Of Light and Dark

OF LIGHT AND DARK: Chapter 3

OF LIGHT AND DARK =================

BY DRAGONFIRE

• • • Copyright Notice - This story is copyright ©2009 by DragonFire. > > #### This story is copyrighted by the author and the author retains all rights. This work may not be duplicated in whole or in part in any form, physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise, without the author’s expressed written consent. All applicable copyright laws apply and will be enforced.  > > #### Legal Disclaimer(s):  > > #### This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or individuals, living or dead, is purely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.  > > #### If you are offended by descriptions of gay sex between consenting males, or if the law in your area forbids you to read this, leave this story now. If not, welcome and please read on. > > * * * > >  CHAPTER 3: REVELATIONS > --------------------------- > > ### Oh Shit, I was in a whole world of trouble now. They were shrouded in the night, but I could clearly see their red eyes, stoic features and deadly demeanour. No, these weren’t human, these things were vampires, and I didn’t think they wanted to ask me for directions to the nearest blood bank either!   > > ### Looking from side to side, I noticed that I had nowhere to run, and even if there was a way, there’s no way in hell I could outrun these....things, hell I could barely stand up unassisted. One of them broke ranks and slowly circled me; he was quite tall, with a slender build, not unattractive but had a pug nose, which looked strange on his otherwise handsome face. He had an air of authority about him, and had what looked like a sword of some kind secured to his back. I felt like a prize slab of beef at market, by the way he was inspecting me. I could hear a light chuckle escape his lips; obviously he found some amusement in my predicament. > > ### “So, what do we have here? It looks like our little vampire isn’t feeling too well. What’s the matter boy; eat something that disagreed with you?” His laugh emphasised his condescending tone. ” I’d have thought Matthew would have chosen a more.... worthy specimen. “ > > ### At the mention of Matt’s name I glared into those evil eyes in surprise, wondering how Matt knew these vampires. Wherever it was from couldn’t have been good; if I ever got out of this in one piece, he and I were going to have a long conversation let me tell you. Speaking of Matt, where the hell was he anyway? > > ### My thoughts were interrupted by the smell of this vamp’s foul breath as he leaned down to speak to me, “So where is your Master? Not abandoned you like he did the last one I hope?” Master? Last one? What the hell was he talking about? I could feel the internal pressure swelling at this vile creature’s words. A hard smack across my face brought me abruptly back to reality, and I reeled to the side, ending up face first in the dirt. I felt a kick to my head as he continued the assault. > > ### “When I ask a question, I expect you to answer, otherwise your neck will end up at the sharp edge of this sword!” He sneered. My anger was boiling over, the beast inside waiting to be unleashed, and this time there was nothing I could do to subdue it. “Okay, let’s loosen him up a little bit, shall we, and see if we can free his tongue?” > > ### I could feel blow after blow beating me down, but something was shielding me from the pain these animals were inflicting. The familiar burning in my veins was now more prominent, as the fury itself started to dominate me. I started shaking, and I could feel myself losing control. A scream escaped my mouth, as bones started to elongate in my hands, stretching the skin and growing steadily into large, curved, razor sharp talons. Simultaneously, a dull ache emanated from my mouth, as I felt two sharp prongs grow through and out. The agony was indescribable, and my screams were growing louder and more feral. My head whipped back, and I glared at the things that had dared to attack me, my vision was totally clear, as if in light. All of them were now standing back with surprised expressions, instead of the sneers of a few moments ago.  I saw a movement to my right, and with reflexes I never even knew I had, I rolled from the path of a sword destined for my neck. > > ### As if on auto pilot, I sprang forward, my arm swung out in a curve, and with deadly accuracy the sharp talons imbedded themselves deep in the neck of the thing that had tormented me only moments ago. His sword dropped to the ground, and with a flick of my wrist, his head joined it moments later. My fury was now in total control, it was totally surreal; it seemed as though I was watching from the outside while someone else controlled my body. All I could feel was unadulterated, burning hatred, the likes of which I have never experienced in my life. A roar escaped my lips and I quickly spun to face the four who remained; they were looking at me in total surprise and shock. It was then that I felt something very strange creep through my body, an odd tingling that teased my very core. I shook my head and dismissed it, concentrating on the matter at hand. I was still weak, even with the fury burning inside me, but if I were to die this night, these fuckers were coming with me.  > > ### They attacked with a synchronisation that surprised me; I caught one behind me with a brutal kick to the underside of the chin, which sent him sprawling backward some fifteen feet, before I spun to slash two more with the sharp talons that were now proving most affective. The fourth however, delivered a powerful hit to my kidney area, which he followed by sweeping my feet from under me. I landed with force on the hard ground, moving just in time to avoid a hit to my larynx from an outstretched foot. > > ###  I jumped to my feet as they continued the assault, I could feel blow after blow slowly weakening my tired body, and I lashed out with the anger of a caged beast, striking them with severe, but not fatal attacks. These were powerful adversaries, and I was in no condition to beat them. I could feel the strength slowly ebb from me with every punch to my battered torso; the furious beast that once blazed inside me was getting weaker. My moves were wild and totally uncoordinated, only getting random blows on target. One of them made a mistake giving me the chance to slash deep into his throat. It was by no means fatal, but he was out of the fight. However, the three remaining were more than a match for me. > > ### I was totally exhausted, my arms feeling like lead weights, and muscles burning with exertion, but still I fought, the beast inside refusing to be beaten. With a last ditch attempt, the beast lunged with a spinning attack, which met nothing but fresh air. It was then that I felt a sickening blow hit me square on the chest, and the evident crack of breaking ribs. I hit the ground hard, which caused a scream of agony to escape my throat.  I could feel the talons retracting, my hands turning back to normal. Through my blurred vision, I could see them stalking towards me, to end my existence. I had nothing else to give; the fury which had burned inside me was now nothing more than ash. > > ### I heard a deep growl and waited for the end to come. Instead, the three of them froze right where they stood, shock and fear splashed over their faces. It was only then that I felt a slight tug at my senses, Matt! > > ### Quicker than I could even blink one of the vampires was sent hurtling through the air, hitting a large tree with a resounding crack. I saw Matt’s face, there was a look I had never seen on his handsome features, a mixture of outrage and anger, eyes burning a deep red and with a white glow. With graceful, but deadly movements, he attacked the two that remained standing, delivering hard blows with a precision I could only be in awe of.  The third, having got up from his collision with the tree, had picked up the discarded sword and was now lunging towards Matt. I had no energy left to warn him, but he seemed to sense the sudden movement and dodged the clumsy attack, delivering a kick to the back of the vampire’s ankle, snapping it with an audible crack. Picking up the sword, Matt relived him of his head, before turning on the remaining two, who, in what seemed like only seconds, were felled the same way.  Seeing the fourth struggling on the ground clutching his throat, he snarled and delivered a mortal blow ending the fight. > > ### Dropping the sword he ran over to me, angst replacing the anger that had been there moments before. His eyes scanned me, surveying the damage I had taken, and they widened in shock. > > ### “Baby, are you okay?” I gave him an incredulous look, because I had no energy left to even talk. “Shit, I ask the stupidest questions. Hang on right there, I’ll be back in just a second.” > > ### Yeah, like I was going to go anywhere! I just want to go to sleep, and could feel my eyes getting heavy, but then something caught my nose. A scent that positively made me salivate, my body shook in anticipation, and I clawed at the dirt to get closer to that heavenly aroma. I saw Matt returning from the undergrowth carrying something over his shoulder. That beautiful fragrance was getting closer, intoxicating me with its pungent odour. He laid this prize next to me, and I got to see what it was, food. My conscience was gone; all I could see was my survival. Without any thought, I attacked its neck with a ravenous hunger, plunging my teeth into the soft flesh to drink the nectar that flowed beneath it. I positively groaned as the sweet life-giving fluid poured into my system, revitalising and rejuvenating my battered body. I felt it move, but I shifted my weight to compensate, not willing to allow this gift to escape. Warmth now flowed within me, the sensation was incredible, and my senses seemed to increase the more I drank. I sucked harder wanting more; pure need driving me forward, taking what I wanted. > > ### The flow began to ease as the heart beat for the final time, only then was the hunger sated, my needs fulfilled. I felt the teeth retract, and I slid away from the corpse, breathing deeply, finally feeling full. With eyes closed, I could feel Matt move to cradle my head in his lap, stroking my hair, easing me down from the high I was still floating on. His soft whispers felt like silk to my ears, and I luxuriated in their