Requiem [Sirius the Jaeger]

Chapter 17 - True Enemy

"Betrayal is one of my biggest fears. Betrayal happens on many different levels all the time, and there is no worse feeling than realizing someone you thought you could trust has gone against you."
~Katie Lee

I took in a sharp breath as my eyes suddenly snapped open. This time however, the endless dark had vanished, leaving me back in the real world. I was still looking up at the beautiful night sky stretching out above my head, the same image I saw before falling into the abyss. Canis Major with Sirius in its middle were still shining bright, looking down upon me.

My lungs burned as I desperately sucked in the cold nightly air, feeling as if I held my breath for hours on end. While I tried to calm my breath down once again, my mind drifted off towards the happenings of a few moments ago. Honestly, there still was no logical explanation for what had happened. Did it even happen or was it merely a dream my dying mind had created?

Even though I should definitely doubt it was real, I couldn't help but feel a strange certainty within me, telling that it really was true. Considering everything that had happened within the past days, I really wasn't surprised by this. However, there was still one question nagging at the back of my head. Why did the Blood save me? No matter what, it wouldn't answer me this one question.

What was the Blood even?

To be honest, I should have thought about a question like this way sooner, but for some reason, I didn't. For me, its presence had always been a natural thing, something that I shouldn't question. Still, after all of that, I couldn't help but wonder. How was the Blood created? Why did it life within those of my tribe? Why did it posses such enormous powers?

As those questions circled in my mind, I wondered if I would ever find an answer to that. I doubt there would even be someone to know. Should I ask the Blood itself? Would it answer me? Would I even get a chance to talk with it again? I mean, it did say that a communication like that hadn't been possible before because of my lack in strength. Did that mean talking to it would be possible, if I just found out how? But how would I find out?

I endless chain of thoughts of suddenly interrupted as the feeling slowly returned to my body, accompanied by the pain. It was a trial of willpower not to scream out the very moment I felt everything again. The dizzy feeling from before had returned, the headaches forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut once again. As if felt the nausea rise up within me, my attention was brought to my abdomen, not making the situation any better.

The pain was almost unbearable, my stomach feeling as if it was on fire, burning me from the inside. I still felt the blood stream down my skin, panting my body red. Honestly, it surprised me that I didn't pass out at that point. I don't even want to know how much blood I lost by now, but one thing was certain: Without that ancient power helping me, there would be no way to survive.

Therefore, in some strange way, I was really happy about feeling all of this. Feeling the cold air on my skin, the hard tiles under me. Feeling the warm blood on me skin, my clothes clung to my body because of the red liquid. Feeling the fatigue and exhaustion, the pain and the nausea. It may sound morbid if I say something like this, but it truly made me happy.

For feeling all of these things were more than enough evidence to show me I was still alive. I was still breathing and my heart was still beating. To think I almost gave up, that I almost succumbed to death was really a horrifying thought. Were I felt peace and relief before, there was only fear now.

The Blood was right, I really was afraid of dying.

"So you are still alive? And here I thought you already kicked the bucket." Hearing this disgusting voice again was enough to let all the happiness wash away, leaving me with nothing but pure wrath. It was truly sickening how he could say something like that with a smile on his face while he still watched his comrades die. At this point, I wondered if Vampires knew any respect for life, even their own.