The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twenty-One: The Sinister Witch Hunt

Spilling some of my memoirs once again - my, my, it has been a long time!

Panic ensued outside the bounds of the Manor and into the small town where John grew up as the local doctor was roused in the middle of the night by several commoners and taken to the house of the town mayor, where his young eight-year old daughter was tormented of a burning fever and constantly hallucinated, screaming with pure fear and hatred. Try as the wonders of early science might, he was unable to bring an end to the child's misery and several peasants had reached the conclusion that the child may be being tormented by a witch's curse.

It was fortunate for John, who happened to be walking around with his companions that evening, which took place days after they had returned to the Manor, to witness the event and to personally see to it when his friends wove their way through the crowd of eyewitnesses and had the luck to end up seeing the writhing, twisting child being held back by her parents while the doctor examined her. He immediately told Sandra about it when he returned to the Manor.

"Hah, the man's finally gotten what he's worth." Sandra replied stiffly, leaving the young Tom to his lessons while the two entered the kitchen to grab something to eat. "I presume it's Diane who did it."

"Diane?" John asked.

"Diane is a witch residing in the glades a bit north from the town area. From what I have last heard that infernal brat of the town mayor had apparently trodden on her precious garden along with her troublesome friends. Most of her herbs and plants were viciously picked and plucked and now she hasn't got anything much to continue her formulation of medicine for the sick."

"She helps the sick? I thought you witches were mistrusted because of your - well - things like what happened to the girl?"

"Well, we are, but Diane feels otherwise. She welcomes those sickly people who cannot be accommodated by the meager knowledge of that expert you call a doctor. However, she got into some trouble with the town mayor about her illicit actions and apparently the daughter solidified her hate with the old man, so now it's come to this."

"But won't that put her in the mayor's bad side deeper?"

"I'm not sure of Diane's intents this time, but I believe she wants the old man taught a lesson in respecting the assistance that witches offer. We're not just born here to curse people to death - we also help extend life as much as we can."

However, the succeeding events of the following days slowly took its turn for the worse of the witches, for the town mayor soon learned of the witch tormenting his child and had organized a small band of commoners and town guards to storm Diane's glade. Naturally Sandra rushed with John and Tom to see the matters firsthand.

"Come out of there you vile witch!" the angry town mayor cried, brandishing a burning torch towards the witch's shut cabin. "Or else we'll torch your house to the very ground with you in it!"

A woman peered out from one of the windows and lashed out at the town mayor.

"It's your own fault that has happened to your daughter, you wretched old croon! They ruined the ingredients I use to cure those who cannot be attended by your pathetic doctor and thus she will have to suffer the consequences!"

"Silence!" the mayor cried. "I will hear no more of your useless rambling! Your cures are nothing but useless!"

"Your pride overtakes you, old man. We shall see who gets to crack up first!"

The witch boarded her windows.

"Blast her!" the mayor cried angrily. "BURN HER HOUSE DOWN!"

This was practically spawned by a conflict between beliefs that I'm torn on where to place my side on - but my belief stands in what's right :P

The Vampiric Chronicles Part Twenty: Mark's Past

A little deviation from the current darkness as Mark is left in the Manor all by himself... *giggles*

A tempest had ensued from the storm that assailed the region and as dawn started to draw closer a messenger raven barely made it through the only open outlets of the Manor - the chimney - and landed on Mark's study table before collapsing in the heaviness of the rains. The raven bore a dampened note in its claws, which Mark read. The letter was a water-impervious-enchanted paper note written in Sandra's hand, stating that their stay in the abode of the Witch Kriselle would be extended due to the unforgiving nature of the tempest. Mark shrugged the letter off, now walking towards his bedroom.

Rain... how strongly the rains reminded Mark of his ordination to the Legion of Blood. He can remember it all to clearly as he viewed the storm-stricken windows, the panels almost giving way as the high winds punished it.

*****

It had been several generations already, Mark thought, and quite a long time it had been for him to be walking the darkness of the night, slaying or converting countless victims to his charge. He had made quite a handful of vampires himself, although none as close and as interesting as his friend and apprentice vampire John. Perhaps the event of John's ordination to the Legion was a strong reminder of the similar fate he suffered in the hands of his own maker.

He lived the life of a nobleman himself, the very Manor where he lives a living testament of his family's wealth and fortune, amassed from riches that his family had plundered from countless conquests during the Middle Ages. Truly their fortune was unsurpassed that his family held high influence in the small society of the town.

During one particular ball organized by a friend, Mark had the opportunity to meet up with a gentleman of equal upbringing as he is, that in itself being mysterious already, since there are a few nobilities in their town. The name of the man was Matthew.

Mystified as Mark was by his new friend's identity, nevertheless the two forged a friendship that was perhaps stronger than what he and John had forged by themselves. Although Matthew only favored meeting up for balls or celebrations in the evenings, Mark never had suspicions - until the night of his conversion.

It was a tempestuous evening, much like what he had experienced during his serious chat with Count Arcanum and Countess Cassandra, and he and his friend Matthew were walking towards his Manor, having offered his friend a place to stay, when his friend suddenly pulled him towards a tree and pinned him in place, a queer gaze locking their eyes in place.

Wild thoughts raced across Mark's mind at his friend's actions, and his eyes widened with horror as his friend revealed its true identity - it was a vampire, and one of the First Generation Vampires at that, those descending from the tainted bloodlines that even surpass Count Arcanum's (since the current Great Count of the Legion descends at a bloodline several generations after Matthew's, the older Great Counts having died off). Without another word, Matthew plunged into Mark's neck and gave his friend a loving bite that settled in five seconds of pain for Mark, followed by five seconds of bliss, then a darker five seconds of settling bloodlust - also known as the Vampire's First Fifteen.

Overwhelmed by insane bloodlust, as his maker was a First Generation Vampire (in concept these vampires bring forth serious starts to their new apprentices), he and his friend stormed their Manor and killed off his own parents and sisters, lost in his hunger for blood.

*****

Now, as Mark recalls everything, all this began with what his friend had brought him, and as he contemplates on it, hate once again boils deep inside him, hence he retained a vow he made when he made John a part of the Legion: never to go by his older friend's brutality.

And now that the Prophecy settles itself on their house as well, everything seems so surreal to him... thus he retired to bed, his head spinning with his thoughts.