| Trials of Darkness By: The Bard's Apprentice Anime: Night Walker Rating: PG-13 ~Chapter Two~ I was awakened to find myself still in Cain’s embrace, only now we were standing in a huge, dark space. The ceiling disappeared into darkness, as the dim candle light threw the outskirts into heavy shadow and the figures into high relief. I realized it was a huge room, like a great hall in an old castle, and that we weren’t alone. There were so many creatures. They filled the room. I drew in a quick breath and took a step back, only to bump against Cain. I gasped again. I heard his voice in my head, “Do not be afraid. No harm shall come to you.” I looked again. I had to peek around Cain’s arm, which still encircled me. Most seemed to be vampires. There also seemed to be a few high grade Breeds amongst them. They all crowded away from us – away from Cain, further into the shadows. Only a vampire holding a large candelabra, the sole light source, held his ground in front of the pack before us. He did not speak, or even raise his eyes to Cain, but made a low bow before his master. Cain did not raise his voice, and didn’t need to, the hall was so silent. “This is Riho.” With a sudden, violent and yet graceful motion, he swept back the cloaked arm which had concealed me and stepped back. Some of them flinched, while others craned their heads to see better. “She is my guest and will be with me indefinitely.” I had not considered that this arrangement was most likely meant to be permanent. I had thought it impossible that my hopes could fall lower, but now they sank below Hades. The whole left by Mikao’s death was dwarfed in comparison to the grief I now began to feel. Cain continued. “She is far superior to any of you. Your filth should not come anywhere near her!” The venom in his voice made me flinch along with the rest of them. I didn’t need to look back at his face to know his countenance was one to be feared. I wondered what gave me an elevated status in his eyes compared with these creatures before me. Then, with a simple flip of his hand, they all vanished as fast as they could into the depths of the gloom. Cain turned to me, resting an arm around my shoulders. “Come.” He gently steered me out of the now dark hall. No light slipped through the windows. There was an eerie glimmer, though, that could only suffice for one with vampire sight. I was forced to turn so that I not trip on the flagstone floor of the corridor. There was a jovial twist to Cain’s mouth now. “If you only trust me, you will lack for nothing here. The world is ours for the taking. I will teach you who you really are and what you can do.” He did not look at me as he spoke, but at some distant point. “Shido ignores most of his skills.” A hard light grew in his eyes as he mentioned Shido’s name, yet his mouth remained upturned. “So I don’t imagine he’s taught you very much.” I wasn’t quite sure what Cain meant, but I was starting to realize how hungry I was. Cain must have heard my thoughts. “Forgive me. I forgot it has been days since you’ve eaten.” I briefly wondered how long he’d been watching me, to know how long it had been since my last feeding. Then I realized – there would be no sponsors here. I would have to eat what was provided, how it was provided . . . and that would be Cain’s choice. I wasn’t greatly surprised then when, after arriving at his rooms, a girl who couldn’t have been more than seven-years-old was brought in by a demon. The creature bowed to Cain, who didn’t even spare it a glance, and backed out, closing the huge oak doors behind him. Cain went to the child and knelt. I noticed her soiled and torn dress. It had once been bright with its dainty floral print & lace ruffles around the tank sleeves and collar. I couldn’t tell if the light brown of her hair was natural or grime in a blond. She was too frightened to do anything but stare, round, amber eyes racing around the room and finally settling on Cain as she visibly trembled. I was also scared, not only by what I might be about to witness, but by the part of myself that wanted to rush to her and violently . . . But Cain only spoke to the child in calm tones. I couldn’t hear what he said, but whatever it was, it calmed the child. Eventually she slipped into a state of trance. He gently lifted her and carried her to where I sat. I was focusing so much on restraining the animal instincts in me that were crying out to feed, that I was shocked when he set her entranced form down in my lap. He sat down in an armchair facing mine and, after a moment, regarded me curiously. I sat there, still surprised, cradling her limp form against myself and trying not to stare at her soft, vulnerable throat. “I can sense your instincts, you know.” That smug smile was back. His eyes laughed at me; I was surprised to find that it was not unkind laughter either. “You can’t starve yourself; the Breed in you will eventually take over and feed. But it will be easier for you if you simply let go now.” I was stunned. “Oh, come now. You didn’t think I’d expect you to be comfortable with it