Once more, I don't owe any of the Ranma ½ characters. They are property of
Rumiko Takahashi. And the story about Cain was taken from the "Vampire,
Dark Ages" book (the RPG game).
Chapter Seven: Wilheim's Story
Ukyo and Wilheim were upstairs. Ukyo was changing to go to bed, inside the bathroom, and Wilheim was sitting on a sofa, waiting for her.
"Will you go in the morning?" asked Ukyo to Wilheim, from the bathroom.
"I have to." He answered.
"Why don't you stay in the storage room? No light enters there..." she offered.
Wilheim stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then, he smiled to himself.
"If it's not too much trouble... I would like to..." he said, accepting.
"No trouble at all." said Ukyo, giggling.
She went out of the bathroom with her pajamas on. Wilheim looked at her, and turned his sight away almost immediately. His face turned red.
"What...? You've seen me this way before, remember?" said Ukyo, smiling.
"Yes, but I was in a wolf's shape..." answered Wilheim, still blushing.
Ukyo chuckled, and quickly got herself into bed.
Wilheim's face returned to normal, and he got the sofa closer to the bed. Ukyo turned off the lights. Darkness filled the room. Nor Ukyo or Wilheim could see anything.
"Good night." She said.
"Sweet dreams..." said Wilheim.
"I'll try..." said Ukyo, sighing.
Silence filled the room. Ukyo had a rough day, without mentioning the encounter with Magnus, and she was exhausted. However, she was not sleepy. She started to move again, and again. She had too many questions in her mind. She was in her room, with a vampire! There was too much to ask.
"...Wilheim?" she said, after a few moments.
"Yes?" responded Wilheim.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
"We have all night..." said Wilheim, "but don't blame me if you can't get up early tomorrow." He concluded, with a sudden chuckle.
"It's Saturday tomorrow. Who cares at what time do I get up?" she said, giggling.
Wilheim laughed.
"Then, go ahead. What do you want to talk about?" he said, lowering his voice to a gentle whisper.
Ukyo had too many questions. She didn't know were to start. She decided to start with the 'basic' questions.
"Where are you from, really?" she asked.
"I told you, Germany." He answered.
"Oh..." muttered Ukyo. Another question came to her mind. "How old are you?" she asked.
"My body is that of a grown boy." He answered. "My body is seventeen years old. But my soul is sixty seven years old."
"You have been a vampire for fifty years?" asked Ukyo, shocked.
"Yes. It's not that much. I've known vampires that are about seven hundred years old." He said.
"Wow..." said Ukyo shocked. "...Like Magnus?"
"Yes." Said Wilheim dryly. "Like Magnus. He's four hundred years old, I think..."
Ukyo moved and faced the direction were Wilheim was sitting. In the shadows, she could see his shape, sitting down in her sofa, assuming a comfortable position. But nothing else. Not even his eyes.
"But, why aren't you more like..." she began, trying to find the right words, "'older', in your way of acting?"
"Because I've adapted myself to the years, trying to remain a teenager, always. I try to look at the new things that get to this world as subjectively as possible. And I always look at them as a teenager. I know a lot about the world and it's story. But I'm still young. I have a young soul." He said.
Ukyo said nothing for a moment. She only nodded.
"How did it happen?" she asked.
This was the question Wilheim had been expecting. He began his story:
"It was the year1948. The country was in ruins, Second World War had ended three years ago. And the land was being separated in two, by communism. I ran away from my dear Germany, when I saw the monster She had become into."
"Were you chased by Nazis, or anything?" interrupted Ukyo.
"No... I was catholic, and born a German." Answered Wilheim. "I despised Nazis, and I despised Hitler. That's why I ran away. But it was the World War... there was rarely a place to be safe..."
Wilheim made a pause. It was Ukyo who broke it.
"What about your parents?" she asked.
Wilheim sighed, and then he answered:
"I never knew them. I was all alone. Except for my best friend... Sigfried."
"Oh!" exclaimed Ukyo in a whisper. Wilheim continued his story:
"Sigfried and I ran away to a ranch, in the far east of Berlin. The owners of the ranch accepted us. They allowed us to stay with them. But it wasn't easy, we had to work everyday to keep our stance there. The owners, Gerard and Anne, were very kind to us. Everyday that passed, Sigfried and I grew more independent. He was like a brother to me. We had a deep affection for each other. We worked at the ranch, earning our food and our shelter everyday for two years. Then, in 1950, it happened.
"The first night, we found Gerard and Anne's dog with it's intestines inside out. It was really a monstrous scene. But that was nothing compared to the upcoming nights. We found that the cattle was disappearing. But we couldn't see the thief, nor the wolves. One morning, we discovered that the chickens had all been decapitated. And the following nights went on as usual. He was haunting us. Although it didn't last longer than a month, I thought it would never end. It did end. But it ended in the most horrible tragedy.
