Amnesia

Chapter Twelve

The Goodbye
Maeryn took a deep breath as her nose and lungs where filled with the salty smell of the sea. She was sitting on a rock at their private beach near the house, while Alec had his arm wrapped around her waist. Her head rested on his hard shoulder, while his head rested upon her head. It was evening, and the sun slowly sank into the ocean, but the warmth of that day still lingered around them. However, Maeryn's thoughts where with a question she had ached to ask for many weeks now.
Before the couple had left to go on their small holiday, Felix had mentioned something about her and Alec being mates. She had questioned Felix about it, but he thought Alec should tell her instead of him. But the question had slipped Maeryn's mind until now.
"Alec?" Maeryn spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence. Alec moved his head up and looked at his mate. "Yes, amore mio?" he replied. Maeryn wasn't very sure how to ask her question, so she looked down at her lap and played with a string that was attached to her summer dress. "Well. Felix mentioned mates a while ago, and he said I should ask you what it was." Maeryn said, murmering slightly. But she knew Alec had heard her perfectly well.
Alec sighed softly and grabbed one of her hands to stop her from playing with the string. "Well, to understand the bonding between two mates, you will first need to understand the differences between a vampire's personalities and the different relationships a vampire has." He started explaining. Maeryn held her breath slightly and listened closely to him.
"It all, ofcourse, starts when a human becomes a vampire. A newborn, that is what we call them. All of our natural behavior, needs and characteristics are frozen within us forever, though they are also heightened at the same time.
On average, a newborn's physical strength greatly surpasses that of an older vampire because they still have their own blood lingering in their tissues. As time passes the venom in them will consume that blood, and the newborn's physical capabilities and thirst will slowly diminish until it reaches that of a normal vampire, by the end of its first year. A newborn's thirst for blood is overwhelmingly and relentlessly painful, often described as a fierce pain in their throat, and they will feed as much as possible to curb it. I guess something to look foreward too." Alec said, giving Maeryn a playful wink. Maeryn chuckled. "I guess so." Alec smiled.
"Some indications which show a newborn are their bright crimson eyes, the bright color is due to the blood left in their body at the time of changing, uncontrollable thirst that makes them more ferocious than most vampires, and superior physical abilities. Newborns appear much like normal vampires with the exception of their eyes. A newborn's eyes are an incredibly bright crimson, indicating that their own blood is still in their system, though their heart is no longer beating. In the months that a vampire feeds on animal blood, their eyes will change from red to amber and then to gold. If he reverts to feeding on human blood, the eyes will darken to be almost a darker crimson, sometimes a burgundy color. Newborns are also incredibly powerful in the physical sense, being much stronger and faster than a regular vampire, which allows them to easily crush an older vampire. As they become older their strength begins to wane, and after the first year, their strength will be reduced to that of an average vampire." Maeryn chuckled. "Does that mean I can take on Felix?" she asked as her eyes sparkled slightly at the idea of revenge. Alec chuckled. "You will be stronger than him, however, he has much more fighting experience and newborns are quite predictable in their fights." He said as he poked her nose gently. "Hmm." She replied before Alec continued his story.
"Newborns are often bloodthirsty, violent and uncontrollable. Their enhanced emotions are hard to control and they anger easily. They are also likely to kill one another to compete for blood. When they catch the scent of blood, their hunting instincts will take over and cloud their ability to focus, even the thought of the word "blood" is enough to make their thirst unbearable. The thirst is so maddening in the first year that most newborns are more animalistic and wild than their older counterparts. However, as time passes, their thirst will slowly diminish and become easier to manage. Their secondary human emotions and desires will mostly be dormant for a while, and resurface slowly over time. It is impossible to predict how long a newborn or an average vampire will remain vicious and bloodthirsty before their secondary desires and personality resurfaces, since every person is different. Certain vampires may have to wait for at least a few years after their first year ends.
From the moment a vampire is made, our interests, dislikes and personality are permanently petrified. For instance, if a human with a loving character becomes a vampire, his or her passion is magnified, allowing him or her to love others even more intensely. Another example is if the human was ambitious and cunning, those characteristics become magnified as a vampire, thus making him a ruthless killer. The only aspect that does change is the our outlook on the world." He said and looked and Maeryn, making sure she understood. Once Maeryn gave a small nod he continued.
"Aside from our original personalities, we also have ferocious instincts and a compelling drive for consuming blood. The moment we give in to our thirst, all of our human characteristics disappear and we could risk hurting one another by competing for prey. The longer we abstain from blood completely, the harder it becomes for us to resist, and eventually we will give in to our thirst. Vampires are feral, predatory creatures, and far more savage and beast-like than our human appearance suggests. We growl, hiss, snarl, and curl our lips back baring our teeth as signs of aggression when we are provoked." He said and he playfully curled his lips back, giving Maeryn a playfull hiss. Maeryn chuckled and kissed his cheek. Alec smiled and soon continued his story.
"We also have a sense of self-preservation. Meaning when we are confronted with danger that proves too overwhelming for our capabilities, we will immediately evade the area, unless there is something holding us back." Maeryn felt really intrigued by what Alec was telling her. As ofcourse she would too soon be a vampire, and she found it crucial to be as prepared as she possibly could.
"Alright, now you know all that and how our personalities are formed, we can talk about the different bondings between vampires. Though vampires are mostly territorial and nomadic, there are few possibilities for us to bond with one another and with other species. The first bonding force is romance. If a vampire falls in love, that feeling never fades away and that love is bound for eternity. As a general rule, only the bond between mates is strong enough to survive the competitive drive for blood. That was why, even though your blood is so tempting, I resist it." He said before gently placing a kiss on her warm lips. Maeryn smiled and returned the kiss before he pulled away and stroked her cheek. "And the other bondings?" she asked as a small smile still played around her lips. Alec chuckled and once more continued his story.
"Larger covens are less stable, and usually end because of internal violence. If a vampire was romantically bound to someone before he turned, that love will remain as a permanent aspect in his characteristics after the transformation. It is also possible for a vampire to fall in love after he was turned, and that love will be just as permanent as any other.
Another prevalent vampire trait is that of a vengeful nature. Related again to our unchanging state, vampires are not forgiving, we do not move past an insult or injury. The most common example of vampire vengeance is the aftermath of the loss of a mate. When a vampire loses his mate, he never recovers from the pain. We cannot rest until the party responsible is eradicated. Centuries can pass without lessening the ferocity of our need for vengeance. However, it is possible to suppress that desire if we compel ourselves to focus. However, if someone would even dare to look at you in a manner that I don't agree with, I will sure behead them." He said, his eyes serious. Maeryn smiled and pecked his lips.
"The second bonding force, and one that is able to keep a large coven stable, is ambition. Vampires are competitive by nature, and some vampires have been able to evolve this competitive disposition into a greater cause capable of uniting many individuals into a secure whole. The pursuit of power is that bonding cause for vampires.
The third, and rarest, bonding force is the vampire conscience. Very few vampires are born with or develop a value for human life. The consumption of human blood is such a known aspect of vampire life that few ever question it, the driving thirst for human blood seems irresistible. However, those who do learn to value human life in spite of this reality are able to subsist on animal blood. Vampires who live this way are sometimes referred to as "vegetarians". Animal blood is unappealing to vampires, and thus a difficult diet to maintain. Those who make the sacrifice, though, experience related benefits. In the absence of human blood, the competitive drive disappears. Vampires are able to form bonds of love in addition to the bond between mates. The weak coven alliance is replaced by a strong, family-style union. " he said as he finished his story. By the end of it, the moon had risen far up into the sky and all signs of the sun had gone away.