Crimson

Chapter 5: The Morte Clan

Marik's PoV

I woke up in the bed again. I was very dizzy, but I heard something coming from downtsairs. I got up and opened the door. I smelled cigar smoke and heard loud music.

'Guess they're having a party of sorts ...'

I touched the left side of my neck which was still sore and felt something there. I ran to the mirror and saw, a scar. It was a vertical line with two horizontal lines across it. (See bottom) I knew then ... I had been claimed.

I went outside and walked to the door beside mine. Bakura's room. I'd never been there before and curiosity was eating away at me. I had to see it.

Once inside I closed the door behind me and gasped at the sight.

There was bloodread curtains lining the walls. Red candles in the corners, on stands clearly made of gold. There was an open black coffin in the center of the room. It was placed a top a wooden table. When I looked inside I saw it was lined with dark red velvet and silk.

I saw there was black door that someone had tried to cover with silk courtains. I opened it slowly and saw a coiling staircase. I knew then it was some kind of tower. I climbed them, there were many, and reached another door. I opened it too and found myself in yet another room lined with red courtains. There were portraits lining one wall. Book lined the other. There was a tavle with papers and books and scrollsstrewn on it. There was another table with a coffin on it which had a deep purple cloak draped on it. There was candles all around it. I looked at the portraits first, since I didn't know if I wanted to know what was in that coffin.

There was a man with long black hair and black eyes, the next one was a picture of Bakura. Next to that one was a picture of a person that looked exactly like me! Imagine that, I knew that was this Malik person. I didn't want to see the other pictures ... I was too freaked out.

'No wonder Bakura thought I was him ...'

Finally, like many other times, curiosity got the better of me and I walked to the coffin. I carefully took the cloak off, folded it neatly, and put it on the table with the papers. I opened the coffin and saw whatever, or whoever, was inside covered with a lavender sheet.

Before I could take it off I heard a voice, "I knew you'd be here ... this was Malik's favorite place too."

I wipped around. It was Bakura, he didn't look angry, or surprised, or nothing. He was just standing there, arms crossed, watching me.

"Go on, take the sheet off. But, I warn you ... it may be quite a shock to you."

I frowned, pondering what he meant by that, and grabbed the sheet. I pulled it off and gasped from what I saw.

"Dear Ra in heaven! You have his ... his ..."

Bakura nodded and came to stand by my side. "I couldn't bear to part with him. Since the only way to destroy a vampire's body is to ... burn it ... and I couldn't do that ..."

I looked down at the body of Malik, the one that looked so much like me. It was in perfect condition and it was really freaky. Specially since there was a cross still stuck in his heart.

Bakura turned away and went to the table. He picked up a folder filled with papers and the cloak.

"Cover him up again." he said, his voice sounding weird, like he wanted to cry but at the same didn't want to.

I pulled the sheet over him and felt the purple silk that lined his coffin. Then I closed it and grabbed the cloak from Bakura. I draped it over the coffin and followed Bakura out the door silently.

"Those clothes you're wearing ... they were his ..."

I didn't know what to say. "Oh. I didn't know ... I'll take them off if ..."

He turned around so suddenly, I bumped into him. My hands were on his chest and I felt warm. He put his arms around me and I put my head on his chest.

He whispered, "Don't ... I like you with them on."

I nodded and breathed him in. He smelled like roses. I looked up just in time for him to press his lips onto mine. I gasped and he slipped his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like coffee. I loved the feel of him, our hearts beating against one another, his arms around my waist.

His mouth moved lower and lower licking my neck, my chest. He whispered, "Malik ..." and I pushed him away.

"C'mon, you've somewhere to go." I said.

'I'm NOT Malik damnit!!! Whatever ... it's not as if I care ...'

He nodded and kept walking down the stairs. I followed him out of his room and down more stairs to the first floor. Then through another doo and into a dining room. There were people talking in there, at least I thought they were PEOPLE. They silenced as soon as we came in. I saw them looking at me with a strange expression, somewhere between shocked and unblelieving.

One of them spoke, a light-haired man of about thirty, "Is he?"

Bakura shook his head, "He's mortal, but he looks damn like him."

The other vampires nodded in agreement. Bakura pushed me to sit down next to his seat. He sat at the head of the table and I had to sit next to him and another vampire who looked quite unfriendly. He had long black hair that reached his waist and green eyes.

Then I looked at the table. There was meat everywhere; roasted, in soups, there was spaggetti, something that looked like fish, and something that looked like tomato soup in the center of the table.

A vampire that I supposed was a servant asked me what I wanted. I looked at Bakura for help, but he was busy cutting up, what I supposed was steak.

The vampire next to me leaned over and whispered, "There's roasted Jenny, she was about 15 and quite healthy for a human, or boiled Michael with potatoes, 23 and had diabetes. So what will it be?"

I almost threw up then and there. "Can I just have a glass of water?" I asked the servant. He looked at me weird but nodded.

'There is NO WAY IN HELL I'm EVER eating here!'

Bakura looked over at me, "You're not eating?"

I shook my head disgusted.

He sighed, "You know, you're going to starve. I don't know why it bothers you so much, we kill humans, you kill cows, or anything you want to eat."

"Still ... it's sick."

Bakura shrugged, "Suit yourself."

I took this time to study the vampires. Other than Bakura, there was only five vampires. But even so, they scared me. All my life I've dreamt of meeting a real live vampire, but now I'm not so sure I want to ...

I watched them eating, like people, drinking what looked like wine or tomato juice ... but it was really blood. Talking, joking, eating, drinking, doing things ... like normal people ... as if they were ... alive .... I felt so out of place.

Then Bakura took out the papers and passed them to the vampires. I looked at them and saw they were graphs and charts.

Bakura spoke, "Those are the records of our hunts, we're doing much better, but it's getting harder."

"I'll say!" said one of the vampires, one with jet black hair, and green eyes. He had a dice earing. "Last time a girl sprayed pepper spray in my eyes AND mouth! Can you believe that!"

The vampires laughed, "That's what you get Dukey-boy!" said one with long white hair.

Bakura smiled. "Well ... if you don't mind I'd say it's time for some entertainment."

The others nodded as three girls came out. I knew they were humans from the way their eyes looked frightened. But nonetheless they danced.

They were about eighteen, and I knew they were some kind of strippers or prostitutes or something like that. Still, they didn't deserve this. Not with vampires ...

They didn't wear much, mostly transparent clothes, swaying their hips in time to the music. One came over to me, but I looked away. I was SO not intrested. The vampire next to me gave me a weird look, "You refuse her? You're a sad man!"

I half smiled and the vampire laughed and extended his hand. "My name is Lucifer. Yours?"

I shook his hand. "Marik Ishtar."

Lucifer nodded, "Okay. Him there with the long hair and blue eyes. That's my brother, Shadi."

I nodded, "Oh. What about the white-haired man?"

"He's Pegasus. The man with green eyes, with the weird earing. He's Duke. And the guy that looks like he's constipated is Seto."

I laughed.

"I'm not kidding! he thinks he owns the whole damn world! Well, anyway ... together with Bakura ... we are the Morte Clan!"

I smiled, maybe vampires weren't so bad ...

How wrong I was ...

A/N: That is the Morta Clan! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! "ahem!''

Oh yes ... the scar Marik has is like the one thief Bakura has on his right cheek.

So YES!!! R&R PEOPLE!!!!!! OR VAMPIRE BAKUR WILL COME SUCK YOUR BLOOD OUT!!!!HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"cough cough" ACK! That's harsh on your throat!

ANYWHO!!!! Yeah ... R&R!!!!