"Gerard and Anne were asleep at the moment, and Sigfried and I were standing guard. If the fiend came in sight, we would hesitate not in attacking him, and making him pay for his deeds. When we less expected it, Sigfried and I heard a terrifying scream, coming out of Mrs. Anne. We ran as fast as we could to her help. When we got there, she had been slain, just as Master Gerard. And the horrible creature that did this, that demon, was still drinking blood from Anne's neck. Sigfried and I were petrified. We were scared to death. The demon raised his sight, and gazed at us. Then, he showed us the most horrid smile you could ever imagine. He leaped forward, and bit Sigfried in the neck, and drained him almost immediately, while he held me down. When he was done with Sigfried, he fed on me. The pain was intense. I couldn't move. I felt how life left my body. Everything was turning black. The last thing I saw, was Sigfried's face pressed against the demon's wrist. He tried to back away, but the demon held him there. When Sigfried drank enough, the demon grabbed my head, and made me drink from him. I couldn't resist it. His blood was running through my veins almost immediately. And it felt good. Without wanting it at all, my body fell into a total ecstasy. He pulled his wrist away from me, and then I fell unconscious. That's the last thing I remember about that night.
"I was a vampire the next night. And so was Sigfried. As soon as we rose up from our coffins, Magnus came into the room and introduced himself. He had acquired a totally different shape. You only know Magnus by his gargoyle shape. He is actually, an old looking man, without any hair at all. He has huge, pointy ears, and huge fangs that come out from his mouth. His eyes are blue, and his face is very skinny... it's full of wrinkles and scars. He is very thin, but he has an amazing strength. Anyhow, he told us he was our master, and that we should serve him as his loyal slaves. Sigfried and I had no choice..."
Wilheim made a pause, to refresh his mouth with saliva. He waited a little time before he continued with his narration, expecting any upcoming questions from Ukyo.
"When you feed... do you have to kill?" asked Ukyo, seeing that Wilheim had stopped.
"Not necessarily. I had to kill my victims the first years. But then I found out that I had the power to make them forget..." responded Wilheim. Then he continued with his narration:
"Sigfried and I were miserable. We disliked Magnus from the very beginning, and the more we tried to run away from him, the meaner he got. And one night, after one of our many attempts to run away, Magnus was scolding us, as usual, for our futile attempts. He always took out a whip and hit us twenty times. We did not care, we were strong enough to resist the punishment, and we regenerated almost immediately. But this time it was different. The sun was about to show it's face behind those big, lovely mountains. The terrible dawn was approaching very quickly. And Magnus didn't have a whip in his hands... he had a halberd. He walked to and fro across the small room for a few minutes; then he turned to face me and said, with a frightening smile:
'These are the things that I have to do, Wilheim, to make you understand.'
With a swift movement of his hands, Magnus drove the halberd into Sigfried's stomach. The pain was too much for me to bear. Tears came out of my eyes and I threw my body against Magnus. He dodged me, and hit me in the back of the head. All I remember after that, is seeing Sigfried's ashes at the foot of the halberd the next night."
Silence again. Wilheim paused for a moment to let out a long, sad sigh. Then he went on:
"That happened in 1968. Sigfried was my only partner in this... life. I knew many vampires later... but none other like Sigfried."
"So... you managed to escape from Magnus?" asked Ukyo in a low voice.
"No." Answered Wilheim. "He always followed me wherever I went."
"But you said you met others..." insisted Ukyo.
"I did." Responded Wilheim. "But that doesn't mean he wasn't with me."
"Oh..." said Ukyo. Then she added: "I'm sorry about your friend."
"It's alright. I know he rests in peace, now." Said Wilheim, sadly.
"...What happened later?" asked Ukyo.
"Not much." Answered Wilheim. "Since 1968, I've been roaming the world, waiting."
"For what?"
"To be more powerful than he is." Said Wilheim, his voice acquired a slightly angry tone.
"But how...?" asked Ukyo.
"As time passes, a vampire grows more powerful..." said Wilheim.
"But he will always be older than you..." said Ukyo.
"Yes, but I seek the help of Oracles and Magicians... luckily, Magnus doesn't believe in magic."
"Isn't there a way to become mortal once again?" asked Ukyo. Her words reflected a kind of hope.
Wilheim said nothing for a few seconds. He sighed, and then he said:
"There is an Oracle girl, that lives in England. Her name is Gabrielle. She has the power to return me to normal. But Magnus won't let me see her. Besides, if I change into a human once more, I'm sure he'd change me into a vampire again."
"Oh..." murmured Ukyo.
Silence filled the room again. Only Ukyo and Wilheim's breathing could be heard. Ukyo now knew Wilheim's story. But she still had a lot of questions.
"Do you know were vampires come from?" she asked.
Wilheim raised his head and looked at the dark ceiling for a while, before answering.
"A vampire once told me, that we are all children of Cain." He finally said.
"Cain?" asked Ukyo confused.
"Have you read the Bible?" asked Wilheim.
"Yeah... Oh, my God!! That Cain??" exclaimed Ukyo.
"Yes." Said Wilheim. "The first murderer. He killed Abel because he was jealous. I'm sure you know the story..." he inferred.
Ukyo nodded.
"Yeah..." she said.
"Well..." Wilheim continued, "when God marked Cain with his wrath and cursed him to wander the world alone, Cain, in a mockery of God's act to create life, created his own progeny."
"And thus, vampires were born..." concluded Ukyo.
