Turned

Chapter Three.

Melrose, Scotland.

The day was dreary once the sun had risen, the world dark with overhanging clouds and rain pouring down onto the earth. Thunder rumbled overhead as I sat in a chair, eyes locked onto the sky above. I wanted nothing more than to ride for England, however my party was exhausted. Fiona was fast asleep among the fabrics of the bedsheets while Hamish sat in a chair, reading a book he had brought with him. Being cooped up for so long was starting to take its toll on me, growing more agitated and annoyed with each passing second, my sharp eyes able to count every raindrop that fell. I abruptly rose from my seat, reaching for my trench coat that hung from a hook on the wall to tug it onto my shoulders. My actions caught the attention of Hamish “Where are you off to?” I never had to explain myself to Xavier. He knew that if I left I had my reasons and would return shortly, but that was not the case with them. They feared my abandoning them, they clung to me like a second skin, questioning me on my every action. I reached for my brown, leather cowboy hat and stuck it on the top of my head “Hunting, I need to feed” I replied, eyes staring straight ahead and at the closed door of the room we were occupying at the inn. The aged blood they had been feeding me was no longer sustaining me. Typically, our kind only had to feed once a week, however that was only the case if they drank from a human, if not they could barely last a few days on blood from a cup. The fact that they had all survived so long on only aged blood only meant that they had never drank from a human before “But, the young Master” Hamish said, motioning towards Julius that was straightening out the material of his brown coat. It was rimmed with grey wolf fur around the edges and had the Royal sigil embroidered into its chest pocket, a perfect way to let the enemy know exactly who you are “He will accompany me” I stated, fixing the sleeves of my coat. Julius looked up at me, his eyes filled with confusion whereas Hamish seemed more upset and confused about my decision. I could feel my annoyance and irritation growing, my fangs aching behind sealed lips, eyes burning from lack of nutrition. I was in a mood and not to be messed with “On such a brutal quest?” I snapped, my teeth clenching, my voice hissing through the cracks like a provoked viper when I spoke. My fist connected with the wall beside me, crushing the stone that was used to build it. Bits and pieces crumbled to the floor at my feet, crunching beneath my boots as I turned to face the man “You are Vampires, feeding is second nature, yet here you are having never tasted a drop of blood from a human, it is disgraceful to our kind” Hamish stared at me, wide eyed from over the rim of his reading glasses. They were round and useless since our eyes were ten times better than those of humans, however he still insisted on wearing them when he read. Julius lowered his coat and looked at me in shock “Come, and leave the coat” I instructed Julius, moving to head for the door. He shot a glance in Hamish’s direction then hurried to follow me out the door and into the empty hallway. His coat was left abandoned on the floor of the room, the sigil of a wolf howling at the moon in red and black staring up at the ceiling. Instead of heading down stairs, I headed up to the highest floor of the inn, eyes locking onto a window that sat at the end of the hall on the fourth floor. I strode towards it, hands ready to slide it open as Julius watched. Once the window was open, I stepped out, reaching for a ledge near the roof and using it to hoist myself out of the inn and onto it, using only the strength of my arms. Julius followed in a clumsier fashion while I searched the rooftops for a rout to take. There were very little people outside since it was raining, but I could still hear a beating heart coming from not too far away. Without warning, I took of in a sprint, using the ledge of the roof to propel myself into the air and onto a rooftop not too far away. I slid across the roof, the tiles cluttering as I flexed my right hand, the clawed extending to dig into the tiles and stop myself from skidding down to the street below. Julius copied my movements, his foot catching on the angle of the roof and causing him to hit the tiles hard. I reached out with my free hand to grip the back of his black shirt, giving him enough time to steady himself “Keep up” I muttered, letting go of him to dart for the next roof, my knees bending as I landed on the leveled rooftop. I ducked and rolled back onto my feet, claws scrapping against the tiles and stone as I flipped and twisted, my instincts taking control, abnormal strength and speed helping me brush easily across the buildings. The smell of my prey was what compelled me, forcing me to kick off walls and flip in mid-air only to skid to a stop on the ledge of the final building, eyes staring down at a man, who was shepherding a flock of sheep on the outskirts of town a few miles out. Julius appeared at my side, breathing hard as he tried to see what I was looking at “Is that our target?” he asked, a strong gust of wind pushing back against us. I gripped my hat to keep it from being carried away and nodded as raindrops splattered across my face. I flipped off the side of the building, my body twisting a few times before I landed below on the balls of my feet in the lush grass. I stood, taking a few steps then shot forward at an inhuman speed, appearing in front of the man, dressed in cream and white fabrics, his feet covered in brown leather boots. His eyes widened the second I manifested in front of him “Terrible weather, if I do say so myself” I casually said, eyes locked on the grass at our feet. I allowed my hand to slip away from my hat, Julius observing from the rooftop as I raised my eyes to meet with those of the man. His breath caught when he noticed the color of my eyes, his hand tightening around the shepherd’s cane that he grasped in it “Do pardon my sudden appearance, I