The Bite of Vengeance Read online

  The sound of creaking metal emanated through the ruined church. The cross on the top blew back into the church, though the roof was nowhere to be seen. Where it landed, Roconn couldn’t tell. More slates tumbled from the roof as the fog eased back, allowing Roconn to see. He wished he couldn’t. The church was destroyed; bodies of children, adults and even little Jenna could just be seen under the rubble. Each corpse was smothered in deep crimson liquid and dust. Limbs could be seen sticking out of the debris. Lightning illuminated the church once more. At the front of the church, in pools of blood and covered with shards of slate, lay the bodies of his wife and children. Blood trickled from their mouths. He looked in horror at their faces, grey with dust. Roconn felt an uncontrollable surge of hatred.

  ‘GOD!’ he bellowed to the sky.

  ‘YOU HAVE TAKEN MY FAMILY! YOU HAVE TAKEN THE VILLAGE, TAKE ME!’

  ‘Help, Roconn,’ whispered a voice weakly.

  Roconn scrambled over loose rocks, dodging beams of wood and roofing tiles until he reached his wife. He knelt down beside her. She was barely alive. Blood poured from severe cuts across her body, her face was bruised and sliced and her arm stuck out at a funny angle. Roconn knew he was going to lose his wife if he did not act soon. He needed to move her out of the church quickly. Without any help, she would be dead within minutes. He moved as many stones as he could, most of which were covered in blood. At last, he was able to pick up his wife, cradling her in his arms.

  ‘You’re going to make it. Just hold on. Don’t let go!’ he half-whispered, half-sobbed.

  Tears ran down his face, dripping on to Maria’s body. The hail had now turned into rain, falling steadily as the half-formed tornado withdrew to the sky once more. The Lord had forsaken him. He had taken his children, and mortally wounded his wife. Roconn could not understand why He would do this. No longer would he be a servant of the Lord, nor would he allow anyone else he cared for to die on his account, while he lived on, he was sure of that. He looked at the lifeless bodies of Benjamin and Charlotte. Tears of anger and loss continued to roll down his dirty face. Roconn started making his way towards the door, pausing as he looked at it properly for the first time since the storm. The cross had fallen upside down, in front of the doors, barricading them inside, Roconn was horrified.

  Setting his wife down, he tore large strips of cloth from his robes and tied them around the worst of her wounds. He realized now that he should have listened to his gut instinct and left the church when he had the chance. Instead, he had decided to ignore it, and that decision would stay with him for the rest of his life.

  He spent what felt like an eternity trying to push the cross away from the door. With a great deal of effort, it started to lean away from the door until it fell against the wall with a loud crash. Clouds of dust lifted into the air. But this did not bother Roconn, who was determined to get his wife to safety.

  He lifted his wife again, kicked open the door and ran into the churchyard. Roconn wrenched open the gate which led to the now deserted village. Feeling sick with pain, he paused, lowering Maria on the grass.

  ‘I need to get Charlotte and Benjamin. I’ll be right back, I promise. Don’t let go.’ Whether she was awake or not, he could not tell.

  A few minutes later, Charlotte and Benjamin were set down beside the gate. He thought it best not to lay them next to Maria; he knew it would traumatize her to see their lifeless bodies. Roconn bent over his children, gazing at their faces as tears poured from his eyes. He refused to believe they were gone. They couldn’t be dead, he thought. This couldn’t be happening! He shook his daughter in a desperate attempt to wake her. But Charlotte would never wake. Her head lolled to one side when he finally let go. He turned to Maria.

  ‘Roconn, I’m going to die,’ she whispered, her breath rattling.

  ‘No!’ Roconn pleaded. Whatever it took, he would not lose his wife.

  ‘Don’t be a fool. Before I die, I want you to know that I love you.’

  ‘I love you too Maria, and I am not going to let you die!’

  Roconn glanced up the street, hoping for inspiration. How was he going to save her? But what he saw next was not something that convinced him Maria was going to live, quite the contrary. As the day turned to night, familiar, red eyes were staring at him, and it was as though they could see in to his very soul. They belonged to a creature with long, curved horns and a scarred face. In between the horns, a ball of fire hovered, as though held by some unseen force. The muscular creature walked towards Roconn and Maria, its long, midnight-black cloak billowing behind.

