The Bite of Vengeance (2 page)

‘Roconn, I'm going to die,' she whispered, her breath rattling.

‘No!' Roconn pleaded. Whatever it took, he would not lose his wife.

‘Don't be a fool. Before I die, I want you to know that I love you.'

‘I love you too Maria, and I am not going to let you die!'

Roconn glanced up the street, hoping for inspiration. How was he going to save her? But what he saw next was not something that convinced him Maria was going to live, quite the contrary. As the day turned to night, familiar, red eyes were staring at him, and it was as though they could see in to his very soul. They belonged to a creature with long, curved horns and a scarred face. In between the horns, a ball of fire hovered, as though held by some unseen force. The muscular creature walked towards Roconn and Maria, its long, midnight-black cloak billowing behind.

Seconds passed as Roconn stood, paralysed by fear. Above, the moon shone brightly. He forced himself to look at Maria; she was unconscious, her shallow breathing, the only indicator she was still alive. Roconn looked back to see the Devil was kneeling in front of him.

‘She is going to die.' The Devil spoke with a deep, intimidating growl.

As he spoke, Roconn noticed his razor-sharp teeth.

‘I have for seen this moment in the pits of despair, I knew this day would come. Your God has forsaken you. He has taken your children and will soon claim your wife.'

‘No, you're lying; she can't, she will not die!” Roconn exclaimed.

‘Your God gave you nothing, whereas I can give you anything you desire, though I cannot save your children, for they have already been taken by God. But I
can
save your wife. You could be with her for an eternity, and no one would be able to take her from you. Neither of you would ever become sick, nor would you age. You could be powerful. You could live together, forever. All I ask in return is that you serve me as your God.'

Roconn looked down at his dying wife.

‘No, I will never join you. I cannot forsake Maria's soul. You shall not have her,' he whispered.

‘Look into her eyes, you can see she is leaving you, you will never look upon her face again, nor feel the warmth of her breath, her life now lies in your hands. Time is running out, make your choice, once she is dead, nothing can bring her back.' His voice was sympathetic, yet Roconn could hear the yearning in his voice, he knew of the Devil's trickery, how he would entice mortal with tempting pacts, which they would later come to regret.

‘I cannot lose her. I know this would mean the forsaking of not only my soul, but that of Maria's. I can't lose her; I know what needs to be done.' Roconn thought this through quickly. He gave a nod to the beast, and looked into Maria's eyes.

The Devil leant over Maria and sliced his wrist with one, sharp talon. Thick, blue blood poured from the wound. He held his bloody wrist over her pale lips.

‘Drink and you shall live forever.'

Maria awoke from her unconscious state, and drank from his wrist. A few seconds later she slumped back to the ground. The colour started to return to her face almost immediately, and her cuts began to heal. Her body snapped and twisted as broken bones repaired themselves. Maria became thinner and muscular and her face grew younger, revealing a very attractive woman.

Now it was Roconn's turn. The Devil offered his wrist once more. Roconn drank deeply, without hesitation. The warm blood gushed into his mouth. It tasted strangely appetizing. As soon as the Devil removed his wrist, Roconn's body felt as though it had gone into an internal frenzy. He felt more alive than ever before. The skin on his face tightened and he closed his eyes. After a few painful seconds his stomach shifted back as abdominal muscles strengthened. It felt as though an endless power was flowing into his muscles.

At last, this strange transformation was complete. Roconn opened his eyes and stared at Maria in shock. He saw every strand of cloth on her filthy dress. He looked over her shoulder towards the horizon. No matter how far he gazed, his vision still picked up everything. Nothing blurred or shimmered and he could focus on even the smallest details.

Roconn turned his gaze back to Maria.

The wife he knew was gone, replaced by the young woman he had married over thirty years ago. The lines had gone from her face and her stomach looked flat beneath her dress, which hung loosely on her. Maria moved with such speed it would have made anyone normal dizzy. But Roconn picked up every movement.

