Chapter Eight
The Deal With The Devil
April 1094
Eternal Night Forest
A year had gone by since Mathias rejected God, but it appeared that very little had changed. During the daylight hours Mathias remained in his sickbed, eating little and speaking only on rare occasions. However at night, he would sneak into the family library and read about black magic, alchemy, and various creatures of the night. It was a world that fascinated Mathias now.
Mathias had made a vow that he would curse God for what he had done to him, but that wouldn't last forever. There would come a time when he would die and there would be no one to continue on the legacy of hatred. However, he had a plan that would make his contempt for God eternal.
It was late at night when Mathias parted from the Cronquist manor. He had not left the manor in a very long while, so the fresh air made him cough wildly. But he would not be swayed; he had to a favor to ask of Walter Burnhard, the legendary vampire who lived in the endlessly black forest, to the extreme west of the city.
Traveling though the forest, Mathias came to a small cottage close to the Burnhard castle. He knew that cottage well. It was the cottage of his long time family friend Rinaldo. Maybe he would be of some help to him. Mathias dismounted from his black steed and tied the beast to a nearby post.
"Hello?" Mathias called out.
"Yes." Rinaldo said emerging from the back room. "My heavens, if it isn't the great Mathias Cronquist."
"Hello my friend." He said with a smile.
"It has been a long while." Rinaldo said cheerfully. "What circumstances find you here? Tis nothing of a sorrowful nature I hope?"
"Alas it is." Mathias said sorrowfully. "For one of my small cousins wondered into the forest. My prayer is that Walter hasn't gotten her yet."
"Well I haven't seen a small child here." Rinaldo said. "But if she is here, chances are Walter has her already."
"It is as I feared." Mathias said.
"So you are venturing into the castle?"
"It is inevitable." Mathias said sternly.
"Are you adequately prepared to take on Walter?" Rinaldo questioned.
"I have my sword." Mathias answered. "I have a small supply of potions, I shall be fine."
"If you need anything." Rinaldo said. "Please do not hesitate to return here."
"Thank you friend." Mathias said preparing to depart.
"Wait." Rinaldo said stopping him. "Take this map of the castle Mathias, you will surely need it."
Mathias walked over and took the map and placed it in his satchel.
"Thank you kindly friend." He said walking out the door.
Mathias ran up the path that leads to the Burnhard castle. Mathias waited for the massive drawbridge to come crashing down, when it did, he stepped though the threshold of the entrance and walked into the darkened castle. At the top of the winding staircase stood Walter Burnhard.
"I have not summoned you." Walter said hardheartedly. "What business have you here little man?"
"I have come to demand a favor of you!" Mathias said boldly.
Walter laughed manically and responded, "You?! A human?! Demand a favor from me?! Ho, it is to laugh."
"It is no joke." Mathias continued.
"You are brave to come here little man." Walter said callously. "I must give you credit for that. Tell me of this favor you have."
"I wish to become a vampire."
"Really?" Walter questioned sounding very intrigued by Mathias. "Why do you wish to become a vampire little man?"
"For revenge." He hissed bitterly.
"I see." Walter continued. "And what shall I receive in return for granting you this favor."
"I shall give you the best game of your life."
"Really?" Walter questioned again. "Surely not with you little man?"
"No." Mathias replied. "With the leader of an invincible human army."
"Leon Belmont?" Walter asked.
"The very same."
"And how shall you do that?" Walter asked suspiciously.
"I know his weakness." Mathias answered. "If you take his betrothed he would surely come to fight you."
"Well I cannot pass up the chance for a good game." Walter answered firmly. "Human I shall grant your request."
"Thank you Lord Burnhard."
Walter levitated down the top of the stairs and over to Mathias, who still stood firm, even when he came face to face with the vampire. To see such courage astonished Walter. He had never seen a human so fearless; it was a wonderful sight to behold. Walter took one of his razor sharp finger nails and cut deeply into his own flesh. Blood began to pour profusely from the wound. Mathias stood there and watched as some of the vampire's blood began to drip onto the grey stone floor.
"In order to become a vampire." Walter said. "We must drink of each other's blood."
Mathias said nothing.
"However," Walter said. "I want something to seal our deal."
"What do you wish Lord Burnhard?" Mathias asked suspiciously.
"A simple kiss." Walter replied.
"Very well."
Walter took Mathias into his arms and placed his lips to Mathias's lips. Never had Mathias's been kissed by a man before. It was something that did not faze him one way or another. Walter on the other hand enjoyed kissing this bold little man. His kiss was divine tasting; it took all his restraint to not drive his tongue into his mouth.
"Exquisite." Walter said licking his lips as he released the kiss. "Now we may proceed."
Walter pulled back Mathias's shirt collar and buried his pointy teeth into his tender flesh. Mathias placed his own thin lips to the wound where the blood was flowing and began to suckle as though he was a hungry babe feasting on his mother's breast. Walter began to slowly swallow Mathias's blood. His blood was so powerful and delicious, the blood of a true warrior. The feeling of having his blood sucked out was indescribable. There were moments when he seemed like he could faint, but nothing would happen, he just continued to drink Walter's blood.
"Oh." Walter said with Mathias's blood dribbling down his chin. "I haven't had blood that excellent in many moons."
Mathias's grey eyes looked up into Walter's piercing red eyes and tried to focus, but his vision was hazy. The vampire had nearly drained him. He struggled to keep his balance, but he fell forward into Walter's strong arms.
"When will I become a vampire?" Mathias whispered.
