A Grave Misfortune

[Gwydion Nefarine]

She did, reluctantly. "Well?" she said, when Kadaj had not said anything for a while. Kadaj breathed another sigh and started, "You must know by now that I am not human." Fiona nodded. "I am....... well, I am a...... a vampire." She seemed mildly suprised. "That doesn't explain this or why you left me a few months ago." Kadaj nodded and paced back in forth. "First, about these..... well, they were going to raid a nearby village and I stopped them." She looked quizical. "They? Where are the others and how many were they?" Kadaj jerked his head in the direction he had come from. "They're not too far away from here. They were about 50 in number. None remain now." She cast a rebellious look at him. "Isn't killing all of them a little severe?" Kadaj became more frustrated. "Not for me. They were all murderers. If I would have let even one of them live, he would have carried on his killing and robbery." Fiona's rebellious feeling grew. "What's the difference between you and them? You both kill." Kadaj snapped, "Do not dare to compare me with them. They murder for their own personal gain. They are greedy. I kill, fairly, and so I can live. I don't kill innocent people. They do." Kadaj's face was inches away from Fiona's, which showed no fear or alarm. She said nothing. Kadaj went to her other question. "And as for why I left that night........... Well, some secrets should remain secrets."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Fiona frowned. "What about that Chagrin guy that was after me? No one tried to kill me after you left. What was with that?" Kadaj shuffled uneasily. "Well,....... you're safe. That's all that matters. And as long as you're away from me, you will remain safe. So, I'm sorry, but I must be leaving." Fiona stood. "Wait. What do you mean by that?" Kadaj stopped and without turning around, said, "They were after you because I was with you. I had to leave. I cannot protect you forever. Eventually, they would have killed you, one way or another. Now, before they try it again, I have to go. Good-bye." He started into a jog. Fiona watched him for a while. Finally, she ran after him. When he saw she was running after him, he stopped. She came to a halt in front of him. "Kadaj, do you really want to leave, or are you going because you have to to protect me?" Kadaj turned away from her gaze. "I will do what I must." She put a hand on his shoulder. "How about one day? Only one day. We could go wherever you want to. What do you think?" Kadaj shook his head. "I don't want to put you in any danger. Thank you, though." Fiona laughed. "Come on. It's just one day. Surely you can protect me for one day." She grew serious. "Kadaj, I don't care what kind of danger I'm in. I want to spend some time with you." Kadaj looked at her. She was being completely honest. He faintly smile. "Very well. One day, but after that, I have to leave. Where shall we go?" Fiona smiled back at him. "I have somewhere in mind. It's in Chorrol. You ready to go?" Kadaj, still smiling, said, "I am."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Kadaj and Fiona stood in front of a dying oak sapling. "We have one day with each other and you want to show me a dead tree?" Kadaj seemed amused. Fiona shook her head. "I don't know what it is about this tree, but I've always had a feeling that there's more to it than meets the eye. Haven't you ever had that feeling?"

Kadaj nodded hesitantly. "Well, I suppose." Kadaj watched Fiona. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the seemingly hopeless tree. She was peculiar, even for a human. She seemed to see things that even he, Kadaj, a vampire, didn't even see. "I think that this tree will grow into one of the tallest and strongest in Oblivia. What do you think?" Kadaj answered, looking around the city square, uneasily, "Yes, perhaps you're right." He looked back at her. "Uh, listen, Fiona, I don't think that we should stay here, much longer." Fiona tore her gaze away from the tree. "Okay, I'm ready."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

The sun was setting in the west. Kadaj and Fiona gazed at the color-streaked sky. Kadaj turned to Fiona. "Fiona, I..... I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you longer." Fiona met Kadaj's gaze. "Kadaj, you don't have to go. Please don't." Kadaj sighed. "Fiona, I'm a vampire. You know I can't stay. If I did, there would be vampire bounty hunters hunting us down every day." Fiona hugged him. Kadaj, a little shocked, returned the hug.