Though this transformation was overwhelming, he could still see Maria in her new and perfect face. Shock was carved onto her face as she felt her athletic body. Roconn moved towards her at an amazing speed, feeling fully in control. Maria let out a short scream, which he heard as though she had shouted right into his ear. Now that he thought about it, Roconn could hear everything. He could hear the birds in the forest, the clicking of ants' pincers, even the slight squeaking of a spider creating its web somewhere in the forest. Judging by Maria's expression, Roconn could tell he had changed just as impressively. He raised his hand and ran his fingers over his face, expecting to feel the lines and imperfections of a fifty-year-old man. Instead he felt smooth skin. Roconn ran his tongue over his teeth and felt two sharp fangs. The Devil had disappeared, leaving them quite alone.

‘Where are the kids?' asked Maria hopefully. When Roconn did not answer she pressed him again.

‘Where are the – No, they're not, they can't be.' Maria started to weep as she turned her head. There in front of her, lay the bodies of her deceased children. She let out a howl of rage as she flew towards the children, bending low over them sobbing into their dirty, ripped clothes.

‘No, no, please wake up!' she screamed in horror. Roconn let her have a minute to let the tragic news sink in. After a few moments Roconn walked slowly, his still heart, heavy with sadness and placed a supportive hand onto her stone shoulder, she did not release her grip on her children, nor did she lift her gaze, she just lay there, where she belonged, with her children. All of a sudden Maria exploded with anger, her body shaking.

‘You!' she shouted to the sky above her. ‘You killed my children and tried to take me too! I swear you shall pay for this! I will ensure that no one follows you again. I promise you I will have my revenge!'

‘Come Maria, there is much work we must attend to, firstly the burying of our children. They will be missed, but they will be avenged, I promise you.' Roconn spoke softly, pulling her up, with ease, onto her feet.

A New Beginning

Roconn looked at the remains of the church, his mind on the people who lay within. Then, he remembered Benjamin and Charlotte. He gazed at their bodies, grief gathering in his still heart. Knowing it was God who had ordered their deaths, he screamed with rage.

He knew what he was going to do. He was going to eradicate the worshipping of God. But dawn was approaching and he knew instinctively that he must get out of the sun's path. Half an hour later, he and Maria were presiding over two freshly-dug graves. They were far from the graveyard of the church.

‘No prayer shall be said; they will not be buried under the name of God,' said Roconn.

Glancing up, he noticed the horizon was brightening. Time was running short, but nevertheless, burying his children was not something that could be hurried.

Bending down, he picked up his son. Benjamin felt almost weightless. Looking into his eyes, he saw they were cold and grey, the night sky reflected in them. He lifted a hand and closed Benjamin's eyelids. In that moment it struck Roconn that he had lost everything. The only person left who loved him was Maria.

Ironically, it was his chosen lifestyle as a priest that had ultimately ruined his life. It hurt him deeply, and he knew that this could not be allowed to happen to anyone else, no matter what it took. He was working towards the greater good, in the beginning of a new world. Within himself and Maria a new race had been born, and it was his duty to see it thrive. The world was going to change, and this new species would multiply. It might take years, decades or even centuries. But that didn't matter, as an immortal he had all the time he needed to complete his vision. Religion was his beast, and to destroy a beast you have to remove its head. By infecting the Pope, he would destroy religion. It would take a lot of careful planning. Religion has never had such an enemy, he thought. It will be unaware, unprepared for this.

After burying their children, he and Maria fled to their home to wait for nightfall. As he moved, Roconn noticed that something was happening to his throat, it was starting to burn. He turned to Maria, who seemed to be experiencing the same sensation. Almost instinctively, he knew that he needed blood, and fast. But with dawn approaching, they didn't dare to scavenge the forest for a meal. No, he realized, it would have to wait until nightfall.

Dusk quickly arrived, and the moment the sun had set, Roconn and Maria proceeded with caution to the front door. At last, they could finally quench their thirst. They opened the door, and broke into a run. They ran into the forest faster than anyone had ever run before, leaves and dirt blowing in their wake. Suddenly, a twig broke to their right.

