Tw chapter3

I went to my tower looked in on my people, unseen this time thanks to Ature's power. I experimented with my new gifts and found I could use all three at the same time, strength, stealth, and immobilization. I was starting to realize how much of a weapon I had become. Others might be afraid to be near me, especially the gifted if they knew I would gain their power. I made the decision to never tell another how my gift worked.

I stayed until my 500 birthday honing my fighting and gift skills. I would never be on the losing end of a fight with another immortal. Time to move on, the wildlife in my location was getting scarce. Locking up my home I headed for the bridge Ature had shown me. It was cold and barren up here no humans could survive passed the middle of Canada. It was the perfect hunting grounds for me thought, Polar bears, caribou, and loads of wolf to name a few. But once again I was hungry for a friend to talk with. After over 100 years on my own not seeing a human or immortal I was lonely.

Threw Siberia, down to China, I finally saw my next immortal. I watch her behind Ature's gift. Her name was Sietar, she looked to be my age and she walked among her people as a god. I had never asked any human to grovel before me. She demanded it. An old man refused to fall before her, she drank him dry before he could scream. Throwing him aside like a used tissue. By ease-dropping I learned the language. She had a temple and they waited on her like she was a queen. She had picked up my sent all over her kingdom, but was unable to find me. She knew I was around just not where. After two years I made my move. She was reclined on a long couch looking out at the night sky when I appeared.

"I was starting to think you would never talk with me."

She was striking we all were but I could tell she was intrigued. I spoke flawless Chinese. "One cannot be too careful."

"Be welcome hunt my lands feed from my herd."She told me with an apprised look.

"I do not eat humans. I prefer the blood of animals."

"Is that why your eyes are that strange color? Feel free to eat what you wish all belongs to me here."

I found her to be a graces host after spending 10 years we moved into a more physical relationship. She was not my first but she was my first immortal. God we went at it for weeks at a time and before I knew it another twenty years had passed her people knew what I was but I refused to be bowed to. She thought I was spoiling them and she would just have to eat them all the sooner because of it. We might have still been there today but a message arrived calling her to her maker Zhou. One of the three that Ature had told me of a maker, someone who could bite without killing.

"He will welcome you my love. Gifted ones are prized."

I had found out the she had a gift to be undetected by sound or smell. Of course I stole it, being with her for so long. She just assumed my gift of hiding my image was my gift. As it was the only one I had shown her.

"How many has he made?"

"Twenty, last time I heard. Sometimes he kills them by accident during the making."

"How many gifted?"

"Five, counting myself and Master Zhou. I know we are not mates but we are as you put it friends, with benefits. He will greet you openly. No need for you to hide we will walk in together."

He had heard of me from people who visited her kingdom so I was no surprise. "Welcome Michal I see you with my daughter. May I ask who your maker is?"

We sit and I tell my abbreviated tail.

"Have you met many immortals Michal?"

"You are the fifth, Ature was my first and best friend we spent almost 159 years together. He taught me many things about this life. The other two I met as a fight with four was underway. The two survivors Traolk and Shetra stopped as we approached."

"You saw my daughter Shetar?"

I knew I would have to alter the facts slightly to keep from killing him if he attacks. "He used his gift to hold her we saw him remove her head and toss in the fire as we arrived. Ature knew her and jump right in willing to kill him for killing his friends. I owed him a great debt so move to help. Ature has the same gift as me. Traolk can only hold you if he can see you. As he held one of us the other moved in. I eventually removed his head burning all his parts before the head."

"Good, I thank you for burning him slowly it was too swift for him. I wish you had kept the head."

"Was the fight over food?" He asked puzzled.

"No Zhou it was a barren place where we fought ice covered no life."

"I told her he would be the death of her. She was the first I turned with a gift. She will be missed. Be welcome in my lands, eat as you will. I hear you prefer lions. We have snow leopards in the hills, tigers in the low lands. My herd will thank you for eating them, they are becoming a bother eating my food."

"I hear you have a library going back 10 thousand years?" I said with a gleam in my eyes.

"This is true."

"Seitar has taught me how to read your language. May I have permission to read your scrolls?"

"All that I have is yours to use, I only ask that while you are here you help defend my kingdom against outside forces."

"Of course," I no sooner tell him and I feel something settling in my mind, a need to defend this land.

Sietas follows me out and once we are in privet I ask her, "what just happened."

"Master Zhou's gift is binding someone word. If you give him a promise you have to keep it. After he made me I pledged fidelity to him. I am bound to come when he calls, to obey when he commands."

The promise was broad I would help if he was attacked from the outside of his kingdom. I made no promise from attacks from within. He left me a loop hole and if he tried to force me I would kill him.

"Master Zhou has called us all in. Anubus has made five newborns and is looking to turn them loose on our herds. They will kill thousands. A maker only makes one at a time because it is so hard to train them in this new life. That is why he has us swear to him it makes the first two hundred years better."

"Even so you have given up your freedom to him until one of you are ashes on the ground." I look at her not understanding.

"When he found me I was all but dead. Just enough blood to keep my heart beating, I was the only one left after the bandits attacked. I looked into his eyes and he saw something in me he told me I would have to serve him for all eternity. He was a god he would make me a god how would I not agree."