tones. > > ### My thoughts turned to the corpse lying next to me, and a wave of guilt flooded through me like a tsunami. I had killed someone to sustain my own existence; that person was somebody’s son, lover or husband, and I, with no thought, had ended his life. When I chose to embrace this way of life, because that’s exactly what I did, I failed to realise what I would have to do to live. Would my life now consist of creeping around in the night like a vulture, preying on innocent victims? Well, maybe not innocent, but is it my place to act like some kind of de facto judge, passing sentence? The kid said it became easier with time, and maybe it would. Maybe if I picked the really malevolent ones, perhaps that would ease the guilt, make it easier for me do this. Maybe. > > ### I didn’t have the energy to shed tears though, or perhaps the change had taken and eradicated some of my humanity, now that the deed had been done. Having someone else’s blood running through my body, had a part of me died as a result? Would I be able to feel compassion, pity and remorse, or were those now things of the past? I had no answers, perhaps time itself would provide those for me. > > ### “I’m sorry!”  Those choked words broke through my mental haze, and reality started to assert itself once again.  I opened my eyes and looked up at him; at the man who had turned me into what I am now, but in those eyes I could only see love and concern. > > ### “I’m sorry I left you alone, I should have known better. If anything had happened to you.....”His words trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts and push aside what I had just done. At least for now. > > ### “It’s not your fault; you weren’t to know that this would happen. So don’t you dare go blaming yourself!” I croaked, my voice still raspy. Then another thought came to mind. “One of them did seem to know you though.” A look of surprise flashed across his face and his eyebrows narrowed in confusion. > > ### “Strange, I didn’t really recognise any of them, but then, all I was concentrating on was killing the bastards and getting to you,” Matt stated, though he was obviously curious. > > ### I recounted the events from earlier, sparing no detail, including that of the transformation which was unexpected and, needless to say, disturbing. > > ### He closed his eyes and sighed, “There has been so little time to go over such things, what with your hunger taking control,” He shook his head and continued, “That transformation as you call it, only ever occurs when the fury takes control, or when you command it. This is why we always feed before the pang gets too great. As you know, once it gets a hold, there’s no stopping it.” I saw his gaze move over to the corpse of the vampire he hadn’t seen yet, and a look of recognition flashed across him. > > ### “Edmunds!” He whispered angrily. “Should have known he’d be.....” He stopped suddenly, and gave me the strangest look. “I think we should get home, you need rest, and we have a lot to talk about tomorrow, especially now.” He didn’t elaborate and, to be fair, I wasn’t in the mood for any more information today, I had had enough to last a lifetime. > > ### “Do you think you’re up for moving around?” He asked, his tone gentler now. Grimacing, I nodded, and went to get up. Holy shit that hurt! > > ### “Easy now.” He still held me as I tried to move. “It’s going to be a day or so before you heal properly, just take hold of my arms and ease yourself up. I don’t want to hurt you more by picking you up, so it’s easier if you do it this way.” > > ### I grasped his arms and did as he asked, gritting my teeth as the pain in my chest tightened. I think those ribs are going to hurt for a while! He placed his arm tightly under my right arm and across my back, as we moved slowly from the scene of carnage. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the corpse, so I just diverted my eyes forward as we walked slowly back the way we came. > > ### I noticed another oddity, even in the blackness of the night; I could see everything around me in vivid detail. I noticed the carvings left by lovers on the bark of a tree, a mouse cowering in the undergrowth some fifteen feet away, and insects scurrying around on a long, dead tree stump. Sounds as well seemed to be amplified; everything was so clear and, well, loud! It was really disconcerting and only seemed to intensify the headache that was now beginning to form. I closed my eyes and concentrated, trying to block out this new intrusion with limited success. I held on tighter to Matt as he led me back to the car, hoping that this new development could somehow be controlled. > > ### Matt had laid me on the backseat, to ease any discomfort I would’ve felt while sitting upright. He was making a phone call at the minute; to whom, I couldn’t tell you. But from what he said, the mess we had created needed cleaning up! I never even thought about that, I deduced it wouldn’t be good for someone to come across five decapitated vampires and a corpse drained of blood! There are so many things I would have to learn, but I just want a couple of drama-free days, just so I can relax and let things sink in. With the way things were going, I