Chapter Ten
The Dark Resurrection
Nighttime once again enclosed it shadows upon the Cronquist manor. Everyone had once again settled down for a long nights rest. Because of the grim news from the west, everyone had bolted their doors to ensure that no one or nothing came in. Mathias on the other hand was wide awake trying to make his evening trip to the family's secret library. However this night, Mathias found it nearly impossible to move his limbs. They felt so heavy, like they were being held down by a large bolder. His heart too didn't seem to beat as forcefully as it once had. He knew it was coming, he was dying slowly.
Death didn't hurt; he had somehow assumed that dying would be painful. Or maybe it was the fact that he had always envisioned his death to be painful. No matter what the case was, death was rapidly approaching. Mathias, struggled to keep from toppling over, but his strength was deteriorating; he could scarcely keep his vision focused. Sweating profusely, Mathias clutched the wall of his bedchamber in an attempt to keep his balance, but he instantly fell to his knees.
Finally he fell down on the floor. His strength was gone completely. His mouth was dry as if someone had placed a cloth into his mouth. He tried desperately to move, say something, scream, cry, out anything, but it was a pointless effort. His vision became increasingly cloudy and then the blackness began to wash over him. Finally Mathias moved no more.
Without warning a strong thump came to Mathias's body, it felt as if he had been struck by lightening. His heart began to beat again, but this time to a different, more relaxed pace. His breathing was slow and more relaxed. His vision too was different. It was all much clearer, sharper. It felt as though he could see for many miles away.
Taking a deep breath in, Mathias attempted to hoist himself off floor. Expecting his body to still feel weighted down, he prepared to struggle to lift himself up, but much to his surprise his body was as light as air. Mathias's smiled at his newly acquired strength. Everything about him was different now. There was so much he wanted to do, to try, but there was something wrong. His body felt an overwhelming need for nourishment. Instantly he walked over to the table where his dinner was waiting. Without hesitation he gobbled down the meal, but that need still lingered. That desire still coursed though his veins. It was then he realized what it was he craved. It was blood, human blood.
Silently he said there contemplating where to get the blood he needed to satiate his burning desire. There had to be someone around the manor who wasn't sleeping yet. Looking out the window, he glanced around until his eyes caught a glimpse of a young stable boy who was sleeping soundly in the stable. A wicked smile passed across his lips. Mathias opened up the window and gazed at the terribly long drop. A fall from that great height would kill anyone, but he wasn't just a mere human anymore. He was a vampire.
Mathias stood up on the ledge of the window and forced his body to fall forward. Rapidly his began to plummet towards the ground. The wind from the free-fall made his long ebony hair whip wildly, but the breeze was short lived, if he didn't stop from falling, he would crash into the stony ground below. Uncertain about what damage a fall may do, he focused all his concentration on stopping and in an instant, just before hitting the solid stone, the falling stopped. Mathias chuckled, he knew these new powers would be extraordinarily amusing.
Mathias looked back over to the stable and thankfully the stable boy was still snoring away. The hunger he felt reverberated throughout his entire being. He needed blood and he needed it now. As he walked closer to the unsuspecting stable boy, he noticed a sound. At first the sound was muffled, but as he walked closer, he began to understand what it was. It was the sound of the stable boy's heart beating and the sound of blood coursing though his veins.
These sounds instantly elevated Mathias's need for blood and his own heart began to beat faster, his grey eyes began to turn a horrifying shade of red. Mathias who was now standing over the sleeping boy, grinned wickedly before bending over and instantly plunging his jagged fangs into the boy's neck. The young man woke up straight away as he felt the fangs bearing deep into his flesh, but he never had a chance to cry out for help. Mathias drained him of all his life's essence in a blink of an eye. Once there was no more to be had, the craving gradually subsided.
"Very good." Walter said appearing from the shadows.
Mathias looked up from the corpse of the stable boy, but said nothing.
"Your first kill." He said walking over to him. "Your first taste of human blood."
Mathias set the corpse down and stood up. There was blood that trailed down his mouth and down his alabaster chin.
"What are you doing here?" Mathias asked.
"I wanted to see how you were fairing with your new powers."
Walter took his finger and wiped some of the blood off Mathias's chin, then he tasted it and instantly wrinkled his face.
"Of course I would not expect you to pick the finest quality blood on your first night." Walter said coolly. "In fact your first hundred kills will be based solely on desire; as the centuries progress, you will learn to control your desires."
Taking his hand, Mathias wiped the rest of the blood off his chin and mouth, then he licked his hand clean.
"I see you completely drained him." Walter chuckled as he examined the dead stable boy. "That first hunger is the worst. Your body burns with the need for blood. It's been so long since my first time, I had completely forgotten what that was like."
"So now that you've seen my work, what do you intend to do with me?" Mathias asked contemptuously.
"Nothing." He said casually. "I also came to warn you of the perils of being out in daylight."
"I already know." Mathias answered. "Vampires are to rest in the daylight hours. Daylight kills vampires."
"I just thought I should warn you." Walter said calmly. "If you wish, you are welcome to stay at my castle. It is shrouded in eternal night, you will be safe there."
"Yes." Mathias answered. "I will take you up on your offer."
Walter smiled and offered his hand to Mathias. Mathias took Walter's and the pair disappeared into the darkness.