  Seconds passed as Roconn stood, paralysed by fear. Above, the moon shone brightly. He forced himself to look at Maria; she was unconscious, her shallow breathing, the only indicator she was still alive. Roconn looked back to see the Devil was kneeling in front of him.

  ‘She is going to die.’ The Devil spoke with a deep, intimidating growl.

  As he spoke, Roconn noticed his razor-sharp teeth.

  ‘I have for seen this moment in the pits of despair, I knew this day would come. Your God has forsaken you. He has taken your children and will soon claim your wife.’

  ‘No, you’re lying; she can’t, she will not die!” Roconn exclaimed.

  ‘Your God gave you nothing, whereas I can give you anything you desire, though I cannot save your children, for they have already been taken by God. But I can save your wife. You could be with her for an eternity, and no one would be able to take her from you. Neither of you would ever become sick, nor would you age. You could be powerful. You could live together, forever. All I ask in return is that you serve me as your God.’

  Roconn looked down at his dying wife.

  ‘No, I will never join you. I cannot forsake Maria’s soul. You shall not have her,’ he whispered.

  ‘Look into her eyes, you can see she is leaving you, you will never look upon her face again, nor feel the warmth of her breath, her life now lies in your hands. Time is running out, make your choice, once she is dead, nothing can bring her back.’ His voice was sympathetic, yet Roconn could hear the yearning in his voice, he knew of the Devil’s trickery, how he would entice mortal with tempting pacts, which they would later come to regret.

  ‘I cannot lose her. I know this would mean the forsaking of not only my soul, but that of Maria’s. I can’t lose her; I know what needs to be done.’ Roconn thought this through quickly. He gave a nod to the beast, and looked into Maria’s eyes.

  The Devil leant over Maria and sliced his wrist with one, sharp talon. Thick, blue blood poured from the wound. He held his bloody wrist over her pale lips.

  ‘Drink and you shall live forever.’

  Maria awoke from her unconscious state, and drank from his wrist. A few seconds later she slumped back to the ground. The colour started to return to her face almost immediately, and her cuts began to heal. Her body snapped and twisted as broken bones repaired themselves. Maria became thinner and muscular and her face grew younger, revealing a very attractive woman.

  Now it was Roconn’s turn. The Devil offered his wrist once more. Roconn drank deeply, without hesitation. The warm blood gushed into his mouth. It tasted strangely appetizing. As soon as the Devil removed his wrist, Roconn’s body felt as though it had gone into an internal frenzy. He felt more alive than ever before. The skin on his face tightened and he closed his eyes. After a few painful seconds his stomach shifted back as abdominal muscles strengthened. It felt as though an endless power was flowing into his muscles.

  At last, this strange transformation was complete. Roconn opened his eyes and stared at Maria in shock. He saw every strand of cloth on her filthy dress. He looked over her shoulder towards the horizon. No matter how far he gazed, his vision still picked up everything. Nothing blurred or shimmered and he could focus on even the smallest details.

  Roconn turned his gaze back to Maria.

  The wife he knew was gone, replaced by the young woman he had married over thirty years ago. The lines had gone from her face and he
r stomach looked flat beneath her dress, which hung loosely on her. Maria moved with such speed it would have made anyone normal dizzy. But Roconn picked up every movement.

  Though this transformation was overwhelming, he could still see Maria in her new and perfect face. Shock was carved onto her face as she felt her athletic body. Roconn moved towards her at an amazing speed, feeling fully in control. Maria let out a short scream, which he heard as though she had shouted right into his ear. Now that he thought about it, Roconn could hear everything. He could hear the birds in the forest, the clicking of ants’ pincers, even the slight squeaking of a spider creating its web somewhere in the forest. Judging by Maria’s expression, Roconn could tell he had changed just as impressively. He raised his hand and ran his fingers over his face, expecting to feel the lines and imperfections of a fifty-year-old man. Instead he felt smooth skin. Roconn ran his tongue over his teeth and felt two sharp fangs. The Devil had disappeared, leaving them quite alone.