"Soon enough little man." Walter replied.
April 1094
Eternal Night Forest
A year had gone by since Mathias rejected God, but it appeared that very little had changed. During the daylight hours Mathias remained in his sickbed, eating little and speaking only on rare occasions. However at night, he would sneak into the family library and read about black magic, alchemy, and various creatures of the night. It was a world that fascinated Mathias now.
Mathias had made a vow that he would curse God for what he had done to him, but that wouldn't last forever. There would come a time when he would die and there would be no one to continue on the legacy of hatred. However, he had a plan that would make his contempt for God eternal.
It was late at night when Mathias parted from the Cronquist manor. He had not left the manor in a very long while, so the fresh air made him cough wildly. But he would not be swayed; he had to a favor to ask of Walter Burnhard, the legendary vampire who lived in the endlessly black forest, to the extreme west of the city.
Traveling though the forest, Mathias came to a small cottage close to the Burnhard castle. He knew that cottage well. It was the cottage of his long time family friend Rinaldo. Maybe he would be of some help to him. Mathias dismounted from his black steed and tied the beast to a nearby post.
"Hello?" Mathias called out.
"Yes." Rinaldo said emerging from the back room. "My heavens, if it isn't the great Mathias Cronquist."
"Hello my friend." He said with a smile.
"It has been a long while." Rinaldo said cheerfully. "What circumstances find you here? Tis nothing of a sorrowful nature I hope?"
"Alas it is." Mathias said sorrowfully. "For one of my small cousins wondered into the forest. My prayer is that Walter hasn't gotten her yet."
"Well I haven't seen a small child here." Rinaldo said. "But if she is here, chances are Walter has her already."
"It is as I feared." Mathias said.
"So you are venturing into the castle?"
"It is inevitable." Mathias said sternly.
"Are you adequately prepared to take on Walter?" Rinaldo questioned.
"I have my sword." Mathias answered. "I have a small supply of potions, I shall be fine."
"If you need anything." Rinaldo said. "Please do not hesitate to return here."
"Thank you friend." Mathias said preparing to depart.
"Wait." Rinaldo said stopping him. "Take this map of the castle Mathias, you will surely need it."
Mathias walked over and took the map and placed it in his satchel.
"Thank you kindly friend." He said walking out the door.
Mathias ran up the path that leads to the Burnhard castle. Mathias waited for the massive drawbridge to come crashing down, when it did, he stepped though the threshold of the entrance and walked into the darkened castle. At the top of the winding staircase stood Walter Burnhard.
"I have not summoned you." Walter said hardheartedly. "What business have you here little man?"
"I have come to demand a favor of you!" Mathias said boldly.
Walter laughed manically and responded, "You?! A human?! Demand a favor from me?! Ho, it is to laugh."
"It is no joke." Mathias continued.
"You are brave to come here little man." Walter said callously. "I must give you credit for that. Tell me of this favor you have."
"I wish to become a vampire."
"Really?" Walter questioned sounding very intrigued by Mathias. "Why do you wish to become a vampire little man?"
"For revenge." He hissed bitterly.
"I see." Walter continued. "And what shall I receive in return for granting you this favor."
"I shall give you the best game of your life."
"Really?" Walter questioned again. "Surely not with you little man?"
"No." Mathias replied. "With the leader of an invincible human army."
"Leon Belmont?" Walter asked.
"The very same."
"And how shall you do that?" Walter asked suspiciously.
"I know his weakness." Mathias answered. "If you take his betrothed he would surely come to fight you."
"Well I cannot pass up the chance for a good game." Walter answered firmly. "Human I shall grant your request."
"Thank you Lord Burnhard."
Walter levitated down the top of the stairs and over to Mathias, who still stood firm, even when he came face to face with the vampire. To see such courage astonished Walter. He had never seen a human so fearless; it was a wonderful sight to behold. Walter took one of his razor sharp finger nails and cut deeply into his own flesh. Blood began to pour profusely from the wound. Mathias stood there and watched as some of the vampire's blood began to drip onto the grey stone floor.
"In order to become a vampire." Walter said. "We must drink of each other's blood."
Mathias said nothing.
"However," Walter said. "I want something to seal our deal."
"What do you wish Lord Burnhard?" Mathias asked suspiciously.
"A simple kiss." Walter replied.
"Very well."
Walter took Mathias into his arms and placed his lips to Mathias's lips. Never had Mathias's been kissed by a man before. It was something that did not faze him one way or another. Walter on the other hand enjoyed kissing this bold little man. His kiss was divine tasting; it took all his restraint to not drive his tongue into his mouth.
"Exquisite." Walter said licking his lips as he released the kiss. "Now we may proceed."
Walter pulled back Mathias's shirt collar and buried his pointy teeth into his tender flesh. Mathias placed his own thin lips to the wound where the blood was flowing and began to suckle as though he was a hungry babe feasting on his mother's breast. Walter began to slowly swallow Mathias's blood. His blood was so powerful and delicious, the blood of a true warrior. The feeling of having his blood sucked out was indescribable. There were moments when he seemed like he could faint, but nothing would happen, he just continued to drink Walter's blood.
"Oh." Walter said with Mathias's blood dribbling down his chin. "I haven't had blood that excellent in many moons."
Mathias's grey eyes looked up into Walter's piercing red eyes and tried to focus, but his vision was hazy. The vampire had nearly drained him. He struggled to keep his balance, but he fell forward into Walter's strong arms.
"When will I become a vampire?" Mathias whispered.
"Soon enough little man." Walter replied.