"If this ever ends, Kadaj, will you find me?" Fiona asked. Kadaj smiled. "I promise, Fiona. I must be leaving now. Goodbye." He started to walk away, but stopped. "Maybe..... maybe one day......." He left off and continued walking. Fiona said softly, knowing he could hear her, "Bye Kadaj." Tears ran down her face.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Kadaj felt a compulsion to run back to Fiona, but he couldn't. That would put her in danger. The one day they had spent together had put her in danger. He felt uncomfortable about leaving her by herself, but what could he do?

"Do you think I am a fool, Kadaj?"

Kadaj stopped himself from jumping in suprise. That was Chagrin's voice.

"Well?"

Kadaj ignored his question. "What are you doing here?"

Chagrin laughed. "Oh, you know. You think I wouldn't notice. Hah! Do not underestimate me, Kadaj. She will pay for your insubordination?"

Chagrin had gone too far. Kadaj pulled out his katana. "Lay one hand on her and you will not live to see the next sunrise!"

Chagrin laughed again. "You are a fool if you think you can kill me, your elder by several hundred years. Try it if you like, but your friend is probably already dead by now."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Fiona and another man were fighting two vampires back-to-back when Kadaj found her. The vampires turned to meet Kadaj when they sensed him, knowing the exhausted and badly wounded pair they had been fighting didn't have the stamina to try to attack them, even from behind them. Kadaj raised his sword, challenging them as he utterered one word, "Run." Fiona, with reluctance, ran with the man Kadaj didn't know.

The two vampires were both at least 200 years older than Kadaj. One vampire had a sword and the other had an axe. The axe vampire charged Kadaj with inhuman speed. Kadaj nimbly dodged the attack with equal speed. The sword vampire stabbed at his chest from behind him. Kadaj tried to dodge this one, but didn't make it in time and it went into his shoulder. He pulled back before the vampire could take his sword out. Kadaj yanked the sword out of his shoulder and held it in his other hand. The now swordless vampire looked shocked to not have a weapon. He was obviously angry now. Kadaj ignored him and slashed at the axe vampire with both of the swords. The axe vampire parried. Kadaj pulled his sword back and, before the other vampires could react threw the borrowed sword at the sword vampire's heart. The vampire burned as he gave an agonizing scream. That looked painful, observed Kadaj. The axe vampire took no notice and slashed vertically at Kadaj. He dodged, and now, angry, frustrated, and full of adrenaline. Kadaj jumped high into the air and came down as he decapitated the other vampire's head. The vampire's burning body fell to the ground. His head burned to ash before hitting the ground.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Kadaj found Fiona and the man by a river. The man had blacked out, and Fiona was at his side tending to him.

This time, it was to Fiona's shock that Kadaj hugged her. "Fiona, I'm so glad you're safe. Who's he?"

"He happened to be nearby when I was attacked by those vampires. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be dead by now. Can you help him, Kadaj? He's lost a lot of blood."

Kadaj saw Fiona's badly cut arms and a bloody wound in her abdomen. He breathed, "Fiona, I think you're in more danger than he is. I'll help you. Then, I'll get to him."

Fiona shook her head. "No Kadaj, I can wait. Please, hurry."

Kadaj saw the determined look in Fiona's eyes again. "Okay." He crouched next to the man. He noticed for the first time that he was a young man, about 29. He was obviously a warrior. Kadaj saw the gash on his face and his nearly split-open leg. He tore his sleeves off and quickly put a poltice together to put on his wounds. He wrapped his torn sleeves around the wounds to prevent further bleeding. He turned to Fiona, who was lying unconscious on the ground.

He gritted his teeth. His sleeves appeared once more as he waved his hand and cast a spell to repair his clothes. Again, he ripped them off as he had done before. He made another poltice and dressed Fiona similarly to the man.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

The man was the first to wake up. "Ugh, my leg is killin' me." He winced and noticed Kadaj for the first time. "Hey, you're the guy who saved us. Who are you? How did you fight those vampires off?" Kadaj gave him an emotionless look, trying to mask the fact that he was a vampire. "I'm somewhat of a nomad, I guess you could say. And vampires can be killed easily if you know how to fight them." Ha! Easy. I would have thought someone that said that to me mad. The man shrugged.

