Immortality At Last
Chapter 3
It's odd to watch people be in mourning, don't get me wrong I've lost people that are close to me but I've never really cared and I've really never had any friends so I can't say I have actually seen people in mourning. After coming home from my walk I made sure to put on a sad facade and begin to go into 'mourning' with my family slowly preparing myself for my inevitable second death.
I watched as everyone grieved for my youngest brother and eventually once we finished our blood-laced dinner I requested to not be disterbered in my room. As Mikael slowly walks into my room his sword at his side already soaked in blood I meet his steady, determined gaze.
"Don't be afraid boy, this is going to be quick then you'll never have to feel this pain again."
Mikael's voice is cold and sends a small chill down my spine but before he's able to reach me he freezes as I let out a small giggle.
"It is ok father, I overheard you and mother speaking and I am ready, I am ready to gain true power. Now tell me father. Why, so serious? This is a joyous moment!" Unable to contain my excitement I stand and clasp my father's shoulders sporting a wide grin. Surprisingly Mikael clenches my shoulder back showing me an extremely rare sign of fatherly approval while looking solemnly into my eyes.
"This is a joyous moment Eric. I only wish that all of our family was here to celebrate it, now stand still this will be quick." Before I'm able to react I feel a sharp pain in my chest and return to the all too familiar black abyss.
Opening my eyes with a gasp I immediately feel a difference in my body, it's as if I had been injured and now I'm fully recovered. My senses are heightened, my eyesight, my hearing, my touch, my taste, even my sense of smell all feel as if they've been tripled or even quadrupled which is why I got so surprised by the succulent smell of copper that flooded my nose.
Taking a minute to gather my surroundings I stare up at Mikael who's standing directly over me holding a village girl who has a long cut going up her arm dripping blood. "Drink." Mikael commanded, the tone of his voice holding absolutely no room for debate and frankly I didn't want to, this was it, this is what I've been preparing for for the last 18 years. As I slowly lean in the coppery smell of the blood begins to sting my nostrils as I feel an itch in my gums that turns into a sharp pain that quickly disappears.
Wasting no time I sink my fangs into the girl's succulent flesh and begin to lap up her blood, at first I was expecting the blood to taste as it smelled but I was dead wrong, the blood tasted like every single fruit combined, the sweetness was mouthwatering sending you on a euphoric high leaving you wanting even more after the first sip and that's exactly what I did. I drained the girl of every last drop of her blood leaving her an empty husk of her former self.
"Damn it…" I whisper to myself while staring down at the girl. I was supposed to control myself, but the taste was just too good I couldn't stop, but there's nothing I can do about it now I'll just have to make sure I practice control on the next one. Walking out of the room leaving the body there for now, grabbing my hunting knife and sword I look at at the starry night sky. That's one thing that I've always liked about this place, there's no pollution and no lights to cover the true beauty of the stars. As I go to jump out the window to leave my family behind I freeze and realize one of the most important things that I'm missing, my ring, I still don't have my daylight ring, but that's ok I've already waited 18 years for immortality what's another two weeks to a eternity of fun.
Setting down my gear I go out to the main living area and see the rest of my now immortal family all sporting similar bloody faces. My mother brought in a basin for us to clean ourselves with and when it was eventually my turn to clean I stare at the bloody reflection my platinum blond hair similar to my sisters is stained with blood while the rest of my handsome face is bloodied with the blood of the girl. Focusing all my attention on my eyes I watch as the black veins pulse and my already amber eyes become a glowing red while the whites of my eyes darken and two fangs pop out of my gums. Smiling at my new appearance I quickly clean the blood off my face and reunite with my family.
As soon as morning came my family found out about the drawback of our newfound powers and our house became much more crowded but instead of sitting around wasting my time I began to test my newfound agility. Picking up my hunting knife I begin to shadow spar weaving my knife through the air following the patterns that Mikael had taught me. Beginning to speed up I watch as my whole arm and knife slowly begin to blur out of existence going faster and faster every pattern.
"What are you doing!" Feeling a wave of surprise wash over as a hand grabs my shoulder interrupting my training I act upon instinct and whip around grabbing the offenders hand super speeding towards the nearest wall crashing into it pointing the knife at their throat only now looking at their face.
"Rebekah!" I shout while lowering my knife and releasing my grip from her hand. "Why would you sneak up on me like that?!"
As the shock slowly dissipates from Rebekah's face she stares at me with a look of determination. "Teach me." She says bluntly while pointing at my knife. "I want to learn how to use a balde."
"You want me to teach you how to wield a blade." I ask with my words laced with scepticism.
"I don't think I stuttered Eric." She says as her voice begins to rise.
Audibly laughing I wipe a non-existent tear off my face before focusing my attention back on Rebekah. "No, no you didn't I'm just curious as to why you are asking me and not going to Klaus or Elijah or even Kol."