  ‘Where are the kids?’ asked Maria hopefully. When Roconn did not answer she pressed him again.

  ‘Where are the – No, they’re not, they can’t be.’ Maria started to weep as she turned her head. There in front of her, lay the bodies of her deceased children. She let out a howl of rage as she flew towards the children, bending low over them sobbing into their dirty, ripped clothes.

  ‘No, no, please wake up!’ she screamed in horror. Roconn let her have a minute to let the tragic news sink in. After a few moments Roconn walked slowly, his still heart, heavy with sadness and placed a supportive hand onto her stone shoulder, she did not release her grip on her children, nor did she lift her gaze, she just lay there, where she belonged, with her children. All of a sudden Maria exploded with anger, her body shaking.

  ‘You!’ she shouted to the sky above her. ‘You killed my children and tried to take me too! I swear you shall pay for this! I will ensure that no one follows you again. I promise you I will have my revenge!’

  ‘Come Maria, there is much work we must attend to, firstly the burying of our children. They will be missed, but they will be avenged, I promise you.’ Roconn spoke softly, pulling her up, with ease, onto her feet.

  A New Beginning

  Roconn looked at the remains of the church, his mind on the people who lay within. Then, he remembered Benjamin and Charlotte. He gazed at their bodies, grief gathering in his still heart. Knowing it was God who had ordered their deaths, he screamed with rage.

  He knew what he was going to do. He was going to eradicate the worshipping of God. But dawn was approaching and he knew instinctively that he must get out of the sun’s path. Half an hour later, he and Maria were presiding over two freshly-dug graves. They were far from the graveyard of the church.

  ‘No prayer shall be said; they will not be buried under the name of God,’ said Roconn.

  Glancing up, he noticed the horizon was brightening. Time was running short, but nevertheless, burying his children was not something that could be hurried.

  Bending down, he picked up his son. Benjamin felt almost weightless. Looking into his eyes, he saw they were cold and grey, the night sky reflected in them. He lifted a hand and closed Benjamin’s eyelids. In that moment it struck Roconn that he had lost everything. The only person left who loved him was Maria.

  Ironically, it was his chosen lifestyle as a priest that had ultimately ruined his life. It hurt him deeply, and he knew that this could not be allowed to happen to anyone else, no matter what it took. He was working towards the greater good, in the beginning of a new world. Within himself and Maria a new race had been born, and it was his duty to see it thrive. The world was going to change, and this new species would multiply. It might take years, decades or even centuries. But that didn’t matter, as an immortal he had all the time he needed to complete his vision. Religion was his beast, and to destroy a beast you have to remove its head. By infecting the Pope, he would destroy religion. It would take a lot of careful planning. Religion has never had such an enemy, he thought. It will be unaware, unprepared for this.

  After burying their children, he and Maria fled to their home to wait for nightfall. As he moved, Roconn noticed that something was happening to his throat, it was starting to burn. He turned to Maria, who seemed to be experiencing the same sensation. Almost instinctively, he knew that he needed blood, and fast. But with dawn approaching, they didn’t dare to scavenge the forest for a meal. No, he realized, it would have to wait until nightfall.

  Dusk quickly arrived, and the moment the sun had set, Roconn and Maria proceeded with caution to the front door. At last, they could finally quench their thirst. They opened the door, and broke into a run. They ran into the forest faster than anyone had ever run before, leaves and dirt blowing in their wake. Suddenly, a twig broke to their right.

  A pig ran in the opposite direction. Roconn and Maria pursued it with incredible speed. Maria, her thoughts already one step ahead of the pig, darted up a nearby tree, her fingertips digging into the trunk as she scaled it with ease. Roconn stopped and watched her. He heard the pig slow to a trot through exhaustion. As silent as a mouse, but with the agility of a cat, Maria crept along a branch protruding over a clearing where the pig had stopped. Maria’s gaze turned to Roconn, and after acknowledging her sharp nod, disappeared up a tree just opposite her. He too, crept along a protruding branch and leapt silently, twisting and flipping in the cool air, he landed with perfect precision, on to a large boulder a few metres from the pig.

