Stephan's Point Of view
Upon leaving my Castle I noticed an old familiar scent. Humans, while each having their own distinct scent to our way of thinking, smell delicious. It was not often that any were foolish to wander in the woods. The few locals on the waterfront had spread far and wide the mystery and terror that awaited anyone who dared hunt in my forest. Hunting humans really could not be considered a sport. They are weak by nature and it as if an ant trying to ward off an elephant. A Rather futile pursuit, if one was to ask an immortal, which they rarely survive long enough to do so. Feeling the thirst rise in my throat and the burn increase as I followed that delicious scent, another smell caught my attention. It smelled wrong. It smelled as a honey smells to a human. In every essence of the word, it smelled wrong. Blood had never smelled so sickening sweet to me.
I heard the heartbeat of the fool who was rushing headlong into the forest. I reached forward with no small amount of speed and tossed the fool into the nearest tree. His startled cry rang out through the forest. I had no wish to play with my food this evening. Hunting had become rather mundane in the last few years and instead of the great delight I would normally take, it had become more of a chore really.
The lad’s eyes were wide and frightened. Shaking my head in disgust I began to lower my mouth to his throat, the fire raging out of control within my throat and anticipating the hot, sweet liquid warming my body was enough to nearly drive one such as myself into frenzy.
“Hold!” A feminine voice behind me commanded. Without releasing my prey, I turned my head swiftly to see who would dare to stop a vampire from feeding. Perhaps another fool who would finish off the feast I was going to make of this boy. The overpowering sweet smell hit my heightened senses and it was nearly enough to send me reeling back from the boy.
“Please,” she begged of me. “I need answers to questions. If there are others like you somewhere nearby, could you take me to them. I mean you no harm. I seek only to learn more about myself and if there is indeed a way that we can live in peace, I would like very much for that direction to be taken.” Her voice was rushed, as if she were trying to get all the words out as quickly as possible.
I released my hold on this lad before me and turned to face her fully. Her hands were out in supplication; as if I had a need to fear that she could harm me. The very idea of it was incredibly laughable. The scent of salt was blended in with her clothing, her hair. The dark circles under her eyes perhaps meant she had not slept soundly in many months. I found myself intrigued and wanting to learn more about her.
“Perhaps that could be arranged. We live in extremely small groups rarely more than two or three; there are, however many of us in Ireland. I have a castle nearby that I share with two others. I would be interested in hearing some of the questions to the answers you seek.” I allowed graciously to my way of thinking. She was an intruder on my lands, yet her worn appearance showed a great effort to seek whatever it was she was searching for.
“I am Massrié, the memory keeper and fire walker.” Her voice, while not quite melodious, had an odd set of inflections, was still pleasant enough. She was not from Ireland, that much was painfully obvious. Her name did bring a bit of surprise. Word had spread quickly of the child who could control the very element that could annihilate every one of us. I had not thought to ever lay eyes upon the creature. She was rumored to be indestructible. She in fact looked quite delicate. A mere breeze should blow her over. “If your castle has such availability as a bath, I should very much be indebted to you.” She continued on, watching as my eyes wandered the length of her travel weary body.
I decided to forgo the small meal the lad would have made, instantly feeling a pang of regret at such a loss. She spared no last look at the one who would have been my unfortunate prey and I led the way at a leisurely pace, knowing she was fatigued already.
I realized the slight bit of error in not introducing myself after she had made the first gesture of trust.
“My name is Stephen. I welcome you to Ireland and to my home.” I murmured to her in a low voice. She smiled at me and I indicated for her to follow me into the great castle. She paused a moment, perhaps unsure if she wanted to enter the lair of one such as myself. Her heartbeat raced, I thought it rather odd that she had a heartbeat at all; she was indeed supposed to be as immortal as I. One of the humans that we kept as servants moved towards the pair of us. I nodded to the girl and immediate the servant took her hand and removed her from my presence. I had sent word ahead to the others, to have a bath and room prepared for the waif that I was bringing home. I did not indicate that she was anything more than a curiosity. I had an affinity for bringing home extraordinary and interesting collectibles. I was rarely questioned.