"Exactly." Said Wilheim.
"Do you believe the vampire who told you this?" asked Ukyo.
"He's one of the oldest vampires in the world. At the moment... he's about six hundred years old, I think... how can I not believe him?" Wilheim said.
"Six hundred years?!?!" Exclaimed Ukyo. "Wow... what's his name?" she asked, filled with curiosity.
"Gustav, if I'm not mistaken..." answered Wilheim.
Ukyo sighed. Then, without saying anything, she turned the lights on. Wilheim looked at her, puzzled.
"I'm thirsty..." she said, giggling.
"Oh!" Wilheim exclaimed, smiling. "I'll get it for you..." he offered.
"Oh, no, don't bother, thanks..." said Ukyo.
Wilheim, without listening, went to the kitchen as fast as he could, and in a moment, he was standing in front of Ukyo, with a glass of water. Ukyo made a playful grumble.
"Thank you" she said, in a sweet tone of voice.
Wilheim nodded, as if to say "you're welcome". Ukyo took a zip of her glass of water and left it on top of her night table.
"Want some?" she offered.
"No, thanks." Said Wilheim, raising a hand, rejecting the offer politely. "All I can drink is blood..."
Ukyo nodded and sat down at her bed. She turned on the little lamp that was beside her, and politely signaled Wilheim to please turn off the room lights. He did this quickly. Then, Ukyo laid down and covered half of her body with the blankets.
"...Have you fed tonight?" she asked.
Wilheim nodded.
"I feed on three persons a night... but I don't kill." He said.
Ukyo sighed.
"Must be awful..." she said.
"It is... but I don't feel that bad, now, because I don't kill anymore. When I killed... the pain was unbearable." Wilheim said.
Ukyo sighed once more. Then she made a pause before her next question.
"So, what's up with Magnus?" she asked.
Wilheim turned to look at the glass of water, as if it were something magical that had caught his attention.
"Gustav told me his story. It seems he was in the Nosferatu clan..."
"Nosferatu clan?" asked Ukyo, puzzled.
Wilheim nodded.
"There are thirteen vampire clans among the world. The Nosferatu spend their lives under the ground studying the mysteries of life, resolving enigmas, planting questions... they are philosophers, the wisest of all vampire clans. They never go out to surface; only when they have to feed they abandon the safety of the underground. They are horrid monsters... just like I described Magnus a while ago... but unlike Magnus, they are not mean. That's why he was cast out. He was a killer, and the Nosferatu didn't like that. So they cast him out. Magnus became a vagabond... wandering the world, and wherever he passed, death and destruction did too."
"Oh..." Ukyo said in a tiny voice. "...Do you belong to a clan?" she asked.
Wilheim shook his head.
"I'm what other vampires would call a Caitiff... I have no clan at all. These kind of vampires, such as Magnus and myself, are despised by vampires that belong to a clan. But I have earned respect throughout most clans, by demonstrating my passion for human life, and my powers... Magnus is rejected by most vampires that I have ever met..."
Ukyo sighed. She stopped looking at Wilheim and turned her sight at the ceiling.
"...Why won't he let you go?" she asked.
"He enjoys torturing me. Or that's what he says..." replied Wilheim.
Ukyo nodded her head.
"Your case reminds me of Lestat and Louis..." she said with sad smile.
Wilheim looked at Ukyo a few moments. Then he chuckled.
"From 'Interview With the Vampire'? Me being Louis and Magnus being Lestat?" he asked, smiling.
Ukyo turned her head around and looked at him in the eyes
"Yeah..." she said, in a sad tone.
Wilheim sighed as his smile grew bigger.
"No." He began. "Lestat was not mean to Louis. Lestat wasn't mean at all. He just enjoyed being a vampire, and you can't blame vampires for that. Besides, he tried to help Louis all he could. Well... he did tease him a couple of times, but in the end, he always loved him." He paused for a moment, and then he added: "He didn't want to be left alone..."
Ukyo didn't say anything for a few moments. Then she nodded.
"I guess you're right..." she said.
"Actually..." began Wilheim once more, "I consider myself more like Lestat. I wasn't given a choice, I know absolutely no teachings from my creator, and I have no one in this world... Sigfried was my only partner... my Louis..." he concluded with a very sad and tern smile.
Ukyo sat down in her bed, reached for her glass, and drank some water. Then, with a sigh, she asked:
"How do you know that?"
Wilheim chuckled.
"I'm reading 'The Vampire Lestat'. Actually, his creator was also called Magnus..." he said.
Ukyo sighed.
"What a coincidence..." she murmured.
"You should read Anne Rice..." said Wilheim. "She is one of the best authors of our time..."
Ukyo giggled.
"So, you like to read?" she asked, forgetting her sadness.
"Yes. Especially about vampires..." said Wilheim, between chuckles.
Ukyo smiled and shook her head. A momentary silence filled the room. This 'Interview With the Vampire' theme had only made Ukyo think of more questions...
"Does it really hurt that bad when a vampire bites you?" she asked.
Wilheim crossed his arms and took a deep breath. But before he could speak, Ukyo continued talking:
"I mean... in the movie... at the beginning, when Lestat and Louis bit that woman, she actually seemed to like it..." she said, turning to look at Wilheim's neck.
