The Price of Blood

Chapter Three - Potential Cure

(Five months later)

He travelled out as fast as he could from the latest city he was in, his hood up as he past men and women alike. The murders he had committed, three in one night, would soon be discovered if they were not already and people would be looking for someone to blame.

He had no regrets in his life, none but none, his only regret was Isolla, his compulsion to tell her the truth, the pain he felt as he told her, his heart being pulled from his chest violently.

She was so beautiful but he could not stay, not around her for if he did, he would kill her, drain her blood dry slowly if he allowed the monster to do such acts.

The rumours of monsters were true; the king could not lie anymore. Valenus did not know what he suspected, if the king knew, he would increase the hunt, following a trail of corpses, searching for the knights, the seven knights that neither aged nor died easily. Whatever happened to them that night it altered them forever. Valenus knew there was no going back for they were a great evil, a great and twisted mind with a hunger, a lust for blood but could he one day find the answers, the cure?

He needed to become what he once was, a human with a human's heartbeat, a human's mind and the need for food and water, not blood fresh from innocent humans. He missed the taste of meats, being able to look at a lump of beef and remember what it tastes like, eating chicken with the knights. He missed all of that, all of that was part of his life, the life he once knew and loved and most painfully, it was the life he lost forever. 

He was so angry, angry with his brother still. Did he not see the price they had already paid? Their world had changed so cruelly, so monstrously. They feed off blood, not humans now, they had become monsters and they were no longer what they wanted to be. Blood is what they fed off, every week some of them, every night some others. Were they monsters now, to be hunted down like great evils?

What more was there to come, where was it going to end? Was this hunger going to end? It felt unlikely, he felt uneasy and almost like a monster. The blood he drank, the need for it drove him crazy and yet no matter how many times he resisted, he stayed alive to endure it like some eternal torture or torment. 

No matter how far he ran, it was not far enough. The cup was by his side, still smelt of their blood even after over a year. That was the thing that cursed them, cursed seven men to feel their own version of Hell, to die and come back as monsters, evil and twisted beings. If he knew that was what he would become, he would have dumped that cup, poured out its contents and left, he would have found a way to free himself, to take care of himself without the help of the king or the knights.

For five months, he had travelled, avoiding his brothers and the king's army. The king knew his face and had no doubt caught wind of a new evil, a new monster or disease with incredible hunger, thirst for human blood only sated when feeding off a human. He felt like he was a spy only worse for spies had a little self-respect, had morals where had none, none left at least. He was damned, cursed to live forever and to struggle for his own survival. The need to feed outweighed his need for a soul in the mind of the monster, he did not need a soul, he needed blood and power, more blood and more power but power, the promise of power was what got them into the mess in the first place for no power comes for free, no god would willingly give power without a price, not a single one. 

"First night is free" an older woman whispered under her breath, the stench of alcohol lingered on her breath, making Valenus want to run but he was desperate.

"Thank you, Madam, do you know of anywhere I can find work?" he asked softly.

"There is a small farm hiring, the king is looking for a manservant but I do not know if he shall hire a stranger, sir"