  Maria’s nostrils flared as she inhaled the scent of the pig’s blood that pulsed rapidly through its veins. Roconn smelt it too, it was appetizing and set his throat burning with desire to drink its blood. Suddenly, Maria leapt from the branch growling with bloodlust. The pig faced her but it was no match for her speed, she landed on top of it, pinning it to the ground with one steel hand, Roconn was at her side in a split second, still marvelling at his new speed. They both bent over the pig and pierced its neck with their fangs, injecting venom into its bloodstream. It died almost instantly.

  As the warm blood gushed into their mouths, the burning in their throats faded. It seemed satisfying, and yet, to Roconn, it did not taste right. He drank deeply. Yes, something was definitely wrong with it, it had a murky taste. It didn’t quite satisfy him fully, nevertheless, the more he swallowed, the better he felt; quicker, and stronger than before. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.

  He ran towards a wide tree that was standing nearby and sliced it in two with his claw-like hands. It fell to the ground, splitting other trees in the process. In the surrounding canopy, birds flew away in fright. In fact, it sounded as though all the wildlife in the forest was fleeing. To Roconn, it sounded as though every small noise had become much louder.

  In the corner of his eye, he saw his beautiful wife, standing like stone, looking solemnly through the dense forest, grief eminent on her flawless face. Roconn thought for a moment, he had lost everything, but now they had a chance to avenge their children. They were immortal. Nothing could stand between them and the destruction of all faith.

  Suddenly, as though God had heard Roconn’s thoughts, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. Flames spread rapidly up its trunk. Seconds later, another tree caught fire, engulfing them in a haze of dense smoke. The fire quickly spread to other trees, circling around Roconn and Maria, trapping them. He stepped closer and found to his surprise that despite his new abilities, he was still susceptible to it. If they were to survive, they had to find a means of escape, and fast.

  ‘We need to get out of here. The fire will destroy us both!’ shouted Roconn.

  Maria nodded and sped off, leaves swirling into the air, as she passed over them. To a normal person, she would have been little more than a blur. Roconn watched, transfixed as her legs propelled her into the air. Her feet hit the ground and she seemed to glide a few yards before taking another springing step. She moved as gracefully as a deer, but with the ferocity of a lion. Then, the heat grew in intensity, shaking Roconn out of
his reverie. He fled in the same direction, dashing through a gap in the flames, the wind blowing on his face. As soon as he was through, the gap closed.

  Power flowed through his legs, urging him to sprint faster and faster. Dust swirled in his wake, and animals darted for cover. Suddenly, Maria appeared in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks, showering her with dirt.

  Roconn forced a small smile; it was not easy to make his new muscles to work like this. Inside he was dying – not physically, his new and perfect body would not allow such things - but mentally. She hissed at him with irritation, baring her fangs. It was odd that she had adapted to vampirism so easily, as though she had been this way for a while. In that moment, it dawned on him that he would spend eternity with her. She would be his, forever, on their quest for justice.

  The Priest

  Roconn opened his eyes. It had been more than seven hundred years since the forest fire, yet he remembered that day as if it was yesterday. He sighed slowly, revelling in his memory.

  ‘What’s wrong, dear?’ asked Maria inquisitively.

  ‘Nothing really,’ he admitted.

  ‘Do you remember the day we were turned?’

  ‘Of course, the day I will never forget.’ Grief seeped into her face as she closed her eyes to the memory. The sound of her voice echoing through the empty stone hall.

  Roconn looked around the windowless room. It was roughly one hundred feet square. The only light came from several sconces which adorned the walls. The ceiling was impressively high, giving the room a church-like appearance. Although the time he had spent in churches was gone, he could still remember the feeling of safety he had experienced within them. But that had ended when the roof of his own church had given way, killing his children. He had not forgotten his vow. Admittedly it had taken longer than expected, but that didn’t matter, he had eternity to fulfil it.