Wilheim took another deep breath.
"It actually depends on the vampire..." he said. " If the vampire wants to hurt you, the pain is very, very intense. But if the vampire wants you to like it..." he stopped for a moment. He blushed, and smiling, he concluded: "you feel a total ecstasy, as if someone was making love to you..."
Ukyo blushed and giggled.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, between laughs.
Wilheim also started to laugh. After a few moments, they both calmed down, and stopped laughing. Ukyo was still blushing, and had a huge smile on her face.
*No way...* she thought. "Oh, my God..." she said as she started laughing again, and buried her face in her pillow.
Wilheim laughed when he saw this. His laughter grew when he saw Ukyo's body convulsing by laughter. Ukyo's stomach began to ache. Suddenly, she grabbed her pillow and playfully threw it at Wilheim. He ducked just in time to dodge the pillow.
"What?!" he asked, still laughing.
"You didn't have to be that specific, you... you... pervert!!" she screamed, trying to calm down her laughing.
"Me pervert?" asked Wilheim, putting his hand on his chest, "You're the one that started laughing!"
Ukyo burst out in laughs once again, and she covered herself with her blankets. Wilheim's stomach also started to hurt. They were both laughing her heads off. A few minutes passed before they both tried to calm down. Ukyo emerged from the covers, still smiling, and sighed.
"What time is it?" she asked.
Wilheim glanced at the clock.
"It's 2:00 A. M. Are you sleepy?" he asked.
Ukyo nodded.
"A little..." she said.
Wilheim sighed as he gave a sweet smile to Ukyo.
"Try to get some sleep. Otherwise, you'll not be able to get up tomorrow." He said.
Ukyo nodded and laid down as she covered her body with her blankets.
"Do you have some kind of cushion, or something?" asked Wilheim.
Ukyo nodded and signaled her closet. Wilheim stood up from the couch, opened the closet door and took out a soft cushion.
"I thought you slept in coffins..." said Ukyo with a smile.
Wilheim turned to give a playful gaze to Ukyo, trying to appear angry.
"Yes, but coffins are kind of comfortable." He said. And then, trying to use a French accent, he concluded: " ' Most of us, don't know what it feels like.' "
Ukyo giggled.
"Yeah, right Lestat." She said between laughs. But then, her voice turned serious and she asked sweetly: "Are you leaving now?"
Wilheim sighed and turned to look at Ukyo. He smiled at her and then he left the room. But before Ukyo could be saddened by Wilheim's leave, he returned, empty - handed. He had left the cushion in the storage room already... and not even five seconds had passed.
"I'll stay here, to look after you, until the dawn comes." He whispered gently.
Ukyo's eyes shined and her face turned red. With a smile, she sighed, and turned off the lights.
"...Thank you" she said.
"You don't have to thank me..." replied Wilheim.
Ukyo giggled.
"Good night, Wilheim." She said, with a yawn.
"Good night, Ukyo." Replied Wilheim in a whisper.
Ukyo fell asleep almost immediately. And when Wilheim was sure that she wouldn't wake up, he walked by her side, and gently kissed her on the forehead.
"Good night, beautiful princess..." he whispered sweetly, as a bloody tear rolled down his cheek.
Ukyo, although asleep, smiled at Wilheim sweetly. With a sigh, Wilheim returned to his seat and kept himself awake until the dawn came.
Ukyo woke up when the clock read 11:00 A. M. the next morning. She took a quick glance to see the hour. Then she turned her sight to the couch. It was empty. Ukyo remembered her conversation with Wilheim the other night... and then she wandered if she had dreamed it all. She took a bath as quickly as she could, and then, after dressing herself up, went downstairs. She stopped when she saw the closed door that lead to the storage room. She gulped and then approached at it closely.
*I wonder if Wilheim's in there...* she thought. She put her ear on the door and listened carefully. Not a sound. Not a sound at all.
*It's too quiet in there...* she thought, beginning to get worried that something might had happened. She put her ear on the door one more time and kept absolutely quiet... nothing. Even the buzzing of a fly would break the absolute silence that was in the room. Ukyo was now very worried.
But then, I thought struck her mind... a thought that was not hers...
*I am in here...* the voice said. It was Wilheim's voice, surely. Ukyo let out a relieved sigh.
"How does he do that?" she wondered. Anyway, she decided not to worry anymore and let out another relieved sigh. She then asked Wilheim:
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?"
He answered via her mind:
*I will... the question is, will you be fine on you own?*
Ukyo nodded.
"Yes." She said.
*Good.* answered Wilheim. *You are going to the Tendo's place, aren't you?* he asked.
Ukyo nodded again.
"Yes."
*I'll see you there then.* said Wilheim's voice in Ukyo's head.
Ukyo lowered her head. She sighed and headed for the door. Before she opened it and went out of there, he wanted to ask Wilheim a final question.
"Will it be-?" she started, but got cut off by Wilheim's voice:
*I know you intentions. They are very noble, but... be very aware of your words.* there was a slight pause, and then he said: *I really don't want you to get involved in this.*
"I already am..." said Ukyo.