did begin to wonder if I would ever get them. > > ********************************************************************************** > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ### I had no dreams that night, and I awoke feeling a little sore, but strangely invigorated and alert, which, considering what I had gone through the night before, was amazing. Matt was spooned behind me in what was becoming his usual position, arms holding me in a tight embrace. My thoughts drifted to the deed I had committed the night before, and my stomach lurched. I took deep breaths and tried to push it to the back of my mind, to lock it away from my conscious thoughts. I knew though, that it would always be there, reminding me of what I now had to do to ensure my own survival. I couldn’t dwell on it; I mustn’t dwell on it, for otherwise, it would surely eat me alive. Perhaps that in itself answered the question I posed to myself the night before. > > ### I heard my phone ringing, and I sat up to try and locate where the sound was coming from, moving Matt’s reluctant arms from around me in the process. I wished I hadn’t.  The pain in my chest, whilst not as acute as the night before, was still making its presence felt, and I winced at the discomfort. Matt rolled over and passed me the offending object with an annoyed look on his face. Obviously not a morning person! Looking at the display, it was my Mother; great, just what I needed right now. > > ### What you have to realise about my Mother is that she can be a little overbearing sometimes, and when she starts talking, well, let’s put it this way, a mute button would come in handy! It must have something to do with the Irish blood in her, because, believe me, all the women on my Mum’s side could talk, a lot! Put a few drinks into the mix as well, and the language would make a sailor blush. Reluctantly, I answered the phone, waiting for the barrage of questions that would come thick and fast. > > ### I won’t bore you with the details but, needless to say, I had a very pissed off Mother, who let me know in no uncertain terms how inconsiderate I was for taking off like I did, and not ringing her first. Several lies, and a half hour later, she was somewhat placated. > > ### As I put the phone down, I could see Matt staring at me with a huge grin on his face. God, he looked so gorgeous even first thing in the morning. He had his head propped on one hand, whilst the other stroked my chest gently. > > ### “All sorted now I take it?” He smirked, not even bothering to conceal his amusement. > > ### “Yeah, she can get a little...overprotective sometimes. She literally chewed me a new asshole, but seems happier now,” I sighed, shaking my head. > > ### “Really? I might just have to check that out.” I swatted him on the arm, but his playful mood seemed to evaporate. > > ### “We’re gonna have to get away from here you know?” I raised my eyebrow in a silent question to the sudden change in subject and he replied in a quiet tone, “It’s not safe for us here at the moment. Not after what happened last night anyway. They’ve somehow found out where we are. Next time, we won’t be so lucky,” > > ### I sighed and closed my eyes. “So, are you going to explain who THEY are precisely, or do I even want to know?” I really wasn’t looking forward to the explanation. So much had happened already, and I was unsure of how much more information I could process. > > ### I heard another sigh before he answered, “It’s a long story, babe, and not a good one, but I’ll try and condense it. You know about our caste system, yes?” I turned to face him, wincing slightly at the discomfort my ribs were giving me. > > ### “Well, I know of our caste, the Aduro, but the kid really didn’t go into great detail about any others. He just mentioned that they couldn’t go out in sunlight the way we can.” > > ### He furrowed his eyebrows then smiled. “The kid?” He let out a chuckle. “That kid as you call him is over a thousand years old!”  I think my jaw about hit the mattress but he continued, “His name is Isaac Mortenson, one of our elders. Believe me when I tell you, he may look like a kid but he’s extremely powerful.” Unbelievable...a thousand years old, and what did he mean by powerful....? > > ### “Anyway,” he continued, “there are two castes, us – the Aduro, and them – the Atra, all of which are separated into houses. We, of course, are the only ones of the light. Needless to say, that causes a great deal of resentment and envy amongst the Atra. So much so, that they took it upon themselves to start experiments to try and replicate our immunity.” > > ### He looked lost in thought for a moment, before continuing. “Suffice to say, they failed miserably. That’s.....that’s when they started on live experiments.” My eyes widened; to say I was shocked would be an understatement. > > ### “They captured one of our own and performed these...experiments whilst he was conscious,” He spat, anger evident in his voice. “They tortured and brutalised him, kept him alive for weeks before they put him out of his misery. “ > > ### He took a breath and continued, “Once our elders learned of this, they were enraged. They retaliated with a daytime attack on one of the Atra