Author's Note: Well, a few days ago, the rest of the story just came together. I have been pondering over it for some time, and the pieces snapped into place. At one time, I really wasn't sure if this story would ever come to a close, and I don't think it ever would have. I've left a somewhat open ending, but it does resolve one of Murdok's main motivations, which was stolen from him earlier in the story. Can't say much more without totally giving it away, so here it is. Don't know how many have been reading, or if it's been an enjoyable read, but I do hope so. It sure was an experience to write.
A Dreaded Request
When we had rested, we found no motivation to do anything but sit and brood. Our world had apparently quite literally gone to Hell, and we felt there was nothing we could do. We sat and watched as a troop of demons wandered through the city, devouring the corpses that were strewn about the landscape. This was my first glimpse of the creatures, and they looked just as I had always imagined: pretty much just like me, without the stone. They were shrouded in fire and shadow, and their dead eyes suggested only marginal intelligence. My guess was that they had a sort of hive mind, controlled by a central force somewhere. An entire army working as one…it was a discouraging thought. There were not enough of us left to stand against them, and it appeared that God, if there was one, had forsaken the planet he had created. It was in this light that I decided I didn't want to be here anymore.
"Horatio, do you happen to know of a magic-user anywhere? I've just had an idea, and I'm sure that someone with such powers could have devised a way to survive in these troubled times."
"Well," he said "I do recall hearing something about one such man living in the mountains to the east, but it was something nobody ever confirmed. We were afraid to investigate, given the rumors of his power. Such a man is not to be trifled with, even for someone of your type. What would you want with him?"
I proceeded to explain myself. "I wish to travel back in time, my friend. I have a score that still feels unsettled, and the man I had meant to settle it with is now dead. This world is ruined, and I do not wish to spend any more time here. You may accompany me if you would like, but just know that this is purely an interest of my own and I will deal with it as such, with no help from anyone…as it was meant to be." Horatio considered this for some time, then rose to his feet. "Come then, we shall go and see if this mage is still alive, and if he is inclined to help us. I am considering a request of my own, but I need a little more time to think."
And so we left the destroyed city, looking back in farewell to man's last great creation in its ruin. It appeared that, no matter how hard good people tried to survive, evil would always find a way to crush them. As we took to the air, I wondered about the request my friend had spoken of, and what it would entail. Surely it must be something serious…but what? His city was destroyed, his people were dead, and yet he persevered. The man was determined to struggle onward, regardless of the forces at work against him. It was not long before we reached the mountains he spoke of, but they were greatly changed. Some had been reduced to piles of rubble, while others still stood, albeit with cracks and fissures of various sizes running through them. The sight was not surprising to us, of course. I don't think anything could have surprised us anymore, to be quite honest.
Horatio pointed out a cave nearby, which I steered toward. "That is the rumored location of this mage. Many said they had seen strange lights and heard odd chanting coming from it, but since none of this ever came to any harm, we disregarded it. I do hope you realize the risks here, Murdok." I assured him that I did, and we landed on an outcropping of rock close by. The cave was silent and dark, and with my improved sight, I could see that there was nobody at home. However, there were objects here and there within the cave that led me to believe that someone held residence here, and the smoking torches told me they had been here recently. We decided to wait for him to return.
After an hour or so, Horatio turned to me and began a conversation I will never forget. "Have you ever performed an embrace before, friend?" I had never been asked this before, but my answer came quickly. "No. No I have not, nor would I consider it. I've been through the process, and it was most unpleasant. Why do you ask such a question?" He looked down at his feet. "You know, in all my years of hunting your kind, I have sometimes wondered what it's like to be on the other side of life. You have told me much, but surely one must experience it for himself to truly understand it all. Several times, I have put myself in compromising situations, later admitting that I had done so in the hopes that I might be taken myself, just for the sake of knowing. Have you ever felt that way about something?"
I could tell where this was leading, and I was very uneasy. "Yes I have, but it is the reverse, and there is no way for me to go back. This change is permanent, and although it has its advantages, I would discourage anyone from taking the route to unlife. The novelty of it would surely wear off quickly." He looked at me then, and his face said to me that his request would not be denied. "Murdok, I want to feel it for myself. I want to understand it. I want to know what's made you the creature you are today, and I would be your companion in kind. Imagine, another like you to travel with! Wouldn't it be wonderful? We can go back together and enjoy the past!" Seeing the look on my face, he took a different stance. "If you do not do this for me, I shall end my life. I have nothing left of my old life for which to continue living. My only wish now is to become one of you. It would be a great honor for me to become your pupil. Please, do not deny a man's last wish."
I was horrified…but it appeared I had no choice. I knew how the procedure was done, as it was one of the things my sire taught me long ago, but I never thought I'd have to use it. "Alright, friend…alright. If it is your choice, then I shall do as you ask. It will not be a pleasant experience, I assure you, but I hope you enjoy this life more than I." He smiled then, and I wish I had been able to see it again.