am rather hungry” I said, eyes beginning to glow brighter at the sound of the blood pumping through his veins. My fangs ached, growing slightly larger than they would have been if I was not so famished. The man shook in terror at the sight of my fangs through my moving lips “Do you care to spare me a small bite?” the man moved, gripping his staff in both hands and swinging it down hard. I blocked it using the palm of my hand and gave a heavy sigh. Although it was exciting to face my prey in combat, I was too hungry to care for the excitement “Shame, it tastes better when it comes willingly” I flexed my other hand, using the claw of my index finger to slowly reach out and pierce the skin of the man’s throat. Blood began squirting from the hole and he dropped his cane, backing away from me as he tried to grip his neck with both hands. I disappeared when he tried to look at me and reappeared behind him, my hands snaking around to grip the wrists of his hands to pry them away from his neck. I then bit into the tender skin, enjoying the taste of fresh blood that filled my mouth and swirled its way down my throat. The taste was metallic, but sweet at the same time, the liquid warm and thick like a mother’s milk. I could feel myself wanting to drain every drop from the mans body but pulled away quickly, blood dripping down my chin as my eyes grew wild with hunger and lust for blood “Feed” I ordered, tossing the dead man aside in the direction of where Julius was now standing, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. The Royal blood inside his veins made it seem wrong to kill to sustain hunger, but the Vampire in him was driving him to feed, willing him to do as I had “Eat or I will force it down your throat” I snapped, running the back of my hand over my lips and chin. Red smeared across my skin, taken care of shortly after by the pouring rain. My voice was like ice, cutting through even bone and forcing Julius to approach the body. Xavier had made me the Vampire that I was, he had taught me to feed, to kill, to hunt and if he had been alive to see his nephew he would have shook his head at the sight of the disgrace his brother raised. I felt obligated to teach Julius in the ways of his uncle, to show him what being a Royal Vampire really meant even if it meant scolding him like a child. All Royal Vampires would stop aging once they turned eighteen whereas Vampires like myself or Fiona would remain at whichever age they were turned. Julius looked to be around eighteen, but in experience he was much younger than that. Julius approached the corpse and knelt beside it, his dark hair sticking to the sides of his head from the rain as his sad but hungry eyes observed the kill. I stepped to his side, reaching a hand out to place it on his shoulder “You will not survive in this world if you continue to be weak” I said, knowing that for him it must have been hard. The night I had awoken from the turn, I killed hundreds of towns people, feasting on their blood and tearing them limb from limb. The streets had been stained red that night, houses burning, people screaming as they tried to flee, but my Vampiric instincts had come naturally because of my need for revenge. It had been why Xavier had chosen me, knowing that I would adapt well to his way of living, knowing that I would become strong and continue to do so as the years passed “I will not be here to protect you forever” I gave his shoulder a hard squeeze then turned to leave, eyes locked on the town ahead as the sound of teeth sinking into flesh reached my ears. An animalistic snarl ripped from his chest as skin tore and his feral instincts took control. I stopped walking to dare glance back over my shoulder, to find the young Cartel with the man’s forearm pressed to his mouth, blood dripping down from the corners of his lips as thunder roared overhead, highlighting his glowing gold eyes and the bloodlust hidden within them.

It was hard to get him to stop, long after the man had been completely drained of blood, he still pressed on, hoping to find some scrap of blood that was still left inside of the corpse. The rain had become a light drizzle by the time we set back out on horseback, our faces hidden, mine behind the rim of my hat and his bowed in shame. He had only realized what he had done after I had forcefully dragged him away from the body and held him by his throat, yelling to get through to him. He had completely given into his hunger and that had riddled him with guilt. I lead the way, leading the party along a muddy dirt road that lead towards the Hadrian Wall. The terrain turned to hills, some steep, others level as we moved, the sun hidden behind a layer of thick, black clouds with light rainfall pelting down onto us. Fiona continuously complained, her hand moving to tame the frizzy mess of silver hair that sat atop her hair. Her dress was restricting her movements, making it impossible for her to separate her legs as she sat sideways on the back of Glyn. I gripped the reins of my steed tightly, body moving in sync with the movements of the horse when the wall came into view. It was not as tall as some would think but still tall enough to prevent horses or other means of transport to cross. I pulled the stallion to a stop, eyes scanning the length of the wall as Hamish reached out to grip Julius’ arm, bringing the Royal back to reality and out of his thoughts enough to stop Cerys before the horse could collide with the wall. The black stallion reared back, nearly tossing Julius from its back as it backed a few steps away from the edge of the wall “How will we pass?” Hamish questioned, his eyes scanning the wall. I kept my eyes on the Western length of the wall before tugging on the reins to turn my steed in that direction. With a swift whip of the reins it took off at a gallop, following the length of the wall and trotting straight past Julius. His eyes locked onto mine for a split second, the dread still evident in them as I disappeared into the distance. There was a place where