Who Is the Monster and Who Is the Man? (3/?)
Author: Rebecca
Pairings: No pairing
Ratings: R
Archiving Permission: here and my site; anyone else please ask
Disclaimer: Nope never happened but it would make a freaky movie ;-)
Summary: Cliff is a master vampire. Enough said.
A vampire�s hunger is strange too. The older you are the less you really need to feed off human blood. I�m around three thousand years old and I only feed once every few months. James and Jason feed once a month. Kirk, Bob, and Lars feed every few weeks. However, a very young vampire like Randy needs to feed every few days or they will starve to death.
REBAPTISM
It took longer to find James than I thought it would. For a century, Jason and I followed cold trails and dead ends. People whispering of a nameless monster that would on feed of those who had committed unspeakable crimes or who had tried to stop him from feeding.
It was James.
I knew it by the simple fact that James would never feed off the blood of an innocent.
Finally, we found a promising lead. It seemed that James� wander lust was taking him to Asia. If I knew my lion, he was going there to learn new fighting techniques.
Pity he forgot that I was going to go after him if he left.
I could only travel at night with Jason. He was still learning about his new life and about his stubborn brother.
�Has he always been like this,� asked Jason as he lay wrapped in my arms in a cool dark cave at mid-day.
�To a point yes,� I answered softly as I ran my fingers through his thick curls. �He didn�t have an easy life before the rebirth. He was abandoned as a small child. All that he wanted, he had to fight for and at times even kill. He was a great warrior, who trusted no one.�
�Except you,� interrupted Jason in a soft voice.
�Even that took time. Even after the transformation, I still had to gain his trust.�
�But you did gain it in the end.�
�Yes I did. Go to sleep Jase. We�ll have a long ride at nightfall.�
It took almost another fifty years before we caught up with James. He wasn�t happy to see us by any stretch of the imagination.
�James��
�Just leave,� he snarled as he reined in his tall gray horse.
�No,� I shot back as I maneuvered my horse to block his way. �Why did you leave James? Even when you knew I would come after you.�
�You had *him*,� he growled as he glared at me, �So why would you need me too?� I was grateful that I had stashed Jason in a cave not too far away. If James saw him, he probably would�ve tried to tear out his throat.
�Because I love you too,� I whispered as I locked eyes with him. His face wavered once and then was set in stone again.
�You can stop trying, it won�t work any more,� he muttered. He backed his horse into a tight circle and went further into the canyon.
�Like the hell it won�t,� I thought to myself as I followed him. �If it won�t work why did you flinch when I locked eyes with you?�
�Memories never go away. I wished they would,� he whispered as he stopped his horse at a cave.
For the first time in ages, I felt anger. How could he say that?
�When I found you, you were no better than a scraggly lion feeding on scraps! I gave you immorality,� I screamed as I got in his face.
�You never asked if I wanted it,� he screamed back. �I wish you had left me on those plains. At least there I knew who I was!�
I stopped as I felt my rage disappear. �You know who you are now,� I whispered.
He gave a harsh laugh and said, �Do I? I used to be able to go outside in daylight but now I can barely look outside when its light out. I was able to cry real tears when I was in pain but now its blood. So who, no, what am I?�
I took a deep breath and said, �You are James. That hasn�t changed. You are my firstborn. I could�ve had anyone I wished for. I wanted you and you alone.�
�You have *him* now.�
�His name is Jason. If you give him a chance you would like him a lot.�
�I don�t want to know him at all!� James led his tall horse into the cave with me close behind.
�Why?�
�Why what?�
�Why don�t you want to know him?�
James looked at me and whispered, �Because you love him. Not me.�
�I will always love you,� I said as I stepped nearer. �You are the first. I could never stop loving you.� I gently touched his left cheek with my fingertips. He pulled away violently and backed away.
�Leave. Just leave.�
�No.�
He grabbed his heavy sword and snarled, �Get out! Or I�ll take your head off.�
�You don�t need your weapon little one,� I whispered as I turned to leave. �But know this. If you *ever* come near me or Jason I will kill you.�
Once out of the cave, I swore I heard a strangled sob but I paid no heed as I rode off to where Jason was hiding.
It was a stupid thing for me to say to him. I might be the older vampire but I am a lousy fighter. James would have been able to kick my sorry ass all the way back to Rome without breaking into a sweat.
Then again, I wasn�t thinking very clearly at that point.
I was angry with him. How could he say he didn�t want immortality? Suddenly the logical part of my mind whispered, �You never gave him the choice. You seduced him and forced him into becoming what he is now.� I winced. James was right. I never gave him a clear choice.
It was months later before me and Jason saw James for more than a fleeting minute.
We were out hunting and had been separated in the darkness. Jason had wandered into an old path that had been used as a defense line. It was still booby-trapped.
Before he knew what had happened, James came out of nowhere and knocked him to the ground. I heard James� roar of agony and Jason screaming my name.
I stopped short with what I saw. Jason was getting on his shaky feet looking at James. James was being pressed into the side of a dirt retaining wall by what looked like a wooden mace. Its long sharp wooden spikes had pierced his body, but they had just missed his heart by a few hairs.
Some how my lion was still able to find the strength to snarl when he saw me coming near him.
�James be still,� I murmured as I inspected the weapon. �It�ll take a few minutes but me and Jason will get this off you.�
It took more than an hour to remove the grisly hunk of wood. Once James was free, he could barely walk and ride. There was no way he would be able to hunt on his own for a while. We got him back to his cave just before morning.
�He saved my life,� whispered Jason once James was resting on his bed. �I activated one of the traps and he pushed me out of the way. Why would he do that if he doesn�t care?�
�He cares,� I answered as I rubbed the younger vampire�s back in a gentle fashion. �He just didn�t know it. Come and help me unsaddle the horses.�
Even after caring for him, James was still unable to walk or ride for very long periods. There was no way we would be able to leave him alone. If we did, he would be as good as dead. I also noticed there was a change in the relationship between James and Jason. James was tolerating Jason to the point of not wanting him dead, and Jason worked his way into James� heart by caring for him with a great devotion.
It was about this time we heard of a sorcerer that could heal even the very badly injured. We had nothing to lose by going to him and seeing if he could help James.
TBC
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