Vampire Legend R
Part 2
By: Luche LenLen

     Renaku heard shouts coming from a nearby village.  Thinking
that the villagers were shouting at him, he tried to pay it no
heed.  That is, until a humanoid creature bolted across his path. 
Renaku was willing to let it go, but his thirst needed to be
quenched.  Traveling to the Rylor Mountains, Renaku hadn't run
into too many vile creatures recently.  His blood-hunger was
quite strong now, so he gave chase.  It wasn't long before the
creature noticed he was being pursued.  It started darting
between the trees and Renaku was having quite a time keeping up. 
Renaku took flight.  His bat form gave him better mobility and it
wasn't long before he flew right past the creature.
     The creature slid to a halt as it saw a man standing in its
path.  Renaku looked the creature over, sizing it up.  It stood
about six feet tall with reptilian blue skin and a long tail.  It
had sharp fangs, along with two small horns protruding from the
back of its skull.  Renaku smiled as he recognized his opponent. 
It was the brother of his old friend Aiger Nova. Renaku laughed
to himself.  It was kind of funny that he was only thinking of
that event a few weeks ago, and here he is staring his past right
in its slitted eyes.
     "How interesting," Renaku spoke as he put his hand to his
hilt, "I was just thinking about you and your late family,
monster."
     "Vampire," the creature shouted, "I'm going to rip your
heart out for what you did!"
     "I think not," Renaku says, "I made the mistake of letting
you go once, I won't repeat such a mistake again."
     Renaku drew his weapon and swung his shining white blade at
the creature.  The monster was prepared for this and swung his
tail at the sword hand.  Renaku's eyes widened as he watched his
demonslayer blade fling away from him.  The creature wasted no
time and swiped at Renaku with his clawed hand.  Renaku winced as
he blocked the claws with his forearm.  It wasn't too painful as
the claws pierced through his skin and into his bone, but it had
been a while since he had been in a battle like this.  The
creature swung with his other hand, but Renaku was ready this
time.  Renaku caught the hand by the wrist and wasted no time
initiating his final attack.  The creature's blood tasted quite
peculiar compared to his many other victims.  Albeit he hasn't
quenched his thirst this way in a long time, it was still an
unusual taste.  The creature's blood was also quite cold, which
is understandable being as it was the son of a frost dragon.
     The creature's body slumped to the ground, completely
relieved of any and all bodily fluids.  Renaku retrieved his
sword as he wiped some drops of chilled blue blood off his face. 
Renaku sheathed his sword, and continued on his way. 
Renaku laughs at himself.  He actually thought that that battle
might have been challenging for a moment.  Renaku looked down at
his pendant.
     "I can't remember the last time a foe was ever a match for
me.  A foe that I actually feared."

The Tale of the Wolf Cub

     It's been 12 years since Renaku's death and even though he
now had a new goal in life, he was still having trouble
adjusting.  People shied away from him, called him names, and
even threw things at him.  Renaku tried to think about the good
times when people rejoiced at the sound of his name, but it only
saddened him more.  He wasn't the man he used to be.  Hell, he
wasn't even a man anymore.  He was a thing.  A monster.  That was
the only word for it.  A man doesn't attack innocent people for
no reason but self-gratification.  A man doesn't have to hide
behind shutters in fear of the light of the sun.  No, these
things are not done by men, only monsters.
     Renaku's thoughts are broken as he hears a scream coming
from behind a nearby tavern.  Renaku turns the corner to see some
sort of beast standing over a body.  Blood dripped from the
beast's mouth and claws as it turned to face Renaku.  It let out
a deep bark as it stood there looking Renaku over.  It was a
peculiar beast.  It looked like a wolf, but it was shaped like a
man.  It was fairly built but rather short, only about 5'6". 
Renaku guessed it to be a werewolf.  He had never seen one.  He
had heard stories many years back, but dismissed them as
fanciful.  Perhaps they were not so fanciful now.  Renaku knew
that the beast would not stand there staring forever.  It was
time Renaku made his move.
     As Renaku reached for the hilt of his sword, the monster
leapt at him.  Renaku quickly freed his blade in time to slash
the beast across the chest.  The wolf landed and clutched its
wound.  The demonslayer blade felt cold as it soaked up the
beast's blood.  Renaku knew the blade usually became warm to the
touch when it came in contact with evil.  Could it be that this
creature was not as vile as Renaku would like to believe?  Renaku
looked to the beast.  It was huddled up with its wound in its
hand whimpering.