The man started to look at Fiona, still lying unconscious. "What's your name?" The man didn't turn his gaze back to Kadaj as he said, "Locrin." Kadaj nodded slowly. Locrin still hadn't looked away from Fiona. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Kadaj entertained the idea of sucking this man's body dry of blood.

When Fiona woke up, Locrin had gone to sleep.

Kadaj went over to Fiona and knelt by her side. "Fiona, how are you feeling?"

She smiled at him. "I'm alright. How's the man that I fought with?

Kadaj stiffened a little. "He's fine. He's asleep right now."

"That's good."

Kadaj broke a long silence, "Fiona, I'm so sorry about leaving you on your own. I didn't think they had seen us, but Chagrin encountered me shortly after I left and revealed they had and that he was going to kill you. That's when I turned back. I shouldn't have left....."

"You did what you thought was right Kadaj," Fiona reassured him.

"You need to get some rest."

"I'm fine. I'm not tired."

Kadaj nodded, though unconvinced. "Fiona, we really need to get you to a healer. You might have some internal trouble from that stomach wound." He paused to glance at the sleeping Locrin. "And seeing as how he can't walk....."

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Fiona tried to get up, but her stomach wound prevented her from it. "I'm not leaving him here! After he saved me, you want me to just abandon him?!" Kadaj internally winced. "Okay, we'll take him." I have no idea how, though, he thought. "Wake up, Locrin," Kadaj said almost roughly and angrily. Locrin didn't flinch. "Locrin!" His eyelids flickered open. "I'm up. What are we doing?"

"I have to get both of you to a healer. Is there any way you can walk?"

Kadaj had to admit, while he wasn't the least bit fond of Locrin, he was tough.... for a human. He got on his feet and tried to walk, but fell with his second step. His leg was too deeply wounded. "I think I can carry both of you," Kadaj said. In reality, it would be like a human carrying two small pebbles, but he didn't want to make it sound like he could easily do it, since Locrin still didn't know he was a vampire.

Locrin stared. "Uh... are you sure? A man can only carry so much weight."

Kadaj laughed inside. You're right. A human man can only carry so much, that is. "Yeah, I'm sure." Locrin was slung over Kadaj's shoulder. Then, Kadaj scooped Fiona in his arms, after getting her permission. "Okay, are both of you going to be alright?" They both said yes and Kadaj took off. He ran as fast as he dared without making Locrin think he was not human.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

((Willow's history thread reminded me I need to finish mine, so here goes...))

It was about five hours before Kadaj, Locrin, and Fiona got to the next town. It didn’t take him long then to find a healer.

He set them each on a bed. A middle-aged woman came up to them. “Hello. I trust these two are with you.” Kadaj nodded absent-mindedly. The woman went to both of them, in turn, checking over their wounds. “Ah. They will be alright.” Kadaj didn’t reply. He was still thinking.

Locrin and Fiona were already sleeping again. “Did you carry them here by yourself?” Kadaj heard faintly. He nodded again. “Are you alright?” Again he nodded. “Can you talk, boy?” It took him a while to realize she was talking to him. He had to be at least 200 years older than her and she was calling him boy. “Yes, sorry, I was just thinking.”

She smiled at him. “Ah, about her, no doubt,” she said, nodding her head toward Fiona, as she busily did her work. Kadaj jumped back to reality, slightly gaping. “I can see it in your eyes, you know. I guess it’s somewhat of a gift of mine. I can see things about people in their eyes, more so than others can see, I mean. I can also tell that you suffer much pain.” She stared curiously at him. “An old pain, much older than you are. Or, rather…. older than you look.” She went back to her work without saying another word.

Kadaj studied her for a moment. “You can see all this from looking at my eyes?” She nodded, slowly. “Yes, but, I’ve never seen anyone quite like you. You have more pain than anyone else I’ve seen before. But, how, when you’re so young? Maybe… maybe there’s more to you than meets the eye? Am I right?” Kadaj didn’t reply. “Very well. It’s none of my business, anyway.”

