Fallen Blood Roses

"Where are we going," he whispered into the ears of the figure in front of him...... "Where the grasses are green, and fresh water springs are deep, "a rosy voice simpered....



Eden was simply a passing thought when compared to where they\'d landed. Michael opened his eyes, surrounding him was lush greenery, and the slow trickle of ponds and man made streams. "Where are we?" he demanded at once, speaking to the trees, and the leaves, for he was alone. Standing up, he brushed himself off, and furrowed his brow. The sun beat down, but it was a different sun, a less hot sun, almost an older sun... "This is impossible," he whispered... "Nothing is impossible..." a voice cooed from the foliage... \'Am I in heaven?\' Michael cried out... The voice simply laughed, and he heard footsteps approach him. They stopped, and Michael waited uneasily. "Follow the sound of my feet, and we will soon find the others," it simpered. Michael ignored the message at first, but the rustling soon began. Clamoring, he raced behind it, walking then running through a thick maze of bushes and rose bushes... Faster, and faster, his feet barely kept up with his racing mind... Quicker, he flew through the created path, and stopped as the sound stopped, his legs standing firmly in the muddy earth.



"Welcome to Armida’s garden," he heard. Michael looked up, dressed, polished, and in silk attire were his captors. The rags were gone, replaced with silken shirts and breeches, their faces washed, he saw their eyes lined in black. They each had been made to look like porcelain dolls. There were less of them than before. He searched around for the leader, and finding him gasped slightly. Tall he was, his eyes set wide apart but doe like, large and brown with long lashes, he was dazzling. His muscular arms didn\'t seem to fit inside the dainty clothes...and his body corresponded greatly with the delicateness of his face. Michael held his gaze for a moment, before going toward their table, and sitting amongst them.



"I decided that this was the best way for your transition to occur," the leader whispered quickly. "It was done in that realm, and you\'ll have little memory of it. The pain may have been unbearable, and we didn\'t want you to feel mortality actually leave your soul." Michael laughed inside, "Soul? Surely these creatures had none,"... "My name is Johannes Ockeghem, and yes my child, we do have souls". The entire group laughed, and stared at him even the more intently. "And as far as "creatures", you are now one of us,"....he said nearly apologetically. Michael\'s mind rattled.. "One of them? A porcelain doll? Well, his looks were indeed stunning, and if made up he could probably outshine all of them, but one of them? A monster..Surely they hadn\'t done that to him." Johannes simply nodded. "Yes, despite how you will feel, it is done, you are no longer mortal." he spat matter of factly.



Doubt entered his mind. What could they mean, he looked down at his brown skin, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Your coloring will change with age, or it may not, there is no way of knowing," Johannes explained.



"It is time that I introduce you to the others," Johannes insisted. Michael felt like nearly exploding, he wasn\'t able to absorb all of this, they were it appeared sitting in an English garden, in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Such was impossible, was it not? And Armida\'s gardens were mythical, never had they existed in reality....



"This is Luca Marenzio," The man in light grey merely nodded his head. His eyes were almond shaped, his expression nonchalant, his long ebony hair glittered against his pale skin. Handsome instead of pretty like the others, he looked away from Michael as he stared. "And this is Lorelai Winders," Michael felt a soft hand against his own, and looked behind him. Hers was the voice that had awoken him. Her eyes were as sharp and shiny as pebbles in a cold stream. Her hair was like a dark halo, framing her sweet face. Her mouth, pouty, was wet, and shimmering. "It is nice to meet your acquaintance," Michael stammered. She merely smiled. A sound rustled in the distance, and the whole group reached inside of their pockets nervously. Michael feigned a reaction. From the bushes came a young man, tall, and thin, yes, but looking anything but a vampire. His expression was nervous, his mouth nearly curled into a smile, his dark curly hair wild, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Yes, master, I have what you asked for," he pushed a package into Johannes\' hands. "Yes, well thank you James, let me introduce you to our newest member". "Michael, this is James..James..... Michael", they glared at each other, their eyes interlocking, Michael wanted to know everything about him at once, unaware he possessed this power he began to hear James thoughts, "Who is this, why must Johannes insist of picking up rif raf, he won\'t last even as long as the others... Johannes just wants to..." Michael screamed inside James\' mind," Beauty isn\'t a symptom of a lack of intellect, although in you it surely is," James closed his eyes, and blocked his mind. Michael\'s head received a pulse as he was expelled from his thoughts. Unlocking their eyes, they both stared back at Johannes. "Well, now that we are all acquainted, I will commence the meeting. We are here to discuss," his voice trailed, the clouds began to form overhead, they darkened slowly, Michael smelt rain....