A pig ran in the opposite direction. Roconn and Maria pursued it with incredible speed. Maria, her thoughts already one step ahead of the pig, darted up a nearby tree, her fingertips digging into the trunk as she scaled it with ease. Roconn stopped and watched her. He heard the pig slow to a trot through exhaustion. As silent as a mouse, but with the agility of a cat, Maria crept along a branch protruding over a clearing where the pig had stopped. Maria's gaze turned to Roconn, and after acknowledging her sharp nod, disappeared up a tree just opposite her. He too, crept along a protruding branch and leapt silently, twisting and flipping in the cool air, he landed with perfect precision, on to a large boulder a few metres from the pig.

Maria's nostrils flared as she inhaled the scent of the pig's blood that pulsed rapidly through its veins. Roconn smelt it too, it was appetizing and set his throat burning with desire to drink its blood. Suddenly, Maria leapt from the branch growling with bloodlust. The pig faced her but it was no match for her speed, she landed on top of it, pinning it to the ground with one steel hand, Roconn was at her side in a split second, still marvelling at his new speed. They both bent over the pig and pierced its neck with their fangs, injecting venom into its bloodstream. It died almost instantly.

As the warm blood gushed into their mouths, the burning in their throats faded. It seemed satisfying, and yet, to Roconn, it did not taste right. He drank deeply. Yes, something was definitely wrong with it, it had a murky taste. It didn't quite satisfy him fully, nevertheless, the more he swallowed, the better he felt; quicker, and stronger than before. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

He ran towards a wide tree that was standing nearby and sliced it in two with his claw-like hands. It fell to the ground, splitting other trees in the process. In the surrounding canopy, birds flew away in fright. In fact, it sounded as though all the wildlife in the forest was fleeing. To Roconn, it sounded as though every small noise had become much louder.

In the corner of his eye, he saw his beautiful wife, standing like stone, looking solemnly through the dense forest, grief eminent on her flawless face. Roconn thought for a moment, he had lost everything, but now they had a chance to avenge their children. They were immortal. Nothing could stand between them and the destruction of all faith.

Suddenly, as though God had heard Roconn's thoughts, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. Flames spread rapidly up its trunk. Seconds later, another tree caught fire, engulfing them in a haze of dense smoke. The fire quickly spread to other trees, circling around Roconn and Maria, trapping them. He stepped closer and found to his surprise that despite his new abilities, he was still susceptible to it. If they were to survive, they had to find a means of escape, and fast.

‘We need to get out of here. The fire will destroy us both!' shouted Roconn.

Maria nodded and sped off, leaves swirling into the air, as she passed over them. To a normal person, she would have been little more than a blur. Roconn watched, transfixed as her legs propelled her into the air. Her feet hit the ground and she seemed to glide a few yards before taking another springing step. She moved as gracefully as a deer, but with the ferocity of a lion. Then, the heat grew in intensity, shaking Roconn out of his reverie. He fled in the same direction, dashing through a gap in the flames, the wind blowing on his face. As soon as he was through, the gap closed.

Power flowed through his legs, urging him to sprint faster and faster. Dust swirled in his wake, and animals darted for cover. Suddenly, Maria appeared in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks, showering her with dirt.

Roconn forced a small smile; it was not easy to make his new muscles to work like this. Inside he was dying – not physically, his new and perfect body would not allow such things - but mentally. She hissed at him with irritation, baring her fangs. It was odd that she had adapted to vampirism so easily, as though she had been this way for a while. In that moment, it dawned on him that he would spend eternity with her. She would be his, forever, on their quest for justice.

The Priest

Roconn opened his eyes. It had been more than seven hundred years since the forest fire, yet he remembered that day as if it was yesterday. He sighed slowly, revelling in his memory.

‘What's wrong, dear?' asked Maria inquisitively.

‘Nothing really,' he admitted.

‘Do you remember the day we were turned?'

