Blood Destiny

It had beeree ree days since he felt like this. This feeling of being watched, followed, stalked. As he walked down the street he could hear faint scuffing of feet behind him. He would turn around and nothing would be there. Or he would see a brief shadow dart from view. Whatever was stalking him was doing a good job of scaring the hell out of him, while staying out of sight.
Mark stared up in the air. The snowfaas bas beautiful, especially under the dim orange glow of a nearby streetlight. Whenever he felt on edge, the sight of the light snowfall always calmed him down. But not tonight. He had been seeing the brief shadows, hearing the rustle of clothing, and the phantom footsteps more frequently tonight. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He grabbed his coat and pulled it tight around him. That helped only a little. He noticed that his knuckles were white. He hefootfootsteps again, and spun around. As his black coat flared out behind him he noticed a shadow dart into an alleyway he just passed, beyond the comforting glow of the streetlight. He could still hear the scuffling of feet behind the corner. Though it went against his better judgment, he was compelled to turn that corner and see what was to be seen. He walked over to the alleyway but stayed in the light. He peered into the alley, but it was too dark to see anything, yet he heard the familiar phantom footsteps. His blood ran cold. He hugged himself as tep wep warm and to slightly allay fear. It didn\'t work. He put his arms to his side and clenched his fists. His fingernails cut into his hand and he felt cold blood trickle into his palm.
He took a step out of the light. Everythwas was OK so far, nothing bad had happened. He took another step, and he was out of the light. Still nothing happened. He began to walk further into the alleyway toward where he heard the sounds. Everything was silent now, quiet as a tomb. Nothing was here, He decided to turn back. He turned around and his coat flared out behind him again. As he took a step forward he heard the sound of metal striking concrete behind him. Very close behind him. As he started to walk, he realized what the sound was as his feet slipped out in front of him. His coat was pinned to the ground! As he lay on his back he could see up to the roof, and saw a figure leaning over the edge. He heard it laughing, then saw it jump. As it flew towards him he saw a glint of metal. When it landed, he felt an overwhelmingly sharp pain in his stomach, felt the icy cold spike in his stomach, and heard the sound of metal against concrete again. He tried to scream in pain, but felt an icy hand over his mouth.
\"Hello, Mark\" the voice said. \"I\'ve been watching you for some time now. It took me a while, you had me unsure at times, but now I\'m sure, you\'re the one.\"
Mark tried to ask what he meant, but it was difficult to do so with the hand over his mouth, and a cold spike in his stomach.
\"You\'re the one\" he repeated. \"You\'re the one who will revive our race. You will be the creator of a great clan, one that will eventually rule the night and the day alike.\"
Mark had no idea what he was talking about.
\"Your destiny, my child, lies far from the light. Only in darkness will your potential be unlocked. And what tenttential it is, child. What a potential.\"
Mark managed to gasp a few words \"You\'re… you\'re a vampire!\"
\"Obviously, child. And soon you will be one too\"
He jumped off of him, and pulled the spike out. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and fast motion at once. Mark\'s back arched up, and he screamed in pain. He saw blood splatter from his stomach, and felt some of it splatter on his face. Before he fell back down, he felt a strange pull from his stomach towards the dark figure standing before him. He held out his hand, and mark saw a river of blood rise up from the wound in his stomach toward the figure\'s mouth. Mark felt weaker and weaker; his very life was being sucked out of this hole in his stomach. When the vampire was done, Mark was barely hanging on to what little life He had. Then the vampire bent down toward his face and bit his wrist He then held it close to Mark\'s mouth and told him to drink. He was about to die, so what was left of his brain figured \"sure… why not\". He grabbed the bleeding arm and pulled it close to his face, and began to drink the cold, dark blood. As it flowed into Mark\'s stomach, it chilled him even more than the freezing spike that had pinned him to the ground. But it was invigorating! Though it was freezing, it energized him in a way nothing ever had! The freezing liquid seeped through his entire body. Chilling him and burning him at the same time. The sensation was indescribable! And then the pain started. Short bursts at first, causing him to convulse, but then growing in power and duration.
\"Don\'t worry, child. Every vampire goes through this. Your body is getting rid of the unnecessary bodily organs that won\'t serve you any purpose in your unlife….\"
And then he blacked out.

Mark awoke in his own bed. His stomach hurt like no flu or virus had ever afflicted it before. He got up and ran to the bathroom, and pukike ike never before.
\"That was the last of what made you human.\"
Mark spun around, vomit still dangling from his lips. The vampire was standing in the doorway.
\"I\'m sorry for being so hasty earlier. My name is Octavius, and I am the last of my clan.\"
He leaned forward and wiped away some of the dangling vomit from Mark\'s mouth as he still hugged the toilet bowl.
\"Do you feel better now?\" k wik wiped his mouth on his sleeve and stood up to face this creature thad had so recently been so maliciously cruel to him in recent memory. Surprisingly, he felt better than ever, at least well enough to scowl with contempt at this Octavius.