I smile at her. "He never told you about the burning?"

"I'm glad he didn't if I knew it was that bad I never would have gone through with it."

Fifteen immortals answered his call within the week. I learned Zhou had gotten Anubus to promise to stay out of his lands on their first meeting. That was his greatest chance to get a promise out of one of us, after that we were on guard against him. There were 17 immortals counting Zhou standing in his throne room. Toa another gifted reported twenty crossing into China, five uncontrollable killing every human they see. I would have helped stop this even if I was not complied. Looking at the group they ate 7-8 hundred humans a year. Toa said they killed a village of 5 hundred in one day. They would kill every human in china in one years' time if unchecked.

Zhou had a map showing all his herds. "They are here we will take them after they takeout Rusat's northern herd."

That was one pissed off vampire. Rusat looked death glares at Zhou. Something tells me he was not happy with letting his food going into those Egyptians.

We met them on the outskirts of Rusat's town. They were bathed in blood from their heads to their toes, they were bright red. I woke all the powers in me I was unseen, unheard, very strong, and unstoppable. I was death, heads stated to hit the ground. You can't stop what you can't see. 5-7-8 they started to panic. Zhou looked on in shock, then orders them to get-em. We had the bodies stacked in a pile. I had twenty heads ready to go in once they lit the pile.

Zhou walks over to me. "What are you?"

"I am someone you never want to cross. Never try to use your power on me again I would have helped you stop this anyway."

As we feed the heads in I feel another power slip in. I will have to look at it later now I have five points of light in my head.

We headed back and Sietar looked at me differently. I was as deadly to immortals as we are to humans. For the first time in a long time she was afraid. They edged away from me. Who wants to be any closer to someone that can end you? They all left and I looked at Zhou. "Well that's awkward."

"Hunt my friend, use my scrolls, I release you from your vow." I felt the hold over me leave.

I smile at him. "You saw the loophole you left?"

He smiles and shakes his head. "Oh yes. And I know if I tried to force you, you would kill us all."

I spent years reading through his scrolls, playing chess. He taught me Go a rock game. I felt his gift settle in my mind. I realized that these were the true treasure to collect. I realized some of the best fighting stylize were developed here. Our bodies may be harder but they still moved the same. I watch and adapted them to kill vampires. I still had to look at the gift I got from the battle. I was reluctant to look while others could see.

I bowed to my host. "Time for me to go I think Zhou. There is a world to see and new things to learn. Know I count you as a friend."

He bows back. "As long as I rule China you are always welcome."

And like a shot I was gone. I headed home using my great strength to propel me going unseen unheard. My house was untouched my humans unhurt. Ature had stopped by but kept his promise not to hunt here. They were working metals, weaving, and painting. I was proud of them in a few short centuries they have gone from hutting gathering to farming and raising livestock. I found the new power was defensive allowing me to dodge and move to keep from being touched. I wondered if there is a limit to how many I can hold and how many I can use at the same time. I strolled down to check out the Inca's and ran into a newborn. He of course tried to kill me. I ripped off both arms playing with him using my new power to see how effective it was. That's when Ature showed up.

"Wait Mac, please don't kill him." He looks at the boy only 15 years old. "Sit down and keep your mouth shut."

"You made an immortal?" I look him over unimpressed.

"I was drinking him when I got a whiff of the most tastiest blood in my 2 thousand plus years. I threw him to the side and drank the girl down. When I went to finish Poblo the change had started and his blood no longer smelt right. Three days later, well you know what I mean."

I watched him put the boy's arms back on. Ature is whispering to the lad in an Inca dialect that I do not know. Some words I do understand and I get the gist of the conversation. Basically he is telling him I am the boggy man.

"How old is he?"

"Just coming up on the one year mark. I thought he was smarter than this. What have you been up to?"

I told him about the little scuffle with Anubus.

"You took 8 heads before anyone else moved?"

Poblo looked at me with big red eyes and swallowed the venom in his mouth.

"Well, I will be staying away he will be calling in the others to help him defend Egypt. If you ever have to go up against him never let him touch you he has a death touch. One graze of his finger and to dust you shall return. That is why he is called the god of death."

"Good to know. How you feeling son?"

He did a 180 and was the most polite killer I have ever met.

I spent a few years with my friend and even got to like the boy. Ature pulled me aside and got the real scoop on my power situation. I knew he would never discuss it with anyone else and it was nice to be able to tell someone.

I was ready to head out but before I left I did a little snooping.

"How dangerous is he really Ature?"

"He is the predator's predator. He keeps his word unless you lie to him. Never attack him again. I was surprised you still had your head. You are my child but he is my friend. I will not stand in his way if you do anything as stupid as that again. How many times must I tell you, fighting has to be a last resort? Evade, hide, or fight only if you have to. I'm not saying that somethings are not worth standing up for just being sure first."

I left after that with a smile on my face Ature was raising a good little killer. I was not going to kill anyone who drank people. My diet was my choice. Not to be forced on other as long as they didn't kill too many people, or my people, I was ok with it. I decided to run down to Africa and treat myself to big cats, fast cats, and maybe pig out on an elephant.