‘Of course, the day I will never forget.' Grief seeped into her face as she closed her eyes to the memory. The sound of her voice echoing through the empty stone hall.

Roconn looked around the windowless room. It was roughly one hundred feet square. The only light came from several sconces which adorned the walls. The ceiling was impressively high, giving the room a church-like appearance. Although the time he had spent in churches was gone, he could still remember the feeling of safety he had experienced within them. But that had ended when the roof of his own church had given way, killing his children. He had not forgotten his vow. Admittedly it had taken longer than expected, but that didn't matter, he had eternity to fulfil it.

He and Maria had been the first vampires, turned by the Devil himself. The fact that he had been turned in order to destroy religion didn't bother him. Together they had searched all over the world and infected many people. These vampires, who were weaker, served Roconn and Maria as loyal subjects. Over the years, Roconn and Maria had become vampire royalty and all who opposed them had their heads torn from their bodies.

The two of them sat on solid gold thrones, stone-like, at the end of the hall. Their bodies looked pale and gaunt. The only other furniture was six plain, wooden, benches which stood to one side, used only by the council during court sessions. Roconn wore a long robe which closed around the chest. It was embroidered with golden stitching in the shape of two vampire teeth. Maria's robe was almost identical. Hers was more feminine, giving the impression that she was wearing a dress.

‘It is time; bring in our guests.'

Though Roconn's voice was but a whisper, a tall, wide man appeared as if from nowhere, acknowledging his order with a nod. The man was dressed in an exquisite suit and had a goatee on his chin. He strolled with confidence towards two huge wooden doors with thick metal locks, pulling them open.

At once a line of twelve cardinals, dressed in crimson clothing, filed in along red carpets that adorned the stone floor, behind them. The sound of the door slamming shut reverberated through the hall. The twelve cardinals walked towards the thrones and bowed deeply. A short man, whose face was hidden in shadow, spoke first.

‘My lord, we have received word of a priest who is held in high esteem. He loves to travel, and will be arriving in a little under three hours. He is under the impression that a miracle has been witnessed. I'm sure you will conduct your business with him once he has arrived, my lord.'

Maria noticed another cardinal, beside her feet, shuffle nervously and start to shake.

‘Naturally. This information is most useful. I'm sure he will be of great help to our cause,' Roconn responded.

‘You may return to your posts. Inform me of any activity. I trust that anyone who learns of our plan will be…taken care of?' He looked triumphant when the cardinal spoke.

‘Of course, my lord.'

Maria stared at the quivering cardinal. None of the others had shifted an inch. They remained motionless as Maria spoke.

‘You!' she snapped, pointing to a cardinal.

‘Y-y-yes your highness?' the cardinal replied.

Even without looking, he knew that she was addressing him.

‘What's wrong? Do you not wish to serve us any longer? You know full well the price of treachery I'm sure,' said Maria, a wry smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

‘Of course, your highness. M-m-may I speak my mind?'

‘Please do.'

He stood up, facing Maria. The other cardinals looked at him and gasped.

‘Traitor!' another whispered.

Roconn was not taken aback at the sudden dismissal of authority. In fact, he looked pleased.

‘Well?' said Maria.

The cardinal spoke at once, and from the tone of his voice, it was clear he had been wishing to say this for a while.

‘You force us to risk our lives and our afterlives for you! You have no respect for anyone's lives but your own. You are arrogant, pretending you are royal, and for what? You depend upon us to help you. Without us, you are nothing, and you treat us like dirt. I demand respect!'

Anger was evident on his face, which was a deep shade of purple. His high-set blue eyes stared without fear upon Maria and Roconn. For a moment, his cleanly shaven face looked hopeful that he might be given all he desired. The other cardinals seemed to think this too, because two of them stood, joining him in his demand for respect. The remaining cardinals all looked shocked, sinking back into their bow as if they wished nothing more than to serve.

Maria, who was smiling, had not moved a muscle during his rage.

‘You want respect, do you?' she whispered sweetly.

