do to him?" He forced himself to run toward the animal, whereupon he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around its neck in a sorrowful embrace.
The vampire stepped over the fallen beast as if it were merely a nuisance. There was nowhere to run or hide, now. Joachim felt his heart rate elevate while he stared up at Walter's face, the terror of what was to come making his body tremble. With the last of his will, he swung the broken sword at the creature. In mid-swing, Walter's gauntlet-covered hand snatched him by the wrist and squeezed. The demon only had to apply a small amount of pressure to make the young man scream. A torrent of pain quickly sized him as he felt his wrist threaten to snap like a twig under Walter's hold. Like a spring lamb to be slaughtered, he clung to the last minutes of his life, whilst his glassy gaze looked into those of his torturer. The black abyss within the vampire's eyes threatened to devour him, body, and soul at any moment. "What did you hope to accomplish through such a feeble attempt?" Tendrils of red hair swept around Walter's face as he leaned so close Joachim shuddered. The red-haired lord grabbed him by the collar of his robe and lifted him off the ground.
The young man's clawed at the creature's wrist, his eyes widening in fear as the vampire pulled him forward. "Release me!" He rasped, though the last of his desperate hope was shattered by the vampire's loud, echoing laughter.
Walter's eyes glazed. The darkness in the demon's eyes betrayed his elegance. His crimson hair and armor shone like blood, its magnificence rivaled only by its ability to terrify any who opposed his will. For a brief moment, a look of pity appeared in his eyes as he gaze down at the helpless young man. "Impossible. My thirst has already taken hold. I promise I will not kill you...completely."
"Please, Walter!" He choked, however he felt the vampire slowly reach for the first clasp on his shirt and unhook it, unveiling the tender flesh under the illumination of the moon. Joachim turned his head away and gazed at the ground. However, the creature's hand clamped around his chin and forced their eyes to meet. Without replying, the red-haired demon pressed his cold, pale lips over his exposed neck. As though death itself touched him, Joachim shuddered under the icy touch of Walter's lips upon his warm flesh. The demon's touch was delicate and careful, awaiting the perfect moment to carry out the young man's fate. Joachim struggled to free himself while he cried out, his voice straining. "No! Don't! " Memories flashed through his mind. He pictured Catherine's smiling face and the life he was about to leave behind.
Many a man did not have the opportunity to look upon the face of death as he did. Yet, Walter's beautiful visage remained calm, though the hungry look in his eyes confirmed the inevitable. Joachim grimaced whilst his eyes spilled hot, wet tears down his wan cheeks. Please God, help me! Despite his silent pleas, no angel descended to save him from his fate. Of course, he knew better than to expect God's help. The only thing to witness the defilement of his body and soul was the lonely moon in the sky. Like the pale rider of death, the moon's white light shone upon the youth, emphasizing the fragility of his beauty and grace. At any moment, he would fade within the darkness, his soul forever warped by the demon's bite. The same God that did nothing to save his child would do nothing to save his soul. It did not matter if it was by his will or not, God would damn him once he was turned. A terrible rage filled the young man at the thought that God had finally abandoned him to his fate. Like a fallen angel, he would be forever tainted and despised. The demon's bite symbolized a rape upon his very soul - a profound defilement that, once made, was irreversible. Walter's possessive hold sought to ensure that nothing, not even God, would intervene to prevent the terrible fate that would be his. The burdens of his life – the death, pain, resentment, jealousy, and rage…would be his to bear for eternity.
Joachim's cries silenced the moment Walter's fangs punctured into his neck. His eyes froze open whilst his body succumbed to the agony reaping through his body. Yet, it did not take long for the young man to fall completely limp in the red-haired lord's embrace. Though the physical pain was nearly unbearable, a deeper pain surged through his soul which, at that moment, Walter took unwillingly from the light. Blood trickled in streams down the young man's milky throat, its hot, thick, warmth spilling upon the ground in a river of red. Despite the pain, he fought to remain conscious and his lips parted long enough to release a sorrowful wail that broke the merciless silence of the night. A part of him hoped that God heard his rage - the last bitter cry of a soul defiled and cast away.
When it felt like he had no blood left to sacrifice, he felt his body slip onto the ground, landing harshly in the pool of red liquid that had seeped around Walter's feet. The young man gasped, his pale eyes wide and glassy as he pressed one of his hands over the wound. Warm, thick, blood swirled between his fingers, staining the once beautiful, white skin completely red. With his last breath, he kept his hand pressed upon it whilst the other clawed at the earth in an effort to pull his wretched body forward. A dying wish to escape his own damnation, or perhaps, to believe God could yet save him from it. However, the suffocating darkness around him proved that he was, in the end, completely and utterly alone. At last, in his own blood, his trembling body fell still at Walter's feet. He looked up at the vampire's face, which wore a pitying, though ultimately, contented smile. Blood trickled from the corners of the demon's lips until he licked them like a cat, his dark eyes glinting whilst they gazed upon the dying young man. Walter kneeled and swept his long, black cape over the pale outline of the bleeding young lord, enveloping him in darkness. The moon's pale light vanished as if it had been snuffed out by an unseen hand. The pain was so great Joachim could not think. Within moments, his delicate lashes fluttered closed.
All that remained of that night was blackness. A thick, chilling blackness marking the end of a life he never had the chance to live.
End of Part One