     Dawn was coming soon, but Renaku had to learn more about
this beast.  He couldn't let it get away while he rested.  Renaku
scooped up the beast and, with it over his shoulder, he rushed to
the nearest inn.  He opened the outside window of a vacant room
and pushed the beast through it.  Once inside himself, Renaku
closed and latched all the windows and rested the beast on the
bed.  Renaku locked the door and began to examine the beast.  It
was breathing heavily and and bleeding from the wound across its
chest.  Renaku ripped up the sheets and began to tend to the
monster's wound.  Renaku felt slightly faint, so he knew that Sol
was coming up over the horizon by now.  Renaku finished bandaging
the beast and sat down in a chair in the corner.  Renaku usually
tried to rest before dawn was too close because he hated the
dazed feeling he got once the sun began to rise.  It only lasts
for about five minutes, but it seems like forever.
     Renaku tried to sleep but was awoken by the most unusual
sight.  The beast was slowly changing.  Renaku watched in awe as
the beast became a man.  No not a man, a boy.  The boy looked
around the age of 15 and was built fairly well for his age. 
Renaku noticed that the boy had some sort of necklace on with a
very ornate pendant.  The boy was sleeping, and judging what the
boy had been through, he probably would be for a while.  Renaku
decided that he should do the same.
     "Where am I," called the boy, waking Renaku from his
slumber, "what's going on?"
     "Relax, boy," Renaku said as he came to the boy's side,
"you've had a rough night and you probably need to sleep."
     "NO," the boy shouted as he leapt out of bed, "you don't
understand!  If I go to sleep, there's no telling what might
happen!"
     "Ah, so you know about your special ability," Renaku said,
"I would have thought you'd be unaware."
     "There's nothing special about it," the boy shouted, "You
don't know what it's like to be enslaved in your own body!"
     "Perhaps I do," Renaku remarked.
     "How can that be," the boy asked dryly.
     "I am a vampire," Renaku said quietly, "but not by choice. 
And because of this, I suffer.  I am as much a slave to the moon
as you are."
     "So, vampire," the boy said, "by what name are you known?"
     "Renaku is my name," he answered, "and how about yourself?"
     "Gavin," the boy replied, "Gavin Gainsbrooke."
     Renaku and Gavin talked for a while.  Renaku spoke of his
days before death and his defeat by the vampire while Gavin told
of his days.  Gavin was born a werewolf.  It was passed on to him
by his mother who had the ability herself.  Gavin spoke of how he
became a slave to the power of the wolf on the three nights of
the full moon.  Renaku listened in amazement to Gavin's tale.  It
seemed unbelievable, but he knew that no such story could be
untrue.  Renaku pointed out the pendant to Gavin.  He explained
to Renaku that it was something that had been passed on in his
bloodline to whomever gained the powers of the wolf, but that it
seemed to possess no other worth.  Gavin explained that it was
his only reminder of where he came from.  Renaku asked where
Gavin's family was and Gavin reluctantly told him that he had
slaughtered his family on the eve of the full moon some two years
ago.  Ever since then, Gavin had been running ever since, never
having a place to stay for too long.  The full moon always
destroyed whatever allies he tried to make.
     Renaku felt a wave of relaxation wash over him and he knew
that the moon would be rising shortly.  The boy would change soon
and Renaku knew he would have to do his best to keep him from
hurting anyone until the morning came once again.  The boy began
to cough violently until it was no longer coughing, but rather
barking.  The boy's muscles began to grow and harden.  A thick
coat of brown hair began to appear all over Gavin's body.  He
fell to the floor writhing in pain as his body changed against
his will.  A tail sprouted from the small of his back and his
face began to distort until it resembled the head of a wolf once
more.  Renaku braced himself as the beast rose up from the floor
and gave a long low howl.
     By this time, the innkeeper was banging on the door trying
to find out who had snuck into his room.  Renaku shouted for the
man to leave, but the man kept pounding.  The beast barked at the
door and began to bash it apart.  Renaku did his best to try to
get the beast's attention, but it was not working.  The beast
wanted blood.  It wasn't long before the door was reduced to
splinters and the beast was on top of the man.  Renaku grabbed
the beast by the back of the neck and threw him off the man, but
not before the beast could take part of the man's throat with
him.  By now other people had started running down the hall
screaming.  The beast slashed Renaku's arm and gave chase to a
young lady who was trying to escape.  The beast pounced on the
lady, knocking her to the floor.  He sunk his teeth deep into her
back and made short work of her spine.  Renaku could not draw its
attention away from the people in this form, but knew exactly
what he had to do.  Renaku shifted into his wolf form and began
barking down the corridor at the beast.  It turned to face this
new wolf and growled at it.  Renaku barked some more and ran down
the hall hoping that the beast would follow.  It did.  Renaku
could feel the beast stampeding down the hall behind him and
hoped that he could somehow outrun it.  Renaku quickly turned a
corner and darted out of the inn.  The beast crashed into the
wall, or rather through it, and resumed his pursuit of the wolf. 