The three cardinals now looked put out by her genuine friendliness.

‘Yes! You claim to grant us a gift greater than any the Lord could give us. No gift is worth this risk!'

Maria looked at Roconn, who gave a small nod. She turned back to face the three cardinals and rose slowly from her throne. They retreated a few paces as she began creeping towards them. Then, in a split second, she flew towards the cardinal who had spoken, and grabbed him around his neck. She held him against the wooden doors with her stone-like arm, so that his feet were off the ground.

‘Respect is earned, not demanded,' she whispered, still smiling.

The cardinal looked terrified and immediately started to recite the Lord's Prayer. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven-'

‘Enough!' shouted Maria.

Her voice rang through room, creating a dense silence. Then, she bit him, injecting him with venom. It killed him instantly.

Her eyes filled with power as she drank, until not a drop of blood was left in his body. At this point she turned away from him, blood now running down her chin, and let the body fall to the concrete floor with a thud. Roconn smiled at Maria, who returned it warmly. He then faced the other two cardinals, both of whom were now quivering with fear at the sight of the fat, dead cardinal. Roconn stood slowly and, just like Maria, rushed at them, holding them by their necks. They squirmed, suspended in mid-air, gasping for breath as Roconn leant in a little and whispered to them.

‘This is what you wanted? I could have given you my power. But no, your impatience could not be kept under control. You brought this upon yourselves.'

‘Please! No, my lord! Won't- happen- again.' stammered a choking cardinal.

‘I know it won't,' replied Roconn.

With this, he threw them both at the wall in front of him. Their heads made a sickening crunch before landing in a heap on the floor, blood spilling from their noses and mouths, and a look of terror on their faces.

Roconn addressed the remaining cardinals. ‘Now, if you do not have any more queries, you may leave.'

They got up at once and went towards the wooden doors. These were being held open by the strange man who, at Roconn's words, had once again appeared out of nowhere. The cardinals each said a word of thanks, and bowed to both Maria and Roconn, before exiting. Not one of them paid the three, dead, cardinals any notice. The doors swung shut behind them. The strange man had gone again, leaving Maria and Roconn alone in the hall.

They walked, almost in unison, towards the two dead bodies. Roconn bent down and sank his fangs deep into one of the cardinals' carotid arteries. At once he began to feel stronger. The warm blood was thick and it tasted good. It soothed the burning in his throat in the same way a glass of crisp, chilled water would relieve a parched man in the desert. He drank more and more until he was sucking nothing but air. Roconn could feel the power flowing into his iron muscles. The blood of a human was very satisfying. He stood up, blood started to trickle down his chin.

‘You may dispose of the bodies, Reyjak. I saved one for you,' added Roconn.

He spoke, seemingly, to thin air. But as he turned around, there stood the mysterious man named Reyjak. Now his face could be seen from the light of a nearby sconce, he looked impressive. Reyjak was muscular, and had a bit of stubble on his face. It suited him, giving him the look of a very powerful man. When he spoke, his voice sounded deep and intimidating, yet full of respect for Roconn. He was fully aware of the extent of Roconn's power, and knew he was not to be trifled with, especially so soon after feeding.

‘Thank you, my lord. It will be dealt with at once.'

‘Good. The priest will be here soon and I wish to give him a warm welcome,' said Roconn, smiling at his wife.

‘I agree my love. I trust you will give him a bite to eat after his long journey. Soon the priest will discover more than a miracle here. He will discover a gift unlike any other.'

‘Yes, of course dear,' said Roconn.

The priest arrived on time, just as the cardinal had predicted. Roconn made a mental note to have a few small riches sent to the cardinal for services to his cause. Suddenly, a loud banging interrupted his thoughts and Reyjak reappeared out of nowhere. It was a skill only he seemed to have mastered.

‘My lord, the priest has arrived. What shall I do with him?' he asked at once.

‘Nothing, leave him to me and tell all the other council members not to approach the hall. We have…business to attend to,' Roconn replied.

