YUGIOH

Eternal Darkness

Chapter 5.

Kaiba stood inside the unfamiliar but well-lavished house, staring out at the night sky. He was now in the home of Brandon Cavnar, who had supposedly lived for hundreds of years. Actually, it was Cavnar's new haunt....this was the home of one of his victims the police had yet to find out about. Brandon would kill the victim and stay at his home for awhile, before eventually finding another home of his liking. Cavnar had traveled all over the world, finding new homes here and there....he liked to travel. He was out right now, finding a victim to kill and feast on, before returning to talk some more to his new 'pet'.

Yes, Kaiba quickly realized what he meant by pet. Since Cavnar was the one that gave him the vampirism, Kaiba was somehow bound to him. He had felt it at the park, and realized he would not have the will to stand against him because of it.

Yes....without even knowing it, Seto Kaiba had once again basically brought another Gozaburo into his life. He should have known he was doomed to do something like that. After all, his life always was self-destructive one way or another.

When Gozaburo was alive, Kaiba felt he had died....on the inside. But now, Kaiba could say he really was dead....and by his own hand, even. But as usual, that didn't matter either. What's another part of himself thrown away to the wind? He had given away his innocence long ago, sacrificed his soul for Mokuba's happiness. So this time, he had thrown away his own mortality. It would only mean to Kaiba that a new game would have to begin.

Once again, Mokuba's happiness and security was the prize. But instead of playing the knight this time to protect the king, he would have to change his strategy and play the pawn. Cavnar was expecting him to be the obedient servant, and he would have to play his part well to convince the vampire of this in order to win.

Kaiba had been testing his own strength of will against his supposed 'master'. As long as he wasn't given a direct order to do something, he could actually resist its pull. He wasn't sure if that was normal or not. But since he had been playing the loyal pawn, and Cavnar didn't seem surprised by it, Kaiba assumed this was supposed to be how he was to act from this transition. So as long as Cavnar thought he had no chance to resist, he wouldn't expect betrayal from him.

Kaiba knew in time if he was patient, his moment would come to take out the vampire. That's when he would make his move in order to free himself and protect his brother....but he wasn't sure when that would be. He had to time it just right....bide him, wait for it to come, then jump at it and hope he didn't fail. He would only get one chance, so it had to be good.

As Kaiba contemplated this, he didn't have to hear or look to know that Cavnar had returned. Like a cold breeze blowing through the window, Cavnar materialized behind Kaiba and gave a chilling smile. "Well, my pet....have you been waiting for me? You should have joined me....it was fun."

"I've already fed." Kaiba answered. "I didn't see the point of going out."

Cavnar approached, and gently brushed his hand across Kaiba's rich velvet trench coat. Kaiba had to resist the urge to try and shrug him off. "From your original strength of will, I actually thought you might try and fight this transition a bit more. But that is good, for I didn't want to have to deal with petty rebellion."

"Why would I consider fighting you? You gave me immortality. Thanks to you, I never have to grow old or die." Kaiba said. He turned to face Cavnar, saying, "Since you have been a vampire much longer than myself, I was hoping you might have some thing to teach me that I should know about."

"My....aren't we anxious? Well....you've seen the movies, I'm certain." Cavnar said, with amusement. "Make sure to stay away from light, wooden stakes, or religious figures."

"Religious figures? Don't you mean religious items?" Kaiba asked.

"No....not unless the item was in fact blessed by a true priest, and I don't mean people that are given priest papers simply so they can go on TV and rake in the money for themselves. True priests have the gods shining down on them with their respect and blessings....they would have the power of the gods flowing through them. Even holy water doesn't harm us unless blessed by a true priest. Though I would suggest not to go to any religious temples, just to be on the safe side."

"What about silver?" Kaiba asked.

Cavnar laughed, amused. "Ahhh yes, the Blade movies. You don't have to worry about that. The writers obviously mistaken werewolves for vampires. Perhaps they were bored, who knows. We have no such allergies to the element. Infact, I drink out of silver goblets all the time."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, asking, "So, there are such things as werewolves, too?"

"Of course. Creatures such as us are simply not as frequent as they try to make us out to be." Cavnar said.

"Why is that?" Kaiba asked. "If we're immortal, wouldn't there be a lot of us?"

"Why would there be?" Cavnar asked. "Do you think we want to constantly make more of us?"

"Why not? Less threat from humans, aren't there?" Kaiba asked.

Cavnar seemed once again amused by his new pet. "You just don't understand yet, do you my pet? But I should expect that from someone new to being a creature as me. Any threats you felt from humans in the past are now all gone. They are not a danger to us....they are our food, Seto. But then....that is the reason our kind do not go out making many more of us. The more vampires you make, the more mouths to feed and less of the human herd to feed from. But when we do decide to create another one of us from a human, we make sure that mortal is strong and worthy....as you were."

"I'm honored." Kaiba said, sounding as sincere as he could muster....which wasn't easy.