She stood still, hoping to hear an answer, but she heard nothing. She took a deep breath and took off to the Tendo's place.
Chapter Seven: Wilheim's Story
Ukyo and Wilheim were upstairs. Ukyo was changing to go to bed, inside the bathroom, and Wilheim was sitting on a sofa, waiting for her.
"Will you go in the morning?" asked Ukyo to Wilheim, from the bathroom.
"I have to." He answered.
"Why don't you stay in the storage room? No light enters there..." she offered.
Wilheim stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then, he smiled to himself.
"If it's not too much trouble... I would like to..." he said, accepting.
"No trouble at all." said Ukyo, giggling.
She went out of the bathroom with her pajamas on. Wilheim looked at her, and turned his sight away almost immediately. His face turned red.
"What...? You've seen me this way before, remember?" said Ukyo, smiling.
"Yes, but I was in a wolf's shape..." answered Wilheim, still blushing.
Ukyo chuckled, and quickly got herself into bed.
Wilheim's face returned to normal, and he got the sofa closer to the bed. Ukyo turned off the lights. Darkness filled the room. Nor Ukyo or Wilheim could see anything.
"Good night." She said.
"Sweet dreams..." said Wilheim.
"I'll try..." said Ukyo, sighing.
Silence filled the room. Ukyo had a rough day, without mentioning the encounter with Magnus, and she was exhausted. However, she was not sleepy. She started to move again, and again. She had too many questions in her mind. She was in her room, with a vampire! There was too much to ask.
"...Wilheim?" she said, after a few moments.
"Yes?" responded Wilheim.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
"We have all night..." said Wilheim, "but don't blame me if you can't get up early tomorrow." He concluded, with a sudden chuckle.
"It's Saturday tomorrow. Who cares at what time do I get up?" she said, giggling.
Wilheim laughed.
"Then, go ahead. What do you want to talk about?" he said, lowering his voice to a gentle whisper.
Ukyo had too many questions. She didn't know were to start. She decided to start with the 'basic' questions.
"Where are you from, really?" she asked.
"I told you, Germany." He answered.
"Oh..." muttered Ukyo. Another question came to her mind. "How old are you?" she asked.
"My body is that of a grown boy." He answered. "My body is seventeen years old. But my soul is sixty seven years old."
"You have been a vampire for fifty years?" asked Ukyo, shocked.
"Yes. It's not that much. I've known vampires that are about seven hundred years old." He said.
"Wow..." said Ukyo shocked. "...Like Magnus?"
"Yes." Said Wilheim dryly. "Like Magnus. He's four hundred years old, I think..."
Ukyo moved and faced the direction were Wilheim was sitting. In the shadows, she could see his shape, sitting down in her sofa, assuming a comfortable position. But nothing else. Not even his eyes.
"But, why aren't you more like..." she began, trying to find the right words, "'older', in your way of acting?"
"Because I've adapted myself to the years, trying to remain a teenager, always. I try to look at the new things that get to this world as subjectively as possible. And I always look at them as a teenager. I know a lot about the world and it's story. But I'm still young. I have a young soul." He said.
Ukyo said nothing for a moment. She only nodded.
"How did it happen?" she asked.
This was the question Wilheim had been expecting. He began his story:
"It was the year1948. The country was in ruins, Second World War had ended three years ago. And the land was being separated in two, by communism. I ran away from my dear Germany, when I saw the monster She had become into."
"Were you chased by Nazis, or anything?" interrupted Ukyo.
"No... I was catholic, and born a German." Answered Wilheim. "I despised Nazis, and I despised Hitler. That's why I ran away. But it was the World War... there was rarely a place to be safe..."
Wilheim made a pause. It was Ukyo who broke it.
"What about your parents?" she asked.
Wilheim sighed, and then he answered:
"I never knew them. I was all alone. Except for my best friend... Sigfried."
"Oh!" exclaimed Ukyo in a whisper. Wilheim continued his story:
"Sigfried and I ran away to a ranch, in the far east of Berlin. The owners of the ranch accepted us. They allowed us to stay with them. But it wasn't easy, we had to work everyday to keep our stance there. The owners, Gerard and Anne, were very kind to us. Everyday that passed, Sigfried and I grew more independent. He was like a brother to me. We had a deep affection for each other. We worked at the ranch, earning our food and our shelter everyday for two years. Then, in 1950, it happened.
"The first night, we found Gerard and Anne's dog with it's intestines inside out. It was really a monstrous scene. But that was nothing compared to the upcoming nights. We found that the cattle was disappearing. But we couldn't see the thief, nor the wolves. One morning, we discovered that the chickens had all been decapitated. And the following nights went on as usual. He was haunting us. Although it didn't last longer than a month, I thought it would never end. It did end. But it ended in the most horrible tragedy.