Reyjak gave him an inquisitive look, but when it was not answered, he simply said, ‘Yes, my lord,' and disappeared.

Roconn strolled towards the front doors and noticed that Reyjak seemed to have swept the bodies away as he had departed. This reminded Roconn of how and where he had found his loyal servant. It had been a cold winter night thirteen years after his own transformation. Reyjak was outside a stable. Roconn had been following him for five nights and learnt that Reyjak had no home, nor any family, and slept in the stables. Roconn found out, by means of bribery, Reyjak worked away his days carrying heavy logs in exchange for food and water. Roconn was not unkind, despite his vendetta against God. He was still a humble man at heart and as such approached Reyjak just as the snow was starting to fall. Reyjak started to shiver in the haystack in which he had made his bed. A dirty cloth was shaped around his large muscular torso and he had appeared to have made himself a pair of shorts.

Roconn had planned to feed on him, but when he approached the man, saw the way he laid there, and took pity on him. Roconn approached him, at which, the man spoke to him.

‘Yes sir? How can I help?'

Already, Roconn could see this was a loyal man, one that would gladly assist in any way he could. This man would make a useful vampire, and it was in this moment that Roconn had the idea to create a clan. This would ensure that vampires would not only survive, but thrive as well, for he and Maria were the only ones in existence. Roconn knew almost instinctively how to change him.

‘Hello Reyjak, you are a hard worker. You deserve a better existence than this disappointing, mortal, life. I can give you a home, a family, and anything you desire, even immortality, in exchange for a new life. All I would require is your total loyalty and obedience. So, will you accept my offer?'

Reyjak looked completely bewildered and at a loss for words. As if to try and convince him, the wind grew stronger until it howled. The snow fell thicker until it was almost a blizzard. Roconn, his cloak billowing, remained silent whilst Reyjak contemplated the mysterious man and his ridiculous offer.

‘Err, okay, how does this work?' he replied at last.

Reyjak didn't see Roconn's face relax a fraction. Roconn already knew that Reyjak would become the third vampire; more powerful than any other he would turn.

‘Sleep and you will awake as a new vampire. Before you go outside during daylight hours, know this; you will have certain weaknesses. Sunlight will be your biggest one and you will undoubtedly burn to death. Fire has the same effect, but it takes longer.'

Reyjak obviously thought this was a joke. Nevertheless he went to sleep as obediently as a loyal dog.

He awoke the next morning, he took one step into the sunlight, his foot started to burn; he withdrew it immediately. After lifting one of the stacks of straw, with ease, he had come to the conclusion it had not been a joke, he was indeed immortal, just like the strange, cloaked man had said he would be. Reyjak was impressed at his new body which was stronger and undoubtedly faster. Reyjak would not forget this generosity. He vowed to fulfil the agreed condition of this new life, or un-life, and would serve his master faithfully. It was all rather confusing, but, soon he discovered that he was quick, and after returning to, and demonstrating to Roconn, he was also quicker than him too, but not as powerful, and he would not dare to cross the man who would soon become something like a father to him. A father who gave him everything he had desired for so long, more than Reyjak had seen his whole life.

Reyjak stayed with Roconn during the daylight hours, preferring to keep out of his way at night, but soon, they accepted him as one of their own and he would share an enormous castle with Roconn and Maria. They named it ‘Castle Blackmoor'. Maria was always warm and friendly to Reyjak, and had become a motherly figure towards him. It wasn't until years later that he found out how the two vampires had been created. He felt deep, sincere sympathy towards Roconn and Maria for having their children taken from them. Now, Reyjak understood and agreed with Roconn's reason for vengeance.

Over time Reyjak had been chosen to turn numerous people, who were like himself, into vampires, becoming their master just as Roconn was his. Roconn and Maria had recruited and turned a dozen people themselves. These recruits formed a council, of which Reyjak was a high ranking member, outranking all but Roconn and Maria. They weren't as devoted to the other members as they were to Reyjak, but they still gave all the recruits a new life.