houses, burning it to the ground. Four senior members of House Montgomery perished in that fire, and that house is one of the most powerful houses of the Atra. Since that day, we have been at war. That’s almost eight hundred years ago now, and still the fighting goes on.” > > ### Okay, this situation had just got worse. Now I find myself in the middle of some kind of eight hundred year old war! I really hoped that there weren’t too many more surprises coming my way...shit, how many times have I said that now? > > ### “Haven’t they ever tried to call a truce?” I asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe that this war had been going on for so long without some kind of respite. > > ### “Yeah, but it’s only a matter of weeks before it’s broken, normally by an Atra house unhappy with the terms of the truce,” He said shaking his head. “So, that’s why we need to get out of here today, and somewhere safe. Once they learn of last night’s failure and Edmunds’ death, all hell is going to break loose.” A smile broke out on his face. “Bastard had it coming though.” > > ###  “You knew him then, I take it?” I muttered, stating the obvious. > > ### “Yeah, you could say that. We’ve had a few encounters over the years, none of which were particularly pleasant. His arrogance and your good aim cost him dear in the end...shame that!” A huge smile emphasised his sarcastic tone. > > ### “Well, I think that was more luck than judgement; hell, I had no idea I could even move like that!” I said, recalling the events from the night before. > > ### “There are a lot of things you can do that you have no idea about yet. Once we get out of here, I can get you started on some training; prepare to be surprised.” He flashed me a grin, and the twinkle in his eyes reeked of mischief. > > ### “Training? You’re kidding me right?” He shook his head, and I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. “Come on, you can’t leave me hanging like that,” I said with a whine. > > ### “Babe, we have more important things to get done today, and the clock is ticking. For a start we have to go to your old place and pick up some of your things, and sort out whatever needs sorting there.” > > ### My shoulders slumped. I knew I’d have to go back there at some stage, but didn’t relish having to deal with Michael if he was around. “I suppose; but, are you sure it’s a good idea for you to come with me. What if Michael’s there?” I said, petulance creeping into my voice. > > ### “So, he’s gonna have to deal with the situation. I am not letting you go on your own, end of story.” The look on his face mirrored his determined tone; this was an argument I had no hope of winning. > > ### We got dressed quickly; I had to borrow one of Matt’s t-shirts, which was way too big for me, but thankfully, he had the foresight to wash my jeans the night before. I don’t think turning up in muddy and bloodstained clothing would have gone down well if Michael happened to be home. > > ### It only took about a half hour to get to the place I had once called home. Ironically enough, I didn’t even have to give Matt directions; he knew exactly where I lived, which, considering he had been watching me almost my entire life, was unsurprising. Lady luck seemed to be shining, though; Michael’s car wasn’t in the drive, I just hope it continued whilst we were there. > > ### What greeted me on the inside, though, shocked the hell out of me, and for a moment I thought we’d had some kind of a break in. The place was a tip, a fucking disaster area to be blunt. There were empty bottles strewn around, dirty dishes piled up by the sink, cigarette butts scattered on the floor, the bin was overflowing and was giving off an odour I can’t even begin to describe! The upstairs was just as bad. Dirty clothes were scattered everywhere, used condoms were glued to the carpet which, in itself, answered at least one question! At least my wardrobe seemed to have remained untouched. > > ### It didn’t seem to take long to pack my clothes into my huge suitcase, or get my two computers packed up and into the car. We were just going through some papers when I heard a car pull up into the drive. I looked at Matt and my shoulders sagged; this wasn’t going to be pretty. It took no time at all for the typhoon that was Michael to make it up the stairs, and into the office where we were. > > ### He seemed startled by the imposing presence of Matt, and his anger seemed forgotten for just a moment as he drank him in. Quickly though, he focused on me, with Matt moving to my side, placing his hand defiantly on my shoulder as I sat on the chair. I could hear him before he could even open his mouth. It was the weirdest feeling in the world and, to be honest, it kinda freaked me out. > > ### “Where the fuck have you been for the last week? And, who the hell is...THAT?” He seethed, pointing at the man standing beside me. I felt Matt’s hand tighten my shoulder, and I could feel his loathing for Michael without even looking up at him. I felt strangely calm despite the circumstances, and I fixed Michael with an icy stare. I could hear the thoughts tumbling out of him, from his observations about Matt’s basket to concern over how long we were going