"We both know that they would never teach me. They are all too afraid of father and what hell do if he finds out that they've been teaching me to even consider teaching me and the small amount that Klaus has taught me he always tells Mikael afterwards which is why I'm asking you."
"Yes, I know why they won't teach you. I'm just curious as to why you're asking me, what makes you think that I will be willing to teach you and won't just go straight to father and tell him about your plans?" I ask, genuinely curious as to why Rebekah would come to me, by no means are Rebekah and I on good terms but at the same time we aren't at terrible terms so why would she ask me to help her.
"Because if you don't I will tell father that you attacked me." The confident smile on her face sends a smile to my face as I stare at my little sister who just openly blackmailed me with no hesitation.
"A good reason, well since we'll be trapped here for the foreseeable future I don't see why not, but we'll be doing it when everyone is asleep, getting caught by father isn't at the top of my to do list after all."
"Now that wasn't that hard was it brother, I expect them to be good lessons." Rebekah says while walking out of the room.
"I will not forget this slight Becca!" I call out while she walks away.
The next two weeks went by relatively fast, mostly consisting of me training Becca while the sun was up and the rest of my family was asleep then going out at night when the sun was down to socialize with the neighbors and eating the United suspecting ones. Unfortunately for us our neighbors began to catch on realizing that they can keep us out of their homes if they didn't invite us and that we weren't able to be active during the day making it significantly harder for us to find things to eat. I've tried to monitor my blood drinking and learn control but it's easier said than done, either way I'm beginning to make progress which is all that matters to me.
Looking down at my hand I stare at my ring finger that has an iron ring with enchanted lapis lazuli on it, my daylight ring. My mother had finished them last night proclaiming that we shall all go out in the daylight tomorrow as a family to rejoin our neighbors, but I will not be joining them. My family has their own story that they will follow and I refuse to join them and be a follower to their story and besides if I were to go with Klaus the risk of being daggered is too high so I will leave them and make my own story doing everything that I've ever wanted. Speeding away from the house I look back at it one last time thinking about each of my siblings, the boring Finn, the morally bound Elijah, the pitiful Klaus who seemed to be destined to be hated by our father since birth, the black sheep and my favorite sibling Kol, and the foolish girl who loved too easily Rebekah, we will run into each other again soon we have eternity after all.
Before I leave the village I take a stop at how this all came to be, the great White Oak tree. Staring up at the mighty tree I walk up to one of the branches and break off a piece putting it in my bag next to a perfectly copied page of mother's daylight ring spell preparing myself for the future if any of my siblings were to step out of line. Speeding away from the tree I take my final stop before my inevitable departure from the village. Looking at the rising sun I know that my time is almost up and my family should notice my disappearance shortly so I quickly approach the house and begin to do my good deed of the century.
Banging on the fragile wooden door I listen closely hearing the sound of two sets of feet quickly approaching the door one lighter than the other. As the door cracks open slightly I stare at a single brown eye that quickly disappears from my view as the door quickly gets slammed shut only to be stopped by my sword being slammed into the gap.
"Tatia! Tatia please let me in. It's rude to leave your guests waiting outside." I call out cheerfully.
"No! I won't let you into my home monster!" Laughing cheerfully I jam the sword into my door to make sure that it doesn't shut.
"Tatia if you don't let me in I will burn this house down with you and your daughter inside now open the door all I want to do is talk!" All the sound coming from the inside stop and I hear a hushed whisper and the light footsteps quickly move away from the door.
"Fine, move the sword away." She says solemnly. Moving the sword out of the door the door creaks open exposing the exquisite beauty Tatia. "What is it that you want monster?" She asks in a harsh whisper showing that Petrova fire.
"Well I've come to save you Tatia, you see if I don't intervene you will be killed by Elijah and frankly I am unsure if you will be of use to me in the future so we're doing the smart choice and bringing you with me." I say in a matter of fact tone giving Tatia a small wave to come out.
"Wha-what, I won't come with you, I will not leave my daughter Eric!" Tatia shouts while staying behind the barrier of her home.
"Oh, I think there's been a mistake, you're assuming that you have a choice, you see I've compelled all the villagers in the town and if they were to see you when the sun rises then they are going to hunt down your daughter and they will kill her and I told them to make sure that it is stretched out." My voice has lost all form of playfulness that it had before as my patience begins to thin.
"Co-compulsion, I don't understand?"
"Ah yes my apologies compulsion is a form of manipulation, now then either you come with me willingly and your daughter lives or you refuse, your daughter dies and you come with me unwillingly." I didn't actually compel any of the other villagers but it is a strong enough motivation, besides compelling a few villages is easy.
"Can I say goodbye?" She asks while glancing into the house. Nodding my head Tatia rushes into the house to say her goodbyes to her daughter.
When Tatia finally excites the house I give her a bright smile lifting her off her feet speeding away from the village ready to begin my adventure.