"You should be. It is rare to be offered to become one of an elite race. But you were indeed special. Very few times in my lifetime have I seen a human become a vampire. Never have I seen a human forcibly grant himself immortality." Cavnar mused.

Kaiba kept himself from flinching at the comment, a harsh reminder of exactly how he got in the position he was in. And yet, he was still weighing it in his head if what he did was really such a bad thing, after all. Given, he will now be eternally dead. But if he didn't do what he did....where would he be, now?

Cavnar wasn't just a psycho like he thought, that could be chased off. Cavnar knew what he had done, and left allowing Kaiba to become a vampire. If he didn't taste Cavnar's own blood, he doubted the vampire would have simply spared him....he would probably be dead. After all, as a vampire Cavnar was stronger, faster, immortal....how can you fight that? The only regret was that if he was just a little more open-minded, perhaps he could have identified the hunger he was going through, and stopped himself in time before sealing his fate. But there was no point in regretting, now. What's past is past....now he had to accept and move on.

As Kaiba thought of that moment, Cavnar continued to speak. "Infact, one might think you really were seeking out immortality. Perhaps it was fate....".

"I don't believe in fate." Kaiba blurted out, before he could catch himself. After the words were out, he hoped it didn't sound too rebellious.

Cavnar paused, but smiled. "No?" He turned away, waving his hand, saying, "Perhaps you're right." Then turning back to him, he said, "Maybe instead, you were unconsciously drawn to power. Somewhere, your mind truly knew what it wanted, and took my blood with the desire to become greater than you were....just like you told your friends. I shouldn't put it passed a man who was on top of the business world, after all."

"Not that I am ungrateful." Kaiba bowed slightly, "But....why choose me?"

"Why any human? Normally we just find an easy target and feast. But I must admit, you I was driven to pursue." Cavnar said.

"I don't understand." Kaiba said, wondering why he would specifically target him.

Cavnar asked, "Don't you? You have learned the scent of humans. The stronger willed ones you soon learn possess a blood that smells and tastes so much more sweeter. Think about it with your friends you were with. The one with the magical item....did his scent not seem more 'appealing' to you?"

Now that Kaiba thought about it, comparing the scent that he smelled between Yami and say....Joey, there was a significant difference. "Now that you mention it...." He muttered.

"And if you think the smell was good....wait until you get the taste of it. You can go for two days before you need another bite. You'll see soon enough." Cavnar told him.

Kaiba turned to him, asking, "I will? What do you mean?"

"When we see your human friends again, of course. We are going to kill them." Cavnar said. He then smiled, saying, "I thought you already assumed that...."

Kaiba muttered, "You mean Yugi and his group. But why? Don't tell me you're afraid of them...."

"As I have told you....they are like sheep, and we are the wolves. There is nothing to fear from humans. But when it comes to the human race, there is one problem with this type of cattle....when they are hit with the reality that they are not on the top of the food chain, they try to rebel, unable to accept their fate. Anytime a human had come to the realization that vampires exist, they have gone out of their way to try and take us down. So, they will probably in the beginning seek out help from their kind, and be labeled as insane. Then they will pursue us on their own. And when they do, we will feast like kings." Cavnar mused.

The head vampire then looked down in thought, as he added. "But I must admit, the flame-haired one with that gold item troubled me. I don't like the magical aura I got from him....he will die, especially."

He turned and smiled at Kaiba, saying, "Maybe I'll even let you have him, so you can have a taste of the best quality blood, and you will see what I mean on wanting to pursue the strong-willed ones. But I do hope you don't have a problem killing your friends for food, do you? You do understand that they will have no qualms about taking you down, if you give them the chance."

Kaiba now smirked, saying, "You seem to be under the assumption that they are my friends. You are mistaken....I have no friends." Kaiba then turned back to the window, staring out.

As he did, Cavnar approached behind Kaiba, bringing his hand up, and rubbing his back, as if 'petting' him in a way, saying, "That is good. I wouldn't want you to be attached to your meal, after all."

Kaiba did not pull away from him, answering, "You know what is best for us, Cavnar. If Yugi and his friends must die, then so be it."

"Good....very good." Cavnar answered. He then looked around his home, saying, "I have been considering where to put you here, since the moment you tasted some of my own blood. We are to remain together forever now, after all. But after thinking about it, I decided this building really had become stuffy, and I'm all ready prepared to move on." He then turned to Kaiba, saying, "So I decided we can both return to your place and live there."

"Why there? There's nothing wrong with this place." Kaiba stated, immediately concerned about Mokuba being surrounded by vampires.

Cavnar answered, "Let's not forget Seto, that the others will be seeking us out. Why make it difficult for them? By staying at your home, they'll know exactly where to find us, and I so love it when my meal is delivered to me. But why the concern? Don't you want to go home?"

Kaiba answered, "I don't live alone, you know. Others stay at the house, as well. There are maids, butlers, security. They might make a nice meal for us, but if too many people start disappearing around that house, the police are going to start to wonder. I understand that humans can't compare to our strength, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be underestimated. I was a public figure. Things that happen around me tend to get mentioned on the news a lot. We don't want too much attention."