"Gerard and Anne were asleep at the moment, and Sigfried and I were standing guard. If the fiend came in sight, we would hesitate not in attacking him, and making him pay for his deeds. When we less expected it, Sigfried and I heard a terrifying scream, coming out of Mrs. Anne. We ran as fast as we could to her help. When we got there, she had been slain, just as Master Gerard. And the horrible creature that did this, that demon, was still drinking blood from Anne's neck. Sigfried and I were petrified. We were scared to death. The demon raised his sight, and gazed at us. Then, he showed us the most horrid smile you could ever imagine. He leaped forward, and bit Sigfried in the neck, and drained him almost immediately, while he held me down. When he was done with Sigfried, he fed on me. The pain was intense. I couldn't move. I felt how life left my body. Everything was turning black. The last thing I saw, was Sigfried's face pressed against the demon's wrist. He tried to back away, but the demon held him there. When Sigfried drank enough, the demon grabbed my head, and made me drink from him. I couldn't resist it. His blood was running through my veins almost immediately. And it felt good. Without wanting it at all, my body fell into a total ecstasy. He pulled his wrist away from me, and then I fell unconscious. That's the last thing I remember about that night.
"I was a vampire the next night. And so was Sigfried. As soon as we rose up from our coffins, Magnus came into the room and introduced himself. He had acquired a totally different shape. You only know Magnus by his gargoyle shape. He is actually, an old looking man, without any hair at all. He has huge, pointy ears, and huge fangs that come out from his mouth. His eyes are blue, and his face is very skinny... it's full of wrinkles and scars. He is very thin, but he has an amazing strength. Anyhow, he told us he was our master, and that we should serve him as his loyal slaves. Sigfried and I had no choice..."
Wilheim made a pause, to refresh his mouth with saliva. He waited a little time before he continued with his narration, expecting any upcoming questions from Ukyo.
"When you feed... do you have to kill?" asked Ukyo, seeing that Wilheim had stopped.
"Not necessarily. I had to kill my victims the first years. But then I found out that I had the power to make them forget..." responded Wilheim. Then he continued with his narration:
"Sigfried and I were miserable. We disliked Magnus from the very beginning, and the more we tried to run away from him, the meaner he got. And one night, after one of our many attempts to run away, Magnus was scolding us, as usual, for our futile attempts. He always took out a whip and hit us twenty times. We did not care, we were strong enough to resist the punishment, and we regenerated almost immediately. But this time it was different. The sun was about to show it's face behind those big, lovely mountains. The terrible dawn was approaching very quickly. And Magnus didn't have a whip in his hands... he had a halberd. He walked to and fro across the small room for a few minutes; then he turned to face me and said, with a frightening smile:
'These are the things that I have to do, Wilheim, to make you understand.'
With a swift movement of his hands, Magnus drove the halberd into Sigfried's stomach. The pain was too much for me to bear. Tears came out of my eyes and I threw my body against Magnus. He dodged me, and hit me in the back of the head. All I remember after that, is seeing Sigfried's ashes at the foot of the halberd the next night."
Silence again. Wilheim paused for a moment to let out a long, sad sigh. Then he went on:
"That happened in 1968. Sigfried was my only partner in this... life. I knew many vampires later... but none other like Sigfried."
"So... you managed to escape from Magnus?" asked Ukyo in a low voice.
"No." Answered Wilheim. "He always followed me wherever I went."
"But you said you met others..." insisted Ukyo.
"I did." Responded Wilheim. "But that doesn't mean he wasn't with me."
"Oh..." said Ukyo. Then she added: "I'm sorry about your friend."
"It's alright. I know he rests in peace, now." Said Wilheim, sadly.
"...What happened later?" asked Ukyo.
"Not much." Answered Wilheim. "Since 1968, I've been roaming the world, waiting."
"For what?"
"To be more powerful than he is." Said Wilheim, his voice acquired a slightly angry tone.
"But how...?" asked Ukyo.
"As time passes, a vampire grows more powerful..." said Wilheim.
"But he will always be older than you..." said Ukyo.
"Yes, but I seek the help of Oracles and Magicians... luckily, Magnus doesn't believe in magic."
"Isn't there a way to become mortal once again?" asked Ukyo. Her words reflected a kind of hope.
Wilheim said nothing for a few seconds. He sighed, and then he said:
"There is an Oracle girl, that lives in England. Her name is Gabrielle. She has the power to return me to normal. But Magnus won't let me see her. Besides, if I change into a human once more, I'm sure he'd change me into a vampire again."
"Oh..." murmured Ukyo.
Silence filled the room again. Only Ukyo and Wilheim's breathing could be heard. Ukyo now knew Wilheim's story. But she still had a lot of questions.
"Do you know were vampires come from?" she asked.
Wilheim raised his head and looked at the dark ceiling for a while, before answering.
"A vampire once told me, that we are all children of Cain." He finally said.
"Cain?" asked Ukyo confused.
"Have you read the Bible?" asked Wilheim.
"Yeah... Oh, my God!! That Cain??" exclaimed Ukyo.
"Yes." Said Wilheim. "The first murderer. He killed Abel because he was jealous. I'm sure you know the story..." he inferred.
Ukyo nodded.
"Yeah..." she said.
"Well..." Wilheim continued, "when God marked Cain with his wrath and cursed him to wander the world alone, Cain, in a mockery of God's act to create life, created his own progeny."
"And thus, vampires were born..." concluded Ukyo.
"Exactly." Said Wilheim.
"Do you believe the vampire who told you this?" asked Ukyo.
