Revealing the Elders

He began reciting the story that his own maker Gabriel had told to him when he asked the same questions.  It was around 384 B.C., he began and ignored how her eyes widened at the date he mentioned.   A group of men began their study of dark magic seeking a way to find immortality and all the power that would be encompassed with such a feat.  Years had passed and the rituals had been getting darker with every meeting but they were having very little success in completing their goals.

Even though they had yet to meet their goal of eternal life they were gaining strength from each ritual that they performed.  The power was so compelling that once you began casting spells it became almost an impossibility to not crave the effects.  On this particular night they had decided to call in the horned god, something they had all decided against in the previous years because of the obvious dangers involved.  All but one of the groups’ members, Nathaniel, had agreed it was time to move forward.  As the group made their decision Nathaniel had no choice but to join in with the group choice.  This was not the type of club that you would be allowed to leave willingly.  The things they were practicing would be a death sentence had they ever been discovered by their peers.

Nathaniel had stood with his six brothers and Eduardo, the leader of the group, brought forth a ceremonial sword.  The handle of the sword was pure gold and shaped in an Ankh symbol to symbolize eternal life.  Each of the brothers placed a small cut across their forearms drawing blood.  Gabriel moved from brother to brother collecting their offerings in a bronze chalice.  Nathaniel committed his own offering with mixed emotions.  Gabriel nodded his approval before returning to Eduardo.

Although they had all began this journey together, Eduardo had always been the most vocal of the group.  He spent all of his free time consulting with spiritual leaders attempting to discern the knowledge that each of them possessed.  Tonight he would lead their ritual and all of the brothers readily handed over this honor willingly. Eduardo walked forward to the alter holding the blood-filled chalice and the floor beneath them began to tremble.

Eduardo swirled the ruby red offering and began reciting his litany.  The candle flames surrounding the altar flared high and the colors became multi-faceted.  Eduardo's feet rose off the ground several inched and a charcoal mist surrounded him as the other brothers stared on in awe.  The gods seemed to be pleased with their offering, Nathaniel thought in relief.  He could feel the energy radiating from Eduardo and suddenly it moved through his entire body as well.

Time seemed to stand still as they were all wrapped in the dark mist until there was nothing before their eyes, almost as if they were struck blind.  Agony greater than they had ever known filtered through their bodies and each had begged for death to stop the torment they suffered through. As the mist slowly cleared they were no longer in the room they had begun in and instead they stood on a landscape unfamiliar.  As Nathaniel glanced around he noted that they stood on top of a mountain that was so high in elevation that the clouds enveloped them and he could not see the ground below.  The seven moons before them were so huge it felt to Nathaniel that it was close enough to be touched by his own hand.  Streaks of lighting etched across the black sky before a voice echoed all around them.

“I grant thee your desire for power and immortality but know for all gifts a sacrifice must be made,” they all trembled at the strength of the voice and fell to their knees to pay homage.  Nathaniel felt the thoughts of his brothers and it shook him to his core.  What evil have we brought upon our heads he questioned himself.
“The light of the sun shall never again touch your face and you will sustain yourself with the blood of those you were evolved from,” the voice seemed to mock their foolishness as it spoke.  “Grant me a sacrifice of one of your brethren to prove your worth and loyalty,” the voice demanded so loudly that the base of the mountain seemed to shake. “Choose the weakest for you will need the strongest to bring others to serve your needs until you have spawned more children to fight against the righteous that will seek your destruction.”

As his brothers turned to him one by one, Nathaniel read their minds and knew his time upon this place had ended.  Lowering his head he waited for the end, knowing his own foolishness had brought him to this demise.

“Drink from him my children and be reborn into night,” the voice was deafening.
Eduardo felt pain as his incisors elongated and with instinct alone he moved toward Nathaniel embracing him as he would a lover.  Exposing his neck by gripping his hair and pulling back roughly, Eduardo growled deeply and his fangs pierced Nathaniel’s flesh.  He drank deeply until he felt completely full.

After those sips Eduardo fell to the ground in agony and his body was regenerated into a new life form.  The four other brothers smelling the enticing scent of Nathaniel's blood quickly followed their leader’s steps until their former brother lay cold and lifeless on the mountain top.  The surge of power and lust they were filled with could not be contained and they violated their dead brother’s body.