\"Don\'t hate me child, for I have unlocked this potential that has slept inside of you your whole life. You are now more powerful than you ever thought possible.\"
\"What have you done to me?\"
\"I\'m the source of your rebirth. Because of me, you are no longer mortal. Because of me, you are stronger, and faster than you ever were before. Because of me…\"
\"I get the idea. So, because of you, I can never see the light of day anymore, because of you I\'m forced to feed off of mankind. Because of you, I can\'t impale myself with a wooden stake, and all those other things that are supposed to kill vampires.\"
\"Don\'t be so naïve, child. Stakes only paralyze, and sunlight is only dangerous to fledglings, such as you. But that will pass in time. Vampires can exist in sunlight, but it hinders our power. In the sun we\'re as weak as regular mortals. We\'re only really vulnerable to fire, and complete loss of blood.\"
The shock of what happened hadn\'t completely set in. He turned away from Octavius and leaned against the sink. He looked up into the mirror and saw what had become of him. His skin was now pasty white, except around his green eyes which were considerably darker. His short curly hair was still a bit mussed, but that didn\'t concern him at this time. He held up his hands noticed that his fingernails had grown sharp, and were a dull gray. He tapped them on his sink, and noticed that they felt considerably more durable than what he was used to.
\"Your claws are your natural weapon. They are very sharp and strong. They allow you to grip into most surfaces, allowing you to remain perched on the side of a wall when you stalk your prey. You\'ll notice that they\'re retractable.\"
Mark flexed his fingers and realized his fingernails could grow from normal fingernail length to three-inch razor sharp blades. He suddenly realized the lethality of these natural weapons. As he remembered his brutal murder at Octavius\' hands, his contempt swelled inside of him. He glanced over at Octavius with a look of scorn and hatred.
\"Don\'t even think it, young one. I\'m here to help you. I know what you\'re thinking. Some of us are telepathic.\"
\"You can read my mind?\" Mark asked, his curiosity piqued.
\"That and some other things, child. I have many dark gifts, from the blood of other vampires I\'ve… absorbed.\"
\"Absorbed?\" Mark asked.
\"Yes, absorbed. When one vampire drinks another\'s blood, the dark gifts are absorbed. Some of the gifts may lay dormant while others, the vampire would excel in.\"
\"Okay, I\'m starting to like this now. Does this mean I can read your mind?\"
\"You have the potential to do so, but it may be one of your more dormant gifts. There are others that you may have absorbed from me.\"
\"Such as?\"
\"From the vampires I have absorbed, I\'ve gained the gifts of telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, strength and agility that most vampires would be envious of, pyrokinesis, expanded consciousness, and the ability to commune with the spirits of the deceased.\"
\"And I can do all that?\"
\"Doubtful, my child. Not even I can do so. But the potential is there. I have only been good at the telepathy and the telekinesis. You will probably excel in another gift. What that is will manifest itself in time. You\'ll find out soon enough.\"
Mark turned back to the mirror and admired his new set of fangs, unbelievably white and sharp.
\"Come, lad. It\'s time to teach you to use those.\"

They left the house and took to the night once more. Most of the city still slept, but a few people were still out. Mark found that he could run at incredible speeds, and leap great distances with minimal effort. He found it easy to jump from the sidewalk to the roof of a four story building, which was the average size of most buildings in this small town he called a home.
He found himself perched on the top of a building overlooking a dark alley; similar to the one he was killed in. He glanced at Octavius who returned the glance with an eviln. n.
Down in the alley was a rather ragged looking man pacing nervously about with a lit cigarette. He glanced outside the alley and noticed that another man was coming. This second person, staggered and wobbled, obviously drunk. The man in the alley pulled out a knife and leaned up against the wall near the entrance to the alley, out of sight from the drunken man.
\"This man intends to rob the other,\" said Octavius. \"Criminals like these are an easier kill, for those who still have lingering human morals. What I want you to do is jump down there, overpower the criminal, and drag him back into the alley, where I will instruct you on what to do next.\"
\"What more is there? Bite him and suck his blood, it seems simple enough.\"
\"That is about it, yes. If you feel you\'re ready, then by all means.\"
Mark nodded, then turned back to his prey. He jumped over the side and clung to the far wall of the alley, digging his claws into the brick wall. The criminal heard him and looked up. He saw Mark clinging to the wall, with his glowing eyes fixed on him. He gasped and darted from the alley. Mark lunged at him before he could get too far. He was able to grab the fleeing criminal\'s ankle and trip him. The man fell flat on his face and grunted as his nose broke. Mark dragged the man back into the alley out of sight, leaving a trail of blood on the concrete ground. When they were completely out of the light, Mark put his hand over the man\'s mouth, bit into his throat and began to feed. The man squirmed and tried to scream but wasn\'t too successful. As Mark continued to feed he fell silent and motionless. Mark threw the body in a nearby dumpster as Octavius swooped down from the rooftop.
\"Sloppy, Mark. Very sloppy. Now, let me show you how it\'s done.\"
The drunken man was nearing the entrance to the alleyway as Octavius turned to him. Mark leapt to the top of the building to get a better vantagepoint. His vampire eyes could see clearly at night. Everything was lit up bright as day.