Renaku knew that he couldn't keep this up all night.  He could
only run so fast, and with his left arm slashed, he couldn't run
for long.  He had to think of something.  They reached the
outskirts of town and entered the forest.  The beast was almost
on top of Renaku by now.  Renaku knew he had to get out of
there...and fast!  He assumed bat form and fly up into the air. 
The beast jumped up and snapped at the bat, but Renaku was lucky
this time.  He flew to a nearby tree and hung from a small branch
near its top.  The beast was angry now and started climbing up to
get him.  Renaku inched his way out to the very end of the branch
and hoped that his plan would work.  The beast made his way up
the tree and was now at the branch where Renaku rested.  The
beast started to climb out, just as Renaku had hoped.  It wasn't
long before the branch snapped from the stress of the beast's
weight.  Renaku quickly took flight as the beast fell for what
seemed like minutes until it eventually crashed on it's head on
the forest floor.  The beast did not stir.
Renaku glided down to the ground and became human once more.  The
beast was in bad shape indeed.  Its neck was twisted and its
skull was bleeding profusely.  Renaku prayed that his plan would
work.  A few minutes went by and Renaku was starting to lose
hope.  Had he just killed this poor boy?  No, wait!  The beast
began to move.  The sound of bone scraping on bone soon ensued as
the beast's neck and skull started to reform.  It was fabled that
werewolves could not be killed by conventional means, and it
seemed to have held true.  Renaku was relieved.  It wasn't long
before the beast was fully restored.  Fortunately, it was still
unconscious.  Renaku hefted the beast over his shoulder and
returned to the inn.  Anyone that might have been wandering about
was long gone by now.  Renaku went into another room at the inn
and locked the door.  He placed the beast on the bed and closed
and latched the windows.  Dawn was still about an hour away, but
hopefully the beast would sleep until then.  Renaku slumped into
a chair and rested.
Renaku was awoken by Gavin's shouts.  Gavin had returned to his
normal self and Renaku could feel that it was somewhere around
noontime.  Renaku rushed to Gavin's side and calmed him down
somewhat.  Gavin seemed quite upset.
"What's wrong, Gavin," Renaku asked, "are you alright?"
"The bloodshed," Gavin screamed, "the bloodshed!"
"Calm yourself, boy," Renaku said sternly, "it's alright now."
"No it isn't, Renaku," Gavin said with a quavering in his voice,
"it may be alright now, but what happens tomorrow night, huh? 
And what happened next month?  And the month after that?  And the
month after that?!?"
"Don't worry yourself with such things," Renaku says calmly.
"Shut up," the boy shouted, "you may be able to live with this,
but I can't!  My life is not my own!  I am cursed with the power
of the wolf!  I can do nothing but bring chaos and destruction
wherever I go!"
"Nonsense," Renaku shouts, "you can get through this!  You can
stand up to the power and use it to your advantage!"
"I'm not like you, Renaku," the boy cries, "I was not as lucky as
you!  You have led an honorable life and, in turn, your soul was
saved from the darkness!  But for me, this is all I am!  I am
this thing, this monster!  This is my heritage!  I am destined to
destroy all those I come in contact with!"
"What can I do to help you Gavin," Renaku asks, "what can we do?"
"You can change my destiny, Renaku," Gavin says, "you have the
ability to stop this evil from spreading any further.  All this
carnage can end with me."
"What do you speak of Gavin," Renaku asks, "what are you trying
to say?"
"When I change into the wolf tonight," Gavin says gruffly, "it
will be the last time.  Renaku, when I become the beast tonight,
YOU MUST KILL ME!"
"FOOL BOY," Renaku shouts shocked, "this is the lunatic's talk!"
"Yes, Renaku," Gavin says quietly, "it is the lunatic's talk.  I
am a lunatic in the strongest sense.  I am plagued with insanity
because of the moon's mystical power over me and my kind.  It is
your duty to destroy evil in all its forms and to help the
innocent who call for you aid.  I am the evil and the innocent in
one, and I request your services, knight!  Please, you MUST
destroy the evil that festers inside of my soul!"
"Yes, Master Gainsbrooke," Renaku says reluctantly, "I will aid
you with my services to the best of my ability.  On this I
swear."
Renaku hadn't said such a line in what seemed like ages.  It was
the line he used when a lord or king requested his assistance in
some harrowing task.  Once these words were spoke, Renaku did
everything he could to fulfill his promise.  Now it was final. 
No matter what a lord requested, no matter how farfetched it
sounded, Renaku would complete the task if these words were said. 
And now these words had passed from his lips once more, to the
most difficult request he had ever been asked in all his years as
a knight.  And it would be done.  No matter how much it ailed
him, it would be done.