Nighttime once again enclosed it shadows upon the Cronquist manor. Everyone had once again settled down for a long nights rest. Because of the grim news from the west, everyone had bolted their doors to ensure that no one or nothing came in. Mathias on the other hand was wide awake trying to make his evening trip to the family's secret library. However this night, Mathias found it nearly impossible to move his limbs. They felt so heavy, like they were being held down by a large bolder. His heart too didn't seem to beat as forcefully as it once had. He knew it was coming, he was dying slowly.
Death didn't hurt; he had somehow assumed that dying would be painful. Or maybe it was the fact that he had always envisioned his death to be painful. No matter what the case was, death was rapidly approaching. Mathias, struggled to keep from toppling over, but his strength was deteriorating; he could scarcely keep his vision focused. Sweating profusely, Mathias clutched the wall of his bedchamber in an attempt to keep his balance, but he instantly fell to his knees.
Finally he fell down on the floor. His strength was gone completely. His mouth was dry as if someone had placed a cloth into his mouth. He tried desperately to move, say something, scream, cry, out anything, but it was a pointless effort. His vision became increasingly cloudy and then the blackness began to wash over him. Finally Mathias moved no more.
Without warning a strong thump came to Mathias's body, it felt as if he had been struck by lightening. His heart began to beat again, but this time to a different, more relaxed pace. His breathing was slow and more relaxed. His vision too was different. It was all much clearer, sharper. It felt as though he could see for many miles away.
Taking a deep breath in, Mathias attempted to hoist himself off floor. Expecting his body to still feel weighted down, he prepared to struggle to lift himself up, but much to his surprise his body was as light as air. Mathias's smiled at his newly acquired strength. Everything about him was different now. There was so much he wanted to do, to try, but there was something wrong. His body felt an overwhelming need for nourishment. Instantly he walked over to the table where his dinner was waiting. Without hesitation he gobbled down the meal, but that need still lingered. That desire still coursed though his veins. It was then he realized what it was he craved. It was blood, human blood.
Silently he said there contemplating where to get the blood he needed to satiate his burning desire. There had to be someone around the manor who wasn't sleeping yet. Looking out the window, he glanced around until his eyes caught a glimpse of a young stable boy who was sleeping soundly in the stable. A wicked smile passed across his lips. Mathias opened up the window and gazed at the terribly long drop. A fall from that great height would kill anyone, but he wasn't just a mere human anymore. He was a vampire.
Mathias stood up on the ledge of the window and forced his body to fall forward. Rapidly his began to plummet towards the ground. The wind from the free-fall made his long ebony hair whip wildly, but the breeze was short lived, if he didn't stop from falling, he would crash into the stony ground below. Uncertain about what damage a fall may do, he focused all his concentration on stopping and in an instant, just before hitting the solid stone, the falling stopped. Mathias chuckled, he knew these new powers would be extraordinarily amusing.
Mathias looked back over to the stable and thankfully the stable boy was still snoring away. The hunger he felt reverberated throughout his entire being. He needed blood and he needed it now. As he walked closer to the unsuspecting stable boy, he noticed a sound. At first the sound was muffled, but as he walked closer, he began to understand what it was. It was the sound of the stable boy's heart beating and the sound of blood coursing though his veins.
These sounds instantly elevated Mathias's need for blood and his own heart began to beat faster, his grey eyes began to turn a horrifying shade of red. Mathias who was now standing over the sleeping boy, grinned wickedly before bending over and instantly plunging his jagged fangs into the boy's neck. The young man woke up straight away as he felt the fangs bearing deep into his flesh, but he never had a chance to cry out for help. Mathias drained him of all his life's essence in a blink of an eye. Once there was no more to be had, the craving gradually subsided.
"Very good." Walter said appearing from the shadows.
Mathias looked up from the corpse of the stable boy, but said nothing.
"Your first kill." He said walking over to him. "Your first taste of human blood."
Mathias set the corpse down and stood up. There was blood that trailed down his mouth and down his alabaster chin.
"What are you doing here?" Mathias asked.
"I wanted to see how you were fairing with your new powers."
Walter took his finger and wiped some of the blood off Mathias's chin, then he tasted it and instantly wrinkled his face.
"Of course I would not expect you to pick the finest quality blood on your first night." Walter said coolly. "In fact your first hundred kills will be based solely on desire; as the centuries progress, you will learn to control your desires."
Taking his hand, Mathias wiped the rest of the blood off his chin and mouth, then he licked his hand clean.
"I see you completely drained him." Walter chuckled as he examined the dead stable boy. "That first hunger is the worst. Your body burns with the need for blood. It's been so long since my first time, I had completely forgotten what that was like."
"So now that you've seen my work, what do you intend to do with me?" Mathias asked contemptuously.
"Nothing." He said casually. "I also came to warn you of the perils of being out in daylight."
"I already know." Mathias answered. "Vampires are to rest in the daylight hours. Daylight kills vampires."
"I just thought I should warn you." Walter said calmly. "If you wish, you are welcome to stay at my castle. It is shrouded in eternal night, you will be safe there."
"Yes." Mathias answered. "I will take you up on your offer."
Walter smiled and offered his hand to Mathias. Mathias took Walter's and the pair disappeared into the darkness.