Octavius leapt into the air towards the drunk. He landed on the opposite side of the man, and before he could react, knocked him into the alley. Octavius then darted past the man in midair and caught him before he hit the ground. Octavius clawed open the mans stomach, threw him to the ground and telekinetically sucked the blood from the man\'s stomach, just like he had done with Mark. While the body lay silent, Octavius pulled a bottle of liquid from under his coat, and poured it over the corpse. He then pulled out a matchbox, struck a match, and tossed it on the corpse. The corpse was immediately immersed in flame.
\"Vampire blood mixed with gasoline\" Octavius said indicating the bottle. He tossed it to Mark. \"Here, use this until you can make your own.\"
Mark jumped down from atop the building and stood next to his creator. Octavius pointed at the dumpster. Mark walked over to it and dragged out the other body. He pulled it over next to the pile of ashes from Octavius\' kill. He uncorked the bottle and looked at Octavius. Octavius smiled and nodded then indicated the corpse. Mark poured some of the liquid onto the corpse. Octavius struck a match and tossed it likewise. The body was quickly incinerated. Not even bones were left. A light breeze swiftly did away any evidence of the brutal massacre that took place here.
\"You\'ll find that every time you breathe, you will be slightly stronger. Whenever you drain a victim of their blood, you absorb their strength, like the way dark gifts are absorbed.\" Explained Octavius.
Mark looked at his hands and flexed his fingers once more. He clenched his fists as he felt the new blood coursing through him. The thrill of the kill and the feast was invigorating.
\"So this is my fate… to feed off unsuspecting people, to end their lives so that I may live.\" He clenched his fists tighter and looked up at the dark cloudy sky. \"How many will die at my hands just so I can exist?\"
Octavius put a hand onk\'sk\'s shoulder. \"Don\'t concern yourself with such matters, child. You\'re bound for greater things, child… much greater.\"
\"What do you mean?\"
\"The vampire race will be reborn through you. When you are powerful enough, you will create a clan of your own, which will grow into a new race of vampires.\"
\"Why me? Why cant you?\"
\"You\'re the one, Mark. You and those you call friends will repopulate this world with the undead. The prophecy indicates you, child, not me.\"
\"Prophecy? What\'s with ahis his \"chosen one\" stuff you\'ve dropped at me?\"
Octavius recites: \"In the snow of the twelfth season after the fall of Clan Sanguine -Claw at the hands of Clan Bloodmist, the last of the Bloodmist will forge the salvation of our race. Born in the snow, this new creation will grow a heart of ice, suitable to be the founder of a new clan. When the newborn is ready, he will slay his creator and revive the Bloodmist clan. From his initiates, a river of blood shall run forth, bathing the entire planet in blood.\"
\"Woah, woah, woah… \'Slay his creator\'?\"
\"Yes child, my demise lies with you. Bo noo not worry, I\'ve accepted my fate, and now, eternity doesn\'t seem that harsh, knowing I will never experience it.\"
\"But how can you be sure it\'s me? There might be other members of the Bloodmist clan left, how can you be sure you\'re the last one?\"
\"I knew every member of the Bloodmist clan, every single one of t I s I saw them all die at the teeth of Sanguine Claw. When they were all beyond help, they gave their lives to me… let me absorb them… so that I could defeat the last of the Sanguine Claw. It was a tough battle, but I managed to get the last of them, and absorb them all. The Bloodmist clan and the sanguine claw clan had been the last two great clans, and now, only you and I remain. There are other clans, they\'re small, but with the absence of the great clans, and they will definitely begin to make grabs for power. Wars have already begun to break out, and I\'ve fought in them all. New clans have come to power and vanished since the fall of the Sanguine claw, and I\'ve been involved in every Coup de Tat since then. I\'ve feasted from every bloodline of vampires in existence… no other vampire in history can say the same, not even the Council of Elders.\"
\"So, you\'re saying you\'re the most powerful vampire, right? And me being your… child…\"
\"Not yet, my son. You\'re still too young. But eventually, you will surpass my power. You see, your blood is the key, the key that unlocks the ancient .\" .\"
\"Ancient core?\"
\"Yes child, the source of all Vampirism. The Core is the soul of the original vampire, Decimus Julian Victorinus. He was murdered by those who now form the Council of Elders for being too… ambitious. His bloodline was spread throughout the clans, but now, the bloodlines will flow together. The rivers of blood are converging, Mark, and you are the pool they gather in.\"
\"What are you talking about? Are you saying I\'m some sort of reincarnation of an ancient roman vampire lord?\"
\"Somewhat, you\'re a close genetic match. He did look a lot like you… I remember well. He was my creator. You\'re the result of centuries of careful breeding. You see, the Council of Elders control a lot more than you think. In a sense, they created you.\"
Mark couldn\'t find the words to express the shock he felt. His whole life had been controlled, his very birth had been planned for centuries. The responsibility overwhelmed him. He tried to siwn, wn, but realized he was on the edge of a rooftop. He slipped and began to fall. Octavius leapt off the rooftop and caught him in midair. He hovered there for a while, to mark\'s astonishment.
\"Telekinesis, my child.\"
\"You\'re going to have to teach me how to do that\" Mark replied.
\"In time my son… time to get you .\"(.\"