"He's one of the oldest vampires in the world. At the moment... he's about six hundred years old, I think... how can I not believe him?" Wilheim said.
"Six hundred years?!?!" Exclaimed Ukyo. "Wow... what's his name?" she asked, filled with curiosity.
"Gustav, if I'm not mistaken..." answered Wilheim.
Ukyo sighed. Then, without saying anything, she turned the lights on. Wilheim looked at her, puzzled.
"I'm thirsty..." she said, giggling.
"Oh!" Wilheim exclaimed, smiling. "I'll get it for you..." he offered.
"Oh, no, don't bother, thanks..." said Ukyo.
Wilheim, without listening, went to the kitchen as fast as he could, and in a moment, he was standing in front of Ukyo, with a glass of water. Ukyo made a playful grumble.
"Thank you" she said, in a sweet tone of voice.
Wilheim nodded, as if to say "you're welcome". Ukyo took a zip of her glass of water and left it on top of her night table.
"Want some?" she offered.
"No, thanks." Said Wilheim, raising a hand, rejecting the offer politely. "All I can drink is blood..."
Ukyo nodded and sat down at her bed. She turned on the little lamp that was beside her, and politely signaled Wilheim to please turn off the room lights. He did this quickly. Then, Ukyo laid down and covered half of her body with the blankets.
"...Have you fed tonight?" she asked.
Wilheim nodded.
"I feed on three persons a night... but I don't kill." He said.
Ukyo sighed.
"Must be awful..." she said.
"It is... but I don't feel that bad, now, because I don't kill anymore. When I killed... the pain was unbearable." Wilheim said.
Ukyo sighed once more. Then she made a pause before her next question.
"So, what's up with Magnus?" she asked.
Wilheim turned to look at the glass of water, as if it were something magical that had caught his attention.
"Gustav told me his story. It seems he was in the Nosferatu clan..."
"Nosferatu clan?" asked Ukyo, puzzled.
Wilheim nodded.
"There are thirteen vampire clans among the world. The Nosferatu spend their lives under the ground studying the mysteries of life, resolving enigmas, planting questions... they are philosophers, the wisest of all vampire clans. They never go out to surface; only when they have to feed they abandon the safety of the underground. They are horrid monsters... just like I described Magnus a while ago... but unlike Magnus, they are not mean. That's why he was cast out. He was a killer, and the Nosferatu didn't like that. So they cast him out. Magnus became a vagabond... wandering the world, and wherever he passed, death and destruction did too."
"Oh..." Ukyo said in a tiny voice. "...Do you belong to a clan?" she asked.
Wilheim shook his head.
"I'm what other vampires would call a Caitiff... I have no clan at all. These kind of vampires, such as Magnus and myself, are despised by vampires that belong to a clan. But I have earned respect throughout most clans, by demonstrating my passion for human life, and my powers... Magnus is rejected by most vampires that I have ever met..."
Ukyo sighed. She stopped looking at Wilheim and turned her sight at the ceiling.
"...Why won't he let you go?" she asked.
"He enjoys torturing me. Or that's what he says..." replied Wilheim.
Ukyo nodded her head.
"Your case reminds me of Lestat and Louis..." she said with sad smile.
Wilheim looked at Ukyo a few moments. Then he chuckled.
"From 'Interview With the Vampire'? Me being Louis and Magnus being Lestat?" he asked, smiling.
Ukyo turned her head around and looked at him in the eyes
"Yeah..." she said, in a sad tone.
Wilheim sighed as his smile grew bigger.
"No." He began. "Lestat was not mean to Louis. Lestat wasn't mean at all. He just enjoyed being a vampire, and you can't blame vampires for that. Besides, he tried to help Louis all he could. Well... he did tease him a couple of times, but in the end, he always loved him." He paused for a moment, and then he added: "He didn't want to be left alone..."
Ukyo didn't say anything for a few moments. Then she nodded.
"I guess you're right..." she said.
"Actually..." began Wilheim once more, "I consider myself more like Lestat. I wasn't given a choice, I know absolutely no teachings from my creator, and I have no one in this world... Sigfried was my only partner... my Louis..." he concluded with a very sad and tern smile.
Ukyo sat down in her bed, reached for her glass, and drank some water. Then, with a sigh, she asked:
"How do you know that?"
Wilheim chuckled.
"I'm reading 'The Vampire Lestat'. Actually, his creator was also called Magnus..." he said.
Ukyo sighed.
"What a coincidence..." she murmured.
"You should read Anne Rice..." said Wilheim. "She is one of the best authors of our time..."
Ukyo giggled.
"So, you like to read?" she asked, forgetting her sadness.
"Yes. Especially about vampires..." said Wilheim, between chuckles.
Ukyo smiled and shook her head. A momentary silence filled the room. This 'Interview With the Vampire' theme had only made Ukyo think of more questions...
"Does it really hurt that bad when a vampire bites you?" she asked.
Wilheim crossed his arms and took a deep breath. But before he could speak, Ukyo continued talking:
"I mean... in the movie... at the beginning, when Lestat and Louis bit that woman, she actually seemed to like it..." she said, turning to look at Wilheim's neck.
Wilheim took another deep breath.
