Chapter III: Birth

The events of the previous evening had left him bitter and in deep contemplation of his existence. He prayed for guidance from the other angels and saints. He prayed for their vision or at least their madness to take him away from his own thoughts. For hours he knelt and prayed, the answer arrived in the form of an angry roar of a 49' Zundapp K 750 motorcycle making its way up the private drive of the Bavarian style estate. He had herd this sound many times back in Berlin when Hanz would arrive back at the coven after a long night out. Klaus made his way out of the beautiful tutor style estate to greet his old pack mate in person. Hanz got off the bike and released his grip on his passenger, an unconscious blond woman-well beaten and drained of blood, who slumped unceremoniously to the ground. His perpetually slicked back blond hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled and blood stained, and he wore his tumultuous emotions heavily upon his normally stern, uncaring brow.

"Do you have time to talk Klaus?" Hanz' monotone voice quavered slightly. Not so much that anyone but Klaus would notice.

"Oh, for fuck sake Hanz! We are in the middle of Cam territory, bring your take-out inside before some sees it." Klaus said as he turned around nonchalantly and walked towards the entryway of the estate.

Once inside, Klaus led Hanz into his bedchamber to discuss the information that Klaus already knew.

"Hanzel, you look like shit. Was she not enough for you, please, here-have some of mine." Klaus sliced open his small wrist and offered it up to his pale friend. Hanz drank greedily from the boy and was overcome by a vibrant sensation that made him realize that he and Klaus, despite their differences, has some sort of unearthly kinship. They were beyond Cainites, beyond this world. Was this something that only immortal children could feel and understand or was Klaus playing with his mind as he had done so many times in the past?

After having the ghoul dispose of the body of the woman, Hanz recanted the tale of the previous nights events, events that Klaus had already been privy to. Klaus feigned indifference at the news and listened patiently while his ex-pack mate distressfully told his tale.

"And now what, Hanzel my dear, old, friend? Are you to stay behind and raise your sweet little family and be the perfect fucking daddy?" Spat Klaus when Hanz was finished.

"The child is dead Klaus, what am I to do?"

"If you hadn't noticed, so are you my dear Hanzel. You always seem to forget that. It makes no difference. Do you love her? Do you love Angelique? I know she does something for you so don't try to lie to me. You told me yourself only a few weeks ago that she stirs something inside you that you though was dead. And now look, you have proof of your union, a lovely baby girl-or do you think it would have been a boy, so hard to tell at that stage isn't it? It does not matter really I suppose. Either way, congratulations Hanzel, you did what I could not, you have proven yourself a man. I will never have that luxury."

If he noticed the extreme attention to detail in Klaus' words, detail one could only know from bearing witness first hand, Hanz showed no sign of it. At first a look of anger crossed his face at the venom of the boy's words, but his features soon softened and the sorrow returned to Hanz' rich blue eyes.

"Klaus, I am lost. Please, for the first time in my un-life I do not know where I am going, or what I am to do. Every thing I am has been questioned in these nights and I have nothing left to hold onto for guidance!"

"What do you want from me Hanzel? What is it you think I could give you? So, your little world has come crashing down around you. Your dreams of Hitler Youth and perfect Arian domination crushed- you know Angelique isn't pure blood right? That means your child is a mongrel.

Why do you bring this to me? Do you seek my guidance and tutelage? I can't help you unless you are willing to stop thinking with your fists and are willing to push beyond the confines' of your fallible mortal body, you know that. Are you ready to take that step, or are you just here to fuck me?" Klaus waited with bated breath for Hanz' response. He was not sure if he was willing to help his old comrade and occasional lover. It was true, the two has spent a few evenings of indescression together back in Berlin much to the ire of Hanz upon recovering from his intoxications.

"I need your help. I need your insight that you are so famed for. Will you teach me what path I need to go down? Please Klaus, I ask you as my friend even though I know you are going to eventfully fuck me over with this. We are Cainites, it is what we do." A few red tears began tracing their way down his well formed cheek. His normally stoic demeanor crushed under the weight of a few drops of blood.

Something within Klaus was moved and churned. He could not tell if this was the feeling known as sympathy, compassion for his broken friend weeping upon his floor. Was it a desire to be the one Hanz was weeping over? Could it be jealousy of Angelique for claiming Hanz' thoughts or envy of Hanz for possessing so much of Angelique's affections? Perhaps it was something all together different- the birthing pains of a new game of intrigue. One that would repair his broken friend, bringing him into his favor and debt, a game that which would eventually self-destruct crushing Hanz' soul once and for all when the dust had cleared leaving Klaus to revel in his genius.

"Hanzel, my dear. Of course I will help you as long as you are willing to become an apt pupil. Are you strong enough to question your very soul? Are you ready for you first lesson or should we wait for another evening when you are not feeling so weak from your predicament?" Klaus feigned sympathy with a sparkling smile. He knew Hanz well enough to understand his intolerance of personal weakness.