Tainted Blood
The dreaded time had come. I was to make a new vampire. Although I was against the whole thing, my natural lust for blood helped me to begin the routine of the embrace. I sank my fangs into Horatio's neck, drawing his life-sustaining vitae into my body. The taste was more exquisite than any other blood I had yet tasted, and I drained him completely, as I had been taught. Now, I tore a chunk from my wrist, no easy task, and put it to his mouth, forcing my blood to flow. After the first bit, he clutched at my arm as he found renewed strength, gorging himself on his newfound sustenance. I had to pull myself away from him, stopping the flow and watching as his transformation began. His skin began to turn gray, then it cracked and split, and he curled into a fetal position as his body was wracked with the pain I myself had once felt. He screamed then, begging for mercy from a god that would no longer favor him, and wings began to sprout from his back. Horns formed on his head, and mingled with his cries was the sound of stone scraping against stone as he writhed on the rocks. His fingers grew short claws, and he scraped at his own arms, tearing the thin newly formed stone from his dead flesh only to have it renew itself in seconds. After a minute or so, his cries subsided, and his body relaxed somewhat. A new gargoyle had been born.
He looked up at me, his face barely recognizable and ugly now. His voice was like mine, raspy and horrible. "The pain…I thought it would never end! I should have listened more closely…I was not prepared. However, I have made it…I've become like you, friend! For so long, I wanted to…" He trailed off, his expression changing again to one of pain and anguish.
"Horatio? What's wrong? What do you feel?" I grabbed him…and, to my horror, his shoulder broke off in my hand, crumbling to small pebbles. He looked at it, and then back at me. "What's happening! Is this supposed to…AGH!" He clutched at himself, his arms beginning to flake and chip away. His horns fell to the ground, turning to dust, and his wings crumbled and fell to the stones below in a series of sounds I will never forget. His arms fell to pieces, one hand landing upturned at my feet. It clenched into a tight fist and collapsed on itself. I looked up to meet his eyes, and the look on his face was so terrible I can hardly describe it. His last wish had been denied, and most bitterly. He was literally falling apart. He tried to speak then, but what he meant to say was lost forever as he crumbled and fell in a heap, his blood standing out accusingly against the gray stone. My worst fears had never come anywhere close to this.
Surely it was the work of my old master. He had cursed me somehow, making sure that I could never make a companion for myself. I sat there for a long while, not only waiting for the mage to return, but just wondering what in my unlife had ever gone right. Come to think of it, everything had come to a bad end, or one that wasn't quite good. Reinhardt was dead, but not by my hands, and had cursed me. My only true friend had been destroyed by me. The world had been taken over by the legions of Hell, and there was nothing I could do. The only good thing I could think of was the fact that I had, indeed, defeated a werewolf…by myself. Overall, I think I came out on the bad end. Why was I destined to fail at everything? I hoped at least that I could do what I wanted with this mage and his powers. If there was one thing I wanted done right, it was this.
A Trip Through Time
As I mulled over these thoughts, I noticed an old man hobbling up toward the cave. He was clad in a tattered robe, and his back was severely hunched. He went inside and, shortly after, the flicker of torchlight emanated from the entrance. I went down to meet him.
As I entered, he turned around, seeming not to be surprised in the least. "Ah! So you've arrived. The course of time can change somewhat, but generally it stays pretty close to where it's supposed to be. Tell me…have you been waiting long?" Taken aback by this, I managed an answer. "W-well…no, not by my standards at least. It's been a few hours. How do you know who…" He cut me off, waving his hands briskly. "Oh, pish-posh! I'm a mage of time, after all. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out from there, now does it? Please, make yourself at home. I've just come back from collecting some components for the spell you're about to ask me to cast." He set some odds and ends on the small table and rushed about (as much as he could, anyhow) gathering various notes and things. "I haven't done anything this exciting in a long time! I'm glad to be able to use my spells again. Oh, sure, I could turn back time and fix all this mess, but I'd be in some trouble for sure! You just don't know how annoying it is to have so much power and not be able to do hardly anything interesting with it! Laws and rules…such a trifle, don't you think? Ah well, listen to me rambling on. You've got a big trip ahead of you, and an important task to take care of."
I chuckled a little at the old fellow, and it was nice to have a little amusement on such a wretched day. He obviously knew what he was doing. "Before you send me anywhere, might I know your name?" He made a few adjustments and turned back to me, smiling. "Oh, I haven't had a name in a long, long time. Nobody visits me anyhow, so why have a name, huh? Besides, you're about to be sometime else, and you won't be seeing me again, so you wouldn't need to bother yourself with it. Now, come stand over here…everything has to be just so, or it won't work! This will feel a bit strange, and don't worry, I've got a spot set for you where you won't be seen or heard until you choose to be. Don't take me for an amateur, now!"
My journal must end here, for there are important matters that need seeing to, and, according to him, its contents would not survive the trip. I shall entrust it to him, and perhaps he will write something in it after I am gone. To whoever is reading this, I hope that you have gained something out of it. Life and unlife each have their own perils and joys, though I believe life has quite a bit more of the latter. To the living, I say, enjoy it while you have it. I'll never know what mine was like. Farewell.
Old Flames Revisited
Well, I've sent him back. I can see what's happening…I won't be able to see for long, just a few seconds. Oh, I do wish I could see the fight! He's walking up to the door now…
Murdok slips through the wall as one would a liquid, and he finds Reinhardt standing at his window, looking out on the night. He turns, his senses detecting the sheer power that has just entered the room, and to his surprise meets the burning gaze of his escaped slave, whose name he never knew. Murdok's face takes on the expression of a monster that has just hunted down its prey, and he speaks, his voice carrying a hatred unequalled.
"You're afraid, but not nearly enough…'Master'"