to be here. He had company coming over; the same guy no less that he'd been cheating on me with. Did I care? Not in the slightest, because I now had something I doubted he would ever have. I’d heard enough, and shook my head to try and block it out, with only minimal success. > > ### “Nice to see you too Mickey,” I said with an evil grin, his eyes narrowed, he hated that name. “This, here, is my man, Matt,” I said, placing my hand on top of his. “Matt, this is my EX, Mickey.” I think Michael’s jaw just about hit the floor, as he looked from me to Matt; he wasn’t lost for words for very long though. > > ### “You didn’t waste any time did you? So how long had this been going on?” He ranted, “My friends always told me I could do better than some cheap trashy whore like you....” He didn’t get to finish. Next thing I saw was Matt gripping him by the throat and slamming him into the door, his feet dangling some two feet off the ground. > > ### “I don’t know who the fuck you think you’re talking to, but nobody calls MY man a whore and gets away with it. Perhaps I should beat some manners into that head of yours!” Matt was fuming, and I seriously thought he was going to kill Michael. Quickly getting up, I gripped Matt’s arm. > > ### “Baby, put him down, he’s not worth the hassle.” He looked at me with fire in his eyes but reluctantly let go, and Michael slumped to the floor gasping for breath. > > ### Still seething Matt said, “You my friend don’t know how lucky you are. Next time you won’t be so fortunate.” From his tone I knew that was no idle threat, and Michael seemed to pick up on it as well. > > ### Calming himself, Matt continued, “Whatever bills remain outstanding will be paid by the end of the week, and Gary’s share of the rent will be paid up until the end of next month. After that, you’re on your own.” Michael was about to object, I could hear him loud and clear, but one look at Matt and those words failed to pass his lips. “Do we understand each other?” Michael grudgingly nodded his acceptance. “Good, now get out of here while we finish up.” He didn’t need to be asked twice, he was up and out in seconds, slamming the bedroom door behind him. > > ### I let go of the breath I was holding, and was enveloped in a huge hug. Breaking it, I looked at him, “Matt, where am I going to get the money to pay all this? I’m totally broke.” He smiled, shaking his head. > > ### “We’re far from broke, babe.” I gave him a sceptical look, but he carried on unfazed,”When you come from a caste and a house as old as ours, you acquire certain wealth and assets along the way, but now is not the time or the place to go into details.” I was about to object when he cut me off, “Later, I promise. Let’s get whatever we need, and get out of here.” I unwillingly ceded for now, and mentally added this to the long list of questions I needed answers to. > > ### It took no time at all to collect all the relevant paperwork and head back down the stairs. I took one last look at the place that had been my home for the last four years, and felt nothing. I placed my key on the kitchen counter, and followed Matt to the car, leaving my old life behind me. > > ********************************************************************************** > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ### We seemed to be heading out towards the New Forest, which has, perhaps, the most picturesque views in the county of Hampshire. I watched the landscapes pass me by, whilst I reflected on the events of the last twenty four hours, slowly digesting what had happened to me in such a short period of time.  Above everything though, my mind always returned to the strong, powerful man that was next to me. His masculine beauty shone brighter than any star I’d ever seen; it was a beauty I knew for certain, I would defend with my life. This bond was truly amazing; I have never felt this close to anyone, and the thought of him even being out of my sight irritated me. It made me wonder what it was truly like for him – all those years without me, and I understood why he was being so very protective. His voice broke me out of my reflective mood. > > ### “Before we get to the Manor, I’d better explain a bit more about our house,” He started. > > ### “Manor? You never said anything about a Manor!” I was more than surprised, to say the least; I thought we were just going to some cottage or something out in the sticks. > > ### He smiled and ignored my comment. “You know that our caste is separated into houses, yes?” I narrowed my eyes at him in annoyance, but nodded, recalling our earlier conversation. “Well, we’re part of House Crane, one of the oldest and most influential of all the houses. Our liege, Viscount Joseph Crane, founded the house over two thousand years ago, and since then we have, shall we say, acquired considerable power and wealth. As my soul bonded, you are now rightfully a member of our house, and the benefits that go with it.” Okay, this just gets weirder! Liege and Viscount? This sounds like something out of the middle ages, and did he say two thousand years? > > ### “So, just how many members of this house are there?” My curiosity was peaked now. > > ### “Well, including us, there are two hundred and fifty six members of house Crane, a few of which you’ll meet at the Manor.” I was surprised to say the least, I was thinking more along the lines of twenty to thirty! “You will also meet the Viscount today,” he continued, “he seems particularly anxious to meet you, so just follow my lead. It’s nothing too formal, it’s more about showing respect, he hates the pomp and ceremony other houses employ.” He must have seen the worried look written all over me, and gripped my leg in support. “Listen, don’t worry about it too much, you’ll do just fine.”  