"You're really thinking too much into this, Seto. You hired them, you're still not seen as a vampire to any of them. Have them fired or sent away", Cavnar said. He then paused, looking Kaiba over. "Wait a minute...." Cavnar then smiled. "I see....I have almost forgotten the little one you always had strapped to your ankles. The boy, is he your son?"

Kaiba hoped Cavnar didn't know about him. But there was no denying it now, without looking like he was trying to protect him. "Mokuba is my brother. What about him?"

"You are concerned for his safety, are you not?" Cavnar asked.

Kaiba gave a cold smirk, masking any possibility of caring. "Funny....for a vampire, I didn't realize you read the tabloids. Mokuba helps to give me a better public image, so I look like a 'nicer person' in the public eye....but that doesn't mean I actually care about him. That little brat has been an annoyance to me ever since I can remember. My concern is the publicity, not him."

"Oh? Then why don't we get rid of him when we get back? He'd make a lovely after-snack." Cavnar stated.

Kaiba found the vampire's response far too predictable. For someone thousands of years old, it was pretty apparent to Kaiba that he was testing him. Kaiba rolled his eyes, saying, "Sure, why not? Then we'd end up having exactly what I told you would happen, if we killed off the help....only ten times worse. We'd have a media frenzy over there, like you wouldn't believe. And if you plan on using that house to bait Yugi's little group, then causing a public stir wouldn't be very helpful.

Then with a smirk, Kaiba added, "Besides....why waste a human that can be so helpful to us?"

"How so?" Cavnar asked, listening with interest.

Kaiba smirk became a sneer, as he stated, "Don't you think he'd make the perfect bait for our catch? If Yugi figures out we're both over here, obviously they're going to worry about his safety. They'll come running in no time."

"Hmmm....yes, I like that." Cavnar said. "Very well....we can eat him last."

"No." Kaiba answered, surprising Cavnar. "I want him. When we kill off Yugi's group, let me be the one to take him out. Mokuba is mine....and after all the time I had to be bothered with baby-sitting his worthless ass, I deserve to be the one to take him."

Cavnar seemed satisfied with that answer, and nodded. "Very well. And it should be only fitting that he is dealt with by his brother's own hand."

He turned away from Kaiba, saying, "Then it is settled. I will train you here on some basics that you might need to know, then we can go and meet this darling little brother of yours."

Kaiba could only hope he had succeeded in convincing the vampire. The less connection there was between him and Mokuba....the better. Mokuba's safety had to come first.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Cavnar took some time to show Kaiba all he could on the advantages of being a vampire. The strength, the speed, being able to drift in the wind, or dance in the shadows, the keen sense of smell, hearing, and sight - especially towards those that were warm-blooded. Then there was of course the invincibility towards most things.

A vampire could also tell when a human lied, since they could feel the changes in a human's blood-flow. Kaiba was happy that atleast Cavnar wouldn't be able to tell that from him, since he was technically no longer human.

He also helped teach Kaiba the difference between superstitions on vampires, and fact. Like the ridiculous idea of silver being harmful....unless it was blessed by a priest, that was not a problem. Magic, depending on what it could do, could pose to be a problem, no matter if you were human or vampire. Infact, the way Cavnar spoke of Yugi earlier, Kaiba suspected that perhaps Cavnar wanted Yugi's group killed off, in fear of what it might be capable of doing. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

The nonsense on garlic Cavnar also pointed out was wrong. True, he didn't like the smell....but then, who did? He pointed out the real reason garlic was used in the past was that its strong smell could block out the scent of human blood that vampires used to trail their victims....but it wasn't something that repelled them.

"There is one more thing that a vampire can do." Cavnar said. "Every vampire can take on the form of the animalistic nature of their soul. For example, this is my form." Cavnar changed, and in an instant he had become a deadly cobra.

'A snake....somehow, I'm not a surprised.' Kaiba thought.

As Cavnar changed back, Kaiba said, "I always seemed to be drawn towards Dragons. Does that make it my form?"

Cavnar smiled, saying, "You will take on the form of a real creature that exists in this world. There's no such thing as dragons...."

"Funny....I also thought there was no such thing as vampires, until tonight." Kaiba muttered.

Cavnar placed his hand on Kaiba's chest, saying, "Just search for it in your heart and soul, and you will become it. It is something you will feel is a part of you."

Again, Kaiba resisted the urge to push Cavnar away after he touched him, and closed his eyes to concentrate on this supposed form. All he could think of was his Blue Eyes White Dragons, but according to Cavnar he couldn't become that since it didn't really exist. But if he couldn't be that, then besides what he already was, he didn't want to be anything else. Kaiba then opened his eyes, and shook his head, saying, "I can't seem to do it."

Cavnar smiled. "Don't worry, pet. You are still learning....sometimes these things take time for beginners to learn, before they know their nature. If you don't know it now, then you will learn soon enough. It is time to go to our new home, now. Let's have you introduce me to your brother, shall we?"