I moved into the large library where the counterparts to my living space resided a great portion of the day. I allowed them to pick freely through my brain and see the encounter I had just taken part in. Both had the ability to hear thoughts. It made for such an easier time explaining things. I had no desire to relive those moments and in fact both looked pained by my incredible thirst. I would have to hunt and soon. They knew what the girl wanted, why she had come here.
We were among the more civilized of our kind. While we drank from humans we had somehow managed to form a comfortable bond with each other and could live in relative peace. We did not hunt together. Our friendship was tenuous at best when the thirst overcame us.
Unfortunately I did not have an ability to pick through their minds and they often did not voice their thoughts so that I could hear. They had been together a good many years prior to coming upon my castle. I could hear the moving going on above us in the room that had been prepared for her. The splash of the water as it lapped against her skin. Anika made a brief sound of annoyance letting me know that my thoughts had taken a rather desperate turn. I desired to know what she wanted from us. It wasn’t often that immortals set out to seek their doom. Perhaps she knew she was unable to be killed. Could she really want peace when she was the most powerful creature on the face of the earth? I had questions of my own that I wished answered.
I waited until I was impatiently pacing the floor of the library before I decided to go and let her know that we would answer the questions that she had for us. I gained the steps two at a time in my haste to see her once more. Pausing for a moment I allowed myself to question why I was in such a rush to see this bedraggled youngling. Hearing the indelicate snort of disgust from the library, I focused my mind on the task at hand.
She was dressed simply but elegantly in a gown of pale blue silk. Her tresses were down and reached the middle of her back, the bright fire red color standing against her ever pale skin. Had I not heard a heartbeat from her at that moment I would have assumed she was a vampire. It was the highest praise for one who is not of our particular form of life. Her beauty was not diminished in the least.
“The answers to your questions await you in the parlor below.” I allowed my gaze to travel her body once more before nodding and coming to her side to offer her my arm. She smelled still like honey. Too sweet for my liking and her blood was sluggish, as if it had no real need to move through her body to keep it warm and alive. Sometimes it sounded as if her heart was forgetting to beat at all. She was an enigma. I had spent years searching for answers to riddles and here on my arm was one of the most fantastic I had ever come across.
“Thank you,” I heard the soft murmur come from her lips. A half smile formed quickly after and I wondered not for the first time what would happen to this small creature on my arm. Would she be destroyed by our kind? Was it even possible? The answers awaited the questions to be asked. Keeping her a secret would take a conscious effort on the part of my companions and I. I led her down the stairs slowly, aware of the exhaustion that seemed to permeate her stature. She looked as if she had endured the hardest punishment and had managed to survive.
Riddles. Guardians. Guides.
I heard the heartbeat of the fool who was rushing headlong into the forest. I reached forward with no small amount of speed and tossed the fool into the nearest tree. His startled cry rang out through the forest. I had no wish to play with my food this evening. Hunting had become rather mundane in the last few years and instead of the great delight I would normally take, it had become more of a chore really.
The lad’s eyes were wide and frightened. Shaking my head in disgust I began to lower my mouth to his throat, the fire raging out of control within my throat and anticipating the hot, sweet liquid warming my body was enough to nearly drive one such as myself into frenzy.
“Hold!” A feminine voice behind me commanded. Without releasing my prey, I turned my head swiftly to see who would dare to stop a vampire from feeding. Perhaps another fool who would finish off the feast I was going to make of this boy. The overpowering sweet smell hit my heightened senses and it was nearly enough to send me reeling back from the boy.
“Please,” she begged of me. “I need answers to questions. If there are others like you somewhere nearby, could you take me to them. I mean you no harm. I seek only to learn more about myself and if there is indeed a way that we can live in peace, I would like very much for that direction to be taken.” Her voice was rushed, as if she were trying to get all the words out as quickly as possible.
I released my hold on this lad before me and turned to face her fully. Her hands were out in supplication; as if I had a need to fear that she could harm me. The very idea of it was incredibly laughable. The scent of salt was blended in with her clothing, her hair. The dark circles under her eyes perhaps meant she had not slept soundly in many months. I found myself intrigued and wanting to learn more about her.
“Perhaps that could be arranged. We live in extremely small groups rarely more than two or three; there are, however many of us in Ireland. I have a castle nearby that I share with two others. I would be interested in hearing some of the questions to the answers you seek.” I allowed graciously to my way of thinking. She was an intruder on my lands, yet her worn appearance showed a great effort to seek whatever it was she was searching for.