"It actually depends on the vampire..." he said. " If the vampire wants to hurt you, the pain is very, very intense. But if the vampire wants you to like it..." he stopped for a moment. He blushed, and smiling, he concluded: "you feel a total ecstasy, as if someone was making love to you..."
Ukyo blushed and giggled.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, between laughs.
Wilheim also started to laugh. After a few moments, they both calmed down, and stopped laughing. Ukyo was still blushing, and had a huge smile on her face.
*No way...* she thought. "Oh, my God..." she said as she started laughing again, and buried her face in her pillow.
Wilheim laughed when he saw this. His laughter grew when he saw Ukyo's body convulsing by laughter. Ukyo's stomach began to ache. Suddenly, she grabbed her pillow and playfully threw it at Wilheim. He ducked just in time to dodge the pillow.
"What?!" he asked, still laughing.
"You didn't have to be that specific, you... you... pervert!!" she screamed, trying to calm down her laughing.
"Me pervert?" asked Wilheim, putting his hand on his chest, "You're the one that started laughing!"
Ukyo burst out in laughs once again, and she covered herself with her blankets. Wilheim's stomach also started to hurt. They were both laughing her heads off. A few minutes passed before they both tried to calm down. Ukyo emerged from the covers, still smiling, and sighed.
"What time is it?" she asked.
Wilheim glanced at the clock.
"It's 2:00 A. M. Are you sleepy?" he asked.
Ukyo nodded.
"A little..." she said.
Wilheim sighed as he gave a sweet smile to Ukyo.
"Try to get some sleep. Otherwise, you'll not be able to get up tomorrow." He said.
Ukyo nodded and laid down as she covered her body with her blankets.
"Do you have some kind of cushion, or something?" asked Wilheim.
Ukyo nodded and signaled her closet. Wilheim stood up from the couch, opened the closet door and took out a soft cushion.
"I thought you slept in coffins..." said Ukyo with a smile.
Wilheim turned to give a playful gaze to Ukyo, trying to appear angry.
"Yes, but coffins are kind of comfortable." He said. And then, trying to use a French accent, he concluded: " ' Most of us, don't know what it feels like.' "
Ukyo giggled.
"Yeah, right Lestat." She said between laughs. But then, her voice turned serious and she asked sweetly: "Are you leaving now?"
Wilheim sighed and turned to look at Ukyo. He smiled at her and then he left the room. But before Ukyo could be saddened by Wilheim's leave, he returned, empty - handed. He had left the cushion in the storage room already... and not even five seconds had passed.
"I'll stay here, to look after you, until the dawn comes." He whispered gently.
Ukyo's eyes shined and her face turned red. With a smile, she sighed, and turned off the lights.
"...Thank you" she said.
"You don't have to thank me..." replied Wilheim.
Ukyo giggled.
"Good night, Wilheim." She said, with a yawn.
"Good night, Ukyo." Replied Wilheim in a whisper.
Ukyo fell asleep almost immediately. And when Wilheim was sure that she wouldn't wake up, he walked by her side, and gently kissed her on the forehead.
"Good night, beautiful princess..." he whispered sweetly, as a bloody tear rolled down his cheek.
Ukyo, although asleep, smiled at Wilheim sweetly. With a sigh, Wilheim returned to his seat and kept himself awake until the dawn came.
Ukyo woke up when the clock read 11:00 A. M. the next morning. She took a quick glance to see the hour. Then she turned her sight to the couch. It was empty. Ukyo remembered her conversation with Wilheim the other night... and then she wandered if she had dreamed it all. She took a bath as quickly as she could, and then, after dressing herself up, went downstairs. She stopped when she saw the closed door that lead to the storage room. She gulped and then approached at it closely.
*I wonder if Wilheim's in there...* she thought. She put her ear on the door and listened carefully. Not a sound. Not a sound at all.
*It's too quiet in there...* she thought, beginning to get worried that something might had happened. She put her ear on the door one more time and kept absolutely quiet... nothing. Even the buzzing of a fly would break the absolute silence that was in the room. Ukyo was now very worried.
But then, I thought struck her mind... a thought that was not hers...
*I am in here...* the voice said. It was Wilheim's voice, surely. Ukyo let out a relieved sigh.
"How does he do that?" she wondered. Anyway, she decided not to worry anymore and let out another relieved sigh. She then asked Wilheim:
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?"
He answered via her mind:
*I will... the question is, will you be fine on you own?*
Ukyo nodded.
"Yes." She said.
*Good.* answered Wilheim. *You are going to the Tendo's place, aren't you?* he asked.
Ukyo nodded again.
"Yes."
*I'll see you there then.* said Wilheim's voice in Ukyo's head.
Ukyo lowered her head. She sighed and headed for the door. Before she opened it and went out of there, he wanted to ask Wilheim a final question.
"Will it be-?" she started, but got cut off by Wilheim's voice:
*I know you intentions. They are very noble, but... be very aware of your words.* there was a slight pause, and then he said: *I really don't want you to get involved in this.*
"I already am..." said Ukyo.
She stood still, hoping to hear an answer, but she heard nothing. She took a deep breath and took off to the Tendo's place.