the wall had started to crumble a few miles West where Xavier and I had passed many times before. The rest of the party followed suit, their horses gaining as I searched the wall for the familiar gap. It eventually came into view a few miles ahead, pulling my steed to a stop, the stallion reared up on its hind legs, trying desperately to throw me, however I stayed put. Its front hooves collided with the muddy earth and it took a few steps back before moving forward and past the gap in the wall. The soil on the other side felt the same, muddy and damp from the light drizzling rain, but geographically it was a new state that we found ourselves on “It will take us another day’s ride to reach London” I announced, the horses struggling through the wet dirt as I glanced back at Hamish from over my shoulder. Fiona was brooding, her face turned away from me and refusing to acknowledge my existence. She was furious that I had taken her young Master to feed, enraged that I had done it without her consent and annoyed that I felt I had the power to do with the Royal as I pleased. She had become like a mother to him, taking on the role of mother hen, protective over her chick when his parents had passed away. His mother had taken her own life after her husband was brutally murdered, supposedly by the same threat that was targeting Julius or some other unknown enemy. She had yelled and cradled him to her, but when she had asked him what I had done to him he said that I did nothing, that he himself had done it. That had silenced her enough for us to be on our way, however that did not mean that she could stand to look at me “It seems a storm is brewing” Hamish felt the need to say, his eyes on the horizon ahead. Dark clouds were rolling in, dreary and grey and filled with water that would come pelting down on the earth. There was a river ahead with an old wooden bridge that span across it. I was the first to step onto it, slowly, testing its stability as the rain began to pelt down heavier than before, soaking both me and the world around me. The river below was a raging tyrant, lapping at the bottom of the bridge with a fierce intent to demolish its wooden panels. Julius came next, his horse much heavier than mine, but it managed to keep up, its hooves causing the wood to creek beneath its weight “Keep it steady” I called from the front of the party, my horse nearly on the other side of the bridge. Hamish and Fiona were next, their horse Glyn moving slower than the others with her eyes staring wide at the wood beneath her. Thunder struck, and Glyn panicked, rearing up and causing the wood behind her to shatter and tumble into the raging waters below. Fiona slipped, tumbling through the gaping hole in the bridge “Fiona!” Hamish yelled, his hand desperately reaching out to her. I flung myself from my horse and with another flash of white lightning I was there with a tight grip on her hand, looming over the hole. My feet were braced on either side, my legs spread to keep myself from falling as my second hand joined the first around her wrist. The waters kissed her feet and legs, reaching up to her thighs as I fought to pull her up. Both Cerys and my horse were safely off the bridge by that time and looking up, I noticed that Glyn had a piece of rope dangling from her saddle “Hamish” I began, my voice sounding strangled from the force of having to keep Fiona in the air. My eyes were locked onto the rope and after a long pause he realized what I was looking at. He reached for the rope and tossed it at me, keeping his hands on the other end of it when he did. I let go of Fiona for just a second with one hand to catch the rope, wrapping it around my wrist and forearm before returning my hand to Fiona’s. Hamish did not need to be told what to do, he kicked at Glyn’s sides and the horse shot forward, giving me enough strength to pull Fiona onto the floor of the bridge with a loud grunt from my lips. I let go of the rope and stumbled back into the railing of the bridge, my eyes looking down to examine the burn marks that were located on my wrist. Fiona gasped for air, her hand gripping at her chest to check if she was still alive while Hamish rushed to her side. She looked up at me for just a moment to notice my wound then was engulfed in Hamish’s arms, his worried voice asking if she was alright. I pushed off the railing and headed for my horse, the white stallion with the name Cantor stood beyond the bridge on a more solid dirt road as Julius held onto its reins to keep the horse from running “That was awfully nice of you” Julius decided to point out when I reached him. I mounted Cantor and shot him a look that said that he was not to say another word of it while Fiona and Hamish were around. Hamish was helping Fiona back onto Glyn as I watched with a sharp gaze “Considering that she had been nipping at you all morning” Julius decided to say regardless of my warning. I met his eyes with a pointed glare then glanced back in the direction of our travelling companions that were starting to continue their way across the bridge. I turned Cantor to face the dirt road, but paused to look up at Julius “She is starting to grow on me” Julius did not say anything, his face still rimmed with dread and despair as he watched me kick at Cantor’s sides, willing the horse to trot forward in a light jog. The rest followed, Fiona coughing every now and then, causing me to glance back to see if she was alright. It had most likely been from her soaked clothing and fright, but it was clear that we needed shelter for the time being. My eyes searched the area until they found what looked to be an abandoned horse stable with the doors hanging from their hinges and parts of the roof missing. I directed us towards it and allowed for everyone to rest as we waited for the storm to pass. Fiona said nothing, her eyes watching me as I paced the length of the barn, arms swaying at my sides and eyes searching the storm for any end. It would be a long day until the rain would finally stop around sunset.