All of a sudden, Kadaj walked towards the door. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Please tell her that I said that she’s better off without me. Tell her not to follow me. And don’t tell her in front of him,” he added, indicating Locrin. “And as for payment,” he brought out his pouch of gold coins and pulled out three coins and placed them on a nearby table, “there you are. Thank you, and take care of her… them.”

He struggled to say “them”. More than likely, Kadaj thought, this Locrin would pursue her after they were completely healed. He might even ask her to marry him, even though they hadn’t probably even said more than five words to each other. She deserves someone that won’t get her killed. Plus, she’s a human. “Don’t give up, my boy,” said the healer. Kadaj ignored her and, with great reluctance, walked out of the healer’s house.

Once he was outside, he saw a hooded figure not too far away. He started to follow it, but it took off into a nearby alley. Kadaj followed it.

Chagrin stood in the middle of the alleyway. “I’ll make you a deal. If you agree never to go looking for her or talk to her again, I’ll let her live.” Kadaj nodded. “How do I know that you’ll keep your word? Chagrin chuckled. “You know I always keep my promises.” Kadaj nodded again. “Very well.” Without another word, he left the alleyway.

[Willow]

DUN DUN DUN DUN.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

About ten years had passed…..

Kadaj still thought about Fiona. He couldn’t get her off his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he started to think about looking for her, he told himself that he could not protect her, and that she would be killed because of him.

One day, Kadaj was scouting for his next meal. He hid in a dark alley while looking for a likely victim by a busy street. He gazed at the bustle of people, not even blinking, just waiting for someone to make a wrong move. Thievery was common around these parts.

All of a sudden, Kadaj heard what he was waiting for: “Stop that thief!” He saw a young man, probably in his twenties, running through the crowd as fast as he could. That was undoubtedly the thief. Before anyone could see what would happen, Kadaj swept through the crowd, grabbed his prey, and drug him off, one of his hands muting his screams of surprise. He was out of the city and deep into the forest in a matter of seconds. His fangs grew out and his eyes turned bright red. The man put his arms up to shield him, but to no avail. He screamed, “No! No, please! No! N…” His face turned white as a sheet, his eyes rolled up into his head, and he fell over, dead, two puncture marks in the side of his neck.

That was usually how it went for Kadaj. He looked down at his victim. There was no telling how many humans had winded up like him over the past few hundred years. But now, he felt a strange feeling. He started to look back at the rest of his life and wondered why he had lived it. What did he live for? Every day was the same. He ate, and ate, and ate. Every now and then, he would go to some place where he could fight humans to keep his swordplay sharp, but why? What was in store for his life? An appalling thought occurred to him. Was this human’s life more important than his? What would he have done in his future years if he had lived? Kadaj shuddered as he made up his mind. He would starve himself. He wouldn’t kill himself by the sword, or by fire. He wasn’t exactly sure why he refused to do those things. They would have gotten the same result, or so he thought…

[Gwydion Nefarine]

[glow=red,2,300]It had been two weeks since Kadaj Almari had drank blood... and he was thirsty.

Madly thirsty...

He had lost control... He had lost his mind...[/glow]

He was in the middle of a desert, where he had resided for the last two weeks.

He couldn't take anymore. There was no blood for miles around. He got up from his sitting position that he had not budged from the last two weeks. He considered himself very self-disciplined, but his limit had been surpassed. He wandered in the desert. He didn't know how long. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades, senturies, millenia, for he knew not. Every second was as a millenium and every millenium was as a second. The sun beat down upon his face, but he couldn't tell. Stars filled his waking dreams. He was a traveler of time and space, immune to all. Why he didn't die, he never knew.

((yes, I made an allusion to "Kashmir". its an amazing song))

[Gwydion Nefarine]

[glow=red,2,300]Blood... so much blood. [/glow]

[glow=red,2,300]All around Kadaj, lay the results of a massacre.

Men, women, and children lay dead. Blood was everywhere. Hundreds of people were dead, nearly ripped apart by a monster.