your first time, did you?” He sighed and shook his head. “Shido’s done you a great disservice. When one is first turned, that is the time to learn to hunt. It will be difficult for you now.” I lowered my head, trying still not to focus on her; I wouldn’t let him see my shame at what he was saying. “But I will be here to guide you. Now, eat.” I raged inside myself. I silently cried out against this terrible hunger and the inviting smell of live flesh in my hands. A part of me, however, wanted this – wanted it badly. That part won. My teeth sank easily into her throat. I was horrified at what I was doing. She was alive! And I was sucking that life out of her. But that horror diminished as my hunger was slated. After a moment, I was simply sucking the blood out of a lifeless body. I heard Cain laugh in his low tones, but I couldn’t care what he thought. If I did, I’d hate myself beyond reason. So I just fed, until there was nothing left. I let the empty carcass slide to the floor, as I dejectedly wiped a hand across my bloodied lips. Cain stood and crossed to me, a gentle smile on his face. He drew me up to him and murmured, “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I couldn’t answer, couldn’t look at him. He drew me toward a door I hadn’t seen before. I simply let my body be guided, no longer caring where we went. “I suspect Shido hasn’t taught you much of the bedroom, either.” He laughed in his quiet, peculiar way and guided me into the room. In the center of the floor, almost the room’s only adornment, was the largest, most ornate bed I had ever seen. I couldn’t yet imagine the atrocities that had been committed there . . . or would be. I had stepped farther into the room as he turned to close the door. Now he came up behind me and I could sense a tension in him. I understood why when he pulled me to him and encircled me with his arms. He kissed my neck. Shido and I made love often. He was always gentle; he held back until I was ready, and in moments of high ecstasy, his bite was always soft and loving. We shared our blood – our lives, willingly. This was different. It was hard, and fast, and yet eternally slow. Cain took. He took what he wanted, how he wanted it. I instinctively resisted at first. But all he had to do was whisper the name in my ear, and I yielded. I couldn’t risk angering him. Shido’s life hung in the balance. But even though I let Cain have his way, I could not bring myself to return his “favors.” For hours I lay there, trying not to cry. I did not want this – his hands searching, the bleeding, the pain. I wanted to scream. It hurt too much to scream. His nails and fangs dug deeper into the flesh of my breasts and neck every time. I finally cried silently, my wrists held in place where he’d tied them to the bed posts. I tried to escape into my mind – tried to ignore the searching hands – the rage of his body. I thought of Shido. Shido. Oh, GOD!! I’m so sorry, Shido! I cried out, just as Cain forced himself into me, harder and farther than before. His fangs sank into my throat and he gripped, hard. He held himself there for an interminable moment, forbidding any movement. I could feel myself growing weaker. Just as I thought I’d faint from the pain and blood loss, he withdrew totally. I couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but cry. After resting a moment, he climbed up and untied my wrists, gentle now. He slowly pulled me up to lean against his chest. I could feel his heavy breathing with my whole body. However, his breaths weren’t in sync with my ragged gasps, as Shido’s were after we made love. He cradled me gently with one arm, while offering me the other wrist. His voice sounded softly inside my head, encouragingly, as if he hadn’t just taken from me any decency I might still have had after my ‘meal’. “You need to replenish. I took yours; now it is your turn.” Then it occurred to me. How much of my thoughts does he hear? What if some of my thoughts of Shido made him angry . . . I couldn’t worry about that now. I was so tired, and hungry again – but not hungry for human blood. This was a hunger different than I’d ever felt before. This was lust . . . for the blood of my own kind. Now I could add cannibalism to the list of debts Cain owed me. I lethargically ripped a thin gash in Cain’s wrist with one fang, and drank. After a few sips, I drank deeper, sinking in my fangs. I’d never tasted anything so glorious! He held me close and I felt somehow comforted. I had forgotten the pain of only moments ago. Satisfaction spread through my whole body as my wounds healed completely. This was beautiful; this was pleasure. He kissed my hair and we snuggled as I drank. He touch was soft and careful as he hummed quietly to me. It seemed this was all that had ever been; there was no past or present or future no pain or disgrace. This was all that mattered. As he pulled his arm away gently, murmuring that I’d had enough and then holding me to him and continuing to stroke my hair, I wondered: If this was what Cain was really like, why had Shido ever left him? |