Vampire Reincarnation

This damned forest… It's been a year since I’ve started exploring it. My men seem tired, and the livestock is getting used up. We must return soon, yet the Tree of Life is nowhere to be seen…

“Damned old man.” Kai cursed as he walked out of whatever building he was trapped in. He took a quick look around, clicked his tongue, then stepped forward as he rolled his eyes. The part of the town he was in, if it could even be called that, seemed to be located near the outskirts. Looking back, the mansion he was confined in - Big, modern-ish, and almost brand-new, stood out like a sore thumb amongst the myriad of derelict houses and abandoned shops. “This guy must make good money to use this remote location for… whatever he is doing.”

He shrugged and kept advancing, figuring that, at some point, he would make it back to the main city. Although, to say he wasn’t surprised by the secret side of this town was an understatement. The buildings, old and in ruins, didn't resemble the beautiful architecture found when you first entered it. The houses were shorter, but wider, with large windows and even some with open roofs. A weird smell permeated the air - a mix of rusted iron and rotten bodies, mangled together with the scent of melting candles. Such a weird place is located in this town… What’s with all these weird buildings? Whatever…

Not paying them any further notice, he hurried home, his heart racing as he thought about Onyx and whatever he may do without him. That big baby… We’ve never been separated this long before! His rushing footsteps echoed in the slumbering night, bouncing against the broken-down walls and scattering in the wind. Kai’s breathing was ragged and heavy, and in his rush, he didn’t notice the shadowy figure following him from a distance. Slowly but surely, the city’s lights revealed themselves before him. The lampposts and windows glowed with a warm yellowish-orange hue, and the moon and stars added to the peaceful ambiance… if it weren’t for a boy running through the crowd like a madman.

The cacophony of yelling mixed with laughter, chattering, heated discussions, and footsteps inundated his ears. However, he couldn’t care less as he rushed back to Karfi’s bar. The quiet street welcomed him once again, as not a single soul was present to witness his disheveled appearance. His messy black hair flowed in the wind, and his heavy breathing barely escaped the constraints of the mask. Gasping, he quickly entered the bar, slamming the door open and taking a quick look around.

Karfi, Tausi, and Natasha’s expressions each changed to a different state of shock as they watched him rush past them and into the house, before hearing the quick sound of a door opening and closing. Kai’s light footsteps echoed in their ears while looking at his disappearing figure.

Damn it, he isn’t with them! Alarmed, he dashed toward the only other place Onyx could be at. Bharm’s place wasn’t far from the bar, but it wasn’t close either. The wind rushed past Kai’s ears as he hurried, having already learned the route after how many times he’d used it. He knew every crevice, shortcut, trash can, and hole. Five minutes later, he tapped the wall with the Dark Crystal. Phasing inside, he caught his breath and out a sigh of relief upon seeing Onyx sleep on Barhm’s couch.

The Obborik’s ears twitched and his eyes opened lazily before widening upon seeing Kai standing in the entrance. Onyx jumped up immediately, his large tail winding up a storm as he rushed to Kai’s side. Jumping, he threw the boy to the floor and lifted his mask before sniffing his face. A warm, stinky tongue ran across Kai’s face, making him frown, however a smile still formed on his face. It quickly faded, however. He realized that Bharm didn’t know his true nature, and quickly pushed Onyx away as he placed his mask back down. And just in time, because the young boy barged into the room the very next second.

“What’s all this fucking ruckus?” He cursed, taking off a pair of thin gloves and throwing them in the trash. “Scared the shit out of me…” He paused and took a closer look at Kai, who tried to hide his nails and other wounds. “Never mind that what happened to you?” His slightly concerned, yet even more curious voice brought a hint of warmth to Kai’s chest. However, it quickly faded, as the boy’s next sentence brought him back to reality. “You look like a beaten horse dying on the side of the road.”

Kai didn’t say anything, and just let out a silent sigh of relief. He stood up and coughed. “It’s been… an eventful night, to say the least.”