And in the middle of the bloodbath, stood Kadaj, himself covered in human blood. [/glow]

He finally regained awareness.

The last thing he remembered was sitting alone in the desert, miles away from civilization. Now he stood, the bringer of death and torture to these people. He looked around at the horrific site. Apparently, this had once been a village, seemingly peaceful judging by the absence of real weapons. He spotted pitchforks, spades, and rakes. There were no survivers.

Kadaj fell on his knees. "Noooooooooooooooo!!!!" he cried at the top of his voice. "No!" He slammed his fists on the ground. "This can't be happening! It can't!" He was a monster, an abomination. He had acted as the unrightful executioner to hundreds of people.

All at once, he saw the blood on his hands. The blood of millions. The ones he had feasted on the last three hundred years, his mother and father who he had watched his future vampiric master kill, his sister, and now these people. He had let down everyone he had ever met. He even had let down Fiona. So much blood...

He thought he saw the spirits of all of those of which he had drained blood from. Even if many of them were criminals, he had killed them. Who was he to decide if people should live or die. He did not have such authority as to hold the lives of people in his hands. He ripped at his dead flesh, but to no avail. He could not die. It was then that he finally realized that being immortal wasn't just a curse. It was eternal torture.

He had gone completely mad with a heavy conscious.

[Gwydion Nefarine]

Two arrows thudded into his back. He thought he felt a sword slashing his face. He saw an axe collide with his stomach, yet he didn't know if it was reaity or his mind playing tricks on him. Then, he felt his hand touch cold steel. He looked at it. A sword would have pierced his heart if he had not stopped. What he saw, was freedom. Despite his vow to never kill himself, he tried to pierce his own heart with the blade and realized he couldn't. It must have been his survival instincts that stayed his hand. He faintly heard a voice. "You monster! What have you done? How could any being do this? Why?" He looked up and saw a man who was probably in his late 20's or early 30's holding an axe to his neck.

He looked down the edge of the sword to te wielder of it. It was a woman, about the same age as the man. She seemed familiar to Kadaj, but he couldn't figure out where. She had tears running down her face and couldn't tear her gaze away from the slain villagers.

Kadaj struggled to speak until two words came out. "Kill... me." The two looked at him strangely. They had no idea what he had been through. All the things he had seen and done. The weight of all of it was bearing him down. He was on his knees. His clothes were in tatters and his hair was crusted with blood. He almost looked as if he had red skin because of the blood that stained his body and soul.

The man swung his axe at Kadaj's head, but Kadaj instinctively took it and snapped it in two. The woman tried to stab him through the heart again, but Kadaj grabbed it and threw it beyond reach. He heard a gasp. "What's your name?" At first, he wasn't sure if he had heard correctly, but the question was quickly followed by the man's voice, "What are you doing?!" His name... Kadaj no longer remembered it. His perception and memory had gone from him. "Kadaj... is that it?"

Kadaj really looked at his attackers for the first time. "Kadaj... Kadaj... that is my name. Who are you?" Fiona looked at him in horror. "You know who I am, Kadaj. I'm Fiona. And this is Locrin."

Memories came flooding back. Fiona. Locrin. Yes, now he remembered. His madness ended. He realized he had been feeling sorry for himself. He'd lost control. "Fiona, Locrin, I have no reasonable explanation for what I've done here. Despite what evil I have commited, I wish you to do me a favor." Locrin looked at him with a dumbfounded look, and Fiona looked curious. Locrin broke a long silence. "You're a fool. This is beyond evil. This... there is no description for what you've done here." Kadaj nodded. "I know. That is why the favor I ask of you is to kill me."

"I don't care how. Just kill me, as soon as possible, before I can hurt anybody else." Fiona said nothing. She was torn between the sight that Kadaj was definitely responsible and the Kadaj that she knew, who would never have done something like this. Locrin shook his head. "You're insane. What do you think we just tried to do, anyway? If it were in my power, I'd kill you where you stand, but I can't if you try to defend yourself." Kadaj walked started to walk away from them without another word. Maybe he hadn't lost his madness after all. "Kadaj..." Fiona muttered under her breath.