Hanz nodded determinedly and spoke. "Tonight- I am ready."

"Excellent, then take off your clothes."

He paused for a moment and lifted a questioning eyebrow towards Klaus request, he then shrugged and complied. Klaus disrobed as well and bid Hanz to keel upon his alter like bed. He took up the sacred oils and began to trace the symbols for knowledge, truth and pain over Hanz' wiry naked body. Klaus ushered him into prayer which transformed from spoken word to living thought. Memories long forgotten were pushed to the surface in an echoing of ghostly sounds. Snapshots of Hanz' life before his embrace flooded the room and threatened to drown the troubled young man. As Klaus thrust deeper into his psyche, Hanz began to see his past present and future swirling in a pool of possibilities before him and above all, a militant voice from within him that called out what actions must be taking to achieve the desired out comes.

After the voices and images subside and recessed back into where ever they had come from, Hanz laid back shaken upon the bed in contemplation of all he has just seen. Klaus let him sit in silence to collect his thoughts.

Eventually Hanz began to speak again. Klaus analyzed for him the images he saw and Hanz for the first time found insight into his own condition.

"She really is an excellent specimen you know. Are you going to claim her?" questioned Klaus remembering the previous nights conversation with Angelique on the importance of freedom and her declaration of homicide towards those who whished to rob her of it.

"No. I could not. She would not have me." Replied Hanz as his gaze fixated upon the pattern on the sheets.

"Well, I think you should before someone else does. Perhaps I will claim her then since you have no intent to do so. Yes, I do rather like her." The trap had been set. Now it was time to see if the mouse would take the bait.

A ferocious beast of jealousy ignited behind Hanz' blue eyes.

"You wouldn't dare!" he snapped

"Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't. It depends on where the mood takes me. She does have such a lovely body and make the most wonderful sounds when I suckle on her petite breasts. If you are not going to claim her then maybe I will, if her sire does not already posses her." For a moment, Klaus thought Hanz would attack him. Had he gone to far in his taunt? But when the young man expression softened into one of concern, he knew that he was safe from Hanz ire. For now.

"But how. How would I claim her? Will you help me?" The trap had been sprung, the mouse was caught.

"Fine, if you have the balls I will help you. Perhaps you should woo her. She is in love with pain and suffering, you have given her the greatest gift of personal suffering - the anguish of her lost child, let us find a new pain to give her and wrap it up in a lovely box and bow." The two sat in silence for several moments. Klaus feigned deep concentration.

"I have yet again been struck by genius! Get her to meet with us and I will gift her the memory of pain and anguish you had felt the moment you learned of you little bastard child's existence. She will love it!" Klaus giggled gleeful as school boy. So far this had been too easy.

"Do you really think she will like it?" Asked Hanz hopefully.

"She will love it!" Klaus winked.

The two then talked for hours as young men, naked on Klaus' circular bed. They laughed and joked as if the all years had not made them into the monsters that they were. As they shared an old memory, Hanz leaned in and gently cupped Klaus cheek drawing him in for a sincere and unexpected kiss upon his soft lips.

Klaus pulled back. "Why did you do that?" he barked. This tenderness was unexpected.

"You are a good friend to me Klaus. You have done for me what other Cainites would not. I would like to stay here with you tonight… if you will allow me."

In all of their indescressions, Hanz had never kissed him. The encounters were always violent, passionate and fueled by blood lust and intoxication. Once again, something strange and foreign kicked and stirred within Klaus.

"Why should I let you stay here? So you can call me little faggot like you always do when we are in front of other people?" Klaus tried in vain to suppress his emotion.

"I am sorry Klaus, I never realized it upset you so. I will leave if you wish it." Klaus fought back the urge to slap him and instead pressed his mouth hard onto Hanz'. Hanz reciprocated the action and the two become quickly intertwined. Hands and mouth set out exploring expanses of juvenile flesh. Klaus reached between Hanz' legs to feel the soft spread of blond hair that surrounded his manhood. Hair that Klaus was never to have thanks to his sire' handiwork. Hanz' shifted and guided the blood in his body to awaken his shaft in steady, throbbing increments and Klaus made sure he followed suit.

Hanz maneuvered his eager body over the boy and thrust himself deeply into his old friend. He savored the throbbing sensation of his blood being pushed back and forth though his cock as he griped Klaus' almost feminine hips for leverage against his tight, young body. He reached around and gripped Klaus' juvenile shaft in his hand and stroked it in rhythm with his thrusts. Klaus let out several impassioned moans and bit into Hanz well formed, athletic arm taking in large draughts of his blood. Hanz cried out in pleasure and bit down on Klaus' neck completing the circuit. The pressure intensified as the blood made its way in out of their bodies, rocking with their motions like a raging fire that eventually exploded into white hot flames that consumed them both.

Stated and exhausted, the two boys collapsed and Hanz fell into Klaus' waiting arms as the dawn was breaking somewhere outside.

"Stay with me Hanzel, just one more night will you?"

"I will."