Renaku and Gavin did not speak the rest of the afternoon. 
Neither could bring themselves to say a single word.  Each of
them overcome by their thoughts of what the night would bring. 
And then the night came.  Gavin began his metamorphosis into the
beast once more and Renaku could barely bring himself to watch. 
Renaku's heart felt heavy and he knew exactly why.  The beast
sprung up from the floor and swiped at Renaku.  Renaku dodged,
but was caught in the side.  The claws scraped against his ribs
and Renaku kicked the beast to the floor.  Why hadn't he
attacked?  This was his enemy and yet he could not see it as such
anymore.  The last two nights he was able to separate beast from
boy, but not tonight.  He knew what he had to do, but couldn't
bring himself to do it.  The beast rose up again and slashed at
Renaku again.  This time Renaku dodged completely and made his
way out the room and into the hall.  The beast pursued and
pounced on top of Renaku from behind.  Renaku did not fall, but
the beast was doing his best to bring him down.  It clawed up his
back with its hind claws and sunk its teeth into his shoulder. 
Renaku screamed and unsheathed his sword.  He swung the butt of
his hilt into the beast's head and the beast let go of Renaku. 
The beast howled as Renaku turned to face it.  Renaku was in bad
shape and any injury the beast had was probably long gone by now. 
Would Renaku let himself lose?  NO!  He couldn't!  He gave the
boy his word and swore that he would complete the task at hand! 
The boy wanted a cure, just as Renaku did, for the curse that he
had upon him.  It was not murder.  Was it?  No, it's the means to
an end.  This is the cure that the boy wanted.  He wanted to be
freed from his imprisonment and the demonslayer blade was the
key.  Renaku had to free the boy, and the time was now.
     The beast leapt at Renaku, but Renaku ducked.  The beast
crashed to the ground behind Renaku, but the beast was up again
shortly.  Renaku ran down the corridor and out of the inn.  The
beast was chasing Renaku frantically, yearning to taste his flesh
again.  Renaku ran into the center of the town and turned to face
the approaching beast.  It was charging down the street, teeth
shining and eyes glaring.  It was the face of the lunatic, the
true lunatic.  Renaku realized that any part of Gavin was gone by
now and totally replaced by the beast.  Renaku raised his blade
as the beast came nearer.  The beast slashed, and Renaku reacted. 
Renaku watched as the beast's hand was separated from its wrist. 
The monster howled.  The demonslayer blade soaked up the blood,
but it was not cold this time, it was very warm.  Renaku knew
that it was time to end this battle.  The beast jumped high into
the air and started to descend onto Renaku, fangs and claws
poised and ready to kill.  Renaku held his sword up, asked for
his god's forgiveness, and closed his eyes.  The beast let out a
wail of anguish that echoed in the streets for what seemed like a
lifetime.  Blood trickled down the blade as it poured out of the
beast's gut.  The blade protruded out the back of its spine and
the sword hummed as it drained the beast's life force into it and
Renaku.  Renaku could feel his wounds being repaired by his
newfound power as the beast slid off the blade and landed on the
ground with a dull thud.  The beast was dead, but so was the boy.
     Renaku watched as the beast became the boy.  Renaku kneeled
down by the boy and lifted him up slightly.
     "Your request has been fulfilled, my lord," Renaku said to
the boy.
     "Thank you...knight," the boy choked, "what...is your fee?"
     "I ask for nothing, lord," Renaku said, repeating his speech
of old, "your satisfaction is payment enough."
     "Non...sense," the boy says faintly as he pulls his necklace
off, "I must...give you some...thing."
     "No, m'lord," Renaku said as his heart sank even deeper, "I
cannot..."
     "Take it," the boy gasps as he places the necklace in
Renaku's hand, "it is you...that possesses the...power of...the
wolf."
     The boy goes limp in Renaku's arms as he breathes his last
breath.  Renaku clutches the boy to his chest and slowly lifts
the boy over his shoulder as he rises and walks into the forest. 
It only takes Renaku a few minutes to dig a grave and lay the boy
to eternal rest.  The places a cross of sticks at the head of the
grave and says a prayer to help the boy on his journey into the
afterlife.  Renaku breathes heavily as he walks further into the
wilderness, the boy's grave no longer visible in the distance. 
Renaku looks in his hand at the pendant and squeezes it tight in
his hand as he raises it to his face.  And as the moon shines in
the midnight sky, Renaku weeps.


(Vampire Legend R, Renaku, Aiger Nova and the Tale of the
Dragon-prince are copyright 1998 Ben Overmyer.  Gavin
Gainsbrooke, and the Tale of the Wolf Cub are copyright 1998
James B. Panto)