Bharm frowned, however, he only shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the room where Darky was being held captive. Kai didn’t follow. He took off his coat and whatever else he had on him and sat on the couch, rubbing his temples. That damned bastard… Raymond. Fuck, I can’t even be mad. I’m not exactly sure what happened in the past, maybe… I should ask someone. He glanced toward Bharm, however, he quickly shrugged off that thought. No, he isn’t from here, and if even our history books don’t have any info, how could humans have anything of value?

He chuckled lightly, humans, huh? Yawning, he lay on the couch and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

…

Kai’s eyes opened slowly the next evening, and, stretching as he got up, he looked around. Onyx was, of course, sleeping close by, however Bharm seemed to have disappeared like a ghost. He stood up and walked into the ‘laboratory’, as one would call it. Darky was there, still locked in a cage, and the boy’s desk, full of neatly arranged papers, stood to the side. Kai’s bureau was messy, however a large stack of papers stood on a fairly cleaner spot. Smiling softly, he walked over. As he expected, the papers were the translation of Bharm’s notes. Well, I guess he still needs me around…

He sat down, and his stomach growled. Pulling out a few pieces of meat, bread, and water, he set up a small dining spot on his desk and began eating. Onyx immediately rushed over, and jumped a few times, beginning with his front paws. Kai pulled out a large piece of raw meat and he threw it over to the Obborik with a chuckle. He then turned around and did the same for Darky, whose void-like tail wagged back and forth as the food immediately disappeared. Does he even have a stomach?

Regardless of whether that question had an answer or not, Kai went back to his meal. He finished it quickly, however, and immediately began reading and studying the documents. Somehow, the little amount of experiments he does gives him so many answers. Especially since we got the microscope working… His intelligence is insane. I wonder if Rodney could ever compare to him.

…

<>

… What the fuck?

Just as Kai finished reading the last page, a set of footsteps resounded in his mind. He couldn’t mistake them for any other even if he wanted. Of course, Bharm returned home.

“You’ve been out a while.”

“I had no choice, I needed more supplies and you were sound asleep. I let you do so, considering your state. However, I trust there won’t be a next time, right?”

Kai chuckled awkwardly and turned to face the boy, who immediately sat down at his desk. “I hope so, it was quite peculiar.”

“How so?”

“Well- Actually never mind, it’s best I don’t say. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant.”

“Knock yourself out. Now, either help me experiment or shoo, I’m busy.”

Hearing that, Kai stood up and walked over, intrigued. “What kind of experiments, are you done looking at blood all day?”

Barhm rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I think I’m done with that.”

A chuckle escaped Kai’s lips, and he walked over to Darky. He pet the creature through the cage. Its dark fur enveloped the boy’s hand, a sensation of heaviness weighing down on him. Darky’s tail wagged slowly, a trail of dark… something lagging behind it. “Is it me or has he gotten stranger?”

“Well, he’s always been strange. I’m not sure what to tell you.”

“Well yeah, but I mean- Isn’t his fur denser than before? I feel like he’s grown in size too. It’s only been a few days.”

Barhm shrugged. “That’s why I’m studying it, to understand it better.”

“Fair point,” Kai said as he stood up, and sat back down at his desk. “So then, what kind of experiments do you have in mind?”

“Well-” Barhm hesitated for a second, glancing at Kai and then at Darky, before saying, “Originally I wanted to test its… ‘durability’.

“Durability?” Kai raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah- forget it. There are other experiments I can do.”

“Why?” Kai said, surprised. “Did you finally grow a sense of morals and ethics?

“No, you’d just be a pain in my ass until I stop.”

“That’s true. So, what else do you have in mind?”

“Well,” Barhm stood up and walked toward Darky. “You’ve only given him meat so far, but I wonder if he can eat other things. If he can, what kind of changes will be made? Also, he’s grown much faster since you started feeding him better meat. I suspect-”

“Will his diet change the way he functions?” Kai interrupted, almost finishing the sentence.

“Yeah, something like that.” After saying that, he pulled out a dozen different kinds of plants, each of which was in large quantities. Mushrooms, leaves, vines, fruits, vegetables, fish, and a couple of other different kinds of foods stretched across the floor in front of Darky. “I want to see which one he chooses to eat first.”