“I am Massrié, the memory keeper and fire walker.” Her voice, while not quite melodious, had an odd set of inflections, was still pleasant enough. She was not from Ireland, that much was painfully obvious. Her name did bring a bit of surprise. Word had spread quickly of the child who could control the very element that could annihilate every one of us. I had not thought to ever lay eyes upon the creature. She was rumored to be indestructible. She in fact looked quite delicate. A mere breeze should blow her over. “If your castle has such availability as a bath, I should very much be indebted to you.” She continued on, watching as my eyes wandered the length of her travel weary body.
I decided to forgo the small meal the lad would have made, instantly feeling a pang of regret at such a loss. She spared no last look at the one who would have been my unfortunate prey and I led the way at a leisurely pace, knowing she was fatigued already.
I realized the slight bit of error in not introducing myself after she had made the first gesture of trust.
“My name is Stephen. I welcome you to Ireland and to my home.” I murmured to her in a low voice. She smiled at me and I indicated for her to follow me into the great castle. She paused a moment, perhaps unsure if she wanted to enter the lair of one such as myself. Her heartbeat raced, I thought it rather odd that she had a heartbeat at all; she was indeed supposed to be as immortal as I. One of the humans that we kept as servants moved towards the pair of us. I nodded to the girl and immediate the servant took her hand and removed her from my presence. I had sent word ahead to the others, to have a bath and room prepared for the waif that I was bringing home. I did not indicate that she was anything more than a curiosity. I had an affinity for bringing home extraordinary and interesting collectibles. I was rarely questioned.
I moved into the large library where the counterparts to my living space resided a great portion of the day. I allowed them to pick freely through my brain and see the encounter I had just taken part in. Both had the ability to hear thoughts. It made for such an easier time explaining things. I had no desire to relive those moments and in fact both looked pained by my incredible thirst. I would have to hunt and soon. They knew what the girl wanted, why she had come here.
We were among the more civilized of our kind. While we drank from humans we had somehow managed to form a comfortable bond with each other and could live in relative peace. We did not hunt together. Our friendship was tenuous at best when the thirst overcame us.
Unfortunately I did not have an ability to pick through their minds and they often did not voice their thoughts so that I could hear. They had been together a good many years prior to coming upon my castle. I could hear the moving going on above us in the room that had been prepared for her. The splash of the water as it lapped against her skin. Anika made a brief sound of annoyance letting me know that my thoughts had taken a rather desperate turn. I desired to know what she wanted from us. It wasn’t often that immortals set out to seek their doom. Perhaps she knew she was unable to be killed. Could she really want peace when she was the most powerful creature on the face of the earth? I had questions of my own that I wished answered.
I waited until I was impatiently pacing the floor of the library before I decided to go and let her know that we would answer the questions that she had for us. I gained the steps two at a time in my haste to see her once more. Pausing for a moment I allowed myself to question why I was in such a rush to see this bedraggled youngling. Hearing the indelicate snort of disgust from the library, I focused my mind on the task at hand.
She was dressed simply but elegantly in a gown of pale blue silk. Her tresses were down and reached the middle of her back, the bright fire red color standing against her ever pale skin. Had I not heard a heartbeat from her at that moment I would have assumed she was a vampire. It was the highest praise for one who is not of our particular form of life. Her beauty was not diminished in the least.
“The answers to your questions await you in the parlor below.” I allowed my gaze to travel her body once more before nodding and coming to her side to offer her my arm. She smelled still like honey. Too sweet for my liking and her blood was sluggish, as if it had no real need to move through her body to keep it warm and alive. Sometimes it sounded as if her heart was forgetting to beat at all. She was an enigma. I had spent years searching for answers to riddles and here on my arm was one of the most fantastic I had ever come across.
“Thank you,” I heard the soft murmur come from her lips. A half smile formed quickly after and I wondered not for the first time what would happen to this small creature on my arm. Would she be destroyed by our kind? Was it even possible? The answers awaited the questions to be asked. Keeping her a secret would take a conscious effort on the part of my companions and I. I led her down the stairs slowly, aware of the exhaustion that seemed to permeate her stature. She looked as if she had endured the hardest punishment and had managed to survive.
Riddles. Guardians. Guides.