The rest of the journey was made in a comfortable silence, as I tried not to fret over the upcoming meeting. > > ### Before too long, we turned off the main road and onto a private driveway lined with massive trees on either side. As we rounded a corner some hundred yards from where we turned in, I saw a huge iron gate blocking our path, which was manned by a considerable security detail. These guys were massive, let me tell you, but they took one look at Matt and the gate was opened without delay. My eyes must have been as wide as saucers at the sheer scale of the place; the grounds were truly magnificent and, as the trees thinned out, I could see beautifully manicured lawns on either side. What was most impressive though was the Manor house itself; well, I use house in the loosest term, because it was more like a mini castle. It had a tower on each corner, which no doubt held more security if the gate was anything to go by, and a stream flowed by the manor’s side. The whole structure itself was covered in ivy of various colours, which simply accentuated the building’s beauty. Four enormous chimneys protruded from the roof, two on either side of the edifice and huge arched windows shone in the fading sunlight. If I wasn’t feeling intimidated before, I certainly was now! > > ### As we pulled up at the front, a tall handsome man, probably in his mid thirties came out to meet us. He had short, dark hair, which was greying slightly at the sides and was dressed quite formally in trousers and a blazer. I followed Matt’s lead and got out of the car. > > ### “Marcus, how are you, old friend?” Matt said in greeting, his smile dazzling as always. > > ### “Very well, my Lord, and this must be the newest member of the family,” he answered, looking in my direction. Okay, back up just one second, did he just call him ‘Lord’? I shot Matt a quizzical look, which he, at least, had the decency to look abashed at. > > ### “Um, yeah, Marcus I would like to introduce you to my bonded, Gary. Gary, this is Marcus, he runs this monstrosity of a house.” Matt looked very uncomfortable now, something was going on I wasn’t privy to. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what! > > ### “Well, it’s an honour to finally meet you, my Lord,” he stated formally, with a slight bow of the head. I was struck dumb, but anger quickly replaced it. I shot Matt a look that made it known in no uncertain terms I was pissed. > > ### Plastering a smile on my face I replied, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Marcus.” I was beyond pissed, I was fucking livid. Matt gave me no warning at all about this, that’s what got me so angry. This new revelation, whilst minor, was the fly that tipped the scales. It seems to have been one thing after another in the last twenty four hours, and I’d had enough. I span on my heel, and quickly made my way to the driver’s door, I was out of here. > > ### “Baby, where are you going?” he said, as I felt his hand on my shoulder, which I quickly shrugged off as I faced him. > > ### “Home, wherever the fuck that is,” I screamed at him, “Is there anything else you’ve neglected to tell me, eh?” The look on his face told me all I needed to know. I turned again only for him to force me around to look at him, which only made me angrier. > > ### “Please, come inside and everything will be explained to you.” The panic in him was evident from his voice, but I was having none of it. > > ### “Leave me the fuck alone,” I snarled, I could a pressure building inside me, and it felt like I was going to explode at anytime. I reached out for the door handle only to have Matt pull it away. > > ### I felt something give and push out from inside me, a force so strong that it sent Matt flying backwards some thirty feet and the car next to me flipping over until it crashed into the front of the manor! > > ### I felt very dizzy, and dropped to my knees holding my head. What the hell just happened?  > > ### To be continued.......... > > * * * > > ### © 2009 DragonFire > > I know, another cfiffhanger :o) I promise not to do it too often. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, all comments good & constructive are welcome. Please e-mail me: dragonfire3322@yahoo.com > > Whilst I will be updating here quite regularly, all chapters will be posted on Gay Authors first: DragonFire's GA Page . Please take a look at other submissions on GA, there is a wealth of talent on-site. > > Alternatively, you can join my Yahoo group for e-mail notification of chapter postings. DragonFire Scriptures .. Thanks again guys for all your support. > > A huge thanks goes to my editor BeaStKid for all his hard work.